Victoria will "effectively" shut to all of NSW, without the government announcing a hard border closure.

Albury mayor Kevin Mack is seeking clarification about NSW cross-border residents' access to Melbourne after the Victorian Health Department stated they "must stay within the Victorian cross-border area".

"The border bubble is still intact, but we need to see what happens next," he said.

"If things change drastically, we'll be making strong advocacy.

"Typically, we have no details."

Wodonga mayor Kevin Poulton said he was not confident about whether checkpoints would return or not.

"If that happens, we're going to see a whole new level of angst," he said.

"When I crossed the causeway, there was a lone police car ... but roadworks machines were there - and last time they did that, they then put down equipment (for a hard closure)."

Albury MP Justin Clancy said he understood there would be no hard border closure but "we'll need to monitor that".

"I appreciate they're policing without fixed checkpoints at this stage ... it's important for our communities we can travel," he said.

"If people have travelled further north, outside of the border community, they won't be able to travel across (to Victoria).

"Part of that (cross-border travel) rests on our community responding and continuing to do the right thing.

"I anticipate the Victorian government wouldn't hesitate to go harder if they felt those conditions weren't being met."

Warnings a hard border closure was a "significant likelihood" raised anxieties on Saturday, but it was the red zone allocation for all of NSW and ACT announced at 4pm yesterday via Twitter.

The DHHS statement:

Victoria has declared all of NSW and the ACT will become a red zone under Victoria's travel permit system at 11:59 tonight.

This means the Victorian border is effectively closed to New South Wales and the ACT - except for Victorian residents returning on a red zone permit for 14 days of quarantine, and for people with exemptions, exceptions or other valid permits (such as specified workers and cross-border residents).

"If you live in the NSW cross-border area, you can enter Victoria without a permit but you must travel with proof of address," the Department of Health states.

"Conditions apply. You cannot enter if you have been to a red zone outside of the cross-border area, or if you have COVID-19, any symptoms, or have been defined as a close contact by a state health authority.

"If you are entering Victoria as a NSW cross-border community resident, authorities ask you to stay within the Victorian cross-border area at all times.

"If you are entering New South Wales as a Victorian cross-border community resident, stay within the NSW cross-border area. If you travel beyond this area, a red zone permit will be required for re-entry into Victoria.

"At all times, we strongly advise all Victorians against travelling to red zones."

Travellers from existing orange zones in New South Wales and the ACT entering Victoria before 11:59pm 11 July can enter on an orange zone permit if they are eligible, including if they are on flights that are scheduled to depart orange zones before 11:59pm 11 July.

Orange zone permit holders are required to isolate on arrival, get tested within 72 hours, and stay isolated until they return a negative result.

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