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12 July, 2021

Home quarantine trials for international travel set to kick off in South Australia

By Alexandra Coulton

South Australia will soon trial home quarantine for those returning from overseas, the National Cabinet has agreed.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison first announced home quarantine trials for fully vaccinated Australians was on the cards on 2 July, as part of phase one of the National Cabinet’s new COVID-19 roadmap.

The National Cabinet agreed to commence the pilot program during a meeting on 9 July and said it would apply to fully vaccinated travellers who had been vaccinated in Australia, with an Australian approved vaccination, arriving from low and medium risk countries.

South Australia has committed to commence the first trial.

Initially, the PM said the National Cabinet had also discussed dropping some quarantine periods from 14 days to seven days; however, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), said a seven-day quarantine period was not currently recommended.

“South Australia has indicated their intention to go forward as the host jurisdiction for that home quarantine trial, which would be a two-week quarantine period based on the advice received from the medical expert panel,” Morrison said following the most recent meeting.

“And we’ll be working with South Australia to put that pilot in place as soon as possible. That will be a transparent project with all the other states and territories.

“It will be run, of course, by South Australia, but with the active engagement and visibility of all the other states and territories, so they are in a position to pick up that project on the completion of a successful pilot program.”

ScoMo said the government will work with South Australia to set up time frames, adding that home quarantine would take significant pressure off the hotel quarantine system.

“If you’re able to make this work, it means in phases, particularly phase three, but even potentially in phase two, you have a greater opportunity for Australians who are vaccinated to be able to leave Australia and come back and put no pressure on the hotel quarantine system.”

Featured image source: iStock/Atstock Productions

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