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16 November, 2020

NSW remains open to South Australians, as COVID-19 outbreak forces all other jurisdictions to shut borders

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By Travel Weekly

A COVID-19 outbreak in South Australia has forced all jurisdictions except NSW to shut their borders to travellers from the state.

The cluster of 17 coronavirus cases in Adelaide’s has resulted in Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory all introduce restrictions for South Australian travellers.

The Western Australian government said in a statement on Sunday that those arriving from South Australia at Perth Airport will now be tested for COVID-19 on arrival (or within 24 hours of arrival at another COVID clinic) and given a direction to self-quarantine for 14 days in a suitable premise.

These arrivals will also be required to be tested for COVID-19 on day 11 of their quarantine period.

Anyone arriving via road from South Australia will be given a direction to self-quarantine for 14 days in a suitable premise and required to take a COVID-19 test on day two and on day 11 of their quarantine period.

For any South Australian arrivals over the weekend via road or air, they will be contacted by WA officials and will be required to be tested for COVID-19 and self-quarantine for 14 days.

WA had only transitioned to a controlled interstate border on Saturday, with passengers on flights from Sydney and Melbourne still subject to quarantine directions home self-isolation for 14 days.

The Northern Territory’s Chief Health Officer has declared all of South Australia as a COVID-19 hotspot, while Victoria has declared Adelaide a COVID-19 hotspot, and the Queensland government will recognise Adelaide as a COVID-19 hotspot from 11.59pm tonight

Anyone who has arrived in Tasmania from South Australia since last Monday (9 November) is being asked to immediately self-isolate.

For those that would be entering Tasmania directly today from South Australia or on the Spirit of Tasmania early tomorrow morning, and anyone else who has spent time in South Australia since last Monday, is expected to quarantine upon their arrival.

“At this stage, we’re not elevating South Australia to medium risk, which would be the same level as Victoria is at, that being that anyone entering the state automatically goes into either hotel quarantine if they don’t have a residence, or if they are a Tasmanian returning to the state, two weeks’ quarantine in their home,” Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said.

“However, I want to ensure that people are aware that there will be a further update this afternoon.”

NSW and the ACT are the only jurisdictions bucking the trend by continuing to allow quarantine-free travel for South Australian visitors.

“Our health authorities are confident the South Australian government is on top of it,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, according to ABC News.

“You can’t open and shut borders and change things overnight every time there’s an outbreak.

“I’m not suggesting it’s not concerning – it is.”

The newly tightened border restrictions have immediately cast doubt on the ‘Framework for National Reopening Australia by Christmas’ that was agreed upon by NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory following a National Cabinet meeting on Friday.

Western Australia was the only jurisdiction that did not agree to the National Framework for Reopening, specifically the domestic border and international arrival proposals, according to the federal government.

You can check out the government’s new-look framework in full here.

Image source: iStock/bgblue

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