Queensland has announced it will reopen its borders to Adelaide from 12 December, provided there is no more community transmission this week.
Health Minister Yvette D’ath made the announcement on Monday afternoon following a briefing from Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young, who noted South Australia had not recorded any new local cases this week.
Meanwhile, Western Australia will reopen its borders to NSW and Victoria from Tuesday after fears of undetected COVID-19 transmission in Sydney were dispelled.
The decision reclassifies those states as “very low risk” and means travellers will no longer have to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
Premier Mark McGowan revealed his decision on Monday, having taken the weekend to review further test results from NSW.
No locally acquired cases have been detected after a Sydney quarantine hotel cleaner caught the virus at work.
“It is very pleasing to know that no further cases have been identified over the past five days,” Mr McGowan told reporters.
“I want to acknowledge and thank everyone for their patience and understanding.”
The premier also announced that from Friday, travellers from South Australia will no longer require exemptions to enter the state.
They will still need to quarantine for 14 days.
A potential threat emerged over the weekend when two German travellers managed to avoid quarantine upon landing in Sydney and instead board a flight to Melbourne.
The duo have since tested negative to the virus and NSW police have accepted responsibility for the bungle, which forced the entire plane into self-isolation.
“It’s certainly not the gold standard,” Mr McGowan said, referencing a phrase used by NSW counterpart Gladys Berejiklian to describe her state’s handling of the pandemic.
“It obviously shows that COVID is a risk and that’s why we continue to have a controlled border to ensure we can protect people into the future.”
Travellers from NSW and Victoria have been blocked from entering WA for almost nine months unless they went into quarantine and, until recently, secured exemptions.
The decision to proceed with reopening the NSW border is significant for many Australians separated from loved ones with Christmas around the corner.
It comes at a time when the federal government is urging Australians to travel across the nation in an attempt to help the struggling tourism industry.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus
Please check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania
