Let’s get out of here! South Australians may soon be able to take a trip around the state as authorities move to ease coronavirus restrictions
After weeks in isolation, South Australians may soon be able to enjoy a holiday at home as authorities consider lifting a ban on regional travel amid the coronavirus pandemic. Will you be among them? TAKE OUR POLL.
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Regional travel is set to be one of the first restrictions lifted in SA as the state gets on top of the coronavirus health crisis, a move that could reinvigorate industries and communities hit hardest by tough travel bans.
SA on Sunday recorded an eleventh-straight day of zero new cases, with only seven people in the state currently batling the potentially deadly disease.
None of them are in intensive care.
Premier Steven Marshall has outlined further details of a transition committee, first revealed by the Sunday Mail, which includes senior bureaucrats and health officials who will oversee the “reboot”.
Mr Marshall said he wanted to be sure restrictions could be safely and permanently lifted, as the disruption reimposing them to combat new outbreaks could devastate businesses.
“We saw many regional communities in the lead-up to Easter who were quite concerned and anxious about large numbers boosting their populations over that very confined four-day break,” he said.
“Now we are hearing from regional communities that with the low numbers (of new cases) they are far more welcoming of people going.
“As people go to regional areas, they are going to be going to the local bakery, going to the local supermarket and spending money in the local community and that will be creating jobs. “When it is safe to do so, that will be one of our priority areas.”
Mr Marshall said funerals would also be under consideration, and other “lower risk activities”, as the state sought a phased return to normalcy.
“We are very keen to see the restrictions lifted.
“We are very keen to see people’s lives get back to a sense of normalcy as quickly as possible,” he said.
“We’ve got to do it in a way that we don’t go backwards.”
National Cabinet, a collection of all state leaders and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, meets on Tuesday and Friday.
It’s expected nationwide plans for opening up restrictions will be considered on those days.
Plans are also being developed for social and elite sport, as major codes including the AFL develop suggestions for the safe restart of matches.
As reported in The Sunday Mail, councils have also been urged to open up SA playgrounds as danger eases.
SA Health chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said regional travel could become possible as the state continued its streak of no new coronavirus infections.
“We will be taking a cautious, evidenced-based approach,” she said.
“We all enjoy a holiday, we all enjoy a change of scenery.
“If we could do that safely in SA I think it would really boost our morale here.”
She said some at-risk communities, like Victor Harbor with an older demographic, may not be as welcoming of tourists as others.
Meanwhile, small businesses will start receiving $10,000 cash grants to ease them through the coronavirus crisis as early as today, as the State Government sorts through 20,000 registrations of interest for the money.
The figures, released on request to The Advertiser, show the $190 million budget set for the emergency scheme, for which applications will stay open another month, may not be enough to cover demand.
Treasurer Rob Lucas said the Government would increase the spend if needed to make sure all small businesses that were eligible get the cash.
“We are doing everything in our power to help businesses get through what is the greatest economic challenge of our time,” Mr Lucas said.