SA border expected to open to Victoria on Tuesday; Transition Committee to discuss Christmas plan on Friday

The transition committee will today plan out the state’s approach to Christmas, with several restrictions to lift – starting with the Victoria border.

South Australia is expected to open its arms to Victoria travellers and be unshackled from hospitality, events and sporting restrictions from Tuesday.

Premier Steven Marshall has also written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison restating his wish to have Australians overseas tested before they board international flights to Adelaide.

SA’s transition committee, which is tasked with dealing with the state’s response to the coronavirus, will meet on Friday to discuss a pathway for the next few weeks leading up to Christmas.

But hopes from the hospitality and tourism industry that the committee will ease restrictions before the weekend appear dashed.

This is despite an ongoing promise by Mr Marshall to not keep restrictions in place “a single day longer than necessary”, and the introduction of QR code technology for clubs and pubs aimed at making contact tracing easier.

Mr Marshall said restrictions were not expected to be eased on Friday, with an expectation that the state was still on track for Tuesday.

“I’m determined that SA does not go backwards,” he said.

“I’m determined that SA is open for Christmas.”

Providing there is not a significant twist in the ongoing coronavirus response, this would mean the existing restrictions, including a ban on community sport and recreational swimming in public pools, would be scrapped.

Caps on public and private gatherings, church services and the closure of recreation centres, indoor play centres and amusement parks and arcades could also be lifted on Tuesday.

Currently, hospitality venues such as pubs, clubs and restaurants are capped at 100 people per venue, with no standing consumption of alcohol, either inside or outside.

There is a maximum booking size of 10 people per group, with seated dining only.

Australian Hotels Association state chief Ian Horne wants no venue caps, and is also seeking the reintroduction of standing consumption of alcohol outside in hospitality venues and stand-up drinking and dancing for private functions.

“There’s four weekends until Christmas, and it seems to us that the conditions that we had a week and a half ago, which was still heavily restricted, were relatively easy to adopt,” he said.

“They would provide significant benefits to the entire hospitality industry and boost morale.”

Mr Marshall said the opening of the Victorian border was also on track for Tuesday.

“I think that will be a great relief for many people that have been caught by the restrictions that have been put in place to keep our state safe,” he said.

“Victoria is the single biggest interstate market for SA and that has been missing for the last three or four months.

“We are really looking forward to welcoming Victorians into SA, and we believe this will provide a much-needed economic boost for many sectors of the SA economy.”

Mr Marshall said SA Health was working with the Australian Border Force on when international flights could start returning to SA, after Mr Morrison indicated more international arrivals could land in SA from Monday.

“We are 100 per cent committed to playing our part in the repatriation of Australian citizens, but we will not do it until it is safe for us to do so,” Mr Morrison said.