SA Covid-ready plan: ‘Some people don’t ever want to open the borders’ says Premier Steven Marshall

The Premier says “everyone has a differing opinion” about reopening the borders, as police officers are told they must get vaxxed.

Premier Steven Marshall says reaction to his government’s plan to re-open the state to the rest of the world on November 23 has been mixed.

“Everybody has a differing opinion, I’ve got some people are saying it’s too tough, some are saying it’s too light,” Mr Marshall said on Wednesday.

“Some people don’t ever want to open the borders, some people want to open the borders completely and immediately.”

His comments come as serving SA police officers are ordered to get their first vaccination by November 15.

They must also have proof of a booking of their second jab.

The rules apply to anyone working in an SA police station or facility run by SAPOL, including contractors and volunteers.

Mr Marshall said reaching a 90 per cent vaccination rate would provide further relief to live music and hospitality businesses.

“The ones that are doing it the toughest are those in the CBD; they will be the biggest beneficiary when we lift the borders with eastern states.

“I think that our restrictions in South Australia have always been amongst the lowest in the country.”

Premier Steven Marshall and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

He said SA reached the 80 per cent mark on Wednesday of people aged 16 and over having at least one Covid vaccination. More than 63 per cent have been double-dosed so far.

Mr Marshall reiterated that on November 23, people coming from overseas would be required to do seven days quarantine only.

“In South Australia we have that wonderful home quarantine app and so for those who have an appropriate place to isolate, they’ll be able to do that seven days at home.”

Mr Marshall said while borders would open from November, the need for SA Health to test, trace, isolate and quarantine cases (TTIQ) would remain.

“We will still have to put people into isolation and we’re going to have to keep some public health social measures in place.”

Mr Marshall said he had been advised by the Doherty Institute that at an 80 per cent vaccination rate South Australia “can end the possibility of state lockdowns and state lockouts”.

“If we get a case between now and November 23 we would have a proportional response … (it’s) very unlikely we would go into an extended lockdown.

“If you go back three or four months ago, a single case in South Australia could spark a cluster or outbreak, which would send our whole state into lockdown.

“Single cases are now not going to have that same capability because of the higher level of vaccination.”

It follows Tuesday’s news that South Australia would reopen within weeks and most Covid restrictions likely lift by Christmas.

In the highly anticipated announcement, the state’s hard borders with NSW, Victoria and ACT, as well as international travel, will lift on November 23 – a new date when the key 80 per cent vaccination target is now forecast to be hit.

Quarantine rules would still apply to areas where community transmission was occurring and in council zones where fewer than 80 per cent of the population was fully vaccinated.

Testing will also stay in place and travellers will need to provide proof of a negative Covid test three days before entering SA.

Phil Hoffmann of Phil Hoffmann Travel Agency said that he had seen an influx of demand for his company’s services since the state government’s announcement, but warned that Australians wishing to travel internationally would have to be wary of varying Covid protocols.

“One of the things that people are gonna have to understand is there will be protocols in each of the places, and they’ll be very different.”

“We just want to travel, that’s in our DNA, and so everyone’s excited about it.”

He said Tuesday’s Covid-19 roadmap announcement gave a “runway for domestic and international travel to take off”.

“The pent-up demand has just been building up over the last 18 months, so we’re excited to now have a timetable,” Mr Hoffmann said.

“We can work with that and we can give our clients confidence about travelling when they can travel.”