SA’s hard border closure with Victoria ends but new mask rules arrive
Long separated loved-ones will finally be reunited today – but new mandatory mask rules for some facilities are also coming.
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Masks must be worn in health and aged care facilities from Tuesday, when QR codes for licensed venues and other establishments are also introduced.
It comes as travellers began flowing over the Victorian border from midnight.
Families will reunite for the first time in months as South Australia’s hard border – introduced on July 8 – was lifted overnight.
Other social distancing restrictions are changing, including funerals and private functions outside of a home capped at 150 people, along with the resumption of community sport.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said travellers must still fill out a cross border travel form before they arrive from Victoria.
“We still require people to do the online pre-approval process and it will be an automatic approval,” he said.
People will also need to use QR codes to check into places and events required to keep contract tracing records, such as pubs, private functions, funerals and gaming machine venues.
Hard-copy records will be kept to track the details of those who do not have smartphones. From December 1, wearing a mask is also required when attending health and aged care facilities and encouraged in crowded places.
Home gatherings are still capped at 10 people but Mr Stevens hoped that number would increase to a maximum of 50 from December 14.
“It's very high on the agenda that we’ll lift the number of people who can be at homes,” Mr Stevens said.
“We are still hopeful that … we will be on track to go back to where we were mid-November and … we’re hopeful we can do that so people can celebrate Christmas.”
Other measures to increase Adelaide Oval’s capacity will also be on the Transition Committee’s agenda on Tuesday.
Mildura woman Marilyn Argall will be driving to South Australia on Thursday – and is looking forward to seeing her daughters Juliet Schulz and Nadine Stroud and their families for the first time since March. A highlight will be catching up with her granddaughters Harriet, 2, Rosie, 3, and Bethany, 6.
“I hope to be there by lunch time and then I can go with my daughter to pick Bethany up from school,” Mrs Argall said.
“I think there will be a lot of tears. Harriet was a baby almost, the last time I saw her and Rosie and Bethany keep asking where I am and why I’m not there.”
Ms Argall said before the hard border, she usually travelled to Adelaide once a month for a few days, and spent extra time in SA supporting family after Mrs Schulz’ Lobethal home was destroyed in last summer’s bushfires.
SA Police has bolstered resources across road and airport borders in anticipation of the traveller influx. Their presence will be reassessed around the festive season. To date, more than 600 SA Police staff have been focused on COVID-19 duties, with another 150 officers on standby.
In addition, 42 members of the SES and 227 from the Australian Defence Force have been deployed to assist with frontline duties, such as airport and border management.
Those travelling from Victoria into SA are encouraged to wear a mask if social distancing cannot be maintained, especially in an aeroplane.
– with Patrick James and Dixie Sulda
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