Traders confident South Aussies will not bunker down in face of open borders

Traders say they are confident last week’s upswing in business would continue despite letting Covid in. It comes as SA records a new covid case from an old infection.

The business community is quietly confident South Australians will continue to venture from their homes despite the fear of Covid-19 infected interstate visitors.

Many South Australians have taken to social media to express fears that Covid will be let into the state as interstate arrivals began from midnight on Monday.

More than 60,000 applications were processed through the EntryCheck SA portal for tourists and returning South Australians by 4.30 on Tuesday, with just 3 per cent rejected.

SA also recorded it’s first Covid case sice borders opened but it is an old infection. SA Health said it is a vaccinated Victorian man who is still shredding the virus from the old infection and they are not concerned at all.

Australian Hotels Association spokesman Ian Horne said the industry has identified an upsurge in attendances last week, prior to borders being opened at midnight on Monday, and feared Covid-19 wary South Australians were having a “last hurrah”.

“A lot of venues were busy last week, but the last hurrah theory we won’t know until later in the week when we have figures,’’ he said.

“The initial rush of people it seems are visiting friends and relatives, so they will be staying at home with them.

“It is hard to imagine the corporate sector suddenly getting on planes and coming to Adelaide and booking out hotels.”

Mr Horne said brakes would still be put on the sector by government restrictions on hotels which had not changed with the influx.

“The politicians says we should all be very excited, but we are cautious,’’ he said.

Business leaders hope crowds like these will return to venues and Rundle Mall despite Covid numbers being likely to increase. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Business SA chief executive Martin Haese said the influx of visitors was “like a double-edged sword” that would solve worker and stock shortages but also brought risk.

“The reopening of the borders is a good thing for South Australian businesses, although it means we are letting COVID-19 into the state,’’ he said.

“Businesses across many industry sectors have struggled to get stock, and have had fewer customers.

“Businesses have found it challenging to fill roles, and particularly find people with the right skills.

“With the borders reopening, many of these issues will begin to resolve themselves.

“It will also be possible to fill the jobs as international students return and skilled workers come back to South Australia.”

Mr Haese said some sectors such as hospitality and retail were facing the reality of Covid exposure and would need help.

“Although we welcome the fact that the Government of South Australia has given businesses the ability to self-assess the status of a Covid contact within their business, the reality is that will take some time to adjust to what this looks like on a day-to-day basis,’' he said.

“However, let’s not forget that this is a far better situation for business owners than when whole-of-state lockdowns were enforced.”

Izzy Galloway, Zoe Lysaght and Lauren Vallely, all 23, are ready to holiday. Picture Dean Martin

The tourists are flocking back to our great state

Three Victorian friends passed through the Yamba border checkpoint from Victoria on Tuesday ready for the holiday of a lifetime.

Lauren Vallely, Zoe Lysaght and Izzy Galloway, all 23, decided to come to SA as soon as the border opened to celebrate graduating from medicine at university.

“We’re going to the Barossa, we’re going to Kangaroo Island and then Adelaide for a couple nights,” Ms Vallely said.

In other Covid news:

– There have been emotional reunions at borders and at Adelaide Airport as we reopen.

– Taxi drivers are frustrated at the short notice given for a jab mandate, as the state’s top cop says more industries are likely to adopt vaccination policies.

– We’re chatting live to Prof Nicola Spurrier on Wednesday from 12 noon. Submit your questions here.

– Q&A: The new rules if you want to leave or enter South Australia.

Lauren Vallely, Zoe Lysaght and Izzy Galloway, all 23, have graduated medicine and university and are ready to holiday. Picture Dean Martin

The friends said they were most excited to visit some wineries in the Barossa and go hiking on KI.

“I feel awesome ... why march in the CBD when you can travel to SA,” Ms Lysaght joked.

“It feels a bit surreal. We couldn’t leave our 5km radius for months, so the fact we can drive eight hours north and come across the border, it feels like a whole new world.

“It’s good to have our youth back.”

SATC chief executive Rodney Harrex said pre-Covid interstate tourism was worth $2.7b to South Australia’s visitor economy and an upswing was already evident.

“In the month since the border announcement was made, we’ve seen a 30 per cent increase in search traffic from interstate to our southaustralia.com website – and from Victoria, a more than 50 per cent increase – that’s people looking for things to see and do in our state,’’ he said.

“In the lead up to reopening, we’ve seen increased positivity in the CBD.

“Over the weekend of 12-13 November – the weekend of the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant – we saw the highest number of room nights booked in Adelaide since the statewide lockdown in July.”

A huge 5244 people were expected to arrive at Adelaide Airport on Tuesday – a 96 per cent increase compared with last week – while more were crossing the borders in their cars.

Premier Steven Marshall announced today direct flights from Adelaide to Delhi would begin next month.

Business SA had previously estimated the tourism sector’s economic benefit has fallen 50 per cent, equalling between $50,000 and $350,000 in lost revenue per month for some CBD hotels.