Transition Committee to closely monitor Victoria cases as it considers easing hard border
Lifting the border with Victoria by Christmas looks even more likely as the state records its ninth day straight of no COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, SA has recorded three more cases in quarantine.
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Fresh hopes are being raised that border restrictions with Victoria will be lifted before Christmas.
Victoria on Sunday recorded a ninth consecutive day of no new COVID-19 infections or deaths, prompting questions on when travel restrictions will be lifted with SA.
SA Premier Steven Marshall said the hard border could be scrapped by Christmas time, if Victoria continued to record no cases as they ease restrictions.
He also downplayed the significance of SA currently having a higher number of active cases than Victoria.
The Transition Committee, which next meets on Tuesday, is expected to take a similar strategy to borders as they did with New South Wales.
“What we have said with NSW is that we needed to see 14 days of no community transmission after their restrictions had been lifted,” Mr Marshall told reporters on Sunday.
“We will apply the same methodology, but we can’t get confused between nine days thinking we are only five days away, because there’s been very significant restrictions (in Victoria).
“What Professor Nicola Spurrier would like to see and what the Transition Committee would like to see is what’s going to happen to the numbers as those restrictions in Victoria are gradually removed and there’s greater mobility.”
The Transition Committee is also expected to consider within the next two weeks allowing Victorians to have 14 days of home isolation when coming into SA.
In the most recent changes announced in Victoria, Premier Dan Andrews confirmed the 25 kilometre travel limit in Melbourne would be scrapped at 11.59pm on Sunday.
The new rules would mean the city, for the first time since June, has the same restrictions as regional Victoria.
“I’m hoping that they stay exactly where they are at the moment with zero cases reported on a daily basis,” Mr Marshall said.
“If that happens, then I think we will be lifting our restrictions with Victoria before Christmas this year.”
Mr Marshall also moved to clarify the high number of 19 active cases in SA, compared with Victoria’s four.
All of SA’s cases were in hotel quarantine and posed no risk to the public.
“I think it’s absolutely fantastic that our systems are capturing those people who are infected. They are in quarantine hotels, so we are safe from that disease across broader South Australia,” the Premier said.
Three cases were identified on Sunday – two men and a woman all in their 20s. They had recently returned from overseas and remain in hotel quarantine.