SA’s borders to greater Melbourne to open again but more restrictions for Sydney travellers

South Australia will reopen its borders to greater Melbourne on Friday – but there are now more restrictions on travellers from metropolitan Sydney.

The border restrictions to Greater Melbourne will ease on Friday – in time for Victoria’s school holidays – after a snap transition committee meeting on Tuesday morning.

State co-ordinator and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said from 12.01am Friday people from Greater Melbourne could travel to South Australia, but need to isolate until they take a day 1 test.

“They will be restricted from attending high-risk locations such as aged-care facilities, and they won’t be able to attend the events that require a Covid management plan, but beyond that, they’ll be able to move freely in the South Australian community,” Mr Stevens said. 

Regional Victorians will not be subject to any restrictions in South Australia. 

Historically, the state would wait 14 days since the last case of community transmission before opening to a state.

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens. Picture: Matt Loxton

“But the way the virus is being managed in Victoria has given our health experts a level of confidence, and they believe that within the next couple of days it will continue to the same direction, (and) we’ll be in a position where we can make those (border) changes.”

SA Health also has widened the bans on travellers from metropolitan Sydney.

Announced late on Monday, the bans were due to come into effect from 12.01am.

Travellers who have been in the City of Sydney, Randwick, Canada Bay and Woollahra in the past 14 days are required to self quarantine until they take a Covid test, and be retested on days 5 and 13. Quarantine is only required if people have symptoms.

Anyone who has been in the Waverley Council area is still banned from entering SA.

Mr Stevens said there are no current plans to enforce a hard border closure with NSW.

“I would have to rely on our health advice, but I don’t want to shut the border,” he said.

“We’re looking at how the virus is being transmitted and whether or not it's a particular strain and what that actually means in terms of risk.

He said there have been no discussions regarding this weekend’s Sydney Swans game, set to happen in Adelaide. 

South Australia’s Covid-19 authorities decided to meet a week earlier to debate the easing of restrictions, including with Victoria.

The snap meeting involved senior officials including Mr Stevens, and chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier.

SA Health reported on Monday that a baby girl and her parents, in their 30s, had returned positive tests on arrival from overseas.

They are among six infectious patients recovering in the Tom’s Court facility, in the CBD.

Another man, in his 40s, remains in a stable condition in the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Covid-19 ward where he has been recovering for the past five days.

Meanwhile, authorities continue to monitor outbreaks in Sydney and Brisbane.

South Australia has closed its borders to some of Sydney’s most affluent areas, including Bondi Beach, as the city’s Delta cluster grows to 21.

Restrictions were imposed on anyone who arrived after 7.48pm on Saturday.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said authorities were at a “critical” point in controlling the outbreak.

In Brisbane, genomic sequencing has linked a woman’s case to another cabin crew member who flew on a different flight and was in quarantine on a separate hotel floor.

Originally published as SA’s borders to greater Melbourne to open again but more restrictions for Sydney travellers