Covid travel border rule changes for SA, QLD, VIC, WA and NZ
Australia’s school holiday plans have been thrown into chaos due to the latest Covid-19 outbreaks. See where you can and can’t travel.
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Western Australia and South Australia have imposed a hard border with New South Wales, while Queensland and Victoria have slammed their border shut to Greater Sydney.
From 1am on Thursday, Queenslanders returning home from City of Sydney, Waverley, Randwick, Canada Bay, Inner West, Bayside, and Woollahra will have to go into a mandatory 14 days of hotel quarantine.
All others will be turned back.
Sydney residents will be barred from entering Victoria from Friday, after the state deemed the city a red zone.
Yesterday, James Merlino declared seven local government areas in Sydney were red zones, but extended that on Thursday to include all of Greater Sydney and Wollongong.
The border will be in place from 11.59pm on Thursday, just as Victoria prepares to ease restrictions brought about after is two-week lockdown earlier this month.
Western Australia has reintroduced its hard border with NSW - the restrictions apply to anyone who was in NSW and not subsequently in a jurisdiction deemed a “very low risk” for 14 days.
South Australia has also shut its border with most of NSW. All non-essential NSW travel will be banned in response to what local authorities described as a “very real and present danger”.
People living in far western NSW areas including Wentworth and Broken Hill were exempt.
The changes followed New Zealand pausing its travel bubble with NSW after 10 locally acquired cases were recorded on Tuesday.
NZ’s COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the travel pause would be reviewed next week.
As the Bondi cluster grows, the Northern Territory will require people visiting from Sydney’s Waverley or Woollahra local government areas to go into quarantine for 14 days.
Regional Victorians will not be subject to any restrictions in South Australia.
Queensland will also open up to Victoria this week, just in time for the school holiday.
The northern state will lift is border at 1am Friday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced.
“That is great news for people there,” she said.
“I know there are a lot of people that would have had their holidays booked to Queensland.”
The announcement brings relief to families whose travel plans were in limbo, with school holidays to begin this weekend.
Victorians will also again be able to travel internationally without quarantining after New Zealand officials announced the travel bubble would resume.
Here’s the state of play for arrivals into each state and territory:
VICTORIA
All travellers and residents entering Victoria require a travel permit at Service Victoria, even if they are entering from a green zone, unless an exception or exemption applies.
Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton has declared Greater Sydney and Wollongong a red zone which means travellers into Victoria from those regions cannot enter Victoria.
Victorian residents who have been in a red zone can apply for a red zone permit to return home. They must return straight home – or to accommodation – and self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving in Victoria.
People applying for an orange zone permit must get a Covid-19 test with 72 hours of arriving in Victoria.
Covid-19 tests taken in the days prior to a person arriving in Victoria will not be valid – they will still need to get tested at a Victorian testing location.
If orange zone hot spots are upgraded to red zones after the person’s permit is granted, they will have to reapply for another permit.
Face masks are mandatory indoors, except at your home, in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Face masks are recommended outdoors where you cannot maintain 1.5 metres from others.
Holiday-makers wanting to have a ski trip at Victoria’s Alpine Resorts must show a negative Covid-19 test as condition of entry.
The COVID-19 test must be taken within 72 hours of and visitors must be able to show evidence of a negative test as a condition of entry, such as a text message from a testing provider.
Professor Sutton has deemed ski resorts high-risk environments due to the combination of socialising indoors after being on the slopes and the cold and humidity.
People in Victoria who have been to the exposure sites listed by both NSW and Queensland health need to follow the listed advice and contact the Victorian department of health on 1300 651 160.
All other areas, including New Zealand, are green zones under Victoria’s permit system.
QUEENSLAND
Queensland will open up to Victoria from 1am on Friday.
But Greater Sydney has been closed to anyone wanting to travel from there to Queensland.
From 1am on Thursday, Queenslanders returning home Greater Sydney will have to go into a mandatory 14 days of hotel quarantine.
Residents of those local government areas will not be able to enter Queensland unless they have an exemption.
Queenslanders have been urged to reconsider any travel to Greater Sydney and Wollongong.
The rest of NSW is not Covid-19 is not a hot spot but is in a state with a hot spot meaning people who want to enter Queensland need to apply for a border declaration pass.
All other areas, including New Zealand, are green zones but all people entering Queensland now need to complete a travel declaration.
Face masks must be worn at Queensland airports but are not mandatory elsewhere.
The Queensland government strongly advises masks to be work in taxis, on public transport and at shopping centres.
NSW
The NSW government has imposed no travel restrictions.
Face masks are now mandatory in shopping centres and in other indoor settings across Sydney. NSW has also indicated mandatory QR codes will be needed at all venues, with details expected in the coming days.
Originally, only residents in Randwick, Bayside, Botany Bay, Inner West, City of Sydney, Waverley and Woollahra had to wear masks while in places like supermarkets and retail stores. But it was extended on Tuesday as the cluster grew to 21 cases.
The mask mandate has been extended to take in the Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas. Residents in these areas must wear masks while using public transport and taxis.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
South Australia’s border with most of NSW was shut on Wednesday afternoon over mounting concerns about Sydney’s fast spreading Delta Covid-19 strain cluster.
In a snap decision that threw school holiday plans into chaos, all non-essential NSW travel was banned in response to what local authorities described as a “very real and present danger”.
People living in far western NSW areas including Wentworth and Broken Hill are exempt, under orders of Police Commissioner Grant Stevens.
Returning residents, people relocating to SA and those fleeing domestic violence can cross state lines but must quarantine for 14 days.
South Australia will reopen its border with greater Melbourne – but with one condition.
Grant Stevens, South Australia’s Co-ordinator and Police Commissioner, said from 12.01am Friday people from greater Melbourne could travel to South Australia, but need to isolate until they receive a negative 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
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The hard border with NSW means the state has transitioned from a “very low risk” to a “medium risk” state under Western Australia’s controlled interstate border regime.
Exemptions apply for certain senior government officials and active military personnel, members of federal parliament, a person carrying out functions under Commonwealth law, a person responsible for transport freight or logistics, and anyone who is given approval.
The final category includes compassionate reasons such as anyone who travelled to NSW recently and needs to return to Western Australia.
Exempt travellers must self-quarantine for 14 days, present for a Covid-19 test within 48 hours, get a test if symptoms develop and be tested on day 11.
Anyone who recently arrived from NSW before the hard border was reintroduced, and has been to an exposure site during the relevant times, must self-quarantine for two weeks and be tested immediately as well as on day 11.
WA Health issued updated its advice on Sunday afternoon for travellers who recently returned from Queensland.
Chief health officer Dr Andrew Robertson said anyone who has recently arrived into Western Australia from Queensland and had been to one of the listed exposure sites was required to get tested immediately and self-quarantine for 14 days and have a test on day 11.
Anyone travelling to Western Australia from Victoria must complete a G2G Pass and complete 14 days of self or hotel quarantine.
Arrivals from all other states and territories, and New Zealand, must complete a G2G Pass and declaration.
Wearing a face mask is mandatory in WA while at an airport, travelling on aircraft, or transporting a person subject to a quarantine direction.
TASMANIA
Tasmania lifted its border restrictions with Greater Melbourne at 12.01am on Tuesday.
People visited exposure sites in Queensland, the ACT and NSW are also not allowed to enter Tasmania.
All other areas, including New Zealand, have been designated low risk and travellers can register their travel and contact details through the Tas e-Travel system no more than three days before they arrive.
Face masks must be worn in Tasmania while at airports and on board the Spirit of Tasmania vessel.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
The Northern Territory will require people visiting from Sydney’s Waverley or Woollahra local government areas to go into quarantine for 14 days.
The NOT no longer regards Melbourne as a hotspot, but it has implemented a three-tier system to manage Covid risk.
Travellers arriving from Victoria who have visited a tier 1 exposure site in Victoria must immediately get tested and undertake 14 days of quarantine in their home or at a suitable place.
People touching down from “tier 2” areas must get a Covid test and isolate until they have received a negative result.
Those from “tier 3” sites must monitor for symptoms, and isolate and take a Covid test if they arise.
Any person who has arrived or who will arrive in the Northern Territory who has been in the ACT since June 14 must check the exposure sites at least once per day and comply with the directions.
All other arrivals must complete a border entry form.
Face masks must be worn at Northern Territory airports and while on board an aircraft.
ACT
Travellers from Victoria to the ACT must complete a declaration form within 24 hours prior to their arrival.
The requirements have been extended and will remain in place until 11.59pm on June 24.
Those who have visited exposure sites in Victoria, NSW and Queensland must follow the directions of the relevant health departments.
Anyone in the ACT who visited Bondi Junction Westfield on the dates and times specified need to immediately complete an online declaration form, get tested and isolate until a negative test result is received.
Face masks are mandatory inside the Canberra Airport terminal and while on board an aircraft.
NEW ZEALAND
Quarantine free travel from Victoria to New Zealand remains paused.
Quarantine free travel from NSW and Queensland to New Zealand is continuing but those who have visited any exposure sites cannot travel until at least 14 days after they were at the venue.
It is a legal requirement to wear a face mask or covering on all public transport and flights throughout New Zealand.
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