Victoria travel border restrictions: places to visit these school holidays
Victorians can now travel overseas and Melburnians can visit Queensland and South Australia later this week, as border restrictions ease.
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Most Australian states closed their borders after Victoria’s recent coronavirus outbreak.
With Victorian school holidays starting at the end of the week, many families will be wondering whether they can travel interstate in the coming weeks.
Here’s everything we know so far about travelling interstate from metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
METRO MELBOURNE
South Australia
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.
From 12.01am Friday, Greater Melbourne will be allowed to travel to South Australia, but need to isolate until they receive a negative day 1 test.
They will also 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.
New South Wales
Despite Sydney’s growing Covid outbreak, travel to New South Wales is still allowed for all Victorians. For those visiting on or after Thursday May 13, and have been in Victoria in the past 14 days, must apply for a declaration permit. If you have been to a place of high concern, and were either in close or casual contact with these sites, you must not visit New South Wales.
Queensland
Queensland will reopen its border to all of Victorian on Friday 1am.
Previously only regional Victorians could visit Queensland without the need to quarantine.
All travellers must complete a Queensland Travel declaration — an online form designed to make contact tracing easier.
Tasmania
Melbourne is no longer considered a high-risk area as of Tuesday June 22 and travel is now permitted to Tasmania. But if you have been to a high risk area in Victoria, you will not be granted access into the state.
Anyone currently in quarantine who had travelled from metropolitan Melbourne will also be able to leave from midnight.
Western Australia
On June 11, Western Australia downgraded Victoria’s risk level from medium to low.
All visitors still must self quarantine for 14 days on arrival and get a Covid-19 test on day 11.
Plane arrivals will undergo health screening and Covid-19 testing at the airport.
The health advice is based on Victoria recording no new community cases since June 9, and having fewer than five community cases per day on a five and 14-day rolling average.
Northern Territory
Victoria is currently listed as a hotspot and anyone planning to visit the Northern Territory from Victoria is advised to cancel their plans. If you do travel to the Northern Territory you must complete mandatory supervised hotel quarantine at your own expense.
Australian Capital Territory
Only permitted travellers are allowed to visit the ACT. Any visitors must follow Victorian public health orders. These orders will be revised on June 24.
REGIONAL VICTORIA
South Australia
Premier Steven Marshall said travellers from regional Victoria – everywhere outside greater Melbourne – would be allowed to enter SA. The only catch? They must take a Covid-19 test on day one of entry only and quarantine until a negative result.
Mr Marshall said on Tuesday he was aware school holidays were coming up, but SA Health was “reluctant” to give him a date that borders could reopen to the greater Melbourne area.
New South Wales
Travel to New South Wales is allowed for all Victorians, but they are visiting on or after Thursday 13 May and have been in Victoria in the last 14 days must apply for a declaration permit. If you have been to a place of high concern, and were either in close or casual contact with these sites, you must not visit New South Wales.
Queensland
Residents are allowed to travel to Queensland for a holiday, but must complete a travel declaration form up to three days prior to arrival to enter the state.
Tasmania
On June 11, regional Victoria was downgraded to a low-risk area. Anyone who has been in regional Victoria in the past 14 days will not need to quarantine on arrival in Tasmania.
Western Australia
All Victorian visitors still must self quarantine for 14 days on arrival and get a Covid-19 test on day 11, even if they come from regional Victoria.
All plane arrivals will undergo health screening and Covid-19 test at the airport.
The health advice is based on Victoria recording no new community cases since June 9, and having fewer than five community cases per day on a five and 14-day rolling average.
Northern Territory
Only metropolitan Melbourne is restricted from entering the Northern Territory and regional Victorian residents are allowed to travel freely.
Australian Capital Territory
Only permitted travellers are allowed to visit the ACT. Any visitors must follow Victorian public health orders. These orders will be revised on 11.59pm Thursday 24 June.
WHAT ABOUT NEW ZEALAND?
Victorians will again be able to travel to New Zealand without quarantining from Tuesday 11.59pm June 22.
Travellers will no longer be required to have a pre-departure Covid-19 test.
However, if you have visited any of the exposure sites in Victoria, NSW, Queensland or the ACT in the last 14 days at the specified times are still not allowed to travel to New Zealand.
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