72-hour quarantine for overseas arrivals scrapped in NSW and Victoria

NSW and Victoria have both announced the end of a rule that requires international arrivals to spend an extended period in isolation.

NSW and Victoria have announced they’re scrapping the rule requiring international travellers and aircrew arriving in Sydney and Melbourne to isolate for 72 hours.

Both NSW and Victoria removed the long-hated 14-day hotel quarantine requirement for overseas arrivals last month, provided they were fully vaccinated and had returned a negative PCR test within 72 hours before their flight.

However the emergence of Omicron in November, the latest variant of concern to spread across the world, saw the states bring back some light restrictions on anyone returning from overseas.

On November 29, NSW and Victoria ordered all overseas arrivals to isolate at home for 72 hours.

They were also required to be tested within 24 hours of landing in either NSW and Victoria, and were also required to get a test on day six after their arrival.

Overseas arrivals have had to quarantine for three days. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jono Searle

Those requirements will change on Tuesday.

“From the beginning of Tuesday, December 21, all fully vaccinated international travellers and flight crew arriving in NSW and Victoria will be required to get a PCR test within 24 hours after arrival and isolate until they receive a negative test result,” the two state governments said in a statement.

“Under existing arrangements they are also required to produce a negative pre-departure test, within three days of boarding their flight.

“Previously, all fully vaccinated international arrivals in both NSW and Victoria had to get a test as soon as possible and isolate for 72 hours, regardless of when they received their negative test result.

“The 72-hour isolation period is no longer required, and those arrivals and aircrew already in isolation may leave once they receive a negative PCR test.”

NSW arrivals are also required to get a follow-up test on day six after their arrival. In Victoria, a PCR test must be taken between days five and seven.

Any passengers arriving from overseas who are aged 18 or over and are not fully vaccinated must still go into 14 days of hotel quarantine.

“We know it has been a challenging time for international travel with new rules and the emergence of the Omicron variant, but this announcement is about simplifying the process and making sure Australia’s two biggest cities have a consistent approach,” NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

“This decision has been made with safety remaining the top priority, which is why all arrivals must return a negative PCR test before they can exit isolation and have an additional test following that.”

“With more than 92 per cent of Victorians 12 years and older double vaccinated, Victorians have given themselves the strongest chance of living safely with coronavirus and enjoying more freedoms this festive season, while we continue to monitor the Omicron variant,” the acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said.

International travellers were welcomed back in NSW and Victoria from November 1. Picture: William West/AFP

The federal government also took steps to stop the spread of Omicron in late November, announcing a travel ban for nine African countries on non-Australian citizens.

Anyone that had been in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi or Mozambique were also immediately sent to hotel quarantine for 14 days.

The hotel quarantine rule for the nine African nations was lifted by Victoria and NSW earlier this week.

Omicron is well and truly in Australia now, with NSW recording its highest daily case number today with 2213 new coronavirus cases and South Australia also breaking its record with 64 new cases.

Despite the sharp rise in cases, our vaccination rate is one of the highest in the world with more than 90 per cent of our population over the age of 16 fully vaccinated.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet yesterday urged people to focus on hospitalisation and intensive care numbers, which remain low, rather than daily cases, which are increasingly significantly.

The state has 215 people in hospital and 24 in the ICU.

“I know media want to focus on case numbers – please also focus on ICU numbers,” Mr Perrottet told reporters.

“We trust our health system in NSW and the great people of NSW, the record testing, the record vaccination rate and now the boosters.”