South Australia mandates hotel quarantine for even transiting through Sydney Airport

One Australian state has employed a bold measure to ensure Sydney’s outbreak is unable to cross its border.

South Australia has made a bold move to ensure anyone who sets foot in Sydney for even a moment is unable to put the state at risk of a Covid outbreak.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens told reporters on Tuesday anyone who transits via Sydney Airport must now quarantine at home for 14 days and be tested on days one, five and 13.

“This particularly may affect people who are currently in regional Queensland who at this point in time, are not required to quarantine when coming home to South Australia,” he said.

“So (from now), people in regional Queensland who may travel through the Sydney Airport will be required to quarantine for 14 days.

Commissioner Stevens said he understood there were no currently scheduled flights from Queensland that transit through Sydney to South Australia.

“Anybody in regional Queensland will need to revisit their travel plans to make sure that they are not affected by this change which has taken effect this afternoon.”

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has mandated anyone who even transits through Sydney airport must enter hotel quarantine upon their return to South Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Sydney recorded 199 cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, with at least 50 of those confirmed to have been infectious in the community.

The city has been in lockdown for 38 days, with another extension of the stay at home measures expected to be announced as high case numbers refuse to budge.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said an easing of the rules could only come once the vaccination rate was at least 50 per cent of the eligible population, and even then would depend on case numbers and the movement of those infected.

As of Tuesday, there were 250 Covid-19 patients in hospitals across the state, with 53 in intensive care and 20 of those people requiring ventilators.

Meanwhile, South Australia is in the process of exiting its harsh lockdown, with some restrictions set to ease from Thursday.

Under those incoming restrictions, the density requirement at all licenced premises will be relaxed to one person per two sqm, as well as one per four sqm at gyms and indoor fitness facilities.

Sports, including school and community sport, can return to competition but spectators must remain social distant with a one person per 2 sqm density and need to wear masks.

The state was plunged into a seven day lockdown late last month after a man who returned to the state after quarantining in NSW tested positive.

The Modbury cluster consisted of 21 locally acquired cases and forced hundreds of people into quarantine.

The Commissioner said there was “no guarantee” current border restrictions with Queensland would remain as authorities closely watched the situation in the sunshine state. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

Commissioner Stevens also said there was “no guarantee” that the relaxed border restrictions with regional Queensland would remain.

He said authorities began putting out “very strong advice” on Sunday to residents currently in the Sunshine State to come home as quickly as possible.

“Those people may find themselves having to quarantine for 14 days or, if things deteriorate, they might have to apply for an exemption to return.

“We’re hopeful people have heeded that message.”

He said authorities were not having that conversation to tighten the borders at this stage but were closely monitoring the situation in Queensland.

Brisbane was thrown into a snap lockdown at 4pm on Saturday which was due to end today, but has been extended until Sunday after Deputy Premier Steven Miles labelled it “insufficient” to deal with the Delta outbreak.

South Australia recorded no new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday.