No quarantine-free arrivals for NT until 2022: Gunner

The NT won’t allow international arrivals to quarantine at home until at least the start of next year, after NSW tried to throw open its own borders to globetrotters.

THE Northern Territory won’t allow international arrivals to quarantine at home until at least the start of next year, despite the nation’s most populated state attempting to throw open its own borders to international travellers.

New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet was slapped down by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday, after announcing Sydney would dismantle its hotel quarantine system from November 1.

Mr Perrottet said arrivals into NSW from overseas would instead be allowed in quarantine-free, including tourists and international students.

However, Mr Morrison poured cold water on this proposal within hours being announced, saying “the federal government is not opening it up to anything other than Australian citizens and residents and their immediate families”.

International travellers won’t be able to travel to the NT without quarantining until at least 2022. Picture: Che Chorley

A spokesman for Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the Northern Territory wouldn’t accelerate any plans for reopening its borders, either to domestic Covid hotspots or international destinations.

“In December, fully vaccinated travellers from hotspots can undertake home quarantine in the Territory, instead of quarantining at the Howard Springs. or Alice Springs facilities,” the spokesman said.

However, Mr Gunner’s spokesman hinted that more relaxed travel requirements would be implemented in early 2022.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced the decision on Friday morning. Picture: Adam Yip

Prime Minister Scott Morrison scuppered the decision four hours later Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

“These steps could include things like reducing the 14-day home quarantine period for vaccinated interstate people from Covid affected areas, or, allowing vaccinated people to leave home quarantine as soon as they have returned a negative test result, and comply with an ongoing testing regime,” the spokesman said.

“It could also include welcoming back vaccinated people from overseas under the same conditions.”

It comes as Hobart and parts of southern Tasmania were declared hotspots by the NT’s chief health officer Dr Hugh Heggie on Friday.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said the decision to lockdown parts of his state from 6pm AEDT was because a man positive for the Delta strain of Covid-19 was being uncooperative with contact tracers.

The man is alleged to have escaped hotel quarantine.