Coronavirus: South Australia, Queensland to reopen borders in July

Queensland and South Australia will lift COVID-19 border controls in July as the coronavirus risk eases.

Police checking cars at the Queensland border. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Queensland and South Australia will lift COVID-19 border controls in July as the coronavirus risk eases.

The Queensland border will probably be reopened to interstate travel on July 10 – as the government’s own printed road map states – but that date will be confirmed at the end of the month.

National cabinet met today, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Queensland Premier had decided on a potential date to reopen the border.

But The Australian understands Ms Palaszczuk merely pointed Mr Morrison to the government’s online road map, which states interstate travel will be permitted on July 10 “subject to further planning and review”.

The border decision is reviewed at the end of every month.

There was confusion last month, after Ms Palaszczuk suggested that date could be pushed back to September. Both Ms Palaszczuk and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young have said they wanted NSW and VIC to have four weeks of no community transmission for the border to reopen.

The tourism industry baulked, and called for the road map to be honoured.

As recently as Thursday, Ms Palaszczuk said her intention was for the border to reopen in July.

“We are at one on this in terms of July, there’s no dissent on this,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “(The PM) has said July; I have said July.”

Meanwhile, South Australia will ioen its state border on July 20, says Premier Steven Marshall, as the state brings forward stage three restrictions.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Marshall said SA had recorded another day without any new cases of coronavirus, enabling the government to bring stage three restrictions forward from July to June 29.

Other relaxed measures include increasing room limits from 20 to 75, total venue capacity will increase from 80 up to 300 – although, social distancing protocols will still need to be observed.

Opening state borders will mean any interstate travel into SA won’t require two weeks quarantine. However, quarantine measures remain in place for international arrivals.

With Max Maddison