No quarantine for returning Australians

Australians will be able to return to the nation’s two largest states from overseas without having to quarantine for the first time in almost 20 months from November 1.

‘An element of fear is still there … but we are excited at the same time,’ says Harris Mashood of Botanicah in Prahran. Picture: Aaron Francis

Australians will be able to return to the nation’s two largest states from overseas without having to quarantine for the first time in almost 20 months from November 1, after Daniel Andrews followed Dominic Perrottet’s lead.

The Andrews government’s decision – yet to be publicly announced but confirmed by state government sources on Thursday night – comes six days after the NSW Premier announced his state would reopen to the world, amid warnings from the travel industry that Victoria’s indecision was already having a significant negative impact on the state’s economy by diverting flight bookings to Sydney.

It is expected to put pressure on the remaining states to follow suit once they open their borders to NSW and Victoria.

The move follows Victoria surpassing the 70 per cent full vaccination threshold, allowing Melburnians to emerge from their 262nd day in lockdown at midnight on Thursday to enjoy an easing of restrictions that will see restaurants, pubs and cafes open to 20 patrons indoors and 50 out, and allow them to have up to 10 guests visit their homes.

The easing of restrictions comes as Victoria reported 2232 new Covid cases on Thursday, and 12 deaths brought the state’s toll from the pandemic to 1005.

Despite the surge in cases over the past fortnight, health authorities said they had been heartened by relatively stable hospitalisation rates of largely unvaccinated ­patients, with 779 people in Victorian hospitals with Covid on Thursday, including 141 in intensive care.

Amid profound relief at the end of what is hoped to be the city’s last lockdown, business groups remain concerned over a lack of certainty about the levels of restrictions to be imposed after the state reaches 80 per cent full vaccination.

At 80 per cent — due to be reached on or before October 31 — Victoria’s reopening road map says indoor entertainment venues may open to up to 150 patrons, with a density limit of one person per 4sq m. Outdoor venues will be limited to 500, while stadiums can have the lesser of 25 per cent cap­acity, or 5000 patrons.

Events industry advocate Simon Thewlis said businesses were unable to plan for the Christmas and summer period, with no certainty about whether restrictions would relax beyond the 80 per cent settings, and Melbourne losing events to Sydney.

“Christmas events are already being cancelled. Decisions are having to happen today about things happening next year,” Mr Thewlis said. “People can’t afford to take the financial risk if they’re not certain things will go ahead.”

Small businesses are also decrying the Andrews government’s refusal to reopen non-essential retail until Victoria reaches 80 per cent full vaccination, unlike NSW.

Chapel Street Precinct general manager Chrissie Maus said she could not celebrate “freedom Friday” because shops were still restricted to outdoor and click-and-collect trading.

“In terms of the inconsistencies, it has been so fatiguing,” Ms Maus said. “I don’t think any single person thought about us standing in the street in our bra and undies trying on a dress. The irony is we will probably catch a cold.”

Ms Maus said Sydney “got it right” after indoor retail opened on October 11 with one person per 4sq m allowed inside. “Clearly Daniel Andrews believes the Delta variant is different in Melbourne for some reason,” she said.

“We are not all rowing in the same directions as a nation.”

Harris Mashood was busy with his staff on Thursday afternoon preparing to open an outdoor pop-up shop on Friday in front of his nursery, Botanicah, in inner-city Prahran. “There is an element of fear that is still there, I would say, but we are excited at the same time,” the 33-year-old said.

“I should be an optimist but I don’t know … the false promises have happened over quite a lot of times,” he said.

Mr Mashood and his best mate Bowen Walker opened the nursery at the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Despite the difficulty of running a plant shop online for the better part of two years, the business duo innovated as best they could to attract cus­tomers and often worked 12-14 hours a day.

“It is very difficult buying something online. We assisted in the best way we could … for instance, some would say I am happy to buy this plant but can you please do a video call,” he said.