Premier announces borders to reopen for interstate travel on July 24

The Premier has revealed when Tasmania’s borders will reopen for interstate travel, but health authorities are keeping a careful eye on an outbreak in Victoria.

TASMANIA’S borders will reopen for interstate travel on July 24, Premier Peter Gutwein announced on Friday.

Local health officials will monitor the second-wave outbreak in Victoria before making a decision whether that state will be excluded from the reopening altogether or subject to further conditions.

REVEALED: PREMIER SETS A DATE ON TASSIE’S BORDERS REOPENING

After a meeting of national cabinet yesterday, Premier Peter Gutwein said the final decision would be made based solely on public health advice.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

“In terms of our border position, I want to make this perfectly clear: I don’t care who is calling for it, whether it be a lobby group, whether it be the Prime Minister — if the public health advice is that we should maintain our restrictions, then we will maintain our restrictions,” he said.

“Tasmanians right through this have worked with us and we’ve been guided by public heath advice and we will continue to be guided by public health advice.”

Once the border restrictions are eased, visitors to Tasmania will be required to record their arrival using an app or using the recently-introduced Tasmanian arrival card.

Mr Gutwein said negotiations were underway with airlines for direct flights to coronavirus-free states and destination and local airports were preparing their own plans for a range of contingencies.

SIX WEEKS COVID-FREE: HOW TASMANIA COMPARES TO OTHER STATES

He said a final decision on how the border reopening would be handled would be made after it was clear whether the outbreak in Victoria was under control or not.

“If we were opening up tomorrow, we will not be opening up borders with Victoria,” he said.

“In terms of Victoria, that will be monitored daily and with a weekly review moving forward. “We will have a pretty clear picture over the next 14 days as to whether or not the Victorian outbreak is under control or not, whether or not we will be opening to Victoria or opening to Victoria with some form of restriction in place, in terms of certain suburbs or towns or, as I’ve said, cities.”

Tasmania on Friday moved to stage three coronavirus restrictions.

The new rules increased limits for indoor and outdoor venues, allowed a wide range of businesses to reopen and allowed for reduced social distancing.

Only a small number of restrictions remain, requiring drinkers to be seated in hospitality venues, floor limits and on large gatherings.

A state of emergency and a public health emergency declaration remain in effect.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said he understood that some people would be concerned at the prospect of the state’s borders reopening.

Mark Veitch. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

He said his staff would be carefully monitoring the situation in Victoria, which is the major transit point for travelling Tasmanians, as well as the state’s major source of interstate visitors.

“Currently the Australian epidemiological situation with coronavirus, aside from the worrying outbreaks in Victoria is actually very good,” he said,

“Victoria is a considerable concern. I have great respect for my colleagues in Victoria who are doing a tremendous job of defining their outbreak and tracking and tracing people.

“The outbreak there is complex and there’s a very large team working on it and I certainly look forward to hearing that over the next two to three weeks they bring that outbreak right under control and arrest community transmission in Victoria.”

A decision on the opening of national borders, including the possibility of a “travel bubble” with New Zealand, would remain a matter for the federal government, Mr Gutwein said.