Lightning McQueen wrote:Booney wrote:Borders open to Victoria on December 1
Got a link @Booney?
All Victorian-SA border restrictions to be dropped from December 1, if no mystery cases emergeVictorians will be able to travel in SA with no restrictions by December 1 – provided no mysterious COVID cases emerge – and standing-up drinking is set to return too.
Victoria has recorded zero new coronavirus cases for 14 consecutive days, reaching the state’s timeline target 10 days ahead of schedule.
Victorian travellers will be able to visit South Australia unrestricted from next month as authorities ease the state’s hard border in time for Christmas, provided no mysterious coronavirus cases emerge.
In a highly anticipated decision, a specially called COVID-19 Transition Committee meeting on Friday advised the borders should be completely lifted from December 1.
The decision, which was authorised by Police Commissioner Grant Stevens as state COVID co-ordinator, will mean no traveller will need to quarantine when crossing the border.
It also means families will enjoy unrestricted travel in time for Christmas, provided no mysterious cases of community transmission – either locally or in Victoria – emerge over the coming weeks.
As of midnight tonight, WA’s border with SA will also reopen.
The committee’s early morning meeting, which involved senior officials including Mr Stevens and chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier, also debated hospitality rules including standing up drinking.
Rules will change if QR codes and identification scanners are ready.
The border easing, more than four months after being closed, were announced by Premier Steven Marshall as Victoria recorded a fortnight of no new cases.
Mr Marshall said another Transition Committee meeting on Tuesday will examine easing more restrictions surrounding venue capacity.
And standing-up drinking is likely to return “around” next Friday as QR codes and identification scanning is launched, he said.
He said restrictions “will ease … across a range of venues and activities”.
The December 1 date will represent 28 days since the Victorian borders were partially eased to allow people to relocate to SA.
The hard border came into force on July 8.
A two-staged easing was rejected due to compliance issues after police and SA Health spent the past few days checking if a home quarantine arrangement could be adequately staffed.
The committee also discussed the potential risk presented by the unusual case of a Commonwealth agency nurse in her 20s, who was deployed to fight Melbourne’s second wave.
Tests suggested it was an old reinfection but her case was not enough to change any border arrangements.
The woman, who is in a stable condition in the Peppers medi-hotel, Waymouth St, has not shown any symptoms of the disease.
She tested positive to coronavirus in August.
On Friday, Prof Spurrier said it was “possible” it was a reinfection.
“It looks like a second infection – if it is a second infection – that occurred some time ago
and is also an old infection,” she said.
After recovering, the woman arrived at Adelaide Airport on Monday morning and checked into a hotel for a fortnight of mandatory quarantine.
Her compulsory first-day test was positive.
Authorities called the case “complicated” as they worked out whether is it is a reinfection or if she was still shedding old traces of the virus after three months.
Almost all of the country’s microbiologists and pathologist have been involved.
Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 2:58 pm
