Queensland has finally opened the border to Greater Sydney after locking the city out for six weeks.
The border will open from February 1, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Thursday morning.
Ms Palaszczuk said she was ‘delighted’ the decision had been made overnight by the state’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young to reopen to all of New South Wales.
‘If anyone’s down there in NSW or Victoria and you’re thinking about having a holiday, come up to Cairns,’ she said.
‘Everyone is here, ready and willing to welcome you with open arms and a friendly smile.’
A passenger wearing a face mask arrives into the international arrivals area at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced travellers from the Harbour City can enter the Sunshine State from February 1
A masked-up pedestrian in Brisbane last week. Ms Palaszczuk said she was ‘delighted’ the decision had been made overnight by the state’s health officials
The Queensland government had previously held firm to its policy of blocking travellers from declared hotspots until they go 28 days without a mystery case of COVID-19.
‘They seem to have softened their approach,’ UNSW epidemiologist Professor Mary-Louise McLaws told the Today show on Thursday morning.
‘It’s possibly a very sensible and safe decision, given the amount of testing that has been going on in NSW.
‘Our major risk is still quarantine hotels but they’ve tightened that up. They’re now doing testing so all workers are going home and they [the government] can have great certainty that they are negative.’
Queensland recorded one case of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in a traveller in hotel quarantine.
The easing of border restrictions between the two states comes as Sydneysiders prepare for relaxed social distancing restrictions from Friday morning.
From Friday morning, masks will no longer be mandatory in shops and more people allowed at gatherings.
Residents must still wear a mask on public transport, at places of worship and in hairdressers, beauticians and gaming rooms.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was ‘delighted’ the state’s chief health officer had reopened the borders with all of New South Wales
Up to 30 visitors will be allowed to enter a home and up to 50 people can gather outside.
Weddings and funerals will be allowed 300 people, abiding by the four square metre rule.
However, dancing is still banned except for 20 people nominated by the bride.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian also flagged hospitality venues would be able to host one person per two square metres in two weeks, but the four square metre rule remains for now.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday flagged an easing of Covid-19 restrictions in NSW by the end of the week
The Queensland government has previously held firm to its policy of blocking travellers from declared hotspots until they go 28 days without a mystery case of COVID-19
Tough restrictions were imposed in Sydney before Christmas when two clusters emerged on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and in the city’s west.
The premier said her approach has struck a balance between eliminating the virus and keeping the economy moving.
‘We want to encourage people to go about their normal lives as much as possible. We want businesses to resume their activities so long as it’s all done in a COVID-safe way,’ she said.
‘We don’t know when the pandemic is going to end. But what we do know is that we have to live with it and New South Wales has always taken a very balanced approach of making sure we keep the virus under control, but that we also make sure that we keep our economy as open as possible.’
Australia has not recorded a case of coronavirus in the community since January 17 when six cases were reported in Western Sydney, linked to the Berala BWS cluster.
NSW Health remains concerned about low testing numbers after just 9,723 tests were done on Tuesday.
A statement read: ‘The continuing low testing numbers is a concern. Although NSW has now seen ten days without a diagnosed locally acquired case of COVID-19, the virus may still be circulating in the community.
It is vital that everyone comes forward immediately for testing if they have even the slightest of symptoms, such as a sore throat, fever, cough, headache or runny nose.’
NSW Health is also urging people in southwest Sydney to monitor for Covid-19 symptoms after virus fragments were detected at the Liverpool waste treatment plant.
Meanwhile, Australians have been warned coronavirus vaccines will not trigger wholesale changes to restrictions when the rollout ramps up in coming months.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd is tempering expectations that jabs will lead to life returning to pre-pandemic settings after the Pfizer vaccine was approved for use in Australia.
Masks are currently compulsory indoors in Sydney, the Central Coast and Wollongong, while just five visitors are allowed in homes and a maximum of 30 people can gather outside
Meanwhile, Australians have been warned coronavirus vaccines will not trigger wholesale changes to restrictions when the rollout ramps up in coming months
The two major unknowns are whether coronavirus vaccines prevent transmission of the virus and if booster shots will be needed each year, similar to the flu.
‘That just reinforces for us how important it’s going to be – even though we might get the vaccine rolling out across Australia – that people still adhere to the public health measures,’ Professor Kidd told ABC radio on Tuesday.
Social distancing, hygiene measures and other rules, as well as international travel restrictions, are likely to remain throughout the year.
Australia has enough doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which recorded a 95 per cent efficacy rate in late-stage trials, for about five million people.
More to come