State opens borders to Greater Brisbane

The state government updated its website on Thursday morning, stating people coming from the former hotspot area no longer need to quarantine for 14 days or get tested on day one, five and 12 of their stay as of 12.01am on Thursday.However, those who entered from January 17 up until the 12.01am deadline on January 21 must still submit COVID-19 tests on day one, five and 12.Premier Steven Marshall, SA’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens are due to make an announcement later this morning.

All travellers wanting to enter SA must complete a Cross Border Travel Registration prior to arriving.Earlier this morning, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced COVID-19 restrictions would ease at 1am on Friday.The state was able to return to their December level of caution after 14 days without a reported case related to Brisbane’s Grand Chancellor Hotel cluster, according to chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young.The move comes just two weeks after the city was plunged into a three-day lockdown in a bid to curb any community transmission of COVID-19 after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive to the highly contagious B117 strain.Both she and her partner spent a number of days in the community while unknowingly infectious, prompting a “short, sharp” lockdown followed by ten days of tight restrictions before the Hotel Grand Chancellor cluster bottomed out at six cases.SA health authorities have long stated they require 14 days of no community transmission — or locally acquired cases — before easing border restrictions with another jurisdiction.

Following the state’s Transition Committee meeting, Premier Steven Marshall said there would be no changes to border arrangements with NSW. Currently, travellers from Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Central Coast regions are not allowed to enter the state unless they are granted an exemption. People travelling from other areas of NSW are still required to test on day one, five and 12 but don’t have to isolate.He also announced an easing of restrictions within the state with caps of home gatherings increasing to 200 from 50.People hosting more than 50 people will be required to have a COVID safe plan, a COVID marshal and a QR reader. There is also a density requirement of one person per two sm. SA recorded two new COVID-19 infections who are both returned Australians in hotel quarantine, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 596. There are currently five active cases in the state. – Additional reporting by Ellen Ransley

More to come.