COVID-19: South Australia slams border closed to Melbourne

Many readers will be familiar with my ties to South Australia, the state where I grew up, and my frequent travels there. I’m faced with a dilemma due to the changed rules about entering South Australia from Victoria. These changed rules have been sparked by the small outbreak of 8 cases of COVID-19 community transmission connected to the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn.

New Restrictions for South Australia – advice and travel forms

As of a minute past midnight this morning, South Australia has closed its borders to anyone from within the Greater Melbourne Area.

Information is preliminary and a little contradictory, but you are best to head over the South Australian Police site for the best information available. Here is the link to SAPOL COVID-19 Directions for 11 February 2021.

If you intend travelling to South Australia from anywhere, you will need to fill out a Cross Border Travel Form. Have a look at the different advice depending on what areas you say you have been in in the last 14 days.

The SA state government’s other COVID-19 specific web pages don’t seem to have caught up yet.

My Dilemma

It’s complicated – as they say. I’m scheduled to travel to Melbourne for the weekend tomorrow. I am also heading to Adelaide on 1 March – slightly over a fortnight later on a flight via Melbourne to fly on the new REX service SYD-MEL before flying on to Adelaide.

2 Questions

This raises two questions that need to be answered before I proceed with my plans:

1. Will my trip to Melbourne prohibit me from travelling to South Australia in roughly 15 days time?
2. Can I still travel to via Melbourne to Adelaide, without that counting as having been in Melbourne?

2 Answers

After reading all available material, and phoning the SA COVID-19 Information Line – here are the answers:

1. NO – the test is whether you have been in Melbourne in the last 14 days
2. YES as long as I spend 2 hours or less transiting at Melbourne Airport and departure to Adelaide, and I wear a face mask the whole time including on the flights

Resolution

OK then – still have to do some fast footwork to re-arrange my flights on 1 March, as I had allowed way more than 2 hours for my transit – in case REX had any flight delays on its first day of operation. Maybe I will give up those REX flights, and just fly straight to Adelaide?

I’ll still need to be tested on arrival (withing 24 hours), and isolate until my negative result. I then need to be tested on day 5 and 12 after that.

2PAXfly Takeout

The aviation industry has a difficult road ahead when it comes to sustainability. It’s going to require a relative revolution in technology, with ‘electric planes’ or hydrogen planes, or some form of jet engine that doesn’t require a carbon based fuel. And that is going to require the development of an alternative to jet engines probably.

It’s a big ask. It will take time to develop.

This move to home grown and manufactured SAF is a first step – maybe even a baby step in a very long road of innovation. In the long run, US$200 million won’t even touch the sides.

In this time of limited flying and endless re-booking of flights without penalty – this is a nice problem to have.

I might have to change my flight to direct Sydney – Melbourne – just to avoid any complications.

I can always fly on REX another day.