COVID-19: South Australia & Queensland changes to border and quarantine conditions

Queensland and South Australia have announced changes to Quarantine and border restrictions today.

Queensland

As of 5 pm today, interstate travellers to Queensland from NSW and Victoria can fly into Brisbane as long as they are fully vaccinated, and have tested negative to COVID-19 before departure. This measure is designed to welcome home Queenslanders who have been trapped in the NSW and Victoria.

But, and it’s a big one, you still need to do 14 days in him quarantine, and if you do that in a household with others, then they too have to serve the 14 days in quarantine

South Australia

As of Tuesday 16 November, if you are identified as a close or casual contact of someone with COVID-19, then you will no longer need to isolate for 14 days. Mask wearing and vaccination status will be taken into account, and the worst-case scenario is 7 days in isolation for those who are double vaxxed according to Premier Steven Marshall. This is all part of the states border reopening roadmap. Borders to Victoria and New South Wales are scheduled to be opened on 23 November 2021.

Adelaide is also repurposing its two quarantine hotels to become part of the health system as a backup for SA hospitals. Both the Pullman and Tom’s Court Hotel will beCOVID-19 case hotels providing lower than hospital-type care with nurses for COVID cases needing medical attention, but aren’t deemed to need a stay in hospital

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

Sounds good to me. I am scheduled to head to Adelaide in South Australia in December, so this news looks good for the timing of the border re-openings in the reopening roadmap. Queensland is still not sounding so welcoming.