Australian States Lift Travel Restrictions

Advertisement

Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales recorded zero local coronavirus cases constantly 11th day on Thursday. And taking the chance, the neighbouring Queensland state has lifted its border restrictions while Victoria state also hinted at relaxing travel with Sydney.

The country, which closed international borders early in the pandemic and imposed lockdowns and strict social distancing measures, has ranked among the top 10 in a COVID performance index for its successful handling of the disease.

The clusters in Sydney have now been slowed down, giving other states the confidence to reopen their borders. Queensland Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said her state would welcome residents of NSW from February 1.

“I want to see families and friends reunited,” Palaszczuk said in a televised news conference.

Advertisement

“We know how important that New South Wales market is, so for those viewers currently in Sydney and you’re looking for an escape, there is no better place than the tropical far north.”

The southeastern state of Victoria, which is home to the Australia Open Tennis Grand Slam, also indicated that border conditions with Sydney would change on Friday. The state recorded its 22nd day with no local cases.

However, travellers from a red zone are not allowed to enter Victoria, while travelers from an orange zone must have a coronavirus test within three days of arrival.

I’d hope to have by the end of tomorrow no red zones in New South Wales, a much larger green zone but there may be some remnants of a couple of areas that remain orange,” Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said.

Advertisement

The Australian states imposed quarantine or border restrictions on travellers from New South Wales (NSW) following an outbreak in Sydney in late December, which threw the Christmas vacation plans of thousands of Australians into chaos.

Australia has reported more than 22,000 local COVID-19 cases and 909 deaths since March.

(Source – Reuters)

Advertisement

For the latest travel news and updates, Follow and connect with us on FacebookTwitter and Linkedin!


Also Read – Dubai Announces New Travel Protocols For Inbound Passengers

Advertisement

Rohan Kumar
Rohan Kumar
Articles: 331