NSW residents and even tourists flying in from overseas will no longer have to enter any form of quarantine in a massive shake-up for travellers.
Say goodbye to hotel and even home quarantine, with NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet saying the mandatory measure for vaccinated travellers will be a “thing of the past”.
Speaking to media on Friday, Perrottet announced that returning vaccinated Australians will be able to fly into the state from overseas on November 1, and providing they have a negative PCR test, enter society freely.
“From November 1, those people returning to Australia … and those who want to come back, who want to visit Australia and come to Sydney, hotel quarantine will be a thing of the past,” he explained.
Premier Dominic Perrottet has reopened the state to the world in November. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone
“We will require … working with Commonwealth Government … that people coming into here, you’ll need to do a PCR test before you board the flight … you will need to show proof of your double vaccination.
“For double vaccinated people around the world, Sydney, New South Wales is open for business. We want people back. We are leading the nation out of the pandemic.
“Hotel quarantine, home quarantine is a thing of the past. We are opening Sydney and New South Wales to the world, and that date will come in on November 1st. This is a significant day for our state”.
The NSW premier said the travel perks of no longer needing to quarantine from November 1 will not be extended to unvaccinated returning residents, with unvaccinated arrivals requiring to enter hotel quarantine as normal.
Hotel quarantine is a thing of the past. Picture: William WEST / AFP.
“For those who are fully vaccinated, New South Wales says we welcome home every Australian overseas, we want tourism back, we want people back into work, we want to get our economy moving,” he said.
“There is no reason as to why people right across the world who are fully vaccinated should need to hotel quarantine or home quarantine for two weeks.
“Quarantine is a thing of the past. It will still exist at a much smaller nature for those people who are unvaccinated, so we will have a smaller cap for those unvaccinated returning to Australia … they will have to hotel quarantine. But there is absolutely no reason if you are fully vaccinated, when you are attending Australian or are a tourist, that you should have to hotel quarantine.”
Meanwhile the premier confirmed a raft of new freedoms will kick in for fully vaccinated NSW residents from Monday, though one key freedom will be delayed.
Mr Perrottet said NSW is likely to hit its 80 per cent double dose vaccine milestone tomorrow, triggering a range of easing restrictions from Monday.
Some of the new freedoms will include having 20 visitors to a home, standing and drinking at the pub, 3000 people at ticketed outdoor events, density limits will be removed for hairdressers and other personal care services and there will be no limit on the number of fully vaccinated guests at weddings and funerals.
NSW will be welcoming back overseas tourists from November. Picture: Peter PARKS / AFP.
He also confirmed that the government had pushed regional travel for Greater Sydney to November 1.
“We have made a decision today – and I know for many it will be unpopular, but as Premier I believe it is the right decision, and that is to defer regional travel from Greater Sydney until November 1,” he said.
“The reason we have made that decision is best on vaccination rates in front of us. If you look at where a percentage of LGAs have reached that 80 per cent double-dose here in Sydney, that is where regional New South Wales will be on November 1.”
He also revealed the 20 person cap on hospitality bookings will be removed from November 1.
The government said they will providing extra financial support to regional businesses by extending welfare payments at 30 per cent payroll until November 1.
– with Ally Foster
