Fully vaccinated Australians and permanent residents will be able to enter New South Wales without undertaking a period of quarantine, either at home or in a hotel, from 1 November, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced today.
“Welcoming back fully vaccinated travellers will not only mean families and friends can be home in time for Christmas, it will also give our economy a major boost,” the Premier said.
Australians still remaining overseas will be able to enter NSW, however border restrictions, quarantine and caps remain in place for all other states and territories until further announcements are made. Hotels acting as quarantine facilities will revert to their original purpose and be able to welcome guests once again.
Returned travellers currently entering hotel quarantine or those part-way through their isolation period will also be allowed to exit on 1 November. Details on testing requirements for arrivals is yet to be determined and will be advised in coming days, the government said.
Australians returning home who are not fully vaccinated will still need to complete 14 days of isolation in a managed facility, however the state has significantly reduced its inbound cap to 210 unvaccinated travellers per week from 1 November.
Travel for fully vaccinated residents of Greater Sydney to regional parts of the state will also be permitted from 1 November. The NSW Government has activated the Service NSW app to accept immunisation certificates from the Australian Government’s Medicare app, with details now able to be shared between the two.
Also from 1 November, bookings at hospitality venues will no longer be capped at 20 people, however the existing capacity limits of one person per four square metres indoors and one per two square metres outdoors will continue to be enforced.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, said the state reopening was a huge step on the road to recovery.
“We are opening up locally and we are opening up to the world. Now is a time for people to come together in safe way whether it be returning home from overseas or enjoying your favourite local venue,” Minister Ayres said.
The move was welcomed by the state’s tourism industry, with Tourism Accommodation Australia CEO, Michael Johnson, saying the return of international tourists would be a huge step forward and a way for hotel to properly begin their recovery.
“But more importantly, opening the border will allow us to bring in much needed working holiday makers and international students to bolster our staff numbers,” Johnson said.
“The reality is many hotels will not be able to accommodate any significant increase in international visitors, without a boost to staff.
“We also need to ensure international visitors, and Australians themselves, are confident they can travel within the country as well.”