SA rolls out the welcome mat to Queensland visitors
Queenslanders will get unfettered access to South Australia from midnight Friday. Photo: Getty
South Australia is throwing open its borders to people coming from Queensland.
Premier Steven Marshall said the change will take effect from midnight on Friday and meant anyone coming from Queensland would no longer be required to spend 14 days in quarantine.
The decision follows the state’s move earlier this week to lift coronavirus restrictions on people coming from Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
Mr Marshall said South Australia would continue to take a staged approach in regard to other jurisdictions.
That includes Victoria – where coronavirus cases have spiked by more than 80 this week – and NSW. SA has already indicated it will allow unrestricted travel for people from those states from July 20.
“Our legal advice is very clear, that we shouldn’t be unnecessarily detaining people without due cause,” he said.
“There is no due cause for citizens coming into South Australia from Queensland.”
For the time being, however, a Queenslander’s trip to SA is likely to be one way, with the sunshine state declaring repeatedly it will keep its own borders closed until at least mid-July.
Mr Marshall said the border move would also have implications for SA’s two AFL teams, which would be able to travel back and forth from their Gold Coast base for training and games.
In other changes coming into force on Friday, South Australia’s pubs, clubs and restaurants are set for a boost, with a big jump in the number of patrons allowed inside.
Under the new arrangements, venues will be allowed to cater for up to 300 people at a time.
But no more than 75 people will be allowed in any one area, and the one person to every four square metre rule will still apply.
Other changes include a move to allow dance and fitness classes to cater for up to 20 people at a time, provided they allow seven square metres for each person.
Participants will also have to provide names and phone numbers or email addresses, and trainers must retain a record of those details.
South Australia will next lift virus restrictions on June 29. From then, school assemblies, excursions and camps can resume, along with school sport competitions and carnivals.
SA Education Minister John Gardner said students, staff and families across the state would welcome the return of school activities.
He said the changes would provide a sense of schools returning to normal from term three.
-with AAP
