Australian state border restrictions

[willclan]

I am interested to know how the Victorian Border Permit system is working on the ground, as there are reports in the media of no one checking permits at road borders, or via the Tasmanian ferry to Melbourne. Are all interstate flights into Melbourne being checked, or just random flights? If it is just a random system, with the threat of a $5,000 fine, it is just another means of contact tracing people in the event of another outbreak.

 

[drron]

Last Monday mrsdrron arrived at MEL from MCY.They had to remain on the plane in the 30C+ heat with no aicon for 30 minutes waiting for the busses to take them to the Processing point where first temperature was taken then on to the police etc who asked every question that had already been asked in the online application.She had the printout of the exemption.
She arrived on a JQ flight.The processing was in a shed alongside the VA terminal.Those that had checked bags then had to walk bag to the JQ gates to collect their baggage.
And she was just transiting MEL on her way to DPO.

 

[PineappleSkip]

So the checks are in place even though Victoria regards the whole of Australa as green zone? Or was that before the change. Sounds like job creator to me!

Cheers skip

 

[drron]

Yes mrsdrron arrived in Victoria on Monday 25/1.All of QLD had been classified a green zone on 22/1.

• Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has now declared all areas of Queensland to be green zones.
• From 6pm on Friday 22 January 2021 a person who has been in Queensland for the last 14 days can apply for a green zone permit. You cannot enter Victoria without a green zone permit unless an exemption, exception or Specified Worker Permit or Freight Worker Permit applies.

 

[oz_mark]

Victoria has now declared Perth a Red Zone

With Western Australia (WA) recording a positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) and a number of WA areas entering lockdown from 6:00pm WA time on Sunday 31 January, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has declared the following:

From 9:00pm Victorian time on Sunday, 31 January, the Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region of Western Australia will move from a green zone to a red zone under Victoria’s ‘traffic light’ travel permit system.

Victorian Travel Permit System | Coronavirus Victoria

Find out about the permit system, which applies to travellers coming to Victoria from anywhere in Australia or New Zealand

www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au

 

[Mattg]

I think entry restrictions are now in place for arrivals from Perth/Peel/South West WA into all states & territories except NSW. Tasmania has gone a step further and delcared all of WA a "high risk" state.

 

[Lynda2475]

NSW border remains open but there are some restrictions on arrivals from greater Perth re needing to get tested and self iso til Friday.

More than 1,100 people locked down in NSW as WA scrambles to contain virulent UK strain

More than 1,100 people in New South Wales are ordered into a five-day "lockdown" and will be tested for COVID-19 after visiting Western Australia while the virulent UK strain was potentially circulating in Perth.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Mattg]

NSW border remains open but there are some restrictions on arrivals from greater Perth re needing to get tested and self iso til Friday.

More than 1,100 people locked down in NSW as WA scrambles to contain virulent UK strain

More than 1,100 people in New South Wales are ordered into a five-day "lockdown" and will be tested for COVID-19 after visiting Western Australia while the virulent UK strain was potentially circulating in Perth.

www.abc.net.au

It's nuts that there are currently more restrictions on people travelling from NSW to WA than WA to NSW.

 

[Pushka]

It's nuts that there are currently more restrictions on people travelling from NSW to WA than WA to NSW.

NSW is pretty much open to all states so not sure why the comment?

 

[Mattg]

NSW is pretty much open to all states so not sure why the comment?

I'm just pointing out how ridiculous it is that people can still travel from Perth to Sydney (and just need to get a covid test/isolate until a result), even though Perth is in lockdown, while WA still makes people coming from Sydney (or even Broken Hill, for that matter) self-isolate for 14 days after arriving in WA even though there's been no community cases in NSW for more than a fortnight.

I realise that this is to be expected based on the different stances of the NSW and WA governments, but it's illogical.

 

[Pushka]

I'm just pointing out how ridiculous it is that people can still travel from Perth to Sydney (and just need to get a covid test/isolate until a result), even though Perth is in lockdown, while WA still makes people coming from Sydney (or even Broken Hill, for that matter) self-isolate for 14 days even though there's been no community cases in NSW for more than a fortnight.

I realise that this is to be expected based on the different stances of the NSW and WA governments, but it's illogical.

Sorry. Ignore me I read that the wrong way round.

 

[Lynda2475]

South Australia to partially relax hard border with Western Australia​

SA will change its hard border restrictions to allow West Australians who have not been in designated coronavirus hotspots to enter the state.

Anyone outside of the greater Perth area will be allowed to enter SA, provided they take COVID tests on days one, five and 12 after their arrival, and self-isolate until they return their first negative result.

Anyone who has been in the Perth area since January 26 won't be able to go to SA (but if you've only transited through Perth Airport, that's okay).

WA arrivals already in SA will be allowed to leave quarantine immediately as long as they haven't been in the Perth lockdown zone since that date.

 

[jb747]

I don't know how the Victorian permit system is working at airports, but on the actual border, the checkpoints have gloriously disappeared, and we can now drive between Albury and Wodonga at 110 km/h, and not 5 km/h.

 

[jakeseven7]

I don't know how the Victorian permit system is working at airports, but on the actual border, the checkpoints have gloriously disappeared, and we can now drive between Albury and Wodonga at 110 km/h, and not 5 km/h.

If you aren't from a hotspot then the flight isn't flagged and you just disembark! Have flown into MEL several times last few days.

 

[drron]

Just got asked if I wanted a job at Howard Springs.
Now I could then give insider's reports but wrong time of year and I am not going to risk exposure to a little virus.

 

[flydoc]

Fortunately QLD still allows transit through an airport when coming to QLD.
On Monday we are travelling DPO-MEL-MCY on QF.

The NT CHO has, until now, taken the same view, with no maximum transit time. SA had specified max 2hr transit. But local media is reporting that the NT has today made MEL a hotspot following the T4 cafe exposure site declaration (paywalled):

No Cookies | NT News

No Cookies

www.ntnews.com.au

Although this is not (yet) reflected on the relevant NT Gov website:

Current restrictions, rules and exposure sites

Information about mask use, mask exemptions and mask mandates at airports.

coronavirus.nt.gov.au

 

[drron]

Yes,beginning to feel I may not get home on Monday.QLD putting on a 2 week ban on travel from Melbourne.Hoping they keep the transit option open.

 

[drron]

So rechecked the QLD border restrictions again just after 3pm and the transiting MEL clause had disappeared.So bit the bullet and rebooked travel home.Now LST-SYD on JQ. Then SYD-MCY on QF.Save over $100 by booking flights separately rather than the complete trip on QF.

So Sydney look after those HQ places for at least another 72 hours.

 

[PineappleSkip]

The pineapples dodge another bullet. Just aborted travel to MEL tomorrow for Mrs P, who was off with DIL to see the Australian open. Consolation prize is SYD, nice hotel but no tennis.

Hopefully the MEL lockdown will prize a refund out of ticketek for the AO tickers.

Cheers skip

 

[desafinado74]

Hey guys, i have booked a staycation at the Novotel Melbourne Central next Friday for 2 nights (I am a Melbournian)
by using my AMEX Explorer travel credit. If Dan decides to extend the current 5 day lockdown, do i call up AMEX Travel
to try and get a refund on my travel credit ? Or do i call up the hotel directly ? Has anyone tried to get a refund on their AMEX Explorer travel credit ? Thanks guys. PS : I made this booking a few weeks ago.