New South Wales has gone 30 consecutive days without recording any community transmission, which means unrestricted interstate travel is once again on the cards. While Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory had already reopened their respective borders to NSW, Western Australia maintained a ban on travellers from east coast until 12.01am on February 16, after declaring NSW to be a ‘very low risk’ state.
There will, however, still be several strict protocols to be followed by any NSW residents hoping to go west. Travellers will need to apply for a travel pass, undergo health screenings such as a temperature check upon arrival, and if you've been in contact with anyone from Victoria, which is currently deemed a ‘medium-risk state’ by WA, you'll need to self-quarantine for 14 days.
While the freedom to travel interstate will be welcome news for eager holidaymakers, NSW Health is strongly advising against any non-essential travel to Victoria, which is currently under lockdown after an outbreak of the virus linked to a quarantine hotel.
NSW may have avoided community transmission over the last 30 days, but the state is yet to clock a much coveted ‘double doughnut’ day, with no new cases found in both the general community and in returning travellers, although this landmark is tantalisingly close. In the 24-hour reporting period between 8pm on February 14 and February 15, NSW recorded just a single new case in a returned traveller, from more than 12,300 tests.
These encouraging numbers come as the first shipments of the vaccine have arrived on Australian shores. Quarantine hotel staff and frontline health workers will be the first Aussies to receive the jab as early as early as next week.