Victoria relaxes Queensland border rules
- by Emilio Sims
- in Money
- — Jan 17, 2021
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian voiced frustration with Victoria's travel restrictions on Sunday, saying that the NSW-Victorian border should have reopened "quite a while back".
"We simply can't allow outbreaks".
"There are clearly some local government areas within Greater Sydney that have now gone a number of days of cases without transmission".
VICTORIAN mask rules will ease from Sunday and workers can return to offices next week.
However, seven new cases have been diagnosed in hotel quarantine, but it's not yet known how many of those are in people flown in for the Australian Open.
There are now 30 active cases across Victoria. Nearly 50 players are now quarantining in their hotel rooms for 14 days.
State Premier Daniel Andrews said on Thursday the ease was recommended by state's Chief Health Officer, which would see the on-site work of Victorian Public Service running at 25 percent capacity at each site and 50 percent maximum capacity for all other office workplaces from January 18.
No new cases of locally acquired COVID-19 have been recorded overnight in Victoria.
Brisbane, Moreton Bay, the Redlands, Logan and Ipswich changed from a "red zone" to an "orange zone" as of 6pm on Saturday, meaning Victorians will no longer need to apply for an exemption to return home.
It comes as New South Wales recorded one new local coronavirus case, breaking a two-day streak of zero local infections.
"Anyone who was in other areas of the clinic at that time should monitor for symptoms and immediately isolate and get tested if they appear".
The 20-year-old flew touched down in Melbourne on Saturday night after a post-lockdown holiday.
"I don't want anyone to be left out and between now and Australia Day we will be working around the clock to find a way to share this fireworks spectacular with all of Brisbane, ideally via live stream", he said. "But, again, it has to be based on advice", Mr Andrews said.
"It's a little bit too early to say - we've still got to wait for that 14 days from when people had contact in the community before we can be certain - but it is looking promising".
Some 9500 people were tested on Friday, Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said.
'I just want to assure all Victorians, and particularly those that want to come home but can't because it's not safe right now, you will be in this circumstance for not a moment longer than the public health experts tell me you have to be, ' Mr Andrews said. "They said 12 to 24 hours.so hopefully I get my results soon".
Despite the eased restrictions, Victorians trapped in NSW or Queensland will continue to play the waiting game.
Mr Andrews also announced Victoria's return to work plans would resume from Monday.