South Australia Is the Next Australian State to Reveal When It's Opening Its Borders

Since Australia started easing out of COVID-19 lockdown, the country's internal border restrictions have earned plenty of attention. With tactics to stop the spread of the coronavirus implemented at a state-by-state level, each Aussie state has navigated the situation in its own way when it comes to letting non-residents visit. Queensland's decision to keep closed to date has become a particularly frequent political talking point, for example, although every other state apart from New South Wales and Victoria also shut their borders. Slowly, however, they're beginning to open back up — with South Australia the latest to unveil its reopening plans.

In a press conference held today, Friday, June 12, Premier Steven Marshall revealed that SA will allow travellers from interstate back in from Monday, July 20. "South Australia has been doing particularly well," Premier Marshall noted, not only announcing the end of border restrictions, but that the state will move into its third stage of eased COVID-19 measures earlier than expected. That phase will now kick off from Monday, June 29.

That means that, when folks from other parts of the country do head to SA for a holiday from the latter half of July, they'll enter a state with some of the most relaxed coronavirus measures in the nation (based on announcements at the time of writing). Premier Marshall also advised that stage three will no longer require a specific 100-person cap on the number of people in public places, but will revert to the overall rule of one person per four square metres.

Africola by SATC

That's a move that has been given the national stamp of approval, as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also revealed today. From July, Australia will allow socially distanced mass gatherings to return and won't require the previously proposed 100-person patron limit — with SA the first state to announce when that will come into effect following the day's national cabinet meeting. While receiving the tick at federal level, all states will need to implement the change separately.

Regarding current quarantine requirements in SA, with anyone given permission to enter state at present required to self-isolate for 14 days, Premier Marshall said that further details are still being finalised. "We will be looking at some of the state borders with individual state borders who are doing particularly well," he noted. "We don't want to unnecessarily detain people for two weeks of isolation if they don't pose a health risk for us in South Australia."

If you're now eager to start planning an SA getaway, we have suggestions — whether you're eager to hit up Adelaide, or sip and sightsee your way around the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Limestone Coast or the Clare Valley.

To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in South Australia, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub.