Australians first as NSW opens door

CANBERRA: Fully vaccinated Australians and their families will be the first people to benefit when NSW scraps quarantine for international arrivals.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday supported the state government’s shock decision to end isolation requirements for people who land in Sydney from November 1.

But Morrison limited the scope to citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families despite NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet insisting tourists would be included.

All arrivals will need to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus and return negative tests for the virus before and after their flight.

The definition of immediate family will be expanded to include parents, rather than just partners and children.

All Australians will also be allowed to leave the country from the start of next month without having to receive special permission.

Morrison denied Perrottet was hasty to suggest tourists, skilled migrants and international students would be allowed to return.

‘‘The premier understands that’s a decision for the Commonwealth government, not for the state governments,’’ he told reporters in Sydney.

‘‘When we believe that is a decision to make, we will make it at that time.’’

More than 45,000 Australians are stranded overseas with tight arrival caps and border restrictions hampering their return.

Morrison said vaccination coverage exceeding 80% would allow states to follow NSW.

NSW will allow 210 unvaccinated international arrivals each week to undertake two weeks of quarantine.

The prime minister said he had written to leaders from other states and territories for expected caps.

Qantas announced it would bring forward the resumption of international flights to November 1 following the NSW decision.

The airline will operate five return flights a week from Sydney to London and up to four a week from Sydney to Los Angeles.

Under the national reopening plan, an 80% doubledose vaccination rate was supposed to trigger a gradual reopening with ‘‘safe countries’’ and ‘‘proportionate quarantine’’.

But quarantinefree travel was only part of the final ‘‘postvaccination’’ phase, which seeks to manage coronavirus in the same way as other infectious diseases.

Morrison said the NSW decision was consistent with the plan.

Perrottet said he had discussions with the prime minister about scrapping quarantine but agreed the federal government would need to implement border measures.

‘‘We want tourists back into the state as quickly as possible.’’

The premier said he could not control other states’ quarantine requirements but urged overseas travellers to spend time in Sydney if required.

NSW recorded 399 new local coronavirus infections on Friday, while case numbers in Victoria continue to soar with 2179 registered.

There were six deaths in Victoria and four in NSW.

Southern Tasmania will enter a threeday lockdown after a man with coronavirus escaped hotel quarantine. — AAP