Unvaccinated people are now free to shop and socialise in New South Wales and travellers arriving from southern African countries no longer have to quarantine, AAP reports.
The NSW government is honouring its pledge to significantly ease Covid-19 restrictions despite a sharp rise in Covid case numbers amid super-spreading events in the festive season.
For the first time in three months, the same set of rules now applies to the vaccinated and the unvaccinated in NSW.
QR code check-ins will be scaled back and masks are only required only in high-risk settings like public transport and planes.
There’s no cap on visitors in homes, hospitality venues, or on numbers at outdoor public gatherings.
Sydneysiders at a cafe at Bondi beach on Wednesday. Restrictions have eased further in NSW today. Photograph: Jenny Evans/Getty Images
Meanwhile, NSW Health says fully-vaccinated arrivals from eight southern African countries of concern where the Omicron variant emerged will no longer have to enter 14 days of hotel quarantine, bringing all international arrivals under the same requirements.
Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said all fully-vaccinated international arrivals must self-isolate for 72-hours and have a negative result within the first 24 hours of arrival and avoid high-risk settings for a week.
The lifting of restrictions – long-planned for December 15 – comes just as case numbers spike to a two-month high.
Some 804 people tested positive for Covid-19 in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday and infection numbers have quadrupled in the past two weeks.
They included 224 people in Newcastle, where super-spreading events at a nightclub and a pub have been identified.
Updated
15:59
The big question today seems to be will every flight to Queensland positive person on board lead to all passengers quarantining for two weeks?
I ask this partially as a journalist and partially as a person who has a holiday booked in for Noosa in January.
15:54
According to the Australian, the event Morrison attended on Friday was Kincoppal-Rose Bay’s school graduation gala at the International Convention Centre in Sydney’s Darling Harbour.
Updated
15:51
Scott Morrison declared a Covid casual contact but does not need to isolate
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has been tested for Covid-19 after being deemed a casual contact, but is not required to isolate.
It’s understood that the PM’s office sought advice from NSW prior to meeting the Korean president at Kirribilli House on Tuesday night.
Here is the statement from his spokesperson:
Last night the Prime Minister was deemed a casual contact by NSW Health following attendance at an event last Friday night.
Since the event, the Prime Minister has received two negative PCR tests and as such NSW Health and the Chief Medical Officer has advised he is not required to isolate.
As per the NSW Health guidelines, the Prime Minister will be tested again on day 6.
The PM will still travel to Queensland today after getting advice from Queensland Health and the state’s chief medical officer who agreed that all the normal requirements have been met.
Scott Morrison has been deemed a casual Covid contact. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Updated
15:39
On a lighter note, here is Gutwein’s reaction when asked about Tasmania hosting its first ever Ashes test match in January (after WA failed to open its borders in time).
I can’t get the smile off my face. When we were discussing this with Cricket Australia, I made the point that this wasn’t just about money, this was about making history.
And Tasmania has never had an Ashes test. I expect that Tasmanians will turn up in droves. I hope it’s a decider, if not, it makes no difference. We still have got an Ashes test and I know it’s something that all Tasmanians are very proud of.
Updated
15:38
Speaking of Tasmania, the premier Peter Gutwein has told ABC News Breakfast that Covid-19 cases arriving in the state is inevitable as the borders open to all of Australia this morning.
Well, I’m excited. It’s been nearly two years that we’ve had to have border controls in place.
I’ve been up-front with Tasmanians. At some stage, Covid will arrive here. We’ve got our business community well prepared, our broader community well prepared and our health system is well prepared.
We’re going into this slightly differently. We’ve largely been Covid free. We’ll be one of the few places in the world who are going into a reopening like this, with such a high rate of vaccination, and no Covid in our community currently. That will stand us in good stead.
Updated
15:34
Potential Omicron superspreader event in Melbourne
The other breaking news this morning is two possible Omicron superspreader events in the inner Melbourne suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood.
According to Victorian health authorities, a person who later tested positive for the Omicron variant of Covid-19 attended two venues on Friday, 10 December. (Last Friday).
VicGovDH (@VicGovDH)
The Department of Health has been notified that on Friday 10 December a case positive for the Omicron variant attended Sircuit Bar, Fitzroy between 9pm and midnight and The Peel Hotel, Collingwood between 11.30pm and 3am. pic.twitter.com/2lP7pASMVH
Everyone who attended Sircuit Bar on Smith Street in Fitzroy between 9pm and midnight, and the Peel Hotel on Peel Street in Collingwood between 11.30pm and 3am (Saturday), are now considered close contacts.
Health authorities predict that 320 people were at the Peel Hotel and more than 410 people were at Sircuit. Those who are fully vaccinated must quarantine for seven days and those not fully vaccinated must isolate for 14 days.
I’ll bring you updates on this throughout the morning as well.
Updated
15:29
Passengers on two Queensland flights to quarantine through Christmas
Good morning everyone – it’s only ten days until Christmas and the news just won’t stop!
It’s Matilda Boseley here with you this morning and please know that I am wearing a Father Christmas hat this morning, and will be every day till the 25th.
Speaking of Christmas, I have some bad Christmas news to start the day. Two planeloads full of passengers will be forced into quarantine in Queensland for 14 days (including Christmas). It comes after an unknowingly Covid-19 positive person flew on a Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Townsville on Monday. The other affected flight, also a Virgin Australia service, was to Brisbane from Newcastle, where there has been a recent superspreader event at a nightclub.
Queensland Health confirmed the case in a tweet on Tuesday night. All passengers on both of the flights were designated as close contacts, while those who were in the parts of Brisbane airport around the time have been listed as casual contacts. I’ll bring you more updates on that throughout the morning.
And further south, Tasmania is throwing open its borders to all fully vaccinated travellers this morning, after closures spanning the best part of two years.
Under the reopening plan, people coming from designated high-risk areas must return a negative test in the 72 hours before they arrive and present proof at the border.
The state government released border reopening modelling a few months ago, which predicts 87 deaths in the six months from December and 50,000 cases. The health department said the system is prepared although several unions have raised concerns about staff levels.
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