NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said it’s safe to book Christmas holidays as today she revealed today the roadmap for when the state hits 80 per cent and 90 per cent vaccination rates.
The NSW Premier said at a press conference today, that at 80 per cent, residents will be able to travel freely around New South Wales. But only if you’ve been double jabbed.
Yesterday, she said it was time to plan your holiday around regional New South Wales.
“I know that everybody is keen to book their holidays, their time away,” she said.
“In NSW it is definitely to safe to book for Christmas to think ahead for the future but also to definitely look at November as a month where you can start planning.”
Camping and caravan sites will be open for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated by October 11.
And Qantas was quick to response to the NSW Government’s announcement and provided an updated flying schedule in response to the reopening plans and latest border assumptions in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.
The key domestic changes include:
- Bringing forward the reopening date for travel between Victoria and New South Wales from 1 December to 5 November 2021, based on Victoria’s reopening plan.
- Significantly increasing regional flying within New South Wales from 25 October 2021, in line with the State Government’s road map, to around 40 per cent of pre-COVID levels.
- Delaying the restart of domestic flying between Western Australia and Victoria / New South Wales by two months to 1 February 2022, based on border assumptions.
In regard to international travel, Ms Berejiklian said if Prime Minister Scott Morrison gives overseas travel the green light to NSW once the 80 per cent vaccination rate is met, she will be “thrilled”.
“We believe by December 1 we will be at that COVID normal state where hopefully we will be booking our international travel, once the Prime Minister gives that green light, we will be able to go overseas as well,” the Premier said.
“The Prime Minister and I have been in engaging in very positive conversation about what will occur. The Federal Government makes those decisions [regarding international borders] but we are very encouraged that certain airlines have made announces about destinations they might fly to and we are encouraged by that.
“That is why we have started the home quarantine trial so that fully vaccinated Australians will have confidence that if they do choose to go overseas and come back home they will be able to stay out their quarantine at home and potentially only for a seven-day period.”
But Ms Berejiklian also made a desperate plea to other state’s leaders saying she hoped that NSW residents would be able to travel interstate before internationally.
“I don’t want to it be the case that I will be able to go overseas before I can go to Perth,” the Premier said.
“I hope Australia will open up together once we get to those double dose figures and we will be able to, as one nation, move freely within our own country as well as have the opportunity to go overseas.”
