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Highlights
- South Australia is opening up borders from 23 November 2021.
- Fully vaccinated citizens will be isolated for seven days, unvaccinated for 14 days.
- Authorities to chalk out a plan to trace, test and isolate COVID-19 cases.
The state government of South Australia has today announced more details on border reopening plans. In just another week, the region will welcome visitors and citizens. However, there is a lack of detail around COVID-19 management plans in schools.
Current COVID-19 situation & change in plans-
South Australia's double vaccination rate is at present only under 74 per cent. The state premiere does not want to change the public health and social measures until the state reaches a 90 per cent vaccinated rate. However, SA will be very significantly reducing the tracing, testing and isolation or quarantine requirements.
Under the new rules outlined today, the state government has even changed the definition of close and casual contacts. The guidelines now have a new category of low-risk casual contacts. These are when someone has been in a close setting with a COVID-positive person only for a maximum of 15 minutes of face-to-face contact. Such people will not have any quarantine or testing requirements; however if unvaccinated will still have to go under quarantine for 14 days.
International visitors -
will also be welcomed back into the state after two doses of the vaccine. They will only be required to complete seven days of quarantine. Authorised unvaccinated arrivals will still undergo 14 days of quarantine.
Policy for unvaccinated Australian children below 12-
Aussie kids, as of now, are exposed to the upcoming COVID -19 variants as they are still ineligible for vaccination. Kids less than 12 can't be vaccinated even if they come under close contact or if there is an outbreak in a school.
Children under 12 will be considered unvaccinated, so they will be liable for quarantine for 14 days when exposed to a COVID-19 case. Other vaccinated household members, such as parents, will not have to go under quarantine. However, COVID tests on days one and six will be mandated. The SA government has some other fine print too for dealing with children, though not disclosed to media yet.
Bottom line-
Once SA borders reopen from 23 November, some restrictions, including face masks in indoor public settings and in the high-risk setting, will be in place. Once the 90 per cent vaccination rate is reached, SA will reopen fully to vaccinated Australians, and international travellers and restrictions on most activities might be lifted.
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