South Australia is lifting its border restrictions with most of the Northern Territory, as well as northern and regional Queensland, while social distancing measures at homes and licensed venues within the state are also being eased.

Key points:

  • Travellers can enter from most of the Nothern Territory and parts of Queensland without needing to quarantine
  • Up to 20 people can now gather at home
  • Stand-up drinking and eating will be allowed at venues subject to density requirements

People travelling into SA from all parts of the Northern Territory – other than the local government area which includes the town of Katherine — will now no longer be required to quarantine or get tested.

Restrictions will still be in place for people coming from Katherine, where a lockdown is ending at midday, but that will be reassessed after today’s meeting of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).

“We’re hopeful we’ll get advice that will see the same treatment for Katherine,” SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said.

The decision to relax border rules was made at a meeting of SA’s transition committee this morning.

People travelling to SA from northern and regional Queensland will also no longer need to quarantine or get tested.

People in the 11 local government areas which make up south-eastern Queensland will be allowed into the state, but will be required to get tested on days one, five and 13, and self-isolate until the first test comes back negative.

Restrictions eased for social gatherings

Within South Australia, a cap on home gatherings will increase from 10 to 20.

Private gatherings held outside the home and not at licensed premises will remain capped at 50, but people will be allowed to drink while standing up at a density of one person per 2 square metres.

Private functions at licensed venues will be capped at 150 people and one person per 2 square metres, but stand-up drinking and eating will be allowed.

For seated private functions at hotels, capacity remains at three people per 4 square metres.

The border changes are effective immediately, while the changes to gatherings will come into effect at 12:01am tomorrow.

Commissioner Grant Stevens also announced an easing of social distancing measures within SA.(

ABC News

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Commissioner Stevens said South Australians needed to be prepared for restrictions to change again in the future, given the risk from interstate.

“We are certainly nowhere near being out of the woods on COVID-19.

“The Delta strain is giving us concern that we are more likely than not to face seeding from those jurisdictions and we need to be prepared for that and take every opportunity to get on with our activities as much as we can, knowing that there’s a possibility that we might face further restrictions in the future.”

Commissioner Stevens said all other restrictions remain in place including wearing masks in shared indoor public places, in personal care and health care services, at indoor gyms and while using passenger transport.

Dancing will still not be permitted at licensed premises, except by members of the bridal party at a wedding.

Vaccination festival idea supported

The changes coincide with comments from the Adelaide Fringe’s director, who today said festivals across the country would likely consider making it compulsory for attendees to prove they are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.

The organisers of two outback music festivals planned for next year have already said anyone attending will need to be vaccinated.

Next year’s Fringe is scheduled to begin on February 18, and director Heather Croall said a similar broader move was more likely than individual festivals each organising a different vaccine passport.

Adelaide Fringe director Heather Croall.(

Supplied: Adelaide Fringe

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“It’s definitely something that has been talked about among festival and event organisers,” she told ABC Radio Adelaide.

“Everyone will go together probably – I’m not sure one festival will do it and the others won’t.

“What we’ve been doing, really, ever since the beginning of this pandemic is working very closely with the government and SA Health and we’ll be working with them on this and this will be something I am sure they will be giving us a lot of guidance on.”

Roberto Cardone, the director of the RCC and Adelaide’s Winter Alpine Festival, said it would be “very advantageous” to have such a scheme.

“I’m just not sure if we can make people do this legally [without government support],” he said.

“In general, we would be for it because we have seen the effect of COVID on festivals.”

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