Good morning binches on the east coast of Australia! Thanks to a bit of rule tweaking by Victorian Premier Dan Andrews and the holy and sanctimonious NSW Premier Dom Perrottet, the border between NSW and Victoria has opened! Christmas with friends is looking like a mighty fine reality, friends.
On Thursday afternoon, the dynamic duo of premiers decided to surprise us all with a treat, opening up the border at 11.59pm. So yeah, if you’re reading this right now, the borders are fkn OPEN. Go kiss the Montague St Bridge and come back in time for a swim at Coogee, or vice versa.
Victoria’s Acting Chief Health Officer, Profesor Ben Cowie, provided details on Thursday afternoon as to how this fits in with Victoria’s ‘traffic light’ approach to things.
It’s not too hard to understand either. Basically, NSW and the ACT (can’t forget about everyone’s favourite territory with population: 6) are now considered ‘green light’ zones instead of ‘orange zones’.
“NSW is set to pass 90 per cent double dose vaccination in the near future, with Victoria not far behind, allowing family and friends to be reunited in the lead up to Christmas after many months of being separated,” Perrottet said during a press conference.
There is no testing or quarantine requirement for friends on either side of the border, but if you’re going from NSW to Victoria, you will need an official permit/exemption.
Victorians on the other hand are fine to enter NSW if they’re fully vaxxed, but will not be allowed entry if they haven’t had a double dose of the job. Makes sense, because even NSW folks can’t go most places without the sweet nectar of the vaccine coursing through them.
During his own conference, Andrews said that he was excited to see Victorians accessing “free travel” over the holiday season, noting that folks in both states have “been through so much over the last month.”
You heard the men! Get those jabs in you and go see your loved ones across the border!
Or, if you’re keen, plan a lovely little vacay in a suburb that isn’t the one you’ve been locked inside of for the last 10 years!
