South Australia will officially be the first state to lift their coronavirus border restrictions, with interstate travel resuming from July 20. So if you’ll excuse me, I must add “give the Malls Balls a big kiss” to my calendar. (I’m kidding, please do not put your mouth on the balls)
In a press conference on Friday afternoon, SA Premier Steven Marshall announced the border reopening as part of a step towards a new COVID-normal.
“This could only be possible because of the massive improvement, right across the entire nation,” he said in the press conference.
“We’re looking at some final legal advice with regards to that, we should be able to provide a further update next week. But all state borders will be removed by the 20th of July.”
The move comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussed border restrictions in Friday’s National Cabinet meeting.
“I would like to make one thing very clear to the states and territories today. If you cannot come to your state from Sydney then no-one is coming to your state from Singapore. So if you want borders open for international students then you need to open borders for Australians,” he said.
Unlike much of the rest of the country, SA is one of the few places where you can go to the pub for a beer or two without being required to buy a meal. While you do have to sit down while you’re drinking it, that’s a small price to pay for the opportunity to sink a few cheeky red tins at one of the state’s countless pubs.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get lit at Red Square if you decide to plan a sneaky SA getaway come July 20, with nightclubs still remaining shut. But with wineries and breweries aplenty, now could be your perfect time to start planning a winter holiday with your mates.
With a whopping 18 wine regions across the state, it’d be rude not to organise a group wine-tour to celebrate the easing of restrictions.
South Australia is blessed with great wine, seafood and tourist attractions, so even if it’s not *quite* time to give the Malls Balls a big ol’ smooch, there’s still plenty of reasons to plan a road trip with your besties come July 20.
