However, they must still get tested on day five after arriving.
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Unvaccinated travellers from hotspots in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT must enter Queensland by air and will have to quarantine for 14 days at a government-run facility at their expense.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg described the move as a “great Christmas present for thousands of Queensland businesses”, particularly those in tourism.
“We are going to see more variants of the virus and Omicron is a reminder of that. We’re not out of the pandemic just yet but the vaccine … is a proven defence against the virus,” he told Sunrise.
“We have seen a reduction in hospitalisations and a reduction in debt and we have seen freedoms come back, particularly in the two lockdown states of Victoria and NSW.”
Mask mandates could be scrapped this week
Mask mandates could be scrapped as early as this week in Victoria, as the state’s emergency powers wrap up and new pandemic legislation kicks in at midnight on Wednesday.
Premier Daniel Andrews said last month that masks would no longer be mandatory in retail settings from December 15, as long as the state didn’t see a jump in hospitalisations.
However, workers in high-risk workplaces such as corrections, or meat, poultry, and seafood processing facilities would still need to wear masks.
They would also be mandatory when taking public transport.
There are currently 11,649 active COVID-19 cases in Victoria, 323 of which are recovering in hospital. Of those, 116 are in intensive care and 40 are on a ventilator. Thirty-nine patients who are in intensive care have been cleared of the virus.
More than 3266 Victorians rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at state-run clinics on Sunday, taking the total number of doses administrated at state facilities to almost 5 million, which means about 92 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over have been fully immunised against the virus.
Free travel vouchers to inject life back into CBD
The state government will give away 250,000 public transport travel vouchers to Victorians heading to Melbourne to visit attractions and attend events in December and January.
The move is expected to attract people back to the CBD after the coronavirus pandemic saw tens of thousands of residents move away from the city over the past two years.
The vouchers will become available on the Public Transport Victoria’s website on Thursday and apply to people attending Christmas events, galleries, and attractions, or dining out in the city.
Passengers will be able to download the voucher on their phone and show it to staff when entering and exiting trains, buses, and trams.
Public transport will also be free on Christmas and New Year’s Eve but passengers on reserved V/Line services still need to book their travel, so they can be issued a ticket free of charge.
Normal weekday public transport timetables will apply on New Year’s Eve, boosted with additional services. The Night Network bus will also operate 34 routes all night.
However, fares will increase by 2.3 per cent on average in Melbourne and 1.1 per cent in regional areas from January 1. This will add 20 cents to zones 1, 2, and 1+2 tickets.
The cost of travelling within regional Victoria will remain unchanged at $2.40 for a two-hour town bus fare and $4.80 per a day ticket.
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Seven Omicron infections under investigation as Victoria records 1290 COVID cases, two deaths
Source: Philippines Alive
