Scott Morrison said he wants interstate travel allowed in Australia before Christmas.
In what has been months of harsh border restrictions, the Prime Minister has offered a glimmer of hope to Aussies hoping to travel in their December holiday period.
On Friday, he made clear that based on the current trajectory of COVID-19 cases nationwide, continuing border restrictions would become obsolete, naming it a “recipe for economic ruin”.
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“Well look, I believe we can, domestically,” he said on Christmas being a feasible date to expect the easing of border closures.
“I’d love to say we could do it internationally but I don’t think I can give you that pledge internationally.
"I hope that changes but based on the current evidence that doesn’t look likely.”
On Friday, Victoria recorded its lowest case numbers since July 5, with 94 new cases, whilst NSW recorded 13 new cases - the state's highest number in weeks.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people to be vigilant, but ensured that fluctuation in case numbers is to be expected for the "next little while".
“We have to be vigilant every single day [while] numbers will go up and down marginally for the next little while and we need to make sure that they don’t get to a situation where we are having to impose further restrictions,” she said.
Morrison touched on NSW and Victoria's border restrictions at the NSW Bush Summit yesterday labelling them "regrettably necessary", whilst affirming that they "cannot and should not be sustained".
“While the scale of the Victorian outbreak meant the borders between NSW and Victoria were regrettably necessary — and they are and remain — this does not diminish the principle that border restrictions, especially where there are no or very low cases in regional areas, cannot and should not be sustained.
“Much more needs to be done to ensure these border movements are made easier and ultimately to ensure they’re open again."
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The PM sees the combination of NSW's sustained case number and Victoria's as reason to lower restrictions.
“See, borders of themselves, they don’t actually do the job ultimately because borders can be breached. I mean, that’s been seen in Queensland.
“But what will protect Queensland will be their testing and their tracing capabilities and COVID-safe behaviours by their population and local outbreak containment.
“That’s what enables you to live with the virus.”
Feature Image: Getty
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