CoViD-19: Tasmania opens to NSW as of 6 November 2020

Another border opens for those of us who live in New South Wales. We can now travel to Tasmania as of Friday 6 November. That’s because in the eyes of the Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein, NSW is now classified as ‘low-risk’.

Tasmania has set less than 5 unknown cases in a 28 day period as ‘low-risk’. NSW is sitting at 6, but who’s counting?

Target Date

Friday 6 November is just a target date at this stage, but it means residents of NSW can enter Tasmania without serving 14 days quarantine.

Flights

Currently only Jetstar and Virgin service Hobart and Launceston with direct flights. They don’t always run direct flights every day, although that might change once the opening date to NSW is confirmed.

Expect to pay around AU$230 to AU$270 for return flights to Hobart, and around AU$200 for flights to Launceston.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

As of 6 November, residents of NSW can fly to all states without quarantine, except Queensland and Western Australia.

Expect Queensland to open up very soon after the state election on 31 October, and only those weird separatist Western Australians know when they will open their borders.