How holiday-starved Aussies desperate to fly overseas can enjoy a holiday with NO hotel quarantine - even in Western Australia - thanks to a bizarre loophole
- A travel loophole will see returning Australians able to skip hotel quarantine
- Residents returning to Western Australia can avoid system through stopovers
- People transiting through another state will be recognised as domestic traveller
- This means they can quarantine from home for the two-week period
Australians returning home from overseas travel can avoid having to quarantine if they’re vaccinated, even in Western Australia if they use a bizarre interstate loophole.
Western Australia extended its closed borders beyond the February 5 date it had targeted due to rising Omicron cases, with the expensive hotel quarantine system remaining in place for international arrivals.
However, if residents simply fly home via another state, the government recognise them as a domestic traveller and they are able to quarantine at home for the two-week period.
Australians returning home to Western Australia from overseas travel can skip hotel quarantine using a bizarre interstate loophole (pictured, arrivals at Sydney Airport)
From November 1 Australia’s international borders re-opened around the country, with NSW immediately ending its hotel quarantine system on the same day.
The other states and territories also ended their programs, except for Western Australia which has continued to operate under its own rules rather than following federal guidance.
Western Australia is set to introduce new exemption as a part of the revamped G2G Pass for entering the state.
The rules, to be published on February 1, will make it easier for family members of residents to travel into the state as long as they are vaccinated, have proof of a negative rapid antigen test and will self-isolate at an accomodation for 14 days.
This also means that regardless of whether a person has transited from a country with high Covid cases, they will be able to skip hotel quarantine.
Premier Mark McGowan acknowledged the ‘inconsistencies’ in the system but said they wanted to keep the hotel quarantine system operational despite eastern states closing the program.
‘So in the future, a lot of people… will be positive (and some) will have nowhere to quarantine,’ he said.
‘When they closed down the hotel quarantine system in other states, those people in many ways had nowhere (to quarantine) because a lot of hotels won’t take positive people.
‘So whilst there are you know, admittedly, some inconsistencies here, the greater good is served by ensuring we have an operational hotel quarantine system in place until such time as the quarantine centre in Bullsbrook is operational.’
That Commonwealth-sponsored facility is expected to be running in July.
Residents who fly into WA via another state will be recognised as domestic travellers and will be allowed to quarantine from home rather than paying for a hotel
WA Police Minister Paul Papalia confirmed the loophole was a design of the government as an attempt to lessen the strain and financial cost of hotel quarantine.
‘If you fly into another State, once you land you’ll be treated in the same way as a domestic traveller,’ Mr Papalia said.
‘As long as you comply with all of those other obligations you’ll be able to return home (to WA) and isolate at home for 14 days.’
The government has already received 22,000 applications through the G2G system, which will be re-assessed under the new mandates to be announced next week.
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