New South Wales launches 7-day home quarantine trial for fully vaccinated international arrivals

NSW Premier Gladys Berejikrian said this morning (Friday)  that people arriving in New South Wales from overseas would be able to quarantine at home rather than at a hotel.

More than 100 fully vaccinated people will take part in a test of the new system, which will only require people to be in isolation for seven days.

Police would be able to monitor the people in home quarantine using technology such as location-based smartphone applications and facial recognition. Those who test positive to coronavirus during their time in quarantine will be required to isolate for longer.

If successful, the system will become the new standard, replacing the two-week requirement for hotel quarantine.

“We want to be able to open up at Sydney and NSW as quickly as possible, so this is a really crucial step,” NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison hailed the announcement as the “next step” for Australia to reopen.

“NSW has carried the lion’s share of quarantining returning Australians and will be leading the way with this trial that could set the standard for the next phases of the way we live with COVID-19,“ Mr Morrison said in a statement.

Qantas staff will take part in the trial, which will begin within weeks.

The government hopes to roll out the home quarantine system to the broader public once the state manages to fully vaccinate 80 per cent of the population.

 “One of the things that we obviously expect to occur at 80 per cent double dose is to consider our international borders,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters.

“That is Aussies coming back home through Sydney Airport, but also our citizens having the opportunity to go overseas where previously they weren’t able to.”

 “This could mean more families and friends being able to reunite more quickly, more business being able to be done here, and more workers for key industries being able to fill critical jobs.”