Melburnians looked on in envy as our regional residents were allowed to start travelling to the Northern Territory earlier this month. But now we can join them, with NT chief minister Michael Gunner announcing that Melburnians can start returning to the territory from November 30.
In a press conference on Monday, November 16, Gunner said: "From Monday, 30th November, in two weeks' time, greater Melbourne will no longer be considered a hotspot for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory." The announcement means that all Victorians, whether they live in Portland or Prahran, Brunswick or Bairnsdale, can travel to the NT for any reason and not have to quarantine on arrival.
While we're excited to hear the news, the welcoming of Melbourne travellers is contingent on the city's case numbers remaining low. "If it does increase on an unacceptable level, we won't hesitate to make a new hotspot declaration," said Gunner. So if you're hankering for a trip to the NT, make sure you keep doing the right thing.
In the same press conference, Gunner also announced that South Australia would be considered a hotspot, effective immediately. The decision follows the news that a cluster of at least 17 cases has been discovered in Adelaide.