No agreement on states reopening as Australia's external borders to remain closed until December

Today's meeting of Australia's National Cabinet has been unable to reach consensus on take down state borders and ease domestic travel restrictions.

With Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison having announced he is looking to end domestic border closures and move towards economic reopening so the nation will be “whole again by Christmas”, he and state premiers failed to convince Western Australia to join the rest of the country in easing restrictions by Christmas.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan split from other state and territory leaders, who aspire to ease restrictions and return to a new normal by December.

Speaking after the meeting, Prime Minister Morrison said the majority of National Cabinet had agreed to seek "a sustainable set of arrangements where Australians could move around, using a hotspot model", advising “seven out of eight states and territories have agreed with that ambition for Christmas.”

The Federal Government has been applying pressure to states and territories to sign up to a national standard for defining Coronavirus hotspots.

However, there remain disputes over some elements of the plan, including what constitutes a hotspot.

On Friday night, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk took to Twitter writing: "Queensland has not agreed to the Federal Government's hotpot definition … I agree with WA - our borders protect our health and our economy."

Flagging a move away from a consensus-based decision-making model in National Cabinet, Prime Minister Morrison added "Western Australia has a very different border and a very different economy than most of the other states and territories where these decisions have been made.

"Not everyone has to get on the bus for the bus to leave the station. But it is important the bus leaves the station."

Premier McGowan said it was too early to consider altering Western Australia's hard border by December, given community transmission was still occurring in the east, advising "I just think it is premature, particularly in light of Victoria, for us to try and set that deadline at this point in time.”

Prime Minister Morrison has also flagged allowing New Zealanders to come into Australia if they are not coming from or going to a hotspot, something he said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was interested in discussing further.

International travel ban extended until December
Australia will extend its ban on overseas travel and restrictions on cruise ships entering the country for another three months.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced yesterday the measures will stay in place until 17th December.

Minister Hunt advised "the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee… has advised that the international and domestic COVID-19 situation continues to pose an unacceptable public health risk.

“The extension of the emergency period is an appropriate response to that risk.

“The human biosecurity emergency declaration ensures the government has the powers to take any necessary measures to prevent and control COVID-19 and protect the health of all Australians.”

Qantas Chief Executive, Alan Joyce has advised that the development of fast COVID-19 tests could restart international travel earlier than expected.

Joyce explained “there’s some great developments in testing that could resolve the issue of people needing to go into quarantine."

With tests potentially able to deliver results in as little as 15 minutes, Joyce suggested that “means if you pass there’s no need to be in quarantine at the other end,” which in turn could lead to travel 'bubbles' opening up one by one with countries with similar infection rates such as New Zealand.