Values from 5 April from the Australian Government Department of Health, reported by 3:00pm AEST daily.[1][2] Active cases from 20 July from the Australian Government Department of Health, reported by 9:00pm AEST daily.[3] Values before 5 April from reliable sources. Cases that are no longer active (Infectious) and aren't recovered are classified as Not Infectious, as they may still suffer from the impacts of the disease (As of 25 July 2021, non-infectious cases are simply reported as recovered).
New Year celebrations, such as the fireworks on Sydney Harbour, when they were held, were mostly considerably reduced due to restrictions introduced to prevent crowds gathering. Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane (and the Gold Coast), and Adelaide cancelled their official New Year's fireworks.[4] In Sydney, access to the city, and the CBD in particular, was restricted, foreshore access was not permitted. The 9 pm display was cancelled, the usually boat crowded harbour was largely empty, and the midnight fireworks were reduced to seven minutes. Those attending hospitality venues required a pass to access harbourside areas. At homes, only five visitors were allowed.[5][6] In regional South Australia firework displays were still held in Victor Harbor, Port Lincoln and Murray Bridge. In Brisbane some hospitality venues hosted private fireworks, but they were paid, ticketed events.[5]
As the Northern Territory made it through the year with no community transmission, Darwin celebrated with some of the "most relaxed coronavirus restrictions" in Australia.[5] Two 10-minute firework shows were held at the Darwin Waterfront Precinct. Patrons had to register on-line, pay A$20, and there were no door sales.[4] About 10,000 people attended the waterfront. Organisers claimed that, as more NT residents were holidaying locally, and interstate tourists had travelled north to avoid interstate restrictions, the event was bigger than previously. Perth also enjoyed a relatively normal New Year's Eve due to Western Australia's, then, community transmission free status.[5] There was a 9 pm family display, and 5 minutes at midnight. People were encouraged to follow normal COVID safe rules, and register on the SafeWA app at events.[4][5] In Hobart, the Taste of Tasmania food and wine festival had been cancelled, so the usually busy CBD was unusually quiet. Two firework displays were still held on the Derwent River. Large crowds could not congregate as outside gatherings were restricted to 1,000.[5]
On 2 January, NSW PremierGladys Berejiklian announced that face masks would become mandatory in many indoor venues in Greater Sydney, Central Coast and Wollongong,[a] including supermarkets, places of worship and public transport, from 3 January.[9] A$200 on-the-spot fines were given to non-compliant individuals from 4 January. People exempt to the mandate included children under the age of 12.[10]
Berejiklian also announced that gym classes must have a maximum size of 30 people, places of worship must only welcome a maximum of 100 worshippers and one person every four square metres, and weddings and funerals limited to 100 attendees or one person per four square metres. She also said that outdoor performances must only have 500 people in attendance while events which were "seated, ticketed and enclosed" were reduced back to a maximum capacity of 2,000. Night clubs were not allowed to operate.
On 3 January, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant revealed that results of genomic testing concluded that cases in Berala were not linked to cases in the Northern Beaches.[11]
Also on 3 January, an anti-mask protest was held inside Westfield Bondi Junction. This was the first day that new mask wearing requirements, including venues like shopping centres, came into effect.[12]
On 5 January, NSW Acting Premier John Barilaro warned that an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 had travelled to Orange, Broken Hill and Nyngan. He urged people who attended certain venues in those towns to monitor for symptoms and to get tested.[13]
On the same day, Qantas announced that it had moved the resumption date of ticket sales for international flights to 1 July.[14] Transport Minister Michael McCormack responded by saying that "decisions about when international travel resumes will be made by the Australian government".
On 6 January, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced that all spectators of the Third Test at Sydney Cricket Ground would have to wear a face mask, except when consuming food or drink.[15]
On the same day, some health experts called for Australia's international borders to be strengthened or even closed again due to increasing concern about a COVID-19 strain, the Variant of Concern 202012/01, which was first identified in Kent, United Kingdom. Victorian Deputy Chief Health Officer Allan Cheng had raised the issue with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. Dr Tony Blakely, an epidemiologist from the University of Melbourne said Australia needed to "close the border or strengthen it as much as we possibly can". Professor Damian Purcell from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute, said Australians "don't need to be terrified" of expected coronavirus mutations.[16] After the strain was found in quarantined travellers in Melbourne, the Victorian Government said it was considering banning travellers from the UK.[citation needed] That afternoon, Prime MinisterScott Morrison posted on Facebook to announce that he would "convene a special meeting of National Cabinet" on 8 January. He said that it would be to discuss a proposal to strengthen international travel procedures, "particularly in the context of the UK strain".
Victorian Acting Premier Jacinta Allan announced a "pause" in changes to workers returning to the workplace. Up to 50% of Victorian employees were initially planned to be allowed to work in the office.[17]
On 7 January, Australian Prime Minister Morrison announced that they would bring forward the rollout of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to February. He said workers dealing with international arrivals, hotel quarantine workers, frontline healthcare workers, and workers and residents in aged care and disability care would receive the vaccine first.[citation needed]
Meanwhile, Queensland PremierAnnastacia Palaszczuk announced that a hotel quarantine cleaner had contracted COVID-19.[18] It was later confirmed that she was infected with the Variant of Concern 202012/01.[19] In response, Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young announced immediate restrictions to visitors to certain facilities, including aged care and hospitals, in the Metro North, Metro South and West Moreton Hospital and Health Service regions.
On 8 January, National Cabinet met and agreed to major changes to international air travel arrangements. These included halving the weekly cap of international arrivals to 1,500 in NSW and 500 in WA and Queensland until 15 February, as well as mandating that all international travellers test negative for COVID-19 before flying to Australia.[20][21] Masks were also made mandatory for all passengers and crew on domestic and international flights and in airports, with few exemptions.[22]
On the same day, Queensland Premier Palaszczuk announced a three-day lockdown for all of Greater Brisbane.[b] In response, NSW told Queenslanders to isolate while SA declared Greater Brisbane a hotspot. Tasmania declared Greater Brisbane as "high risk" while WA implemented a hard border with Queensland.[citation needed]
On 13 January the cancelled Summernats "replacement" event, the Summernats Rev Rock 'n' Roll festival that was planned to run over the 5–7 March 2021 Canberra Day long weekend,[23] was also cancelled.[24]
On 15 January the airline Emirates announced it was indefinitely suspending all flights to, or from, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.[25] However, within a week Emirates announced that it would resume the cancelled routes. In the interim, cargo operations to all Australian airports, and flights between Dubai and Perth, continued.[26]
On 16 January the Federal government announced 20 repatriation flights to return Australian citizens stranded overseas. The flights will be from 31 January to 31 March. The number of people returned will be in addition to existing caps on international flight arrivals.[27] As of 15 January 2021[update] over 37,000 Australians were stranded abroad.[25]
On 23 January an anti-mask protest was stopped by police from entering the Westfield Parramatta shopping centre. Warning was given to the group to obey public health orders, and follow social distancing guidelines. One man was arrested when he did not comply with the police directive when the group dispersed after they were given a move-on direction. A protest group was also turned away a week earlier.[28]
On 25 January, the Federal government suspended the trans-Tasman travel bubble operating since 16 October 2020. This removed the ability of New Zealanders to travel to Australia, without quarantining, for at least 72 hours. This followed the discovery of a NZ resident with the South African COVID-19 variant. The woman was not known to be infectious, having twice tested negative to COVID-19 before leaving quarantine, then visited many places in northern NZ, but was then found to have the new strain.[29]
On 28 January the ban on travel from NZ without quarantine was extended for 3 more days.[30]
On 29 January 2021, the ability of Australians stuck overseas to fly back to Australia was further hampered when the UK banned direct flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the possible spread of the South African COVID-19 variant. Both Etihad and Emirates airlines are UAE based, and major carriers between the UK and Australia.[31]
On 31 January, a quarantine hotel security guard at the Four Points by Sheraton in Perth tested positive. A five-day lockdown, from 6 pm on 31 January (Sunday) until 6 pm on 5 February (Friday) was declared. Schools remained closed for another week after being scheduled to resume on 1 February.[32]
Beginning at 6:00 pm tonight the whole Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region will be going into full lockdown.
The guard's infection ended a ten-month period of no community transmission in Western Australia (WA).[33] Approximately 2 million people in WA were affected by the lockdown.[34]
Federal politicians from WA flying into Canberra had to quarantine for five-days when the lockdown was declared. Parliament was to resume on 2 February,[35] so some MPs were unable to physically attend the first week.[33]
In response to the lockdown, health authorities in the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, the Northern Territory and Victoria declared the affected areas to be COVID-19 hotspots.[33]
The ACT ordered anyone who had been to Perth's metropolitan area since 25 January to get tested, and enter a five-day self-quarantine.[33]
Queensland required 2 weeks of hotel quarantine for any new arrivals who had been in the locked down areas. Those already in Qld, but were in a WA hotspot area since 26 January had to be tested, and isolate until receiving a negative result.[33]
Travellers to the NT from WA hotspots underwent 14 days of mandatory supervised quarantine.[33]
Victoria did not allow entry to anyone who was in any of the WA red zones since 25 January without an exception, exemption or permitted worker permit.[33]
South Australia did not immediately close its border with WA, but airline passengers from WA arriving in Adelaide were told to self-quarantine, and get a COVID-19 test on days one, five and twelve.[33]
The lockdown was lifted on 5 February, but some rules, such as mandatory mask wearing, were maintained in the Peel and Perth regions.[36] The last lockdown specific restrictions were lifted at 12:01 a.m. on 14 February.[37]
On 1 February, Queensland opened its border to all states except Western Australia. Since border closure 6,855,750 border passes were issued.[38]
On 2 February, responding to the WA lockdown, New South Wales ordered more than 1,100 people who had visited affected areas in WA since 25 January into five days of lockdown. They had to adhere to the same restrictions as if they had stayed in WA. Any arrivals from WA must have a COVID-19 test within 48 hours, or undergo 14 days of quarantine.[34]
Also on 2 February the Ellume company of Brisbane received a contract worth A$302 million (US$230 million) from the United States Department of Defense to provide at-home COVID-19 testing kits. The "Ellume COVID-19 Home Test" is the first at-home COVID-19 test to get emergency approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. The company claims its test can be done in 15 minutes and is around 95% accurate.[39]
On 3 February in Victoria, a quarantine hotel worker at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne, a "resident support officer" involved in the Australian Open tennis quarantine program, was found to have COVID-19. From 11:59 pm Victoria immediately reintroduced some rules, tightened some, and put off imminent easing of some restrictions. The plan to, from 8 February (Monday), allow up to 75 per cent of office workers back into their workplaces was put on hold. Masks were mandatory inside, and only 15 persons are allowed at private events. The man visited a number of businesses from 29 January to 1 February, but was able to give contact tracers a detailed list of places and times. Anyone who was at those places at those times, must be tested, and isolate for 14 days. Testing site hours were extended from 4 February, opening at 8 am. More drive-through lanes were added, and additional testing sites opened.[40]
On 4 February, the Northern Territory declared ten suburbs in Melbourne to be hotspots. Arrivals into NT from Melbourne, West Melbourne, Noble Park, Keysborough, Springvale, Brighton, Wheelers Hill, Clayton South, Heatherton or Moorabbin will be required to go into mandatory quarantine for 14 days. Those already in NT who have been in any of the hotspots since 29 January will also have to self-isolate until their COVID-19 testing is negative.[41]
By 5 February, genomic sequencing confirmed that the Melbourne Grand Hyatt worker was infected with the more contagious "UK strain" of COVID-19.[42] Also on 5 February 2021, National Cabinet decided to increase the number of international passenger arrivals to Australia as from 15 February. New South Wales will return from 1,505 to a weekly cap of 3,010 people and Queensland from 500 to 1,000. South Australia has increased from 490 a week
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