This page is intended to provide information specific to the transport industry, particularly cross-border Service operators, with regards to South Australian declarations and requirements.

Regular email updates will be provided. It contains links for further information and will be monitored to respond to your questions and feedback.

Airline Traveller Entry Requirements

As of 12:01am Saturday 27 March 2021, travellers arriving in South Australia at Adelaide Airport are required to use the COVID Safe Check-In to scan a QR code immediately after their arrival. Travellers should download the mySA GOV app prior to travel.

Once in South Australia, travellers must use the COVID SAfe Check-In when arriving at a business, venue or event in South Australia.

For more information, read the media release.

Road Border Entry Requirements

PLEASE NOTE: UPDATES TO REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT AND FREIGHT WORKERS AS PER DIRECTION: 23 SEPTEMBER 21, AS FOLLOWS-

Commercial Transport and Freight

• If arriving by road and rail must produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before their arrival or undertake a point-of-care antigen based test and/or a COVID-19 test within 12hrs of entering the State of SA

Commercial Transport and Freight – arrival by road and rail

• Required to produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72hrs prior to arrival in SA or directed to undertake a point-of-care antigen based test and/or a COVID-19 test within 12hrs of entering the State of SA.

ARRIVAL BY ROAD - CF & T - IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• From 12.01am 7 October 2021, all commercial transport and freight workers entering SA by road from the ACT, NSW and Victoria must be able to produce evidence of having received at least one dose of a TGA approved COVID-19 vaccine.
• A commercial transport or freight worker is not required to have a COVID-19 vaccine if they have a medical exemption or they are pregnant. The medical exemption must be a certificate from a legally qualified medical practitioner.
• There are not currently vaccination requirements for commercial transport and freight workers from states other than ACT, NSW or Victoria.
• Evidence of your vaccination status can be provided to SAPOL’s Central Assessment Unit now by emailing the relevant document to: SAPOL.Covid19Command@police.sa.gov.au SAPOL encourages you to send evidence of your vaccination in order to avoid delays that may be caused by having to produce it at the time of your arrival. Upon production of the evidence via email or at a border check point, your Cross Border Permit will be updated and there will be no need to produce the evidence on a subsequent arrival if travelling on the same permit.

ALL OTHER ESSENTIAL TRAVELLERS -  From 11 October 2021 must produce evidence of having received at least 1 dose of TGA approved COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccination Status now available on Cross Border form

SA.GOV.AU Cross Border Travel Page

SA.GOV.AU Commercial Transport and Freight Workers Page

Associated Direction #60- As from 5pm 25th October 21

Entry into South Australia Requirements Table  (Current at 22 October 21)

• Travellers coming from Queensland can now transit through NSW via road and arrive in South Australia unrestricted, so long as they comply with the transiting requirements of the General Direction (must take the most direct and practicable route; only stop for emergency, respite, or other essential purpose; wear a mask when in contact with the public; and must enter via Oodla Wirra (via Broken Hill));
• Travellers can transit through Sydney Airport and arrive in South Australia unrestricted, so long as they do not leave the airport and wear a mask the entire time they are in the airport and on the plane;
• Residents of the NSW Cross Border Corridor (the LGA of Broken Hill and the townships of Manna Hill, Olary, Tikalina and Cockburn) can enter SA for any purpose (but must have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination);
• Victorian Cross Border Corridor members are no longer subject to COVID-19 testing requirements; and
• People who have completed 14 days of supervised quarantine in a NSW medi-hotel can travel to SA unrestricted so long as they travel immediately to the airport and fly to SA (they cannot drive to SA).

As of 3:22 pm on 18 August 21, please note: Remote or Isolated workers and Specialist workers in Essential Sectors - A declaration must be attached to their Cross Border Travel application declaring the risk mitigation plan complies with guidelines made by the Chief Public Health Officer on the SA Health website and the necessity of their travel into SA.

ACT & NSW Essential Traveller Table (Current at  25 Oct 21)

• The town of Silverton, New South Wales, is now included in the NSW Cross Border corridor.

Victorian Essential Traveller Table   (Current at 22 Oct 21)

All Commercial Transport and Freight Service operators into South Australia are required to complete a cross border registration form at least 72 hours prior to arrival. Those who completed Essential Traveller cross border registrations are NOT required to update their cross border status and can still travel on their current approvals.

Operators with an Approved Essential Traveller Application that is due to expire on any date in January 2021 have automatically had their approval extended for a period of six months. There is no requirement to make a new application. Operators whose application expired prior to January 2021 are required to reapply using the current process.

View the SAPOL Cross border travel page

Commercial Transport and Freight Services operators travelling from a “Prohibited or Restricted Zone” in NSW, ACT and Victoria are required to provide evidence of a COVID-19 test taken by an appropriately trained and qualified health care worker, within 72 hours preceding their arrival.  They must also comply with the other requirements of Essential Travellers as applicable, which may include: the need to self-quarantine when not working, wearing a mask when not in the cab, and when in contact with people, to keep records and to have a letter/documentation from their employer.

Police Officers at the border will note whether evidence of a test was sighted or a direction to obtain a test was given.

Those Commercial Transport and Freight Service operators approved to enter SA from prohibited zones must not, without the approval of the Chief Executive of the Department for Health and Wellbeing, the South Australian Chief Public Health Officer or a deputy, enter a disability care, correctional or residential aged care facility, or a health care facility while they are in SA.

There are no restrictions on travellers who have completed a cross border registration from low community transmission zones provided that they have not been in any place other than the low community transmission zone within the last 14 days. There is no requirement to self-quarantine while waiting for test results, unless displaying symptoms of COVID-19, with the exception of travellers from Western Australia (other than those from the prohibited zone) who are required to self-quarantine until they receive a negative result from the day 1 test.

Commercial Transport and Freight Services (Essential Travellers) must keep and retain records of close contacts from the date of arrival in South Australia for 14 days not counting the day of arrival, or if they remain in South Australia for a period less than 14 days, for that period.

The records required to be kept are the name and phone number or other details of the close contact and the location at which the contact occurred, or if it is not reasonably practical to obtain the details – the time and location at which the contact occurred. The records need to be retained for a period of 28 days from the end of the period for which the records must be kept.

Note: Commercial Transport and Freight categories are excused from the COVID-19 testing regime if they can produce evidence of a COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 result in the last 72 hours.

Important- If a person has entered South Australia under a previous COVID-19 Cross Border Direction they are required to follow those Directions provided to them upon entry unless otherwise instructed by an authorised officer.

Please  refer to the SA.GOV.AU  site for current Travel Restrictions

Testing

All essential travellers from the following restricted zones (apart from people who are ordinarily resident in the Victorian cross border corridor and essential travellers who are emergency services workers or commercial transport and freight workers):

(a)   ACT restricted zone

(b)   New South Wales restricted zone

(c)   Victorian restricted zone,

must produce evidence of a COVID-19 test as follows in order to be a level 4 or 5 arrival (as applicable)—

(i)     - if arriving by air, produce evidence of a COVID-19 test taken by an appropriately trained and qualified health care worker, within 72 hours before their arrival in South Australia; and;

(i     -  if arriving by any other means, produce evidence of a COVID-19 test taken by an appropriately trained and qualified health care worker, within 72 hours before their arrival in South Australia or, in the event that an authorised officer is satisfied that they were unable to obtain a test within that period, must comply with the testing requirements in clause 5 of the General Direction applicable to Level 2-5 arrivals.

Commercial Transport and Freight Service operators are not required to have a COVID-19 test before entering SA if arriving from low community transmission zones.

View contact-tracing alerts.

Self-isolation

There is no requirement to self-quarantine while waiting for test results, unless displaying symptoms of COVID-19.

Maritime Crew - Requirements Updated

Maritime crew arriving into South Australia from overseas are deemed not to arrive if they do not disembark the vessel. A crew member who has been on a vessel within the preceding 14 days, with no one else embarking, is cleared to disembark providing they submit to a COVID-19 test within 48 hours with a negative result and is cleared to disembark by a Human Biosecurity Officer for SA. If the conditions noted cannot be met either through arrival on a vessel, or an aircraft, the crew member must reside and remain, quarantined and segregated from others, at a location determined by an Authorised Officer for a 14-day period starting at the time of their arrival.

A person must not embark a vessel that has arrived in South Australia from a country other than Australia, and that has not been cleared by a  Human  Biosecurity Officer unless:

• the person is wearing personal protective equipment as approved by the Department; and
• the person has been vaccinated against COVID-19 or (comes into affect 12.01 Friday 10th September)
• the person is an emergency service worker responding to an emergency
• Persons embarking a commercial vessel that has arrived in South Australia from a restricted zone are exempt from the requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 from 11 October 2021 if they have a medical exemption, or are pregnant.

Fact Sheets have been provided to detail;

• An overview of Australia’s requirements for maritime crew, with information to state and territory websites for specific maritime exemptions.
• Updates to PPE recommendations for marine pilots.

Rail Workers - Requirements

Please note - A Rail worker entering from interstate must apply for border crossing as a Commercial, Freight and Transport worker

Medicare Rebate for Freight Operators

The Australian Government announced a $2 billion extension in funding for Medicare-subsidised telehealth and pathology services for a further six months, to 31 March 2021. This includes an extension to the Medicare rebate for asymptomatic testing of freight operators at private COVID‑19 testing clinics. The Medicare item has been expanded to include testing of rail crew.

The 18 September 2020, update of the Medicare Benefits Scheme is available at: www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-200901

If you have a query relating to an Essential Worker, please email DIT.OutbreakResponseCoordinator@sa.gov.au.

See previous email alerts/updates

For further information, please see the following links

SA.GOV.AU

• COVID-19 Information
• Cross border travel
• Travel restrictions
• Expanded COVID-19 testing

SA Health

• Testing for COVID-19

SAPOL

• Cross border travel application