Paranoid premiers club drops to two members: WA's Mark McGowan and NT leader are the lone grinches as South Australia promises to open its borders to the whole country for Christmas

South Australia became the latest state to set a date open up before Christmas
Vaccinated visitors welcome after November 23 for holidays and family reunions
It leaves just Western Australia and Northern Territory without a date to re-open
Interstate families will spend a second pandemic Christmas apart as a result

Published: 15:32 BST, 26 October 2021 | Updated: 15:32 BST, 26 October 2021

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Western Australia and Northern Territory will be the only no-go zones in Australia this Christmas as the rest of the country finally comes out of Covid isolation.

South Australia became the latest state to confirm a date to throw open its doors to visitors again, with vaccinated travellers welcome from November 23.

And it means a happy Christmas is ahead with much-needed summer holidays and overdue interstate family reunions for visitors from NSW, Victoria, and ACT.

But it leaves WA Premier Mark McGowan and NT First Minister Michael Gunner looking like the grinches who cancelled Christmas for their voters.

Western Australia and Northern Territory will remain the only no-go zones in Australia this Christmas as the rest of the country finally comes out of Covid isolation. (Pictured, a family enjoys Christmas lunch)

South Australia became the latest state to confirm a date to throw open its doors to visitors again, with double-jabbed travellers welcome from November 23. (Pictured, a wine-lover in South Australia's Barossa Valley)

Both will stay cut off from most of the rest of the country while everyone else rediscovers the holiday joy of travelling across Australia and the world.

South Australia passed 63 per cent vaccinated on Tuesday and is projected to hit 80 and 90 per cent in time for a grand re-opening ahead of Christmas.

'I know this will be a huge relief for so many South Australians who are wanting to get back to normality as soon as possible,' SA Premier Steven Marshall said.

All visitors will need to provide a negative test three days before they arrive, but immunised visitors will only need to quarantine if they are from virus hotspots or where vaccination rates are below 80 per cent.

Vaccinated overseas travellers will only need to quarantine for a week on arrival in SA under the new roadmap but unvaccinated visitors will still need to quarantine for 14 days.

If the state hits 90 per cent before Christmas, virtually all restrictions will be dropped completely for vaccinated visitors and locals and tests won't be needed for entry.

Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) said he doesn't expect the state to hit the vital 80 per cent mark until some time in the first half of next year

Western Australia is currently lagging behind the rest of the country with just 60 per cent fully inoculated against Covid in the slowest vaccine rollout in Australia. (Pictured, camels at sunet on idyllic Cable Beach)

In contrast, Mr McGowan still refuses to even set a date for reopening until 80 to 90 per cent of West Australians aged 12 and above are vaccinated.

The sealed-off state is lagging behind the rest of the country with just 60 per cent inoculated against Covid in the slowest vaccine rollout in Australia.

Mr McGowan said he didn't expect the state to hit 80 per cent until some time in the first half of next year, ruining Christmas for families split by the lockdown.

'We're continuing to get as many people vaccinated as we can, to make sure that we get through the Christmas holidays before we open to NSW and Victoria and potentially get cases,' he said on Tuesday.

A happy Christmas is ahead elsewhere in the country with much-needed summer holidays and overdue interstate family reunions for visitors from NSW, Victoria and ACT. (Pictured, a slice of paradise on our doorstep in Australia)

WA remains open to travellers from SA, Tasmania, and the NT, while Queenslanders will no longer need to quarantine from Wednesday.

But the resumption of widespread domestic travel could prompt a return to total isolation in WA for the festive season.

'We'll monitor what occurs in South Australia and whether they get cases and how soon they do,' Mr McGowan said.

'They've got density limits on cafes, restaurants, bars, they've got seating requirements if you want to go and have a drink.

'They've got restrictions on fitness classes, they've got mask-wearing at a whole range of venues.

'That will be a massive burden on small businesses and it will impact Christmas in South Australia. We're pretty keen to avoid that.'

the resumption of widespread domestic travel could prompt a return to total isolation in WA for the festive season. (Pictured, crowds of tourists at Victoria's 12 Apostles)

The Northern Territory is aiming to lift quarantine requirements for double-jabbed visitors by January 18. (Pictured, a couple soak up Uluru at sunset)

The premier last week outlined mandatory vaccination requirements for most of the state's workforce, including a January 31 deadline which would coincide with the end of the school holidays and ahead of a potential reopening of borders.

The Northern Territory is aiming to lift quarantine requirements for vaccinated visitors by January 18 - weeks after Christmas.

Mr Gunner even demand 14 days home quarantine under strict controls for vaccinated arrivals, and plans to half that on December 20, just in time for Christmas.

But that will only be allowed in 'high vaccination rate areas' of 80 per cent or more - and nowhere in the NT meets that mark.

The Top End is just ahead of Queensland and WA in its rollout with 61.69 per cent vaccinated, but still far behind the rest of the country.

NSW has no restrictions on entry from interstate while Victoria will scrap all quarantine requirements from November 1, as will the ACT.

Queensland will reopen to the vaccinated on December 17 and Tasmania will allow visitors on December 15, but they must submit a negative test.

The Top End is currently just ahead of Queensland and WA in its vaccination rollout with 61.69 per cent fully vaccinated, but still far behind the rest of the country. (Pictured, sun-seekers enjoy Queensland's secluded beaches on the Whitsundays)