Huge news for avid cruisers
Those planning to embark on a cruise can leave their masks behind, as Covid mandates on board have finally been scrapped.
NSW premier Chris Minns announced the change of rules for cruise passengers on Monday, saying, “We need to get life back to normal.”
Previously, the rules around cruising were quite strict in the face of several Covid outbreaks on ships around the world, with passengers over the age of 12 needing to provide proof of vaccination prior to embarking.
Travellers also had to abide by enforced mask-wearing when embarking and disembarking the ship, and had to present a negative Covid test prior to departure.
The NSW government announced on Monday that they had formally signed paperwork that removed the rules from the Eastern Seaboard and Western Australian Cruise Protocols, which also covers travellers embarking from Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
Mr Minns said it was time to “get life back to normal”.
“We have scrapped these rules because they aren’t needed anymore,” he said.
“Passengers can take their own decisions to look after their health before and during a cruise.”
Tourism Minister John Graham welcomed the change in regulations, but also thanked the government for implementing the safety rules at the height of the Covid pandemic.
“The 2023 winter cruise season in Sydney is on track to be one of the strongest on record and it is fantastic even more people can now participate,” he said.
“These protocols were important after Covid but were not intended to continue in perpetuity and I thank the sector for how they have handled the additional requirements placed upon them.”
While the remaining states have yet to formally rescind the rules, the federal health body has advocated for the removal of the Covid public health measures.
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