New South Wales has ditched a two-week hotel quarantine requirement for travellers from southern Africa introduced over fears about the Omicron coronavirus variant.
From 6am on Wednesday, arrivals from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Malawi will face the same requirements as all other international travellers.
If fully vaccinated, they must self-isolate for 72 hours, get a test within 24 hours of arrival and avoid high-risk settings until after testing negative on their sixth day in the country.
"NSW Health also strongly encourages all international arrivals to have another test 12 days after arrival," Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said in a statement issued on Tuesday night.
"With the festive season upon us and people starting to gather in larger numbers, I urge everyone to maintain their vigilance and to continue to come forward for testing with even the slightest symptoms and to follow the public health advice."
Unvaccinated arrivals must still spend 14 days in hotel quarantine. Any arrival from one of the listed countries currently in hotel quarantine can not leave until they've spent 72 hours in the state.
The Australian government's Smart Traveller website indicates direct flights are still suspended and the Department of Home Affairs says foreign citizens won't be allowed to enter if they've been in the region in the past 14 days.
But the change could allow Australian citizens returning to NSW via a third country to be out of quarantine in time for Christmas.
The Home Affairs website still demands arrivals from the southern African arrivals go into two weeks of quarantine but specifies "in line with state and territory requirements".
NSW Health noted the Omicron variant continued to spread internationally and within New South Wales and warned self-isolation and testing breaches carried penalties of $5000.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/justin-trudeau-at-a-press-conference-right-a-montreal-grocery-store-illustrative.jpg?id=54890498&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=96%2C0%2C96%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>If you've been feeling the pinch at the checkout lately, there's some good news coming your way just in time for the holidays.</p><p>The federal government announced on Thursday that it's offering a tax break to all Canadians by waiving the goods and services tax (GST) on a whole bunch of everyday items starting in December. According to the feds, this move would provide an estimated $1.6 billion in tax relief and is aimed at giving Canadians more money in their pockets at a time when they need it most.</p><p>This new tax break is arriving on December 14, just in time for the holiday season, and applies to a variety of essentials, from groceries and snacks to kids' clothing and even Christmas trees. Yes, you read that right — buying that perfect tree for your living room just got a little cheaper. </p><p>"Our government can't set prices," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a <a href="https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2024/11/21/more-money-your-pocket-tax-break-all-canadians-and-working-canadians-rebate?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1NYboLmJt4xWUrLhvqjsoCnAFfQg8lZeh2NF9b4QJE6cABMBCdPRcEzPs_aem_eu3Ygp6_Ojv6kXu6rMAV-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>, "but we can give Canadians, and especially working Canadians, more money back in their pocket."</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1859636915391131819">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1859636915391131819"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>The exemption will last for two months, until February 15, 2025, giving families a chance to save on purchases during the busiest shopping months of the year.</p><p>According to the feds, a family spending $2,000 on these items over the two-month period would see GST savings of over $100. Meanwhile, residents of provinces with HST — which Quebec doesn't have — would save even more.</p><p>So, what exactly is free of federal tax now? Here's the full list of items the exemption applies to from the government press release:</p><ul><li>Prepared foods, including vegetable trays, premade meals and salads, and sandwiches</li><li>Restaurant meals, whether dine-in, takeout or delivery</li><li>Snacks, including chips, candy and granola bars</li><li>Beer, wine, cider and premixed alcoholic beverages below 7% ABV</li><li>Children's clothing and footwear, car seats and diapers</li><li>Children's toys, such as board games, dolls and video game consoles</li><li>Books, print newspapers and puzzles for all ages</li><li>Christmas trees</li></ul><p>And there's more: Working Canadians who earned up to $150,000 in 2023 are in for a bonus this spring, when the government will roll out a $250 <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/new-government-payment-working-canadians-rebate-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Working Canadians Rebate</a>. According to the feds, this rebate is designed to help middle-class Canadians, giving nearly 19 million people an extra boost in their bank accounts.</p><p>"The holiday season is when expenses are highest for many Canadians and their families," said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. "With new tax relief on groceries and seasonal expenses and a rebate for working Canadians, we are reducing costs when they are highest for Canadians."</p><p>So whether you're hosting a holiday feast, buying gifts for the kids or just grabbing some snacks for a cozy movie night, this GST exemption is a little something to make life more affordable.</p><p>For more details about eligible items and how to make the most of this tax break, check out the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2024/11/more-money-in-your-pocket-a-tax-break-for-all-canadians.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official government announcement here</a>.</p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p><p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>
Following the directive given to banks in the country to fund their accounts to enable it deduct the reviewed Cash Reserve Requirement within 48 hours,…
