Virgin flights from the Sunshine Coast to Adelaide will resume in December and the airline is celebrating with a super sale.
Scheduled to take off on December 14, the services will operate four times per week and will allow more than 5,632 passengers to travel direct between the two centres.
Virgin celebrated the announcement by offering passengers one-way economy sale fares from $79, starting Tuesday until 11.59pm AEST Friday, October 15.
It comes as the Queensland government hinted at its plans for re-opening the state’s borders, indicating “the next five to six weeks” were crucial for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said unvaccinated Queenslanders needed to get the jab, with 70 per cent of eligible people in the state having had one dose by Sunday.
Ms D’Ath hinted at a timeline when asked the vaccine target for reopening the borders to NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
“The target is getting yourself protected in the next five to six weeks. That is your mission,” she said.
“Get yourself protected and that helps protect our whole community and allows us to open up.”
The government has not recommitted to opening the borders once vaccination coverage reaches 80 per cent.
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Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the state has modelled reopening at 80 per cent, but she would prefer if vaccine coverage reached 95 per cent.
“It shows that we would be stretched, of course we would be, which is why I don’t want to stop at 80 per cent,” she said.
“I would like to see every single Queenslander, 12 years of age or older, vaccinated. I think that’s absolutely critical.
“The more Queenslanders who are vaccinated, the less the impact will be on our health system.”
Queensland has also kicked off a trial of home quarantine for 1000 residents, some of whom have been struck in interstate hotspots for months.
Participants must be fully vaccinated and test negative within three days of travelling to the state.
The government says home quarantine will be expanded if the trial is successful.
To book a Virgin flight to Adelaide visit virginaustralia.com. Virgin is also waiving all applicable change fees and allowing unlimited changes for bookings for travel between now and February 28, 2022.
–with AAP
