An airline is awaiting a last-minute ruling from the state government on whether it can continue to fly into Orange with new coronavirus rules to come into place from midnight Thursday.
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The state government has announced that all NSW residents returning to NSW by air will have to go to Sydney airport.
All returning NSW residents, will only be allowed to return to NSW through Sydney Airport.
- NSW government ruling
"From 12.01am Friday August 7 NSW residents returning from Victoria must go into mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days at their own expense," the government announcement said.
"All returning NSW residents, unless they live within the NSW border regions, will only be allowed to return to NSW through Sydney Airport."
However, a spokeswoman for NSW Health minister Brad Hazzard said on Thursday morning the government was still working out how it would be implemented.
Fly Corporate airline services manager Jeff Boyd said he had been asking the government for clarification but had not received an answer.
"It's very grey," he said.
"We don't know and I can't get an answer."
He said Fly Corporate was one of about five airlines who flew to regional NSW airports from Victoria.
Mr Boyd said it was unclear whether the Sydney-only policy also applied to travellers from other states.
All arrivals on flights from Melbourne are now met by health workers and police at Orange Regional Airport.
They receive temperature checks, are questioned and have to show a valid permit before being allowed to leave the airport.
It is unclear whether the ruling of allowing people to leave would continue or whether they would have to go into quarantine for 14 days.
On Tuesday Mr Hazzard said there were only limited reasons why anyone from Victoria would be allowed into NSW.
"Victorian residents are not permitted into NSW at all unless they are needed for specific purposes and even then have to apply for and get a permit," he said.
"We are constantly reviewing the situation in Victoria and will adjust the health orders as necessary to protect the people of NSW."
He said people allowed from Victoria to NSW include defence officials, doctors and nurses, critical workers in energy, mining and construction, child protection workers and disability workers.
All travellers are provided with a pack of two masks and hand sanitiser by the airlines.
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David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
