Sky News host Chris Kenny says while there is excitement about the prospects of Queensland’s borders opening to Sydney and Victoria, and South Australia to Victoria, the latter states continue to drag the chain of the national recovery effort.

“There are still at least 35,000 Aussies struggling to get home from overseas and Victoria won’t reopen to international arrivals with quarantine until Monday week. South Australia wants to wait till then too,” he said.

“Talk about dragging the chain. So many people keen to get home and South Australia and Victoria can’t run hotel quarantine properly or manage the risks. You have to despair about this.

Mr Kenny suggested Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier and Premier Steven Marshall’s time would be better spent working out sensible processes that precluded the state’s return to a panicked accidental lockdown, rather than “pushing masks”.

“And while they’re at it, hurry along with quarantine procedures so they can let international flights in again,” he said.

“This is typical of 2020 and the way the states have mishandled the pandemic. They love the picture opportunities, love the spin and the political posturing, but when it comes to sensible management and proportionate responses, they fail the competency test.

“Let’s hope that when they get new outbreaks, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland can resist lockdowns and keep their borders open, but we have every reason to be worried.”