Neill-Fraser is currently serving 23 years' jail for the murder of her partner Bob Chappell.

Mr Chappell was last seen on the pair's yacht near Hobart on Australia Day 2009.

Neill-Fraser maintains her innocence and is due to appeal against her conviction a second time starting on August 17, but border restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic have thrown this into doubt.

Tasmania is due to reopen its borders on July 24, however a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria is of concern and may see the state closed to Victorian visitors beyond this date.

Neill-Fraser's lawyer Paul Smallwood, who is based in Victoria, told the Hobart Supreme Court via video-link on Friday this uncertainty meant the appeal should be delayed until November.

"It's indeed very regrettable where it is certainly in the best interests of the appellant, the respondent and the court the appeal proceed as soon as practicable," Mr Smallwood said.

But Justice Helen Wood said it was premature to delay the appeal.

Justice Wood asked Neill-Fraser's counsel to explore all their options including counsel seeking an exemption to Tasmania's quarantine rules if they remained in place in August or having just some of her legal team in Tasmania for the appeal, such as West Australian barrister Tom Percy.

Mr Smallwood agreed these options would be explored, but noted as it stood his understanding was legal practitioners did not count as essential travellers and Mr Percy would have to quarantine for two weeks upon his return to WA.

Crown prosecutor Jack Shapiro said it was the state's position the appeal should go ahead as soon as possible.

A further directions hearing was set for July 24 at 9.30am by which point it is expected the state government will have provided an update on the borders situation.

Outside the court, Susan Neill-Fraser Support Group secretary Rosie Crumpton-Crook said this further delay just added to the ongoing frustration around Neill-Fraser's long legal battle.

"Obviously no one can do anything about the COVID-19 situation, but this is 11 years down the track - a very long time for Sue and her family," Ms Crumpton-Crook said.

"It must be incredibly difficult for them

"Sue is in prison. We write to her but it's difficult to know how she must be feeling. She's not getting any visitors."

When asked if Neill-Fraser's counsel should be considered important enough to gain a quarantine exemption, Ms Crumpton-Crook said the fact an innocent woman had been in prison for 11 years was incredibly important.

"I don't know how difficult that would be [to get an exemption]," she said.

"If you've got counsel coming from WA that would have to go into quarantine on their return to WA that's a lot to ask them to do because they would have chock-a-block diaries like all senior counsel would."