Australia’s tourism minister gave a speech at an event on Wednesday. He reiterated that citizens would be allowed to travel overseas without advance approval after their state’s vaccination rate hits 80%.
They would be allowed to travel (destination country entry rules would apply), but there would be a hotel or home quarantine required for 7 to 14 days upon return, and this plan doesn’t open the country for incoming visitors.
Australia’s National Plan:
Here’s an excerpt from Bloomberg:
Australians will be able to travel abroad, with no restrictions on the destination, once the vaccination rate in their respective home state hits 80%, Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said at a National Press Club of Australia event Wednesday.
Australia’s borders have been mostly shut to non-citizens and non-residents since March 2020.
“People will be able to freely travel outside Australia with no restrictions” under the national plan governing the country’s emergence from Covid-19, Tehan said. Australians would still be subject to rules governing the countries they visit.
The government is exploring opening travel bubbles with several countries to reduce quarantine time, and hopes home quarantine will be operational before Christmas, Tehan said.
And from 7News
Australia’s tourism and trade minister believes international borders will be open in time for Christmas.
“I do empathise with the Australians who have been denied the opportunity to travel overseas this year. It’s another reason why everyone should get vaccinated,” he told the National Press Club on Wednesday.
“We have to stick to the national plan that will see our international border open up – at this rate by Christmas at the latest.”
More than 45,000 Australians are stranded overseas with the figure rising in recent months due to reduced passenger arrival caps. About 4700 are considered vulnerable.
Covid-19 Situation in Australia:
The country is going through its first big wave of infections right now.
Less than 40% of the country’s population is fully vaccinated.
Conclusion
Australia and many other Asian countries handled the first stage of Covid-19 in 2020 well but trying to open up the country in 2021, and the new contagious Delta variant has put them in a bad position.
Looking at the current Covid-19 infection numbers, Australia must have given up trying to eradicate the virus, as they should have from the getgo. However, the virus is here to stay, and getting everyone vaccinated as soon as possible should be the priority.
Not sure which Asian countries are welcoming visitors from Australia at the moment without quarantine? How many can go on vacation overseas if they need to stay home 7 to 14 days after their return?
Also, there is no word when the country will be open for international visitors who have been fully vaccinated. They talk about Australia’s bubble with New Zealand that burst several times and must be currently on hold looking at the infection numbers. Citizens and residents would be allowed to return from these bubble countries without mandatory quarantine.
Perhaps you better put on hold plans to visit Australia until 2023?
