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?
The Australian Government may be publishing plans to allow its citizens overseas leisure travel by Christmas, but it is more marketing fluff, than a reliable promise.
The federal and state governments are addicted to the increased powers COVID has allowed them to have, under their perpetual “state of emergency” declarations, and it favours sitting governments to face elections where security and fear are predominate themes.
The federal government has already sent mixed messages, with some Ministers saying travel won’t normalise until mid-2022.
It is far more likely that overseas leisure travel won’t be available to Australian residents until February/March 2022 at the earliest.
It is interesting to see what they do considering the current Covid-19 infection rates that are throughout the roof for Australia even when they have been in never-ending lockdowns for months.
Through the roof?? Just over 60 per million, according to the graph you include in your article. If that’s your idea of ‘through the roof’, even allowing for Australia’s zero-Covid strategy, you really need to stop being infected by media sensationalism.
In the last Victorian Lockdown saga there were 2 cases then 3 cases before lockdown. Cases are now over 600 and people are rioting on the streets. Lockdown after lockdown has failed to do anything but destroy the Australian way of life. It is possible that Australia may open up in December but I doubt anyone would risk wanting to go. No one talks of the dozens of Australians who have died overseas unable to return to Australia.
The federal government, and most of the state governments (WA being the notable exception), have abandoned their previous COVID-Zero strategies and moved to a “number in ICU, on ventilator” focus instead as Delta has smashed the previous political messaging, showing it up for the nonsense it is.
The thing is that COVID measures in Australia have long been a mish-mash of nonsense and security theatre, which the Delta strain has made obvious. Australia could have managed a COVID-Zero strategy if it had been as strict with non-leisure travel as it had with leisure travel, but the pathetically easy exemptions for work and celebrity travel, combined with all the holes in Australia’s hotel and home quarantine systems, meant this was always going to be a complete cluster.
The irony of Australia being more of an incompetent Nanny State than the United Kingdom (who Australians often slap with that tag), who did adapt to the new norm way better than Australia, is not lost on many.
I would say John that you can continue to expect more mismanagement and political spin, but not much progress.
I don’t think that any nation can handle zero Covid strategy in the long run. All the economies are so intertwined today that there is always need for some connectivity. Australia was able to keep the previous pandemic entering the country by sealing the harbor in 1918 – 1920 until it couldn’t and the virus went through the population.
I would agree that COVID-Zero strategies have always been unsustainable long term, and that the Fortress Australia ideology that has dominated the local political scene is deluded magical thinking.
Countries can’t cancel everything for ever – it is just short term thinking to believe that. What is surprising is that there is a significant vocal minority proportion of the population that do want to cancel everything, and are more than happy to promote draconian measures.
Australia has mismanaged its approach to COVID since well before it began, starting from complacency, then swinging wildly to the opposite reaction, but with little logic or planning, just a string of knee-jerk reactions.
Did you notice John that the Australian Prime Minister (Morrison) has issued another puff PR piece saying international borders open by November, except when you look at the details beyond the headline, you’ll see it is contingent on 80% fully vaccinated being achieved, which is still some time off (and quarantine will still apply).
All marketing, no substance.
Yes. We just covered this. Interesting to see when the travel is fully reopened for vaccinated citizens AND visitors.
Aus will hardly open up in december. Who on earth believes that? People cant even cross state lines and we clearly see on the look of things that it is very unlikely to open international travel to and from Aus anytime soon. Also to have in mind is a higher percentage of vaccinations is required since Aus dont have much natural immunity.
Once a covid prison, always a covid prison🤣
Aus will hardly open up in december. Who on earth believes that? People cant even cross state lines and we clearly see on the look of things that it is very unlikely to open international travel to and from Aus anytime soon. Also to have in mind is a higher percentage of vaccinations is required since Aus dont have much natural immunity.
Once a covid prison, always a covid prison🤣
Australians must make politicians and failed public health officials responsible for their Lockdown Losses.
Aus will hardly open up in december. Who on earth believes that? People cant even cross state lines and we clearly see on the look of things that it is very unlikely to open international travel to and from Aus anytime soon. Also to have in mind is a higher percentage of vaccinations is required since Aus dont have much natural immunity.
Once a covid prison, always a covid prison🤣
I would have thought that Australians were familiar with prison guards and screws, and knew how to deal with them.
Aren’t you clever?
John, I object strenuously to this comment.
A more appropriate title for this blog post would be “Australia Plans Release Its Citizens… their Cells”
Will they be allowed to eat KFC while abroad? Apparently it is forbidden right now to stop the spread. Honestly I wish I visited Australia years ago. The oppression they allow in the country limits my desire for any future visits.
Don’t take any notice of Desperate Dan Tehan. It will be the state premiers that decide on this. NSW will be first to open, possibly in December. Other states will gradually follow so possibly all open by mid-2022.