AUSTRALIA TO OPEN BORDERS TO VACCINATED TRAVELERS ON FEB. 21

Mon 07 February 2022:

Australia’s borders will reopen to fully vaccinated travelers on February 21, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, lifting arguably of the world’s toughest and longest-standing pandemic travel restrictions.

“It’s almost two years since we took the decision to close the borders to Australia,” Morrison said during a media briefing on Monday.

“If you’re double vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back to Australia.”

In March 2020, Australia closed its borders to protect itself against a growing COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, Australians have been prevented from leaving for the most part, and just a few visitors have been granted entry exemptions.

The rules have split families, hammered the country’s large tourist industry and prompted sometimes acrimonious debates about Australia’s status as a modern, open and outward-looking nation.

Morrison’s administration has gradually eased the restrictions for Australians, long-term residents, and students since launching its vaccine program last year.

Almost all remaining caps will be lifted as a result of Monday’s decision.

The move was “greatly welcomed” by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

“The Asia Pacific region has been very cautious in its approach to border restrictions so far but in recent weeks, we have seen growing momentum towards relaxation of travel restrictions – in the Philippines, Thailand, and to some extent New Zealand,” Philip Goh, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific said in a statement.

“We urge other governments in the Asia Pacific to look at similarly further easing their border restrictions so as to enable aviation businesses to accelerate their much needed recovery and to bring maximum benefits to their economies.”

Almost all of Australia’s population has received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the country abandoned its long-standing “COVID-zero” policy last year, owing to an increase in cases caused by the Omicron variant.

Daily infections and hospital admissions have decreased over the last week, with Australia reporting just over 23,000 new cases on Monday.

This is the lowest daily case count of the year, and it’s down from a high of 150,000 approximately a month ago.

Since the first Omicron case was discovered in Australia in November, there have been approximately 2.4 million cases reported. Australia had counted around 200,000 instances up to that point.

Since the pandemic began, 4,248 people in Australia have died as a result of the virus.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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