After nearly two years of closed borders, Australia announced Monday that it will begin allowing international tourists who are vaccinated against COVID-19 into the country in two weeks.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the travelers, who will be allowed in starting Feb. 21, must be double-vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination. This marks the first time since March 2020 that travelers from anywhere in the world can visit Australia.
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“It’s almost two years since we took the decision to close the borders to Australia. The National Security Cabinet has decided today that Australia will reopen our borders to all remaining visa holders,” Morrison said during a press event. “We have been progressively opening our borders since November of last year — those programs have proceeded very successfully.”
While Morrison noted the spread of the omicron variant, he argued that foreign travelers who are vaccinated do not present a greater risk than ordinary Australian citizens if they are vaccinated. He said “events earlier in the year” should make it clear that Australia is serious about its vaccine requirement — an apparent reference to Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who was blocked from entering the country because he was not vaccinated.
Australia will only permit unvaccinated travelers into the country if they have a proper medical exemption, comply with quarantine rules, and follow local rules, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said during the press event. She also said she hopes this will help the country’s tourism industry, which has been dealt a serious blow during the pandemic.
“These changes we are announcing today in terms of reopening our borders make sure we are protecting the health of Australians but at the same time working towards our economic recovery here,” Andrews said. “Our visiting numbers have been down. Our tourism providers have had to rely on domestic travelers.”
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Australia has drawn international attention for its aggressive measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, its second-most populous city, Melbourne, had one of the world’s longest lockdowns during the pandemic.
The country, with a population of 25 million, has reported 4,248 deaths during the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University — about 16.75 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 people, which is on the lower end of per capita deaths among developed nations. For comparison, the United States reported 274.99 deaths per 100,000 people.
