The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reinstated its
travel advice for 177 countries and territories ahead of fully vaccinated
Australians becoming free to travel from Monday.
No destination has been given a risk assessment lower than
the second-tier warning: “Exercise a high degree of caution.”
The vast majority of Australian permanent residents and
citizens have been stranded in the island nation since March last year by some
of the most draconian pandemic restrictions of any democracy. They had to
request exemptions from the ban and demonstrate exceptional circumstances. Most
requests were rejected or approved too late for Australians to reach death beds
or funerals. Travel to and from Australia for tourism has never been allowed.
A few categories of citizen, including public servants on
government business, were exempt from the international travel ban.
International travel will be initially restricted to
Sydney’s airport because New South Wales has the highest vaccination rate of
any state. More than 86% of the population of Australia’s most populous state aged
16 and older are fully vaccinated, and over 93% of the target population had
received at least a single vaccine shot.
Initially only Australian permanent residents and citizens
will be free to travel. Fully vaccinated foreigners traveling on skilled worker
and student visas will be given priority over international tourists.
But the government expects Australia will welcome
international tourists back before the year ends.
The reopening of the border for the vaccinated has created
complications for families traveling from countries that, unlike Australia,
don’t offer vaccines to children as young as 12.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said children of vaccinated
parents would not be required to go into hotel quarantine in Sydney like other
returning unvaccinated Australians.
“We’re not splitting up families,” Kelly said.
Australia has gone from one of the lowest vaccination rates
among wealthy countries, due to a lack of supply and vaccine hesitancy, to one
of the highest. On Nov. 8, it will start offering a third booster Pfizer shot
to its entire adult population at least six months after their second jab. -AP
0 comments:
Post a Comment