Melbourne Feb 20 (BUS): Australia welcomes international tourists on Monday nearly two years after closing its borders, counting on high COVID-19 vaccination rates to live with the pandemic as infections drop.
“The wait is over,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a news briefing on Sunday at Melbourne International Airport.
Australia’s opening up to tourists is the clearest example yet of the government’s shift from a strict COVID-free approach to living with the virus and vaccinating the public to reduce deaths and severe disease, according to Reuters.
Most of the 2.7 million coronavirus cases in the country have occurred since the Omicron variant emerged in late November. But with one of the highest vaccination rates in the world – more than 94% of people aged 16 or older taking double doses – there have been fewer than 5,000 deaths, a fraction of the rates observed in many other developed countries.
On Sunday, the country recorded more than 16,600 cases of coronavirus before all regions were reported, and at least 33 deaths, most of them in the three most populous states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
It is not yet clear whether travelers will return to the island continent, which has been dubbed “Fort Australia” because of its strict border controls. The government hopes to boost the growth sector in the pre-pandemic period – real tourism GDP grew 3.4% in 2018-2019, compared to 1.9% GDP growth.
Australia has gradually reopened since November, first allowing Australians to travel in and out of the country, then accepting international students and some workers. From Monday, leisure travelers and more business travelers can enter.
“The reopening strengthens Australia’s credentials as an open economy and will allow companies with international interests to do business more easily,” said Steve Hughes, head of commercial banking at HSBC in Australia.
“We expect that medium-sized companies that have reached the limits of their domestic growth will renew confidence to consider overseas expansion.”
Fully vaccinated tourists will not need to be quarantined, but those not taking double doses will need a travel exemption to enter the country and will be subject to state and territory quarantine requirements.
HF