Australia In No Hurry To Reopen Borders, Travel May Resume In 2nd Half Of Year - Morrison

Sumaira FH Published April 18, 2021 | 12:20 PM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th April, 2021) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday that the country is in "no hurry" to proceed with the reopening of its borders, but international travel may still resume in the second half of the year.

"Australia is in no hurry to open those borders, I assure you," Morrison said as quoted by The Guardian.

The prime minister also added that if vaccinated Australians are wishing to leave the country they may be able to do so only for "essential" purposes in the second half of the year. Those returning to the country will require to isolate at home upon arrival.

"If we can get in a position in the second half of the year Australians for essential purposes can travel and return to the country without going into hotel quarantine, if they have been vaccinated, that is a good incentive to get vaccinated," the prime minister said.

Morrison also stressed that in order for that to work, the country would need to double-check the effectiveness of home isolation to be equal to that of hotel quarantines.

According to the Guardian, Qantas, Australia's airline, was hoping borders would be reopening by October, but current delays in Australia's vaccination rollout might push that date back.

"We can take small steps, I think, not ready to take those steps now for Australians to be able to travel and return without hotel quarantine. We aren't in a position. We are doing the planning work, understanding health risks, understanding how they can be successfully done and in a few months, what we will be out. We will proceed very, very cautiously on those borders," Morrison added.

The country closed its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents in March 2020 and has been permitting only a limited number of international arrivals. Over 30,000 locals are currently stranded abroad, seeking to make it back to Australia.

Australia's strict lockdown measures have helped the country maintain its COVID-19 cases at under 29,500 and 910 deaths.