Australia will reopen its borders to all foreign tourists who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 As of February 21, Federal Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced today, almost two years after the imposition of restrictions that were among the strictest in the world to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic.
"If you are fully vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back to Australia," Morrison told a news conference. He clarified that the Australian authorities "will reopen the borders to all visa holders from February 21".
On the vast island, the border was closed almost hermetically in March 2020. For the past two years, Australians have not been able to leave the country, and few visitors have been allowed to enter the territory.
The restrictions have torn families apart, hit the tourism sector hard, and sparked debate over whether Australia is an open, modern and extroverted country.
However, the government began a process of easing restrictions and opening borders in phases late last year, initially allowing high-skilled migrant workers, foreign students and a small number of tourists to enter.
Her decision was part of the abandonment of the "zero COVID" policy, her attempt to prevent any infection, which she applied for a long time but proved to be inapplicable when the wave attributed to the Omicron variant occurred.
Source: RES-EAP