Unexpected move causes public opinion to "wake up" in applause
Previously, the press was preparing to report that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison could announce the decision to fully reopen Australia's borders on Easter, April 17. Now, the decision was announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison himself on February 7, with the opening date nearly 2 months earlier than expected, causing public opinion, especially businesses and tourism workers, to "stir up" and welcome.
“If you have had two doses of the vaccine, we look forward to welcoming you back to Australia,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) said at a press conference in Canberra on February 7, after announcing the decision to reopen the border. (Photo: republicworld)
This move is expected to open up the prospect of ending nearly two years of hardship for the tourism industry, helping to revive the flow of skilled immigrant workers and "pump" billions of dollars into Australia's economy, the world's 13th largest.
The reopening, which took effect on February 21, is the first since March 2020 (when Australia closed its borders due to Covid-19), allowing visitors from all over the world to come to Australia, as long as they have been vaccinated.
The latest figure reported on February 7 was more than 23,000 new infections - the lowest level since early 2022 and quite a distance from the record of 150,000 cases about a month ago. (Photo: businesstraveller)
Specifically, according to this new decision, from February 21, international tourists who have received two doses of the vaccine when arriving in most Australian states will be exempt from quarantine. They only need to have a negative PCR test result taken 3 days before the flight, or a rapid test with monitoring 24 hours before departure. In particular, Western Australia is still pursuing a "zero Covid" strategy, so it is expected to maintain the 14-day quarantine regulation to limit the number of tourists entering from abroad.
SAFE TOURISM PROSPECTS FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS
Previously, Australia had begun implementing a phased border reopening plan, initially allowing skilled workers and international students to enter from December 2021, on condition that they had received two doses of vaccine.
Patrons dine at a bar by Sydney Harbour on October 22, 2021, after Australia began easing travel restrictions. (Photo: Reuters)
Like many other countries around the world, the number of Covid-19 cases in Australia has increased recently due to the emergence of the new Omicron variant. But with more than 90% of people aged 16 and over fully vaccinated, the number of new infections and deaths tends to stagnate.
Faced with that reality, Prime Minister Scott Morrison made it clear that the decision to reopen was made amid the emergence of the new Omicron variant in Australia. Therefore, visitors who have received two doses of the vaccine will not pose any greater risk to Australian residents. On the other hand, according to former Australian health official - Dr. Nick Coatsworth, the high vaccination rate also means that it is safe for international visitors to return to Australia.
Before Covid-19, Australia welcomed around 9.4 million international tourists in 2019. The tourism sector contributed $60 billion to the Australian economy and created 660,000 jobs in the 2018-2019 financial year.
But since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia's losses in both domestic and international tourism have reached A$101.7 billion (Australian dollars) - equivalent to 72 billion USD. International tourist spending in Australia has also dropped from A$44.6 billion (2018-2019) to A$1.3 billion (2020-2021) - according to Tourism Research Australia (TRA - an agency specializing in providing tourism data and analysis, as a basis for the Government to develop tourism policy).
