Since the beginning of the corona pandemic in spring 2020, international travelers have hardly been able to travel to Australia. This is about to change soon.
Canberra – After almost two years of the strictest travel restrictions in force*, Australia will soon be allowing international guests to enter again. A double vaccination is required. This was announced by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday.
The opening for fully vaccinated international travelers is to apply from February 21 and will be based on the Corona guidelines* of the Australian regions. For example, the Western Australia region has an upper limit of 265 international guests per week, in New South Wales, where the metropolis of Sydney is located, an unlimited number of tourists are allowed.
Australia opens to travelers: unvaccinated require exemption
In December, Australia had already opened the borders to professionals, international students and other eligible visa holders. In addition, there were already travel corridors with New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Japan for fully vaccinated people. An extension of the rule to a necessary booster vaccination is not to be expected, said the Australian Prime Minister.
“You have to be double vaccinated to come to Australia. That’s the rule. And everyone is expected to comply,” Morrison said. With the Corona vaccine * from Johnson & Johnson, Australia is considered to be fully vaccinated after just one injection. Unvaccinated people, for whom medical reasons speak against vaccination, could apply for a special permit and be in hotel quarantine after arrival, it said.
Travel to Australia: drastic strategy against corona spread reconsidered
Australia had long followed a zero-Covid strategy and largely closed its external borders to international travel in March 2020. Ultimately, however, the government had to admit that even this drastic strategy did not have the desired effect in the long term. Since the beginning of the pandemic, around 2.7 million cases of infection and more than 4,200 deaths related to Covid-19 have been confirmed in the country of 25 million people.
Australia’s neighbor New Zealand also announced a gradual opening to travelers last week*. From summer 2022 at the latest, entry for vaccinated people from certain countries should be possible again. This should also apply to tourists from Germany. (ska with dpa) *fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
