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AUSTRALIA on Monday (21/2) reopened its borders to all fully vaccinated international travelers. This is Australia’s first border opening in nearly two years, having first closed it in March 2020 in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
According to Kyodo, Monday, tourists, business travelers and all other visa holders who meet dual vaccination requirements will be allowed to enter the country from today, with about 56 flights expected to land throughout the day.
“The wait is over,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters at Melbourne International Airport on Sunday, adding that more than 1.2 million people worldwide have been granted visas and are ready to visit Australia.
The first visitors to arrive at Sydney International Airport on Monday were greeted with gifts of Vegemite, a toy koala and a toy kangaroo.
Arrivals will still be subject to various quarantine requirements including self-isolation and restrictions on the daily number of new arrivals from overseas imposed by individual Australian states and territories, Morrison said when announcing the reopening in early February.
The outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Australia appears to have passed its peak as the country reported 17,708 new daily cases on Sunday, compared with 155,370 on Jan. 14. [antaranews]
