Australian prime minister Scott Morrison on Friday announced that the country’s international borders would be reopened in November. Since March 2020, Australia has closed its borders and banned its citizens from leaving the country. He added that Australian citizens would travel abroad if their state hits the 80% vaccination target.
Though the travel restrictions wouldn’t immediately be eased to foreigners, the government said it’s working towards welcoming back tourists.
“It’s time to give Australians their lives back. We’ve saved lives,” Morrison said during a televised media conference. “We’ve saved livelihoods, but we must work together to ensure that Australians can reclaim the lives that they once had in this country.”
As part of paving the way for overseas travellers, Australia recognized China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. COVID-19 shot and India-made AstraZeneca Plc jabs. It would be applicable for fee-paying foreign students who have received those vaccinations to enter the country.
The nation’s top drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, stated that the shots should be “recognized vaccines” in determining incoming travellers as being inoculated.
Friday’s announcement is a relief to thousands of foreign students that have been shut out of Australia during the pandemic. International education is one of the main sources of revenue for the country, worth A$14.6 billion ($11 billion) to the state of New South Wales alone in 2019.
“Very soon, we’ll be able to open those international borders again,” Morrison told reporters. “This will start happening from next month.”
Over 57,000 students are estimated to be overseas, according to the government of New South Wales. Chinese nationals are Australia’s biggest source of international students, followed by those in India, Nepal and Vietnam, according to the Australian Trade Department.
