Australia Not Rushing to Reopen Borders to Visitors

Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated on Sunday that Australia is not in a hurry to reopen its international borders, as the country seeks to protect its success in handling the coronavirus pandemic.

With fewer than 30,000 reported cases and under 910 deaths, Australia stands among the best-performing nations in managing the pandemic, yet its borders remain closed, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Thanks to swift border closures and regional restrictions in response to sporadic case surges, Australia has successfully kept the virus under control.

“Australia is not in a rush to open its borders,” Morrison assured during a televised briefing, as reported by Reuters.

“I won’t jeopardize the way of life we currently have in this country, which is so different from the rest of the world today,”

There is some optimism that visitors may begin trickling in by the end of 2021. On Friday, Morrison hinted that the priority would be to allow vaccinated Australians to travel in and out of the country.

However, he clarified that even a partial reopening of the borders is still a long way off and will only happen after the vulnerable population has been vaccinated. He also warned that relaxing restrictions could lead to up to 1,000 new cases per week.

Currently, Australia’s borders remain closed, with only citizens, returning permanent residents, their immediate family, and those with special exemptions permitted to enter.

A full travel bubble with New Zealand will begin on April 19, with the entire country designated as a green zone. However, this arrangement is not permanent – regional outbreaks could cause the bubble to be suspended.