Australia to reopen borders to international travel

Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison had announced on Monday (7) to reopen Australia's borders for tourists from February 21, 2022. The Australian Government noted that the country is reopening for vaccinated tourists and other visa holders for the first time in almost two years. Furthermore, "the country is looking forward to welcoming the tourists if they are double vaccinated.", he said. However, the Government stated that the tourists should prove that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they are entering the country. Moreover, the reopening will be welcome news for many sectors, including international education. Australia has had some of the world's strictest border controls throughout the coronavirus pandemic. In March 2020, the Australian Government closed the borders. It barred most foreigners from entering the country and put caps on total arrivals to help combat COVID-19. Some international students and skilled migrants have been permitted to enter the country since last December 2021. In addition, the Prime Minister stated that Unvaccinated travelers who have a medical reason for not being jabbed will still need to apply for a travel exemption and, if successful, will be required to quarantine at a hotel. Since the start of the pandemic, Australia has implemented strict measures to help fight the spread of COVID-19 infections - even banning its people from leaving the country last year. According to Johns Hopkins University data, Australia has so far reported more than 2.7 million cases of COVID-19 and 4,248 deaths. Nearly, 80% of the population is fully vaccinated.