Australia closed its international border in March 2020 in response to the pandemic. (file)
Sydney:
Australian authorities will test a home quarantine system for fully vaccinated international travelers arriving in Sydney, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, as the country reopens its borders despite persistent COVID-19 cases. Proceeds to open.
Australia closed its international border in March 2020 in response to the pandemic, allowing entry almost exclusively to citizens and permanent residents, who are required to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine at their own expense.
“This is the next step in our plan to safely reopen and stay open safely,” Morrison said, adding that testing can set the standard for “as we live with COVID-19.”
Sydney, which has received more returning residents from overseas than any other Australian city, will test a seven-day home quarantine program later this month.
Officials will use a mobile phone app and face recognition technology to monitor compliance by about 175 people, including residents, non-residents and some Qantas Air crew.
“This is very welcome news for our crews, who are flying overseas to bring Australians home and carry essential cargo,” Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said in a statement.
The use of the technology, with defense personnel already returning to the state of South Australia, has been criticized by privacy campaigners.
Australia has locked down Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities and the capital Canberra, in response to an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant that began in June, affecting its population of about 25 million.
Victoria reported 510 new cases, a majority in the state capital Melbourne, on Friday, its second highest daily increase this year, and one death. New South Wales reported 1,284 new cases, most of them in Sydney, down from 1,351 on Thursday and 12 deaths.
Morrison announced the home quarantine test later in the day ahead of a national cabinet meeting where federal and state leaders discussed vaccine passports and plans for further easing restrictions.
The federal government’s reopening plan is based on Australia reaching a 70-80% vaccination rate for its adult population. The national rate is currently around 45%, but the pace is expected to pick up with more than 70% of people over the age of 16 receiving the first dose.
Both New South Wales and Victorian leaders have outlined new freedoms for vaccinated adults, with some restrictions in gatherings and travel in Melbourne from Friday night after Victoria reached its 70% first-dose target. Will be relaxed from night.
While not all state and territory leaders agree with the reopening plan, some prefer to maintain an elimination strategy.
Even with the rapidly expanding Delta outbreak, Australia has avoided the high numbers seen in many comparable countries, with some 82,000 cases and 1,141 deaths, amid rapid lockdowns and hotel quarantines for international travelers. I through.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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