Australians are expected to be given a strong incentive to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with health officials suggesting we may be allowed to leave the country and return with less strict quarantine requirements.
Federal health minister Greg Hunt revealed the proposal on Tuesday. It followed a question from Liberal MP Jason Falinski who asked whether vaccination could see people exempted from outbound and inbound travel restrictions.
Modelling began on Monday and a pilot program could begin in six to eight weeks’ time, the health minister said. Exemptions would be extended to people vaccinated in Australia or in countries where vaccination status could be reliably verified – such as the UK, US, Canada and Singapore.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be in Singapore for talks next week. Even though the Island state has been dealing with a fresh outbreak, it is still considered a leading contender for a travel bubble possibly later this year.
Latest predictions suggest almost all Australians will be fully vaccinated by mid-2022, but that loosening the border restrictions will take place much sooner.
Like the UK, the government may consider introducing gradings like amber, based on the risk of bringing the coronavirus back to Australia with different quarantine rules.
For example, fully vaccinated passengers returning from less risky countries could be allowed to take a rapid-antigen test, and then a full COVID-19 test, and leave quarantine after negative results.
The Pacific Islands are also being tipped as the next phase in Australia’s travel bubble, with the Cook Islands, New Caledonia or Tahiti on a list of contenders.
Mr Tehan said last week vaccinating the majority of the population was paramount to borders reopening.
Qantas chief Alan Joyce also believes vaccines are the “passport to international travel”.
1) Sure overseas travel is wanted by many.
Who picks up the tab when the airlines cancel your flight and provide a future credit? Pre covid19, the AIRLINES always made sure that if their passengers were not able to travel on the scheduled flight, the airline would either put them on another airline or put them up in a hotel to fly the next available flight. Nowadays this is not even honoured anymore, only a useless future credit (space available of course and then how would you even know what spaces are available or not -would you believe the airline that cancelled you)?
With all ” pre-modelling taken into consideration, plus the error variables there-in “, locals who are ” card-carrying, i.e. driver’s license style, fully vaccinated ” flyers, should be permitted within ” common sense reasonings ” to come & go as they did pre – Covid times. As serious as Covid truly is, the whole Pandemic has been obscenely politicized so that ” current Authorities ” can entrench their power even further, for their own benefit.
Australians ” with due respect to Authorities ” must be far more vocal & peacefully rebellious on an ongoing basis, against Government restrictions.
Particularly / specifically against ” State Government blanket lockdowns & masking up mandates “, which have before today, been proven to be inherently destructive for economic progress, small businesses, employment, personal well-being, the list is endless.
Covid’s going to permanently be with us, just like the ” common cold . . . . which ironically also is a Sars Virus, as Covid is proven to be “.
But regarding the common cold, are stringent limits on the population’s movements enforced? Imposed home-based lockups? Force hard-working, employed folk onto dole queues? Close our State Borders & violate the Australian Constitution’s mandate on ” No restrictions will be imposed on the freedom of inter-state trade & people’s movement “?
No – the hell . . we . . don’t!!
Neither should relevant Authorities do so, ” re – fully Covid vaccinated Australians ” & their desire to travel anywhere, wherever it is basically safe to do so.
This is now a police state. There is no place for forced vaccinations in a democracy. While infected people are being shipped in from India.
You’ve clearly never been to a real police state. No one is forcing anyone to have a vaccine. They are just saying there are consequences to every choice people make and the consequences for not doing the right thing and getting vaccinated may be restrictions on travel. If someone choses not to get vaccinated, then the consequences of their choice are that their travel will be restricted for a much longer period. Life is about making choices, we make them everyday and they all have negative consequences, some worse than others.
Nobody is forcing you to have a vaccine. But a country has a right to only let vaccinated people across its borders. Just like it doesn’t let criminals in.
I am NOT getting vaccine that has been rushed through and it has been proven not to stop you getting COVID 19 just a milder form ) supposedly) I do not know if there could be long term side affects
I’m not going to be forced or tented by government offering prizes it’s a disgrace and too political
Hardly a police state..easy no vax, no international travel. Previous to covid , many countries had strict visa requirements including adequate bank account or proof of return ticket, certain vaccinations etc. If you are keen to travel the answer is get vaccinated for your own health and that of your families.