‘Fortress Australia’ welcomes visitors for the first time under Covid restrictions

After nearly two years of quarantine, Australia will open its borders to international visitors on Monday, depending on high COVID-19 vaccination rates to cope with the epidemic as infections fall.

“The wait is over,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a press conference at Melbourne Airport on Sunday.

The government’s shift from a strict zero-COVID approach to living with the virus and vaccinating the public to reduce deaths and severe illness is exemplified by Australia’s opening to tourists, which is the clearest example yet of the government’s shift from a strict zero-COVID approach to living with the virus and vaccinating the public to reduce deaths and severe illness.

Since the Omicron variety surfaced in late November, the majority of the country’s 2.7 million coronavirus cases have been reported. However, despite having one of the highest vaccination rates in the world (nearly 94 percent of persons aged 16 and over are double-dosed), there have only been about 5,000 deaths, a fraction of the rates found in many other wealthy countries.

On Sunday, the country had more than 16,600 coronavirus cases and at least 33 deaths, mostly in the three most populous states of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, before all areas had reported.

It remains to be seen whether tourists would return to the island continent, called “fortress Australia” because of its stringent border restrictions. The government is hoping to bolster a pre-pandemic boom sector: real tourism GDP increased by 3.4 percent in 2018-2019, compared to 1.9 percent overall GDP growth.

Since November, Australia has been progressively reopening, allowing Australians to go in and out first, then overseas students and some employees. Beginning Monday, leisure travellers and more business travellers will be allowed to enter.

“The reopening strengthens Australia’s credentials as an open economy and will make doing business easier for companies with worldwide interests,” said Steve Hughes, head of HSBC’s commercial banking in Australia.

“We anticipate that mid-sized businesses who have reached the limitations of their domestic growth will regain confidence to consider expanding overseas.”

Tourists who have been fully vaccinated will not need to quarantine, but those who have not been double-dosed will need a travel exemption and will be subject to state and territory quarantine procedures.