After almost two years of corona restrictions: Australia opens borders for tourists - on one condition

Created: 2022-02-07 10:33 am

By: Patrick Huljina

From February 21, international tourists will also be allowed to enter Australia again.

(Iconic image) © Richard Wainwright/dpa

Lockdowns, a zero-Covid strategy, entry stops for international tourists: Australia has been following strict corona measures for a long time.

Now the country is opening its borders.

Sydney - When the corona virus spread around the world around two years ago, Australia cracked down on it.

In March 2020, the external borders for international travel were largely closed.

The country has had a zero-Covid strategy with strict lockdowns for a long time.

Ultimately, however, the Australian government had to admit that even this drastic strategy did not have the desired effect in the long term.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, around 2.7 million corona infections and more than 4,200 deaths related to Covid-19 have been confirmed in the country of 25 million people.

Corona: Australia opens to international tourists after two years

Now, almost two years later, Australia is reopening to international tourists. From February 21, travelers from all over the world will be allowed into the country again. With the following condition: “You must be double vaccinated to enter Australia. That's the rule. And everyone is expected to abide by it.” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday. An exception is the corona vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, which is also approved but only requires a syringe, the broadcaster

reported , citing the authorities.

A booster vaccination is not necessary and will not be in the future as things stand, Morrison emphasized.

Unvaccinated people, on the other hand, would have to apply for an exemption and, after arriving in Australia, would first have to be in hotel quarantine, it said.

Australia: State caps on international arrivals

However, different states and territories in the country have different rules, such as caps on international arrivals.

These would remain in force, Morrison explained.

For example, in the state of New South Wales with the metropolis of Sydney, there is no upper limit at all, in Western Australia with the city of Perth, only 265 international guests per week are currently allowed to enter.

Australia opened its borders to professionals, international students and other eligible visa holders in December.

In addition, there are already travel corridors with New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Japan for fully vaccinated people.

At the beginning of the year, the consequences of the Australian corona rules became clear.

After a real entry drama in the run-up to the Australian Open, the unvaccinated tennis superstar Novak Djokovic had his visa annulled.