Australia Relaxes International Border Restrictions Since Pandemic, Foreign Tourists Still Can't Enter The Country

Illustration of Sydney International Airport, Australia. (Wikimedia Commons/MDRX)

JAKARTA - Australia eased international border restrictions on Monday for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing vaccinated communities to travel freely and families to reunite.

After 18 months of some of the world's strictest coronavirus border policies, millions of Australians are now free to travel without permission or need to be quarantined upon arrival in the country.

While travel was initially limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families, it set in motion plans to reopen the country to tourists and international workers, both of whom were desperately needed to revive a weary country.

Passengers on the first flights from Singapore and Los Angeles arrived in Sydney in the morning, many were warmly greeted by friends and relatives. Travelers were also greeted by airline staff holding banners and given gifts of Australian wildflowers and chocolate biscuits.

"It's a bit scary and exciting, I came home to see my mom because she wasn't feeling well," said Ethan Carter after landing on a Qantas Airways flight from Los Angeles, United States.

"So everyone is anxious and excited and I really like her and I can't wait to see her," he continued, adding that he had been abroad for two years.

In one of the toughest responses in the world to the coronavirus pandemic, Australia closed its international borders 18 months ago, barring foreign tourists and barring its citizens from leaving or arriving unless an exception was granted.

Strict travel rules effectively bar many Australians from attending important events, including weddings and funerals, and prevent people from seeing family and friends.

"This is a day to celebrate, the fact that Australians can move more freely in and out of our country without home quarantine, if they are double vaccinated," Finance Minister Josh Frydenberg told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

There were 16 scheduled international flight arrivals at Sydney airport on Monday, and 14 scheduled departures, airport operators said. Foreign ministry data show about 47.000 people overseas want to return home.

Illustration of Sydney International Airport, Australia. (Wikimedia Commons/Kgbo)

The relaxation of travel rules in the states of Victoria and New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory comes as much of Australia transitions from a COVID-zero pandemic management strategy to living with the virus through extensive vaccination.

Meanwhile, while the Delta variant outbreak kept Sydney and Melbourne in lockdown for months until recently, Australia's COVID-19 cases remain significantly lower than many comparable countries, with more than 170.500 infections and 1.735 deaths.

However, changes to travel rules are not uniform across the country, with states and territories having different vaccination rates and health policies.

For example, Western Australia decided to keep the majority of its territory closed, in line with the state's desire to protect its virus-free status. However, Australia has not opened its borders to foreign tourists, except for those from neighboring New Zealand.

"We still have a long way to go in terms of our sector's recovery, but allowing fully vaccinated Australians to travel without quarantine will provide a template for bringing back students, business travelers, and tourists from around the world," said Sydney Airports CEO Geoff Culbert.

To note, if there is no change, Singaporeans will be the next group to be allowed to enter the Kangaroo Country from November 21. Unvaccinated travelers will still face quarantine restrictions, all travelers require proof of a negative COVID-19 test before boarding.

Australia previously allowed only a small number of citizens and permanent residents to return from overseas, with a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in hotels at their own expense. Although, there are also some exceptions for foreign travelers for economic reasons, including some Hollywood stars, although this is controversial.