Australian leader says reopening of borders may not be far away

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a decision to reopen the country’s borders to international tourists may not be far away, Reuters reported. 

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Morrison said the parliament will debate on the matter later this week. 

“We are looking forward to be able to make that decision to open up our borders and welcome visitors back to Australia again as soon as we safely and possibly can,” Morrison said. “But I really do not believe that that is far away.”

Since shutting down its borders in March 2020, Australia has only allowed citizens, skilled migrants, international students, and certain seasonal workers to enter the country, according to Reuters.

I also requires all international travelers to be vaccinated against the virus or show proof of a medical exemption to enter the country. 

It’s strict COVID-19 measures were highlighted by the cancellation of unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic’s visa last month ahead of the Australian Open. 

Morrison also said reopening the country to visitors will be addressed “very early on” during the first Australian parliament meeting on Monday, Reuters reported. 

Ninety-five percent of Australian residents over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated against the virus and nine million residents have received more than two shots of the vaccine.