The federal government could seek a more ambitious timeline for reopening Australia's international borders, promising a "week by week" review of medical advice and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines – conditions critical to ending travel bans and new pain for the tourism sector before 2022.

In contrast with the prediction of Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy that an end to travel restrictions was off the agenda until 2022, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said plans for another 12 months of restrictions and hotel quarantine rules could be reconsidered.