Home quarantine trial as international arrival caps halved
National Cabinet has agreed lockdowns should only be used as a last resort and the states will trial home quarantine in a four-step plan out of Covid. It comes as international arrivals are halved.
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Lockdowns will only be used as a last resort and home quarantine for vaccinated return travellers will be trialled under a new national four-part plan out of Covid-19 to be steered by vaccination levels.
But in the immediate term international arrival caps have been halved, in a major blow to the more than 30,000 Australians still stranded overseas.
National cabinet has agreed to halve international arrival caps across all states and territories from July 14 until the country hits phase 2 of the new pathway plan which look likely to be in 2022.
The caps were reduced in a bid to manage pressure on quarantine facilities due to the highly contagious Delta strain of Covid-19.
State leaders, including Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, have been pushing for this all week amid Covid-19 outbreaks across the country.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, speaking after national cabinet’s meeting on Friday morning, announced leaders had agreed to come up with a plan to get Australia out of Covid-19 by leaning on vaccination rates.
“Managing your way through COVID-19 is uncharted waters and anyone who thinks there is always a pathway that is without risk, that is without vulnerabilities clearly, doesn’t understand the significant challenge that all nations face in dealing with COVID-19,” he said.
The plan will have four phases, “vaccinate, prepare, pilot”, a post-vaccination phase, a consolidation phase, and a final phase.
Each phase will be trigged by hitting thresholds of how many Australia’s aged above 16 have been vaccinated.
No target has been set for when all Australians will be vaccinated, only that it should be “as soon as possible”.
But Mr Morrison said on current rates of vaccination, and with significant jab supply coming in shortly, he believed this could be achieved by the end of the year.
In the current phase, leaders have agreed that lockdowns should only be used as a last resort.
Alternative quarantine options, including home quarantine for returned travellers, will also be trialled.
Vaccination passports will become a reality and the vaccine booster program will be prepared.
Another review of the national hotel quarantine network will also be undertaken, following multiple leaks of Covid-19 from the system.
This includes in Queensland, where a miner from coronavirus-free Bendigo was made to spend nine-hours in hotel quarantine among international arrivals only to become infected with the Delta strain and spark the Northern Territory’s first outbreak.
Before this morning’s meeting, the Premier said she and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young believed every eligible Australian should be offered a Covid vaccine before the federal government considers reopening international borders.
“What we would like to see is every Australian who is eligible to be offered the vaccine,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“And once that happens, then I think that’s the critical criteria for the Federal Government to make a decision.
“You think about it – if for example members of your family had not had that offer of the vaccine and the virus came in and they ended up on ventilators, you wouldn’t forgive yourself.
“What we’re going to see in some countries is that some countries will get their population vaccinated and then they will open up.”
She said the reopening of international borders was ultimately a federal government decision.
Federal Budget papers had forecast earlier this year that the borders would remain shut until mid-2022.
Meanwhile, asked what small businesses could do to plan amid ongoing snap lockdowns, Ms Palaszczuk acknowledged the situation was “incredibly difficult”.
“We need to get the population vaccinated and then we will be in a position where we won’t have to do these lockdowns,” she said.
“But until we have the vaccination, this (masks) is basically the weapon we have and our (check-in) app.”
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland has been calling on the government to provide more support to businesses impacted by the lockdown, such as payments of up to $25,000.
Hospitality chiefs say Friday’s 24-hour lockdown extension in Brisbane and Moreton Bay was another big hit to the industry.
“The announcement today that Brisbane and surrounding areas will remain in lockdown the start the weekend has pulled the rug out from under southeast Queensland’s hospitality industry,” said Restaurant & Catering Australia CEO Wes Lambert.
“With school holidays currently occurring and the weekend approaching, businesses were looking forward to welcoming diners back into their businesses. Instead, they will spent the weekend in another unnecessary and potentially politically motivated lockdown. Our sector deserves better than this.”
While Brisbane restaurateurs are now desperately hoping for a Saturday night opening, with many continuing their impromptu takeaway services hoping to keep losses to a minimum.
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