Australia plans to lift ban on cruise ships ‘before Christmas’

Cruise ships have been banned since the Ruby Princess docked in Sydney with dozens of undiagnosed coronavirus cases.

Australians will be able to sail off into the sunset this Christmas under plans to reopen the country to cruise ships by the end of the year, with more vaccine options also on the horizon.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed now the country has passed 90 per cent first dose and 83 per cent second dose vaccination, health officials are now reviewing the order under the Biosecurity Act preventing international cruise ships travelling to and from Australia.

Ships have been banned since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the disastrous handling of the Ruby Princess docking in Sydney sparked a serious outbreak of the virus in March 2020.

International cruise ships have not been in Sydney since 2020.

Mr Hunt said the Commonwealth was working with states, territories and chief health officers to review the cruise ships rule with a view to relaxing the ban as soon as it was safe to do so.

“I expect to be able to make a decision on cruise ships in the coming weeks once we’ve got the medical information, but it will require at least one state or territory to partner on that,” he said.

“We’ll let (states) make their own considerations, but we would like to see cruising back on before Christmas.”

It is understood NSW is among the states being considered as a potential partner with the Commonwealth to restart cruise ships, given Premier Dominic Perrottet has already ditched hotel quarantine for fully vaccinated international travellers.

Health Minister Greg Hunt is working with states to ease ban on cruise ships. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

On Sunday Mr Hunt announced he had revoked the Biosecurity Act order preventing retail in international airports, meaning duty free sales will resume from this week.

Mr Hunt also confirmed Australia is imminently expecting Novavax to submit an application for the approval of its Covid-19 vaccine, which he hoped would further lift the nation’s jab uptake rate if the new options proves safe and effective as expected.

“While we don’t want anybody to wait, we do think … that there are some people who will change their current position (against vaccination) if they have access to Novavax,” he said.

“All of the vaccines are good, but this may provide additional support for a cohort of people who might want to take (Novavax) and for their own personal reasons have not being willing to take the Pfizer the Moderna or the AstraZeneca.”

Novavax is expected to submit data for its Covid-19 vaccine to be used in Australia imminently. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP

Mr Hunt said he had recently spoken with an Australian representative for Novavax, and believed the application would be received “in the very near future”.

“(The) Therapeutic Goods Administration is ready to roll as soon as they receive the Novavax data,” he said.

Mr Hunt also revealed it is like elderly and immunocompromised Australians would have to have additional Covid-19 vaccine doses beyond the third booster shot currently available to everyone six months after their second jab.

“The world doesn’t know yet, but it was more likely than not that we may require updates for older or immunocompromised Australians,” he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously announced that Australia has secured supply of the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Hunt said his counterparts and experts around the world were “not there yet” on whether the general population would require more than the three doses.

“At this stage (they’re) leaning slightly towards the fact that for now, the booster the third shot would be what’s required for the general population,” he said.

Mr Hunt said vaccine experts were still “not ruling out” in the future whether people would need an “annual” booster, or possibly an extra dose “every few years”.

“The future vaccines is to be written but we’re prepared for all the contingencies,” he said.

Australia has secured 51 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, an additional 10 million Moderna and 60m Pfizer in 2022, and a further 20m Pfizer jabs in 2023.