Home quarantine to be “primary” way to get Aussies home
In what would be a seismic shift, Scott Morrison has indicated home quarantine could be available for returning overseas Aussies, while international borders could open before the end of the year.
QLD News
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Home quarantine will replace hotel quarantine is the primary method of getting Australians overseas back into the country, while closed international borders are set to ease within months, once vaccine milestones are reached.
It would be for double vaccinated Australians with evidence of receiving a recognised vaccine.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the comments in a video message to ex-pat Australians overnight, saying it had been a “difficult and frustrating time” for those living offshore.
“It‘s tough living through a pandemic and being separated from your family, and that’s brought its own heartbreak, life’s moments missed that you will never get back. Zoom can’t do justice to these moments,” Mr Morrison said.
But as debate over the national plan continues, Mr Morrison stressed that it would be the way for Australians overseas to get home, once vaccination rates of 70-80 per cent.
“Our deal with Australians is when vaccination rates hit 70 and 80 per cent we do begin to open up,” he said.
“Australia opens up, Australians can leave and return, Australians who are overseas and are vaccinated can come home.
“The easiest pathway for returning Australians will be for those vaccinated with vaccines that are recognised here in Australia under our Therapeutic Goods Administration.”
He said home quarantine would be the “primary” method for quarantine.
“The opportunity to quarantine at home will be an important development because it opens us up,” Mr Morrison.
“It enables you to be able to come home and not have to go through hotel quarantine which has its obvious restrictions.”
It follows Tourism Minister Dan Tehan pointing out on Wednesday that the national plan specifically allows for easing of the currently shut international borders once 80 per cent vaccination rates are hit.
The plan sets out it would begin with expanding travel bubbles, with Singapore and the Pacific given as examples, before being opened more broadly once health advice allows for it.
“The national plan makes very clear that once we hit that 80 per cent mark then outbound travel – travel by Australians overseas – will take place and also that we can put in place arrangements for inbound travel as well,” he said.
NSW and Victoria are currently on track to hit 80 per cent double dose vaccination milestones in November, while Queensland could reach this is December.
Mr Morrison has said that those international borders could open to the states which reach vaccination milestones first, without waiting for those still lagging behind.
In September last year the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee was giving “active consideration” to home quarantine to bring returning Australians home, but it was derailed by the British variant of Covid-19.
A home quarantine trial run being run in South Australia uses an app with facial recognition that requires users to check in at random times.
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