International border ban to be lifted in November

International travel bans will be lifted next month with Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealing the reopening plan today.

Australia has officially greenlit international travel today, bringing forward the plan to scrap the international border bans to November in states that hit vaccination targets.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the new framework the states will need to meet before they can agree to reopen international travel.

“It‘s time to give Australians their lives back. We’ve saved lives. We’ve saved livelihoods but we must work together to ensure that Australians can reclaim the lives that they once had in this country,” Mr Morrison told reporters from Canberra.

Mr Morrison said Australia was moving towards Phase C of its reopening plan and would hit that goal next month, when the nation has 80 per cent of its population double-vaccinated.

A number of hurdles need to be cleared before international flights resume again.

“Firstly, we need home quarantine pilots in New South Wales and South Australia to conclude and be successful so they can be rolled out at scale,” Mr Morrison said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Canberra.Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Second, the seven-day home quarantine can only be completed by Australian citizens and permanent residents that are fully vaccinated with a vaccine recognised by the TGA.

Sinovac and Covid Shield - both of which have been widely used in Asia - will be recognised by the TGA.

Fourteen-day quarantine will still be in place for anyone not fully vaccinated or vaccinated with a vaccine not recognised by the TGA.

“We‘re also offering facilitated commercial flights for Australians overseas into states and territories that agree to commence the home quarantine trials,” Mr Morrison said.

The PM said Australia was also working towards “completely quarantine-free travel for certain countries such as New Zealand when it is safe to do so”.

Thirdly, Australians who want to travel overseas once restrictions are removed will need an internationally recognised proof of vaccination document.

“So this is an important next step in the national plan. No surprises here ... we said to Australians - we get to 80 per cent, you can leave the country and you can come back again,” Mr Morrison said.

“I’m going to keep the deal with Australians when it comes to the national plan.”

The Prime Minister first announced the border closure on March 20, 2020 to all non-citizens and nonresidents.

Even Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family needed to apply for an exemption to travel and to quarantine at a hotel for 14 days on arrival at a cost of more than $3000.

The new rules for international travellers will allow travel for double-vaccinated Australians and require pre-flight Covid tests.

It will also require the lifting of current international arrival caps that were put in place to manage home quarantine.

Finance Minister Simon Birmigham said there would be a “cautious and staged” reopening of international borders that would be linked to states hitting 80 per cent of adults double vaxxed.

“What we want to see in relation to international borders is that we ultimately get to the stage where people can move once again freely with confidence around the world,’’ he told Sky News.

“Particularly for people who are fully vaccinated. As you are aware there have been trials of home quarantine in some parts of the country.

“There will be a cautious and staged approach. Obviously different states are going to hit vaccination targets at different times.”

The travel ban is one of the most hated bans on freedom imposed on Australians since the pandemic began.

NSW is expected to be first cab off the rank and travellers will be able to trial a 7-day home quarantine option. Victoria is also in talks to reopen international travel.

The international border ban was initially in place until December 17 but that will now be lifted a month earlier than previously planned.

But with states including Western Australia proposing to keep even state borders shut, the decision means Australians are likely to be able to fly to Paris before they can travel to Perth.

It’s a move that is expected to trigger a dramatic increase of Qantas flights to and from Australia before Christmas and it could hold the key to helping thousands of stranded Australians get home to their families over the summer holidays.

The Prime Minister will announce the roadmap for international travel today. Picture: Mark Stewart

Even the federal budget forecast that borders would remain largely closed until July, 2022. The Prime Minister has credited the international border ban with saving thousands of lives.

“It saved over 30,000 lives in Australia,’’ he said this week in Washington.

“We also took action to save livelihoods. And our economy has come back strongly, even with the restrictions we have in place now. As they lift, then we will see our economy come back strongly. There’s nothing wrong with our economy. The only thing that’s holding back is obviously restrictions that are helping save lives.”

Australians will be able to fly to Paris before Perth. Picture: David Clark

But with NSW and Victoria now on track to hit 80 per cent double doses within weeks, Australia can open up much faster and talks are underway between the Prime Minister and premiers on how to achieve that as soon as possible.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said this week that the hotel quarantine system was an idea that was “past its use by date” as the state plans to embrace a 7-day home quarantine pilot program.

“If you’re fully vaccinated with a vaccine our authorities deem to be effective and safe, you’ll be able to quarantine at home. We’re going through the pilot as we speak. But the hotel quarantine system for returning Australians is past its use by date. If you’re fully vaccinated, you should be able to quarantine at home,’’ she told ABC Breakfast on Tuesday morning.

“I would be more than happy to welcome home Australians, fully vaccinated Australians will be able to quarantine at home in New South Wales. And obviously every other state premier will have their decisions around what they’ll do. We make sure they get safely on a flight back to their home state. What happens after that is a matter for their state premier.”