Roadmap reveals when Australians can travel overseas again

The PM’s new roadmap to Covid-19 recovery indicates when Australians can expect to resume international travel but this needs to happen first.

Australia’s borders will remain largely closed even when 80 per cent of the population is vaccinated, according to the Prime Minister’s new Covid-19 roadmap, but travel bubbles are proposed to Singapore and the Pacific next year.

That could include future holidays at destinations including Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands but at this stage that’s a long way off with Fiji currently reporting over 1000 Covid cases a day.

The Doherty Institute’s report has outlined a four-stage plan to lift restrictions and the bad news is that open borders don’t arrive until Phase D – the final stage known as “post-vaccination.”

That means the days of returning to pre-pandemic travel where you can sneak off to Bali for a holiday on frequent flyer points are still years away.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed a new roadmap to Covid-19 recovery. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

However, the caps on expats returning home to Australia and restrictions on outbound travel for the vaccinated are set to be removed as soon as 80 per cent of Australians are vaccinated.

The federal budget forecast that borders will remain largely closed until July, 2022.

Under the Doherty Institute roadmap plan, the current levels of vaccination is known as Phase A. Phase B is when Australia reaches 70 per cent of all adults fully vaccinated with two doses.

Phase C is 80 per cent of the population fully vaccinated.

Australia is not expected to reach 80 per cent of Australians vaccinated on current vaccination trajectories until 2022.

Phase B – 70 per cent vaccinated – by end of 2021

Under Phase B of the Covid roadmap when 70 per cent of adults are vaccinated lockdowns are less likely but possible. The Doherty Institute predicts this phase can be reached by November but the Prime Minister is hedging his bets by suggesting the end of the year.

International border caps will remain in place with low-level international arrivals, with “safe and proportionate quarantine to minimise the risk of Covid entering Australia.”

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The Doherty modelling indicates what Australians can expect when vaccination rates hit 70 per cent. Picture: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

The Morrison Government is urged to restore inbound passenger caps at previous levels for unvaccinated returning travellers and larger caps for vaccinated returning travellers under this phase.

Capped entry of overseas students and economic visa holders is also allowed, subject to quarantine arrangements and availability.

Reduced quarantine arrangements for vaccinated residents such as allowing them to quarantine at home may also be considered.

Phase C – 80 per cent fully vaccinated – 2022

By the time 80 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated the Doherty Institute proposes abolishing all caps on returning vaccinated Australians from overseas.

However, this would only allow expats to return home more freely, it would not allow for all Australians to travel overseas on holidays.

Under Phase B the government would lift restrictions on outbound travel for vaccinated Australians. In other words you can get out but there’s no promise of getting back in.

It’s also proposed that during this phase a travel bubble for unrestricted travel to new candidate countries including Singapore, and the Pacific would be allowed.

There would be a gradual reopening of inward and outward international travel, with safe countries and proportionate quarantine and reduced requirements for fully vaccinated inbound travel.

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International travel, potentially to places like Singapore and the Pacific, could be reintroduced in phase C.

Phase D

It’s not clear what the time frame is for the final stage of the process. But it’s not until this final “post vaccination phase” that Morrison government is planning to “open international borders” according to the roadmap.

The final stage would still require quarantine for high-risk inbound travel. It would also allow uncapped inbound arrivals for all vaccinated persons, without quarantine and uncapped arrivals of non-vaccinated travellers subject to pre-flight and on arrival testing.

New vaccine passports

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting today that Australians will use a QR-code vaccine certificate for international travel under a plan being considered by the budget razor gang.

It would involve using your MyGov account vaccination certificates at airports when making border declarations and putting it in a digital wallet on your phone or printing it out and carrying it to the airport.

At this stage, the plan is for international travel only and there’s no agreement with the states to roll it out to offer vaccinated adults greater freedom to travel in the event of border closures.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backed the option however as one way to provide an incentive for more people to get vaccinated but it would depend on agreement with the states.

However, conservative MPs including George Christensen have expressed concern in the party room over any form of mandatory vaccination papers or restrictions for those who choose not to get the jab.

Many countries already require passengers to carry either proof of vaccination or a negative test result in order to enter travel without entering hotel quarantine.