Australia’s Covid exit plan explained
After a week of intense politicking, here is what today’s National Cabinet meeting has agreed to.
Scott Morrison has announced the in-principle agreement by national cabinet of a four stage plan, informed by medical advice, to help the country navigate the next steps of the coronavirus pandemic as more Australians receive their vaccinations.
First phase
The first and current phase – vaccinate, prepare and pilot – is aimed at continued suppression of the virus with all Australians being offered a vaccination as soon as possible.
All inbound passenger arrivals to major ports will also be temporarily cut by 50 per cent from current caps in response to the Delta variant.
The commonwealth will facilitate increased commercial flights to ramp-up international repatriations to Darwin.
Trials of alternative quarantine options will also commence, including home quarantine for returning travellers who have been vaccinated.
Digital vaccination authentication will begin at the international borders.
A further review of the national hotel quarantine network will be undertaken.
Second phase
The second phase – the post vaccination phase – is aimed at minimising serious illness, hospitalisation and fatality rates.
Inbound passenger caps will be restored to their previous levels for unvaccinated returning travellers and vaccinated travellers.
Capped entry of student and economic visa holders will be allowed, subject to quarantine arrangements.
New reduced quarantine arrangements will be introduced for vaccinated residents and a vaccine booster program will be implemented.
Third phase
The third phase – the consolidation phase – will see the virus managed in line with other infectious diseases.
This will see the nation move out of lockdowns and the abolishment of caps for returning vaccinated travellers.
Vaccinated Australians will be exempted from all domestic restrictions and all restrictions on outbound travel for vaccinated Australians will also be lifted.
Increased capped entry of student, economic and humanitarian visa holders will be implemented.
The travel bubble for unrestricted travel will be extended to new candidate countries beginning with Singapore and the Pacific.
Final phase
The final phase will allow uncapped inbound arrivals without quarantine for all vaccinated persons. Uncapped arrivals of non-vaccinated travellers will also be allowed, subject to pre-flight and on arrival testing.
The decision to move between the phases of the plan will be triggered by the achievement of key vaccination thresholds. These thresholds have not yet been set and will be informed by scientific modelling conducted for the Covid-19 Risk Analysis and Response Taskforce.
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