Vax passport plan to beat interstate restrictions

Australians may have to use vaccination passports to travel between states in order to be exempt from any domestic restrictions during local COVID-19 outbreaks.

Scott Morrison will have to get the states on board to achieve his domestic reopening plan that would see fewer restrictions on vaccinated Australians.

Australians may have to use vaccination passports to travel between states in order to be exempt from any domestic restrictions during local COVID-19 outbreaks, under Scott Morrison’s reopening road map.

The Prime Minister revealed more detail of his plans on Tuesday, saying the “next most achievable step” would ensure Australians who received both vaccine doses could keep using public transport, attend family gatherings or go to the theatre and footy when snap lockdown restrictions or state border closures were introduced.

Asked on Nine News if “internal vaccination passports” would be required, Mr Morrison said: “All of those arrangements will have to be put in place and that’s what we’ll have to work with the states and territories on. We’re not at that stage at the moment.”

But Labor states Queensland and Victoria were dismissive of the road map, saying there was not enough detail and vaccine rollout and hotel quarantine arrangements must be improved.

“They’re the sort of issues … to be discussed at national cabinet and there’s been no paper sent around on that at the moment,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said it was too early to consider how to relax restrictions.

“We can’t talk about easing restrictions, whether it’s home quarantine (for vaccinated returned travellers), whether it’s the settings in terms of our borders or flights coming in, you can’t talk about those changes until we see an improvement in the commonwealth’s vaccine rollout and alternative quarantine settings beyond hotel quarantine.”

The Business Council of Australia and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have unveiled plans to lift domestic restrictions and keep state borders permanently open once Australia’s most vulnerable are vaccinated under rollout phases 1a and 1b.

“To build on the momentum … created through good management of the pandemic, Australians need a clear, careful risk-based plan to unwind restrictions, unlock the economy and open the country back up as the risk reduces,” BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott said.

New polling from the Australian Airports Association shows the risk of sudden state border closures remains the greatest barrier to interstate travel.

Of the 500 people surveyed late last month, 61 per cent said the issue had hindered their willingness to cross borders compared to 52 per cent who were asked the same question in December.