Key 80% restart milestone achieved.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt this morning confirmed that 80% of Australians aged 16-plus are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to the National Cabinet plan agreed to by all State and Territory Ministers, the achievement will allow a significant easing of the restrictions and border closures which have devastated Australia’s tourism, travel, cruising and business events sectors since the start of the pandemic.
Phase C of the National Plan, which is activated by the 80% vaccination rate, stipulates a range of measures including exempting vaccinated residents from all domestic restrictions; the abolition of caps on returning vaccinated Australians; allowing increased capped entry of student, economic and humanitarian visa holders; the lifting of all restrictions on outbound travel for vaccinated Australians; and the introduction of further travel bubbles to new candidate countries.
The plan also envisages the “gradual reopening of inward and outward international travel, with safe countries and proportionate quarantine and reduced requirements for fully vaccinated inbound travellers”.
Tourism Minister Dan Tehan has previously promised that “once we hit that 80% vaccination rate across the nation then we should be in a position to look very seriously at getting international cruising happening here again”.
Greg Hunt also announced that 89.2% of the population had received a first dose.
More details in Monday’s issue of Travel Daily.