Australia will test vaccine passports over the next few days when post-Covid opening preparations begin

by

(CNN) – Australians have been told to “remove passports” after the federal government announced it would begin a vaccine passport trial with some countries this week, the latest step towards Australia’s reopening to the world.

Australia closed its borders almost 18 months ago in an attempt to contain Covid-19. But now, with rising vaccination rates, the country is possibly just a few months away from easing restrictions on international travel.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that once 80% of Australia’s adult population has received both shots, people will be allowed to travel abroad again.

In preparation for the reopening, Commerce and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said on Sunday that the government would test vaccine passports with several major travel destinations through Australia’s diplomatic missions abroad.

Among the countries marked were Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the neighboring Pacific islands of Australia. Tehan said it would take the form of a QR code related to actual passports to demonstrate vaccination records for outgoing and incoming travelers.

“So when this international frontier opens up, we want to make sure we’re ready for people to travel again, and, you know, it’s incredibly important that we’re doing this preparatory work,” Tehan said Sunday.

Any vaccinated entry traveler abroad must have received features approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which so far only includes Pfizer, AstraZenica, Moderna and Janssen Cilag, Tehan added.

Australian TGA has not approved any Russian or Chinese vaccine.

The move to relax Australia’s international borders comes as the country struggles to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious variant of the Delta, which has spread to Sydney’s main towns, Melbourne and Canberra, which has led to long blockages.

Australia is expected to reach the 80% double vaccination target for the adult population by the end of November. As of 12 September, 42.3% of Australia’s adult population was fully vaccinated.

Morrison said he hoped travelers arriving in Australia after the reopening of the borders could quarantine at home, rather than the existing hotel quarantine system.

However, a bigger problem could be the lack of available seats on international airlines. The Australian airport sector has warned that airlines needed more guidance and preparation to be ready to re-establish flight routes with the country, according to local media.
On Sunday, Tehan said the Australian government had been “working with airlines”. Australian airline Qantas has already said it will resume international flights next month, although there are fewer planes available on each international route.
Talking to Affiliated with CNN 7 News, Singapore Airlines spokesman Karl Schubert said he had not had the commitment to the Australian government he was expecting.

“Governments, stakeholders, airports and airlines need to move around a table, sit down and discuss what the reopening of Australia’s borders will be like,” he said.

CNN’s Angus Watson contributed to this article.

.Source