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Vaccinated Australian residents will be able to visit Sydney from November without the need to quarantine.
The move announced by the New South Wales state government at first indicated that tourists and foreign travellers could also freely enter.
While Premier Dominic Perrottet raised the prospect of tourists returning to Australia, the prime minister denied. "We are not opening up to everyone coming back to Australia at the moment," he said. He said priority would be given to Australians and family members, after which the nation would then consider migrants, those with work and study visas and the "challenge" of tourists.
People wanting to arrive in Sydney from overseas will need to show proof they've received a TGA-approved vaccine, and undertake a PCR test for COVID-19 before they board their flight.
Recognised vaccine by TGA:
Pfizer (Comirnaty)
AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria)
Moderna (Spikevax)
COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
The TGA has advised that the Chinese-made Sinovac and Indian-made Covishield vaccines will be considered "recognised vaccines" when determining whether an incoming international traveller has been appropriately vaccinated.
Parents to be classified as ‘immediate family’ for travel to Australia
Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents will be classified as immediate family, allowing them to travel to Australia in states and territories that have reached 80 per cent double dose vaccination targets.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the announcement on today, saying it will be good news for many in the country.
Citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families will be the only people allowed to enter the country under the new arrangements.
The definition of immediate family will be expanded to include parents, rather than just partners and children.
Mr Morrison said international students and tourists would not have to quarantine when they were allowed to enter Australia, but refused to say when that would start.
Fully vaccinated international arrivals will no longer have to isolate after landing in Sydney from 1 November in a radical shift which outpaces national cabinet's agreement.
Under the reopening plan, an 80 per cent double-dose vaccination rate was supposed to trigger a gradual reopening of international travel with "safe countries" and "proportionate quarantine".
For this new arrangement, international students and travellers are not allowed to come to Australia yet. To keep in mind, it is the commonwealth government who controls the border rather than the state government.
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