Scott Morrison, the Australian Prime Minister, said Sunday that reopening the country’s borders to tourists might not be far off. He added that the matter will be debated in the parliament this week. 

The country had shut its borders to tourists in March 2020 and has been going through staggered openings in recent months. Only residents, citizens, skilled migrants, international students, and some seasonal workers have been allowed in. 

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Morrison had earlier expressed hope in January that the borders could fully open up before Easter. Reuters reported him saying, “We are looking forward to be able to make that decision to open up our borders and welcome visitors back to Australia again as soon as we safely and possibly can. But I really do not believe that that is far away”. 

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Notably, Morrison’s popularity has been sliding in recent times, especially due to his handling of the omicron outbreak in Australia. He faces additional pressure from the federal election that has to be called by May. Now, the PM has assured that when the first sitting of 2022 takes place, this issue of opening borders will be addressed early on.

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Although the number of omicron cases is increasing, the transmissibility is much higher than the severity. Thus, hospitalizations and deaths have been stabilizing. In Australia, 95% of the population, aged 16 and above are already double vaccinated. On top of that, more than nine million people have received booster doses as well. Currently, the country’s rules state that international visitors must show a vaccination certificate or show evidence allowing an exemption to vaccination, in order to enter the country. 

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Two weeks back, Australia witnessed the deadliest day of the COVID pandemic with 74 fatalities. However, as of Sunday, the country’s reports have shown 43 COVID-related deaths. Of these, 28 have been in New South Wales, nine in Queensland, and another six in Victoria.