Originally, the entry ban for foreign tourists was supposed to expire in a few days. Nothing will come of this after all: according to reports, the borders will remain closed until December. A dampening for Australian tourism.
Australia has extended its so-called "Biosecurity Emergency Period" until December 17th, as reported by the online portal wa.de , among others . This means foreign tourists remain unwelcome. Vaccination campaigns on the continent are also progressing slowly: only 37,1 percent of the population has received full immunization, while nearly 61,3 percent have at least received one shot.
Last month, Australian airline Qantas and its subsidiary Jetstar announced plans to resume international flights in December 2021. "It is obviously up to the government how and when we reopen our international borders," said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. He added that he had shared his plans with the government "and they agree with our rough estimates and believe our plan is sound."