Covid In Australia: Australia has implanted almost 90% of its population.
Australia on Wednesday reopened its borders to skilled migrants and vaccinated foreign students following their nearly two-year entry ban, in a bid to boost an economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 outages and restarting international travel.
The emergence of the new variant of Omicron forced officials to delay reopening by two weeks after health officials sought a pause to get more information about the strain of the bacteria, which so far appears to be. exhibit milder symptoms than other COVID-19 variants.
“We’re going to live with this virus, and we’re not going to let it drag us back to where we were,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told 4BC radio on Wednesday. “We have one of the highest vaccination rates, which means we can fight this thing. We don’t have to give it up.”
Australia has given two doses to nearly 90% of the population over 16 years of age and shortened waiting times for booster shots after the emergence of Omicron cases.
Morrison, who is considered to be in normal contact after attending an event last week with someone with COVID, said he was allowed to fly interstate to Queensland after testing negative.
“That’s what it’s like to live with the virus,” he said.
Australia closed its borders in March 2020 in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and limit the number of citizens and permanent residents allowed to enter. The easing of border rules is expected to ease labor shortages, which threaten to hamper the economic recovery.
The return of foreign students, who are worth around A$35 billion ($25 billion) a year to the Australian economy, will help businesses fill many casual jobs. More than 235,000 foreigners, including about 160,000 students, had visas to Australia by the end of October, official data shows.
The easing of travel rules comes as the state of New South Wales, home to Sydney, lifted most of its restrictions from Wednesday on unvaccinated people, despite a steady increase of the Omicron infection after a startling reopening.
The state recorded 1,360 new cases, its biggest daily increase in more than three months and since a nearly four-month lockdown ended in early October. Australia has recorded about 235,500 cases and 2,117 deaths since the pandemic began.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the feed provided.)
