Australia for tourists after a two-year closure: "Pack your bags... and bring your money"
On Monday, Australia reopened its external borders to all tourists with a vaccine against the Corona virus, nearly two years after imposing some of the most stringent travel restrictions in the world, to curb the spread of “Covid-19”.
The first international flight landed at Sydney Airport, coming from the American city of Los Angeles, today, Monday, at 6:20 am local time, followed by flights from Tokyo, Vancouver and Singapore.
Pack your bags
"The wait is over," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a news conference on Sunday.
He addressed his speech to those wishing to visit the continent island, saying: "Pack your bags .. Do not forget to bring your money with you, as there are many places to spend it."
"We've been waiting for this moment for a long time," said Alan Joyce, managing director of Qantas Airways.
The company expects to transport more than 14,000 passengers to Australia this week, at a time when only 56 international flights are expected to land in Australia within 24 hours of lifting restrictions, which is a small number compared to pre-pandemic flights.
Border closures
Australia closed its borders in March 2020, in an attempt to take advantage of its isolation to protect itself from the epidemic.
This tight closure, and the strict examination and tracking policy, allowed the virus to be contained at first, and for several months, but the emergence of the mutant "Omicron" exacerbated the situation, which led to the registration of tens of thousands of infections and dozens of deaths daily.
In nearly two years, the virus killed 4,913 people in Australia, which recorded 15,298 new infections on Sunday, which is much less than the unprecedented peak of 277,619 infections on January 30.
Monthly cost
Within two years, Australians were barred from leaving, and only a few visitors were granted exceptions to visit, earning the country the nickname "Australia's fortress".
These measures have separated families, dealt a blow to the country's important tourism sector, and sometimes sparked debates about Australia's status as an open and modern country.
Border closures cost €2.27 billion a month, according to the country's Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Western Australia
Despite this opening, travel within Australia is still subject to restrictions, as Western Australia remains closed to non-residents who will have to wait until the third of next March.
In recent months, the authorities in this region have implemented a "zero Covid cases" policy, isolating it from the rest of Australia.
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