Australia sets travel bubble with New Zealand, Asian countries by August
Travel bubbles for those travelling from Australia to destinations in Asia and the Pacific region could be imposed by August. The country has already agreed on the Trans-Tasman travel bubble with New Zealand, set to start in a few weeks. Singapore is in the cards to be set up next while Australian authorities are looking into other potential bilateral agreements with countries with a low number of active Covid-19 infections.
Under the travel agreement with New Zealand, quarantine will be waived for those travelling from Australia. Those travelling from New Zealand will be allowed to enter Australia without quarantine, but they will need to quarantine for 14 days when they arrive back in New Zealand.
Australian PM Scott Morrison says the travel route with New Zealand is an “important first step.”
“This is the first of many more steps to come, I believe, as we get back to a more normal position, not only over the course of this year but beyond.”
Morrison says the Australian government is looking into potential travel routes between Singapore, Japan and South Korea. Some sources say a travel bubble between Fiji and Australia is being discussed.
“We have looked at places like Singapore and Japan and South Korea and countries like this, but at this stage we are not in a position to move forward on any of those.”
Singapore is said to be next on the list, but Singapore might require vaccination certificates, either a physical paper document or a digital certificate that verifies that the traveller has been vaccinated against Covid-19.
“From time to time, steps might have to be taken to protect both countries if there is a sizable outbreak. I think that is just assumed as part of how we all live with COVID-19… We will continue to follow what I would call a proportionate response and I would encourage states to follow the same process. Increasingly, that is what we’re seeing this year.”
SOURCE: The Age
