Australia reopens its borders, which have been closed for nearly 600 days

This is T-Day. Australia reopened on Monday, November 1, 600 days after it closed its borders. On March 20, 2020, the largest island-continent established one of the world’s toughest border closures to protect itself from the Kovit-19 epidemic.

Tens of thousands of Australians living abroad have been stranded for 19 months without being able to return to their homeland. Thefts are rare and nationals allowed to return had to undergo expensive 14-day isolation at the hotel. The country’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, have decided to drop the measures, and fully vaccinated Australians can now travel without isolation.

“This is a big day for Australia”Prime Minister Scott Morrison has posted on Facebook that the country is now “Ready to leave”. At Sydney Airport at dawn on Monday, the first landing passengers exploded in their delight, which led to intense scenes of embracing.

Although the number of passengers on the first flights was low, the frequency of flights is expected to gradually resume. However, with more than a million foreigners stranded in Australia, the easing measures apply primarily to Australian citizens.

Some Australian states with low vaccination rates are almost covered. Mandatory 14-day isolation will be in effect.