Coronavirus: Australia may open borders to Asia, parts of China, as cases dwindle
- Canberra’s consideration to ease travel curbs and revive tourism comes as the country has recorded three days without any local Covid-19 cases
- PM Scott Morrison ruled out entry from the US or Europe, but said people from low-risk places such as Japan, Singapore and some Chinese provinces may be allowed
“We … are looking at what alternative arrangements could be hard to channel visitors through appropriate quarantine arrangements for low-risk countries,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra.
The consideration of easing travel curbs comes as Morrison said Australia has gone three days without any locally acquired cases of Covid-19. All cases have been detected in quarantined locals who have recently returned from overseas.
Coronavirus leaves 1 in 4 Asia-Pacific travellers unwilling to fly
Reviving tourism would be a much-needed boost to Australia’s economy, which shrank 7 per cent in the three months that ended in June, the most since records began in 1959.
Tourism in 2019 accounted for 3.1 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, contributing almost A$61 billion (US$44.4 billion) to the economy, government data shows.
Although many Australians are taking holidays locally, many tourism operators are struggling and have been forced to shed staff.
Unemployment ticked up to 6.9 per cent in September, official data showed.
Morrison said Australia would extend higher unemployment benefits until the end of March, though at a reduced rate.
Currently those unemployed receive A$815 every two weeks, but this will fall to A$715 at the end of December.
