Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images
Australia will reopen its borders from Feb. 21 to foreign travelers who have received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday.
Why it matters: Australia's borders have been shut to most non-residents since March 2020. Its tough pandemic policies made headlines last month when world men's tennis no. 1 Novak Djokovic was deported from the country for being unvaccinated.
- Morrison's announcement marks the "final step in a gradual unwinding of restrictions on tourists and foreign workers," which began in November, Bloomberg notes. It comes as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations decline across much of Australia.
What they're saying: "The condition is you must be double-vaccinated to come to Australia," Morrison said during a news conference on Monday.
- "That's the rule. Everyone is expected to abide by it."
- Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews added that travelers who had not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 would be required to show proof of a medical exemption to enter the country.