The Weekend Post

Tourists back in ‘before Easter’

- COURTNEY GOULD

TOURISM operators smashed by the pandemic have been offered a glimmer of hope, with the Prime Minister declaring he expects internatio­nal borders to fully reopen before Easter.

Under current restrictio­ns, only Australian citizens and permanent residents, their families, and those with certain visas and exemptions are allowed to enter the country.

Speaking yesterday, Scott Morrison made his hopes for the internatio­nal border clear but stopped short of confirming a fixed date.

“Well I can’t give you a specific date yet … and that’s because we’re just watching how Omicron is washing over the eastern states,” he said.

“I’d like to see us get there soon, certainly before Easter, well before Easter.”

While the reopening won’t be “too far away”, Mr Morrison stressed it would be dependent on medical advice.

“We’ve just got to get some medical advice further on that, a bit more work to do with the states to make sure we’re comfortabl­e about (reopening).”

His border promise came a day after the nation’s largest business network issued an urgent plea for national cabinet to open up the borders.

Australia’s internatio­nal borders have been closed at least partially since February 2020, but recent changes eased restrictio­ns on certain visa holders. Australian citizens, permanent residents, their families and travellers with certain visas and exemptions from Singapore, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea have been allowed to enter the country since late last year.

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