Emotions run high as Australia opens its borders
TEARFUL family reunions marked the lifting of Australia’s international border restrictions yesterday as thousands of overseas passengers took advantage of a loosening of the country’s tough Covid travel rules.
The move permits fully-vaccinated tourists, backpackers and migrants to enter Australia for the first time in nearly two years, although the unvaccinated will still have to quarantine for up to 14 days.
Western Australia, which has been closed to outsiders for nearly 12 months, will lift its border restrictions on March 3. Many of yesterday’s arrivals were relatives of Australians who have been separated from family members since 2020. Among them was Cindy Moss who had flown from the US to be reunited with her daughter.
“I just haven’t seen her in so long and it was such a big thing to be able to get over here. I’m so excited,” she said.
A couple who had postponed their wedding on four occasions were also reunited at Sydney airport.
“The fact that you guys opened up literally three days before the wedding is unbelievable,” a passenger from the US told 9News, as he hugged his Sydney girlfriend, who gave her name as Jodie.
There were similar scenes at Adelaide airport. “I’m trying not to cry,” Grant Bartlett told reporters.
Although Australian citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to come and go on a limited basis, most foreign travellers have been barred because of the pandemic.
Some 50 overseas airlines were due to land in the first 24 hours.
Passengers arriving at Sydney airport yesterday were welcomed with a sign by the runway declaring “Welcome back world” and they were handed koala toys in the arrivals hall and jars of Vegemite, which is Australian Marmite.
Tourism is worth the equivalent of more than £30billion a year to the economy, and without visitors the holiday industry has been in crisis.