Scott Morrison is piling the pressure on premiers who are wavering on opening borders, once they strike the 80 per cent mark of double-dosed vaccinations, to stick to the national plan.
Whether we like it or not, our fate in reopening borders and moving freely around Australia again and indeed overseas now relies firmly on state and federal politics agreeing to move forward.
Right now, the premiers of Queensland and Western Australia are showing reluctance to commit to that reopening target, even though it was a crucial part of the national COVID-19 recovery plan agreed to by the national cabinet.
“There comes a time when you’ve got to honour the arrangement you’ve made with the Australian people, and that is when you get to 80 per cent vaccination, it’s very clear that you can start opening up,” Mr Morrison told the Seven Network in an interview while he was in Washington.
He said at that stage; there will still be some common-sense controls, like QR code logins and mask-wearing in certain circumstances.
“But, you know, there comes a time when you’ve just got to move on and get on with it,” he said.
At the current rate of vaccinations and vaccine availability, it’s estimated that the nation will approximately achieve the 80% target around November 12.
This week, Tourism and Trade Minister Dan Tehan declared Australia’s international border will reopen by Christmas at the latest.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to have home quarantine, we’ll be able to limit the time of quarantine and ultimately, quarantine-free travel,” Mr Tehan told the Nine Network.
The plan would start with allowing people to leave the country more freely before establishing more travel bubbles like the paused New Zealand arrangement.
Australia is in discussions with Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the United States, United Kingdom and the Pacific nations.
Meanwhile, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said significant progress is being made in the national vaccination rollout.
He said 75.8 per cent of people aged 16 and over have now had their first dose of a vaccine, and 51.5 per cent are fully covered with two jabs.
“We are on track, we are making great progress,” Mr Hunt told reporters.
NSW will in the coming week reveal its roadmap for 80 per cent vaccination coverage, and the premier wants international travel to resume “at the earliest opportunity”.
Ms Berejiklian has already promised to rapidly increase international flight arrival caps for stranded Australians overseas, with home quarantine also being trialled in the state.
On Sunday, she expressed her hope that outbound travel, currently banned by federal authorities, would be allowed again imminently.
“I’d like NSW residents who are fully vaccinated to be able to go overseas at the earliest opportunity … if they’re double vaccinated and have those plans, and the airlines are flying in, why not?” she said.
NSW currently has 59.2 per cent of over 16’s doubly vaccinated, with 68.5 per cent having had one shot.