The Prime Minister said on Tuesday that international tourists will not be able to return to Australia until next year, because the return of skilled migrants and students has received greater attention.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia is expected to reach the vaccination benchmark on Tuesday, when the country can begin to open up: 80% of the population aged 16 and over will receive a second shot. Last week, he outlined plans to allow citizens and permanent residents to be vaccinated to fly overseas from November for the first time since the extremely stringent travel ban was imposed in March last year.

But Morrison said on Tuesday that after Australians, the next priority will be skilled migrants and international students entering Australia before tourists. Due to the restrictions of the pandemic, the number of immigrants in Australia has been at the lowest level since World War II. The pandemic has also had a catastrophic impact on Australian universities that rely heavily on fees paid by international students.

The education department is worried that unless Australia opens its borders to them as soon as possible, students will enter other countries.

“The next priority is the skilled immigrants who are very important to the country, they are double vaccinated, and students who come to Australia to study,” Morrison told Seven Networks.

“I believe we will also receive international tourists next year,” Morrison added. The Australian Tourism Export Council represents a sector that earned 45 billion Australian dollars (US$33 billion) from international tourists each year before the pandemic, and hopes that international tourists will return by March.

As the outbreak of the more contagious Delta variant that began in Sydney in June continues to spread, Australia is racing to vaccinate its population.

Victoria reported a record 1,763 new local infections on Tuesday. Australia’s second most populous state also reported 4 deaths from COVID-19.

News Source : Hindustan Times