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Australia’s reopening plans in doubt after Omicron cases

Australia will review its plans to reopen borders to skilled migrants and students from Dec. 1, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, after the country reported its first cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant over the weekend.

Two people who arrived in Australia from southern Africa tested positive on Sunday for the newly identified Omicron variant as officials ordered 14-day quarantines for citizens returning from nine African countries and banned entry from those nations for non-citizens.

For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.

Morrison urged people to remain calm, saying data has not yet fully proven the severity, transmissibility and vaccine resistance of the Omicron strain.

“So we just take this one step at a time, get the best information, make calm, sensible decisions,” Morrison told Nine News on Monday, adding “it is a bit too early” to reinstate the two-week mandatory hotel quarantine rule for foreign travelers.

Omicron, dubbed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization, is potentially more contagious than previous variants. Experts do not know yet if it will cause more or less severe COVID-19 compared to other strains.

Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest cities, had begun to allow fully vaccinated citizens entry without quarantine from Nov. 1 after shutting their borders for more than 18 months.

Both cities have tightened their border rules with all international travelers ordered to quarantine for 72 hours. Other states have not opened their borders to foreign travelers yet due to varying vaccination rates.

Morrison said the national security committee will meet later on Monday to assess the government's border reopening relaxations due from Wednesday. A meeting of leaders of all states and territories will be held by Tuesday, he said.

Strict border controls and snap lockdowns have helped Australia to keep its coronavirus numbers far lower than many comparable countries. It has so far recorded about 208,000 cases and 1,994 deaths since the pandemic began.

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Health

Australia’s reopening plans in doubt after Omicron cases

Australia will review its plans to reopen borders to skilled migrants and students from Dec. 1, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, after the country reported its first cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant over the weekend.

Two people who arrived in Australia from southern Africa tested positive on Sunday for the newly identified Omicron variant as officials ordered 14-day quarantines for citizens returning from nine African countries and banned entry from those nations for non-citizens.

For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.

Morrison urged people to remain calm, saying data has not yet fully proven the severity, transmissibility and vaccine resistance of the Omicron strain.

“So we just take this one step at a time, get the best information, make calm, sensible decisions,” Morrison told Nine News on Monday, adding “it is a bit too early” to reinstate the two-week mandatory hotel quarantine rule for foreign travelers.

Omicron, dubbed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization, is potentially more contagious than previous variants. Experts do not know yet if it will cause more or less severe COVID-19 compared to other strains.

Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest cities, had begun to allow fully vaccinated citizens entry without quarantine from Nov. 1 after shutting their borders for more than 18 months.

Both cities have tightened their border rules with all international travelers ordered to quarantine for 72 hours. Other states have not opened their borders to foreign travelers yet due to varying vaccination rates.

Morrison said the national security committee will meet later on Monday to assess the government's border reopening relaxations due from Wednesday. A meeting of leaders of all states and territories will be held by Tuesday, he said.

Strict border controls and snap lockdowns have helped Australia to keep its coronavirus numbers far lower than many comparable countries. It has so far recorded about 208,000 cases and 1,994 deaths since the pandemic began.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

Read more:

Dutch police arrest couple that fled COVID-19 quarantine

France detects eight possible Omicron cases: Health ministry

WHO says PCR tests detect Omicron, new COVID-19 variant has higher reinfection risk

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Health

International Day of UN Peacekeepers honours 75 years of service and sacrifice

Since 1948, more than two million uniformed and civilian personnel have served at UN field missions across the world. Their contributions are being highlighted on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, observed on Monday.

Continue Reading

Health

UN agencies warn of rising hunger risk in 18 ‘hotspots’

Hunger is set to worsen in 18 “hotspots” worldwide including Sudan, where fighting is putting people at risk of starvation, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned in a report published on Monday.

Continue Reading

Health

Menstrual Hygiene Day: Putting an end to period poverty

Fatoumatta Fatty’s commute on an old, malfunctioning wheelchair takes up to two hours during rainy season in The Gambia, but she is happy joining her co-workers at a sanitary pad production centre, where she takes pride in making products that help women overcome “period poverty” across the country.

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