Vaccination against COVID-19 is expected to be mandatory for all travelers to Australia when international travel resumes until inbound passengers are willing to pay for 14 days of quarantine at a hotel or other government-approved facility.
The ‘vaccination or quarantine’ choice was flagged over the weekend by Stuart Robert, Minister for Government Services, who added that the government was working to make sure its own vaccination certificates can be “widely accepted” by other nations.
“It is highly likely that a vaccination certificate or quarantine will still be required for international visitors to Australia,” Roberts stated during a press conference on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
While not being drawn on a restart of international travel for Australians, Robert stated “any requirement for borders to open up will require vaccination and it will require the widespread use of assured certificates.”
“And we’ll continue to work with our international counterparts on exactly how we have a framework for vaccination certificates. There is a vary of purposes now which are being checked out together with IBM, Clear, CommonPass, by the abroad travel authorities.”
“We’ll proceed to work with them to get a framework. However importantly, for Australians, they will have the assurance that the certificate they will have will be robust, it will be anchored to them, so they will know it is their certificate, and it will be widely accepted.”
Robert also confirmed that the Australian Immunisation Register would be used to issue digital vaccination certificates by smartphone apps, starting with the government’s own MyGov and Express Plus Medicare apps.
“The capability is live now,” he said. “We are ready now for the vaccine rollout.”
As previously reported, the new digital version of Australia’s incoming passenger card for all inbound travelers could also include proof of COVID vaccination.
Speaking with 2GB’s Ben Fordham this morning, Robert stated the issue of airlines insisting on a compulsory ‘no jab, no-fly’ policy for passengers – which Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has already flagged, citing widespread support by 87% of flyers surveyed – largely remained a matter for those airlines.
“Certainly international carriers are moving in this path… that is the place the airline travel associations have pulled together a concept called Common Pass. In terms of Australia, we’re going to leave that to the Attorney-General who’s in discussions as we speak.”
“But it’s happening internationally, so it is really important that we make sure that Australians have got proof of vaccination depending upon what the requirements are, particularly abroad, where we’ve got no jurisdiction of course.”
