The Australian Government has reportedly asked for an exclusion from the United Kingdom’s impending coronavirus quarantine restrictions, arguing that Aussies should be exempt from 14-day isolation periods due to our low rate of community transmission.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports the UK Government, which is yet to impose border restrictions like Australia’s, is likely to reveal a plan to temporary isolate recent arrivals in the next few days.
According to the paper, Aussie officials are bargaining with the Brits to avoid those two-week lockdowns upon arrival. The falling number of coronavirus cases within our borders is a key factor in those discussions, as is our long-standing relationship with the UK, the outlet states.
Nothing is certain yet, mind you, and the situation within the UK remains concerning. The nation has recorded over 35,000 deaths as a result of the virus.
The leadership of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under fire for his government’s handling of the crisis, and he has acknowledged some people are “frustrated” with the nation’s “complex” loosening of lockdown protocols.
Johnson had the virus himself, too.
The SMH also notes that any deal to allow Aussies into the UK without a quarantine period is unlikely to work the other way around, and our Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has indicated “restrictions on travel in and out of Australia will remain for the foreseeable future.”
There’s a lot going here, and even if Australia does manage to carve out some kind of allowance, it’s understandable you’d think twice about heading over for anything less than urgent business.
Still, there are promising signs if you had travel booked for later in the year. Much later in the year. Maybe even next year.
You can read the SMH’s bit here.
