Australia won’t welcome foreign tourists until at least 2022

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s prime minister says foreign tourists won’t be welcomed back until at least next year. Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined plans Tuesday for lifting some of the toughest and longest COVID-19 travel restrictions imposed by any democracy. The country will prioritize the return of skilled migrants and students after it hits Morrison’s vaccination benchmark for reopening its external borders. The news comes just days after Morrison announced plans to allow vaccinated citizens and permanent residents to fly overseas from November for the first time since March 2020. The severe travel restrictions have trapped most Australians at home and kept most foreigners out and have led to the lowest level of immigration since World War II.