Western Australia sets 90% vaccination target for reopening

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — While people are now able to travel freely in Australia’s more populated east, COVID-19-free Western Australia will maintain its tight restrictions into next year. Australia’s largest state by land mass has the nation’s lowest vaccination rates, and is the only Australian state or territory that does not intend to reopen this year. Vaccinated Australians have been free to travel the world through east coast airports in coronavirus-affected Sydney and Melbourne since Monday when a 20-month-old international travel ban was lifted. Western Australia’s leaders have set a vaccination target of 90% of the population aged 12 and older for the border restrictions to be relaxed. That’s expected in late January or early February.