Australia to open borders to vaccinated travelers on Feb. 21

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia will open its borders to all vaccinated tourists and business travelers from Feb. 21. The country had imposed some of the world’s toughest travel restrictions on its citizens and permanent residents in March 2020 to prevent them from bringing COVID-19 home. When the border restrictions were relaxed in November, international students and skilled migrants were prioritized over tourists in being welcomed back to Australia. Tourist operators have been lobbying the government to bring tourists back sooner. The southern hemisphere summer is in its final month.