Australia’s border could be opened sooner than expected if covid 19 vaccines effectively prevent transmission, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Morrison and Brendon Murphy, secretary of the Department of Health, said during a live social media event hosted by News Corp Australia on Wednesday night that opening Australia’s borders were dependent on the efficacy of vaccines.
“If, as we suspect these vaccines are effective at preventing transmission, the sooner we get the population vaccinated, the sooner people — not only will they be protected, but we will get on this path towards good herd immunity, and that will speed up the return to international travel,” he said.
Australia’s border has been closed to overseas visitors since March last year, and authorities have consistently described that decision as a key part of the Government’s pandemic response
Mr. Morrison agreed on the opening of borders hinged on the efficacy of the vaccines in stopping the spread of coronavirus but said he could not put a timeframe on it.
“The key thing I think is going to impact on that decision, is going to be whether the evidence emerges about transmissibility, and how the vaccine protects against that.
“If it indeed does stop transmission between people, then that could quite be a game-changer, but that will not be evident for some time yet,” he said.
Follow IBTN9
Facebook:
Instagram:
