After the federal government postponed its reopening plan in response to the new Omicron strain of COVID-19, international students prevented from entering Australia for at least another two weeks are being advised to “hang in there.”
The federal government has postponed until Dec. 15 the planned easing of border restrictions for overseas students and other visa holders.
Key Takeaways:
- The federal government has postponed the planned lifting of border restrictions for international students and other visa holders until Dec. 15.
- International students who are unable to enter Australia for at least another two weeks are advised to “hang in there.”
- The National Security Committee decided to postpone the decision until Dec. 15, while health professionals gather and examine Omicron.
From Wednesday, fully vaccinated overseas students, skilled migrants, and humanitarian visa holders were scheduled to return to Australia.
The cabinet’s National Security Committee decided to postpone the decision until December 15, while health officials gather and review the newest evidence about Omicron.
South Africa was the first to report Omicron to the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month, and experts are scrambling to figure out if the new strain is more dangerous than Delta.
It has already been discovered that five cases are present among returned travelers in Australia.
To date, no deaths have been related to Omicron, while more research is needed to determine Omicron’s ability to overcome immunity produced by vaccines and past infections.
Some of the nation’s leading universities considered the pause of international student return as an understandable decision.
However, further delays in permitting international students into the country, combined with quarantine regulations, may cause the first semester of study to be disrupted.
Except for fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family, as well as fully vaccinated “green lane” travelers from New Zealand and Singapore and limited exemptions, Australia’s international border is closed to all but fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family.
Travel between Japan and the Republic of Korea has also been postponed until December 15, according to the administration.
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