Travelers in quarantine at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. Photo: Delivered
The federal government is considering granting special entry to the country for international travelers and returning Australians who can prove they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. However, experts warn that quarantine regulations for hotels may have to exist for years.
The World Health Organization experts say People who have been vaccinated would still need to take the same precautions as they do now – including quarantine arrangements – until a certain level of herd immunity is achieved.
The Federal Department of Health said it was not yet clear whether two of the top vaccines to use in Australia, AstraZeneca and Pfizer, will prevent coronavirus transmission to others, even though they are effective in reducing the severity of the disease.
AMA President Omar Khorshid says governments need to decide what level of immunity they want before opening international borders. Photo: Tony McDonough
Australian Medical Association President Omar Khorshid said Australia’s quarantine arrangements would “remain in place until at least our entire at-risk population, and possibly all of our populations, is vaccinated”.
He said governments need to decide what level of immunity is required before reopening international borders, but since the virus is likely to become endemic – that is, it is constantly circulating – Australia needs to learn to live with it.
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“At some point you have to open up and accept that it will come through the population and just make sure the vaccines have been distributed,” said Dr. Khorshid. “There is no doubt that these vaccines are not the silver bullet to our borders, and we will see the quarantine stay in place for many months … if the government decides that the entire population should be vaccinated before that we open up. “
The federal government is aiming to start its vaccination program in March and cover it across the population by the end of October, although some people may not be able to receive vaccines due to pre-existing conditions.
The federal health ministry said mandatory hotel quarantine is a key pillar in keeping the virus at bay in Australia and is still the best way to deal with people traveling from overseas.
“The Australian government is considering mechanisms to recognize an international certificate of vaccination for COVID-19 and possible alternative entry and quarantine arrangements for returning Australians who may have been vaccinated if it is safe to do so,” said a department spokesman.
The federal government determines the number of people allowed to enter Australia, but state governments are responsible for health-related quarantine procedures.
NSW Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian said she was uncomfortable when someone from overseas did not go through the 14-day quarantine system.
“Until everyone is vaccinated … we need to keep all settings, including our quarantine system,” she said.
A spokesman for the Victorian Department of Health said the hotel quarantine would continue to limit the possibility of the virus spreading in this state.
Adam Kamradt-Scott, an expert on the spread and control of infectious diseases at the University of Sydney, said Australia is likely to need some sort of hotel quarantine system in the years to come.
He said danger spots would remain as affluent countries like Australia bought up limited supplies of vaccines through pre-sale deals and poorer nations had no access.
There was also the possibility that the vaccines did not offer permanent immunity, which means that people would need regular doses, similar to the flu shot, and the campaign for global coverage will become even more difficult.
“At that point I would be [expecting] We’ll be living with the virus for at least the next five years, and it may never go away, “said Associate Professor Kamradt-Scott.
“I suspect we will probably need to have some kind of hotel quarantine system for at least the next two years, if not longer. Then we may need to have restrictions on Australians going and returning overseas as well.”
A Qantas spokesperson said hotel quarantine arrangements would be needed until an effective vaccine rollout took place. “That’s why we don’t expect our real-size international flights to resume until the second half of 2021.”
