The federal government has revealed when Australia’s borders may reopen and quarantine-free international travel will be allowed to resume.
“I think everyone’s forecast is that everything going well, we would hope to be welcoming international tourists back this time next year,” Tourism Minister Dan Tehan told Sunrise.
Tehan said the government was “keeping open the option open of being able to put bubbles in place” with other countries declared as COVID-Safe such as Singapore.
The major update comes ahead of Australia’s roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine and a “game-changing” new “passport” which will display whether you have been vaccinated or not.
The vaccination passport will be issued to people when they receive the jab in the coming weeks.
Your proof of vaccination will be accessible from the Express Plus Medicare app, through accounts on myGov as well available in hard copy.
“We’re going to do everything we can to make this passport a game-changer so we can get international tourists back,” Minister Tehan added.
The Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the final decision on the AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be given this month.
The first to receive the vaccine will be hotel quarantine workers, frontline staff and border officials, along with the elderly and most vulnerable.
The government hopes most Australians will be vaccinated by late October.
This article originally appeared on Over60.