Sydney to lift quarantine for fully vaccinated trevellers

In Australia, Vicoria continues to report high number of Covid-19 cases and on the other hand Sydney will end its COVID-19 quarantine for fully vaccinated international travellers from November 1. According to report, a total of 2,179 new locally acquired cases were reported in Victoria, the majority in Melbourne, down from a record 2,297 a day earlier. State Premier Daniel Andrews has said some curbs will ease next week as Victoria's double-dose vaccination levels race towards the 70% mark from 63% now.

Sydney lifted its stay-home orders earlier this week and the city's 5 million residents could enjoy more freedoms from Monday, as double-dose vaccination rates are expected to top 80% over the weekend - the level at which officials have promised to relax more restrictions.  New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Friday, foreshadowing the full return of overseas travel after more than 19 months. "We want people back, we are leading the nation out of the pandemic. We are opening Sydney and New South Wales to the world," Perrottet told reporters in Sydney, the state capital.

Australia had stayed largely virus-free for most of this year until a third wave of infections fuelled by the Delta variant spread across its southeast from late June, forcing a months-long lockdown in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. The country's overall coronavirus numbers are still relatively low, with some 139,000 cases and 1,506 deaths. The federal government has been pressing states to reopen their borders but some virus-free states have said they may delay reopening plans amid concerns that a rapid reopening could overwhelm their health systems.