Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed Australia’s hotel quarantine program will remain firmly in place, despite forecasts indicating the nation is on track to be “fully vaccinated” against the coronavirus by October 2021.
“The highest standard in the world is the 14 day hotel quarantine and we won’t be relinquishing that for anybody else,” Mr Hunt said.
“The lesser standard of test and travel is not something we think is sufficiently safe for the Australian context”.
Quarantine staff, medical workers and the elderly will be among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it rolls out next year, potentially ahead of schedule.