Daily US Times: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says his country will soon establish a travel bubble with Singapore, with details of the plan to be revealed next week.
Singapore will be only the second travel bubble for Australia, which has closed its borders to foreigners since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Australia currently only allows New Zealanders to freely visit.
The agreement with Singapore extends Australia’s aims to reopen international travel next month.
But Australia will initially only allow citizens, permanent residents and their family who are vaccinated and they will enter without needing to quarantine.
Last week, Scott Morrison said the nation would then prioritise visa holders and eventually, tourists.
From 1 November, Australians will be able to freely re-enter.
The Prime Minister said the proposed bubble however “will see our borders open more quickly to Singapore”.
It will also initially favour those with study and work visas.
He said the deal was in its final stages of negotiation with the government of Singapore.
Singapore’s prime minister said on Friday that he was “delighted” to hear of Australia’s invite.
Lee Hsien Loong said: “Singapore and Australia have robust economic and investment links, and warm people-to-people ties.”
Many Australians live in Singapore and vice versa.
Singapore’s PM said that he is looking forward to resuming close connectivity between our countries, as we move towards an endemic Covid future.
Both Singapore and Australia have achieved highly vaccinated populations after switching to a “living with the virus” strategy, after previous aims to eliminate infections.
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