Australia may not reopen its borders until the first months of 2022. That’s according to ex-Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull, who told the BBC that a “realistic” timeline for the reopening of the country’s borders was “probably not before the first quarter of next year.”
He warned that the country wouldn’t have enough doses of the vaccines until October or November to get a “large percentage” of the population vaccinated.
“The very reason we are locked down, which is so frustrating when so many other parts of the world are opening up, is simply because our government failed to buy enough vaccines,” he added.
“It was a colossal failure. The problem is, you can’t wind the clock back.”
Australia is one of the most popular destinations for Irish travellers looking to spend time abroad. When the pandemic struck in March 2020, there were around 18,000 Irish in the country on temporary visas.
Between 2008 and 2019, more than 114,000 Irish moved from Ireland to Australia; 6,500 alone in the 12 months to April 2019 (according to CSO figures).
You can watch the interview here.
