Australia Scraps Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement In Latest Update

In what is considered to be an important milestone for Australia, the country dropped the need for a negative COVID-19 test on arrival for international travelers. Read on to find out all the changes Australia has made in its pandemic rules from April 18, 2022.

Australia updates pandemic rules from April 18, 2022

Besides dropping the need for a negative COVID-19 test for international travelers, the ban on international cruise ships docking in Australia has also been dropped. So, too, has a rule preventing price gouging for rapid antigen tests.

7News reports that Federal Health Minister Greg Hung had announced the changes last month. This followed advice from Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly after the country avoided some of the worst outcomes from the early spread of the virus. In fact, Kelly advised that Australia now has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.

While the bans have been dropped, states and territories still have the right to implement the negative test requirement. However, most refer to the Commonwealth requirements when offering advice to international travelers.

What is still required from international travelers?

International travelers are still required to be double vaccinated against the virus. Moreover, face masks are still required on international and domestic flights.

Cruise ships return to Australian ports

Monday, April 18 saw the Pacific Explorer heading into Sydney Harbor, making it the first luxury cruise ship to head to Australia since the ban in March 2020. Worth $400 million, P&A Australia’s luxury cruise ship has a capacity for just under 2,000 passengers.

As noted by ABC, as tugboats guided the cruise ship into port, a huge banner on its bow read, “We’re Home.”

P&O #cruises Australia’s Pacific Explorer Returns to Sydney https://t.co/jP6PviQZfy pic.twitter.com/tPg3JoTndi

— Roderick Eime (@rodeime) April 18, 2022

Later in April, Ponant’s Le Laperouse will also return to full service. The ship will restart operations between Darwin and Broome on April 28. This will come at a time when local operators launch the Kimberley cruise season.

Speaking of the lifting of the ban, Cruise Lines International Association Australia said it will see a “carefully managed resumption of operations.” As the cruise sector previously employed more than 18,000 people, the latest move is good news indeed. The association’s managing director, Joel Katz, said that prior to the pandemic, more than one million Australians took an ocean cruise each year.

“We now have an opportunity to return to sailing and revive an industry that was worth more than $5 billion annually to the Australian economy,” Katz said.

COVID-19 status in Australia

Despite the dropping of rules, cases of COVID-19 remain high in Australia. Katz said, “While no setting is immune from COVID-19, the cruise industry’s new protocols provide among the highest possible levels of prevention, detection and mitigation.”

In the meanwhile, Monday saw more than 31,000 new cases reported across the country, including nine COVID-19 related deaths.

Readers, are you pleased to hear that Australia is dropping its pandemic rules? Would you like to travel there this year? Let us know your thoughts by dropping a comment below.