Australia to welcome vaccinated foreign students, workers

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government expects 200,000 vaccinated foreign students and skilled workers will soon return without quarantining when the country further relaxes pandemic restrictions next week. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says that from from Dec. 1, students, skilled workers and travelers on working vacations will be allowed to land at Sydney and Melbourne airports without needing to seek exemptions from a travel ban. He says he expects 200,000 students and skilled workers to arrive by January. Vaccinated citizens of Japan and South Korea will also be allowed in without quarantining, as well as people on  humanitarian visas. But the government has yet to decide when general tourists will be allowed to return.