Australia fully reopened its international borders to travelers who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus on Monday, nearly two years after they were closed due to the pandemic, as holidaymakers returned and hundreds of people reunited with family and friends.
At 6:20 a.m. (1720 GMT), a Qantas flight from Los Angeles arrived in Sydney first, followed by flights from Vancouver, Tokyo, and Singapore.
The reopening is an important milestone in Australia's COVID-19 recovery efforts, as previous entries have been mostly limited to citizens, permanent residents, and, more recently, international students.
Foreign visitors are now permitted to enter all states and territories without being quarantined, with the exception of Western Australia, which will not open until March 3.
Tourism is one of Australia's largest sectors, accounting for more than A$60 billion ($43 billion) in revenue and employing approximately 5% of the workforce. However, the sector has been decimated since March 2020, when the government closed its borders.
"It's fair to say that we've all been looking forward to welcoming guests back to Australia for a long time," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said.
The national airline aims to bring in more than 14,000 passengers this week, marking the start of what many feel will be a long, slow comeback for a tourism industry decimated by the pandemic.
While people entering Australia must still have two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccination, the federal government has waived the requirement for a booster shot.
Without a medical exemption, unvaccinated passengers must enter hotel quarantine for seven to fourteen days, depending on their state of arrival.
Meanwhile, all trains in Sydney were cancelled on Monday due to wage issues between the union and the state government, dimming the reopening's luster.
Australia, once a leader in COVID-suppression tactics, has switched away from fortress-style controls and persistent lockdowns since late last year, opting to live with the virus following better vaccination rates.
Since November, a staged reopening operation has permitted skilled migrants, overseas students, and backpackers to fly into Australia.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has taken steps to reassure Australians about the reopening's safety, urging tourists to pack their luggage and schedule a trip to Australia.
On Sunday, he informed reporters at Melbourne airport that there are 1.2 million people worldwide who have been "visa-ed up" and are now eligible to visit Australia.
As borders reopen completely, Australia's Omicron coronavirus outbreak looks to have peaked, with hospital admissions steadily declining over the last three weeks.
