Vaccination looks like it’s going to be another step towards being able to leave and re-enter the country, with people flying into Australia now having to declare their vaccination status.
As of 16 July, the Australian Travel Declaration (ATD), which must be filled out 72 hours prior to entering Australia, asks overseas arrivals if they have received a COVID-19 vaccine and whether they have ever been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the states would get the information to help them determine how to manage arrivals in the future.
“The states will be in a position then, potentially, to look at how they’re managing quarantine operations in their state and to look at ways that vaccinated and non-vaccinated travellers can be treated in the quarantine program,” he said last week.
“Obviously, those who are vaccinated have a much lower risk of infection than those who are not vaccinated.”
Read: What’s the risk if Australia opens its international borders?
The form asks arrivals to declare when they received the vaccine, in which country and how many doses they’ve received.
There is a further form you will need to fill out if you’ve had three doses, which could be taken as a sign that authorities are expecting people to get regular booster shots.
Returning Australians, as well as visitors, will also be asked if they have ever been diagnosed with COVID-19.
If the answer is yes, there are further questions to be filled out, such as the time and place they were infected.
It is hoped that proof of vaccination will be able to determine what type of quarantine they have to complete when they enter the country
It comes ahead of a South Australian trial that will allow fully vaccinated Australian returnees to quarantine in their own homes as opposed to a hotel or dedicated quarantine facility.
Read: Home quarantine trials for South Australia
The form requests evidence of your vaccination history, which Australian residents can find a log of on their myGov account.
What do you think of these new rules? Do you think it will bring us a step closer to being able to travel? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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