Sydney: Australia on Monday suddenly stopped the plan to reopen its international border to workers and skilled students, an hour-high decision requested by concerns over the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
After an emergency security meeting, Scott Morrison’s Prime Minister said the reopening of December 1 which was postponed would be delayed at least two weeks.
The Australian border has been closed for most non-residents for more than 20 months, causing labor shortages and hitting the vital tourism industry.
Morrison described the delay as “necessary and temporary decisions” based on medical advice.
Australia has so far detected five cases of omicron variants.
“Temporary pause will ensure Australia can collect the information we need to better understand the omicron variant,” he said.
Morrison quoted a new concern about “the efficacy of vaccines, the range of diseases, including if it could produce lighter symptoms, and transmission levels.”
The plan to open the border to visitors from Japan and South Korea on December 1 is also now detained.
Australia has had some of the heaviest and longest border limitations in the world during a pandemic, thanks to a slow vaccine launch.
The conservative government has opened the border to Australians, permanent residents and Singaporeans, but are not an estimated 1.4 million skilled workers living in the country, which are prohibited to re-enter if they leave.
Monday’s delay will also cause concerns in the country’s strong education sector.
According to the University of Australia, an industrial group, 130,000 international students remain abroad.