Indonesia proposes vaccinated travel lane with Australia

Under such an arrangement, fully vaccinated people arriving from Indonesia and Australia will be able to enter without having to undergo quarantine requirements. PHOTO: REUTERS

ROME (BLOOMBERG, REUTERS) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo proposed the establishment of a vaccinated travel lane with Australia to improve tourism and economic ties between both countries.

Under such an arrangement, fully vaccinated people arriving from Indonesia and Australia will be able to enter without having to undergo quarantine requirements.

Further recognition of both countries' vaccination certificates will help accelerate travel as well, Mr Widodo, told Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a meeting on Saturday (Oct 30) on the sidelines of Group of 20 leaders' summit.

Indonesia relaxed travel restrictions in early October. It cut down quarantine periods to five days from eight, and reopened tourist hot spot Bali to foreign visitors.

The country is on a drive to vaccinate 208 million people. More than 73 million people have received their full Covid-19 inoculation regime as at Saturday, official data showed.

Australia will resume quarantine-free travel from New Zealand on Monday.

Vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents living in New South Wales, Victoria and the capital Canberra will be free to fly internationally from Monday without the need of an exemption or to quarantine upon return.

For now, however, only tourists from neighbouring New Zealand will be allowed into Australia, provided they are vaccinated.

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