Australia's Covid-19 overseas travel ban 'will be removed in November'

Australia's overseas travel ban will reportedly be removed in November for states that hit 80 the per cent vaccination rate. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will inform state and territory leaders of his plans to restart overseas travel for the fully vaccinated at National Cabinet today, according to news.com.au.  

Australians have been banned from leaving the country since March 18, 2020 under strict biosecurity laws to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The biosecurity laws are in place until December 17 but can be removed at any time. 

Meanwhile, Australia is in talks to set up quarantine-free travel bubbles with the UK, US, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Pacific islands such as Fiji for the fully vaccinated. 

Eventually, the Covid-19 arrival caps for Australian citizens will also be removed and hotel quarantine will be scrapped in favour of home quarantine in states that sign up, with New South Wales and South Australia currently running trials.

But there may be no quarantine at all for fully vaccinated people arriving from countries where a travel bubble has been agreed.

Such arrangements would mirror the New Zealand travel bubble that was in place between April and July before New South Wales suffered its Covid outbreak.

Eerlier this month Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said discussions were ongoing with several countries with high vaccination rates to determine what kind of quarantine arrangements would be needed.

'Obviously with New Zealand we were able to do that quarantine-free. It would be great if we could get that up and running again,' he told Nine's Today show.

'Then we're in discussion with the Pacific islands, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the US, the UK on what those travel arrangements will look like. 

'Hopefully we'll be able to have home quarantine, we'll be able to limit the time of quarantine and, ultimately, quarantine-free travel. It could require some testing. All those discussions are in place,' he said.

Asked if the quarantine requirements could differ from state to state, Mr Tehan said: 'We'll work that through with the states and territories. We have a very important trial taking place in South Australia at the moment on home quarantine. 

'NSW have indicated that they want to move to home quarantining as well. As we keep rolling out these trials, the hope is also we can look at, perhaps, seven days in home quarantine with testing either side because the more we can limit that time in quarantine, obviously the better, the better for bringing returning Australians home, the better for international students to be able to return.

'So all that will be worked through with the states and territories.' 

Mr Tehan said Tourism Australia was 'sending those positive messages out there, that our borders are going to be open before Christmas and we want to make sure that we're welcoming people.'

Australians have been banned from going on overseas holidays since March 2020 when the government shut the border to keep out Covid-19. 

Australia is projected to hit the 80 per cent vaccination rate in mid November but vaccine laggards Queensland and Western Australia are not expected to reach the mark until early December. 

NSW is conducting a four-week trial of seven-day home quarantine for returning Australians with the aim of stamping out hotel quarantine by the time the borders open late this year.