Scott Morrison has promised he will force rogue state premiers to let Australians fly interstate for long-overdue family reunions this Christmas.
Once adult double-dose vaccination rates hit 80 per cent, the prime minister said the country must live with Covid and open up for domestic travel.
‘Grandparents in the east can hold their new grandchild in the west for the first time,’ he said.
Mr Morrison is locked in a stalemate with Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan who insists his borders will stay closed for ‘months’ after the landmark vaccination milestone.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised Australians will be able to fly interstate for long-overdue Christmas family reunions this year. (Pictured, a family travelling from New Zealand is reunited at Sydney airport)
Once adult double-dose vaccination rates hit 80 per cent, Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) said the country will be able to live with Covid and open up for domestic travel in time for Christmas.
The hardline premier warned travellers from NSW, Victoria, and the ACT will continue to be banned from entering WA until 2022 as the state aims to maintain its zero Covid status despite the inevitability of the virus coming in.
But the PM vowed to smash down state barriers and enforce the National Plan blueprint to reopen so the country ‘can be together again, safely and soon,’ he said.
‘We don’t have to fear the virus, but we do have to live with it,’ Mr Morrison told the Herald Sun.
‘Holding onto Covid zero will only hold Australians back as the world moves forward.’
He held out hope families would enjoy trips to theme parks in Queensland while singles could look forward to summer parties and New Year’s Eve fireworks again.
The PM held out the hope for families to enjoy trips to theme parks in Queensland while singles can look forward to summer parties and New Year’s Eve fireworks again. (Pictured, Christmas Day revellers on Bondi Beach)
Families will be reunited in time for Christmas under the PM’s plan. (Pictured, family reunions at Sydney Airport following the easing of travel restrictions between Australia and New Zealand in April)
‘Nobody wants Covid to be the virus that stole Christmas, and we have a plan and the vaccinations available to ensure that’s not the case,’ he promised.
‘Everyone can make plans for a family Christmas, with all our loved ones at the dinner table, cracking bon-bons and bad jokes together.’
But the message is at odds with some state premiers who are determined to maintain their Covid zero policy at any cost.
In Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has suggested her state borders may remain closed until children under 12 are vaccinated, which is not even TGA-approved at this stage.
‘You open up this state and you let the virus in here and every child under 12 is vulnerable, every single child,’ she said.
She vowed to keep her borders closed ‘until I can get every child vaccinated’.
Her ultra-cautious stance has been backed by some epidemiologists as planning for the worst case scenario.
The Prime Minister said Australians can start to plan their family Christmas dinners. (Pictured, Bondi Beach revellers enjoy Christmas day fun)
The PM dismissed state concerns about interstate travel and insists they must stick to the national cabinet-agreed timetable. (Pictured, a domestic traveller arrives at Sydney Airport)
But it was dismissed by the prime minister, who insisted states must stick to the National Cabinet-agreed timetable.
‘The worst-case scenario is not the plan,’ he said. ‘What is the plan is the better-case scenario, which sees you take actions, which has always been part of the national plan.
‘If you do none those things, of course you put the community at great risk. That’s not what the national plan suggests and to suggest that is what the national plan is, that would be a complete misreading of it.’
Mr McGowan insisted he would wait until the ‘overwhelming majority’ of the state is vaccinated and that it would be ‘complete madness’ to open up prematurely.
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) has stated that WA borders may not open until 2022
Families may not get to see each other this Christmas as state borders may remain closed until 2022
Earlier this week, Mr McGowan said it was unlikely that families living in different states would be able to see each other in time for Christmas.
‘I know that’ll result in people screaming and yelling we should bring it down as soon as we can and infect ourselves. I don’t understand that logic and I’m going to resist it,’ he said.
These vaccination targets are set to be hit in late November to early December based on the speed of the rollout.
Mr McGowan told National Cabinet that different states are in different positions and the plan for getting out of Covid needed to reflect this.
‘Then we’d probably set a date a couple months after that to give everyone the opportunity to get vaccinated,’ Mr McGowan said.
‘I think that’s entirely fair and I advised the National Cabinet today that’s exactly our position.’
He said the national plan that was drawn up before the NSW outbreak is a one-size-fits-all proposition and is not working.
He stated that until WA’s vaccine rollout hits above the 80 per cent target, the borders will remain closed
This follows truckies coming from hotspot states needing to return a negative Covid test three days before they reach the WA border
The plan progressively removes restrictions as the 70 to 80 per cent vaccination rate targets were being met.
Mr McGowan signed on to this along with all other state leaders but is now distancing himself from the agreement.
This follows the decision to block truckies from entering WA if they do not return a negative Covid test result three days before their arrival into the state from high risk areas through NSW and Victoria.
If they have not received their result before reaching the WA border, they will have to undergo a rapid antigen test at Eucla or Kununurra border checkpoints.