Western Australia (WA) will be spending $77 million to support businesses hit by the state’s continued border closures. WA had planned to reopen its interstate borders for Feb. 5, abruptly backflipping on its decision in fear that two doses of vaccination did not effectively protect against the Omicron variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)…

Closed international borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a plunge in skilled migration have resulted in a loss of $32 billion (US$22.9 billion) to the Australian economy as 380,000 fewer people had entered the labour force, a new study found. The joint study by RMIT Online and Deloitte Access Economics also pointed out that…

Karen and Mike Malherbe expected to move Western Australia (WA) next month and reunite with their family for the first time in three years. But meeting their first grandchild, and welcoming their second, now seems to be on hold for the foreseeable future. The couple had already sold their home in Illawarra, New South Wales…

Australian travel agents are planning a series of protests next month over continuing restrictions imposed on the tourism industry, which has been devastated over the course of the pandemic. Belle Goldie, owner of iTravel Penrith in the west of Sydney, told 2GB radio on Dec. 24 that since the announcement of the rallies, she has received…

An Australian federal minister has called on the state government of Queensland to explain why it will allow fully vaccinated interstate travellers entry to the Sunshine State from Dec. 17 but not allow fully vaccinated international arrivals at that time. Other Australian states, such as New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, are preparing to welcome…

Tourism and aviation industry leaders are hoping the announcements that Queensland and South Australia will now open borders to Sydney will bring an end to the instability the tourism industry has experienced over the past year after outbreaks of the CCP virus caused chief ministers and premiers to shut domestic borders. When the two states lift…

As NSW records six locally acquired cases of COVID-19 Premier Gladys Berejiklian is urging Victoria to reopen its border with the state. Five of the six cases were household contacts of the western Sydney man reported on January 16 while investigations continue into the source of his infection. NSW Health believes it is likely to…

Victoria has recorded three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases for a third straight day, and another strong testing figure. A total of four new infections have been reported in Victoria on January 5, including one case in hotel quarantine. The new cases came from 32,544 tests, a marginal increase from Monday’s figure with wait times…

Victoria has recorded three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases for a third straight day, and another strong testing figure. A total of four new infections have been reported in Victoria on Jan. 5, including one case in hotel quarantine. The new cases came from 32,544 tests, a marginal increase from Monday’s figure with wait times…

More than 1500 Victorians have applied for exemptions to the state’s border closure with NSW, but so far authorities have granted just 117. A hard border between the two states came into effect on the night of January 1, requiring anyone returning after then to be approved and undergo 14 days hotel quarantine. End of…