Agency: The state of New South Wales will allow some returning international travelers to quarantine at home starting at the end of the month, possibly signaling the beginning of the end for the country’s strict hotel quarantine system.
Right now, it can be incredibly difficult to enter Australia. Travelers spend two weeks in a government-appointed facility, but quarantine spots are hard to find and the country has a tight limit on the number of arrivals.
In the new pilot program, 175 people fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will instead isolate in their homes for seven days. The police will employ location-based tracking and facial-recognition technology to monitor their movements.
Details: Australia has surpassed its goal of providing one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to 70 percent of people over age 16, said Greg Hunt, the federal health minister.