Australians keen on travel have been speculating when overseas trips would be permissible again, and it seems that despite the gloom there are some positive prognostics should the best case scenario prove true.
Greece’s Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said travel could resume in 2021, provided the vaccine is effective. Though the possibility of overseas travel in the first six months seems ‘challenging’, there may be travel in the latter half.
“The manufacturing rollout, distribution, uptake, all the other factors that come into how it is that a vaccine could change the way we work at things around this pandemic,” he said, speaking to Sky News’ Sunday Agenda program.
The Australian government had already secured supply agreements with several companies working towards a vaccine, and a nasal spray with the potential to fight COVID-19 and other respiratory viral infections will also be tested.
Australia’s Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a statement that the first batch of vaccines may be available in Australia by New Year’s Day though it would take months for Australians to get a jab.
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The AstraZeneca vaccine is on track for 28 December but clinical trials would need to take place.
International flights are set to return to Victoria on 7 December but with 160-passenger limits.