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Government’s secret plan to slash quarantine time for business flyers
Corporate travellers from Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea could be first to benefit from a secret government plan to boost business tourism between Australia and Asia-Pacific hubs by halving quarantine times for those flyers.
Senior members of the Morrison government are working on a secret plan to slash the quarantine period for corporate travellers to boost business tourism.
News Corp can reveal the Department of Home Affairs has been asked to find ways to ease entry restrictions for business travellers from hubs in the Asia-Pacific with low rates of COVID-19.
It comes just weeks after Singapore revealed it had discussed the idea of a “green lane” with Australian officials that would allow corporate flyers to be tested just once when flying between two countries with similar testing protocols and standards.
Another option to entice workers back to Australia would be to cut the length of time business travellers need to quarantine from 14 days to just seven.
The proposal would only be offered to workers from countries with low rates of COVID-19, but News Corp understands Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea would be first in line for the exemption.
The government will need to consult health experts on the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) before easing corporate travel, which could restart within months.
But some health officials remain cautious about the proposal, warning the AHPPC will only recommend lifting quarantine times for countries that have similar testing regimens.
Business Events Council of Australia chair Dr Vanessa Findlay said that if successful, the proposed Australia-New Zealand travel bubble should be expanded to Asian countries where Australia has strong trade ties.
Dr Findlay said there was an argument that attending conferences or working abroad was just an extension of workplaces, meaning restrictions could be eased.
“For all business events, every attendee is already registered … these systems already exist so business travellers are easy to track.”
Association of Australian Convention Bureaux chief executive Andrew Hiebl urged the government to fast-track business travel, saying Australia will miss out if restrictions aren’t eased.
Before the bushfires and the pandemic, convention centres had secured more than 350 international business events worth $1.2 billion to the economy over the next seven years.
He said Australia’s COVID-19 response was “well recognised globally”, and while it was difficult to market on safety, the low number of cases could add to Australia’s brand as an event capital.
Source:We’re for Sydney | Daily Telegraph
All the latest news, views and campaigns for Sydney and NSW.www.dailytelegraph.com.au
Business Travellers may only be required to have 7 days quarantine instead of 14 upon return from country where COVID-19 is under control, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, under a proposal, whilst Business Chamber is calling for the Trans-Tasman Travel Bubble to be expanded to such countries.
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