Australia’s border has reopened for the first time in 20 months, sparking emotional reunions to Sydney Airport.
The New South Wales (NSW) state government affirmed that all tourists and foreign travellers could freely enter.
Sydney only emerged from a 107-day lockdown two weeks ago.
But it is charging ahead with reopening to the rest of the world. NSW authorities say their state – which is the most populous in Australia – is leading the way for the nation.
Australia has effectively closed its borders since March 2020, making it difficult even for citizens to enter.
The decision was the world’s strictest border rules.
Australia has recorded more than 1,300 deaths from Covid-19 and more than 107,000 cases of infection.
‘Most Serious Public Health Risk in Australia’
Last month, Australian capital had facing its ‘most serious public health risk,’ after detecting the first case of community transmission.
A total lockdown went into effect across Canberra for a whole week.
The announcement came after reporting its first locally acquired case of COVID-19 in more than a year.
The country’s biggest cities, Melbourne and Sydney, are already under hard lockdowns.
