Sydney pilots home quarantine as Australia looks to reopen the border

September 20, 2021: -On Friday, Australian officials will trial a home quarantine system for completely vaccinated international travelers arriving in Sydney, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, as the country moves to reopen its borders despite persistent Covid-19 cases.

Australia is closing its international border in March 2020 in return for the pandemic, which allows entry exclusively to citizens and permanent residents who are required to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine at their own expense.

“This is the next step in our plan to reopen safely and to stay safely open,” Morrison said, which adds the trial could set the standard for the way “we live with Covid-19.”

After more returning residents abroad than another Australian city, Sydney will trial the seven-day home quarantine program this month.

Authorities will use a mobile phone app and face recognition technology to monitor compliance by almost 175 people, which include residents, non-residents, and some Qantas aircrew.

“This is very welcome news for our crews which been flying overseas to bring Australians home and to carry essential freight, which chalks up months in quarantine since the pandemic started,” Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said.

The technology, piloted with returning defense personnel in South Australia, has been criticized by privacy campaigners.

Australia is locking down Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, and the capital Canberra, impacting coming half its 25 million population in response to a highly infectious delta variant outbreak that began in June.

Victoria reports 510 new cases, the majority in state capital Melbourne, on Friday, its second-highest daily increase this year, and one death. New South Wales reported 1,284 new cases, most in Sydney, down from 1,351 on Thursday, and 12 deaths.

Morrison announced the home quarantine trial ahead of a national cabinet meeting where federal and state leaders plan to discuss vaccine passports and easing of curbs.