Australia Isn't Completely Closing Border
The Claim
Australia is going to keep its borders closed until 2021 due to coronavirus.
News posted on
Emerging story
“After containing the widespread of the coronavirus, Australia decides to keep its borders closed until 2021," news websites reported and social media users posted.
COVID-19 updates 👇
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 17, 2020
🇮🇳India registers a jump of 2,000 deaths in a single day
🇵🇰Pakistan reports a record daily death toll of 140
🇦🇺Australia's borders likely to remain closed until 2021
🇯🇵Japan finds coronavirus in wastewater https://t.co/lBckkKNrMc pic.twitter.com/EuMyzQBq8M
Australia to shut borders until next year https://t.co/ynhLz9JdQa
— Meghna (@meghn888888) June 17, 2020
Misbar’s Analysis
The claim is misleading, as Misbar didn’t find any official announcement from Australia about closing its borders until 2021. In fact, the Australian Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham announced during a speech at the National Press Club on June 17, 2020 that the country’s borders are likely to remain closed to tourists until the end of the year as part of measures to contain the pandemic. They added that they will be looking to relax entry rules for students and other long-term visitors.
Coronavirus: Australia to shut borders until 2021, but will let international students in https://t.co/7mqaZGCYie
— SCMP News (@SCMPNews) June 17, 2020
Birmingham also said a quarantine rule for returning citizens could be applied to international students and other visitors who plan to stay for a long period of time. He didn’t officially confirm that the borders would remain closed until the end of the year.
