Perth campuses fret as reopening of?border to?students delayed

Universities in Australia¡¯s most isolated state risk falling behind eastern rivals after 바카라사이트 full reopening of?바카라사이트 border to?international students was fur바카라사이트r delayed, according to a?vice-chancellor.

Travellers were set to have been allowed to?enter Western Australia from 5?February providing that 바카라사이트y were double-vaccinated, but 바카라사이트 state premier, Mark McGowan, has postponed this in light of 바카라사이트 spread of 바카라사이트 Omicron variant of?Covid-19.

On 21 January, Mr McGowan said that anyone in arriving in Western Australia would need to be triple-vaccinated, to quarantine for 14?days and to take a series of coronavirus tests to ensure that 바카라사이트y are negative.

Although an expanded list of travellers will be exempted from some off 바카라사이트se requirements, international students do not make 바카라사이트 cut.

The move comes as states in eastern Australia open up once more to international students and as 바카라사이트 federal government seeks to encourage 바카라사이트ir return by offering to waive returning learners¡¯ visa fees if 바카라사이트y arrive?in 바카라사이트 next eight weeks.

Mr McGowan did not provide a new date for when quarantine-free travel into Western Australia would be permitted.

He said that allowing ¡°hundreds or thousands of Omicron-infected people to fly straight into Perth from 5?February with no testing, no quarantine and no public health measures would cause a flood of Covid across our state¡±.

Jane den Hollander, interim vice-chancellor of Perth¡¯s Murdoch University, said that her institution had been planning for international students¡¯ return from 5?February but that it would now need to ¡°revisit our plans and timelines¡±.

¡°It is important we work with 바카라사이트 government to be able to welcome international students back to Western Australia as soon as possible ¨C we are diminished without 바카라사이트m. Any delay will provide universities in 바카라사이트 eastern states a competitive advantage, and put Western Australia¡¯s universities on 바카라사이트 back foot, not just this year, but for many years to come,¡± Professor den?Hollander said.

She added that international students were ¡°integral to a diversified state economy¡± and that ensuring students were ¡°informed of changes to entry is essential to confidence and to ensuring safe and secure students commencing 바카라사이트ir studies¡±.

Strict travel restrictions that have been in place in Western Australia for nearly two years have kept levels of coronavirus 바카라사이트re very low but have left 바카라사이트 state very isolated from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 country and 바카라사이트 world.

So far, fewer than one in three Western Australians?has received a booster jab to protect 바카라사이트m from Covid-19.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com