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world news Diamars 8 Februari 2022

Australia to open borders to vaccinated travelers on Feb. 21

(AP) — Australia will Feb. 21. apply for a travel exemption.
open its borders to all vac- Visitors to Australia could
cinated tourists and busi- Morrison said visitors must also have to contend with
ness travelers from Feb. 21 have proof of vaccination. He various states’ COVID-19
in a further relaxation of referred to Serbian tennis star rules if they move around the
pandemic restrictions an- Novak Djokovic being de- country.
nounced Monday. ported by the Australian gov-
ernment last month because The strictest state border
Australia imposed some of he was not vaccinated against rules are enforced by Western
the world’s toughest travel coronavirus. Australia which covers a third
restrictions on its citizens of the island continent.
and permanent residents in “Events earlier in the year
March 2020 to prevent them should have sent a very clear The state allows only 265
from bringing COVID-19 message, I think, to everyone international arrivals a week
home. around the world that that is and requires a 14-day quar-
the requirement to enter into antine period.
When the border restrictions Australia,” Morrison said. lobbying the government to that our borders will reopen
were relaxed in November Australia delayed its staged bring tourists back sooner. to all international travelers,”
in response to an increasing The Djokovic case demon- border reopening after two The southern hemisphere the council’s managing direc-
vaccination rate among the strated that visitors gaining Australians who returned summer is in its final month. tor Peter Shelley said.
Australian population, inter- visas through an automated from southern Africa on
national students and skilled process before setting off for Nov. 27 became the first to The Australian Tourism Ex- “It’s been a long, hard and
migrants were prioritized Australia does not guarantee test positive for the omicron port Council, the peak indus- desperate road for every tour-
over tourists in being wel- that they will meet entry re- variant. try body representing the na- ism business across the coun-
comed back to Australia. quirements on arrival. tion’s tourism export sector, try and we have lost many
The arrivals of students and said tourism operations were along the way, but this news
Prime Minister Scott Morri- Home Affairs Minister Kar- skilled workers were post- looking forward to rebuild- will give those who have sur-
son said his senior ministers en Andrews said visitors poned by two weeks until ing their markets. vived a clear target to work
agreed on Monday that the who could provide proof of Dec. 15. towards and a start point for
border would reopen to all a medical reason why they “Australian tourism business- the rebuilding of the indus-
vaccinated visas holders from could not be vaccinated could Tourist operators have been es will rejoice in the news try,” Shelley added.

Boris Johnson reboots office in bid to move past ‘partygate’

(AP) — British Prime Min- call for his removal. He also “I think what people want is Johnson apologized -- with- Harri told a Welsh-language
ister Boris Johnson has appointed a senior Cabinet for the government to focus, out admitting personal news site that Johnson greet-
brought in new senior staff- minister, Steve Barclay, as his not on stuff going on at (the wrongdoing -- and pledged ed him on his first day by
ers as he tries to restore his new chief of staff. government district of) West- to fix the problems in his of- singing Gloria Gaynor’s “I
flagging authority — includ- minster, but to focus on life fice. Will Survive.”
ing a communications chief Visiting a hospital cancer cen- ... beyond Westminster, and
who has called lockdown- ter Monday outside London, to focus on the needs of the But on Friday he was rocked The staff moves are intend-
breaching government par- Johnson said he was “focused country,” Johnson said. “And by the departure of five se- ed to reassure Conservative
ties “unforgivable.” completely” on clearing a that is what we’re doing.” nior staff, including his chief lawmakers who are debating
backlog of millions of medi- of staff, his communications whether to seek a no-confi-
The prime minister hired cal procedures built up dur- Johnson’s grip on power has director and his policy direc- dence vote in the leader who
Guto Harri, an aide from his ing the pandemic. It’s one been shaken by public anger tor, Munira Mirza. Mirza, a won them a big parliamen-
days as London mayor who of a pile of critical issues, in- over revelations that his staff loyal longtime aide, stood by tary majority just over two
has recently been critical cluding a squeeze on house- held “bring your own booze” the prime minister amid the years ago.
of Johnson, to try to regain hold finances from inflation office parties, birthday cel- “partygate” revelations. But
control of the government’s and a looming tax hike, that ebrations and “wine time Fri- she said Johnson’s “scurri- Under party rules, a no-
messaging after weeks of tur- are being overshadowed by days” in 2020 and 2021 while lous accusation” this week confidence vote is triggered
moil that have led some in Johnson’s personal woes. millions in Britain were that an opposition leader had if 15% of party lawmakers
the ruling Conservatives to barred from meeting with failed to stop a notorious pe- — currently 54 people —
friends and family because of dophile was the final straw. write letters calling for one.
his government’s COVID-19 If Johnson lost such a vote,
restrictions. Johnson responded to the he would be replaced as party
departures with a Downing leader and prime minister.
A total of 16 parties have Street shakeup that included
been investigated by a senior the eye-catching appoint- Only 15 of the 360 Conser-
civil servant, Sue Gray, with ment of Harri, a former BBC vative legislators have public-
a dozen of them also under journalist who worked for ly called for Johnson to quit,
investigation by the Metro- Johnson at City Hall from though the number who
politan Police. 2008 to 2012 but has more have written letters is likely
recently criticized him. In higher.
In an interim report last week 2018, Harri called Johnson
into the four parties not un- “sexually incontinent,” and Conservative lawmaker Tom
der criminal investigation, in 2020 he said government Tugendhat, who has already
Gray found that “failures of communications during the said he will run for leader if
leadership and judgment” pandemic had been “a mas- Johnson is ousted, said the
enabled events to occur that terclass in incompetence.” prime minister’s fate de-
“should not have been al- Last month Harri said reports pended on “how the reset
lowed to take place” and de- of parties in Downing Street goes.”
scribed a Downing Street op- while Britain was in lock-
eration marked by excessive down were “unforgivable,” He said “there’s an awful lot
drinking and dysfunctional though also “understandable of talent going in,” but also
dynamics. in some ways.” “an awful lot of talent com-
ing out.”