Australian leaders keep talking about the trans-Tasman bubble



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Australia's political bosses are still talking about the possibility of a trans-Tasmanian travel bubble.

ISTOCK

Australia’s political bosses are still talking about the possibility of a trans-Tasmanian travel bubble.

Australia’s political leaders have had another discussion about a travel bubble through Tasmania, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying that 15 percent of people who go through quarantine in Australia are now returning from New Zealand.

Morrison said the issue came up Friday at a meeting of the National Cabinet, which is made up of Morrison and all the prime ministers and prime ministers of state and territory.

The key item on the agenda was raising the limit on the number of Australians returning home, which is limited by the capacity of hotel quarantine facilities.

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After the meeting, Morrison said the cap would be gradually raised over the next several weeks.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a travel bubble through Tasmania would free up space in Australia's quarantine facilities.

Rohan Thomson / Getty Images

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a travel bubble through Tasmania would free up space in Australia’s quarantine facilities.

If New Zealand and Australia could reach a point where people from outbreak-free areas could travel without being quarantined in hotels, it would free up spaces in the system, Morrison said, citing ABC.

“For example, the entire South Island, that’s an area where there is no Covid,” he said.

“So if we could get to a situation soon where those returning home from New Zealand can enter Australia without going into a 14-day quarantine … we see that as another way of allowing more and more Australians to House”.

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