ACT home quarantine not the answer to boost international travel until Covid vaccine rates climb

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr did not commit to broaden the program which has successfully hosted numerous diplomats, including several positive COVID-19 cases, and government officials - most recently the Prime Minister at The Lodge.

Mr Barr said he wasn't opposed to expanding the program but wanted to see "exactly what was being proposed" before a decision was made.

"It's a slightly different issue, when you're talking about diplomats and government officials who have a professional responsibility and could potentially lose their jobs if they're found in breach of those sorts of home quarantine requirements," he said.

"It's a different story to roll that out to the general population."

State and territory leaders met with the Prime Minister on Friday to "put down their weapons and had a sensible discussion", after a week of political bickering and muddled vaccine advice caused confusion for many Australians.

A new four-stage plan to "return to normal" was agreed upon by leaders, as was a decision to pilot allowing vaccinated travellers to quarantine at home.

The first, and current, phase is focused on vaccination and suppressing the virus.

Mr Barr said there was some capacity to increase the ACT's home quarantine program, but "not an overwhelming capacity".

"We won't be the answer to tens of thousands of people while vaccination rates are sitting below 65 to 80 per cent."

"[Home quarantine] may well be the solution for vaccinated people in 2022, but it's not going to be the answer to speed up international travel this calendar year."

The second phase, which the Prime Minister hoped Australia would reach next year, included eased restrictions for vaccinated residents, the return of some international students and new quarantine arrangements for vaccinated people.

The Australian National University says a recent quarantine operation of 40 government officials at Davey Lodge had presented a "workable and safe" model for returning travellers.

Mr Barr said while the ANU's plan and home quarantine for vaccinated people could work for small groups, international students would likely not return on mass to Canberra until next year.

"We can look at a range of different quite bespoke and boutique models that might help a handful, but the answer to getting 5000 international students back into Canberra is not home quarantine," he said.

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The ANU accommodation at Davey Lodge has been previously deemed unsuitable by ACT Health because of a lack of balconies and kitchen and laundry facilities in the rooms.

The ACT has hosted many government officials and diplomats in home quarantine since the pandemic began.

There have been at least five positive COVID-19 cases among diplomats which have been successfully contained and not spread into the community.

The ACT stopped taking repatriation flights in April because the program was deemed to expensive.

Mr Barr said it was unlikely hotel quarantine would restart.

The ACT had taken five repatriation flights, with passengers forced into quarantine at the Pacific Suites hotel on Northbourne Avenue.

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