Camperdown and Ultimo Will Welcome Vaccinated International Students in December

International students who have been vaccinated will be welcomed in universities in Camperdown, Ultimo, and the rest of NSW as early as December 2021, according to the pilot program announced by the universities committee. However, not all vaccinated students will be eligible to enter the country.

The pilot program will be open to 500 international students who will be expected to arrive on two chartered flights fortnightly. Their quarantine arrangements will be shouldered by their universities.

International students who received Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccinations will be included in the small program. However, those who have had jabs from Chinese manufacturers, such as Sinovac and Sinopharm, will likely not be permitted to enter NSW since these vaccine brands have yet to receive approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor Barney Glover, who leads the universities committee, said that he understood the rationale behind the pilot program covering vaccines approved by TGA. Although, he hopes that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will work out the arrangements for students who got Chinese vaccines.

There are currently 57,000 international students waiting to enter NSW. Priority will be given to PhD students, students who are almost complete with their degrees, or students studying medical and health-related courses.

Scape in Redfern, which is nearly three kilometres away from Surry Hills, will serve as the accommodation site for the students’ required 14-day quarantine.

The education partners who have signed up for the pilot program include The University of Sydney in Camperdown, the University of Technology in Ultimo, UNSW, Australian Catholic University, Macquarie University, The University of Newcastle, University of Wollongong, and Western Sydney University, International College of Management Sydney, and educational providers like Kaplan, RedHill, Navitas, and the Study Group.

Meanwhile, all school students at any level in NSW may return to in-person learning beginning 25 Oct 2021.

“Vaccinations are the key to life returning to normal and the changes today will help family and friends reconnect, get kids back to school and get businesses back up and running sooner,” Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

“NSW is putting in the hard yards and it’s important people continue to turn out in droves to be vaccinated.”