Australia will halve international arrival caps until at least next year over fears of a highly contagious coronavirus strain which has plunged 12 million people into lockdown.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also pledged a percentage of the eligible population being vaccinated will lead to major changes in restrictions.
The figure will be determined through scientific modelling expected to be completed within a month.
The number of people allowed to enter the country each week will fall from 6070 to 3035 after premiers sounded the alarm over the Delta variant.
During the reduction, which starts on July 14, there will be more government-facilitated flights to bring Australians to the Northern Territory’s Howard Springs quarantine centre.
Demand for the flights is expected to rise under smaller caps.
Mr Morrison outlined a four-phase reopening strategy linked to vaccination rates after Friday’s national cabinet meeting of federal, state an d territory leaders.
“A new deal for Australians today to get us to the other side,” he told reporters.
In the first stage, which Australia is now in, premiers and chief ministers agreed lockdowns would be used as a last resort.
Home quarantine is also expected to be trialled for fully vaccinated overseas arrivals, along with capped entry of students and economic visa holders.
The second phase will start when an undetermined percentage of Australians are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.
The government is still hopeful of offering all people over 16 a jab by the end of the year, despite just eight per cent of people being fully vaccinated.
That threshold would pave the way for eased domestic restrictions for vaccinated people, with lockdowns only expected in extreme circumstances.
More vaccinated people would be allowed to enter Australia and arrival caps for unvaccinated travellers would be returned to previous levels.
Mr Morrison said stage three would involve treati ng coronavirus like other infectious disease including the flu with phase four the “back to normal” mark.
Hotel quarantine is also facing another review after 26 virus breaches since the start of the pandemic.
But the prime minister insists the Delta variant is behind the decision to reduce arrival caps rather than using hotels, which has come under fire from experts.
“The Delta strain is more contagious and so we’re seeking to take precautionary steps to overall reduce the risk.”
Mr Morrison has been under fire since Monday when he highlighted a path for people under 40 to receive the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines.
Australia’s expert immunisation panel recommends AstraZeneca only for people aged 60 and above.
The prime minister rejected suggestions his loose language was to blame for fuelling more confusion around the rollout.
“ATAGI advice remains a preferential recommendation for Pfizer for under 60, but this does not preclude them from having AstraZeneca,” he said.
“Australians should have the choice to go and talk to their doctor and make a decision about informed consent about their own health.”
The federal government has given legal protection to doctors who administer AstraZeneca to younger people.
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