BRISBANE, Australia — If Kanye West’s wants to head to Australia, he’ll need to be full vaccinated for COVID-19. That’s the official word from prime minister Scott Morrison.
Ye’s rumored tour Down Under is no closer to confirmation, though that hasn’t stopped the nation’s leader from setting the record straight.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Morrison reiterated that West, who has expressed anti-vax sentiments in the past, would need to follow procedures in place for overseas travelers. “The rules are you’ve got to be fully vaccinated. They’re the rules,” Morrison said.
“They apply to everybody, as people have seen most recently,” he added, in a veiled reference to Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who made international headlines when was sent home prior to the Australian Open for his failure to provide proof of vaccination.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, they’re the rules,” Morrison said in a response to a reporter’s comment on Kanye. “Follow the rules, you can come. If you don’t follow the rules, you can’t.”
Federal Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan noted that the “Stronger” rapper’s visa application would need to be rubber-stamped by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke. “He will look at that visa application like he does all other visa applications,” Tehan explained. “I can assure everyone, all Australians, that it will be looked at in a diligent matter and like all visa applications, the application would have to adhere to Australian rules and protocols for that visa to be approved.”
The Sydney Morning Herald and other titles have speculated that West would perform at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium in March, prior to his headlining slots at Coachella. At this stage, however, nothing is confirmed, and West’s vaccination history remains a mystery.
The Chicago hip-hop great recent announced DONDA 2 would arrive earlier than expected, on Feb. 22. The follow-up the 26-track collection named for the Ye’s late mother would be the first sequel project in West’s 10-album studio album catalog.
