A traveler wearing a protecting face mask and gloves departs the arrivals segment of the intercontinental terminal of Kingsford Smith International Airport the early morning following Australia applied an entry ban on non-citizens and non-citizens meant to control the spread of the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, March 21, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Australia carried out its very first repatriation flight from India right after temporarily banning all journey from the COVID-ravaged place last thirty day period, the federal government claimed, with 80 travellers arriving in Darwin on Saturday from New Delhi.
Travellers had to clearly show two negative COVID-19 checks ahead of boarding the government-backed Qantas (QAN.AX)
flight and ended up taken upon arrival to a transformed mining camp in Howard Springs in the Northern Territory for a two-7 days quarantine.
The Australian government arrived below fire for temporarily barring all vacation to and from India very last month, a coverage that drew major criticism from lawmakers, expatriates and the Indian diaspora.
A whole of 70 travellers ended up barred from boarding the flight on Friday right after they or their near contacts analyzed constructive for the coronavirus. study additional
“We are next the healthcare assistance and making sure that we shield Australians here and I’m delighted that that initial flight has arrived, and of course there will be additional flights to occur,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg mentioned in a televised briefing.
“It is significant to do the testing that we are doing correct now, prior to people come on these planes to Australia. Which is the procedure we are pursuing, and we will keep on to comply with.”
Two more Royal Australian Air Force repatriation flights to the Northern Territory are scheduled this month, with about 1,000 people prepared to return by the conclusion of June. About 9,000 Australians in India have registered with the federal authorities, requesting to return home.
The govt aims to far more than double the potential of the quarantine facility in Howard Springs, 25 km (16 miles) southeast of the town of Darwin, so that it can cope with the arrival of 2,000 individuals just about every two weeks from June.
India has noted extra than 300,000 infections a working day around the previous 3 months, overpowering its health treatment process and leaving lots of with no medical center beds, oxygen and enough procedure.
By contrast, Australia has been a person of the world’s most productive countries in curbing the pandemic, with snap lockdowns, border closures and swift make contact with-tracing. It has documented just less than 29,950 coronavirus bacterial infections and 910 COVID-19 fatalities considering the fact that the pandemic started out.
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