Australia to resume repatriation flights from India
Australia to resume repatriation flights from India Friday, May 7, 2021 RNZ
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the ban on travel from India will not be extended beyond 15 May and repatriation flights will begin again as soon as the ban finishes.
The government s controversial ban, which made it an offence for people to try and re-enter Australia after being in India within the prior 14 days, began on Monday and was due to finish on 15 May.
Morrison said the National Security Committee met yesterday and agreed it saw no need to extend it beyond that date .
NSC commits to bringing Australians home once flight ban is lifted 07/05/2021|4min
The National Security Committee is understood to have signed off on a commitment to bring stranded Australians in India home once the flight ban is lifted.
The first flight will be launched after May 15 – when the travel pause is expected to be removed – with repatriated Australians to be brought back to undergo quarantine in the Howard Springs facility near Darwin.
About 200 people will be brought back per flight, however, reports have emerged the government will only charter one repatriation flight per week.
This means there will still be a considerable wait to return home for the 9000 Australians trapped on the ground in India.
Government considering Howard Springs as exclusive India quarantine facility 06/05/2021|3min
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has told The Australian newspaper the federal government is considering a plan to use the Howard Springs quarantine facility solely for repatriations travellers from India.
However, one concern raised about the proposal is the number of travellers the Northern Territory facility would be able to accommodate as capacity is yet to be boosted.
Both the territory and federal governments said accommodation was supposed to be ramped up to make 2000 beds available per fortnight from the beginning of this month.
Staff shortages, however, have stalled expanding the facility’s capacity – with just 160 of 400 advertised jobs filled.
CASE TRACK
New South Wales health officials are conducting genome sequencing after Sydney recorded a new community-transmitted case of COVID-19, with the ABC noting the man has likely been infected since Friday April 30, has not been overseas or worked in the quarantine system, and recorded a high viral load likely making him more infectious. Close contacts are in isolation and more cases are expected to be announced today.
NSW Health has listed at least 19 exposure sites across the city’s eastern suburbs, spanning Annandale, Balgowlah, Bondi Junction, Brookvale, Casula, Collaroy, Double Bay, Mascot, Moore Park, Paddington, Rose Bay, Rushcutters Bay, Silverwater and Sydney. Anyone who visited those venues, including those in other states, have been asked to immediately get tested and self-isolate.