08/05/2021
Related: New South Wales Premier labels New Zealand travel pause an overreaction . Credits: Video - Newshub; Images - Getty Images
The New Zealand Government paused quarantine-free travel with the state until midnight Saturday, pending more information after a Sydney man in his 50s and his wife tested positive for COVID-19 in the community.
Genome testing showed it was a similar strain to a person who was in quarantine after returning to Australia via the US, but authorities believe there could be other cases in the chain of infection.
However, Professor Peter Collignon from Australian National University said the risk of transmission between New South Wales and New Zealand was very low.
I think the likelihood of anything like that occurring is pretty much zero, he told Today yesterday.
He said jail time and mass fines for travellers breaching the ban were highly unlikely . So, I think people need to look at this in perspective.
Mr McCormack stood by the government s decision, telling Today they would be constantly reviewing the pause . To keep Australia as COVID-Safe and as COVID-free as we need it to be, this has been a difficult decision to make but a necessary one, he said today.
The UN Human Rights Committee and leading doctors from the Australian Medical Association (AMA) are among those who have raised serious concerns about the travel ban.
44 new Covid cases have been recorded in returned travellers in NSW this week
Expert says there are negligent flaws in Australia s hotel quarantine system
Michael Toole says risk of airborne spread of virus needs to be taken seriously
Called for national standard for ventilation in hotels to avoid further outbreaks
Comes after he called for hotel quarantine facilities to be moved out of cities
AMA, experts attack government failure to accept airborne spread
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Leading infection-control experts say they are frustrated and angry about a federal government panelâs reluctance to accept the dangers of airborne spread of COVID-19, warning it is putting frontline workers and the community at risk.
A controversial recommendation from the Australian governmentâs Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG) allows surgical masks with protective eyewear to be used in the routine care of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, and those in quarantine, rather than fitted N95 masks.
AMA, experts attack government failure to accept airborne spread brisbanetimes.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from brisbanetimes.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.