Australia shuts the border: Non-residents are banned from entering the country from 9pm tomorrow – as the overwhelming majority of virus cases were brought in from overseas
The Prime Minister has closed Australia’s borders to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
From 9pm on Friday night, only Australian residents and citizens will be allowed to enter.
‘We will be resolving to move to a position where a travel ban will be placed on all non- residents, non- Australian citizens coming to Australia, and that will be in place from 9pm tomorrow evening,’ the Prime Minister said today.
From 9pm on Friday night, only Australian residents and citizens will be allowed to enter. Pictured: Scott Morrison today
He said: ‘For Australians, of course, they will be able to return and they will be subject, as they already are, to 14 days of isolation upon arrival back in Australia.
‘Now, the reason for this decision is consistent with the decision we have a ready made on the issue and that is now we have about 80 per cent of the cases we have in Australia that either results of someone who has contracted the virus overseas or someone who has had eight direct contact with someone who has returned from overseas.
‘So, the overwhelming proportion of cases in Australia have been imported.
‘Measures we have put in place have obviously put an impact on that and this is a further measure now that that can be further enhanced.’
‘I want to thank Qantas also, you are offering to work with us to make sure they maintain flights from particular parts of the world that can assist Australians to return to Australia and we will be working closely with them, and those Australians who are overseas, we have been encouraging them to return to Australia.
‘Those in remote parts of the world, that can prove challenging but for those in other places, it is our intention to ensure we can maintain flights to enable them to come home as soon as possible.’