The last passengers to get into Australia before strict two-week quarantine rules are introduced have made it into the country – including one couple showing symptoms of the killer coronavirus.
About 40 passengers arrived on three flights into a near-empty Sydney International Airport on Saturday night. Foreign arrivals were loaded into six buses by police officers wearing face masks and gloves before they were escorted to the Novotel hotel on Sydney’s Darling Harbour.
Australians will also be forced to isolate in hotels upon returning home from midnight on Saturday evening.
The new rules have been introduced as about two-thirds of Australia’s 3,640 coronavirus cases are from people returning from overseas trips.
An Australian couple who were on one of the three flights to land in Sydney on Saturday night before the new quarantine rules were enforced admitted they showed signs of the virus – but they were not tested and were allowed to leave the airport as they pleased.
Susan Stauntin, 66, and her husband Michael, 65, were forced to cut their European holiday short due to the coronavirus outbreak.
They travelled from Heathrow Airport in London and stopped over in Qatar before arriving in Sydney on Saturday. The couple were wearing face masks, and Mr Stauntin had a heavy cough. He said he was ‘struggling’ but also felt ‘OK’.
Susan Stauntin (left), 66, and her husband Michael (right), 65, were forced to cut their European holiday short due to the coronavirus outbreak. The couple were wearing face masks, and Mr Stauntin had a heavy cough. He said he was ‘struggling’ but also felt ‘OK’
The last passengers to get into Australia before strict two-week quarantine rules are introduced have made it into the country
About 40 passengers arrived on three flights into a near-empty Sydney Airport on Saturday night
Jae, 52, and Renata Bagadi, 45, were waiting patiently for their son Nathan (all three pictured) to arrive. They handed him a mask and ignored the social-distancing rules as they hugged and kissed him
Australians will also be forced to isolate in hotels upon returning home from midnight on Saturday evening
Foreign arrivals were loaded into six buses by police officers wearing face masks and gloves before they were escorted to the Novotel hotel
International passengers are seen on a bus being taken to a hotel to quarantine after arriving in Australia
Two passengers are seen being taken into the Novotel Hotel in Sydney’s Darling Harbour
Julie and David (pictured) flew back to Australia from Manchester and said there was a high level of caution shown by airport officials in Australia
Ms Stauntin said they were told they were able to make their own way to Rydges Hotel in the city and planned to fly home to Brisbane on Sunday morning.
‘We’re happy to be back. We had been in Heathrow for two weeks and were planning on staying up until ANZAC Day,’ she said.
‘Unfortunately our trip was cut short and we’ve had to come back to Australia.’
As other passengers slowly made their way out to arrivals, some were met with loved ones. While some maintained social distancing, others embraced and kissed their friends and family members.
As passengers slowly made their way out to arrivals, some were met with loved ones
The new rules have been introduced as about two-thirds of Australia’s 3,640 coronavirus cases are from people returning from overseas trips
Passengers were seen wearing face masks as they arrived at Sydney Airport on Saturday night
Julie and David flew back to Australia from Manchester and said there was a high level of caution shown by airport officials in Australia.
‘I’m so impressed with the safety checks. We were given the choice if we wanted to go home or to a hotel,’ she said.
‘We didn’t want to burden anyone so we decided on going home where we will self-isolate.’
David however, said he wouldn’t have minded if he had come back a day later and ended up quarantined in a hotel for two weeks.
Ben, a 19-year-old student, left London for his family home in Hornsby – where he plans to self-isolate for 14 days – having been in the UK since November 28 for a university course.
‘I came back because I was homesick and because of the coronavirus. I want to spend my time with family now,’ he said.
Jae, 52, and Renata Bagadi, 45, were waiting patiently for their son Nathan to arrive.
They handed him a mask as they embraced and kissed him.
The 19-year-old soccer player had been in Spain for the past eight months. He said he didn’t feel safe and wanted to be with his family.
The new rules have been introduced as about two-thirds of Australia’s 3,640 coronavirus cases are from people returning from overseas trips
‘I was already quarantined for 14 days in Spain before they added another 15 days. We were very looked after but I didn’t feel safe,’ she said.
With all sport cancelled, Nathan decided it would be best to come back to Australia and be with his parents.
He said he was given the option to go to a hotel or go home.
Nathan said the process of having his temperature checked and informed of his obligation to self-isolate took about five minutes.
The family said they’ll be heading back home to Liverpool in western Sydney where Nathan will quarantine himself for 14 days.
All travellers arriving in Australia will be forced to quarantine in hotels from midnight on Saturday evening