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Scott Morrison stated all staff at quarantine motels would have every day COVID-19 checks.
Canberra, Australia:
Travellers to Australia must present a unfavorable COVID-19 check earlier than they’ll get on their aircraft, the Prime Minister stated on Friday, as town of Brisbane went into lockdown after the invention of a case of a virulent new coronavirus variant.
The greater than 2 million residents of Brisbane, Australia’s third-largest metropolis, shall be barred from leaving their properties for something however important enterprise for 3 days from Friday night after a employee at a quarantine lodge examined optimistic for the brand new variant, which was first detected in Britain.
Australia has discovered a number of circumstances of the variant however this was the primary one to look exterior the quarantine system. Australia has additionally discovered a variant that emerged in South Africa in lodge quarantine.
It was not recognized if the lodge employee, a cleaner, was contaminated by somebody who arrived from Britain however everybody would now want to point out a unfavorable check to journey to Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison introduced.
“A negative test is not foolproof, but a positive test – they’re not coming,” Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly advised reporters within the capital, Canberra.
PM Morrison justified the Brisbane lockdown, given the hazard that the brand new variant may rapidly turn into the dominant pressure of the virus.
“I know they will be some in Brisbane today asking ‘why is this necessary? There is only one case’. Well, this isn’t any ordinary case. This is a very special case and one that requires us to treat things quite differently,” PM Morrison advised reporters.
Australia has had about 28,500 circumstances of the novel coronavirus and a few 900 deaths, far fewer than many different international locations, partly due to strict border controls from the outset of the pandemic.
Since March, the border has been shut to all non-citizens and everlasting residents and the variety of individuals allowed again every week has been capped at simply over 6,000 individuals, with everybody going into obligatory lodge quarantine at their expense.
More than 35,000 Australians have registered their intention to return however Morrison stated the quantity allowed again could be diminished by almost half till mid-February, given the hazard of the brand new variant.
“We can’t put it back in the box. We’ve got to act before we get the cases,” stated the chief well being officer of Queensland state, Jeannette Young.
Brisbane is the capital of Queensland.
Other states moved rapidly to isolate Queensland. Western Australia stated individuals from Queensland couldn’t journey there and others carried out obligatory quarantine for arrivals from the state.
Brisbane residents out on important enterprise should put on masks. Funeral and weddings are restricted to 20 and 10 individuals respectively, whereas leisure venues will shut and eating places and cafes will solely be allowed to serve takeaway.
Officials have recognized and remoted 79 people who find themselves shut contacts of the feminine lodge employee.
PM Morrison stated all staff at quarantine motels would have every day COVID-19 checks.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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