Fewer flights, quarantine hit for travellers UNI STAYS ONLINE

FLIGHTS returning Australian residents from overseas will be slashed in half, and passengers will have to pay for hotel quarantine under changes agreed to by the national cabinet.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also announced a nationwide review of hotel quarantine.

The changes, to take effect from Monday, will see arrivals drop to about 4000 a week.

Perth will receive a maximum of 525 international arrivals a week, Brisbane 500 a week and Sydney 450 a day.

Melbourne is not currently receiving any international flights.

“The decision that we took to reduce the number of returned travellers to Australia at this time was to ensure that we could put our focus on the resources needed to do the testing and tracing and not have to have resources diverted to other tasks,” Mr Morrison said.

States still receiving flights are expected to make announcements regarding the cost of hotel quarantine, and any hardship support. But uniformity on pricing is expected.

Since the start of July, Queensland has been charging people in hotel quarantine —– $2800 for one adult, $3710 for two adults, and $4620 for two adults and two children.

The nationwide review of hotel quarantine will be undertaken by former health secretary Jay Holton, who is on the COVID commission.

Mr Morrison said the review was not a result of suspi- cions that other states may have hotel quarantine breaches similar to Victoria.

“The review is being initiated on the basis of good advice from the medical expert panel and good practice,” he said.

Australians were also put on notice about social distancing with Mr Morrison and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly warning the measures still applied inside homes.

“It is still not OK for hugs and handshakes,” Mr Morrison said.

LECTURES and classes at Deakin University will continue online for the next trimester due to COVID-19 distancing restrictions.

Exceptions would be made for a “very small number of courses” with students notified on their unit sites and timetable, Deakin said.

“We will continue to adjust our operations as necessary and will communicate regularly with the Deakin community,” it said.

Deakin said it was working on a plan for the gradual reintroduction of on-campus delivery of practical classes and activities that required campus facilities.

It said it was essential that any student who felt unwell in “any way” did not attend any of its campuses. “We are doing as much as we can to support our students and staff, both in Australia and overseas, during this challenging time,” it said.

Trimester two is set to begin on Monday, running until October 2.