Melbourne battles to contain outbreak
Victoria state effectively isolated after Covid-19 case spike
Australia should slow down the return of its citizens from abroad, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday, as the country grapples with a fresh coronavirus outbreak that has forced it to isolate its second most populous state.
The border between Victoria and New South Wales, the busiest in the country, was closed overnight and around 4.9 million residents in the Victorian capital of Melbourne will return to partial lockdown at midnight following a spike in Covid-19 cases in the city.
“The rest of the country knows that the sacrifice that you’re going through right now is not just for you and your own family, but it’s for the broader Australian community,” Morrison said during a televised media conference.
Morrison said he would take a proposal to a national cabinet of state and territory leaders on Friday, seeking to slow down the return of Australian citizens and permanent residents by reducing the number of repatriation flights. The two groups have been the only arrivals allowed since Australia closed its international border in March.
New Zealand has announced that its national airline will not take new inbound bookings for three weeks to reduce the burden on overflowing quarantine facilities.
In Australia, red flags have been raised by potential quarantine breaches that the Victorian state government believes led to returnees spreading the virus. Officials have begun an inquiry.