Aus suspends flights from India, announces relief package
NEW DELHI : Australia on Tuesday unveiled an initial support package for India’s Covid-19 response, including 500 ventilators, even as it suspended all flights between the two countries for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The assistance was announced jointly by foreign minister Marise Payne and PM Scott Morrison, who said more medical equipment will be procured and shipped to India over the next week.
NEW DELHI: Australia on Tuesday unveiled an initial support package for India’s Covid-19 response, including 500 ventilators, even as it suspended all flights between the two countries for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The assistance was announced jointly by foreign minister Marise Payne and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who said more medical equipment, including 100 oxygen concentrators, will be procured and shipped to India over the next week.
Though the Australian government had earlier planned to temporarily reduce flights from India by 30 per cent after recording a spike in incoming travellers testing positive for Covid-19, Morrison announced the National Security Committee had decided to pause all direct passenger flights from India until May 15.
Australia has joined a growing number of countries rushing medical equipment, supplies and oxygen to India, which recorded 362,850 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday. A total of 3,286 people succumbed to the virus, taking the death toll to 201,187.
The initial support package will include 500 non-invasive ventilators, one million surgical masks, 500,000 P2 and N95 masks, 100,000 surgical gowns, 100,000 goggles, 100,000 pairs of gloves and 20,000 face shields.
The supply of ventilators will be scaled up 3,000 and the Australian government will procure 100 oxygen concentrators, along with tanks and consumables. All the equipment will be shipped to India over the next week.
“I stress this is an initial package, there will be more to follow, of support and to deliver this as soon as possible,” Morrison told the news conference.
“We recognise the challenging Covid-19 crisis that India is currently battling and we stand ready to provide more support to our friends in India and Indian Australians during this difficult time,” Morrison and Payne said in a statement.
The statement noted that Australia’s Chief Medical Officer had designated India a “high-risk country” for travel arrangements.
The suspension of flights will have an immediate impact on two passenger services to Sydney and two repatriation flights to Darwin, affecting around 500 people.