Australia to cut flights from India to contain risk

Australia will reduce the number of its citizens able to return from India and other red-zone countries to contain the risk of more virulent strains of Covid-19 spreading, the government said as it announced changes in its vaccination programme.

The restrictions will result in a 30% reduction in direct flights from India to Sydney and chartered flights that land in the Northern Territory.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, speaking to reporters, said that he would announce in the next 24 hours when the new restrictions would come into place.

“We’re in the middle of a global pandemic that is raging. And Australia has been successful throughout this pandemic ... to have very effective border arrangements,” Morrison said.

“There will continue to be the opportunity for those to return from places like India but in very controlled circumstances.”

Australia currently allows about 5,800 citizens or permanent residents to enter its territory each week before quarantining for two weeks in hotels.

It is not clear how many of these are typically from India each week.

Australia will be adopting a model more like that of the United Kingdom, which bans arrivals if they have visited any countries on its red-zone list of some 40 countries in the past 10 days.

“While we’re not adopting that list, it gives you somewhat of an idea of the type of approach we’ll be seeking to put in place from those high-risk countries,” Morrison said.