Australia Limits The Number Of Its Citizens Returning From Abroad

JAKARTA - Australia will reduce the number of citizens allowed to return from abroad each week. This was conveyed directly by Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison. The decision was taken as part of the struggle to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

Launching Reuters, Friday, July 10, the State of Victoria reported there were 288 new cases per day. The figure is a record high for any part of the country and sparked fears of a new wave of infections. The COVID-19 cases in Australia mostly involve travelers returning to Australia.

"The news from Victoria remains very concerned," Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

Since March, Australia has only allowed citizens and permanent residents to enter the country with around 357,000 having returned. Later Australia will only allow 4,175 people to return to the country each week. Those who return will also have to pay a mandatory 14-day quarantine fee at a hotel, which the government has so far paid for.

"The decision we took was to ensure that we can place our focus on the resources needed to perform testing and tracing, not necessarily having those resources diverted to other tasks," Morrison said.

New Zealand has also introduced measures to limit the number of citizens returning to the country. This is also to reduce the burden on the quarantine facilities which are now filled with many people who have just returned from abroad.

The announcement of the new restrictions comes days after Melbourne has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases for six weeks. The increasing number of COVID-19 transmission is related to social distancing violations and the large number of people who have just returned from abroad.

The worsening situation again forced 5 million people to return home. This turmoil has dispelled hopes of a speedy recovery for the Australian economy.

Victoria is also the first state in Australia to urge people to wear masks when they go outside. The outbreak has also slowed plans for a "travel bubble" in collaboration with New Zealand. This plan was previously discussed by PM Morrison with Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern.