Marshall to ask national cabinet to weigh ban on returning Aussies without negative virus test

Plane-loads of Australians are set to start landing in Adelaide from Monday, the PM says, as the Premier pushes for tests for anyone coming home.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has indicated more international arrivals could land in South Australia on Monday.

Mr Morrison made the comment after being asked by reporters on Thursday morning about the Federal Government’s pledge to get Australians stranded overseas for Christmas.

“Obviously, the ability to get people home to Australia depends on the available quarantine capacity in Australia,” he said.

“As you know, the state governments have requested to have caps on the number of Australians and arrivals who can come back in Australia, particularly in this time where quarantine is under pressure and that is the greatest risk of transmission of the virus into Australia.

“We understand that. I particularly appreciate New South Wales, who have carried the lion’s share of the load of people coming back to Australia.

“Tasmania and South Australia will return to taking people back on Monday and in Victoria, they will go back and commence again on December 7.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a press conference at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Premier Steven Marshall said last week he had asked for a pause on international arrivals until the end of the month while at the same time stressing the need for the states and territories to play a role in repatriation of Australians stuck overseas.

Mr Marshall is also asking the national Cabinet to test all Australians wanting to return home from overseas to prove they do not have coronavirus.

He will ask the meeting to consider testing all returning Australian citizens before their flight, with a view to requiring a negative test result before boarding.

Almost seven in 10 of South Australia’s coronavirus cases have come from overseas – 375 of the 558 cases.

Mr Marshall said the testing plan would need support from other states and territories.

“Testing people prior to them getting on to flights is an issue which we will need to have determined at a national cabinet level because often flights are rerouted,” he said.

The proposal has received a mixed response, with support from the State Opposition tempered by some concerns by the federal Health Department and a leading Adelaide epidemiologist.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the likely course of events during 2021 was if somebody came to Australia and a vaccine was widely available, either they would be vaccinated with verification or would have to go into quarantine.

A federal Health Department spokesman said the plan had some merits, but also some challenges.

“The maj­or risk with relying on a solution like testing at an airport is the failure to detect an infected passenger who is incubating COVID-19,” the spokesman said.

“No single or combination of tests at present are sensitive and reliable enough to detect a person who is incubating the infection.”

The sentiments were echoed by Adriana Milazzo, the University of Adelaide’s infectious disease epidemiologist in the School of Public Health.

She said a negative test was reassuring but not an absolute guarantee.

However, Dr Milazzo said the tests could be a strong control measure and reduce the spread of the virus.

Mr Marshall said SA was still on track to lift restrictions on December 1, but probably not sooner despite pleas from the hospitality industry.

It is the same day SA hopes to reopen the Victorian border.

It is also hoped states that ordered full or partial closures following last week’s lockdown, including Queensland, Tasmania and NSW, will soon lift those restriction.

Western Australia looks no closer to lifting its ban.