Traffic light system for return to international travel
New details have emerged about how international travel will work when borders reopen. It comes as Scott Morrison confirms repatriation flights for stranded Aussies in three countries.
QLD News
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A traffic light system for when Australia’s international borders reopen to some countries is being developed by the expert medical panel.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the plan was discussed by the National Security Committee today, but warned it was still “many, many months” before international travel resumes with any significance.
“With or without a vaccine, we need to be in a different place next year than we are this year,” Mr Morrison said.
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It comes as he announced special repatriation flights were being organised to get vulnerable Australians stranded overseas home from the UK, India and South Africa.
There will be four flights from New Delhi, costing passengers $1500, three flights from London at $2150 and one flight from Johannesburg for $1750.
The flights begin next week and go until mid-November.
Mr Morrison said planning around the return of international travel to Australia, which has been banned since March due to COVID-19, was in early stages.
He said it would look at home isolation and potential big business putting in place corporate arrangements for quarantine for returning workers.
Mr Morrison said the standards of quarantine would have to meet the standards that are in place for the publicly-run hotel quarantine system.
“That means that we can work to try and get back to a new kind of normal for Australia,” he said.
“As much as getting Australians home is our top priority when it comes to utilising these
quarantine arrangements, our other priority is to get Australia back to a safe level of engaging with the rest of the world.”
The Federal Government has previously indicated a return to international travel is unlikely until the latter part of 2021.
Mr Morrison also confirmed the special repatriation flights would stop at Howard Springs in the Northern Territory for quarantine.
He said the flights would be arranged by Qantas, who had been provided with a priority list of vulnerable passengers in the UK to ensure they have the first opportunity to secure those seats.
“Our High Commission there is contacting all of those individuals and giving them the opportunity, through Qantas, to be on those flights so they can return,” he said.
Families will have to pay for their own quarantine at Howard Springs, which will be $2500 for an individual, or $5000 for a family.
Mr Morrison said there have been 29,100 Australian citizens have been assisted by DFAT to get home.
