COVID NSW: Quarantine cases halve as India travel ban ends

Forty passengers were stopped from boarding a flight from India to Australia after testing positive to COVID-19. This comes as more than 30 others were also detained for being close contacts.

More than 70 passengers scheduled to fly out from India to Australia on Saturday have been stopped from boarding after 40 tested positive to COVID-19.

With the flight from New Delhi to Darwin able to carry 150 passengers, a search was under way on Friday for other potential passengers who may be able to board.

However, the passengers will need to have returned two negative COVID tests.

The 70 passengers included both positive cases and their close contacts.

This comes after the Morrison Government lifted Australia’s travel ban with India after a significant drop in active hotel quarantine COVID-19 cases.

A flight left for India at 8.30am with oxygen equipment and is set to return with Australians only if they test negative upon boarding.

The plane, carrying 1056 ventilators and 60 oxygen concentrators is expected to arrive in Delhi at 10.30pm AEDT on Friday as passenger numbers were still being confirmed for the flight.

Some vulnerable Australians stuck in India are set to fly out from the COVID-ravaged nation today. Picture: AFP

Those who have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have been offered spots on flights today, May 17 and May 22, according to multiple posts on social media.

The lifting of the ban comes as active COVID-19 cases in hotel quarantine more than halved across Australia since April 30.

NSW currently has 102 active COVID-19 cases in hotel quarantine, down from 129, while Victoria has 19 active hotel quarantine cases, down from 87, according to Commonwealth Health data.

Passengers at Sydney International Airport before being transferred to hotel quarantine in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Queensland active hotel quarantine cases fell from 82 to 18, South Australia from 35 to 15, WA from 31 to 13 active cases and the Northern Territory from 53 to just four cases.

NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

One new case was acquired overseas to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5363.

Despite extensive, ongoing investigations into the source of two locally acquired cases announced last week, NSW Health has not identified the source of the initial case.

Sydneysiders line-up at the new COVID-19 Vaccination Centre at Sydney Olympic Park. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

VACCINE SCEPTICISM

Australia has one of the highest rates of vaccine scepticism, research from data intelligence company Morning Consultant has found.

This week’s data found 18 per cent of residents unwilling to get vaccinated and 24 per cent uncertain whether they will.

Hornsby Shire councillor Mick Marr has also urged the local over 50s community to get the jab after reports of only a small number of people coming forward to get vaccinated.

“The other day I got my AstraZeneca vaccination for over 50s at Hornsby Hospital Vaccination Centre at Derby St entrance at about 10am,” Councillor Marr said.

“I was the only one there except for the twenty odd staff.

“I went back the other day and again yesterday and found the same situation.”