COVID updates: Stranded Gary Newman challenges India travel ban in court

The temporary travel ban preventing Australian citizens in India from returning home is being challenged in the federal court.

The temporary travel ban preventing Australian citizens in India from returning home is being challenged in the federal court.

Lawyers have lodged the challenge in the Sydney federal court on behalf of Melbourne man Gary Newman, and will argue the emergency declaration under the Biosecurity Act is invalid on constitutional grounds.

According to reports Mr Newman, 73, has been stuck in India since March 2020.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said he would not comment on the matter as it was before the courts.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said talks were underway for Indian travellers to quarantine in Darwin. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Mr Hunt said Australia would be better placed to take travellers from India after May 15 as the capacity of the Howard Springs quarantine facility would be tripled from 850 to 2000 people by then.

“That is occurring as we speak,” he said.

“Secondly, there are provisions being put in place to assist better testing in country at the point of departure, and I think that is a very important part of it to make sure that we have that better testing in place, and then thirdly we are looking at systems capacity right across the country”

Mr Hunt said he agreed the pause on travel from India was “working” as the positivity rate among returned travellers in quarantine had dropped.

“Therefore we’re seeing greater capacity provisionally emerging within Howard Springs, at the same time we are tripling the capabilities of Howard Springs going forward,” he said.

Mr Hunt also today announced that from next week GPs will receive significantly more vaccine doses to administer to the public, with the federal government now “confident” the supply chain can withstand the larger demand.

Mr Hunt said GP clinics currently receiving 50 doses a week will have their allocation tripled to 150 a week, while larger clinics with between 100 and 400 doses will have their allocation doubled to between 200 and 800 doses.

Australia is also “deeply involved” in looking to purchase vaccines capable of combating emerging COVID-19 variants or as future “booster” shots to be administered after the initial two doses.

Mr Hunt said he would not “pre-empt contracts or agreements before they are signed” but confirmed the federal government was pursuing the issue.

“We are deeply involved in looking beyond this year at booster or variant strategies, and that is a very important part of our consideration,” he said.

In the UK the government has confirmed it is seeking to be able to administer a third booster shot to people over the age of 50 by the end of this year.

UK health officials are investigating whether this will be a booster shot using an existing vaccine, or if it will be a new generation option that can specifically combat emerging variants of concern.

PM: ‘INDIA FLIGHT BAN IS WORKING’

Australia‘s ban on travel from India has not damaged the relationship between the two countries insists Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Mr Morrison said he was “not concerned” about the temporary pause preventing even Australian citizens from returning from India harming foreign relations, highlighting the ”significant humanitarian support” being sent to the COVID-19 ravaged nation.

“This is a partnership effort with India to support them as they deal with this terrible crisis,” he said.

Workers load medical aid to be flown in an Air India aeroplane to India, at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Picture: AFP

Shipments containing 100 oxygen containers, plus masks, respirators and other PPE left Sydney bound for India on Wednesday morning.

Mr Morrison said the travel ban would remain in place until May 15 and claimed the pause was “already working” as cases of COVID-19 in quarantine facilities had stopped surging.

“This is enabling us to get on the right foot to restore repatriation flights and we are making good progress to that,” he said.

“We are starting to see, as a result of the pause … cases at Howard Spring coming down – we have more of a distance to travel there – but it is working and that means that the pause will enable us to get Australian citizens and residents and their immediate families back on repatriation flights.”

People queue to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations in New Dehli. Picture: Getty

Mr Morrison said Australia would be “eroding our capability” to have repatriation flights without first bringing down the number of COVID-19 patients in quarantine.

“This was a necessary step to ensure that we could help more Australian citizens and residents get home, safely, in a way that did not risk a third wave in Australia.”

The Daily Telegraph has revealed an extra 140 cases of COVID-19 in a month was all it took to overwhelm Australia’s hotel quarantine system and force the border closure with India.

Data shows in the month to April 29, there were 469 cases of COVID-19 among returned travellers, including 210 from India, 27 from the US, 38 from PNG and three from the UK.

This was a 46 per cent increase on the previous month, when there had been 320 cases, with a top of 55 infected people from PNG.

In December, COVID-19 cases among overseas travellers had surged higher, with 332 infections, lead by 62 cases from the US.

The spike in April was the basis for the medical advice behind banning travellers from India until May 15 under threat of fines or jail time.

Legendary cricketer Mike Hussey has reportedly contracted COVID-19 in India. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

COACH CONTRACTS COVID IN INDIA

Meanwhile Australian cricket legend Michael Hussey has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

The 45-year-old was working as a batting coach for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, and is one of many Australians trapped in the country following Scott Morrison’s decision to introduce a hard border closure.

Early on Wednesday morning AEST, The Times of India reported Hussey had become the first Australian in the IPL bubble to test positive for the coronavirus.

According to the publication, he was tested twice with both coming back positive.