Victoria lobbying for UK ban in attempt to stop mutant strain escaping hotel quarantine

Halting international flights is among options being considered to halt the UK’s mutant COVID-19 strain devastating Australia.

Travellers from the UK and other high-risk countries could face tougher travel restrictions amid increased fears over the super COVID-19 strain.

The Victorian government remains on high alert over the mutated virus, which has seen the UK move to a total lockdown with more than 50,000 new cases a day. There are now four confirmed cases of the new strain in Victorian hotel quarantine with genomic testing under way to determine a possible fifth.

Victoria has lobbied for national action and Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng addressed the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee on Tuesday.

The committee agreed to bring forward a paper on the issue, which would consider modelling on how quickly the superbug could spread if introduced into the community.

Senior government sources said consideration was not currently being given to banning UK visitors, but they conceded Australia’s current settings may not be appropriate.

More than 40 countries across Europe, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and the Middle East have already suspended travel with the UK.

Travellers from the UK could be banned from entering Victoria. Picture: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

However, government sources said the ongoing trade war with China made it unlikely Australia would shut the border to the UK, its seventh-largest trading partner.

But Victoria could push for a New Zealand-style arrangement that imposes strict requirements for travellers from the UK and US, including confirmation of a negative COVID test 72 hours before departure.

Victorian health officials remain most concerned about travellers from the UK, US and Qatar after it was revealed five of eight flight crew to test positive for COVID-19 had travelled on Qatar Airways.

Police and Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said the situation in the UK was very concerning and consideration needed to be given to a broader border closure.

“I think it’s really important that we look at this issue,” she said. “I’m not the health expert. I want the health experts advising our leaders, which is why the Premier has asked for national cabinet, let’s get the advice.”

Ms Neville, responsible for the state’s quarantine program, said the transmission of the super virus to Victoria was worrying.

Defence force personnel outside the Pan Pacific Hotel in South Wharf, which is used to quarantine travellers. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Geraghty

“But what I want to do is reassure Victorians that we have built a hotel quarantine program that assumes every single person that comes off a plane is positive with whatever strain they have,” she said.

“That’s why we’re testing every staff member, it’s why we’ve got our own workforce, it’s why people can’t work across different sites.”

The Herald Sun understands Scott Morrison would be open to calling an extra or early national cabinet meeting before the next one slated for February 5 if asked.

But on Tuesday he insisted Daniel Andrews had not requested an earlier meeting.

“I spoke to the Premier last night (Monday night) and he didn’t ask for one,” Mr Morrison told 3AW. “We spoke about the UK strain last night … it is a great concern to us.”

Mr Morrison said the AHPPC would discuss how to ensure the strain stays out of the community here and any recommendations made by the panel would be considered by the federal government.

“If any further measures are required, then certainly they would trigger that and they recommend that then, of course, if necessary, we would need to action it,” he said.

After the medical experts’ meeting on Tuesday afternoon, the federal Department of Health confirmed the Australian border to the UK would remain open.

Melbourne’s hotel quarantine is among the strictest in Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

“The Australian government is monitoring the situation in the UK very closely,” a spokesman said. “Combined with other measures, including high testing rates, social distancing and strong localised response, mandatory hotel quarantine has resulted in relatively low numbers of cases in Australia compared to the rest of the world.

“Repatriation flights with mandatory quarantine will continue assisting Australians to return home, including from the UK.”