70 Aussies barred from flying out of India as first repatriation flight in weeks set to return to Darwin

Dozens of Australians due to fly home from India today were told they cannot board their flight after 48 passengers tested positive for COVID. The news comes as the first repatriation flight from India in weeks is set to return to Darwin tomorrow morning.

• NT has capacity for just 100 positive COVID cases, just two ICU patients, as India flights resume
• ‘India flights must not create a burden on the health system’: NT govt
• Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Howard Springs will take all passengers on India COVID-19 repatriation flights
• All repatriation flights from India to Darwin ‘paused’

UPDATE: Almost half of the 150 people due to catch the Qantas repatriation flight out of India have been told they cannot leave the country after 48 tested positive for coronavirus before boarding.

Because many of those people have close contacts, it means 70 are no longer able to fly, NT health officals have confirmed

The National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre executive director Len Notaras said the repatriation flight had 150 Australian citizens with seats booked home.

“Because of the positive COVID results now almost half the passengers will not be coming,” Mr Notaras said.

He said the results of the COVID testing is proof that the new systems of testing put in place after flights were halted, is working.

“It is unfortunate for those prevented from boarding, but it is a good result for the health and safety of the rest of Australia that this system now in place in India is working,” Mr Notaras said.

He said the passengers off loaded would now have to re-apply with DFAT after they have tested negative to COVID 19.

EARLIER: QANTAS flight 111 left Darwin airport on its mercy mission to bring stranded Australians home from COVID-ravaged India.

The 787 jet lifted off at 1.46pm an hour later than originally expected and is due back in Darwin around 10am Saturday carrying up to 150 high risk passengers, who will head straight to Howard Springs for screening and quarantining for at least 14 days.

The flight is the first since the Federal Government was forced to put a halt to repatriation from India after a significant spike in passengers returning with COVID put stress on the health system.

India has been recording an average of 300,000 new infections daily and the NT government says the COVID-19 infection rate among passengers returning from India could again be in the double digits.

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NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said Howard Springs is gearing to take in 2000 returning Australians a fortnight by the end of June, which includes Aussies stranded in Europe.

This month 450 are expected from India close to 600 will fly in from London and Istanbul.

Of the 9000 stranded in India the most vulnerable are being flown out first. COVID-ravaged subcontinent,

Northern Territory Health Minister Natasha has said while she is confident the Territory’s health system could cope the flights must not create a burden on the health system

“We need — in managing these flights back into Australia — to make sure we do not create a burden on the health system here in the Territory,” Ms Fyles said.

Qantas flight 111 has taken off from Darwin airport on a mercy mission to bring stranded Australians home from COVID-ravaged India. Picture: Che Chorley

“We have the Howard Springs facility and we have worked around how that operates and as we saw when we reached very high numbers, the Federal Government worked with us to stop those flights so we could manage it.”