Andrews delays return of Victorians to state, won’t commit to reopening hotel quarantine

Daniel Andrews is continuing to delay an announcement on when he will allow international flights to land at Melbourne Airport.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is refusing to say when he will approve the resumption of international flights, disrupting plans of hundreds of residents seeking to return home.

A spokeswoman from Melbourne Airport confirmed 17 international flights with passengers due to land in Melbourne had been cancelled since February 13, the first day of the state’s snap lockdown and moratorium on overseas flights.

The number of passengers could not be confirmed but on February 11 about 150 people were due to land on seven different flights from “red zones” — which was about the daily average number of passengers the airport saw leading up to the lockdown.

It comes as the future of Australia’s hotel quarantine system is set to be debated at a national cabinet meeting on Friday, when Scott Morrison and state leaders are expected to discuss caps on international air passengers.

Mr Andrews suspended the state’s hotel quarantine system amid fears the UK variant of COVID-19 had escaped the Holiday Inn and leaked into the community.

“I am not in a position yet to confirm when flights will be arriving in Melbourne,” he said on Thursday. “The reason for that is we have asked our medical experts to look at what the impacts of variants of concern are on the risk profile in our hotels. When that work is completed and when they can satisfy me we can have a system where we have the lowest possible risk, flights will start.”

Yesterday there were no new cases reported. 19,133 test results were received. Thanks for getting tested - #EveryTestHelps.

More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/n8OrzS08fB

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) March 3, 2021

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and James Merlino, Minister for Mental Health, meet paramedics at North Melbourne Ambulance station before making an announcement of increased mental health support. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Mr Andrews said he knew it was “inconvenient” but the risk of a “wildly infectious strain” of COVID escaping into the community was too high.

Before Victoria’s snap five-day lockdown was called from midnight on February 12, the state was accepting up to 1120 returned travellers a week.

Amid fears the UK variant of COVID is more virulent, earlier in February the Premier also flagged the country should consider accepting fewer international travellers and accept some only on “compassionate grounds”.

National cabinet will hear from Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Phil Gaetjens about his plan for the ongoing management of the pandemic.

About 39,000 Australians stranded overseas are registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as wanting to return.