Coronavirus Australia: Overseas arrivals drop by 99 per cent in April

Of the 22,000 arrivals in April, 15,000 were returning Australians, compared with 1.7 million overseas arrivals in April 2019.

Australian residents returning from India are helped by members of the Royal Australian Navy, as they are ushered towards waiting buses for the beginning of their 14-day imposed quarantine. Picture; AAP.

There were 99 per cent fewer overseas arrivals in April versus the same month last year, as Australia closed its border and international travel ground to a near standstill.

Early, provisional data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics – part of a series of more timely statistics designed to provide a more timely measure of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – showed that of the 22,000 arrivals, 15,000 were returning Australians.

That compared to 1.7 million overseas arrivals in April 2019.

“These large decreases reflect the travel restrictions progressively put in place by the Australian government from the beginning of February due to the outbreak of COVID-19,” the ABS said.

Our two biggest groups of international travellers are from New Zealand and China. There were an estimated 320 Chinese citizens arriving in April, against 132,000 a year prior. Close to 1200 Kiwis arrived on our shores, versus 163,000 a year before.

Border force information shows the state or territory clearance for each traveller, and in April there were zero international arrivals for Tasmania and ACT.