Coronavirus: Ban on travellers from stricken India

Scott Morrison has shut the border to flights from India for nearly three weeks, blocking the return of Australians trapped in an unprecedented crisis.

Australian cricketers Kane Williamson, left, and David Warner aboard a flight from Hyderabad to New Delhi. Picture: Instagram

Scott Morrison has shut the border to flights from India for nearly three weeks, putting a halt on the return of Australians trapped in the country as it faces an unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.

About 500 Australians scheduled to return from India will be bumped from two now-cancelled commercial flights to Sydney and two government-facilitated repatriation flights to Darwin that were due to depart before May 15.

The Prime Minister announced the move after a meeting of cabinet’s national security committee on Tuesday to allow the quarantine system “to rebalance”, and implement new testing requirements for those departing India for Australia. He ruled out special treatment for Australian cricketers, including Steve Smith, Pat Cummins and David Warner, currently in India for IPL matches.

There were reports Warner was among those who wanted to leave, but he was all smiles in a picture posted to social media of him and Kiwi star Kane Williamson in full PPE on a domestic flight.

Warner and Williamson, who play for Sunrisers Hyderabad, were flying from their team’s base to New Delhi for a match on Thursday.

Mr Morrison also pledged an initial COVID support package to help India deal with the “rapidly escalating” situation, including 500 non-invasive ventilators, one million surgical masks, and 500,000 P2 and N95 masks.

He said the 325,000 positive cases a day being recorded in India were “heartbreaking”.

There are more than 9000 Australians in India registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as seeking to ­return home, including 650 said to be “vulnerable”.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the number of Australians wanting to return from the country was expected to increase in the coming days and weeks.

The flight ban, which will be reviewed before the middle of next month, has placed eight repatriation flights due to depart India in May on pause.

Mr Morrison said passengers on all future flights from India would be required to show evidence of a negative COVID nasal swab test, and a negative rapid antigen test prior to departure.

He said the number of positive COVID cases in those travelling from India had jumped sharply since April 16, requiring NSW ­facilities and the Northern Territory national quarantine centre at Howard Springs “to be able to work through the system and return to lower levels”.

“Not only do we need to reach out and support our friends and family and all of those across India but we also need to take appropriate steps to ensure that we, here in Australia, have border protection arrangements upgraded … to deal with the risks that clearly present from travel from India,” Mr Morrison said. “Further flights to India will be considered … prior to the 15th of May with a focus on supporting vulnerable Australians, in particular in relation to charter flights that have been put in place by the Australian government.”

Australian cricketers would have to “return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements”, he said.

West Australian bowler Andrew Tye made it out early this week but others who wanted to leave have left it too late. Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson, who had hoped to leave on Wednesday morning, were still in Mumbai when Mr Morrison announced flights would be stopped.

IPL authorities have assured Australian players they will do everything possible to get them home when the tournament is over. A letter from the IPL boss on Tuesday reassured them they would not be trapped in India.

Mr Morrison last week announced a 30 per cent reduction in passenger numbers for Australians returning from India on ­government-facilitated and commercial flights over May. He said the government had been forced to do so because of the spike in COVID cases in hotel quarantine in travellers from the country.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan, who called a snap three-day lockdown over one local COVID case, had piled pressure on the federal government, saying Indian arrivals had placed “huge pressure” on the state’s quarantine facilities.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said the situation in India was devastating. “Labor stands with the people of India and we also stand with … the Indian community here in Australia, many of whom are so deeply worried about friends and family who are in India,” she said.

“Our thoughts are also with the 10,000 Australian citizens and permanent residents who are stranded in India.”