Coronavirus: China travel ban ‘won’t be turned off’

Australia’s coronavirus travel ban will extend beyond its initial 14 days, despite a backlash from Chin­ese authorities.

Health Minister Greg Hunt in Canberra on Tuesday. Picture: AAP

Australia’s coronavirus travel ban will extend beyond its initial 14 days, despite a backlash from Chin­ese authorities accusing the federal government of ­succumb­ing to “panic and overreaction” in stopping flights between the two countries.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the travel ban, which is costing the tourism industry about $1bn a week and threatens to blow a hole in the $39bn international education sector, would not “suddenly be turned off” after a fortnight.

“We expect it will continue. We’re not putting a timeframe on it,” Mr Hunt said.

The official Chinese death toll from the virus hit 425, topping the 349 killed during the SARS outbreak in 2002 and 2003. With the most fatalit­ies in Hubei province, arrangements were being made for a second rescue flight to get Aust­ralians out of the virus epicentre. Australian officials hope the Qantas flight will be in the air by the weekend, with those evacuated to join 243 citizens and permanent residents already in quaran­tine on Christmas Island.

About 50 Australians being evacuated on an Air New Zealand plane will also be taken to Christmas Island after the Ardern government ruled they would not be quarantined at a facility north of Auckland with other passengers on the flight.

China’s deputy ambassador to Australia, Wang Xining, suggested Australia had overreacted to the disease threat by joining the US in banning Chinese travellers in violation of World Health Organisation advice.

Mr Wang, who said the embassy­ was not notified about the ban before it was announced, said China hoped Australia would make a “reasonable and very scientific assessment of the situation” when considering whether to extend the measure.

“The (WHO) didn’t recommend any restrictions over international travel and trade,’’ he said. “Actually, it opposes such measures. We are not happy that the US took the lead in enacting such very strict restrict­ion measures over Chinese citizens. It is common to see a vicious cycle of panic and overreaction. ­According to (the) WHO director-general, what we need now is facts.”

 

Mr Hunt stood firm on the ban, saying the government acted on the best medical advice.

“Ultimately, our job … our responsibil­ity, is to provide protection and national health security for the Australian people,” he said.

“And we’ve made some of the most forward-leaning decisions in the world, with the 14-day quarantine period for Hubei, with the position­ in terms of foreign nationals who have been in China, as of 1 February, not being able to enter Australia.

“They’ve been difficult decis­ions but made on the basis of the medical advice and we’ll implemen­t the medical advice.”

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly also defended the decis­ion, saying the Australian Health Protection Committee’s advice to the government was based on work by infectious disease specialists and mathematical modellers.

Mr Hunt said senior officials in China were told of the ban straight after it was decided by cabinet’s national security committee.

The number of coronavirus cases worldwide grew to more than 20,600 on Tuesday, with 20,438 confirmed cases in mainland China. There have been 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia.

In its monthly monetary policy statement, the Reserve Bank said coronavirus was a source of economic uncertainty “having a significant effect on the Chinese economy” and would temporarily weigh on domestic growth.