Emergency powers from Monday to block all travellers from India

Travellers from India face five years in jail or a $66,600 fine if they try and return.

Health Minister Greg Hunt. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Health Minister Greg Hunt will invoke emergency powers to block all travellers from India, amid concerns that transiting passengers who have been in the coronavirus-ravaged country may still enter Australia.

The powers, which have never been used before, will come into force from Monday and ­people who breach them face five years’ jail or a fine of up to $66,600.

Mr Hunt made the determination under the Biosecurity Act to stop people who have been in India during the past fortnight from arriving in Australia, after receiving advice from Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly.

“The risk assessment that informed the decision was based on the proportion of overseas travellers in quarantine in Australia who have acquired a COVID-19 infection in India,” the Minister said.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan revealed on Friday he had been advised that 4500 Australians had travelled to India “for various reasons” in the first three months of this year. There are about 9000 stranded Australians in India wanting to come home, 650 of whom are considered vulnerable.

While Scott Morrison said a loophole letting people return from India to Australia via Doha had been “closed off” as of 7pm on Wednesday, government sources confirmed concerns remained that there were path into the country.

Flights from India to Australia have been paused until May 15 but Mr Hunt said national cabinet wanted them restarted “as soon as possible” after that date, once the number of coronavirus cases in hotel quarantine had reduced.

“The government does not make these decisions lightly. However, it is critical the integrity of the Australian public health and quarantine systems is protected and the number of COVID-19 cases in quarantine facilities is reduced to a manageable level,” Mr Hunt said.

“India has been reporting more than 300,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day for the past week. The total number of cases in India is now close to 19 million and more than 200,000 people have died.”

The federal government is not actively discussing financial support or getting vaccinations to Australians stranded in India, with the focus on the arrival of its initial support package, including 1000 non-invasive ventilators, early next week.

“I will not pre-empt anything in relation to financial support,” Mr Hunt said. “The question of vaccination for Australian overseas is a challenging one. We have to be able to ensure there is cold chain integrity (so vaccines can be appropriately stored) and support of countries … It’s a question for medical advice as to what’s achieved and what’s possible.”

NSW joined business groups on Friday in demanding the federal government set targets for ­reopening the international border based on the number of vaccines administered.

State Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said a closed international border was one of the biggest challenges the country faced and was costing NSW up to $1.5bn a month.

“Now is the time to be working together to create a clear path on how we can safely reopen to the world,” he said.

“A good starting point would be an indication from the commonwealth on what is needed before international borders re-open.”

Senior federal ministers hit back at a proposal from Victoria for the commonwealth to fund a quarantine centre on the outskirts of Melbourne.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton declared the plan — for a 3000-bed, $700m complex similar to Howard Springs in the Northern Territory — was all “smoke and mirrors”.

Mr Hunt said the plan would be considered.

There were 67,000 COVID-19 vaccinations in the 24 hours to Friday afternoon. Australia is approaching 2.2 million doses administered.