SYDNEY Australian residents and citizens who have been in India within 14 days of the date they plan to return home will be banned from entering Australia as of Monday and those who disobey will face fines and jail, government officials said. The temporary emergency determination, issued late on Friday, is the first time Australia has made it a criminal offense for its citizens to return home. The move is part of strict measures to stop travelers to Australia from the world s second most populous nation as it contends with a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. The restrictions come into effect from May 3 and breaching the ban risks civil penalties and up to five years imprisonment, Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a statement.
to a manageable level.” “
The proportion of overseas travelers in quarantine in Australia who have acquired a Covid-19 infection in India” was the factor that triggered the sanctions, he suggested. “
The friends and family of [Indian-Australian community] in Australia are at extreme risk. Tragically, many are contracting Covid-19 and many, sadly, are dying every day,” he said in a statement, adding that to help those in India Australia will send emergency medical supplies there. Restrictions are temporary and will be reconsidered on May 15, officials said, while admitting the move is “
drastic.”
Experts argued the response was inconsistent with previous anti-Covid policies, as there have been no such strict bans involving other affected countries. “
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