Australia has extended its international coronavirus travel ban by three months. Health Secretary Greg Hunt announced yesterday that the borders will be closed to visitors from abroad until at least December 17th.
The government is responding to the advice of the Committee for Health Protection (AHPPC): The authority has determined that „the international and national Covid-19 situation continues to represent an unacceptable risk to public health,“ it said in a statement. The extension of the travel ban is „an appropriate response to this risk“.
Opposition: 23,000 Australians stranded abroad
The borders of Australia have been closed since March because of the pandemic, and people with permanent residence in Australia are only allowed to leave the country in exceptional cases. The opposition criticized the announcement and recalled 23,000 Australians who were stranded abroad and could no longer enter the country.
Around 26,000 cases of infection have been confirmed in Australia so far, and around 700 people have died in connection with Covid-19. The state of Victoria with the metropolis of Melbourne is particularly affected. A new lockdown was imposed in the metropolis at the beginning of July, which should last until at least mid-September.
