PM thanks Australians, makes new quarantine announcement

All passengers arriving in Australia will now enter mandatory quarantine for 14 days Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced today.

At a press conference this afternoon Mr Morrison thanked Australians for their cooperation but said more needed to be done.

There are more than 3,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia and 13 people have died. Of the newly reported cases in the last week, the majority have been from NSW, Queensland and Victoria.

Australian governments met today as the National Cabinet to take further action to slow the spread of coronavirus to save lives and livelihoods.

National Cabinet noted that the vast majority (about 85 per cent) of cases in Australia remain overseas acquired or locally acquired contacts of a confirmed case.

Mr Morrison said that the National Cabinet agreed that as soon as possible, but no later than 11:59pm Saturday, March 28, all travellers arriving in Australia will be required to undertake their mandatory 14-day self-isolation at designated facilities (for example, a hotel).

“States and territories will be quarantining all arrivals through our airports in hotels and other accommodation facilities for the two weeks of their mandatory self-isolation before they are able to return to their home,” the Prime Minister said.

“If their home is in South Australia, or in Perth, or in Tasmania and they have arrived in Melbourne, they will be quarantining in Melbourne.”

Travellers will be transported directly to designated facilities after appropriate immigration, customs and enhanced health checks.

Designated facilities will be determined by the relevant state or territory government and will ordinarily be in the city of entry where the traveller has cleared immigration, but facilities in other areas may be used if required.

These requirements will be implemented under state and territory legislation and will be enforced by state and territory governments, with the support of the Australian Defence Force and the Australian Border Force where necessary.

The Commonwealth will provide support through the ABF and ADF for these arrangements across Australia, and that states and territories would meet the costs and determine any contributions required for travellers arriving within their jurisdictions.

The Australian Defence Force will begin assisting state and territory governments to undertake quarantine compliance checks of those who are required to be in mandatory isolation after returning from overseas.

ADF personnel will bolster local police efforts in visiting the homes and residences of Australians who are in mandatory isolation as directed by state and territory governments and will report to the local police whether the identified individual was at the residence.

See the full press conference below.