The repatriation flights facilitated by the Australian authorities for its stranded residents in India resumed from Friday. In a social media put up, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that “the non permanent pause on flights from India to Australia ends and facilitated industrial flights by the Australian authorities will resume as promised, with a strict pre-flight testing regime to maintain Australians protected.”
“This flight was carrying another 1,056 ventilators, 60 oxygen concentrators and other essential supplies. More than 1,000 ventilators and 43 oxygen concentrators we sent last week,” the Prime Minister stated in a Facebook put up.
According to international minister Marise Payne, a flight on Friday departed from Sydney to select up Australian passengers in New Delhi earlier than arriving again in Darwin on Saturday. It has additionally carried life-saving oxygen gear to India to assist its Covid-19 response, she stated.
Payne stated the passengers must bear a strict quarantine to ensure they aren’t carrying the variant of the coronavirus first recognized in India. These passengers will quarantine on the Centre for National Resilience at Howard Springs within the Northern Territory, she stated, including all passengers would bear PCR and Rapid Antigen Testing earlier than they journey.
This could be the primary flight after the Australian authorities imposed a brief ban lately with a menace of legal sanctions, together with 5 years in jail and fines of as much as 66,000 Australian {dollars} for individuals who attempt to return from India. Payne stated this non permanent pause had helped mitigate the danger of doubtless larger charges of an infection presenting on arrival in Australia and ensured the quarantine system was in a position to obtain additional flights.
These government-facilitated flights will likely be targeted on returning Australian residents, residents and households who’ve registered with our High Commission and consular places of work inside India and can prioritise essentially the most susceptible folks, the minister stated. Saturday’s flight into Darwin brings the entire variety of authorities facilitated industrial flights from India to 39 returning over 6,400 Australians since March 2020.
Australia has now delivered over 15 tonnes of medical provides to India, together with over 2,000 ventilators and greater than 100 oxygen concentrators. Greg Hunt, the Minister for Health and Aged Care, stated the Australian Government stood prepared to supply additional emergency medical provides if requested by the Indian Government.
The Australian Government is dedicated to doing all it may well to assist the Indian Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Hunt stated. Payne additionally praised the response of Australian companies and on a regular basis Australians and welcomed the assist provided from state and territory governments.
The Victorian Government has dedicated 1,000 ventilators, the Queensland Government has donated 2 million Australian {dollars} in aid funds to the Australian Red Cross and Western Australia has additionally donated 2 million Australian {dollars} in aid funds. Australia can also be in shut session with the New South Wales and South Australian governments on their proposed assist to India to fight the pandemic.
With 3,43,144 folks testing constructive for coronavirus in a day, India’s Covid-19 tally of instances climbed to 2,40,46,809, whereas the demise toll rose to 2,62,317 with 4,000 each day fatalities, in accordance with the Union Health Ministry knowledge up to date on Friday.
(with inputs from PTI)
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