Nearly half the 150 passengers booked on Australia’s first repatriation flight from India have been barred from boarding on Friday after they or their shut contacts examined constructive for the coronavirus, an Australian authorities supply mentioned.
Tests have returned constructive outcomes for at the very least 40 passengers, or about 26% of the overall, mentioned the supply, who sought anonymity as he was not allowed to talk to media, a determine a lot increased than the three.5% seen in March.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) didn’t instantly reply to request for remark from Reuters. Qantas, which is working the flights on behalf of DFAT, directed queries to the federal government.
It is just not but clear if authorities had a stand-by checklist of passengers for the remainder of the almost 9,000 Australians and everlasting residents trying to get dwelling from COVID-ravaged India.
Media mentioned DFAT was making an attempt to accommodate different passengers however the requirement of two damaging check outcomes with the intention to board was making that troublesome.
Over the previous three weeks, India has reported greater than 300,000 infections every day, overwhelming its well being system.
A army aircraft left Australia on Friday carrying support to India, the supply added. It will return with the stranded residents, who should all check damaging earlier than boarding.
The passengers will then head to a transformed mining camp in Howard Springs for quarantine, a spokeswoman for the Northern Territory well being division mentioned.
The authorities goals to greater than double the capability of the Howard Springs facility, 25 km (16 miles) southeast of town of Darwin, to deal with 2,000 individuals each two weeks from June.
Two extra Royal Australian Air Force repatriation flights to the Northern Territory are scheduled this month, with about 1,000 individuals deliberate to return by the tip of June.
Australia shut its worldwide borders in March 2020 to all however residents and everlasting residents.
Most returning travellers, besides these from New Zealand, have needed to quarantine in accommodations for 2 weeks at their very own expense, a measure that has helped maintain infections low.
((*75*) vaccination tracker: https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/vaccination-rollout-and-access)
(Writing by Swati Pandey; Editing by Robert Birsel and Clarence Fernandez)
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