COVID-19: Australia bans all passenger flights from India till May 15
The decision was taken during a meeting of the Cabinet's national security committee. Scott Morrison said that the situation will be reassessed later.
Australia has banned all international flights from India for the next three weeks in view of the worsening COVID-19 situation in the country. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Tuesday that the country has decided to suspend all direct passenger flights from India till May 15.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the Cabinet's national security committee. The Prime Minister said that the situation will be reassessed before taking any further decisions.
There are about 9,000 Australians in India who are registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as wanting to return home.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a 'pause' in flights, blaming escalating cases in people coming back from India and going into Australia's hotel quarantine system. He said the halt will allow quarantine facilities to reduce cases before allowing more people in.
The quarantine system has largely helped Australia to keep its COVID-19 numbers relatively low, with just under 29,700 cases and 910 deaths.
Meanwhile, Australians stranded in India say the suspension on flights from the nation has left them feeling 'helpless' with many having already spent more than a year trying to get a seat on a plane home.
Apart from Australia, several other countries have also banned flights including Maldives, Germany, Italy, the UK, UAE, Canada, the US, Oman, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Singapore, and Bangladesh.