Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced yesterday a further firming up of Australian borders, with entry to the country restricted to Australian citizens and residents only from 9pm AEDT [21:00] today, Friday 20 March 2020.
Australian residents and citizens returning from overseas will be granted entry but will be obliged to place themselves in self-isolation for 14 days upon arrival.
“After further consultation with the national security committee this afternoon, tonight, we will be resolving to move to a position where a travel ban will be placed on all non-residents, non-Australian citizens coming to Australia, and that will be in place from 9pm (AEDT) tomorrow evening,” Mr Morrison said yesterday.
“The overwhelming cases in Australia have been imported.
“We have about 80 per cent of the cases [of COVID-19] … in Australia that are either the result of someone who has contracted the virus overseas or someone who has had direct contact with someone who has returned from overseas.”
