The number of citizens and residents allowed into Australia will be slashed to ease pressure on state and territory coronavirus quarantine systems.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged the decision would make it more difficult for citizens to come home, but insisted it was in the national interest. Photo: AFP
Prime Minister Scott Morrison today announced the National Cabinet had agreed to cut the number of people coming home to Australia by 4000 each week, which amounted to a reduction of "just over half".
States and territories have complained over the burden of hosting returning Australian residents and citizens in hotel quarantine, with Morrison flagging this week that a limit would be introduced.
Morrison said after National Cabinet met this morning that today there was "a reduction in the number of inbound arrivals into Australia across those ports that are able to accept returning Australian citizens and residents.
"They will be cut by just over half across all the various ports that are taking those ... residents returning to Australia."
Every state and territory will also begin charging people in mandatory quarantine.
Breaches of hotel quarantine have been blamed for the current outbreak of Covid-19 in Victoria, and National Cabinet today agreed on a national review of the hotel quarantine system.
Morrison acknowledged the decision would make it more difficult for citizens to come home, but insisted it was in the national interest.
"There will be continuing access to Australia but the number of available positions on flights will be less, and I don't think that is surprising or unreasonable in the circumstances that we find ourselves in," he said.
- ABC