Australia suspends all direct passenger flights from India until May 15
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the suspension would remain in place until at least May 15 due to "clearly present" risks of travel from India, leaving thousands of Australians -- including high-profile cricketers -- stranded.
FollowAustralia has suspended all direct passenger flights from India due to the unprecedented spike in Covid-19 cases. The decision was taken during a meeting of Cabinet’s national security committee.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the suspension would remain in place until at least May 15 due to "clearly present" risks of travel from India, leaving thousands of Australians -- including high-profile cricketers stranded.
The flight suspension is expected to affect direct flights to Sydney and two repatriation flights scheduled to arrive in Darwin, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
There are about 9,000 Australians in India who are registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as wanting to return home, the report said.
India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3 lakh daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days.
Thailand, Netherlands, Iran, Canada, UAE, Hong Kong have restricted entry of travellers from India in view of the coronavirus crisis.
Morrison also said Australia would send medical aid, including oxygen tanks, ventilators and personal protective equipment, to India as its health system strains under the growing caseload.
The nation of 1.3 billion people recorded 352,991 new infections and 2,812 deaths on Monday -- its highest levels since the pandemic began.
Morrison said India was enduring a "terrible humanitarian crisis" that was also hitting Australian families with ties to the country.
"The scenes that we're seeing from India are truly heartbreaking," he said.
Morrison stressed that the suspension was not a permanent measure, saying repatriation flights would resume with the "most vulnerable" given priority.
"We don't think the answer is to forsake those Australians in India and just shut them off, as some seem to suggest," he said, adding there would be no special treatment for cricketers currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The country of 25 million has recorded fewer than 30,000 cases since the pandemic began and 910 deaths, with no major outbreaks since last year and most parts of the country enjoying few restrictions.
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