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The federal government has announced travel bans and new quarantine rules amid concerns about the new Omicron COVID-19 variant circulating in southern Africa.
Key points:
- Non-Australians who have been to nine countries where Omicron has been detected cannot enter Australia
- The countries are South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, The Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique
- Anyone who has already arrived in Australia from one of the countries must isolate for 14 days
Effective immediately, non-Australian citizens who have been in nine countries, including South Africa, where Omicron has been detected cannot enter Australia.
The countries are South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, The Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique.
Australian citizens and their dependents who have been in those countries over the past 14 days will need to enter two weeks' supervised quarantine.
Additionally, anyone who has already arrived in Australia from one of the countries recently must isolate for 14 days.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said about 100 people who had flown into states and territories where quarantine is not compulsory would be required to quarantine.
"The crucial thing is supervised 14 days' quarantine. Where that occurs [whether at home or hotel quarantine] will be a matter for states to determine," Professor Kelly said.
He said the states and territories in question were New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.
Australia has also suspended all flights to and from the affected countries.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the measures were precautionary and could change at any time.
"If the medical evidence shows that further actions are required, we will not hesitate to take them and that may involve strengthening or expanding the restrictions," he said.
The government is also changing the international border checks for all arrivals.
At the moment people flying in are required to show their vaccine certificate and a negative PCR test, but they will now be asked to list which countries they have been to in the past 14 days.
No known cases in Australia
There are no known cases of Omicron in Australia, but Professor Kelly said authorities were closely monitoring the situation.
"Things are still being monitored in relation to this particular variant," he said.
"We do know that it does contain a large number of mutations. It is quite different to previous variants that we have been watching.
"But at this point, other than understanding that it is transmissible between humans and is transmitting particularly in South Africa but also in those surrounding countries, we do not, at this point, have any clear indication that it is more severe, or any definite indication of issues in relation to the vaccine.
"We don't know a lot about it, to be honest," he added.
Australia is the latest country to to introduce measures in response to the new variant.
Overnight, the World Health Organization called for calm, as scientists said it could take weeks to fully understand the variant's mutations and whether existing vaccines and treatments will work against it.
Mr Hunt said the outbreak again highlighted the importance of vaccination against COVID-19.
"We have seen a statement from the South African government," he said. "It is early days and they indicated that the vast majority of people who have been diagnosed so far [are] unvaccinated".
"This does emphasise, if you haven't been vaccinated, please come forward to be vaccinated."
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