#wuhanvirus More than 40 direct #China flights will arrive in Australia today. Only flights from Wuhan are being screened by biosecurity, but those flights have stopped. Why aren’t ALL direct flights being screened? #auspol #aushealth #bordersecurity
#wuhanvirus now reported to have killed 18 people. 630 confirmed infections. Of 22 Chinese provinces & 11 other regions, only 7 have not reported confirmed infections. 5 Chinese cities are locked down but hundreds of millions of people will still travel in Lunar New Year period.
The large number of direct flights from #China to Australia carry thousands of family, tourist and business travellers. Australia will also shortly see a large influx of Chinese students at beginning of the academic year.
#China’s reluctance to be open about the past SARS epidemic suggests the full spread of the #wuhanvirus may be seriously underestimated. @AusBorderForce screening of ALL direct flights from China would be consistent with Australia’s national pandemic plan.
Biosecurity screening of ALL flights from China will not prevent but would likely help slow entry of the virus into the Australian population. Much better to be prudent than late. This is a critical #bordersecurity issue. @ScottMorrisonMP should act without further delay #auspol
The #coronavirus case in Melbourne, with a patient who flew from Guangzhou, underlines the urgent need for intensive screening of ALL flights from #China, as now urged by the President of @RACGP. Better to act now than lament the delay in hindsight #auspol #aushealth #wuhanvirus
