INTERNATIONAL outbound travel by Australians will not be possible until at least mid-Mar 2021, after Minister for Health Greg Hunt declared a three-month extension to the human biosecurity emergency declaration (TD breaking news yesterday).
The emergency period has now been in place since 18 Mar 2020, when the Smartraveller advisory for all destinations across the globe was lifted to the highest “Do not travel” level.
Hunt said the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee had advised that “the international COVID-19 situation continues to pose an unacceptable public health risk,” with the extension of the biosecurity emergency period seen as an “appropriate response to that risk”.
The update means the Overseas Travel Ban Emergency Requirements Determination 2020 remains in place until 17 Mar 2021, which stipulates that “an Australian citizen or permanent resident must not leave Australian territory as a passenger on an outgoing aircraft or vessel,” with some exemptions allowed including air or ship crew members, people whose travel is associated with essential work at an offshore facility or people travelling on official government business.
Exceptional circumstances provisions also allow exemptions to the measure to be granted by the Australian Border Force Commissioner.
Hunt noted the restrictions are reviewed regularly, and “can be amended or removed at any time based on the expert medical advice”.
The updated recommendation, which is still subject to ratification by the Governor General, also imposes limitations on the movement of cruise vessels, but interestingly Hunt also noted the Government was “working closely with state and territory agencies and the cruise sector to develop a framework for the staged resumption of cruise ships in a manner that is proportionate to the public health risk”.
More details in today’s issue of Cruise Weekly.
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Source: traveldaily