Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question and for his ongoing contribution to national security. As the Prime Minister noted, another very significant decision of the government was made this morning, which decision is obviously designed to slow the onset of what is now the inevitable fact of increasing numbers of clinical presentations of COVID-19. Obviously, decisions about travel, both in terms of band and restrictions, are designed to work in conjunction with ongoing domestic measures. All of these are designed to slow the onset of clinical presentations. Of course, that is critically important to minimise pressures on the health system that will occur in due course. Domestically, those measures are tracking, testing, screening, case isolation and contact quarantine, but, as the Prime Minister announced a short time ago, on the advice of health authorities the government has determined changes with respect to travel for two high-risk jurisdictions. Foreign nationals who were in the Republic of Korea on or after 5 March will not be allowed to enter Australia for 14 days from the time they left or transited through the Republic of Korea, and Australian citizens and permanent residents arriving from the Republic of Korea will be subject to 14 days home based quarantine.

Obviously, the government is always looking at the most effective nature of restrictions. In making this determination on the practicality and capacity as between enhanced screening and bans, I can inform the House for its noting that during the snapshot period between 15 February and 4 March of this year the total arrivals of Italian nationals was 4,800 and the total arrivals of Korean nationals was 16,440. So we have made a practical determination. With respect to those coming in from Italy, there will be preboarding and post-arrival enhanced screening. Pre boarding, there will be mandatory questions at check-in. Border Force liaison officers at overseas airports will work with airlines to identify travellers who should not board. Airlines will also be required to refuse uplift for anyone identified as being unwell. Any passengers identified as unwell on the flight will be identified and referred for further assessment upon arrival. On arrival in Australia, travellers will not be able to use smart gates. Passengers identified as having been in Italy will be referred for health screening at the airport, including temperature and other related health checks, and those presenting symptoms will be subject to further the decisions by health officials in the airports.

I take a final opportunity to thank all those hardworking men and women of Border Force not only for their hard work but because they themselves are taking risks in making these restrictions and bans work. Their incredible adaptability to changing circumstances and the government's decision-making on those changing circumstances has been nothing short of remarkable.

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