The Albanese government imposed mandatory COVID-19 testing on travellers from China against the explicit advice of the Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, who told the government there was not “sufficient public health rationale” for the measure
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly advised the health minister there was no public health rationale to screen flights from China for COVID
It is not yet known what standard of proof will be required, how long the bans remain in place or if transit passengers will be affected..Kelly said: “I do not believe that there is sufficient public health rationale to impose any restriction or additional requirements on travellers from China.” Butler announced the restrictions anyway, saying that tests will be required within 48 hours of departure from China, Hong Kong or Macau in response to an explosion of COVID-19 infections in China and the potential for new variants.
One of China’s top representatives in Australia expressed “deep regret” over the policy, which he said unfairly punished Chinese travellers just as the two nations were trying to rebuild diplomatic and trade relations. James McCaw, a pandemic advisor to the federal government, said he believed there was “no public health reason” for Australia to have particular requirements on travellers arriving from China.
James Goodwin from the Australian Airports Association said: “There needs to be urgent clarification on transiting passengers given Hong Kong has been included in the announcement.
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