The federal government is considering using the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory to quarantine returned travellers from India.
| The proposal will be discussed in response to the first legal action against the Commonwealth's use of emergency powers.
Flights carrying aid from Australia could also help transport stranded citizens and residents back home after the travel ban is lifted. The current rules block Australians from returning if they have been in India over the past fortnight. Any breaches face the threat of prison sentences and fines. Around 9,000 Australians are stuck in India, including 900 who are considered vulnerable.
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Government considering using Howard Springs exclusively for Australians returning from IndiaThe government is considering using Howard Springs to only quarantine Indian returned travellers, as a way to expedite getting people out of the country when the travel ban ends.
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Government considering Howard Springs as exclusive India quarantine facility | Sky News AustraliaImmigration Minister Alex Hawke has told The Australian newspaper the federal government is considering a plan to use the Howard Springs quarantine facility solely for repatriations travellers from India. \n\nHowever, one concern raised about the proposal is the number of travellers the Northern Territory facility would be able to accommodate as capacity is yet to be boosted. \n\nBoth the territory and federal governments said accommodation was supposed to be ramped up to make 2000 beds available per fortnight from the beginning of this month. \n\nStaff shortages, however, have stalled expanding the facility’s capacity – with just 160 of 400 advertised jobs filled. \n\nNT Senator Sam McMahon said accommodation “absolutely can’t be ramped up to the 2,000 people at the moment because of the staffing issues”. \n\n“It would be foolish to try and ramp up the facility to 2,000 unless the required staff are there.” \n
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COVID-19 case in Howard Springs after repatriation flight from IndiaA person returned to Australia on a repatriation flight from India has tested positive to COVID-19.
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How did a COVID case make it undetected from India to Howard Springs?Epidemiologists say a new COVID case from the recent New Delhi repatriation flight — which was diagnosed in Australia after two earlier rounds of testing — likely made it here due to how long it takes for the virus to become detectable.
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COVID-positive case flew to Australia from India via Maldives and Singapore | Sky News AustraliaThe man who has tested positive for COVID-19 in Melbourne after leaving hotel quarantine in Adelaide departed India via the Maldives and Singapore before entering Australia.\n\nThe man tested positive twice for COVID-19 on Tuesday after developing symptoms on May 8.\n\nVictorian Health Minister confirmed the man spent 14-days in mandatory hotel quarantine before returning to Melbourne on May 4 where he was likely infectious from May 6.\n\nMr Foley said the man flew from India before travelling through the Maldives and Singapore.\n\nVictorian Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said the man had not broken the India border ban as he arrived in South Australia in mid-April.\n\nProfessor Sutton said the flight from Singapore was “expected and routine”.\n
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