news, act-politics, canberra, repatriation, flight, covid, covid-19, coronavirus
Canberra’s hotel quarantine program will be bolstered by the military this week, when the capital is expected to receive its first international flight since June. Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the ACT has made a number of further requests to the federal government, including for the use of dedicated Australian Federal Police officers instead of ACT Policing, at the hotel quarantine site. He said the territory would be using Australian Defence Force personnel and lessons had been learnt from the situations in Victoria and South Australia. It is expected a Singapore Airlines repatriation flight will arrive in Canberra on Thursday, but discussions with the federal government are ongoing. Staff won’t be banned from working in other jobs outside of hotel quarantine, but Mr Barr said the risks would be managed. “Our preference would be that they don’t, but I can’t ask someone to give up potentially half their income for the sake of a potentially two-week quarantine period for one flight,” Mr Barr said. “But we certainly want to know where they will be working and whether there will be any risk and we can see if we can mitigate that. “Rest assured we are learning lessons that have been hard-learnt lessons in other jurisdictions. “We intend to manage this safely.” There will also be beefed-up infection control requirements and testing of quarantine workers. The name of the hotel where passengers will undergo quarantine has not been revealed. Mr Barr said the successful management of the repatriation flights could pave the way for the return of international students to the ACT in 2021. The Australian National University and University of Canberra were in July forced to delay a planned pilot program to bring a select number of international students to the territory after the number of COVID-19 cases exploded in Victoria. According to the ANU, the plan would have allowed a small number of international students to recommence their semester two studies on campus following 14 days of police-supervised quarantine in apartment-style accommodation. Strict protocols and testing were planned to be in place for flights, transfers and supervised quarantine, with all students needing to return a negative test before leaving quarantine. About 150 passengers are expected to arrive on the flight from Singapore on Thursday afternoon. The ACT has indicated it could take two flights before Christmas, but Mr Barr has previously said he wouldn’t allow more than one plane of passengers to quarantine in the territory at one time. Passengers flying into Canberra from overseas before Christmas will have to pay for hotel quarantine. Adult travellers will be charged $3000 for their two weeks in quarantine, with an additional charge for children of $500 per child. Any repatriation flight will be the first international flight into Canberra since June, when a flight arrived from Nepal. Prior to that, Canberra received a repatriation flight from India.
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Canberra’s hotel quarantine program will be bolstered by the military this week, when the capital is expected to receive its first international flight since June.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the ACT has made a number of further requests to the federal government, including for the use of dedicated Australian Federal Police officers instead of ACT Policing, at the hotel quarantine site.
He said the territory would be using Australian Defence Force personnel and lessons had been learnt from the situations in Victoria and South Australia.
It is expected a Singapore Airlines repatriation flight will arrive in Canberra on Thursday, but discussions with the federal government are ongoing.
Staff won’t be banned from working in other jobs outside of hotel quarantine, but Mr Barr said the risks would be managed.
“Our preference would be that they don’t, but I can’t ask someone to give up potentially half their income for the sake of a potentially two-week quarantine period for one flight,” Mr Barr said.
“But we certainly want to know where they will be working and whether there will be any risk and we can see if we can mitigate that.
“Rest assured we are learning lessons that have been hard-learnt lessons in other jurisdictions.
“We intend to manage this safely.”
There will also be beefed-up infection control requirements and testing of quarantine workers.
The name of the hotel where passengers will undergo quarantine has not been revealed.
Mr Barr said the successful management of the repatriation flights could pave the way for the return of international students to the ACT in 2021.
The Australian National University and University of Canberra were in July forced to delay a planned pilot program to bring a select number of international students to the territory after the number of COVID-19 cases exploded in Victoria.
According to the ANU, the plan would have allowed a small number of international students to recommence their semester two studies on campus following 14 days of police-supervised quarantine in apartment-style accommodation.
Strict protocols and testing were planned to be in place for flights, transfers and supervised quarantine, with all students needing to return a negative test before leaving quarantine.
About 150 passengers are expected to arrive on the flight from Singapore on Thursday afternoon.
The ACT has indicated it could take two flights before Christmas, but Mr Barr has previously said he wouldn’t allow more than one plane of passengers to quarantine in the territory at one time.
Passengers flying into Canberra from overseas before Christmas will have to pay for hotel quarantine.
Adult travellers will be charged $3000 for their two weeks in quarantine, with an additional charge for children of $500 per child.
Any repatriation flight will be the first international flight into Canberra since June, when a flight arrived from Nepal. Prior to that, Canberra received a repatriation flight from India.
A repatriation flight from Nepal arriving at Canberra Airport. Picture: Elesa Kurtz
