Highlights
- Australia suspends all flights from India until at least mid-May.
- The federal government defends Australia's hotel quarantine system, amid calls for a new strategy.
- And in sport, Australian cricket stars withdraw from the Indian Premier League to return to Australia.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says an assistance package will be sent to India by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"500 non-invasive ventilators. One million surgical masks. 500,000 p2 and N95 masks. 100,000 surgical gowns. 100,000 goggles. 100,000 pairs of gloves. 20,000 face shields. We will also agree to commence procurement of 100 oxygen concentrates along with tanks and consumables.”
Foreign Minister Marise Payne says there had been eight DFAT-commissioned charter flights planned from India in May but they would now be paused.
"For Australians in India and their loved ones, this is a difficult time. For Indian Australians, many here in Australia will be very concerned about family as well. We currently have just over 9,000 Australians registered in India, 650 of those are registered as vulnerable. As you expect under the circumstances this number will certainly increase over the coming days and weeks."
(Consular contact numbers are 1300 555 135 and from outside Australia 0061 62623204)
State and federal tensions over hotel quarantine remain unresolved as West Australians emerge from a three-day lockdown.
WA Premier Mark McGowan says the three-day lockdown cost the local economy about $70 million.
The state recorded zero new community-transmitted COVID-19 cases, however four new infections were detected in hotel quarantine.
Mr McGowan has criticised the federal government for allowing people to go to India for non-urgent purposes.
The Indian Society of Western Australia says what's occurring in India is akin to a war and Indian-Australians stranded in the country need to be repatriated.
President Supriya Guha says there's been too much time wasted debating the merits of hotel quarantine and he supports calls for purpose-built quarantine facilities away from Australia's big cities.
Mr Guha says the Australian government must take urgent action.
"There are hundreds of Indian Australians who are struck now in India. We need to do something to urgently bring them here and then you close down the country, that's fine. If you don't want to let visitors come in, that's still okay. You can't really keep your residents and citizens out there dying and suffering."
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