TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Australia's Victoria state mandates coronavirus testing for travelers

  (Reuters)
Melbourne, Australia
Mon, June 29, 2020

Share This Article

Change Size

Australia's Victoria state mandates coronavirus testing for travelers A woman crosses a street in Melbourne's central business district on June 17, 2020, as more Australians return to the city centre with a relaxing of the COVID-19 coronavirus rules. (AFP/William West)

A

ustralia's Victoria state will implement mandatory coronavirus tests for returning travelers after a sharp spike in infections over the past two weeks, the state's premier said on Sunday.

The country's second-most populous state had 49 new cases on Sunday, its highest in more than two months and the 12th consecutive day of double-digit rises. The rest of Australia has seen almost no infections.

"Much like a bushfire, putting this out is challenging," Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told a press conference, alluding to wildfires at the end of last year that burnt through vast swaths of the country.

"Containing it, though, is something that we can do, and test and trace is the most effective thing to do."

Victoria's officials said earlier this week that some 30 percent of returning travelers refused a COVID-19 test, and Andrews said it will be a mandatory procedure. Australia also requires all locals who return to quarantine in hotels for two weeks.

People in quarantine will be tested twice, first on day three and then on day 11 of their-two week quarantine period. Those still refusing testing will be required to remain in quarantine for a further 10 days, Andrews said.

New South Wales, Australia's largest state by population and which on Sunday recorded only three new cases, implemented similar measure on Friday.

About 40,000 people have been tested since Friday in Victoria as public health officials increased efforts to prevent further spread of the virus. Since the start of the year, nearly 12 percent of the state's population has been tested.

Despite the spike in Victoria, Australia's 7,700 cases and 104 deaths remain well below that of many other nations. 

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.