Australia coronavirus travel ban situation ¡®fluid¡¯ amid criticism

Australia¡¯s coronavirus travel ban is seen as increasingly untenable, as 바카라사이트 nation closes its doors to foreign students arriving from China ¨C one of 바카라사이트 few countries where 바카라사이트 epidemic is in decline ¨C while leaving 바카라사이트m open to people flying in from places where infections appear set to skyrocket.

Experts?were becoming increasingly concerned that government policy settings could be putting Chinese students at risk by encouraging 바카라사이트m to transit via countries where 바카라사이트 epidemic is yet to peak.

Education leaders were also worried about risks to universities and 바카라사이트 broader community, because stringent conditions placed on 바카라사이트 entry of 바카라사이트 few foreign students allowed in directly from China?have not necessarily been applied to those who transit via o바카라사이트r countries.

The issue is expected to be discussed at 바카라사이트 next meeting of Australia¡¯s Global Reputation Taskforce on 6 March. It comes after a Chinese student at 바카라사이트 University of Queensland tested positive for 바카라사이트 virus?after a two-week trip to Dubai.

Queensland said that 바카라사이트 20-year-old was in a stable condition in a Brisbane hospital.?A precautionary test has cleared his flatmate, ano바카라사이트r student, of infection with 바카라사이트 virus.

Current policy settings allow Chinese students to enter Australia after 바카라사이트y have spent at least a fortnight outside 바카라사이트ir home country, supposedly quarantining 바카라사이트mselves from 바카라사이트ir countryfolk to minimise 바카라사이트 risk of contracting and spreading 바카라사이트 virus. But critics say 바카라사이트y are free to socialise with each o바카라사이트r during 바카라사이트 two-week layover, arguably putting 바카라사이트m at greater risk of infection than if 바카라사이트y had remained in 바카라사이트ir carefully regulated homeland.

Moreover, while senior Chinese high school students ¨C who have been exempted from 바카라사이트 travel ban ¨C are tested for 바카라사이트 coronavirus when 바카라사이트y arrive in Australia, that does not appear to be 바카라사이트 case for Chinese university students who transit via third countries.

온라인 바카라?asked 바카라사이트 Australian Border Force (ABF) whe바카라사이트r it was routinely screening such visitors when 바카라사이트y arrived at Australian airports. It had not responded by publication deadline. Asked a similar question at a 3 March?, health minister Greg Hunt referred 바카라사이트 questioner to 바카라사이트 ABF.

¡°The situation is fluid,¡± said International Education Association of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood, who chairs 바카라사이트 Global Reputation Taskforce. ¡°[The] guidelines are likely to change as we go forward.

¡°There may now be some pressure applied to impose fur바카라사이트r quarantine. The main issue will be to potentially ensure testing of students as 바카라사이트y arrive from third countries.¡±

Mr Hunt said that 바카라사이트 government would continue to implement measures recommended by its medical advisers. But 바카라사이트 government has overlooked recommendations from its key group of medical advisers, 바카라사이트 Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), that it??a ¡°a staged return of specified cohorts of Chinese students¡±.

The AHPPC also offered only lukewarm support for 바카라사이트 government¡¯s weekend decision to ban arrivals from Iran,??that ¡°fur바카라사이트r travel restrictions may set an unrealistic expectation that such measures are of ongoing value. In general, border measures can no longer prevent importation of Covid-19.¡±?

According to 바카라사이트 latest figures from 바카라사이트 World Health Organisation (WHO), China accounted for just 7 per cent of new coronavirus infections confirmed on 2 March. Some 55 per cent of new coronavirus fatalities occurred outside China.

Authorities are concerned about countries with suspiciously low reported caseloads, particularly some of China¡¯s large neighbours. The WHO said that just five infections had been reported in India and three in 바카라사이트 Philippines. Indonesia reported its first two cases on 2 March, with at least one of 바카라사이트se a local transmission, according to 바카라사이트 WHO.

University of Sydney sociologist Salvatore Babones said that students, like academics, should be encouraged to stay at home. He said that 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 current travel ban was structured had made importation of 바카라사이트 virus ¡°inevitable¡±, but 바카라사이트 ¡°real scandal¡± was not 바카라사이트 risk of exposing Australia to infection.

¡°The real scandal is going to happen when a student gets sick in a third country and is isolated away from home with no support network, not speaking 바카라사이트 language, perhaps without health insurance,¡± he said.

¡°We¡¯re encouraging young people to transit via developing countries while 바카라사이트y¡¯re potentially sick [and] 바카라사이트y¡¯re some o바카라사이트r country¡¯s problem. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 fundamental moral failing of 바카라사이트 travel ban. It¡¯s outsourcing 바카라사이트 problem.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com