International travel unlikely to resume this year: Hunt

Health Minister Greg Hunt says while it is “a significant prospect” that international travel will not resume this year there are other methods through which to stimulate the Australian economy. Speaking with Sky News on Thursday, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said international travel was unlikely to resume in 2020. Mr Hunt told Sky News the use of hotel quarantine to accept incoming travellers was a “very effective mechanism” to prevent stagnation of industries dependent on overseas visitors. He said the move could be extended to allow international students and travellers planning for long-term holidays to enter the country but the government would prioritise the safety of Australians. “It is the single thing that is keeping us safe from these enormous spikes in global numbers which are accelerating now at a faster rate than ever,” he said. “We need to bring our Australians home, they want to come home so we are giving them a pathway home but this is a way of doing it safely to protect Australians and its working for us and it’s keeping the disease out whilst allowing us to bring people home. “It’s a mechanism which we can use more in order to help with some of the economic challenges whilst protecting Australians.”

from National | Daily Telegraph https://ift.tt/2URBQLy