BRISBANE, Australia (AP) – Australia is almost halving the number of passengers allowed to arrive by plane, in an attempt to prevent the spread of a highly contagious variant of coronavirus first identified in the UK.
A cleaning agent at a quarantine hotel in Brisbane diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday is the first person infected with the variant found in the Australian community. Other cases were detected among travelers while in quarantine at the hotel, where there is a low risk of community spread.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said state leaders had agreed that international arrivals at state airports in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia would be halved by 15 February. Arrivals in Victoria have already been relatively small and will remain unchanged.
Quarantine workers will be tested daily for the virus.
Authorities in Brisbane are blocking Australia’s third-most populous city for three days, starting Friday night, to limit the spread.
Australian Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly said anyone who had been in Brisbane since January 2 should isolate themselves.
“Our main problem is to keep Australians safe and to make sure that this strain is not the one circulating in Australia,” Kelly said. “The reason is that it will be much more difficult to control.”
Masks will become mandatory for the first time in Brisbane and some surrounding municipalities, the Queensland government said.
The state’s chief health officer, Jeannette Young, noted that the more contagious nature of the variant made the outbreak in the UK more difficult to control. “So we have to act very, very quickly. We have to find every case now, “added Young.
The woman’s diagnosis ends for almost four months without locally acquired infections in Queensland.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
– A state of emergency took effect on Friday in and around Tokyo as coronavirus cases increase. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga issued the statement on Thursday. It lasts until February 7 and asks restaurants and bars to close at 8 pm and people to stay home and not get involved in crowds. The statement does not imply sanctions. But it works like a strong demand while Japan juggles to maintain its economy. Shopping malls and schools will remain open. Cinemas, museums and other events will be asked to reduce attendance. The places that defy the application will be published on a list, while those that comply will be eligible for aid, according to officials. Suga also promised more help for hospitals treating patients with COVID-19. The Japanese military is ready to help and efforts are being made to get the vaccine approved and delivered, he added.