Australia to refuse entry to non-citizens arriving from China

Agence France-Presse

Posted at Feb 01 2020 03:18 PM

Australia to refuse entry to non-citizens arriving from China 1
A person wearing a face mask stands on Swanston Street after cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Jan. 29, 2020. Andrew Kelly, Reuters

SYDNEY - The Australian government on Saturday said it would bar non-citizens arriving from China from entering the country under new measures to combat the spread of the new coronavirus epidemic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said only "Australian citizens, Australian residents, dependents, legal guardians or spouses" would be permitted into the country from China from Saturday.

"The arrangements are being put in place through our border authorities to ensure that that can be actioned," he added. "Those that do return will be required to go into self isolation for 14 days."

Australia's foreign ministry also updated its travel advice for China to "do not travel."

As of Saturday, more than 250 people have died and some 12,000 have been infected of the virus, which originated in Wuhan, a city in eastern China.