The US has reintroduced travel restrictions for passengers from China, but the Australian Government is making no change yet, as a post holiday spike in Covid-19 cases is widely expected across the country.
The Hunter New England health district had the largest number of cases in NSW just prior to Christmas, and is expected to experience a post-holiday spike from cases caused by holiday party transmission.
Of the 38,610 positive cases reported in the state in the 7 days to December 22, 5,535 of them were in our area. 237 cases were reported in the Tamworth Regional Council area, 72 in the Armidale Regional Council area, 56 cases in Gunnedah and 48 cases in Inverell.
Meanwhile, the federal government is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 crisis in China, after the United States and other countries said they would require inbound travellers to get tested before arrival.
The US has joined India, Italy, Japan and Taiwan in imposing the mandatory test requirement for arrivals from China.
“We will continue to monitor the situation there, as we do around the world, and will respond in accordance to health advice,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“At this point in time, there has been no change to the travel advice between China and Australia.”
Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly says importing cases is not a problem but the situation may change if a new variant of concern emerges.
Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston has demanded that Albanese release the health advice that informed its decision ‘to do nothing’.