Australia to cut flights from India to contain virus risk

Australiawill reduce the number of its citizens able to returnfromIndiaand other red-zone countries tocontaintheriskof more virulent strains of COVID-19 spreading, the government said on Thursday as it announced changes in its vaccination programme.

The restrictions will result in a 30% reduction in directflightsfromIndiato Sydney and charteredflightsthat land in the Northern Territory.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, speaking to reporters after a meeting of the National Cabinet, said that he would announce in the next 24 hours when the new restrictions would come into place.

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"We're in the middle of a global pandemic that is raging. AndAustraliahas been successful throughout this pandemic ... to have very effective border arrangements," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. "There will continue to be the opportunity for those to returnfromplaces likeIndiabut in very controlled circumstances."

Australiacurrently allows about 5,800 citizens or permanent residents to enter its territory each week before quarantining for two weeks in hotels. It is not clear how many of these are typicallyfromIndiaeach week.

In a massive surge of newviruscases,Indiaregistered a record number of new daily infections for anywhere in the world on Thursday, eclipsing even the United States at the height of its pandemic last year.

Also Read |India's new daily Covid cases top 300,000, highest in the world

Australiawill be adopting a model more like that of the United Kingdom, Morrison said, which bans arrivals if they have visited any countries on its red-zone list of some 40 countries in the past 10 days.

"While we're not adopting that list, it gives you somewhat of an idea of the type of approach we'll be seeking to put in placefromthose highriskcountries," Morrison said.

Morrison's comments come as twoAustralian states urged staff and guests in COVID-19 quarantine hotels to get tested immediately and fully self-isolate, launching investigations into three suspected cases of travellers contracting thevirusfromother residents.

Australiaclosed its borders to non-citizens and permanent residents more than a year ago tocontainthe pandemic, and travellers arrivingfromoverseas are required to undergo a two-week hotel quarantine at their own expense.

While the country has fared much better than many other developed nations during the pandemic, with just over 29,500 cases and 910 deaths, its vaccination rollout programme has hit major roadblocks.

The government is battling with a shortage of vaccines, after delays to imports and is now unlikely to finish vaccinating its population before the end of 2021 while domestic ramp-up of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been sluggish.

Australiawill now prioritise Pfizer vaccines for those under 50 with underlying health issues, in residential aged care and remote communities, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said, leaving older people to take the AstraZeneca vaccine or to wait.

"With a few exceptions, Pfizer is now restricted to those under 50," he said.

"We recommend AstraZeneca. Theriskbenefit for over 50 is vastly in favour of being vaccinated. But people always have a choice and more Pfizer will be available later in the year."