Australia Bans Travel From Virus-Hit South Korea - Prime Minister

Australia introduced on Thursday an entry ban for foreigners traveling from coronavirus-stricken South Korea, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th March, 2020) Australia introduced on Thursday an entry ban for foreigners traveling from coronavirus-stricken South Korea, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said.

Over the past 24 hours, the number of COVID-19 cases in South Korea has risen by 438 to 5,766. The death toll has also gone up to 35. Australia, meanwhile, has 52 confirmed coronavirus cases, including two deaths.

In his statement, Morrison explained that the volume of COVID-19 cases in South Korea and the scale of travel to Australia from this country "present a high risk of further transmission of COVID-19 in Australia," which makes screening measures alone insufficient.

"As of 5 March 2020: Foreign nationals (excluding permanent residents of Australia) who are in the Republic of Korea on or after today will not be allowed to enter Australia for 14 days from the time they have left or transited through the Republic of Korea," the statement read.

The ban on foreign nationals traveling from China and Iran, in turn, has been extended.

Australia, he went on, will also implement "enhanced health screening and temperature testing arrangements for arrivals from Italy," which has recently become a coronavirus hotbed in Europe.