Australian Prime Minister Tells Foreign Visitors To Return Home Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

Foreign visitors in Australia should make all possible arrangements to return to their home countries so that the Australian government can protect its own citizens and residents during the COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during a press conference on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2020) Foreign visitors in Australia should make all possible arrangements to return to their home countries so that the Australian government can protect its own citizens and residents during the COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during a press conference on Friday.

"If you're a visitor in this country, it is time, as it has been now for some while ... to make your way home and to ensure that you can receive the supports that are available where they are in your home countries," Morrison said.

The Australian prime minister stated that his call for foreign visitors to return home was motivated by the desire to ensure that the country's citizens and permanent residents could be suitably supported by the government amid the economic disruption caused by the pandemic.

"At this time, Australia must focus on its citizens and its residents to ensure that we can maximize these economic supports that we have," Morrison remarked.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, approximately 1.6 million temporary visa holders are currently resident in Australia and are not eligible to receive social security benefits.

On Wednesday, the EU's ambassador to Australia, Michael Pulch called on all EU citizens holding short-term visas in Australia to explore all opportunities to return home on commercial flights.

Australia's Department of Health on Friday confirmed 217 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total number of registered cases in the country since the start of the outbreak to 5,350. A total of 26 people have died in Australia after contracting the disease.