SYDNEY, March 11, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Australia banned travel from Italy and
opened a US$1.6 billion healthcare war chest Wednesday in a bid to slow the
spread of coronavirus, as locally detected infections passed 100.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Aus$2.4 billion package would be
used to bolster medical services likely to come under intense strain as the
virus spreads in the coming months.
Australia has recorded 116 cases of coronavirus and three fatalities, but
only one case was locally transmitted and not directly linked to overseas
travel.
Hoping to slow the import of infections, Morrison announced a ban on travel
from Italy starting at 6 pm local (0700 GMT Wednesday), and adding to
existing bans on travel from China, Iran and South Korea.
“The situation in Italy is now commensurate with the other countries where
we previously had travel bans put in place, so we’ll be extending that travel
ban to Italy,” he said.
Rome has recorded at least 10,000 cases, and reported over 630 deaths.
Morrison said the fund would be used to equip respiratory clinics, provide
free COVID-19 and flu pathology tests, remote medical consultations and
medicine deliveries for the elderly, among other services.
“These will not be usual times or usual demands on our health system,”
Morrison said.
He also dodged a question on whether the surge of cases in the United
States was of concern.
At least five of Australia’s cases reported in the last 24 hours have been
imported from the US.
They included a man in his 50s who fell sick after returning from Seattle,
but not before visiting a jazz festival and top-flight Melbourne rugby match.
Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy acknowledged the US had been “a bit
slow in getting testing”.
“We’re watching that closely,” he said.
In the coming days Morrison is expected to announce an additional fiscal
stimulus to curb the economic impact of the crisis — expected to help plunge
Australia into its first recession in 29 years.