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Covid-19: Australians Returning from India Could Be Jailed

World | May 1, 2021, Saturday // 09:14

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Bulgaria: Covid-19: Australians Returning from India Could Be Jailed

Australian citizens returning home from India could face up to five years in jail and fines after the government made the journey temporarily illegal.

The health ministry said the ruling had been made "based on the proportion of people in quarantine who have acquired a Covid-19 infection in India".

Earlier this week, Australia banned all flights from India.

There are an estimated 9,000 Australians in India, 600 of whom are classed as vulnerable.

This will be the first time Australians have been criminalised for returning to their country, Australian media report.

From Monday, anyone who has been in India within 14 days of their intended arrival date in Australia will be banned from entering the country.

Failing to comply with the new ruling could result in a five-year jail sentence, an A$66,000 fine, or both. The decision will be reviewed on 15 May, the health ministry said.

India has seen cases soar to 19 million and deaths total 200,000. The past week has seen more than 300,000 new cases reported each day.

Australia has implemented a series of strict measures to keep the virus out of the country since the pandemic began in February 2020. While the country is enjoying near zero infections rates and has had far fewer fatalities than most countries, the strict lockdown policies have left many Australians stranded overseas.

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