Darwin, Australia:
63 International Students have landed in Darwin, Northern Territory for the next intake at Charles Darwin University. The group of students’ arrival, the first since Australia shut its borders owing to the coronavirus pandemic, was enabled after NT Government brokered a deal with the Australian Federal Government and Charles Darwin University (CDU) in September.
The students will be required to quarantine for 14 days before being allowed to attend classes or assimilate with other society members. The flight tickets were paid for by the students, and CDU will cover the 14 day isolation costs for the students.
Joanne Chrystal, Director of CDU Global speaking to Council of International Students (CISA) said that, “Charles Darwin University and the Northern Territory Government have worked closely on the pilot program to ensure that the health of students and the NT community is safeguarded”. He also said that “CDU is also committed to providing a high-level of well-being and pastoral support to students during quarantine.”
The students, mostly travelling from China and Southeast Asia, landed in Darwin Airport on Monday. They were required to provide evidence of testing negative for Covid-19 72 hours before departing to Darwin, and were transferred directly to the quarantine centre at Howard Springs upon arrival.
This is the first group of students arriving in Australia since Australia shut its borders in March, 2020. The success of the pilot program is crucial for Australia’s education sector which has been severely affected owing to the pandemic.
