WA, Australia
Western Australia’s Premier Mark McGowan who has suggested a temporary travel ban on arrivals from India amidst a surge in cases will be proposing the same to the National Cabinet. He will argue that 40 percent of cases in WA quarantine hotels within the last month had been in India.
Ahead of the proposition, calls for allowing passengers on compassionate grounds, and to not single India is also on the rise.
Similarly, Northern Territory too has posted a record number of new cases in returnees – many of them returning from India. According to NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles, the Howard Springs quarantine facility is dealing with its highest number of positive COVID-19 cases since it began handling repatriation flights last year.
India is currently grappling with a second wave of Covid-19 infections, mostly owing to complacency as political rallies and religious gatherings in large numbers intensified over the past month.
The nation, on Thursday reported more than 300,000 coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, the highest daily global total, while COVID-19-related deaths also jumped by a record.
India’s daily jump in cases of 314,835 surpasses the previous highest one-day rise in the world of 297,430 cases posted by the United States in January. India’s total cases are now at 15.93 million, while deaths rose by 2,104 to reach a total of 184,657, according to health ministry data.
