Topics: Temporary pause to further easing of international border restrictions.
DAVID KOCH: We’re joined by Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews. Minister, a two week pause on our borders. Is that enough to get on top of this?
KAREN ANDREWS: Good morning Kochie. We took medical advice yesterday from the Chief Medical Officer. There was a lengthy discussion at the National Security Committee about our obligations to the people of Australia, to make sure they were being kept safe. The advice we received is that a 14-day period was the most appropriate time for health professionals to be able to do the work they needed, to look at things such as the transmissibility of this particular variant and to make sure we were prepared for Omicron here in Australia.
DAVID KOCH: Ok. So they’re international borders. We should sort of make a point of saying if you’ve got family coming back for Christmas, it doesn’t affect them, does it? It’s only skilled migrants and international students.
KAREN ANDREWS: There’s been no changes to the arrangements that we had announced previously. What has changed is that we have paused the arrivals that were scheduled to take place from the first of December, so that is skilled migrants; it is international students; and it is other designated visa holders. So, no – Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families can continue to come into Australia, as can Singaporean residents.
DAVID KOCH: So that’s international borders. We’ve got National Cabinet today, what’s going to be recommended there on the state borders?
KAREN ANDREWS: Well, firstly, I would really like to thank the state premiers for the way that they have approached the Omicron variant, so they have all been very much prepared to take advice and to work sensibly to deal with the issues that we are facing. So National Cabinet will meet this afternoon. They will go through the latest health updates and let’s be realistic, this is changing almost on an hour by hour basis, as our health professionals get more information about this particular variant. So out of that will be probably a range of decisions that states may well take in relation to internal domestic borders. What we would say, is that the Omicron variant is an unknown to all of us at the moment here in Australia, but also internationally. We do need time to make sure that we understand what the impacts of this particular variant will be here in Australia, very different to the Delta variant.
DAVID KOCH: So you would be recommending no change to current state borders at National Cabinet this afternoon?
KAREN ANDREWS: Well, at this point in time, it would seem that there is no need for there to be changes to internal borders.
DAVID KOCH: Okay, Minister. I appreciate your time. Thank you.
KAREN ANDREWS: Pleasure. Thank you.