BREAKING NEWS: Australia Closes its Borders to Stop Coronavirus-Non Residents are Banned from Entering the Country

A TRAVEL BAN WILL BE PLACED ON ALL NON-RESIDENTS AND NON-AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS COMING TO AUSTRALIA EFFECTIVE FROM 9.0 PM FRIDAY.

In making the announcement on Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison explained the delay was to enable people currently preparing to arrive in Australia to make other arrangements, while not trapping travellers currently mid-flight.

“We believe it is essential to take (this) further step,” he said.

“I have been consulting with the New Zealand Prime Minister on (this) ban.”

New Zealand placed the same ban on non-residents entering its country on Thursday.

“These arrangements will enable over the next 24 hours or so for people to make other arrangements, if they were intending to come to Australia,” Morrison said.

“For Australians, of course, they will be able to return and they will be subject, as they already are, to 14 days of isolation upon arrival back in Australia.”

Morrison repeated the call for Australians to return home from overseas countries as soon as possible and was working with Qantas to facilitate this.