International travellers have arrived in Canberra preparing to self-isolate for 14 days after spending their long-haul journeys grappling with Australia's newly-announced mandatory restriction.
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Passengers on the Qatar Airways flight from Doha via Sydney were some of the first to arrive in Australia from overseas on Monday after the new measure to slow COVID-19 transmissions came into effect at midnight.
Some learnt of the restriction on their journeys to Canberra.
Kevin and Helen Curtis flew from Amman in Jordan via Doha and Sydney after virus-related border lockdowns in the Middle East forced them to cut short their month-long holiday abroad by two weeks.
The couple learnt en route in Doha they would have to self-isolate when their 28-hour journey to Canberra ended.
Despite the 14-day stay at home ahead, Mr Curtis said it was good to be back.
The couple had wondered whether they could return and may have been unable to fly through Doha had they not cancelled a planned visit to Egypt.
"It's better to be confined in your home town than in Cairo," Mr Curtis said.
The Gundaroo couple was not fully stocked at home for two weeks of self-isolation but a friend, who collected them at the airport, had bought them some supplies as they flew from Qatar.
Paul Taylor arrived home to Canberra via Doha after a visit to Switzerland.
He learnt of the new mandatory self-isolation period at the airport gate before his flight, but never heard it mentioned on the plane.
The aviation safety inspector said he would be able to work from home but his wife Randi, who met him at the airport, was trying to find out if she would need to self-isolate too.
Mr Taylor, from Holder, wasn't troubled about the self-isolation period ahead.
"The world's a different place now," he said.
The travellers arrived home as authorities declared a second confirmed COVID-19 case and prepared to call a public health emergency in the ACT.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday announced international travellers arriving in Australia would have to self-isolate, a day after New Zealand declared a similar measure to prevent COVID-19 infections from escalating across the Tasman.
It is an offence under state and territory law to break self-isolation within two weeks of entering the country.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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Doug Dingwall
Doug Dingwall is The Canberra Times' parliamentary bureau chief. He writes about government and federal politics, and has an interest in integrity, industrial relations and foreign affairs. Previously he worked at The Examiner in Launceston, where he won a Tasmanian Human Rights Award for his reporting. Contact him on doug.dingwall@canberratimes.com.au
Doug Dingwall is The Canberra Times' parliamentary bureau chief. He writes about government and federal politics, and has an interest in integrity, industrial relations and foreign affairs. Previously he worked at The Examiner in Launceston, where he won a Tasmanian Human Rights Award for his reporting. Contact him on doug.dingwall@canberratimes.com.au
