Australia
to screen some China flights, warns new virus difficult to stop
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[January 21, 2020]
By Colin Packham
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will begin
screening passengers arriving from a Chinese city in a bid to stop the
spread of a new virus, the country's chief medical officer said on
Tuesday, although authorities warned that an outbreak would be hard to
prevent.
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Chinese authorities have confirmed more than 200 people have caught
the coronavirus, which can cause a type of pneumonia that has killed
four people in the central city of Wuhan.
The virus - which can pass from person to person - broke out in
Wuhan but four cases have been reported in Thailand, Japan and South
Korea, raising concerns about its spread through international air
travel.
Brendan Murphy, the chief medical officer for the Australian
government, said biosecurity officials would begin screening
passengers arriving on the three weekly flights to Sydney from Wuhan
starting on Thursday.
Passengers would be given an information pamphlet and asked to
present themselves if they had a fever or suspected they might have
the disease.
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Murphy said the measures only offered limited protection.
"You cannot absolutely prevent the spread of disease into the
country. The incubation period is probably a week," Murphy told
reporters in Canberra.
"It's about identifying those with a high risk and making sure those
who have a high risk know about it and know how to get medical
attention."
China is the largest source of tourists to Australia, with more than
1 million people arriving last year.
Around 160 flights arrive in Australia from China each week, and
Murphy acknowledged Chinese tourists could arrive via other
locations. There are only three flights from Wuhan each week,
arriving in Sydney.
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Australia's additional screenings come as hundreds of millions of
Chinese prepare to travel domestically and abroad during the Lunar
New Year holiday that starts this week.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged Australians to remain calm.
"We are well prepared to respond to this situation and we will
continue to monitor and take action where necessary," Morrison
tweeted.
The government would raise its travel advisory for Wuhan to urge
Australians to reconsider traveling to the city, he added.
Despite the elevated risk, Murphy said Australia would not begin
scanning passengers for higher body temperatures, a precaution
previously used during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
outbreak.
SARS killed nearly 800 people globally during the 2002/03 outbreak
that also started in China, but Murphy said recent evidence
indicated body-temperature screening was ineffective and created a
false sense of security.
(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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