Prime Minister
NATALIE BARR: Morning to you. We saw with Delta …
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning.
BARR: .. just how fast these things can spread, didn't we? How concerning are these two cases and do you think we opened our borders too soon?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me stress, firstly, our borders are not open. The only country to which our borders are open are Singapore and New Zealand. Otherwise there are- the only people who are coming to Australia are those who have very specific exemptions and those who are Australian residents and citizens. We don't close our borders to Australian citizens. That has only been done once in the case of India in a very short period of time. But, of course, it is concerning and that's why we're getting all the information we possibly can. The cases that have presented, as you say, are in quarantine, and appropriate action is being taken by the New South Wales Government in those matters.
We moved very quickly on Saturday. This moved from a variant under investigation to a variant of concern within a very short period of time, and we immediately put those extra controls in place on Saturday. The National Security Committee will be meeting this afternoon to consider the 1st of December decisions that are pending for skilled migrants and students. And, so, we'll obviously review all of the information this afternoon, and this morning I have advised the premiers and chief ministers that I'll be convening a meeting of the National Cabinet either today or tomorrow.
BARR: So, yeah, you've got the international students and the migrant workers due to land in Australia from this Wednesday.
PRIME MINISTER: Correct.
BARR: You're now going to reconsider that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’ll consider that in the light of all the new information, and that's what we have to do with this. Let's not forget that we're not in the situation we were in back in the first half of 2020. We have 86.7 per cent of the population vaccinated. We have already had 13 other strains which have presented. This isn't the first of the new strains that we've seen, and the evidence to date does not suggest that it is a more severe form of the virus, and issues of transmissibility and impact on vaccine, there is no evidence yet to suggest that there are there are issues there. But should that information come forward, then obviously then we’ll be considering that and moving very quickly, as we already have on the information that has been available to us to date.
BARR: But the, as you say, the World Health Organization is calling it a variant of concern. You've got 260 passengers and crew who got off that plane, I think, on Saturday night into Sydney, where the two tested positive, and they've been told to isolate at home, I understand. Are you confident that won't get out into the community?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they've also- all of those who were on those flights now have to isolate in home for 14 days, who were on those flights. And that's what’s occurred, where people have been on those flights. And I’m, I know that the New South Wales and Victorian Governments will be considering further how they are responding to those issues. As you know, in all the other states and territories, there is 14-day mandatory quarantine for all arrivals.
But at this stage, I think it's important that we need to proceed very cautiously, as we are. We have moved very quickly to put in place controls. Our borders were already closed. Many countries are now moving to put in place arrangements that Australia already had in place. Let's not forget, Australia, throughout the course of this pandemic, has ensured we've had one of the lowest fatality rates in the world. And the reason for that is we have been able to use this information as effectively and as quickly as possible to ensure Australians are protected, and that's what we'll continue to do.
BARR: So, there's not currently 14 days quarantine for normal arrivals coming into this country at the moment, is there? Do you think New South Wales and Victoria should reinstate that, given this new variant?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, other than in New South Wales and Victoria, there is 14-day hotel quarantine in all the other states and territories, and there are caps on arrivals because of that.
BARR: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: It's only in New South Wales and Victoria where there isn't the 14-day, and in both of those states they've put in place, working together - and I was working with them on the weekend - to put in place that 72-hour for those who haven't come from those countries. For those who have come from those countries, they are taken into health quarantine in both of those states and territories, sorry in both of those states. So, they've moved quickly on that as well. And we're looking at the cases very carefully and we're getting as much information as we can about the nature of this new variant.
But I should stress, we have had many new variants. We have had many variants of concern. This is another variant of concern and it is one that the initial information is suggesting some transmissibility, but even that is yet is not fully proven out of, out of South Africa. And, so, it's important we just calmly and carefully consider this information, work together, take the decisions that are necessary, and that's exactly what everybody is doing.
BARR: Yeah. And, look, we understand, this is the toughest of jobs. I guess because we're going into Christmas, we've got so many people …
PRIME MINISTER: Sure.
BARR: ... coming and going and people are thinking, hang on, is there a chance that before Christmas, you're going to reinstate the 14 days quarantine, either home or hotel? Do you, do you have any understanding of whether you think that could happen?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think it's a bit too early …
BARR: Ok.
PRIME MINISTER: ... and at present it's a 72-hour arrangement with those two states and territories, 14 days hotel quarantine in all the other states and territories. National Cabinet will come together over the next couple of days, and a key purpose of that is to ensure we're working off all the same information and on all the latest information we have available.
I mean, it is coming through at different rates from different places. And, so, it's just very important that we just remain calm. The National Plan is about opening safely so we can remain safely open. Let's not forget also that we've got over a thousand cases at the moment in Victoria each day, but the hospital system there is coping very, very well. And remember, that is what it's all about at the end of the day. The issue is ensuring that our public health systems are able to cope with any infectious diseases, and particularly any new variant that occurs. And what we're seeing is that is already being successful in Victoria and in New South Wales, where we've had case numbers, but the health system has not been overwhelmed. They’ve planned well for it, we've worked well with them, and that is keeping people protected and their health secure.
BARR: Yeah. As you say, we're going to get more of these variants. Hopefully this will be a minor one. Prime Minister, thank you for your time this morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much.