Int'l travel between Australia, New Zealand to resume "very soon": Australian PM

Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-01 21:45:51|Editor: huaxia

CANBERRA, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that an Australia-New Zealand travel bubble will launch "very soon."

Morrison said on Thursday that the bubble will open on a "one-way" basis with travellers from New Zealand allowed to enter Australia.

He said that the scheme would provide a significant boost for Australia's struggling tourism industry with states and territories that have opened their domestic borders set to benefit.

"I think we'll be able to move on that very soon. It's more likely in the first instance to be a one way bubble i.e. New Zealanders being able to travel to Australia," Morrison told South Australian radio station FIVEaa.

"I would see South Australia, along with New South Wales, in the front end of that arrangement because they've taken their borders down."

As of Thursday afternoon, there had been 27,096 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the number of new cases in last 24 hours is 19.

The national death toll has grown to 888 after two new deaths were reported in Victoria, the hardest-hit state by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Their deaths take Victoria's death toll to 800, 90 percent of the national figure.

Of the new cases, Victoria reported 15 while New South Wales confirmed three cases.

"Seven of today's 15 new cases have been linked to known outbreaks or complex cases. The other eight cases remain under investigation," said a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria on Thursday.

"Both of today's deaths are linked to known aged care facility outbreaks. "

The department also said that there are 135 active cases relating to aged care facilities and 45 active cases among healthcare workers in the state. Enditem

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