CANBERRA: Australia has extended the ban on cruise ship operations for another three months amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the Australian Border Force said that all cruise ships capable of carrying more than 100 passengers are prohibited from operating in Australian waters until 17 September.
The decision comes after Australian Governor-General David Hurley announced the extension of the human biosecurity emergency period from 17 June to 17 September. It enabled the Ministry for Health to take necessary steps to prevent and control the spread of Covid-19.
The statement added: “On 20 May 2020, the Minister for Health extended the determination, under section 477(1) of the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Biosecurity Act), to prohibit the arrival at an Australian port of any international cruise ship that has left a foreign port. The restrictions included direct arrivals and round-trip cruises (RTC).”
