Hotel quarantine: Scott Morrison announces tougher COVID-19 isolation measures

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced tougher quarantine measures as the fight against COVID-19 escalates.

Under tough new rules, all arrivals coming into Australia from midnight Saturday will be quarantined in hotels for 14 days.

Arrivals will have to quarantine in their city of arrival, regardless of where they live.

“If their home is in South Australia, or Perth, or Tasmania, and they have arrived in Melbourne, they will be quarantining in Melbourne,” Mr Morrison said.

The new measures come in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus from overseas while community transmission in Australia remains relatively low.

“Two thirds of the cases that we currently have are from an Australians who have come home,” Mr Morrison said.

The Australian Defence Force will be deployed to ensure those in isolation are complying with quarantine rules.

Those held in hotel quarantine will not have to pay for their accommodation.

Press PLAY below to listen to what the Prime Minister had to say.