Neil Mitchell calls for Australia to stop flights from India as COVID-19 ‘catastrophe’ worsens
Neil Mitchell says rapidly surging COVID-19 cases in India are a “catastrophe” and Australia must halt flights from the country immediately.
On five consecutive days, India has set world records for the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded in 24 hours.
“What’s happening in India today, it’s a human catastrophe,” Neil Mitchell said.
“This touches all of us. Apart from being a catastrophe, it threatens to prolong the pandemic.
“The more it spreads in India, the greater the risk of variants that are even more dangerous variants that can get around the vaccines.”
The 3AW Mornings host called for Australia to provide assistance to India, but also stop flights from the country.
“Australia has to help for humanitarian reasons, but also to protect itself — to help protect the world.
“One of the things we’ve got to do is stop flights from India. I’m sorry, that’s what we’ve got to do.”
Neil Mitchell says the Victorian government’s plan to bring in foreign students poses a “significant risk”.
“The Andrews government decision to bring in foreign students, 120 a week, many from China, many from India, I think it’s wrong.
“Hotel quarantine is still not to be trusted and we want to invite people from the centre of the disaster to come and study.
“I don’t trust them to run this properly.”
Press PLAY below for more
What a former high commissioner thinks is behind surging COVID-19 cases in India