Australia will impose 14-day self-isolation on international travellers arriving from midnight Sunday and ban cruise ships from foreign ports for 30 days, mirroring restrictions in nearby New Zealand aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the new measures after a meeting with a newly formed national cabinet, dubbed the coronavirus 'war cabinet'.
The strict measures were designed to slow the spread of the global pandemic across Australia and help the country "flatten the peak" of the virus, Morrison told a news conference.