Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a set of national coronavirus restrictions following a national cabinet meeting this morning. 

Domestic travel:

• Wearing face masks will now be mandatory for the duration of domestic flights and in all domestic airports excepting children under 12 and those with accepted exemptions.

International arrivals: 

• Intake of international arrivals for New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia will be reduced by 50 per cent until February 15.
• Travellers will be required to return a negative coronavirus test prior to departure for Australia. There will be exemptions given in extenuating circumstances.
• Travellers must wear a face mask while in international airports in Australia and overseas and for the duration of flights arriving into Australia.
• Flight crew must undergo a COVID-19 test in Australia every seven days or on arrival to Australia at the jurisdiction of each state.
• Flight crew must continue to quarantine in dedicated quarantine facilities between international flights or for 14 days.

Quarantine: 

• Quarantine workers must return negative tests daily. States are “encouraged” to define ‘quarantine workers’ as broadly as they like.

Hotspots: 

• Greater Brisbane has now been declared a hotspot at a Commonwealth level.

Australians in hotspot areas are urged to remain in the area. Those who have been in a hotspot area since the retrospective start date are told to self isolate.

“Don’t go home to another state, don’t go to another part of the state,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Morrison expressed entire support of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to place greater Brisbane under lockdown from 6pm today.

“It is a very wise decision by the Queensland Government, by Premier Palaszczuk, to put in place the precautions she has over the next few days.”

Federal political reporter Michael Pachi explained the choice to lockdown Brisbane for just three days is to allow contact tracers to “get on top” of contacting and testing each of the quarantine worker’s close contacts.

“They reckon the UK strain is spreading faster,” he told Luke Grant.

“That’s why the Prime Minister has welcomed this lockdown for contact tracers to get on top of it.”

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview.