Questions have been raised about how the federal government will implement its new COVID-19 testing requirement for travellers arriving from China, Macau and Hong Kong.

From Thursday, travellers arriving into Australia from those places will need to test negative for COVID-19 by having a test within 48 hours prior to boarding a flight to Australia.

Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said there are discussions going on between different departments ahead of the new border force requirement.

Pressed on how a COVID-positive traveller would be handled, he said the details will be made clearer by the end of the week.

“Certainly by the time this comes into place by Thursday midnight, that plan will be very clearly put in place,” he told Peter Fegan filling in on 4BC Mornings.

He said there are only inbound flights coming into NSW and Victoria at this stage, and confirmed the government isn’t looking at bringing back hotel quarantine.

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