The announcement follows a meeting of the National Cabinet – which brings together federal, state and territory leaders – this afternoon.
By 11:59 pm on Saturday, states and territories will quarantine all people arriving by plane to Australia in hotels and other facilities for two weeks before they are able to return to their homes.
People returning will be quarantined for two weeks in the city in which they arrive, even if that’s not where they live.
Morrison said the Australian Defence Force would assist state and territory police in enforcing compliance with the new measures, as well as the pre-existing self-isolation requirements.
“The ADF will be supporting those states and territories with compliance checks to ensure that people are at their residences, that they have so worn sworn they would be at, to ensure we get compliance with the self-isolation,” Morrison said.
“Again, if there is a situation where people are non-compliant, of course the enforcement authority is the state jurisdiction and the relevant law enforcement agency in that state.
“But the ADF will be there to put boots on the ground, to support them in their enforcement efforts.”
Morrison said two-thirds of the nation’s 3000 cases are those who have returned home from overseas.
He said the states and territories would manage the arrangement for accommodation costs for returning travellers.
NSW will face the biggest strain as it has the highest number of arrivals.
