Australia to deploy military forces to ensure citizens follow lockdown orders

Australia’s federal government has reportedly announced that it will mobilize the military forces to enforce the isolation orders in a measure to combat the deadly COVID-19 disease. The drastic effort will be enacted from March 28 midnight onwards. Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared that the returning citizens will be quarantined, without consent, under mandatory quarantine orders for at least 14 days in government-approved facilities by the armed forces. 

According to reports, the security personnel will be deployed across all states and provinces to ensure movement restrictions, they, however, have not been permitted to make arrests or prosecute citizens. In an address to the state press, PM Morrison was quoted saying that the Australian Defense Forces were not authorized by the government as enforcement officers to detain the violators. That would be under the jurisdiction of the law enforcement territories. He further added saying that he was confident that the forces will carry out the assigned task in an appropriate manner. 

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Government resorts to stern measures

Earlier, the Australian city authorities had to seal off the popular Bondi beach in Sydney and the police had to be summoned in order to remove hundreds of people from Sydney beaches. The crowd was removed on account of “irresponsible behaviour” as they had violated the government's social distancing protocol as a measure. It had triggered an international rebuke as people worldwide criticized the mob’s behaviour and the government’s inability to control the citizens amid the pandemic outbreak.  

Therefore, the Australian government resorted to stricter measures and closed down the beaches to stem the spread of the disease as per the reports. A ban was previously in place on the outdoor public assembly of more than 500 people for over a week. The conservative government then issued orders for the stricter bans that included restrictions on indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, a global do-not-travel order, and strict new rules for visiting aged care homes. 

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