Around 16,000 Australians flouted government advice and travelled overseas during the coronavirus pandemic, according to new research.

On 18 March, the Australian Federal Government changed its advice for all international travel, raising the risk to level 4.

This means all residents should refrain from all non-essential travel abroad.

However, the Department of Home Affairs has released data indicating that, between 19 and 30 March, 16,000 citizens ignored the rules and flew abroad regardless.

The Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan, labelled travellers’ behaviour “grossly irresponsible,” reports SBS News.

Some 3,800 Australians also took flights after 24 March, when the government issued an official ban on overseas travel.

However, passengers needed government exemption after this point (granted for reasons including that the traveller normally lives in another country and is returning home, or is travelling to do essential work abroad).

Australians returning to the country are now are being forced to quarantine in government-mandated accommodation for 14 days before they can go home.

It comes after the UK government announced it would be launching a £75m airlift operation to bring stranded Brits home.

Speaking at the daily 10 Downing Street briefing, Dominic Raab said: “An unprecedented number of British travellers are trying to get home. Critical transit hubs are shutting down or limiting their flights.”

He added: “Where commercial flights are no longer running, the government will provide special charter flights.”

In better news for Australia, the first rescued koalas are starting to be released into the wild.

The marsupials were rescued from their bushfire-ravaged habitats last year, and have been in the care of zoos and animal hospitals ever since.

With the 2019/2020 bushfire season officially over in Australia as of 31 March, rescuers have started releasing these animals back into the wild and, in some cases, even back to the tree where they were found.

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