Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Declaration 2020

I, General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor‑General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following declaration.

Dated 18 March 2020

David Hurley

Governor‑General

By His Excellency’s Command

Greg Hunt

Minister for Health

Contents

1 Name

2 Commencement

3 Authority

4 Human biosecurity emergency

5 Listed human disease to which this instrument relates

6 Nature of human biosecurity emergency and conditions that gave rise to it

7 Period during which this instrument is in force

1  Name

  This instrument is the Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Declaration 2020.

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

 (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under section 475 of the Biosecurity Act 2015.

4  Human biosecurity emergency

  A human biosecurity emergency exists.

5  Listed human disease to which this instrument relates

  This instrument relates to human coronavirus with pandemic potential.

Note 1: COVID‑19 is the name given by the World Health Organization to the disease.

Note 2: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is the name given by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses to the virus that causes the disease.

6  Nature of human biosecurity emergency and conditions that gave rise to it

  Human coronavirus with pandemic potential is an infectious disease:

 (a) that has entered Australian territory; and

 (b) that is fatal in some cases; and

 (c) that there was no vaccine against, or antiviral treatment for, immediately before the commencement of this instrument; and

 (d) that is posing a severe and immediate threat to human health on a nationally significant scale.

7  Period during which this instrument is in force

  This instrument is in force during the period:

 (a) beginning when this instrument commences; and

 (b) ending at the end of 3 months beginning on the day this instrument is registered.