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

Section 475 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 provides that the Governor-General may declare that a human biosecurity emergency exists if the Health Minister is satisfied that a listed human disease is posing a severe and immediate threat, or is causing harm, to human health on a nationally significant scale, and the declaration is necessary to prevent or control the entry, emergence, establishment or spread of the listed human disease in Australian territory. ‘Human coronavirus with pandemic potential’ (COVID-19) is a ‘listed human disease’ for the purposes of the Act. The Health Minister is satisfied, as required by subsection 475(1) of the Act, the listed human disease is posing a severe and immediate threat to human health on a nationally significant scale, and the declaration is necessary to prevent or control the entry, emergence, establishment or spread of human coronavirus with pandemic potential (COVID19) in Australian territory.