US Marines headed to Australian port of Darwin after coronavirus delay
- Up to 2,500 US Marines had been scheduled to arrive in April, in a major defence alliance cooperation exercise, but this was postponed in March
- The Northern Territory has the lowest infection rate of any Australian state or territory, but also is home to vulnerable indigenous populations
The remote Northern Territory, which has recorded just 30 Covid-19 cases, closed its borders to international and interstate visitors in March, and any arrivals must now undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said in a statement that she and US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper had agreed a modified rotation could proceed, with Marines required to undergo the 14-day quarantine and comply with other Covid-19 requirements.
The US rotation may be reduced in size or duration upon advice from health authorities, a spokeswoman for Reynolds said.
Reynolds said the pandemic has “served to reinforce the importance of the alliance between our two nations”.
“Our defence organisations’ focus is now on maintaining force readiness and helping our partners in the Pacific and Southeast Asia,” she said.