The government defends using Christmas Island as coronavirus quarantine zone | ABC News

The government defends using Christmas Island as coronavirus quarantine zone, as preparations continue to evacuate Australians from China. Residents of remote Christmas Island, 1,650 kilometres off the north-west coast of Western Australia, have reacted with surprise their home will soon become "quarantine island". The Shire President reacted by saying it further labels Christmas Island as a "convict settlement for innocent people, now we'll be a leper colony". News that Australians caught up in the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in China will spend two weeks in quarantine on Christmas Island caught many in the 1,400-strong community off guard. Christmas Island Shire President Gordon Thomson has previously been critical of the Federal Government's decisions regarding the island. For more on the coronavirus outbreak: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-29/christmas-island-locals-on-quarantine-for-coronavirus/11910326 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-29/wuhan-coronavirus-created-in-australian-lab-outside-of-china/11906390 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-30/who-considering-coronavirus-constitutes-as-a-global-emergency/11912234 For more from ABC News, click here: https://ab.co/2kxYCZY You can watch more ABC News content on iview: https://ab.co/2mge4KH Subscribe to us on YouTube: http://ab.co/1svxLVE Go deeper on our ABC News In-depth channel: https://ab.co/2lNeBn2 You can also like us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/abcnews.au Or follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/abcnews_au Or even on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abcnews