Australia is suspending all direct passenger flights from India until May 15 due to the horrific surge in COVID-19 cases there.

The Prime Minister announced the news on Tuesday afternoon.

Scott Morrison said the situation on India was “heartbreaking” but the risk was too great to Australia to continue bringing people into the country.

Two passenger services and two repatriation flights will be cancelled, impacting about 500 people.

Australia will send medical supplies to India, including 500 ventilators and one million surgical masks, as part of a relief package.

The country recorded 353,000 cases yesterday alone according to Johns Hopkins University, a staggering figure nevertheless believed to be underreported.

Indian Australian Daily Telegraph reporter Angira Bharadwaj told Jim Wilson many fear going to get tested in case they’re exposed to the virus at the clinic.

“What I’m hearing is that civilians are really banding together, and using things like social media to help each other out.

“But by all means there’s a lot of stockpiling happening … people are so freaked out that they’re just grabbing whatever they can find.”

Australians stranded in India need additional support from the Australian government, she said.

“If they’re Australian citizens, they may not even be that well aware of the healthcare system there.”

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