Emotional scenes at Christmas Island as government announces funding for vaccine development

It was an emotional homecoming for the Australians evacuated from the Chinese province of Hubei, after escaping the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak and then spending two weeks quarantined on Christmas Island.

Australian evacuees who were quarantined on Christmas Island over concerns about the coronavirus have arrivied home from Christmas Island. Source: AAP

More than 200 Australians were held in the island's detention centre and with no one diagnosed with the coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, they were approved to leave by medical personnel.

The prime minister Scott Morrison announced $2 million package today for Australian scientists to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.