{"id":"F2020L00266","name":"Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Declaration 2020","slug":"biosecurity-human-biosecurity-emergency-human-coronavirus-with-pandemic-potential-declaration-2020","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":100813,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2020L00266-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name","content":"#### 1 Name\n\n  This instrument is the Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Declaration 2020.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authority","content":"#### 3 Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under section 475 of the Biosecurity Act 2015.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Human biosecurity emergency","content":"#### 4 Human biosecurity emergency\n\n  A human biosecurity emergency exists.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Listed human disease to which this instrument relates","content":"#### 5 Listed human disease to which this instrument relates\n\n  This instrument relates to human coronavirus with pandemic potential.\n\n> Note 1: COVID‑19 is the name given by the World Health Organization to the disease.\n\n> Note 2: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is the name given by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses to the virus that causes the disease.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Nature of human biosecurity emergency and conditions that gave rise to it","content":"#### 6 Nature of human biosecurity emergency and conditions that gave rise to it\n\n  Human coronavirus with pandemic potential is an infectious disease:\n    (a) that has entered Australian territory; and\n    (b) that is fatal in some cases; and\n    (c) that there was no vaccine against, or antiviral treatment for, immediately before the commencement of this instrument; and\n    (d) that is posing a severe and immediate threat to human health on a nationally significant scale.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"Period during which this instrument is in force","content":"#### 7 Period during which this instrument is in force\n\n  This instrument is in force during the period:\n    (a) beginning when this instrument commences; and\n    (b) ending at the end of 17 April 2022.","sortOrder":5}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":2041},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument remained focused on its original singular purpose: declaring a human biosecurity emergency for COVID-19. While the duration was extended multiple times through subsequent amendments (culminating in the April 2022 end date shown here), the substantive scope—relating to the specific disease and the conditions justifying the emergency—did not expand beyond the original declaration."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short instrument (only 6 substantive sections)","No internal definitions or interpretation section—relies entirely on the Biosecurity Act 2015 for legal context","No conditional logic, exceptions, or nested provisions within the instrument itself","Single declarative purpose (declaring the emergency) with minimal procedural content"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument formally declared a \"human biosecurity emergency\" under the Biosecurity Act 2015 in response to COVID‑19 (SARS‑CoV‑2), finding the virus had entered Australia, was potentially fatal, lacked vaccine or treatment, and posed an immediate national threat. It activated extraordinary federal powers allowing the Health Minister to issue nationwide emergency requirements affecting everyone in Australia.\n\nIt was the legal basis for most federal pandemic measures from its January 2020 start until it ended on 17 April 2022."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/biosecurity-human-biosecurity-emergency-human-coronavirus-with-pandemic-potential-declaration-2020","history":"/api/acts/biosecurity-human-biosecurity-emergency-human-coronavirus-with-pandemic-potential-declaration-2020/history","analysis":"/api/acts/biosecurity-human-biosecurity-emergency-human-coronavirus-with-pandemic-potential-declaration-2020/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/biosecurity-human-biosecurity-emergency-human-coronavirus-with-pandemic-potential-declaration-2020/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/biosecurity-human-biosecurity-emergency-human-coronavirus-with-pandemic-potential-declaration-2020/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/biosecurity-human-biosecurity-emergency-human-coronavirus-with-pandemic-potential-declaration-2020/documents"}}