Coronavirus crisis: PM updates the new rules for Australia

Bans on non-essential mass gatherings of 100
Non-essential overseas travel banned. Level 4 restriction in place.
Restricted access to isolated communities and aged-care facilities
Biosecurity state of emergency declared
Calls to stop hoarding

With the coronavirus crisis worsening, the PM Scott Morrison and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy have outlined the latest government plans to tackle the spread of COVID-19. Life in Australia is set to become very different in the weeks and months ahead.

“Life is changing in Australia,” the PM told assembled press. “As it is changing all around the world. Life is going to continue to change, as we deal with the global coronavirus [pandemic].

The PM described the COVID-19 pandemic as a once-in-100-year type event.

We haven’t seen this sort of thing in Australia since the end of the First World War. But together, we are up to this challenge.
“All Australians, Governments, health workers, teachers, nurses, journalists, broadcasters, mums, dads, kids, grandparents, aged care workers, we’re all up to this. We’re all able to deal with this. But we just need to continue to keep our heads focusing on the right information, making good decisions, helping and supporting each other each and every day to make the changes that are very necessary, as we deal with this very real situation.

The PM said Australia will keep functioning but it won’t be business as usual.

“It won’t look like it normally does but it is very important that we continue to put in place measures that are scalable and sustainable.

“There is no two-week answer to what we’re confronting. There is no short-term, quick fix to how this is dealt with in Australia. The idea that you can just turn everything off for two weeks and then turn it all back on again and it all goes away, that is not the evidence, that is not the facts, that is not the information and it is not our way through this.

The PM suggested the situation could continue for the next six months and Australians need. To prepare.

In an effort to slow the rate of infection the PM also announced a ban on mass gatherings of 100 or more in enclosed spaces (the ban still remains 500 in outdoor areas). He has also discouraged people from travelling overseas and called for restricted access to isolated communities and aged-care facilities in an effort to protect our most vulnerable members of the community. Restrictions on student nurses have also been lifted to allow them to assist in health care during the crisis.

Travel Bans

With the majority of Australia’s covid-19 diagnoses coming from returning travellers, the PM says it’s time to can international travel. Australians now face an historic worldwide ban on international travel. Level 4 travel restrictions are in place. The ban is indefinite.

“The travel advice to every Australian is ‘Do not travel abroad’. Do not go overseas, said Morrison. “For those who are thinking of going overseas in the school holidays, don’t. Don’t go overseas. The biggest risk we have had and the biggest incidents of cases we have has been from Australians returning from overseas.

“That is an indefinite ban but, as you are seeing from other countries around the world, they are putting similar restrictions on entry, just as Australia has on others coming into Australia and you would expect that to be in place now and that is the stage we have reached.”

Non-essential gatherings limited to 100 people

The PM said the ban on non-essential gatherings of 100 people indoors is effective from today and legal enforcement measures were being put into place by the state and territory governments to ensure the ban is upheld. The PM explained airports, public transport and service facilities are considered essential.

“There is a baseline that has been established amongst the national cabinet which reflected in a lot of the legislation that was put in in relation to the outdoor ban and that is an airport, public transportation, which includes public transportation facilities, such as stations, platforms, stops, trains, trams, buses, these are essential. Medical and health service facilities, emergency service facilities, disability or aged care facilities, correctional facilities, youth justice centres or other places of custody, courts or tribunals.

“Parliaments, food markets, supermarkets, grocery store, retail store, shopping centre that is necessary for the normal business of those premises. Office buildings, factories, construction sites, mining sites, necessary for their normal operation.

“Non-essential is everything else. States and Territories have the ability to add to those lists as they see fit, based on the advice and we are seeking to coordinate that.”

Stop Hoarding!

The PM expressed his dismay at the recent behaviour of the Australian public hoarding supplies, describing the actions as unhelpful and unAustralian

“It is not sensible, it is not helpful and it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis.

“That is not who we are as a people. It is not necessary. It is not something that people should be doing. What it does is it is distracting attention and efforts that need to be going into other measures, to be focusing on how we maintain supply chains into these shopping centres.

“There is no reason for people to be hoarding supplies in fear of a lockdown or anything like this. As I have said, we’re putting in place scalable and sustainable measures.

“I am seeking Australia’s common-sense cooperation with these very clear advisory positions. Stop doing it. It’s ridiculous! It’s unAustralian, and it must stop, and I would ask people to do the right thing by each other in getting a handle on these sorts of practices.

Schools to remain open

CMO Brendan Murphy has advised schools will remain open in an effort to limit contagion to the more vulnerable members of the community and to ensure medical staff are not inhibited from working. The PM said there is only one reason your child should not go to school and that is if they are unwell. Morrison advised when it comes to schools, the government would be following a similar model to Singapore, which has been effective in managing the spread of COVID-19

“The health advice is that schools should remain open. The health advice here, supported by all the premiers, all the chief ministers and my Government is that schools should remain open.

“There are a number of reasons for this. The first one is that the virus operates very differently amongst younger people. It has a different manifestation amongst younger people and that presents a very different health challenge to the broader population. In terms of the health and welfare of our children, many of us here are parents and obviously we are concerned about the health of our kids and the health advice that I’m happy to follow for my kids, for Jenny and my kids, is the same health advice I am asking all other parents around the country to follow.

“There is only one reason your kids shouldn’t be going to school and that is if they are unwell. As parents, you are in the best position to know if your children are unwell. Don’t leave it to the teacher to work that out when they arrive.”

CMO Brendan Murphy added: “This is quite different to influenza and other respiratory diseases which have quite severe disease sometimes in children. We know that even in influenza, school closures are a controversial issue. We believe very strongly that it’s in the best interest of our children and the nation at this time to keep schools open.

“There may be occasions when there’s a big outbreak in a community that some local school closures might be necessary. But at this time, across the community, our view is that schools should stay open,” Murphy said.

“We need to try and avoid large assemblies and other gatherings at schools. We know also that it’s not really possible for children in a classroom to keep 1.5 metres apart from each other, and we know that we’ve got to be practical about that. But schools should practice very good hand hygiene, too. Children should be washing their hands regularly, particularly when they’re eating and particularly when they’re touching common areas.”

Restricted access to vulnerable communities

In an effort to protect the more vulnerable members of the community, restrictions will be placed on aged care facilities including bans on visitors or staff that have returned from overseas in the last 14 days. Bans on entry to aged care facilities to those who have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days and bans on those with fever or symptoms or acute respiratory infection, symptoms, those who haven’t been vaccinated against influenza after the 1st of May.

“The facilities must also implement the following measures for restricting visits and visitors to reduce the risk of transmission to residents. Limiting visits to a short duration. Limiting visits to a maximum of two visitors at one time per day. These may be immediate social supports, family members, close friends or professional service or advocacy workers.

“Visits should be conducted in a resident’s room, outdoors or in a specific area designated by the facility, rather than communal areas where the risk of transmission to other residents is greater. There should be no large group visits or gatherings, including social

activities or entertainment to be permitted at this time.”

Children under the age of 16 should also avoid visiting elderly relatives and all visitors should practice social distancing.

“In cases of end of life: I know that people will want to see their elderly parents or relatives or others. I totally understand that. Aged care facilities will have the discretion to put in very strict arrangements to enable people to visit their loved ones if that is the situation that that resident finds themselves in,” said the PM.

Social distancing

While incidents of community transmission are currently low, the CMO Brendan Murphy also stressed the importance of social distancing.

“We know that the way to control community transmission is social distancing.

“The AHPPC met for two days this week, and like the Prime Minister said, we have a unanimity across this country. Every state and territory chief medical expert and the advisory committees are united on our approach. Social distancing is really important to prevent delay transmission in the community of this virus over the coming months.

Murphy also declared a lockdown would do little to combat the spread of the virus in the long run.

A short-term two-to-four week shut down of society is not recommended by any of our experts. It does not achieve anything. We have to be in this for the long haul.”

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