The Victorian and NSW government is pushing for an end to all non-essential activity as the nation moves one step closer to lockdown.
The state premiers are calling for the closure of all non-essential businesses including restaurants and bars as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise around the country.
Premier Daniel Andrews is also pushing for all schools to close from Tuesday. He has proclaimed if COAG doesn’t agree he will go it alone and close Victoria’s schools anyway.
The government is also considering further restrictions to movement. On Friday, following unseasonably warm weather, 1000s of people flocked to Sydney’s Bondi Beach flouting the current social distancing rules. The move caused the ire of the PM and department of health officials who described the move as reckless.
Following the incident Bondi Beach was closed to the public on Saturday.
The government is now also considering implementing red zones locking down the worst affected areas.
At the National Cabinet meeting the state premiers, health ministers and the PM will discuss how to implement further emergency strategies.
“We had scheduled our next meeting to focus on the issue of further and stronger measures to deal with local outbreaks within state jurisdictions,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
“We are bringing forward consideration of those matters to a meeting this evening”.
“What happened at Bondi Beach yesterday was not OK and served as a message to federal and state leaders that too many Australians are not taking these issues seriously enough,” the PM said.
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