PM just announced to Australia
from Emergency National Cabinet meeting:
Restricting group gatherings to 10 people or less as of midnight tomorrow.
Stay at home unless necessary, shopping, exercise in small groups, medical needs, work, work from home - where you can, visits to private residences small numbers only.
Outdoors - do not congregate in groups,
Schools - still open (meeting tomorrow to decide how to keep schools open - education is important) numbers have decreased significantly - better for social distancing - looking at extending distance learning. Needs to be open for all workers (as they are essential).
Overseas Travel Ban (was a warning - ppl still going on leisure travel)
Profiteering to export - will/have been seized, including medical & PPE
Hoping these reductions in contact will prevent retail being shut-down.
*Dr Murphy - very worried over rise of steep growth continuing. *
Will Not tolerate return travellers not self-isolating.
Contacts of ppl notified of being in contact with positive cases. You must go home immediately - Do not stop at shops.
*Small pockets of community transmissions - *
Need to take this seriously - avoid any unnecessary contacts to help control community transmission.
If current restrictions are not met & community transmission increase harder measures may have to be put in place
Q’s - aren’t schools human Petri dishes?
Dr Murphy- Petri dish analogy inappropriate, children fit healthy children are not vulnerable, with good hygiene, reduced numbers help with Social Distancing.
*Encouraging schools that have closed to re-open? *
PM - Yes, impacts workforce and compromises societies ability to function. Workers need to be able to send their kids to schools.
PM - More than 150,000 unemployed, resources are being put in place for ppl to be paid benefits back dated to when they stopped working.
Concessions being identified for mortgage, rent, utilities.
Manufacturing - masks, sanitiser.
We have one of the highest testing rates. Testing and contacts are most important.
(Sorry it’s long, was taking notes for 45mins!!)
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