Australians have done a good job in adjusting to government restrictions and social distancing measures, but it is not the right time to begin easing some of those rules, Australian Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said.
“It’s really important that we look at what’s happened around the world, where people have released restrictions and had to reimpose them,” Murphy told reporters.
Australia reported 51 new confirmed coronavirus cases over the 24 hours to 6am Sydney time yesterday.
Photo: EPA-EFE
This brings the total number of infections to 6,289, with 57 deaths and more than 351,000 tests conducted.
Australia’s political leaders have unanimously urged people to stay at home over the Easter break to help quell the spread of the virus.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and opposition Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese used Easter messages earlier this week to encourage people to remain at home over the four-day holiday.
Even with the number of confirmed cases remaining low over the past week, Australia’s second most-populous state, Victoria, decided to extend its state of emergency until May 11 to help “flatten the curve” and give its health system the best chance to cope with the virus spread.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack echoed Morrison’s sentiments, urging Australians to continue to obey the rules and not to become complacent.
At the weekend, the US became the country with the most coronavirus deaths, while Singapore has announced plans to fine people who breach social-distancing rules.
I do not want Australians to “see our numbers tracking very well compared to what is being experienced elsewhere in the world and think: ‘Why are we being locked up inside?’” McCormack said on Sky News. “This is not going to take weeks, this is going to take potentially months.”
Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said that the government would continue to take medical advice about when to ease restrictions, adding that it has repeatedly warned they might be in place for six months.
“I think the Australian people are prepared for restrictions for as long as it takes,” he told Australian Broadcasting Corp’s program Insiders. “It’s very dangerous and unrealistic to move ahead of the medical advice.”
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