Coronavirus Australia: New shutdown measures announced
Food courts, nail salons, tattoo parlours and open house inspections will shut from midnight, five people can only attend weddings and funerals limited to 10 people, but schools still remain open. HERE ARE THE NEW CLOSURES AND SHUTDOWN MEASURES.
NSW
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Normal life in Australia is over after an alarming explosion of coronavirus cases forced the government to shut down all remaining non-essential sectors and order people to stay at home.
Closures will be enforced at midnight tonight on beauty salons, amusement parks, indoor playgrounds, RSLs, auction houses, real estate open homes, tattoo parlours, health clubs and shopping centre food courts.
Community facilities including PCYCs, libraries, swimming pools, galleries, museums, national institutions, historic sites, and sporting based activities are also banned.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the extensive shut down order last night, warning that if Australians could follow the rules it may turn the tide on the spread of COVID-19, but if not there would have to be even stricter measures.
“By following common sense rules, and doing the right thing, that’s how we slow the spread of this virus and that’s how we save lives,” he said.
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said people must avoid any unnecessary interactions with close contact.
“These measures are really draconian,” he said.
“We know that. But if we’re going to control community transmission, we have to stop the capacity of this virus from spreading from person to person.”
House parties, BBQs, groups meeting in the park to kick the footy and any other kind of gathering that brings people together must stop immediately, the government has ruled.
States and territories will today consider introducing laws to make hosting or organising a social gathering such as a house party, an offence enforceable by police.
Australians have also been banned from going overseas, with an official order to shut down the borders expected to be signed off by the Health Minister overnight.
“No-one should be getting on a plane and going overseas,” Mr Morrison said.
Other activities have been significantly restricted, including weddings, which may now only be attended by the couple, celebrant and witnesses.
Funerals may now only be attended by ten people, and must comply with the one person per four square metre rule.
Hairdressers and barber shops may continue for now, but must not have a customer in the room for longer than 30 minutes.
Bootcamp businesses may also operate with no more than 10 people.
“Stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary you go out,” Mr Morrison said.
“Going out for the basics, going out for an exercise, perhaps with your partner or family members, provided it’s a small group, that’s fine.
“But going outside and going out and participating more broadly in the community unless you’re shopping for basics or there are medical needs or you’re providing care and support to an individual at another place (is not allowed).”
Mr Morrison said people must keep visitors “to a minimum with very small numbers of guests”.
“Do not congregate together in groups,” he said.
“If you’re gathering together in a group, say, 10 people, together, outside in a group, that’s not OK.”
Schools will reopen after the upcoming holidays with a mixture of distance learning and physical attendance.
Mr Morrison said every essential worker – including health professionals, supermarket employees and public servants – who needed to send their child to school would be able to.
“Everyone who has a job in this economy is an essential worker,” he said.
“Every single job that is being done in our economy with these severe restrictions that are taking place is essential.”
However, people who are able to do their job from home have been told to do so.
Mr Morrison said he was “deeply sorry” to the hundreds of thousands of Australians who had already, or what shortly lose their jobs.
NEW ORDERS FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT:
– Food courts in shopping centres will only be available for takeaway food
– Auctions and open house inspections are banned
– Outdoor and indoor markets are banned while rules around major food markets will be addressed by states and territories
– Personal services such as beauty therapy and tattoo parlours (but not physiotherapy) are banned
– Hairdressers and barbers can continue but must restrict the amount of time a patron can be in the premises to no more than 30 minutes
– Amusement parks and arcades, and indoor and outdoor play centres must close
– Boot camps and personal training must be limited to 10 people
– Galleries, museums, libraries and swimming pools must close
– Weddings can continue but with only five people: the couple, celebrant and two witnesses
– Funerals are limited to no more than 10 people
– It is safe to send children to school up to the end of the term but some pupil-free days will be needed to plan distance learning.
– Schools will reopen after the term break with a mix of distance learning and in-school learning for all “essential workers”
– PM to meet with teachers and other sector representatives about keeping schools open and protecting staff.
– Everyone who still has a job is classified as an essential worker.
– The official “do no travel” warning will turn into an outright ban on overseas travel, with some exceptions such as aid workers and compassionate travel
– New offence of profiteering and seeking to export goods overseas, relating to such things as medical supplies and mask