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Prime Minister Scott Morrison will no longer attend his “beloved” Cronulla Sharks football game, after being accused of downplaying the threat of the coronavirus.

Frank Chung and Shannon Molloy
less than 2 min read
March 13, 2020 - 9:27PM
Scott Morrison announces public gathering ban

As the number of coronavirus cases in Australia nears 200, authorities have announced a range of significant measures to combat the outbreak.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday all non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people should not go ahead from Monday to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

However, Mr Morrison said he would still attend the season-opening game of his beloved Cronulla Sharks rugby league team in Sydney on Saturday night. Then he later said he's not going anymore.

Mr Morrison also said every Australian should urgently reconsider their need to travel internationally – regardless of the destination.

It came as Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton announced he had tested positive for coronavirus, after recently returning from the United States.

RELATED: Follow more coronavirus updates here

Look back at how the day unfolded.

Updates

Australians need to "get real" about virus

An infectious disease expert says Prime Minister Scott Morrison should be tested for the coronavirus and Australians need to "get real".

Speaking to A Current Affair on Friday night, Adjunct Professor Bill Bowtell from the Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity described the coronavirus pandemic as "very serious" and said if the PM had spent any time with Peter Dutton, he needed to be checked out.

"If the Prime Minister has seen Mr Dutton then he should go off for a test and almost certainly it would be very wrong for him to attend an NRL game," he said.

Professor Bill Bowtell spoke to Karl Stefanovic on Friday night. Picture: A Current Affair

Mr Bowtell also urged Australians to "get real", saying everyone now had an obligation to protect themselves and their loved ones from any unnecessary exposure to COVID-19.

"Look we have to get real. I love Australian life, I love going to the NRL, I love going to the opera, I love it all. But I’m terribly sorry, it’s now all subordinate to the overwhelming obligation we all have to protect ourselves and our families and our loved ones from any action that might unnecessarily expose them to the coronavirus," he said.

"We can’t have a free and easy approach to this, and wait till Monday to do something, that’s what got the Italians into enormous trouble."

Addressing the ban on mass gatherings, Mr Bowtell said there was no reason to wait another 48 hours.

"There’s nothing wrong with now. The mass gatherings planned for tonight and this weekend should not go ahead … nobody should go to a mass gathering, the rugby or anything else, churches, this weekend in their own interests," he said.

He also called on the government to release all the documentation presented at Friday's COAG meeting.

"I find it hard to believe that responsible medical people would want to delay any mass gatherings until Monday. Maybe they did. But let the advice be out there, let’s see the modelling, let’s see the facts and figures. Make it accountable, contestable, honestly and openly defended.

"The truth is our best defence against the coronavirus. The culture of secrecy and of not telling the truth got us where we are today."

Why aren’t PM and cabinet self-isolating?

If on Tuesday you spent a few hours in a meeting with a colleague who today tested positive for coronavirus, you’d probably be spending some time in self-isolation from now.

That’s based on formal advice from the Federal Department of Health.

Their COVID-19 isolation guidance reads: “If you have been in close contact with a proven case of coronavirus, you must isolate yourself for 14 days from the date of last contact with the confirmed case.”

What constitutes close contact?

That’s defined on the government’s Health Direct website as being face-to-face contact for at least 15 minutes, or being in a closed space for two hours with a person who is infected with coronavirus.

But when is someone infectious? That’s a little less definitive.

The time between someone being exposed to the virus and developing symptoms is between five to six days, according to Health Direct advice. It could range from two to 14 days though. For that reason, “people who might have been in contact with a confirmed case are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days”.

The majority of coronavirus cases seem to spread from people who already have symptoms.

Although, two new studies out of Europe today suggest that's perhaps not always the case, and the virus is most contagious early on.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said he developed symptoms Friday morning, waking up with a temperature and a sore throat. He sought medical advice and was later today diagnosed with COVID-19.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s office said advice from the Deputy Chief Medical Officer was that only those who had contact with Mr Dutton in the 24 hours before he became symptomatic need to be isolated or tested.

While Mr Dutton was at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, he attended a national security meeting yesterday via video link.

So, according to the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, there’s no need for the PM or other members of Cabinet to be concerned.

Is that consistent with public advice though? The PM’s office said it is.

“In advice provided to the Prime Minister this evening, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer has reiterated that only people who had close contact with the Minister in the preceding 24 hours before he became symptomatic need to self-isolate,” tonight’s statement said.

Confusing? Some might say so. Those that don’t have a Chief Medical officer on speed dial should continue to follow Federal Health Guidelines which state people must self-isolate if:

• You have left or transited through mainland China or Iran in the last 14 days

• You have left or transited through the Republic of Korea on or after 5 March 2020

• You have left or transited through Italy on or after 11 March 2020

• You have been in close contact with a proven case of coronavirus, you must isolate yourself for 14 days from the date of last contact with the confirmed case.

For more information check the Health Direct website.

Dutton dominating US headlines

America is waking to the news that Peter Dutton, infected with coronavirus, met with a string of senior US officials, including Ivanka Trump.

The Home Affairs Minister recently returned from Washington DC where he attended high-level talks with his counterparts from Five Eyes nations – the US, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand.

Among those Mr Dutton also met with were Attorney-General William Barr and President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka.

Telstra shuts down offices

From Monday, Telstra’s entire Australian corporate workforce will be required to work from home until further notice.

The telecommunications giant said in a statement that specific arrangements are in place to respond to the “unprecedented situation”.

The move impacted some 20,000 people. Telstra has also cancelled domestic travel and all events.

PM backtracks on Sharkies pledge

It’s been a confusing day when it comes to Scott Morrison’s football game movements this weekend.

The Prime Minister had barely announced that all public gatherings of more than 500 people should be cancelled from Monday in response to the coronavirus, when he said he’d still go to watch his “beloved” Cronulla Sharks tomorrow.

In Mr Morrison’s view, it was fine because the advice doesn’t kick in until Monday.

That copped a fair amount of criticism from political observers and the medical community, with claims that the PM was inadvertenyl downplaying the seriousness of corona.

Tonight, after Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton announce he has coronavirus, Mr Morrison had a change of heart.

“The PM did not want to create any unnecessary alarm as a result of these proposed new arrangements,” The PM’s office said in a statement.

“After further consideration and the potential for the Prime Minister’s attendance to be misrepresented, the Prime Minister has chosen not to attend the match this weekend.

“The Prime Minister believes this would avoid any unnecessary confusion about his attendance.”

PM advised not to self-isolate

Scott Morrison will not self-isolate despite coming into contact with Peter Dutton earlier this week, after receiving advice from health authorities.

The Home Affairs Minister tonight confirmed he has been diagnosed with coronavirus and has been hospitalised.

He was at Tuesday's Cabinet meeting in Canberra, which was attended by the PM.

“In advice provided to the Prime Minister this evening, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer has reiterated that only people who had close contact with the Minister in the preceding 24 hours before he became symptomatic need to self-isolate,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

“That does not include the Prime Minister or any other members of the Cabinet.”

NRL, AFL stadiums to shut

We’re still waiting for a statement from the Prime Minister’s office on Peter Dutton’s coronavirus diagnosis.

In the meantime and in non-Dutton news, both the NRL and AFL have announced that games will be played without a live audience from next week.

NRL boss Todd Greenberg announced this afternoon that from round two, stadiums will close to fans after health authorities urged all non-essential large gatherings to be cancelled.

“Those games will still be (broadcast) on television and so we hope our fans tune in to watch them,” Mr Greenberg said.

The AFL has made the same decision.

Dutton’s diagnosis is significant

The news that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has coronavirus could have significant ramifications.

Mr Dutton recently returned from the United States, where he held high level talks with his counterparts from Five Eyes nations – the US, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand.

He then attended a Cabinet meeting at Parliament House on Tuesday where, of course, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was present.

Mr Morrison today held a meeting with leaders from every state and territory.

Standard protocol as recommended by health authorities is that anyone who has come into contact with a person who has a confirmed case of coronavirus should self-isolate for 14 days.

So…. yeah.

And then there's this.

Peter Dutton has coronavirus

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

He issued a statement a moment ago to say that he tested positive for COVID-19 today this afternoon.

"This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat," Mr Dutton said in a statement.

Although, the official word this morning was that he had a stomach bug after failing to make his usual appearance on the Today show.

"It is the policy of Queensland Health that anyone who tests positive is to be admitted to hospital and I have complied with their advice.

"I feel fine and will provide an update in due course."

Mr Dutton recently returned from the United States, where he was attending a meeting of his counterparts from members of the Five Eyes groups.

In other words, shortly after spending time in a room with the foreign ministers from the US, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada, he became ill with COVID-19.

Mr Dutton was also in the Cabinet meeting at Parliament House on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister is expected to release a statement shortly.

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