Coronavirus Australia: Your most Googled virus questions

Australians are desperate to find out information during the pandemic, from when isolation will end to why the ex keeps calling.

Australians are living under tough coronavirus restrictions and can only leave the house to work, study or shop for food or other essential items — but the one thing they want to know is when it will all end.

In the past week, Australians have searched Google for when isolation will end. They also want to know what do during lockdown and why the ex won’t stop calling.

Here are the most commonly asked questions typed into Google Search related to coronavirus.

WHEN WILL SELF ISOLATION END

Australia has been praised on its COVID-19 efforts, but there’s no end in sight yet — with authorities warning restrictions aren’t going anywhere soon.

Social distancing and isolation measures could still remain in place for the next six months.

“Australians have done what we had hoped – and more,” Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said earlier this month. “They have stayed at home. They have self-isolated.”

While some state governments, including NSW, have mentioned some restrictions could be eased as early as next month, the Health Minister outlined three tests Australia will have to pass before we can go back to everyday life.

The first is a sustained decrease in new virus cases – which we’re well on the way to achieving, but are not quite there yet.

The second is for leaders to be satisfied that if there was a localised spike in cases, health workers would be well placed to respond, contain and isolate the infected people.

And the third was the government’s development of an exit plan, which would involve gradually reopening businesses.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly said social-distancing measures will be in place for at least six months and potentially longer if researchers are unable to develop a vaccine.

RELATED: Follow the latest coronavirus updates

WHAT TO DO IN SELF ISOLATION

News.com.au has plenty of ideas for how to pass the time in lockdown – the best shows to watch, the funniest videos, the best hacks, home workouts and even the best online course to help you upskill.

Whether you’re looking for a new show to binge or seeking the motivation to do five push-ups, you can find it all at our Life in Lockdown section, here.

HOW TO DEAL WITH ISOLATION

Mental health non-profit Beyond Blue have reported a direct spike in people reporting negative mental health due to COVID-19, prompting the organisation to launch an all-hours Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service.

“People are telling us they’re feeling overwhelmed, worried, lonely, concerned about their physical health and the health of friends and loved ones, and anxious about money, job security and the economy,” Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said.

NSW Health have advised talking to other people about your feelings; keeping up a normal daily routine as much as possible; exercising regularly; keeping in contact with friends and family members and treating isolation as an opportunity to do some of those things you never usually have time for are all ways to make isolation easier.

WHY IS MY EX CALLING DURING SELF ISOLATION?

With all of us cooped up at home and feelings of loneliness almost universal, it’s no surprise that the ghosts of relationships past have reared their ugly heads since self isolation began.

Associate psychology professor at Albright College, Gwendolyn Seidman, told The Atlantic people are hearing from their exes probably due to unprecedented levels of boredom and loneliness.

And while humans’ collective appetite for romantic or sexual interaction hasn’t gone anywhere during quarantine, our ability to meet anyone new has, she explained.

Going for a drink or dinner with a Tinder match is not only difficult now – it’s basically impossible (also, technically against the law).

If you have been zumped or know someone that has been housepumped, then you’re part of the brave new world that is dating in lockdown. Read all about how to date at home here.

CAN I GO FOR A DRIVE DURING CORONAVIRUS?

Conscious of keeping coronavirus under control, police across Australia are continuing to crack down on non-essential travel, urging drivers tempted to hit the road to think twice.

If you’re getting behind the wheel, you should be doing so for one of the Government’s “reasonable excuses”, not for the sake of driving.

When it comes to who you’re planning on driving with, most state governments advise you only travel with those living in the same household.

If you’re caught driving without a valid reason, you’ll be turned around by police – and if you fail to obey orders, you could be slapped with a heft fine.

CAN I MOVE HOUSE DURING CORONAVIRUS?

The prospect of moving house during the best of times is enough to make most people want to hurl an Ikea bookshelf through a window, let alone in the midst of a global pandemic.

Yet, it’s still allowed, with moving house (or offices) on the Federal Government’s list of “reasonable excuses” to be outside.

Multiple moving companies have increased personal hygiene measures, including introducing “contactless” moves, asking people to pack their own belongings and requesting customers allocate a specific bathroom for moving crews to use during the moving process.

RELATED: Six coronavirus facts experts want you to know

CAN I MOVE INTERSTATE DURING CORONAVIRUS?

As mentioned above, you’re still legally allowed to move house under Federal Government advice. But, because most states and territories have closed their borders, the process may be a bit more difficult than normal.

Unless you’re moving to New South Wales or Victoria, you’ll need to quarantine for two weeks before you can go out in society.

CAN I GET A HAIRCUT DURING CORONAVIRUS?

Despite a number of businesses being forced to close down for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, hair salons remain open for business – meaning you don’t have to take matters into your own hand and can still book in for a trim with a professional.

Salons are subject to the same rules as other indoor venues: only one person is allowed in the salon for every four square metres.

CAN I VISIT MY FAMILY DURING CORONAVIRUS?

Again, you shouldn’t be leaving the house unless it’s for an essential purpose. But, national advice has outlined that families split across two houses can meet, and that “providing medical, healthcare or compassionate services (i.e. taking on the role of a carer)” is allowed.

Each state has varied advice or conditions about essential reasons for families to gather though, like for shared parenting arrangements, providing care or the like.

If you’re wanting to visit family members who live far away or interstate, however, it becomes a little trickier. In all but New South Wales and Victoria, there’s now a mandatory quarantine period if you’re crossing the border.

WHY ARE AMERICANS PROTESTING ABOUT SELF ISOLATION? 

For the unaware, protesters have taken to the streets in states across the US, demanding that governors reopen economies shut by the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the risk of a COVID-19 resurgence posed by reopening things too soon – and America now the centre of the global virus crisis, agitation for easing restrictions has grown.

President Donald Trump has seemingly endorsed protests against strict lockdown measures in Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia, causing Washington’s Governor Jay Inslee to deem the president’s support of them “dangerous”.

“To have an American president to encourage people to violate the law, I can’t remember any time in my time in America we have seen such a thing,” he told ABC news.