Coronavirus Australia: May meeting key to recovery path

May 11 national cabinet meeting to decide the path of relaxation will look at returning workers to offices and kids to schools.

Scott Morrison speaks to the media. Picture: AAP.

The May 11 national cabinet meeting to decide the path of relaxation for the nation’s COVID-19 restrictions will pave the way for more direct­ social interactions but it will stop a long way short of returning life to how it was before the virus.

On the table will be how to return­ workers, currently operating from home, to their offices. The vexed issue of returning children to the classroom will also be discusse­d.

The return of elite and community sport, intrastate travel and rules around public gatherings will also form part of the baseline agreements that will be thrashed out as the national cabinet moves to restart the economy.

Government sources tell The Australian that people can expect tough restrictions limiting gatherings to two or three people could be relaxed towards larger groups such as 10 people after nationa­l cabinet meets on May 11.

State and federal leaders will consider the return of major sporting codes that will play before empty stadiums.

Fans may be able to watch their teams at the pub but the pub is likely to be less than half full and they won’t be watching it in a large group. 

People of faith, meanwhile, will be able to go to church for a private prayer but a large service is months down the track.

“I look forward to the time where they can see, whether it is the AFL, the netball, or the NRL, or whatever code it is they support, and being able to watch that again,” Scott Morrison said.

“But I can’t see them going along to a game for a while, those larger mass gatherings.

“I can see, I suppose, the opportunity for those seeking private prayer in a place of worship, I can see that happening. I can’t necessarily, though, see large services occurrin­g again,” the Prime Minister said. “I look forward to the time when Australians can travel again within Australia. I look forward to the time where they can sit down to a meal at a restaurant or a cafe or in a pub again.”

But the lifting of restrictions on pubs, clubs, cinemas, weddings, funeral­s and the family barbecue could well be determined by the level of take-up of the government’s COVID-19 app.

Mr Morrison said a strong take-up of the app may help strengthen the case for a more liberal approach to social distancing.

“If you want to return to a more liberated economy and society, it is important that we get increased numbers of downloads when it comes to the COVIDSafe app.

“This is the ticket to ensuring that we can have eased restrictions and Australians can go back to the lifestyle and the many things that they previously were able to do and this is important.”

Nearly three million people have downloaded the app but this is well short of the 40 per cent uptake Mr Morrison is aiming for.

“I would liken it to the fact that if you want to go outside when the sun is shining, you have got to put sunscreen on. This is the same thing,” Mr Morrison said.

The app appears to be the last prerequisite to be met before an easing can be considered by nation­al cabinet.

The nation appears on track to meet the prerequisite targets of a virus reproduction rate below one, a rigorous testing regime and a rapid response team to deal with outbreaks.

Ahead of the May 11 meeting, companies around the nation are drawing up plans to return some of their workers to their offices.

But even the most optimistic are planning on a June return, with about half their workforce returning to offices at any one time. 

The Prime Minister bluntly warned travellers on Wednesday that an overseas holiday, with the exception perhaps of New Zealand, wasn’t going to be a reality­ any time this year.

“It won’t be exactly like it was before. I can’t see international travel occurring any time soon. I can’t see that. The risks there are obvious,” Mr Morrison said.

The Restaurant and Caterers Association has proposed the government reopen the industry by June and that pub and restaurant owners record the details of every person who enters their premises.

The decisions for lifting restrictions ultimately are made by state and territory governments, with Western Australia, Queensland and NSW going early this week on relaxing some measures and the Northern Territory government about to release a staged-recovery “road map” for lifting restrictions.