The Federal Government convened last night, outlaying new measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, with Australia on track for a doubling of cases every week. There are now 4166 confirmed cases across the country. That includes 1918 in New South Wales, 821 in Victoria, 656 in Queensland, 299 in South Australia, 311 in Western Australia, 66 in Tasmania, 77 in the Australian Capital Territory and 14 in the Northern Territory. A total of 17 Australians have died from COVID-19, with Tasmania announcing its first death this morning.
Under the new stage three restrictions, there are only four reasons to leave the house, being for food and supplies, for exercise, for medical care and for essential work and education.
Furthermore, the previous gathering limit of ten people being able to gather in outdoor or indoor areas has been cut to two people, excluding housemates or family members.
Public outdoor spaces including outdoor gyms, skate parks and playgrounds will also be closed.
To help enforce these new restrictions, Victoria Police have been given the power to issue on-the-spot fines of up to $1,652 for individuals and up to $9,913 for businesses who don’t follow the rules.
Essentially, the message remains the same – stay home.
See Premier Daniel Andrews’ announcement below.
Alongside the restrictions, there’s also some financial relief with people affected financially by Covid-19 can no longer be evicted from their rental property for the foreseeable future; all Australians will be able to consult their doctor via video chat; and the government has also announced the launch of an iOS app called Coronavirus Australia to allow Australians to keep up to date with the latest health advice.
Keep up to date with announcements via the Australian Government website.