Australia’s coronavirus update from Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the media after the National Cabinet meeting again urging Australia to stick together and to help each other through these tough times.
As the world reaches 1 million confirmed cases Scott Morrison is pleased with the lower growth rate in Australia, but we must continue to stick to the plan and compress the virus.
Suppression phase begins
The Prime Minister has announced National Cabinet is moving into a “new phase” regularly looking at COVID-19 data every day and changing regulations accordingly.
Scott Morrison said the data showed that if the rise in cases seen 12 days ago, there would be more than 10,500 cases in the country today.
Instead, following the social restrictions enforced over the past week, there are just over 5,200 cases in Australia today.
“That is a tribute to the work that has been done by Australians in getting around and supporting the very sensible measures that have been put if place all around the country by the state and territory governments, but we must continue to do this,” he said.
Mr Morrison said the new phase was “suppression” of the outbreak, as growth in cases drop to just “single digits” each day.
“At the current rate, if we keep doing what we’re doing… then right now that trajectory is promising, it’s encouraging,” he said.
“But there are no guarantees. This virus writes its own rules.”
Mr Morrison said the modeling being referred to would be reviewed again by the National Cabinet on Tuesday, with the information to then be shared with the nation.
In the meantime, a “daily dashboard” would be released every afternoon and updated with a briefing by the Chief Medical Officer.
“That afternoon report is a daily baseline on where things are at,” Mr Morrison said.
Churches and mosques to be classed as “workplaces”
Places of worship will also now be considered as “workplaces” to ensure religious leaders presenting their sermons at churches and mosques were not prevented from doing so in coming weeks.
Mr Morrison also made an announcement on working visa holders, who will now be able to sign up for work in regional areas and be able to travel there freely, but needed to self-isolate for 14 days.
“This is important to ensure we don’t get a lift up of the virus that might be in many metropolitan areas, and it gets transferred to more vulnerable areas in rural and regional communities,” he said.
Job Keeper program for local governments
Mr Morrison confirmed local governments were not eligible for the Commonwealth-delivered JobKeeper payment, with State and Territories agreeing support would be delivered by each jurisdiction.
“Local governments and their support will be will be provided b the state governments so that local government employees are no different to state government employees,” he said.
“If there is support necessary for local governments that will be provided by state and territory governments, not the Commonwealth.”
Mandatory code for commercial landlords and tenants not ready yet
Mr Morrison said while he had hoped to finalise rules and guidelines around commercial leasing by today, the complicated task was still not complete.
“The industry code has not… has not yet got the point we believe it needs to get to, to ensure sufficient security for tenants and landlords affected by these arrangements,” he said.
“The turnover reduction of the tenant needs to be reflected in the rental waiver of the landlord, now how that is done inside the lease is up to the landlord and the tenant.”
This could include lease extensions or reducing rent, but Mr Morrison said the Government “did not wish to be prescriptive about”
Mr Morrison said “banks would also need to come to the table” and support agreements made between tenants and landlords.
In the meantime he urged landords to “do the right thing” and support their tenants.
“We’re all in this together,” he said.
“Sit down with your tenant, your tenant who’s been paying you rent, working their business week after week after week. Respect each others livelihoods and support each others’ livelihoods where you can.”
Visitors told to go home
Mr Morrison noted the struggles of some international students in Australia and not eligible for the Government assistance, saying the clear option was for them to leave.
“If they are not in a position to support themselves there is the option for them to return to their home countries,” he said.
But his message to those just visiting Australia was even clearer.
“We still have many people here on visitor visas… at times like this if you’re a visitor in this country it is time, as it has been time for some while, to make your way home and ensure you can receive the supports available in your home countries,” he said
“This is a time Australia must focus on its citizens and its residents to ensure we can maximise economic supports that we have.”
However, Mr Morrison said backpackers who are nurses or doctors, there would be opportunities for them.
“But our focus is to support Australians and Australian businesses.”
My comments to landlords are ‘do the right thing’. Sit down with ur tenant, the tenant who’s been paying you rent. Respect eachothrs livelihoods
CMO only has faith in Australian figures
When asked if he believed China’s data, the chief medical officer said the only figures he had total faith in were Australia’s.
“The only numbers I have total faith in are Australian numbers frankly, because we have the highest testing rate in the word,” Professor Brendan Murphy said.
“I think China did clamp down incredibly hard, but their population is not immune… I think they have been pretty transparent but I’m only confident in our numbers.”
Professor Murphy said he predicted even the US numbers were “much higher” than what was being reported.
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says he believes the actual number of coronavirus infections worldwide is five to 10 times more than the 1 million cases reported.
Watch: Prime Minister Scott Morrison is addressing the media following today’s National Cabinet meeting.
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