Scott Morrison has unveiled a three-step coronavirus “roadmap” from now until July, expected to get more than 800,000 Australians back into work
Mr Morrison has laid out the three stage coronavirus roadmap in which Australia will come out its lockdown, with the first including the re-opening of cafes and restaurants that can uphold social-distancing measures.
Local travel is also expected to restart.
However, Mr Morrison said decisions on if and when to lift restrictions ultimately lay with States and Mark McGowan has already made it clear regional travel restrictions are not yet being reviewed.
“It’s our aspiration as agreed among premiers and chief ministers, in July, we would have moved through these three steps through the country,” he said.
“The pace, though, will totally be up to the states and territories.”
Not the end of coronavirus
Mr Morrison said while Australia had done well fighting the virus, allowing the Government to begin reversing the lockdown, he expected further outbreaks.
“There will be challenges, there will be outbreaks, there will be more cases, there will be set backs,” he said.
“Not everything will go to plan.”
It comes as an outbreak continues to wrack up more coronavirus cases in Victoria, originating in a meat packing facility.
Lifting restrictions: Stage one
The first stage of restrictions easing includes not only the re-opening of cafes and restaurants, but allowing up to five people to gather in a home.
Gatherings of 10 people outside of the home will also be permitted, bringing the nation inline with what WA announced last week.
“It (stage one) will see easing of restrictions for funerals with up to 30 attendees, outdoors, and 10 at weddings,” Mr Morrison said.
Local playgrounds, outdoor bootcamps, home sales and auctions and wider shopping will also all be allowed.
Lifting restrictions: Stage two
At this stage, Mr Morrison said “most businesses” would be opened again.
Up to 20 people would be allowed to gather outside of the home, with gyms, salons, cinemas and galleries re-opening.
Community sport with groups of up to 20 would be allowed.
“Some interstate travel” would also be permitted.
“States and territories may allow larger numbers (of people to gather) in some circumstances,” Mr Morrison said.
However, Australians would still be encouraged to work from home where possible.
Lifting restrictions: Stage three
All Australians would return back to their workplaces by this stage, which also would allow for gatherings of up to 100 people.
Travel to Tasmania and Pacific islands would also be considered at this point, while all interstate travel would be restarted.
“Pubs and clubs with some restrictions will be open, and also possibly gaming venues,” Mr Morrison said.
International travel won’t restart for “the foreseeable future”
Mr Morrison said international travel resume anytime soon, with no mention of lifting borders to countries other than New Zealand and Pacific Islands in the roadmap.
“I can’t see that happening any time soon,” he said.
“There’s nothing on our radar which would see us opening up international travel in the foreseeable future. There are already some very, very minor exceptions, where the Border Force can provide an exemption for outbound travel, but that’s in areas like facilitating development aid in third countries and things like that.
“It’s a very limited set of circumstances. I’ve already mentioned how we could potentially consider how things for international students might work. But these are exceptions, not the rule.”
Businesses to pay staff as normal as soon as possible
Mr Morrison said he expected companies to start paying their employees’ wages as normal as soon as they were able.
“As businesses are able to reopen and get on their feet, then I’m looking forward, as I’m sure they are, to getting staff back on the floor, lifting their wages again from their
stand-down arrangements, and to be able to take that enterprise forward again,” he said.
“One of the things I’m very hopeful of is that, because of the supports we put in place, the arrangements that the states and territories supported under the Commercial Tenancies Code was it basically allowed businesses to go through this incredibly difficult time with the loss of trade and not
have the businesses collapse.”
Watch: The Prime Minister is speaking in Canberra after a meeting of the National Cabinet.
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