The country’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly gives glimmer of hope for virus containment, but urges people to keep following the rules.
The DCMO today said Australia was “on the cusp” of a transmission rate that could see the disease eradicated sooner rather than later.
But Professor Kelly said he believed the country had still not seen the peak of community transmission, and the way that played out entirely depended on people’s behaviour in the next few weeks.
Transmission rate
The transmission rate three days ago was at about 2 per cent, and has dropped even further to just over 1 per cent.
Professor Kelly said the encouraging figures meant a glimmer of hope for Australia.
“Ideally, where you want to be is below one (per cent transmission rate) So less than one other person being infected,” he said.
“Once you get to that point, the epidemic dies out.
“A the moment, we’re probably on the cusp of that in Australia.”
Complacency is the enemy
The clear message from Professor Kelly was for the public not to be too encouraged by Australia’s low infection and death rates, and get “complacent”.
“It’s very very important to stay the course, it’s not time to take the foot off the break
“To be really frank about this we all have a place in this and if we loosen the social distancing measures at the moment it can have implications down the track.”
Australia’s border lockdown likely the last restriction to go
Professor Kelly said that while other restrictions within Australia would continue being reviewed, the travel ban on anyone entering the country would likely not be lifted without a vaccine.
“It (our border closures) clearly depend on what’s happening in the rest of the world in terms of the epidemic and of course the vaccine, if we have a vaccine,” he said.
“Border closures will be a component of what needs to happen in the future… we are an island of course and that’s our advantage.”
NRL not a “law unto themselves”
Earlier today, NRL indicated it would try to restart the season at the end of May.
But Professor Kelly made clear that was not happening without medical experts giving the a-ok.
“I don’t think they’re a law unto themselves, some of the players and coaches might think so, but they’re certainly still part of society,” he said.
“They have a part to play to support safety for themselves but safety for all of us.”
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