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A wide-ranging shutdown of non-essential services has been walked back after a meeting between the prime minister and state and territory leaders. Earlier it was flagged only supermarkets, petrol stations, pharmacies, convenience stores, freight and logistics services would remain open, in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Sunday night there would be a staged process starting with a shutdown of “principal places of social gathering”. The venues to be closed from noon on Monday include registered and licensed clubs, entertainment venues, cinemas, casinos, nightclubs, indoor sports venues and places of worship. Restaurants and cafes will be restricted to takeaway only. Mr Morrison said the step had to be taken because Australians were not adequately sticking to rules around social distancing and the virus was continuing to spread. “We cannot have the confidence as a group of leaders that the social distancing guidelines and rules that we have put in place won’t be followed to the level of compliance that we require to flatten the curve and slow the spread and save lives,” Mr Morrison said. Parents were reassured schools would reopen after the Easter holidays, based on current medical advice. But Victorian and ACT school holidays have already been brought forward to Tuesday. In further action, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are imposing two-week quarantine periods on people seeking to enter these states, with police checkpoints posted to monitor travellers. The AFL announced matches would be suspended until at least May 31. The global tally of COVID-19 cracked 300,000 on Sunday, with just over 13,000 deaths and 96,000 patients recovering. In Australia, the number of cases has risen to 1286, meaning the caseload is now doubling every three days. Seven people have died. State and territory leaders and Mr Morrison have recommended against all non-essential domestic travel, following the unprecedented ban on international travel. WA Premier Mark McGowan announced entry to his state would be restricted via road, rail, air and sea from 1.30pm local time on Tuesday. There will be exemptions for health, emergency, defence and policing personnel, certain mining industry workers, flight crews, essential goods deliverers and on compassionate grounds. Unless exempted, arrivals from interstate will be ordered to self-isolate for 14 days. “Western Australia is now in a war, the type of war we have never seen before,” Mr McGowan said. “These are extreme steps but these are extreme days.” Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said most new diagnoses of coronavirus were still related to travellers. It might be another week or two until the increased travel restrictions flowed through to a reduction in travel-related cases, he said. In a bid to ease Australia’s expected dive into recession, the federal government announced a second round of stimulus measures worth $66 billion. It will temporarily double the Jobseeker payment – known as Newstart until last Friday – and make it easier for casuals and sole traders to access it; give a second round of $750 cash payments to pensioners; and significantly expand the already announced cash flow injection into small businesses, which will now get at least $20,000 and up to $100,000 each. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg described this as a supercharged safety net and flagged further measures as the crisis evolves, saying it was in no way a “set and forget” situation. State governments have also implemented stimulus measures and are looking at other ways to ease pressure on people, including how to give renters and commercial tenants a break. The government is also urgently considering how to bring home Australians trapped overseas or on board cruise ships. Federal parliament will sit from Monday to debate and pass laws enabling the initial two stimulus packages, with more measures expected in coming weeks. Labor will seek to amend some of the bills, but is committed to passing the laws. Australian Associated Press
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A wide-ranging shutdown of non-essential services has been walked back after a meeting between the prime minister and state and territory leaders.
Earlier it was flagged only supermarkets, petrol stations, pharmacies, convenience stores, freight and logistics services would remain open, in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
But Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Sunday night there would be a staged process starting with a shutdown of “principal places of social gathering”.
The venues to be closed from noon on Monday include registered and licensed clubs, entertainment venues, cinemas, casinos, nightclubs, indoor sports venues and places of worship.
Restaurants and cafes will be restricted to takeaway only.
Mr Morrison said the step had to be taken because Australians were not adequately sticking to rules around social distancing and the virus was continuing to spread.
“We cannot have the confidence as a group of leaders that the social distancing guidelines and rules that we have put in place won’t be followed to the level of compliance that we require to flatten the curve and slow the spread and save lives,” Mr Morrison said.
Parents were reassured schools would reopen after the Easter holidays, based on current medical advice.
But Victorian and ACT school holidays have already been brought forward to Tuesday.
In further action, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are imposing two-week quarantine periods on people seeking to enter these states, with police checkpoints posted to monitor travellers.
The AFL announced matches would be suspended until at least May 31.
The global tally of COVID-19 cracked 300,000 on Sunday, with just over 13,000 deaths and 96,000 patients recovering.
In Australia, the number of cases has risen to 1286, meaning the caseload is now doubling every three days. Seven people have died.
State and territory leaders and Mr Morrison have recommended against all non-essential domestic travel, following the unprecedented ban on international travel.
WA Premier Mark McGowan announced entry to his state would be restricted via road, rail, air and sea from 1.30pm local time on Tuesday.
There will be exemptions for health, emergency, defence and policing personnel, certain mining industry workers, flight crews, essential goods deliverers and on compassionate grounds.
Unless exempted, arrivals from interstate will be ordered to self-isolate for 14 days.
“Western Australia is now in a war, the type of war we have never seen before,” Mr McGowan said.
“These are extreme steps but these are extreme days.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said most new diagnoses of coronavirus were still related to travellers.
It might be another week or two until the increased travel restrictions flowed through to a reduction in travel-related cases, he said.
In a bid to ease Australia’s expected dive into recession, the federal government announced a second round of stimulus measures worth $66 billion.
It will temporarily double the Jobseeker payment – known as Newstart until last Friday – and make it easier for casuals and sole traders to access it; give a second round of $750 cash payments to pensioners; and significantly expand the already announced cash flow injection into small businesses, which will now get at least $20,000 and up to $100,000 each.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg described this as a supercharged safety net and flagged further measures as the crisis evolves, saying it was in no way a “set and forget” situation.
State governments have also implemented stimulus measures and are looking at other ways to ease pressure on people, including how to give renters and commercial tenants a break.
The government is also urgently considering how to bring home Australians trapped overseas or on board cruise ships.
Federal parliament will sit from Monday to debate and pass laws enabling the initial two stimulus packages, with more measures expected in coming weeks.
Labor will seek to amend some of the bills, but is committed to passing the laws.
Australian Associated Press
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