Australian PM warns of lockdowns, NSW moves to comprehensive shutdown of non-essential services
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warns the country could see lockdowns in a bid to curb coronavirus.
The potential measures come after large crowds gathered on Sydney’s beaches including Bondi on Saturday, flouting social distancing advice.
Mr Morrison said the situation at Bondi Beach should be a “wake up call to take these policies seriously”.
He also announced a financial package to assist the country’s economy during the crisis.
The number of coronavirus cases in Australia has topped 1,000 and seven people have died.
Bondi Beach was temporarily closed on Saturday after crowds exceeded Australia’s 500-person outdoor gathering limit. It remains closed on Sunday.
Mr Morrison mentioned the incident and appealed for Australians to show common sense when it comes to following the rules.
“You have to keep a healthy distance between each other,” he said.
“If Australians can’t do that on a broad scale, then they are denying the governments and the authorities the most important weapon we have to save lives and to save livelihoods, and states and territories will have to take more severe responses to deal with that.”
The NSW Government will proceed to a more comprehensive shut down of non-essential services over the next 48 hours in attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Supermarkets, petrol stations, pharmacies, convenience stores, freight and logistics, and home delivery will be among the many services that will remain open.
Schools will also be open tomorrow.
Both Victoria and NSW were planning to push for lockdowns at tonight’s National Cabinet meeting, but NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian made clear in advance of that meeting that the state would be pursuing the more drastic measures.
