Australian PM warns of lockdowns to tackle coronavirus
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned the united states 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 problem at Bondi Beach ought to be a "wake-you-up call to take these policies seriously".
He also announced a financial package to improve the economy through the crisis.
The quantity of coronavirus cases in Australia has risen sharply in recent days, reaching a lot more than 1,300 on Sunday. Seven persons have died.
New South Wales (NSW), home to Sydney, may be the worst-affected state with 533 confirmed cases. Victoria has 296 cases and Queensland has 259.
States and territories including Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory have announced they are shutting down non-essential services to try to halt the rapid spread of the virus.
The Australian Football League's 2020 season in addition has been suspended, without fixtures until at least 31 May. The women's league in addition has been halted.
On the other hand, the National Rugby League says it'll carry on with matches as planned.
Sydney's famous 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 in terms of following the rules.
"You will need to keep a wholesome distance between each other," he said.
"If Australians can't do this on a wide scale, they are denying the governments and the authorities the most crucial weapon we must save lives and to save livelihoods, and states and territories must take more severe responses to handle that."
He warned that "draconian measures" including lockdowns were set to be discussed on Sunday. He said the lockdowns could apply to areas where there have been regions of large outbreaks.
Mr Morrison also warned Australians against non-essential travel and advised that interstate holidays be cancelled.
Individual states already are imposing tighter restrictions:
South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory will close their borders from Tuesday. Beneath the new rules, anyone arriving will be required to self-isolate for two weeks
Tasmania, an island state, has recently imposed similar travel restrictions
In the us shutting down non-essential services, businesses including supermarkets, petrol stations and pharmacies will remain open
Schools in NSW remain open for the present time but school holidays meant to start on Friday in Victoria will now start on Tuesday
That which was in the financial package?
Mr Morrison said the government would make available almost A$189 billion (£93 billion) to aid the most susceptible to the effects of the coronavirus crisis.
The measures include doubling income support for all those on Jobseeker's allowance. Assets tests and waiting periods will be waived.
Grants of up to $100,000 will be produced designed for small and medium sized businesses.
Individuals affected by the coronavirus can access up to $10,000 of their superannuation during 2019 and 2020. They'll be able to take a further $10,000 the following year.
Australian airlines and airports will be provided with up to $715 million in support.
The financial package may be the country's first stimulus package because the 2008 global financial meltdown.
Mr Morrison stressed that the measures cover the next six months. "This is not an instant fix," he said. "This will not be my last visit to the podium. You will have more packages and more support."
What's happening in Asia?
Singapore has announced it will ban all short-term visitors under new coronavirus measures. Short-term visitors are also banned from transiting through Singapore. Only work pass holders who have healthcare and transport will be allowed to enter, with their dependents.
The city state confirmed on Saturday that two people had died from Covid-19, the first virus related deaths in Singapore.
China reported 46 new cases, all except one earned from other countries. The main one domestic case was associated with a previous imported case, according to local authorities.
South Korea reported 98 new cases on Sunday. The figure suggests a downward trend in new cases. The full total number of coronavirus cases in South Korea has reached 8,897.
