In New Zealand, a four week lockdown is announced. Shock jock Alan Jones, who usually shows little sympathy to those on welfare, says it should be easier to get the dole. The next day, all non-urgent elective surgery is suspended. The international travel warning is upgraded to a travel ban. Those who arrive after today will have to self-isolate for 14-days. “Someone who has a job.”ĭomestic travel restrictions on entering Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory come into force. “Now, if you ask me who is an essential worker?” Morrison says. Australians must stay home unless they’re going out for an essential purpose, and the definition of essential is broadened. Weddings are limited to five people – the couple, the celebrant and two witnesses. Gatherings are restricted to groups of 10 when outdoors. The haircut time limit is lifted two days later. Auction houses, real estate auctions, eating in shopping centre food courts, amusement parks, play centres, beauty parlours, tattoo parlours, and haircuts that take longer than 30 minutes are banned. National cabinet decides on further restrictions. The queues start forming at 4am and stretch around the block. On Monday, thousands of people queue for Centrelink. Twenty-six of those cases are from the Ruby Princess. By Sunday it’s 1,316 cases – an increase of 213 in 24 hours. Morrison says he is not annoyed.Īt the press conference following the national cabinet meeting, ABC political editor Andrew Probyn inadvertently becomes a TikTok meme.Īustralia passes 1,000 cases on Saturday. Victoria and the ACT will close schools from Tuesday, starting the Easter school holidays early. The national cabinet meeting is preceded by matching announcements from the NSW and Victorian premiers, saying they are considering a ban on all non-essential services.

The national chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, says a two to four week shutdown called for by many commentators “does not achieve anything”.īeachgoers at Sydney’s Bondi beach despite the threat of coronavirus, Friday, 20 March, 2020. “Twitter is not real life … so don’t believe it,” he says. A fake text message is circulating warning the country would go into an immediate lockdown, and the prime minister bristles when asked about it. Victorian school attendance has fallen by up to 50%. School attendance in NSW has dropped 25%. In four, he is asked why schools remain open. The next morning, Morrison does five media interviews. He says that once a shutdown measure is introduced it is likely to remain in place for six months. Morrison says there is unanimous agreement from states and territories that schools should remain open following the advice of national cabinet’s health advisory body, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. States and territories will enforce these rules under public health orders. The order extends to cruise ship passengers. From midnight, all international arrivals are required to self-isolate for 14 days, unless they are airline or maritime crew, or transitioning through Australia to the Pacific Islands. National cabinet holds its first meeting on the anniversary of the Christchurch massacre. Round-one NRL match between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Cronulla Sutherland Sharks at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Saturday, 14 March, 2020.

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