Scott Morrison says massive step-up of the government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak likely to be in place for at least six months

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

Scott Morrison has told Australians to “stop hoarding” as he announces sweeping new measures to try to slow the spread of coronavirus, including a ban on indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, a global do-not-travel order, and strict new rules for visiting aged care homes.

In a massive step-up of the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, the prime minister announced that a national cabinet of state and federal leaders had agreed on Tuesday night to an indefinite new ban on indoor groups of 100 people or more, with exemptions for schools, public transport, universities, prisons, courts, supermarkets and worksites.

The new measure, to be effective immediately, comes after a ban on mass gatherings of more than 500 people was put in place on Monday, prompting the widespread cancellation of sporting and cultural events.

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While declaring a national human biosecurity emergency under the Biosecurity Act on Tuesday morning, Morrison ruled out an Italian-style national lockdown and urged calm, taking aim at those panic buying, saying it was “un-Australian” and unnecessary.

Play Video 1:47 'It's un-Australian': Scott Morrison calls on people to stop hoarding food and supplies – video

“Stop hoarding,” he said. “I can’t be more blunt about it. Stop it. It is not sensible, it is not helpful and it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis.

“That is not who we are as a people. It is not necessary. It is not something that people should be doing.”

The declaration under the act, which was signed off by the governor general on Tuesday morning, allows a minister to “determine any requirement that he or she is satisfied is necessary” to prevent entry or spread of a disease, with penalties for non-compliance.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has also announced level-four restrictions for all global travel, with formal advice now escalated to “do not travel overseas”, along with a call for Australians abroad to return home or risk being stranded.

Warning that the measures were likely to be in place for at least six months, Morrison stridently defended the government’s decision to keep schools open, saying that 30% of the health workforce could be disrupted if schools were shut, and jobs would be lost, with limited health benefits.

“The disruption that would occur from the closure of schools around this country, make no mistake, would be severe,” Morrison said.

“What do I mean by severe? Tens of thousands of jobs could be lost, if not more. [There would be] a 30% impact on the availability of health workers is our advice – that will put peoples’ lives at risk.”

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“There is a national public interest here in keeping schools open and our advice is that is not being done at the detriment at the health of any child.”

He also said he would be sending his children to school and was happy to do so.

“There is only one reason your kids shouldn’t be going to school and that is if they are unwell,” he said.

The chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, also emphasised that the virus behaved differently among young people, but said schools would still need to encourage hand-washing, practise social distancing and limit group gatherings.

“It will be hard for schools, but it would be much, much, much harder for society if the schools were closed.”

The national cabinet has also agreed to a range of restrictions on aged care home visits, including by those who have been overseas or exposed to the virus, those who have any respiratory illness or display symptoms, and school groups.

There will also be limits on social gatherings for aged care residents, and social distancing measures will be put in place.

For end-of-life situations, Morrison said arrangements would be made on a case-by-case basis, in negotiation with care facilities.

“In cases of end of life, I know that people will want to see their elderly parents or relatives or others. I totally understand that. Aged care facilities will have the discretion to put in very strict arrangements to enable people to visit their loved ones if that is the situation that that resident finds themselves in.”

Amid concern about the potential of the virus to take hold in vulnerable remote Indigenous communities, Morrison said a list of proscribed areas that would limit visitation was also being prepared by the states.

Anzac Day events and ceremonies will also be cancelled due to the higher proportion of older Australians who attend such events.

Ruling out a short-term lockdown of the country, which Murphy claimed would “achieve nothing”, Morrison warned that the measures being taken by the government would likely be in place for at least half a year.

“We are looking at a situation of at least six months for how we deal with this,” Morrison said. “It could be much longer than that. It could be shorter. That is unlikely, given the way we are seeing events unfold.”

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“What we are doing, you have to be able to keep doing that and sustain that, that has to be something that is achievable for all Australians so we can keep our country running in the best possible way in the interests of all Australians.”

With 454 confirmed cases now in Australia, Murphy said the government was unsure of the current trajectory, but said there was now low-level “community transition” that would see the number of cases rise.

He emphasised the importance of social distancing and hand hygiene, urging Australians to “keep away from each other where possible”.

“No more hand shaking. No more hugging … no more scant attention to hand hygiene.”

Along with the health measures, Morrison said the government was finalising a second economic assistance package which would be focused on improving the “safety net” for affected businesses and individuals.

“The government is considering quite extensively further economic measures that will deal with the strength and the strengthening of our safety net and cushioning the even greater impact of the coronavirus on the Australian economy,” Morrison said.

“Last week we focused very much on the stimulus-type activity, encouraging investment, encouraging demand into the economy and providing support to small business. The measures that we are focusing on now are of a different nature – they are focused more on the cushioning impact of the safety net for individuals and small businesses.”

The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, said the opposition was inclined to support the economic stimulus package when it came before parliament next week.

“We will be supportive, make no mistake, of economic stimulus,” Albanese said.

But he said there was “urgency” to roll out health and economic measures as soon as possible, and called for more assistance for the aviation industry on top of a $715m package outlined on Wednesday.

“We know that the sooner the response, the more effective it will be and the less the cost will be in the long run,” he said.