Data shows that up to 40 per cent of coronavirus patients sick enough to be hospitalised were age 20 to 54. So why don't young adults care about coronavirus?

Coronavirus: Young adults don't care, this is why they should

Australians seem yet to grasp the Federal Government’s newly-imposed social distancing measures.

Thousands of beachgoers came under fire on Friday for flocking to Sydney’s Bondi Beach despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison banning outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people and non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.

Their behaviour left the rest of the world – and many Aussies – dumbfounded, and prompted NSW Police Minister David Elliott to temporarily close the beach.

The move comes after Health Minister Greg Hunt on Friday slammed the beachgoers and local council for not following self-isolation directions.

“Around the country people are generally taking enormous strides but what happened in Bondi was unacceptable and the local council must take steps to stop that occurring,” he said.

“Our message to local council is this is all of our responsibilities, each of us as individuals, groups and families.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and health authorities have been urging Australians to observe social distancing by staying at least 1.5 metres apart.

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It’s not quite Bondi Beach, but the popular walk around Lake Burley Griffin in #Canberra is packed this morning. @abccanberra #SocialDistanacing pic.twitter.com/CiU8fL1WSu — Jonathon Gul (@JonoGul) March 21, 2020

Driving around I see no one, NO ONE abiding by the 2 metre advice. Cafes, shops etc crammed w people. The govt’s laissez-faire strategy - leaving enforcement of the rules to individuals, local councils, individual businesses etc - does not appear to working #2metres #Covid_19 https://t.co/A2nCfDHXsH — Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) March 21, 2020

But on Saturday, despite the nation’s number of confirmed cases of infection officially passing 1000, Aussies around the country were still taking to the streets in droves.

“Driving around I see no one, NO ONE abiding by the 2 metre advice,” Australian actor and comedian Magda Szubanski wrote in a tweet on Saturday, saying that the cafes and shops she had passed were “crammed” with people.

“The govt’s laissez-faire strategy – leaving enforcement of the rules of individuals, local councils, individual businesses etc – does not appear to be working.”

Pictures shared on social media of crowded restaurants and cafes in Western Australia, busy walkways in Canberra and cars filling the parking lots of Queensland’s beaches have prompted criticism that “people really think they have super powers”.

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The Sydney beachside suburb of Manly was also packed with people – clearly not afraid that the move to close beaches could move to Sydney’s north shore.

The behaviour has prompted many people to call on a lockdown in every state, as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has now passed 1000.

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It's 30 degrees outside. We're at home doing our part. inside. People really think they have super powers. #coronavirusaustralia #StayHomeStaySafe #australia pic.twitter.com/uqT4r5p1k8 — Fernando Riego (@feriego) March 21, 2020

In a statement on Friday night, Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos, whose council Bondi Beach sits in, urged the public to “observe health advice about social distancing when visiting our area including our beaches”.

“The public must at all times keep a minimum safe distance from each other in public places and if you don’t need to be out in public, please consider staying at home,” she said.

“We all have a role to play in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and I am frustrated that people continue to ignore Health advice about social distancing.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced new space restrictions on Friday, saying there would now be a maximum limit of “four square metres provided per person in an enclosed space”.

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Judging by the images, this message needs to be a lot stronger than just “please be safe.” https://t.co/OnCtF23j4o — Rachel Lau (@rachel_lau) March 21, 2020

Can confirm, this at 7pm (taken from car). Restaurants and pubs all packed (with lines). pic.twitter.com/pytMQjlcTR — Stephanie Carrick (@msstephcarrick) March 20, 2020

“So for example, if you’ve got a room, if you’ve got a premises, if you’ve got a meeting room or something like that, that’s 100 square metres, then you can have 25 people in that room,” the PM explained.

“Now, in addition to that, you should continue to practise wherever possible the 1 metre or 1.5 metre of healthy distance between each of us, to ensure that we are limiting the contact and limiting the potential for the spread of the virus.”