23:29

Parliament will still sit next week, but “temporary and precautionary” changes are being announced as part of what the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said would be a “scaled back” parliament.

Under the changes, Parliament House will remain open to the general public to access the public areas and the marble foyer, but the public galleries in each chamber for the next sitting week will be closed.

All school group bookings and tours during the next parliamentary sitting week will be

postponed or cancelled and a number of large events being held in the function spaces of the building are being postponed or cancelled. Restrictions will also be put in place for some passholder categories that will minimise “non-essential visits” to the building.

The following categories of passholder will lose automatic access to the private areas of the building: former parliamentarians; elected members of other legislatures; volunteers; and sponsored passholders.

All non-essential attendance will be discouraged, with external departments and agencies asked to reduce use of commonwealth departmental passes to a minimum, and public servants encouraged to avoid non-essential attendance.

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Tony Smith, and Senate president, Scott Ryan, issued a statement outlining the new measures, which also suggested committee business should take place via tele or video conferencing.

The statement also asks that members and senators “only bring essential staff” to Canberra and Parliament House for the next sitting week commencing Monday 23 March. “These decisions have not been taken lightly and are being taken following detailed discussion and advice from the relevant authorities,” the statement said.