Highlights
- As at 6:00 am on 9 April 2020, there have been 6,052 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia.
- States and territories urge residents to stay at home.
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the growth rate of new cases of the virus was falling "well beyond our expectations."
Australians have been urged to stay at home and get out only for essential things like getting food or seeing a doctor this long Easter weekend after modelling showed restrictions have helped flatten the curve of the virus' spread.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned against complacency during the holiday period.
"Progress can be easily undone, as we have seen in other places around the world," Mr Morrison said.
"We are only a few days away from Easter, a time that should give us great hope, and the message is clear, though: stay home, don't travel, don't go away. We can't let up now."
So what is allowed and what is not?
Source: Supplied
Can we go on a short break? Can we go see friends? Can we gather for Easter egg hunt and lunch?
Questions galore and so here’s what you can do this Easter long weekend and what you aren’t allowed to do, state-wise.
New South Wales
A woman is tested for coronavirus at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. Source: AAP
‘The biggest risk with COVID-19 infection is community transmission. Practising social distancing is working, which is why it's important for everyone to stay home over Easter,’ the government advises.
Here’s what you can do:
- Leave your home for essential shopping such as groceries or medicines.
- Go to receive medical treatment.
- Provide care for a vulnerable person.
- Exercise with one other person or with members of your household even if that amounts to more than two people.
- Travel for essential reasons — so if you're a learner driver, you could drive to the shop for groceries providing you are supervised.
Here’s what you aren’t allowed to do:
You must stay at home unless you are going to:
- work (where you can’t work remotely)
- school or an educational institution
- shop for food and essentials
- get medical care or supplies
- exercise.
Victoria
Source: Pic courtesy of: St.Alphonsa Cathedral, Melbourne
Police will be out in full force over the Easter long weekend issuing fines to anyone who disobeys these directions.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton has urged Victorians to stay vigilant, particularly as we approach the Easter holidays.
“The rules are clear - and they don’t change over Easter: if you can stay at home, you must stay at home,” Professor Sutton said.
“This is not a normal Easter. Travelling, visiting friends, heading to the beach or staying in regional Victoria could see all our hard-won gains evaporate.
“There is no doubt about it – physical distancing will save lives. I urge people not to look for loopholes but to follow the advice and do the right thing.”
Queensland
Source: AAP Image/Florent Rols / SOPA Images/Sipa USA
“We've all worked really hard to slow the spread, and that progress could be completely undone if we go out this Easter,” Queensland Health said.
People have been urged to stay at home and not undertake any non-essential travel, including travelling to their holiday home.
Read more here.
South Australia
South Australian Police stopping vehicles near the SA border 5kms east of Pinnaroo, South Australia.| (AAP Image/Kelly Barnes) Source: AAP
‘Don’t travel, don’t holiday in South Australia. Just stay home this Easter and school holidays.’
The strong advice of the SA Premier Steven Marshall and Chief Medical Officer Nicola Spurrier is that people do not travel this Easter and school holidays.
The advice is:
- Travel within South Australia is strongly advised against.
- This includes cancelling your Easter holiday plans to slow the spread of Coronavirus.
- Non-essential travel to Kangaroo Island is not advised.
Western Australia
The first Australian to die of Coronavirus is from Perth Western Australia Source: SBS
From 11:59 pm Tuesday 31 March 2020, Western Australians are not permitted to travel outside their designated region without an exemption. (Find out who is exempted here)
These regions are:
- Perth and Peel (due to their proximity, the Perth and Peel regions will form one region)
- South West
- Great Southern
- Goldfields-Esperance (stronger restrictions apply)
- Mid-West
- Wheatbelt
- Gascoyne
- Pilbara (stronger restrictions apply to parts of the Shire of East Pilbara)
- Kimberley (stronger restrictions apply to the entire Kimberley region)
Checkpoints and mobile police patrols are in place to monitor travel across boundaries and ensure people are doing the right thing.
‘Police have the power to enforce these restrictions, and issue fines of up to $50,000,’ the state government has warned.
Tasmania
HOBART, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 19: Passengers go through various quarantine checks on March 19, 2020 at Hobart airport in Hobart, Australia. Source: Steve Bell/Getty Images
‘We won’t be going on trips in the car or on the boat outside our municipalities and there will be no travelling to shacks or visiting a favourite camping spot.
‘But this doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun, responsibly! We can keep our communities safe and enjoy the Easter break by following these simple measures:
- Keep it local
- Keep it to one or two
- Keep it connected
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Australian Capital Territory
Australian capital territory Canberra city centre on a sunny summer day aerially seen from a distance from Mt Ainslie lookout. Source: iStockphoto
“As I have said all this week, please stay home this Easter long weekend. Do not travel to the coast or interstate or gather in large groups with family and friends,” Dr Johnston said.
“I also encourage Canberrans to find new ways to connect with their loved ones over this Easter period. People all around the world are using technology to stay socially connected during this pandemic and this can be a great way to keep in touch with your family and friends when you can’t physically visit.”
Follow SBS Hindi’s special coverage of COVID-19 outbreak
Northern Territory
Source: AAP
The key message to all Territorians is to “Stay home if you can”.
Commander Tony Fuller APM, the Incident Controller at the Emergency Operations Centre, said, “It’s important that we limit our contact with others. The NT is the only jurisdiction that hasn’t had a death due to the virus and so far there’s been no community transmission, we want it to stay that way.”
“Police will be highly visible over the Easter weekend. If you are fishing in a boat it should only be with the people you are living with.
“Groups should not be congregating and social distancing must be observed. We are asking people to cooperate, we don’t want to have the hard-line approach that is being enforced interstate but that can be enacted should people fail to behave responsibly.
“The public can be assured that fines will be issued to anyone not respecting the community and doing the right thing.”
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor, don’t visit, or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
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