The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 12, and since then, the virus has spread globally with many communities, cities and countries being placed on lockdown. Below, updated statistics and government measures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic updated daily.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a new virus. Symptoms include fever, coughing, sore throat and shortness of breath. The virus can spread from person to person, but good hygiene can prevent infection.
What can we do to stop the spread of COVID-19?
The virus is highly contagious, and while many people will begin to show symptoms of the illness within 14 days some may not show any at all. To protect the more vulnerable, help ease our already stretched healthcare facilities and ultimately ‘flatten the curve’ of the virus, is to socially distance ourselves and self-isolate at home. We also need to maintain good hygiene, washing our hands regularly.
April 2nd
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced free childcare for working parents. The Federal Government will pay half of the operating costs of Australia’s 13,000 childcare and early learning centres.
“We’ll be moving to a different childcare system as of Sunday night. It will be a system that will mean parents will get their child care for free,” Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said. “Can I say to all of those parents: what we want to do by doing this is ensure your childcare centre will remain open so that where you normally take your child to get cared for, that will be there for you so you are not looking to have to go to a new centre.”
Australia confirmed three more deaths as it passed 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The countries coronavirus death toll rises to 24.
April 1st
NSW health authorities confirmed a person in Orange had become the 10th coronavirus death in NSW, bringing the national death toll to 21.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says the tough coronavirus social-distancing laws in NSW will last for 90 days.
March 31
Scott Morrison announced a ‘job keeper’ payment of $1500 per fortnight, in what will see the government pay employers to pay their employees.“Our JobKeeper plan sees every Australian worker the same way, no matter what you earn. There is not more support for some as there is for others,” Morrison said.
March 30
NSW records 127 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 1,918 and the national total to more than 4,000.
The death toll sits at 16, with ABC reporting one-third of the country’s deaths can now be linked to cruise ships.
March 29
Australia’s death toll rose to 16 after a woman in QLD and a man in VIC both died, and Chief Health Officer Brendan Murphy says the latest figures in Australia sit at 3,978.
Scott Morrison announced mental health, domestic violence, Medicare and emergency food services would receive a $1.1 billion injection from the Federal Government.
The limit to gatherings in public was reduced from 10 people to 2, excluding family members.
March 28
Australia’s death toll rose to 14.
International arrival restrictions came into effect, with all arrivals being taken to supervised self-isolation.
March 27
Australia’s death toll stands at 13 with over 3000 Australians testing positive. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, in NSW there are 1405 cases, Victoria 520, Queensland 493, South Australia 235, Western Australia 231, ACT 53, Tasmania 47 and Northern Territory 12.
The national cabinet will meet again this morning, to discuss rental relief. The Prime Minister is expected to address the country at lunchtime
March 26
State and territory health authorities have reported 2,620 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, with the death toll rising to 11.
March 25
ABC News reported that it’s possible for Australia’s coronavirus spread to be controlled within 13 weeks if 8 out of 10 Australians choose to stay inside and follow strict self-isolation rules. Any less than this and the spread of the disease could see a much more dramatic effect on the country.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia are 2423 as of 3pm, up from 1091 on Saturday (March 21). So far, NSW is the worst hit, with 1029 cases including two children. The current death toll stands at 8 (NSW: 7, WA: 1).
Tasmania, SA, NT and WA announced the closure of its borders. Australians, excluding aid workers and compassionate travel cases, were banned from travelling overseas.
Still open: supermarkets, pharmacies, public transport, some schools, hairdressers restricted to 30-minute appointments (changed to an hour on March 26), petrol stations, postal and freight services, bottle shops, newsagents, retail shops, restaurants restricted to take-away/delivery in most states.
Closed: Schools in Victoria and the ACT, gyms, indoor sports venues, pubs, cinemas, nightclubs, casinos, places of worship, theme parks, auction houses, food courts in shopping centres, beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons, spas and tattoo parlours, galleries, museums, libraries, youth centres, community halls, clubs, RSL clubs, swimming pools, amusement parks, arcades, indoor and outdoor play centres, social sports that involve large groups, outdoor and indoor markets.
All elective surgery across Australia was suspended from midnight to redirect resources to the treatment of COVID-19. Scott Morrison said: “This will apply in both the public and the private hospital systems, cancellation of elective surgery will allow the preservation of resources, including personal protective equipment and allow health services, private and public, to prepare for their role in the COVID-19 outbreak.”
March 24
Cases of COVID-19 surpassed 400,000, per WHO.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the nation to place new measures on the Australian public to ‘flatten the curve’ of the virus. One of Morrison’s main iterations: “Common sense of purpose is what we need to keep this nation running”. Closure of non-essential businesses was announced, while schools remained open.
Head to health.gov.au for more information.
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