Australians are being promised a decision to ease curbs on sport, business and social activity within one week on the key condition that more people download the federal government's coronavirus tracing app.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday agreed with state and territory leaders on new principles to allow community sport but left it to the states to decide whether major codes like the NRL and AFL could resume their games.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison: "Australians have earned an early mark through the work that they have done."Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The sport and recreation principles clear the way for a decision next week on a "staged return" to local and community sport, such as allowing training for groups of 10.
"Australians have earned an early mark through the work that they have done," Mr Morrison said in announcing the decisions would come by May 8 rather than the following week.
National cabinet made no decision on Friday to relax widespread restrictions and chose instead to meet on Tuesday and again on Friday to agree on changes. This could bring forward any relaxation in the rules, given Mr Morrison said on April 16 the peak group would wait four weeks to make changes.
But Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews hosed down hopes of nationwide changes within one week, saying each state and territory would make its own decisions.
"This does not change our plan to review restrictions on May 11," a spokeswoman for the Premier said.
About 3.6 million people, or 15 per cent of the population, have downloaded the CovidSafe app, used to determine who has had contact with an individual carrying the virus, since its release last Sunday. This is far short of the government's target for 40 per cent adoption, with a focus on those over the age of 16.
"That is the ticket to opening up our economy – to getting people back into jobs and getting businesses open again," Mr Morrison said.
The Prime Minister did not put a target on the adoption he wanted within a week but said the greater the number, the safer the community would be if national cabinet moved to easing restrictions.
Highlighting the hit to the economy so far, Mr Morrison said more than 900,000 claims had been made for the JobSeeker allowance over the past six weeks and this would take the unemployment rate above 10 per cent and "potentially" higher.
He said 340,000 businesses had received a cash-flow boost worth more than $6 billion and 6.8 million Australians had received a $750 one-off payment at a total expense of $5.1 billion so far.
Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy announced a significant expansion of "cohort testing" to check on the spread of the COVID-19 virus among those who might not display any symptoms.
The program will test aged-care workers and hospital staff amid fears of widespread infections among asymptomatic people, including schoolchildren.
"One state is already considering testing a cohort of teachers, not because we think teachers are at high risk, because they feel that would reassure them," Professor Murphy said.
"We have tested a lot of asymptomatic children in outbreaks in NSW – 800 were tested and one was positive.
"There is increasing evidence from Europe now, and studies from the UK and studies from the Netherlands, that consistently show that transmission among children is not being seen, is not significant."
Some state leaders wanted the national cabinet meeting to agree on a single approach to sporting codes such as the NRL and AFL but Mr Morrison left the decisions to state leaders.
"I know everyone is looking forward to that coming back but it's got to happen in accordance with the health rules," he said.
"There are very comprehensive proposals that have been put forward by a number of the codes and I know the states and territories will work through those."
The principles on sport and recreation say the resumption should begin with non-contact activities with fewer than 10 participants, later moving to bigger groups and full contact in training and competition.
The details will be up to each state or territory but the intention is to resume children's outdoor sport with "strict physical distancing measures" for those on the sidelines such as parents.
The principles also set out the goal of resuming outdoor recreational activities such as outdoor personal training and boot camps, golf, fishing, bush-walking and swimming.
David Crowe is chief political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Most Viewed in Politics
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zbWguY29tLmF1L3BvbGl0aWNzL2ZlZGVyYWwvYXVzdHJhbGlhbnMtZWFybi1lYXJseS1tYXJrLW9uLXJlc3RyaWN0aW9ucy1idXQtbW9yZS1hcHAtZG93bmxvYWRzLW5lZWRlZC0yMDIwMDUwMS1wNTRwNGUuaHRtbNIBhgFodHRwczovL2FtcC5zbWguY29tLmF1L3BvbGl0aWNzL2ZlZGVyYWwvYXVzdHJhbGlhbnMtZWFybi1lYXJseS1tYXJrLW9uLXJlc3RyaWN0aW9ucy1idXQtbW9yZS1hcHAtZG93bmxvYWRzLW5lZWRlZC0yMDIwMDUwMS1wNTRwNGUuaHRtbA?oc=5
2020-05-01 09:59:26Z
52780758106192
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Australians earn 'early mark' on restrictions but more app downloads needed - Sydney Morning Herald"
Post a Comment