Health Minister Greg Hunt says states and territories are not likely to return to a lockdown situation again once restrictions to curb COVID-19 are lifted.
Mr Hunt said in the case of any future outbreak of the coronavirus, "localised rings of containment" would instead be deployed.
"That is the model we have for Australia. If there is a suburban, facility-based, or regional outbreak, we want those localised rings of containment," the Health Minister said.
Mr Hunt added that it would only be "if there was systemic, statewide" community transmission that a state or territory would revert back to a lockdown.
"At this stage the belief is that it's highly unlikely," he said.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed a three-step roadmap to reopening Australia post-coronavirus, which states and territories are progressing through at their own pace, taking into account rates of infection and transmission in their jurisdiction.
Australia now has just 501 active cases of COVID-19, and the death toll stands at 102. The ACT, South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania have not reported a new case for more than a week.
Mr Hunt cited the response to the coronavirus outbreak in north-west Tasmania as an example of the containment strategy.
More than 1000 Tasmanian health workers across two hospitals were placed in quarantine after more than 100 coronavirus cases were identified in the region.
"We've developed rapid response capability," Mr Hunt said, urging Australians to continue getting tested for the virus, as well as maintaining social distancing practices.
Max is a journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
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2020-05-25 06:05:18Z
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