Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for Aussies to ditch the hand shake as a precautionary social distancing measure in response to the coronavirus risk.
Mr Morrison’s request of the Australian public formed part of this afternoon’s press conference, where several strong measures around international travel and public gatherings were announced.
Australia’s states and territories will now move to introduce new legislation requiring all international arrivals to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Mr Morrison said each jurisdiction would determine the penalty for people who do not meet the 14-day requirement, which would be enforced indefinitely from midnight.
He said while “creating social distancing police” would not be a wise use of resources, he said such behaviour would be contrary to state law once new legislation was passed.
Cruise ships from foreign ports will also be banned from docking in Australia for a 30-day period, which could be extended as the situation unfolds.
Mr Morrison said new state laws would also be introducing, banning static (seated or within close proximity for long periods), non-essential public gatherings of over 500 people.
SEE WHAT LIMESTONE COAST EVENTS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED HERE.
The federal health department is also currently investigating restrictions on visitation to aged care facilities.
Mr Morrison said national decision-making would be supported by facts, science and medical advice, revealing the new measures were part of a “targeted action phase” to slow the spread.
He said while eight of 10 people would have “mild” impacts if they contracted coronavirus, its impact was far greater on older Australians, including those living remotely or with pre-existing health conditions.
“Our aim in all of this is to protect the most vulnerable, the most at risk,” he said.
Mr Morrison said while coronavirus could not be “absolutely stopped”, Australians could help slow the spread.
He predicted the impacts of coronavirus to be felt for at least six months and said slowing the rate of transmission was a government priority.
