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Coronavirus latest updates: all arrivals in Australia must self-isolate for 14 days, says PM
(32 minutes later)
Spanish PM’s wife tests positive; France and Israel announce partial closure of country; scientists condemn UK ‘herd immunity’ strategy. Follow live news
Trump tests negative while Spanish PM’s wife tests positive; France and Israel announce partial closure of country; scientists condemn UK ‘herd immunity’ strategy. Follow live news
Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, is giving a media conference now. It’s quite general stuff but the main point is that the government is trying to contain the spread and therefore ease the burden on hospitals.
Question: What is the penalty for committing the offence of not self-isolating?
The national security council has discussed the country’s emergency response plan, he says, and will continue to be driven by medical advice.
Morrison: That will be a matter for the states and territories.
Many people will get the virus, but for eight out of 10 it will be mild and will pass.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is addressing media now. He says of the new self-quarantine requirement for all travellers arriving from overseas, including Australians:
But for older people and those with existing conditons it will be serious. Our main aim is to protect the vulnerable, he says. We can’t stop the virus but we can stop the spread, he said.
Morrison says of cabinet:
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will announce a multi-billion dollar economic stimulus on Tuesday as the country awakens to the shock measures needed to fight Covid-19, AAP reports.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison: “No more handshakes.”
On Saturday, Ardern announced almost all international arrivals, including Kiwi citizens, would be required to self-isolate for a fortnight on their return from overseas.
Australian deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly says:
The decision will have significant ramifications for the New Zealand economy, particularly the travel industry on which the South Pacific nation is deeply reliant.
Dr Paul Kelly, Australia’s deputy chief medical officer, says – he seems to mean this reassuringly:
The two new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country – announced earlier today – are an Australian man in 60s who arrived in Wellington from Brisbane on March 14; and woman in her 30s from Denmark who arrived in Auckland on March 10, then flew to Christchurch, Stuff.nz reports.
Australian deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly is speaking now. He says:
In Australia, the state of New South Wales has confirmed 22 new coronavirus cases.
On the decision not to close schools, Morrison says it was made for two reasons. One was the need to keep children from infecting other people outside schools. Second was the massive disruption it would cause on the economy.
NSW Health has updated the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the state to 134.
Here is what he said:
That’s 22 new cases confirmed in the 24 hours from 11 am Saturday to 11 am Sunday.
Morrison also announces new social distancing measures.
Of the new cases, three people had recently travelled to the United States and their overseas travel is considered the likely source. Another case had returned from Singapore and another from the Philippines.
Non-essential static gatherings of more than 500 people occurring across the states and territories will be banned. This recommendation will be overseen by the state and territory governments although Morrison said the police would not be enforcing it. He called on common sense judgment to carry it out.
Five have caught the infection after contact with other confirmed cases of Covid-19. The source for the remainder of the 22 new cases is still being investigated. One of the cases under investigation is a 40-year-old man who had also recently travelled to the US and another 32-year-old man was also listed as having recently travelled overseas.
Specfic guidelines coming about what restrictions could be placed on Anzac Day celebrations on 25 April.
Some other data from NSW Health:The total number of cases that are under investigation as possible Covid-19 cases is 1924.20,511 other people have returned negative tests for Covid-19.
Aged care visiting guidelines are a priority, he says, and will be announced soon.
There’s a new coronavirus meme: people – and trams – as hand sanitisers.
School closures could be counter-productive, he says.
Here is Harry Styles:
Scott Morrison says there will be universal self-isolation for 14 days for all arrivals at airports and cruise terminals starting from midnight tonight.
Here are Melbourne trams:
Morrison says he’s compared notes with his UK counterpart, Boris Johnson. He doesn’t say whether that has inspired him to copy Britain’s controversial “herd immunity” strategy where you hope millions get a mild dose and therefore immunise themselves.
Here is lil Uzi Vert:
UK trade secretary Liz Truss:
Timothée Chalamet:
In the Philippines, police have started sealing off metropolitan Manila, home to more than 12 million people, AP reports.
Thousands of police, backed by the army and coast guard, started sealing the densely populated capital from most domestic travellers Sunday in one of south-east Asia’s most drastic containment moves against the new coronavirus.Mayors also announced plans to impose a night curfew in metropolitan Manila. Residents have been asked to stay home except for work and urgent errands under month-long restrictions that took effect Sunday.The city-wide quarantine means the suspension of domestic travel by land, air and sea to and from the capital region. Large gatherings like concerts, movies and cockfighting will be prohibited and most government work in executive department offices will be suspended in the metropolis. School closures at all levels were extended by a month. Officials said the temporary restrictions will not amount to a lockdown of the capital because many workers and emergency personnel like medical staff will be able to enter and leave the capital. Residents can move within the metropolis on their way to work or for urgent errands, including medical emergencies, officials said.
In Australia, Dr Adam Visser, the director of critical care at Toowoomba hospital in regional Queensland, has posted an impassioned plea for the Australian community to take individual action to help “flatten the curve” and keep intensive care units from being overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases.
Visser finished his post asking the prime minister to “lock down” Australia to halt the spread of Covid-19.
In transport news that’s a little more fun:
Meanwhile, social media users are posting pictures from US airports – Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas – showing general chaos and tightly packed crowds.
In the US, United Airlines Co said late Saturday it would begin cutting flights to the United Kingdom after Washington expanded travel restrictions to Britain and Ireland, and Southwest Airlines moved toward flight cuts as the coronavirus outbreak sapped demand.
Delta Airlines Inc also said it planned to start cutting flights to the United Kingdom. Southwest, one of the few U.S. airlines still flying a full schedule, said it was “seriously considering” cutting flights.
US Vice President Mike Pence said restrictions on the UK and Ireland will begin Monday at midnight, barring most non-U.S. citizens from entering the United States who have been in those countries within the last 14 days. They do not bar flights to and from the United States, and Americans and permanent residents can still travel. US airlines are scrambling to shore up capital. Among cost-cutting measures, airlines are offering employees voluntary unpaid leaves of absence to match staffing with flights. On Friday, Delta said it would cut capacity 40% in the next few months, the largest reduction in its history. It will eliminate nearly all flights to continental Europe for 30 days and will park up to 300 aircraft. United and American Airlines also announced cuts to European service this week.
In Australia, the Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says the country will need to look at tougher travel rules, similar to those that have been enacted in New Zealand, to slow the spread of Covid-19.
And he says restrictions should be in place for travellers from the United States.
“It’s a little difficult to explain why say China, who have very few new cases, there are travel bans there, but the United States, people are free to travel when we’re seeing many, many new cases and indeed the majority of Victoria’s new cases are connected to those who have travelled from the United States,” Andrews said at a media conference on Sunday.
He said he would be arguing for tougher measures during today’s meeting of the new national cabinet set up to deal with Covid-19.
“I think that arrangements similar to New Zealand will absolutely be on the agenda to be discussed today”.
New Zealand now requires all travellers entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days to try to stop the spread of the virus.Andrews said he would also move “swiftly” to close Victorian schools if and when he has such advice from health authorities.“It’s much more likely when, rather than if,” he said.
