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Prime Minister Scott Morrison says coronavirus restrictions will run for at least another four weeks, as the Government moves toward "a road out" of the coronavirus crisis.
Key points:
- Australia will continue with social distancing restrictions for at least another four weeks
- Mr Morrison has set out benchmarks that will need to be met before restrictions ease
- Parliament will likely return for a "trial week" of sittings in May
Mr Morrison said the restrictions would need to stay in place until improved testing and tracing was implemented and state and territory governments increased their capabilities to respond to local outbreaks.
He said some states had gone beyond the "baseline" restrictions outlined by National Cabinet, and that those states could look at winding back their more extensive measures more quickly.
For weeks, the Government has described Australia as being in the "suppression" phase of managing the virus and Mr Morrison said that would remain the Government's strategy.
"We are not in an eradication mode nor are we in the other mode where we would just see some sort of herd immunity approach, these are not the approaches we are following in Australia," he said.
"We are not at the Sweden end, nor are we the New Zealand end when it comes to how we're approaching things."
Parliament was not expected to resume until August after being put off due to coronavirus measures, but Mr Morrison said he wanted to have a "trial week" where Parliament would sit next month.
He said he would negotiate the trial week with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.
More to come.
What you need to know about coronavirus:
Topics: government-and-politics, infectious-diseases-other, federal-government, health, respiratory-diseases, covid-19, community-and-society, australia
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