Australia may keep coronavirus restrictions for a year, schools may work on roster

By Byron Kaye

 

A child rides a bike following the implementation of stricter social-distancing and self-isolation rules to limit the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, April 16, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian public life could be constrained for another year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Friday, as the country's most populous state mulled sending children to school in shifts.

 

Australia has so far avoided the high numbers of coronavirus casualties reported around the world after closing its borders and imposing strict "social distancing" measures for the past month.

 

Restaurants, bars and other "non-essential" businesses have closed and public gatherings of more than two people are banned under the threat of fines and even prison, measures that are expected to double the unemployment rate by mid-year.

 

In response, the daily growth rate of reported new infections has steadied in the low percentage single digits, from about 25% several weeks ago, for a total of about 6,500 infections, including 63 deaths.

 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said some measures, like the rule requiring people to stand at least 1.5 metres apart, would likely remain for several months, given there was no guarantee a vaccine would be developed in that time.

 

"Social distancing is something we should get very used to," Morrison told radio station 3AW. "It could be a year, but I'm not speculating about that."

 

"Certainly while the virus is prevalent across the world (the 1.5 metre rule) should be a natural instinct."

 

Morrison had said on Thursday the wider social distancing measures would be in place for at least another four weeks, while advocating the reopening of schools across the country, citing medical advice that children are a low risk of transmission.

 

That guidance has been contradicted by several states and territories, which are responsible for schools governance, and brought a public backlash from parents and teachers concerned about exposure to the virus.

 

In Australia's second most populous state, Victoria, just 3% of children returned to school after the Easter break this week, while the most populous state, New South Wales, has children still on a break.

 

"We are considering our options around a rostering system which will have some students go back on a particular day to increase that level of face-to-face," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Friday.

 

"The alternative is that unfortunately students could face up to a year or longer at home and we don't that's appropriate," she added.

 

(Reporting by Byron Kaye; editing by Jane Wardell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-17

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the thing most will be wanting is to be able to go back to work. Can't eat social distancing and it doesn't pay the rent.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The alternative is that unfortunately students could face up to a year or longer at home

Yeah, I can see that working!

 

Sarcasm alert.

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by thaibeachlovers

Morrison is a moron. Public servant trash.

6 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

Morrison is a moron. Public servant trash.

He doesn't make this stuff up himself. he has advisors telling him what to say, and they get info from other people like scientists.

That's not excusing Morrison, just that he's the mouthpiece, not the brain.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

the thing most will be wanting is to be able to go back to work. Can't eat social distancing and it doesn't pay the rent.

So which 120,000 Australians (assuming a very conservative 0.5% death rate) are you going to chose to give up their lives for that? 

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

He doesn't make this stuff up himself. he has advisors telling him what to say, and they get info from other people like scientists.

That's not excusing Morrison, just that he's the mouthpiece, not the brain.

He's supposed to use his own brain. These moronic doctors are only lining their own pockets.

If these restrictions keep my parents that are both in there 80's safe, I am all for it.

A couple of unsubstantiated troll posts (and relies) have been removed.

41 minutes ago, car720 said:

The answer is simple really.  The more than 120,000 millenials that are flaunting the restrictions on a daily basis.  Also, all the women in the supermarkets who seem to think the whole thing is a joke.  But mainly the fools that laugh at me for wearing a mask and gloves.

The downside of the federal and state governments doing such a good job and getting off the mark reasonably early is that people can't see the alternative, and then downplay it.

 

I suspect, like you are, wearing masks will become part of our lives for the next 12 months.

3 hours ago, samran said:

So which 120,000 Australians (assuming a very conservative 0.5% death rate) are you going to chose to give up their lives for that? 

I would vote for my ex wife to be among the quota.

marko kok prong,,,,,,,,,,disgusting person that you are

Stellar work throughout by the Morrison government.  Made possible by brilliant management, fortunate geography and strong border policy.  

 

Scary thought of what would have happened with an ALP government and thousands arriving on boats every week from severely hit Indonesia.  

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by Mick501

56 minutes ago, Mick501 said:

Stellar work throughout by the Morrison government.  Made possible by brilliant management, fortunate geography and strong border policy.  

 

Scary thought of what would have happened with an ALP government and thousands arriving on boats every week from severely hit Indonesia.  

Your mention of scary thoughts made me think of what would have happened if Julia was still there.

11 hours ago, samran said:

So which 120,000 Australians (assuming a very conservative 0.5% death rate) are you going to chose to give up their lives for that? 

The same amount that die in car crashes yet we still drive, smoking yet we still smoke, the same that drink alcohol or overdose on drugs yet we still have liquor stores and pharmacies, same amount that die of suicide because we do not have adequate mental health care, the same amount that die in wars, the same amount that will starve to death if they cannot work. Respectfully your statement is selfish and pompous. Good for you that you can be so righteous. ????

9 hours ago, car720 said:

remind me to send them this little quote when you are lying in an ICU bed.

That comment is just nonsense. New infections are 0 to 1 a day where I live

18 minutes ago, Wake Up said:

The same amount that die in car crashes yet we still drive, smoking yet we still smoke, the same that drink alcohol or overdose on drugs yet we still have liquor stores and pharmacies, same amount that die of suicide because we do not have adequate mental health care, the same amount that die in wars, the same amount that will starve to death if they cannot work. Respectfully your statement is selfish and pompous. Good for you that you can be so righteous. ????

Suicide 3000

Corona 60 odd

6 hours ago, Mick501 said:

Stellar work throughout by the Morrison government.  Made possible by brilliant management, fortunate geography and strong border policy.  

 

Scary thought of what would have happened with an ALP government and thousands arriving on boats every week from severely hit Indonesia.  

He let ships in

12 hours ago, samran said:

So which 120,000 Australians (assuming a very conservative 0.5% death rate) are you going to chose to give up their lives for that? 

Similar ones to that of 12 months ago who were elderly had heart disease, cancer and other life threatening medical conditions, who then caught the flu and died. 

6 hours ago, rhyddid said:

Yeahh, keep everybody locked, chipped and most of all vaccinated !

Scenes that would make George Orwell blush.  Scott did say that Aussies could have their freedoms back as soon as everyone downloads his app. yay!!

21 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

Suicide 3000

Corona 60 odd

Suicide: due to societal change

Corona: implementing societal change

34 minutes ago, BeltAndRoad said:

Similar ones to that of 12 months ago who were elderly had heart disease, cancer and other life threatening medical conditions, who then caught the flu and died. 

Fine, then you stand up from behind your keyboard. loud and proud and tell Australians we should just let it rip. 
 

yeah, nah, didn’t think so either...

7 minutes ago, samran said:

Fine, then you stand up from behind your keyboard. loud and proud and tell Australians we should just let it rip. 
 

yeah, nah, didn’t think so either...

your emotional state, caused in part to not being able to watch grown men kick a ball around, is effecting your ability to think clearly and rationally.  I apologize if you are:

A- a menstruating woman

B- taking hormones to become a woman or

C- a child

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by BeltAndRoad

49 minutes ago, BeltAndRoad said:

your emotional state, caused in part to not being able to watch grown men kick a ball around, is effecting your ability to think clearly and rationally.  I apologize if you are:

A- a menstruating woman

B- taking hormones to become a woman or

C- a child

Still waiting for you to blind us all with your dazzling genius on how this should have been handled. 

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by samran

4 minutes ago, samran said:

Still waiting for you to blind us all with your dazzling brilliance in how this should have been handled. 

Sorry, thought that would have been obvious.  Should be handled same/similar to swine flu.  But with a dumbed down populace i guess the Government didn't want a "crisis" to go to waste.  Those willing to sacrifice  freedoms for temporary safety, deserve neither- Some Dead Dude

15 hours ago, samran said:

So which 120,000 Australians (assuming a very conservative 0.5% death rate) are you going to chose to give up their lives for that? 

Poverty kills too.

The TVF demographic will, in the main, IMO, be largely unaffected by the crisis financially, many being retirees with guaranteed incomes, and others being wealthy enough to be able to spend hours a day on here.

The ordinary bloke and woman in an Aussie city with a young family to support that just lost their jobs, and with few prospects of another for some time may have a different outlook.

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by thaibeachlovers

15 hours ago, UbonThani said:

He's supposed to use his own brain. These moronic doctors are only lining their own pockets.

Nobody on the planet knows everything; no politician that I know of doesn't take advice and most of the leaders have scriptwriters.

7 hours ago, UbonThani said:

That comment is just nonsense. New infections are 0 to 1 a day where I live

The poster was commenting on your attack on the medical profession. Unless you have a Living Will or don't wish to be treated for a life threatening illness, one would assume at some point in your life likely to require medical / ICU support.

 

People comparing Covid-19 to other illnesses diseases appear not to comprehend the consequences of not testing, tracking, quarantine until a vaccine is released for general use. I understand the Morrison government will be rolling out incremental relaxation of the stay at home policy as transmissions decline - probably in the May / June timeline. 

 

In the news this AM it was mentioned the possibility Oxford Uni researches anticipate having a vaccine available for manufacture commencing around 09/20 with large scale quantity production around 12/20 - have to wait and see success or not. I believe there are currently around 70 Covid-19 vaccine development projects w/w.

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by simple1

10 minutes ago, simple1 said:

In the news this AM it was mentioned the possibility Oxford Uni researches anticipate having a vaccine available for manufacture commencing around 09/20 with large scale quantity production around 12/20 - have to wait and see success or not.

 

Still clinging on to the "vaccine is coming" promise, which justifies continued social control ?? 

I think they will be releasing the vaccine just after the HIV vaccine and the TB vaccine, which are just in front of the Sars vaccine release....

 

 

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by cornishcarlos

7 hours ago, samran said:

Fine, then you stand up from behind your keyboard. loud and proud and tell Australians we should just let it rip. 
 

yeah, nah, didn’t think so either...

False. Just stand 2m apart. Wash hands. Get on with life. Enough with the doomsday lefty nonsense.