Australian Response

The West Australian AMA president, Andrew Miller, spoke to the ABC a few moments ago.

He believes Australia is headed to a “reduced school model”:

We have a reduced school model. Kids that need to be there for educational reasons or for family reasons, the children of critical workers or people who need to stay in the workplace have no one else to help, that’s the sort of thing that would still keep going to school.

We need to avoid getting to the stage of Italy or Wuhan, where they had to have complete lockdown, which causes chaos at the other end.

That’s why you’re seeing people panicking and provisioning a bit because they’re worried, they’re intelligent and watching what’s going on overseas and they so the numbers here are now starting to kick up on exactly the same gradient as the curve did in other countries.

We’ve had some effect but we need to get on with it because of the nature of the maths here.

Limits on asthma puffers and children’s Panadol as panic buying hits pharmacies

Thirty five people linked to a wedding south of Sydney have tested positive for coronavirus, as wedding industry vendors become increasingly anxious about being exposed to the illness.

NSW Health confirmed 31 people who attended a wedding at Tumbling Waters Retreat in Stanwell Tops on March 6 have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, including five people who live interstate.

Another four NSW residents who were close contacts of the guests have also been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Burke Shire Council has announced tough travel restrictions in the isolated shire on the Gulf of Carpentaria near the NT border and banned meetings of more than 10 people.

With limited facilities at the local hospital to deal with an outbreak, and with Mount Isa 500km away by bitumen roads, the Shire's Disaster Management Committee has taken drastic measures to keep COVID-19 out of the community.

They said Rex Airline would stop flying to Burketown from March 21 and the Burke Shire would enter lockdown for non-essential travel.

Pauliedragon wrote: »

Bondi beach is packed apparantly.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison reportedly talked state premiers out of a more drastic national lockdown than the one announced on Sunday that will see pubs, clubs, gyms, cafes, restaurants and cinemas shut from midday.

Meanwhile, parents in NSW are being urged to keep their children home to fight the spread of coronavirus despite the federal government insisting schools should remain open. Victoria has brought its school holidays forward to Tuesday.

Australia’s coronavirus infections predicted to reach 10,000 cases in 10 days
Coronavirus infections in Australia are predicted to jump from about 1500 to 10,000 cases in just 10 days, according to new modelling.