The new National Cabinet made up of Australia’s Premiers, Chief Ministers and the Prime Minister is to meet at least weekly according to the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.
Established to develop a national response to COVID-19, Mr Morrison said the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) together with the National Coordination Mechanism – convened by the Department of Home Affairs – would be the primary bodies to advise the National Cabinet regarding COVID-19 matters.
“The National Coordination Mechanism will work across all jurisdictions, industry and key stakeholders to ensure a consistent approach to managing the impacts of this pandemic beyond immediate health issues,” Mr Morrison said.
Following a meeting of the National Cabinet via video conference last Sunday (15 March), the Prime Minister announced a ban on public gatherings of more than 500 people to reduce community transmission of COVID-19.
“The advice from the AHPPC was that this measure will slow the increase in the number of new cases, given community transmission in Australia is increasing,” Mr Morrison said.
He said essential services such as schools, workplaces, hospitals, public transportation, domestic travel and universities, as well as public transient places such as shopping centres, would not be impacted by the ban.
He said, however, that the practice of ‘social distancing’ – that is, keeping at least 1.5 metres from other people – should apply in these settings.
Mr Morrison said management of public events would continue to be a matter for event organisers and States and Territories, with enforcement and legislation options still being discussed.
“The States and Territories will be moving to put in place the appropriate arrangements under their State-based legislation to ensure that is supported,” he said.
In another of the new measures, all travellers arriving internationally into Australia are now required to self-isolate for 14 days.
