Prime Minister: Patience the New Virtue

THE Prime Minister has said patience must become the virtue of all Australians during the next six months and Easter will need to be spent at home this year.

While the rate of viral spread in Australia had decreased the Prime Minister warned “this virus writes its own rules” and we can’t be complacent.

“Had the virus kept growing at the same rate it was 12 days ago, we would now have more than 10,500 cases in this country, there’d be over 5,000 more cases,” said the Prime Minister.

“That is a tribute to the work that has been done by Australians in getting around and supporting the sensible measures that have been put in place all around the country by the state and territory governments,” he said.

“Simple instructions that all Australians expect other Australians to abide by, it isn’t just the government asking you to do this, it’s your fellow Australians asking you to do this,” he said.

“By complying with those arrangements and supporting those arrangements you’re supporting your fellow Australians,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said modelling was underway to predict the trajectory of the virus and the capacity of our health care system, which will be shared once finalised.

MEDICAL UPDATE

• More than 1 million cases worldwide – but real figure may be five or 10 times larger.
• There are 5,274 cases in Australia.
• The growth rate in Australia has been fallen to 5 percent.
• There have been 27 Australians die.
• The main concern is community transmission with no known source.

EASTER SERVICES

• Churches will remain closed.
• Services may be conducted online, with those running the service adhering to workplace measures of one person per 4 square meters.
• Parishioners will not be able to attend the service, but many services may be conducted online.

VISAS HOLDERS

• Working visa holders remain important for Australian agriculture.
• All working visa holders will need to register and adhere to 14 days isolation, before going to any area of regional or rural Australia to work – to help reduce the spread.
• Holiday visa holders – “it’s time to make your way home,” the Prime Minister advised.

RENT

• There is a moratorium on evictions, not on rents.
• If you are a JobSeeker or JobKeeper tenant, you can negotiate with your landlord for reduced rent and the landlord can negotiate with their bank. The Prime Minister said all parties have to negotiate.
• If you are not a JobSeeker or a JobKeeper, your lease agreements still stand.