Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Australia would review its coronavirus restrictions earlier than expected. Health experts also suggest that the country has flattened its infection curve after weeks of strict social distancing restrictions.
Morrison credited the Australians for early review; he said: “they have earned it”. The lockdown measures were scheduled to be reviewed on May 11, but now will be brought forward of May 8.
The announcement comes as many states across Australia have eased the coronavirus restrictions. Northern Territory becomes one of the few areas to initiate easing of lockdown by opening public parks, pools, and removing the limit on gatherings.
New South Wales, which is the most populous city and includes Sydney, has allowed two persons from a family to visit at a time. The state accounts for nearly 6,300 confirmed cases of coronavirus; however, the infection rate has slowed down with less than 20 cases per day.
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Medical officer, Brandon Murphy, said, “[We have] pretty convincingly flattened the curve”. However, the state authorities said that they are reluctant to lift the restrictions so soon and urged the residents to download a government tracking app.
Murphy said the authorities need a tool to reopen the economy, and if residents have no downloaded it yet, they should immediately. According to the data provided by the officials, out of 25 million of the population, nearly 3.5 million have signed up.
On Friday, the chief minister of Northern Territory, which is a remote area, said that because it is the safest part of the country, lifting restrictions can be done here. The authorities urged the residents to maintain a distance of at least 1.5ft when in public.
The territory is expected to completely lift the restriction by June 5 and allowing the pubs and restaurants to reopen by mid-May. The authorities in the Australian capital area announced on Thursday that it had eliminated the coronavirus and allowed residents social visits.
Western Australia will allow gatherings of 10 people, and Queensland will allow the visits for non-essential commodities. However, the second-most populous state, Victoria, has said that all the restrictions will remain in place until the national review on Friday, as the situation remains fragile despite a low number of reported cases.
