By the Specialist Reporting Team’s Rahni Sadler and Brad Ryan and medical reporter Sophie Scott
Updated.
March 13, 2020 20: 28:07
We were alerted that more severe steps to control coronavirus were coming. Now, the Prime Minister has described what they will be.
Scott Morrison stated the Government would be advising all non-essential events of more than 500 people need to be cancelled, beginning Monday.
” What we are announcing today is just another step,” he said.
” It is preventive. It is getting ahead of this to ensure that we can reduce the impact on your health.”
What events are being cancelled?
The events the Government is suggesting be cancelled include shows, celebrations, programs and sport Some sporting events will go on, however without viewers
It’s not advising the closure of schools, universities or child care centres– yet– and public transportation will continue to operate.
” Generally speaking, we’re speaking about a static gathering where people are together for a duration of maybe as much as 2 hours,” Australia’s primary medical officer Brendan Murphy stated.
” That is normally where you have a high threat of direct exposure.
” Casual direct exposure– walking through a train station or an airport– is much, much lower danger, so we’re discussing those continuous periods of contact.”
Why cancel big events?
Professor Murphy said the choice was taken after seeing the numbers of people being diagno