Do not go overseas, stop hoarding: PM’s message to Aussies

“This is a once in a hundred year type event. We haven’t seen this sort of thing in Australia since the end of the First World War,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today.

At a press conference this morning, Mr Morrison discussed the rapidly evolving coronavirus pandemic and warned Australians not to travel overseas.

“The travel advice to every Australian is do not travel abroad,” Mr Morrison said.

“Do not go overseas – that is a very clear instruction.

“For those of you thinking about going overseas for the school holidays, don’t. Don’t go overseas.

“The biggest risk we have had and the biggest incidents of cases that we have had has been from Australians returning from overseas, from many countries that you wouldn’t have expected that to be a source.

“So it is very important that Australians do not travel abroad at this time.”

Mr Morrison said that the Nation Cabinet met last night and made the decision that non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people have been banned, while the banning of outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people remains in place.

Mr Morrison has assured that Australia would continue moving forward and would not go into lock down.

“We are going to keep Australia running,” he said.

“We are going to keep Australia functioning. It won’t look like it normally does.

“There is no short-term, quick fix to how this is dealt with in Australia.

“The idea that you can just turn everything off for two weeks and then turn it all back on again and it all goes away. That is not the evidence, that is not the facts, that is not the information and it is not our way through this.”

“As I said on the weekend we are looking at a situation of at least six months for how we deal with this. It could be much longer than that. It could be shorter. That is unlikely, given the way we are seeing events unfold.”

Mr Morrison also pleaded with Australians to stop buying more than necessary at supermarkets, declaring it “un-Australian”.

“Stop hoarding,” he said.

“I can’t be more blunt about it, stop it. It is not sensible, it is not helpful, and it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis.”

Watch the full press conference below: