Coronavirus: How the virus is affecting life in Australia

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the government will effectively ban ‘non essential’ public gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday – and has warned Australians not to travel overseas.  

The drastic measures were announced on Friday evening as health officials reported growing evidence the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading through the community.  

‘We will be advising against organised, non-essential gatherings of persons of 500 people or greater from Monday,’ Mr Morrison said. 

The number of cases across the nation has soared to 199 – up more than a third in just 24 hours, according to health officials. 

The government’s ban will have stunning consequences for sporting codes, such as the NRL and AFL. Festivals, religious services, concerts and plays – even school assemblies – will be called into doubt. 

Sydney’s Royal Easter Show will be cancelled in the wake of the PM’s statement as have further Melbourne Fashion Festival shows. More will follow.

But Mr Morrison stressed the government’s ban only relates to ‘non-essential organised gatherings’ and doesn’t include schools, university lectures or catching public transport. 

He said people should go about their ‘normal everyday business’. The move has been hailed by infectious diseases experts, who say it will be critical in slowing the virus’s spread and help prevent overloading hospital intensive care units.  

In a critical development, the government is also urging all Australians to reconsider the need to travel, whatsoever, the prime minister said. 

‘Only essential travel should be considered if you’re going overseas from this point onwards,’ Mr Morrison said. 

He said the government is likely to introduce further measures as efforts to slow the spread of the pandemic ramp up. 

When asked why the ban won’t go into force until Monday, chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said a couple of days here or there didn’t matter.  

‘It was felt that that was a reasonable time to progress,’ he said.  A high-level government source said authorities ‘need time to formulate protocols and guidelines’.  

The ‘social distancing’ measures come as NRL CEO Todd Greenberg announced Friday night’s match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Brisbane Broncos will go ahead, with crowds attending. 

And despite the radical measures, Mr Morrison said he will still be attending the Cronulla Sharks game against the Rabbitohs on Saturday. 

‘It might be the last game (I get) to go to for a long time,’ he quipped. 

The COVID-19 crisis has wrought havoc nationwide. Schools have closed, flights grounded and the stock market has plunged almost 30 per cent from its February 20 peak. 

More than $660billion has been erased from the ASX amid mounting fears of a recession and critical supply chains with China and other parts of the world interrupted.  

The tourism industry has been smashed with travel agency Flight Centre announcing it was closing 100 stores.  

The Federal government’s $17 billion stimulus package announcement has not stopped stunning falls on the stock market.  

It comes as top doctors warned Australian is ‘only weeks’ behind Italy, where the number of cases has increased exponentially. 

The European nation ordered a complete shut down earlier this week to fight the contagion. South Korea and Taiwan have managed to hold back the onslaught of coronavirus cases with ‘social distancing’ measures such as these.

Amid fears the worst is yet to come, Daily Mail Australia analyses how the virus has already affected the country. 

Grand Prix cancelled 

The Australian Grand Prix was officially called off due to coronavirus fears after a mechanic tested positive to the deadly illness on Friday morning. 

Formula 1 confirmed the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix in a stunning announcement as confused fans lined up outside.  

‘Formula 1 and the FIA, with the full support of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC), have taken the decision that all Formula 1 activity for the Australian Grand Prix is cancelled,’ they said. 

The announcement came after the McLaren team was forced to withdraw because a team member tested positive to COVID-19. Top drivers were also refusing to take part in the race due to health concerns.  

There was widespread confusion prior to the cancellation with Australian Grand Prix boss Paul Little telling the Nine network on Friday morning the race would go ahead despite widespread media reports overnight that the race wouldn’t proceed.   

Easter Show won’t open

Sydney’s Royal Easter Show has been cancelled. 

The show was to open on April 3 and more than 800,000 people were expected to attend over 11 days. 

‘This is the first time the Sydney Royal Easter Show has been cancelled because of a public health pandemic since the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1919,’ said Robert Ryan, president of the NSW Royal Agricultural Society. 

Just yesterday, the show’s organisers were still determined to go ahead – but exceptional circumstances have proven otherwise.  Officials said the cancellation was a huge disappointment. 

Cricket without fans 

Crowds were banned from Australia’s one-day cricket series against New Zealand with the series to be played behind closed doors because of coronavirus.

Cricket Australia took the drastic step just hours before the series opener at the SCG. 

Fans will also be shut out of the next match in the series at the SCG on Sunday and the third match at Blundstone Arena in Hobart next Friday. 

People who purchased tickets will be eligible for a refund and the games will be broadcast on TV. 

A women’s tour of South Africa for next week has also been suspended, making it the first major international cricket series affected since the outbreak of the virus. 

The Australian women’s team were scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20 games between March 22 and April 4. 

NRL and AFL in doubt

The NRL has allowed Canberra and North Queensland to host their round one games on Friday night despite growing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

Crowds will be allowed to attend the games in Canberra and Townsville with the league to reassess the situation on Saturday morning for five further weekend games.   

The AFL is considering its position. 

Professor Bill Bowtell, a top infection control expert from the Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity, called for NRL and AFL matches to be banned earlier this morning. 

‘Facts and evidence dictate that these mass gatherings should not take place,’ he told the ABC. 

‘We must bring down the rate of new infections of coronavirus in this country. And we must do so in the next hours and days.’

Prof Bowtell expressed disbelief after the prime minister vowed to attend an NRL match this weekend, and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann proclaimed he would be happy to go to the Grand Prix.

‘Are you really seriously suggesting that ministers should say to the Australian people it’s business as usual?’ he said.  

Schools closed

On March 5 a boy from Epping Boys High School was diagnosed with COVID-19 forcing the school to temporarily close. 

On 8 March two grade 10 pupils, a boy and a girl, from St Patrick’s Marist College in Dundas in Sydney’s north west and a 7th grade student at Willoughby Girls High School on the North Shore tested positive for the virus and both schools were closed. 

The next day Carey Baptist Grammar School in Melbourne’s east announced it would close.

An adult in the school community has been in contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and needed to be tested. 

‘Carey has been in contact with both the Department of Health and the Department of Education to ensure we have the latest information and advice,’ a spokeswoman said. 

Flights grounded 

Thousands of international flights were cancelled by travel bans imposed on China, South Korea, Iran and Italy. 

Australia’s airlines have also cut their schedules due to lower demand.

On Friday Virgin Australia flagged reductions in its Los Angeles, Japan, and Trans-Tasman services, as well as the exit of Auckland services between Tonga and Rarotonga.

Virgin Australia guests with any changes to their bookings will be contacted directly with alternative travel arrangements including refunds for any routes that the group is no longer servicing. 

Qantas earlier Tuesday said it has slashed the capacity of its international flights by almost a quarter for the next six months due to the coronavirus impact.

The decision means 38 planes will be grounded. 

Qantas has also reduced domestic flight capacity by five per cent.

Mr Joyce will not take a salary for the remainder of the financial year as the airline tries to limit costs.

Stock market in freefall

Australia’s share market fell 8 per cent on Friday morning after Wall Street suffered its biggest one-day fall since 1987. 

But the market rallied and the ASX closed for the week down just 4 per cent.    

Earlier this morning, US President Donald Trump’s ban on European flights had caused the American Dow Jones Industrial Average to plunge by 10 per cent as the S&P500 dived by 9 per cent.

Both key indexes suffered their worst one-day drop since the Black Monday crash of October 1987.

The French and German markets fell by an even more dramatic 12 per cent as Italy’s equity market dived by a catastrophic 17 per cent. 

CMC Markets chief market strategist Michael McCarthy said panic selling meant trading volumes in Australia were four times the usual level, as the US travel ban on European travellers spooked investors. 

Businesses affected

Australian businesses will struggle for the next six months due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Prime Minister warned this morning.

And in the hours that followed, travel agency Flight Centre announced it was closing 100 stores.  

Companies across the country are suffering as supply chains are disrupted, travel is restricted and people avoid going out in public while the virus spreads.     

Mr Morrison told 2GB he believes economic turbulence will last for six months.  

‘I don’t want to see apprentices and small businesses losing their jobs because of the difficult time businesses will face over the next six months,’ he told Alan Jones on radio 2GB on Friday morning. 

Despite that warning, the Prime Minister told Australians to ‘keep calm and carry on’.  

Chaos at TV stations

Top Channel Nine presenters David Campbell and Belinda Russell have gone into self-isolation and studio audiences have been banned from Network Ten shows. 

Campbell and Russell interviewed Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson on Monday before she was diagnosed with COVID-10. 

The singer-songwriter used Tracy Grimshaw’s dressing room and she has also taken time off air.  

A Ten spokeswoman said major shows including The Project and Studio 10 have been instructed to go without live audiences ‘for the moment’.