‘Open up despite surge in Victoria’

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has urged states to forge ahead with lifting restrictions despite Victoria recording 33 new cases yesterday, sparking a testing blitz across 10 hotspot suburbs.

More than 1000 military personnel have been called in to help deal with the outbreak, which Premier Daniel Andrews described as a public health bushfire.

Mr Morrison said Australia was well equipped to deal with infection spikes.

“There are a few challenges in Melbourne at the moment but, as we said, there will be outbreaks,” he said yesterday.

“We can’t go ‘stop, go; stop, go’. We can’t flick the light on and off.”

The Prime Minister said the focus on the economic restart needed to remain as the nation adjusted to living alongside the disease.

“We are dealing with the coronavirus, the COVID-19, better than almost any country in the world and that’s got to give us confidence to be able to move ahead,” Mr Morrison said.

Yesterday’s figure is the highest daily number of new cases in Victoria since the surge started last week.

State premiers and ministers have ramped up calls for Victorians to avoid interstate travel.

Mr Morrison urged national unity, pointing to contact tracers and other health authorities being sent to Victoria from other states to lend a hand.

“Sure, there are a few times when state rivalries sort of poke up and I know that can be frustrating to people,” he said.

“We’ve got to just keep the focus on keeping the economy opening and getting people back into jobs.”

Australia’s death toll has been revised up to 104 after NSW authorities added an 85year-old man who died at a

WE ARE DEALING WITH THE CORONAVIRUS BETTER THAN ALMOST ANY COUNTRY AND THAT’S GOT TO GIVE US CONFIDENCE

SCOTT MORRISON

nursing home in April to the tally.

Economic shockwaves continue to reverberate around the nation, with Qantas announcing 6000 workers would lose their jobs and a further 15,000 would continue to be stood down.

The job losses overshadowed the Federal Government’s $250 million arts package, designed to help touring artists, actors and producers on the stage and screen.

“These are very hard days,” Mr Morrison said. “Australians continue to prove themselves strong, but we’re going to really need to call on that strength in the coming months ahead.”