There may still be a long way to go but Australia’s flattening of the curve is starting to see some restrictions eased, and perhaps offer at least a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.
While there is no doubt that we will all be feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic for many, many months yet, there is a renewed hope that grey nomads might be on the move – at least in a limited way – much sooner than had initially been feared.
In Western Australia, picnics, boating, hiking, camping and group exercise are now to be allowed, although travel bans remain in place.
In Queensland, some national parks will re-open on Saturday. Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Leeanne Enoch said people will have some greater freedom to visit parks and forests to exercise and look after their mental health.
“It’s very important to remember that social distancing rules in these re-opened parks still apply,” Ms Enoch said. “Campgrounds will remain closed until the Chief Health Officer decides it’s safe to reopen and there is no fixed timeline on this at the moment.”
In the Northern Territory, parks and reserves will start to reopen on Friday.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said Territorians would be able to camp, swim and hike through some NT parks and reserves this weekend, and there would be further announcements later this week about how social distancing would be enforced in campsites and toilet blocks.
“This is the first significant step we are taking to adjust our coronavirus-related restrictions,” he told the ABC. “But if you head down to Litchfield this weekend, don’t do a Bondi Beach … be really respectful of each other and try and give people as much space as possible.”
The Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta national parks, which are managed by the Federal Government will stay closed to visitors and other non-essential travellers until June 19.
From a broader perspective, the launch of the Government’s coronavirus tracing app has apparently increased the likelihood that other restrictions can be further eased across the country … if sufficient people download it.
The early signs are promising. Since its launch yesterday evening, 1.13 million Australians had downloaded the app before 6am AEST.
“We got the first million within five hours,” Health Minister Greg Hunt said. “We had been hoping, our best hope, was we might get to one million in five days.”
Downloading the app is voluntary but the Government has previously said 40% of Australians need to take up the contact-tracing app for it to be a success.
Yes I already downloaded, if it helps to track and control this virus and enable restrictions being lifted I’m up for that.
Its an insidious virus if one reads how it kills a human being. Anything that supports our Health workers and Grey nomads as well, is worth it. If you think it invades our privacy think again.
Yep, both our mobiles are loaded with the app. Anything to assist our courageous Health Workers is well worth while. Barnaby you are an idiot!
Downloaded the app as soon as it was possible. Saving people from the virus is more important than protecting my boring data.
Just a thought, this is a tracking app designed to do nothing but track , just saying!
Downloaded as soon as it was available. Anything that will shorten the restrictions. I feel secure with it.
Done. If you are worried about being tracked, than this app isn’t your problem, but your mobile phone, IPad and PC are. Every where you go, and a lot of what you do is able to be tracked and monitored on these devices.
The app is what it is..designed for a purpose. That is to assist health workers quickly follow up or trace infections. Don’t just guess…READ what it’s all about…AND download it the help our country fight the Covid 19..!
Don’t hold your breath about moving around or through WA the premier has announced today that the intrastate borders will be in place “for a considerable time”. We are trapped in the Perth region which is tiny and we are OVER IT.
So sad for you,seems every one is in the same boat.
We are stuck in the Goldfields region , Esperance still closed and the shire has decided to keep all campgrounds closed even though the Premier saying camping is allowed within your own area.
They wants us to down load the app but i have a samsung s5 mobile and it
Software is not compatible and I’m not about o buy a new phone. I am sure there are a lot of people in the same boat.
Funny how ScoMo went to such great lengths to assure us that it is not compulsory to download the app, yet now he is saying that our release from prison is dependent upon (?his) decision as to the number of downloads . Coercion, blackmail?