All Australians have been urged to immediately re-consider all non-essential domestic travel as the coronavirus crisis escalates. And, he has warned that more draconian measures to enforce social distancing could be coming doon.
In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this morning that people should ‘exercise their common sense’ when it comes to deciding what essential travel is.
Morrison says the step means people who have interstate trips planned for the upcoming school holidays should cancel them.
“We have to think about making sensible decisions for ourselves and our families … and its impact on other Australians,” he said. “So it does mean that those holidays that you may have been planning to take interstate over the school holidays [should be cancelled].”
The Prime Minister went to so far as to urge people to scrap travel within states, if it wasn’t part of their standard routine.
“Australians can exercise their common sense about the things they know are non-essential,” he said. “Essential travel, what we’re referring to, is for work-related activities that are essential – it could be compassionate grounds, issues of those types of arrangements.”
He said all Australians can help protect people’s lives and their livelihoods.
“It’s a simple plea: ‘We need you’,” he said. “We need you to do your bit, when it comes to social distancing, to keeping that healthy distance, to respecting and following the rules that we’re setting down.”
The Prime Minister also warned that stronger measures would be coming, and they would be coming in more localised areas to deal with outbreaks.
“It is the case that that travel needs to be reduced to stop the spread of the virus across the country,” he said. “Other states will be making other decisions about this issue and they will make further announcements today and I will leave them to make them.”
My son and his wife are in essential services in queensland working shiftwork and if the schools are closed they have no one to look after their children. Can we as fit and healthy 65 year olds travel up from vic. under compassionate reasons to look after them?
Sandra, that sounds like essential travel to me.
wouldn’t this be seen as essential travel? maybe a letter from your family would suffice ? if it was me i would consider it essential. just follow the protocols that are in place, you are helping the emergency teams and supporting them.
Start with your local Council and then your Federal Member of Parliament to get some assistance on what is the correct thing to do to get approval to travel.
Family needs in these types of situations are always essential!
I guess this years trip to the Gulf is not going to happen now.
I am grey nomad with no home address. I live in my van and just keep moving on . I free camp to keep expenses down. What should i be doing? Finding a caravan park that will accept me ? Appreciate some constructive thoights. Regards Ann
Ann. If you are in Qld you can park on my spacious rural block amenities free. Not far from all essentials. Cheers.
Grey nomads can we travel in our own state free camping ? Thank you