Coronavirus in Australia: Which states are on lockdown?
As Australia looks to prevent the spread of Covid-19, social-distancing measures are being enforced to differing degrees in the country's states and mainland territories.
This week, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison moved to limit gatherings in the country to a maximum of two people, in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
5,500 coronavirus cases in Australia
This restriction, which does not apply to people within the same household, is being enforced to varying degrees in the eight Australian states and mainland territories: some will not be imposing it, while others have opted for stronger measures.
According to figures compiled by the Johns Hopkins University, there have so far been 5,500 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Australia, leading to 30 deaths.
Australian states where lockdown measures are in place
In Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, residents are only allowed to leave their house for essential reasons. These include:
- buying food
- getting exercise
- obtaining medical treatment
- attending work or education
- caring for another person
You’ll find a full list of the acceptable reasons for going out in each state at the links below:
Australian Capital Territory
In the Australian Capital Territory, residents have been told they “must stay at home unless essential”, but police are only issuing first warnings to those who fail to do so and Guardian Australia has reported that law enforcement's focus is on people breaching the two-person limit.
You’ll find a list of reasons for leaving the house in ACT here.
No stay-at-home order in Western Australia, New Territory or South Australia
There are no fines for going out for non-essential reasons in Western Australia, but the state has been split into nine regions and residents must have a justifiable excuse for crossing from one into another.
In the Northern Territory and South Australia, the two-person limit is not being enforced, with fines only given to people gathering in groups larger than 10.
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