The Australian states set to ease coronavirus restrictions before others

Three of Australia’s eight states and territories are likely to ease restrictions sooner than the others, one of the country’s leading epidemiologists believes.

While the nation as a whole has made significant progress in reducing its daily cases of coronavirus, it will take longer for Australia’s eastern states and territories to begin the gradual process of lifting restrictions, Professor Archie Clements at Curtin University said.

On Monday, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia all recorded zero cases.

It was the third day of zero cases in a row for South Australia and more than two weeks without a single case for the NT.

On Tuesday afternoon SA announced that it had only two new cases over the past 24 hours.

Prof Clements believes as those states move towards eradicating the virus quicker than others, they could ultimately keep their borders closed to other states while easing their own social distancing measures in a bid to return some normality to society and their economies.

“I think that sort of thing will happen,” he told Yahoo News Australia.

“I think the social distancing measures will be relaxed in advance of the travel restrictions and what you’ll find is states such as Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory will rely more on travel restrictions than social distancing.”

On Tuesday morning, NSW, Victoria and Queensland recorded six, seven and six cases respectively, and while those numbers are extremely low, it is unclear if state leaders, particularly a cautious Daniel Andrews in Victoria, will be willing to ease restrictions with some cases still being identified within the community.

WA’s borders to be closed for at least six months, premier says

WA Premier Mark McGowan has said the state government will consider lifting some restrictions in coming weeks after suppressing the virus to just 18 confirmed cases in the last seven days.

Prof Clements believes in Western Australia some stores, including restaurants could open soon under strict social distancing measures while small social distance gatherings could return as well.

While he said intrastate restrictions could be lifted, it’s borders would remain closed fore the foreseeable future.

And Mr McGowan reiterated such a prospect on Monday, saying interstate movements would remain restricted for at least six months.

However Prof Clements believes the state government could look at the situation in neighbouring SA and NT and decide travel between those states is allowed if they too have had success with progressive steps in the coming weeks.

South Australia’s zero streak comes with ‘unprecedented’ testing

"We're in a really good place in South Australia.”

That’s the message from SA Health Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier who says more than 44,000 tests have now been performed in South Australia – the best testing rate in Australia.

A blitz of testing in recent days has aligned with Scott Morrison’s calls for more testing to allow restrictions to be lifted.

Three days have passed without a single case in the state, and with only 62 active cases, there is speculation current restrictions could be lifted soon.

South Australia however did not strictly ban gatherings of more than two people and it was merely at advice level. SA Police have the powers to fine people when gatherings succeed 10 people.

On Tuesday, Prof Spurrier said planning to lift restrictions would be underway soon.

“We are looking to do some intensive planning to see what restrictions should be lifted and when,” she said.

“Three or four weeks ago I would not have dreamt we would have such low numbers now – I am delighted but quite surprised.”

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She hinted restrictions with economical and social health impacts such as sports could be the first to be lifted.

Northern Territory ‘safest place in Australia’

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said on Thursday the territory would begin planning the easing of restrictions at the end of April.

"We are not Sydney or Melbourne, we do not have the community transmission, the Territory is the safest place in Australia,” he said.

He said he was confident that by the end of April "we will have made enough progress to begin planning our pathway back to normal" but it would be a gradual scaling back.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Gunner said the territory government might be in a position to identify the next moves in the response to the outbreak.

“It might be that mid-May we say ‘in June we are doing these things’,” he told Darwin radio station Mix 104.9.

Mr Gunner echoed Mr McGowan’s stance and stressed the last restriction for NT to go would most likely be its border restrictions.

He also stressed he would think long and hard about reopening businesses as being forced to close them down again if a surge in cases occurred could result in further economic collapse.

“I can’t ask them to open and then ask them to shut down again. It could be the death of them,” he said.

“It’s got to be once and I have to get it right.”

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