'Back on the bus': Huge twist in Shane Warne's attack on Scott Morrison

Shane Warne has changed his tune on Scott Morrison, praising the Prime Minister for his ‘clear and precise’ press conference on Thursday.

Warne took a brutal swipe at Morrison last week after the PM announced a range of stricter social-distancing measures to combat the coronavirus crisis.

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However the Aussie cricket legend felt Morrison was sending confusing and mixed messages, describing his press conference as a ‘shocker’.

“Listening to the PM like everyone here in Australia and what I understood was, ‘It’s essential, unless it’s not. Then it’s essentially not essential. I can’t be clearer’,” Warne wrote on Twitter.

“Plus people can buy a new shirt at a shopping centre? WTF? PM just had a shocker. Surely should be in lockdown now.

“I know it’s impossible to please everyone as PM at the moment, but surely clear rules and lockdown for Australia as of NOW is the only decision – end of.

“Let’s learn from the mistakes other countries have made. Health has to be the most important thing for everyone!”

Shane Warne changes tune on ScoMo

However Morrison has since won Warne over.

The Prime Minister again fronted the media on Thursday to announce free child care as the latest instalment in the federal government's billion-dollar efforts to fight the economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And this time Warne was full of praise.

“Very tough time to be the PM right now and impossible to please everyone too,” Warne tweeted.

“But - well done today @ScottMorrisonMP ! Clear and precise messages plus looking after all of us Australians.

“Please be safe everyone. We are all in this together and will get through this.”

Funding support for child care and parents

The $1.6 billion childcare package announced on Thursday is designed to save as many of the sector’s 13,000 childcare and early learning services as possible.

The funding will start from April 6 and will cover enrolments as they stood in the fortnight leading up to March 2, before people started pulling their kids out of care because of job losses and health fears.

The means and activity testing of fee subsidies will be dropped while the new system is in place.

Morrison said parents currently working through the pandemic will be prioritised.

“I don't want a parent to have to choose between feeding their kids and having their kids looked after,” he said.

Australia's coronavirus death toll has risen to 24 following three reported deaths on Thursday, with the number of diagnosed cases now more than 5000.

More than 266,000 Australians have been tested for COVID-19, with the testing rate now at 1000 for every 100,000 people.

This equates to about one per cent and makes Australia the world leader.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Thursday Australia's death rate of less than one per cent of cases was among the lowest globally.

The rate of daily growth has fallen to about nine per cent after being as high as 30 per cent last week.

with AAP