As Australians celebrate the beginning of eased coronavirus restrictions and gather, many to celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, the country's chief medical officer has issued a warning: it's far from over.
In his daily update, Professor Brendan Murphy on Sunday said Australia has 6,941 recorded cases of COVID-19, with 14 of those patients on ventilators.
The number of deaths remains at 97 after a reported death at Sydney's Newmarch House aged care facility was found to be unrelated to COVID-19.
"I want to really emphasise that we have to protect these vulnerable people in our community, the people who are elderly, and those who have chronic conditions," Professor Murphy said.
"So it is those of us who are mobile, active adults who are not in that vulnerable group who have to do what we have to do to protect the older people and those with chronic conditions."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday announced a three-stage plan to lift restrictions across Australia, with the backing of the National Cabinet, although it will be up to individual states and territories when the stages are implemented.
Queensland restrictions have eased, allowing gatherings of up to 10 people together in a public space. Here, people in Brisbane have a picnic on Mother's Day. Source: AAP
Victoria is not rushing into lifting restrictions, but Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to give parents some indication as to when school will resume on Monday.
Western Australians are expected to return to work from May 18, when pubs and cafes will also reopen and the number of people allowed to gather together will double from 10 to 20.
Visits to aged care facilities in Tasmania will be eased from tomorrow, Monday, by allowing no more than two visitors to visit once per week. Funerals will also be allowed to have 20 mourners and parks and reserves will reopen after the state recorded another day of new virus cases on Sunday.
But in South Australia, images of thousands of residents in shopping malls and supermarkets across Adelaide have raised concerns of growing complacency amid the pandemic.
As more and more people return to work over the coming weeks, Professor Murphy said it would be important to reduce density in public transport areas. He was also keen for employers to look at staggered starts and finish times for employees, but at this stage, all those who can stay at home and work should do so.
"The more each individual Australian takes it upon themselves to behave in this new normal way, the more courageous governments are going to be about relaxing regulations over our careful three-step process," he said.
"So that is my message for today. It is up to every one of us to be practising these new norms and personal responsibility."
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others.
Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits. Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store. SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments.
