Australia

Coronavirus Australia latest: at a glance

The Morrison government this week has attempted to build the case for opening up the economy by pointing to the accumulating costs of the restrictions, and Friday’s national cabinet meeting is expected to try to land a timetable for easing the lockdowns implemented to try to flatten the curve of Covid-19 infections.

But before Friday’s deliberation, premiers in New South Wales and Victoria have warned that Australia risks throwing away the successful containment of the pandemic.

The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, expressed his reservations in stark language: “We would all like to get back to normal and we will get there faster if we follow the evidence – if we don’t fritter away all the gains we’ve made.

The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said it was very unlikely she would be in a position to ease current restrictions before Sunday: “I doubt that NSW will be in a position to implement anything before Mother’s Day.”