RESEARCH PAPER SERIES, 2020–21   23 June 2021

COVID-19: a chronology of Australian Government announcements (up until 30 June 2020)

Kelsey Campbell and Emma Vines¹

Social Policy

Introduction

This chronology summarises key announcements on COVID-19 from the Australian Government up until 30 June 2020. It provides a comprehensive overview of the announcements made but is not designed to be exhaustive, seeking to avoid duplication of the announcements as much as possible. The Library has also produced separate COVID-19 chronologies for state and territory government announcements, Australian Government announcements on disability services and Indigenous Australians.

Information for this chronology was obtained through ParlInfo using the search terms ‘coronavirus’ and ‘COVID-19’.² The links included in this chronology were correct as at 28 May 2021.

The first case of novel coronavirus (nCoV-19) in Australia was reported in Victoria on 25 January 2020, with an additional three cases confirmed in New South Wales (NSW) later that day.³ The name for the disease caused by nCoV-19, coronavirus disease (COVID-19), was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 February 2020.⁴ The first person to die from COVID-19 in Australia was a man from Western Australia (WA), who died in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital from COVID-19 related complications on 1 March 2020.⁵

1 Key announcements

Milestones

Details

Source Documents

January 2020

19 January

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) stated ‘the Australian Government Department of Health is aware of the cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from the region of Wuhan in China, and watching developments very closely’. It was noted that any ill passengers reported on incoming flights would be met on arrival and assessed by biosecurity officers (as per Australian legislation).

B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Chief Medical Officer’s statement on novel coronavirus, media release, 19 January 2020.

21 January

Following a decision by the CMO, ‘human coronavirus with pandemic potential’ was added to the Biosecurity (Listed Human Diseases) Determination 2016. This decision triggered:

… the standing up of the national incident centre, the standing up of the National Medical Stockpile, the readiness and activation of the national trauma centre, daily meetings of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and meetings of state, territory and Commonwealth health ministers to discuss pandemic readiness.

Biosecurity (Listed Human Diseases) Amendment Determination 2020

M Cash, ‘Answer to Question without notice: COVID-19’, [Questioner: D Fawcett], Senate, Debates, 26 February 2020, p. 1497.

Enhanced screening measures for passengers arriving at Sydney Airport on direct flights from Wuhan began.

The CMO announced that flights would be met by border security, biosecurity staff and NSW Health, who would provide information to passengers in English and Mandarin, outlining the symptoms of the disease and asking passengers to identify themselves if they had symptoms. NSW health officials would follow up with passengers suspected of having the virus.

B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Chief Medical Officer's media conference about novel coronavirus, transcript, 21 January 2020.

NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Health advice to travellers returning for Wuhan, China, media release, 21 January 2020.

23 January

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) raised the level of travel advice for Wuhan to ‘Level 3: Reconsider your need to travel’.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Transcript of press conference, media release, 23 January 2020.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

24 January

DFAT raised the level of travel advice for Wuhan and Hubei Province to ‘Level 4: Do not travel’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Update on novel coronavirus in Australia, media release, 26 January 2020.

DFAT, ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

25 January

The Australian Government confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Australia. The patient was a man from Wuhan who travelled from Guangdong to Melbourne on 19 January. Victorian health authorities isolated the patient and began contact tracing.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), First confirmed case of novel coronavirus in Australia, media release, 25 January 2020.

The Australian Government confirmed three further cases of COVID-19 in Sydney. All three cases were men who flew to Australia on separate flights from China between 6 January and 20 January.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Update on novel coronavirus in Australia, media release, 26 January 2020.

27 January

The CMO announced that:

• there were five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia

• any return travellers from China, particularly Hubei Provence, who developed symptoms should get tested and

• the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) confirmed that any child who had been a contact of someone with COVID-19 should be excluded from school for 14 days.

B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Chief Medical Officer’s update on novel coronavirus, media release, 27 January 2020.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs announced that DFAT was ‘working closely with Chinese authorities and international partners to consider possible assistance with travel for Australians from areas that are affected by Chinese travel restrictions’.

M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs), Australians in Hubei province, China, media release, 27 January 2020.

28 January

DFAT raised the level of travel advice for China overall to ‘Level 3: Reconsider your need to travel’. Advice for Hubei province remained at ‘Level 4: Do not travel’.

DFAT, ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

29 January

The Australian Government announced that it was seeking approval to evacuate some Australians from Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province. Any Australians departing on any flight arranged by the Australian Government would be flown to Christmas Island to undertake a period of quarantine of up to 14 days.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs), G Hunt (Minister for Health), and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Assisted departure and strict quarantine for Australians from Wuhan/Hubei, media release, 29 January 2020.

In a statement, the AHPPC recommended:

People who have been in contact with any confirmed novel coronavirus cases must be isolated in their home for 14 days following exposure;

Returned travellers who have been in Hubei Province of China must be isolated in their home for 14 days after leaving Hubei Province, other than for seeking individual medical care.

These recommendations were accepted by the Australian Government.

Department of Health (DoH), ‘Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) statement on novel coronavirus on 29 January 2020’, DoH website, 30 January 2020.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), D Tehan (Minister for Education) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Press conference at Parliament House about novel coronavirus, transcript, 29 January 2020.

The Prime Minister announced that 1 million masks would be released from the national medical stockpile through Primary Health Networks for general practices for those patients and health workers who may have been exposed to COVID-19 or had symptoms.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Transcript of press conference, media release, 29 January 2020.

30 January

WHO declared the outbreak of novel coronavirus as a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’, recommending all countries ‘be prepared for containment, including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread …’

WHO, ‘Statement on the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)’, WHO website, 30 January 2020.

31 January

In response to WHO’s declaration and recommendations on 30 January, the Health Minister noted ‘border, isolation, surveillance and case tracing mechanisms are already in place in Australia’. The Health Minister also announced that approximately 200 tests had been conducted in Australia, and there were nine confirmed cases.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Update on novel coronavirus, media release, 31 January 2020.

February 2020

1 February

The Australian Government announced updated travel advice, including:

• Foreign nationals (excluding permanent residents) who had been in mainland China from 1 February were banned from entering Australia for 14 days from the time they have left or transited through mainland China.

• Australian citizens and permanent residents as well as their immediate family members (spouses, legal guardians or dependants) were still able to enter Australia.

• Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families who entered Australia, who had been in mainland China, would be required to self-isolate for 14 days from the time they left mainland China.

• 500,000 masks would be made available for airport and port staff and arriving passengers, and handheld thermometers would be made available at impacted ports.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs), P Dutton (Minister for Home Affairs) and G Hunt (Minister for Health), Updated travel advice to protect Australians from the novel coronavirus, media release, 1 February 2020.

DFAT raised the level of travel advice for China to ‘Level 4: Do not travel’.

DFAT, ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

The National Security Committee agreed to give the Australian Border Force Commissioner discretionary powers to make decisions in relation to the arrival in Australia of persons who were in transit when the enhanced border announcement was made.

Department of Home Affairs, ‘Statement on visa cancellations—enhanced border control measures’, News archive, Department of Home Affairs website, 4 February 2020.

The Education Minister announced that he would be working with universities to discuss the impact of the travel announcements on international students.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), Coronavirus and higher education, media release, 1 February 2020.

3 February

A group of 241 Australians evacuated from Wuhan arrived on Christmas Island and were placed in quarantine for up to 14 days.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Australian confirmed cases of novel coronavirus on cruise vessel, media release, 5 February 2020.

F Bell and E Manfield, ‘Passengers on coronavirus evacuation flight from Wuhan land on Christmas Island’, ABC News Online, 3 February 2020.

5 February

The Health Minister announced that two Australians on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan were confirmed to have contracted novel coronavirus.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Australian confirmed cases of novel coronavirus on cruise vessel, media release, 5 February 2020.

7 February

The Australian Government announced that Australian citizens and permanent residents aboard a second assisted departure flight out of Wuhan would ‘spend 14 days in quarantine in the Howard Springs Accommodation Facility on the outskirts of Darwin’. The flight, carrying 266 passengers, arrived in Darwin on 9 February.

P Dutton (Minister for Home Affairs), G Hunt (Minister for Health), and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Update on assisted departure of Australians from Hubei province, media release, 7 February 2020.

M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs), Assisted departure flight from Wuhan, media release, 9 February 2020.

The Education Minister announced mental health support for international students, including a dedicated email and phone hotline to assist students with questions or concerns relating to their study and novel coronavirus.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), Mental health support for international students, media release, 7 February 2020.

11 February

The Minister for Health and the CMO noted that a range of resources, including a 1-800 number, factsheets and daily case updates, were available on the Department of Health website to provide the general public with information on coronavirus.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Press conference, Parliament House—Canberra, transcript, 11 February 2020.

12 February

The Minister for Health announced that the Government would provide an additional 300,000 surgical masks to Primary Health Networks to support doctors, health workers and pharmacists.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs) and P Kelly (Australian Government Deputy CMO), Doorstop, Canberra, transcript, 12 February 2020.

13 February

The National Security Committee of Cabinet agreed to extend the entry restrictions on foreign nationals who had recently been in mainland China for a further week from 15 February 2020.

S Morrison (Prime Minister) and G Hunt (Minister for Health), Extension of travel ban to protect Australians from the coronavirus, media release, 13 February 2020.

17 February

The Australian Government announced that Australian passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan would be evacuated to Australia and undertake 14 days quarantine at the Howard Springs Accommodation Facility in Darwin.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs), G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Transcript of press conference, Melbourne, media release, 17 February 2020.

18 February

The Australian Government announced ‘$2 million in funding to support Australia’s researchers as they work to understand and respond to the outbreak of novel coronavirus’. The funding would be provided from the Medical Research Future Fund for an open and competitive grant opportunity to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Applications opened on 25 February 2020.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), and G Hunt (Minister for Health), Backing important coronavirus research, media release, 18 February 2020.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), $2 million for vital coronavirus research, media release, 25 February 2020.

20 February

The Australian Government announced that travel restrictions on foreign nationals entering Australia from mainland China would continue for a further week to 29 February 2020.

In addition to the requirement for returning citizens, permanent residents and their families who had been in mainland China from 1 February 2020 to self-isolate for 14 days from the time they left mainland China, people who had been in contact with someone confirmed to have coronavirus had to self-isolate for 14 days from the time they were in contact with that person.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs) and G Hunt (Minister for Health), Continuing travel ban to protect Australians from the coronavirus, joint media release, 20 February 2020.

21 February

The Deputy CMO announced that passengers from the Westerdam cruise ship (docked in Cambodia) were no longer required to undertake 14 days of self-isolation on return to Australia as the AHPPC concluded that these passengers presented a low risk of COVID-19.

P Kelly (Australian Government Deputy CMO), Westerdam cruise ship passengers, media release, 21 February 2020.

22 February

The Australian Government announced that senior high school students (years 11 and 12) from China, excluding Hubei province, would be exempt from the travel ban on a case-by-case basis. Any students returning to Australia would be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), D Tehan (Minister for Education) and J Merlino (Victorian Minister for Education), Transcript of doorstop interview, Melbourne, media release, 22 February 2020.

23 February

DFAT raised the level of travel advice for Japan and South Korea to ‘Level 2: Exercise a high degree of caution’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Doorstop interview, Canberra, transcript, 24 February 2020.

DFAT, ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

25 February

At the request of the CMO, the Australian Government activated the Emergency Response Plan for Communicable Disease Incidents of National Significance: National Arrangements (National CD Plan).

Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Communiqué, COAG Meeting, Sydney, 13 March 2020.

DoH, Emergency response plan for communicable disease incidents of national significance: national arrangements (National CD plan), May 2018.

26 February

The Australian Government announced that travel advice was raised to ‘Level 2: Exercise a high degree of caution’ for northern Italy (Lombardy and Veneto).

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Doorstop, Canberra, transcript, 26 February 2020.

27 February

The Prime Minister announced that based on expert medical advice, the Australian Government had agreed to implement the Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition, the travel ban for China would apply for another week.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Transcript of press conference, Canberra, media release, 27 February 2020.

DoH, Australian health sector emergency response plan for novel coronavirus (COVID-19), 18 February 2020.

29 February

The Australian Government announced that as of 1 March 2020:

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will raise the level of the travel advisory for Iran from level 3 to level 4—do not travel;

Foreign nationals (excluding permanent residents of Australia) who are in Iran on or after 1 March 2020, will not be allowed to enter Australia for 14 days, from the time they have left or transited through Iran;

Australian citizens and permanent residents will still be able to enter, as will their immediate family members (spouses, legal guardians or dependants only). They will be required to self-isolate at home for 14 days from the day they left Iran.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), G Hunt (Minister for Health) and M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs), Update on novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Australia, media release, 29 February 2020.

DFAT, ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

March 2020

1 March

DFAT raised the level of travel advice for all of Italy to ‘Level 2: Exercise a high degree of caution’ and to ‘Level 3: Reconsider your need to travel’ for ten small towns in Lombardy and one in Veneto.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Update on COVID-19 in Australia, media release, 2 March 2020.

DFAT, ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

2 March

The Australian Government reported the first local case of community transmission of COVID-19, taking the total number of cases to 33.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Update on COVID-19 in Australia—community transmission, media release, 2 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced that:

… people returning from Italy and South Korea need to monitor their health for the following 14 days after their arrival and practice good hygiene. Healthcare or residential aged care workers should not attend work for 14 days and practise social distancing.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Update on COVID-19 in Australia, media release, 2 March 2020.

3 March

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced a reduction in the target cash rate to 0.50 per cent.

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Statement by Philip Lowe, Governor: Monetary Policy Decision, media release, 3 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced assistance to the Pacific and Timor-Leste to help regional countries respond to coronavirus, including providing personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and assisting with laboratory diagnosis, risk communication strategies and national response planning and budgeting.

M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs) and A Hawke (Minister for International Development and the Pacific), Coronavirus assistance to Pacific and Timor-Leste, media release, 3 March 2020.

4 March

The Minister for Health announced that self-isolation requirements for people travelling from Iran would extend to any person who arrived from 19 February 2020 onwards.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Doorstop interview, Canberra, transcript, 4 March 2020.

5 March

The Australian Government announced that:

Foreign nationals (excluding permanent residents of Australia) who are in the Republic of Korea on or after today [5 March] will not be allowed to enter Australia for 14 days from the time they have left or transited through the Republic of Korea.

The Australian Government also activated the National Coordination Mechanism to:

… coordinate activities across the Commonwealth, state and territory governments as well as industry to ensure a consistent national approach is taken to provide essential services across a range of critical sectors and supply chains.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs) and G Hunt (Minister for Health), Update on novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Australia, media release, 5 March 2020.

DFAT raised the level of travel advice to ‘Level 3: Reconsider your need to travel’ for the Republic of Korea and ‘Level 4: Do not travel’ for Daegu.

DFAT, ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

6 March

The Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians announced that a forum was held with aged care providers. More than 70 representatives attended the forum, which ‘underlined the protocols and guidelines to reinforce local infection control, while offering a platform to address to wider concerns of residents, staff and families’.

R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), Morrison Government and the aged care sector working together to tackle COVID-19 challenges, media release, 6 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced a shared health funding deal with the states and territories, which would be uncapped and demand driven:

The Australian Government will pay 50 per cent of additional costs incurred by state and territory health services as a result of the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COVID-19, those suspected of having the virus or activities to prevent the spread of it.

In addition to the forum held with the aged care sector, the Australian Government held a forum with primary care providers.

S Morrison (Prime Minister) and G Hunt (Minister for Health), Coronavirus public health partnership with the states: Commonwealth to meet 50 per cent of state costs, media release, 6 March 2020.

8 March

The Australian Government secured an additional 54 million face masks for the National Medical Stockpile.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Morrison Government secures additional 54 million face masks to contain coronavirus outbreak, media release, 8 March 2020.

10 March

The Minister for Health announced 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Press conference, Sydney, transcript, 10 March 2020.

The Minister for Industrial Relations announced that the Australian Government held a meeting with unions and employer representatives to discuss coronavirus.

C Porter (Minister for Industrial Relations), Doorstop, Sydney, transcript, 10 March 2020.

10 March

DFAT raised the level of travel advice for Italy overall to ‘Level 3: Reconsider your need to travel’ and to ‘Level 4: Do not travel’ for the region of Lombardy and certain Italian provinces.

DFAT, ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

11 March

The Prime Minister announced that on advice from the AHPPC, a travel ban would be extended to Italy as of 6pm.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Transcript of press conference, Parliament House, media release, 11 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced a $2.4 billion health plan to address COVID-19. The health package included:

• $100 million for people in home isolation or quarantine because of coronavirus to receive (bulk-billed) Medicare-funded telehealth consultations (from 13 March)

• ‘… $25 million to fund home medicines services which will enable patients to have their PBS prescriptions filled online or remotely, and have the medicines delivered to their home’

• $5 million to support GPs and pharmacies by fast tracking the rollout of electronic prescribing nationally

• $50.7 million to expand the national triage phone line to operate 24/7

• $206.7 million for up to 100 dedicated respiratory clinics

• $58.7 million for increased capacity to prevent outbreaks in remote locations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

• $170.2 million for dedicated Medicare funded and bulk billed pathology tests for COVID-19

• ‘… $101.2 million to educate and train aged care workers in infection control, and enable aged care providers to hire extra nurses and aged care workers for both residential and home care’

• $500 million in funding for the states and territories for COVID-19 (already announced 6 March)

• $30 million from the Medical Research Future Fund for vaccine, anti-viral and respiratory medicine research

• $1.1 billion to provide PPE for patients and critical health care staff and to purchase antibiotics and antivirals for the National Medical Stockpile, to quickly treat patients who experience secondary infection because of COVID-19

• $30 million investment in infection control training and programs for health and aged care workers and

• $30 million for a new national communications campaign, providing people with practical advice on how to contain the virus and stay healthy.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), G Hunt (Minister for Health) and R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), $2.4 billion health plan to fight COVID-19, media release, 11 March 2020.

12 March

The Australian Government announced a $17.6 billion economic support package, which had four parts:

• support for business investment, including increasing the instant asset write-off and introducing a 15-month investment incentive

• cash flow assistance for small and medium businesses through a cash flow boost payment and wage subsidies for apprentices and trainees

• stimulus payments to households through a one-off $750 payment to pensioners, veterans and other income support recipients and

• assistance of $1 billion to support industries in severely affected regions.

S Morrison (Prime Minister) and J Frydenberg (Treasurer), Economic stimulus package, media release, 12 March 2020.

Australian Government, Economic response to the coronavirus, media release, 12 March 2020.

13 March

The Prime Minister announced:

• ‘Commonwealth, State and Territory governments have agreed to provide public advice against holding non-essential, organised public gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday 16th March 2020’.

• The formation of National Cabinet. Made up of the Prime Minister, premiers and chief ministers, it would meet weekly to address Australia’s response to the coronavirus.

• Travel advice for all Australians travelling overseas raised to ‘Level 3: Reconsider your need for travel’.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Advice on coronavirus, media release, 13 March 2020.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Press conference with premiers and chief ministers, Parramatta, transcript, 13 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced a temporary relaxation of the 40-hour per fortnight limitation for international student visa holders working in supermarkets (for existing staff in existing roles).

A Tudge (Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs) and D Tehan (Minister for Education), More help to keep Aussie shelves stocked, media release, 13 March 2020.

15 March

The first National Cabinet meeting was held.

The Prime Minister announced that from midnight a universal precautionary self-isolation requirement on all international arrivals to Australia would come into effect. All people coming into Australia would be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

National Cabinet endorsed advice from the AHPPC to further introduce social distancing measures, including a ban of non-essential, organised public gatherings of more than 500 people (not including schools, universities, workplaces or public transport—although social distancing would still apply in these settings).

Effective as at 11:59 pm, the Australian Government banned cruise ships from entering Australia from foreign ports (including international cruises originating in Australia) for an initial 30 days.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Transcript of press conference, Sydney, media release, 15 March 2020.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Coronavirus measures endorsed by the National Cabinet, media release, 16 March 2020.

Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Emergency Requirements) Determination 2020.

The Australian Government established a business liaison unit in Treasury to engage with peak business groups on issues relating to coronavirus.

J Frydenberg (Treasurer), Government establishes business liaison unit on coronavirus, media release, 15 March 2020.

16 March

The RBA announced that it would expand its purchases of Australian Government bonds in the secondary market and expand its repo operations to provide liquidity to Australian financial markets.

RBA, Statement by Philip Lowe, Governor, media release, 16 March 2020.

The International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees temporarily suspended resettlement travel for refugees (meaning arrivals under Australia’s Humanitarian Program were largely paused).

Department of Home Affairs, ‘Refugee and Humanitarian program’, Department of Home Affairs COVID-19 website, n.d.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), IOM, UNHCR announce temporary suspension of resettlement travel for refugees, media release, 17 March 2020.

On advice from the Communicable Disease Network of Australia, the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians announced that residential aged care providers were encouraged to limit visits under national guidelines aimed at the prevention and control of coronavirus.

R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), COVID-19 prevention guidelines issued to aged care providers, media release, 16 March 2020.

17 March

Building on the 11 March health announcement, the Minister for Health announced expanded telehealth provisions. This included expanded capacity for Medicare-funded telehealth consultations with midwives, where people have had a prior relationship with a general practice and for consultations with a range of specialist services.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Doorstop interview, Melbourne, media release, 17 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced that the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts would convene a roundtable by teleconference with peak cultural and creative industry bodies to ‘discuss the impacts of COVID-19 and the applicability to the cultural and creative sector of support arrangements announced by the Government to date’.

P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on our cultural and creative industries, media release, 16 March 2020.

18 March

The Prime Minister announced that the National Cabinet had accepted the AHPPC advice that ‘non-essential indoor gatherings of greater than 100 people (including staff) will no longer be permitted from Wednesday 18 March 2020’.

National Cabinet further agreed:

• all Australians should only travel when essential and, if unwell, people must stay at home, unless seeking medical care

• Anzac Day ceremonies and events should be cancelled due to the high proportion of older Australians who attend such events and

• to accept the recommendations by the AHPPC on enhanced arrangements to protect older Australians in residential aged care facilities and in the community.

In addition, the following individuals were banned from entry into aged care facilities:

• those returned from overseas in the previous 14 days

• those who had been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the previous 14 days

• those with fever or symptoms of acute respiratory infection and

• those not vaccinated against influenza (after 1 May).

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 18 March 2020.

The Prime Minister announced that travel advice was raised to ‘Level 4: Do not travel’ for all overseas destinations.

Australians overseas who wished to return were advised to do so as soon as possible if options were available.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media release, 18 March 2020.

DFAT, ‘COVID-19—Travel advice level changes’, Smartraveller website.

The Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians announced additional restrictions for aged care facilities:

Visits should be limited to two people per resident at one time each day, restricted to rooms, outdoor or specific areas designated by providers.

Children should not visit aged care centres at all.

Large group visits or gatherings, including social activities or entertainment should also be ruled out until further notice.

R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), Strengthened guidelines to protect aged care residents, media release, 18 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced new COVID-19 community sport guidelines developed by the AHPPC.

R Colbeck (Minister for Youth and Sport), COVID-19 community sport guidelines issued to national sporting organisations, media release, 18 March 2020.

The COAG Disability Reform Council met by telepresence and ‘discussed a national response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, particularly its potential impact on people with disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)’.

S Robert (Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme), Meeting of the COAG Disability Reform Council, media release, 18 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced that:

Aged care providers will temporarily be able to offer more hours to international students to ensure the care of senior and vulnerable Australians, as part of the campaign to combat the impact of coronavirus.

A Tudge (Acting Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure) and R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), International students ready to fill critical staff shortages in aged care, media release, 18 March 2020.

19 March

The RBA announced a cut in the official cash rate to 0.25 per cent and the establishment of a term funding facility to offer three-year funding to Australian financial institutions.

RBA, Statement by Philip Lowe, Governor: Monetary policy decision, media release, 19 March 2020.

RBA, Term funding facility to support lending to Australian businesses, announcement, 19 March 2020.

To address concerns about panic buying, the Deputy CMO announced that pharmacists would be required to limit dispensing of certain prescription products and limit sales of certain medicines.

P Kelly (Deputy CMO), Deputy Chief Medical Officer's press conference about COVID-19, transcript, 19 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced that Australia would close its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents, taking effect on Friday 20 March 2020. Only Australian citizens, residents and immediate family members could travel to Australia (exemptions applied, including for airline crew).

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs) and P Dutton (Minister for Home Affairs), Border restrictions, media release, 19 March 2020.

20 March

The RBA announced a temporary reciprocal currency arrangement with the US Federal Reserve and planned to establish further arrangements with other central banks.

RBA, Reserve Bank of Australia and US Federal Reserve announce swap arrangement, media release, 20 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced that it would defer the 2020–21 Budget until 6 October 2020. To deal with the ongoing economic impact of the coronavirus, the debt ceiling would be lifted from $600 billion to $850 billion.

J Frydenberg (Treasurer) and M Cormann (Minister for Finance), 2020–21 budget announcement, media release, 20 March 2020.

As agreed by National Cabinet, the Australian Government announced risk mitigation measures for:

• non-essential indoor gatherings of fewer than 100 people

• outdoor events of fewer than 500 attendees and

• early learning and child care centres (provided by the AHPPC).

The Australian Government also announced an additional $444.6 million in funding for four temporary measures to support the aged care workforce.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 20 March 2020.

21 March

The Minister for Health announced that the Australian Government was ‘investing more than $2.6 million in cutting-edge diagnostics research at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, to tackle the evolving novel coronavirus health emergency’. This funding was part of the $30 million for research announced by the Government on 11 March as part of the $2.4 billion COVID-19 Health Plan. It was funded through the Medical Research Future Fund.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), $2.6 million for coronavirus research, including a new simpler Australian pathology test, media release, 21 March 2020.

The Minister for Health announced the commencement of two grant opportunities totalling $13 million to fast-track research into treatments for COVID-19. This funding was part of the $30 million for research announced by the Government on 11 March as part of the $2.4 billion COVID-19 Health Plan. It was funded through the Medical Research Future Fund.

G Hunt (Minister for Fast-tracking research into treatments for COVID-19, media release, 21 March 2020.

22 March

The Australian Government announced a second economic support package, bringing additional support of around $66 billion. The additional measures included:

• support for workers and households through the coronavirus supplement of $550 per fortnight that would be paid to ‘both existing and new recipients of the JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance jobseeker, Parenting Payment, Farm Household Allowance and Special Benefit’

• support to households through a second $750 payment to social security and veteran income support recipients and eligible concession card holders

• early release of superannuation ($10,000 in 2019–20 and a further $10,000 in 2020–21) for those experiencing financial hardship

• temporary reduction of the minimum superannuation minimum drawdown requirements

• a lower social security deeming rate

• an increase in the existing cash flow boost for small businesses and announcement of a second cash flow boost payment

• a guarantee scheme for small business loans and

• additional support of up to $715 million for the aviation industry.

S Morrison (Prime Minister) and J Frydenberg (Treasurer), Supporting Australian workers and businesses, media release, 22 March 2020.

22 March

National Cabinet implemented new Stage 1 restrictions on social gatherings. Coming into effect from midday local time 23 March 2020, and expected to be in place for at least 6 months, the following facilities were restricted from opening:

Pubs, registered and licenced clubs (excluding bottle shops attached to these venues), hotels (excluding accommodation)

Gyms and indoor sporting venues

Cinemas, entertainment venues, casinos, and night clubs

Restaurants and cafes will be restricted to takeaway and/or home delivery

Religious gatherings, places of worship or funerals (in enclosed spaces and other than very small groups and where the 1 person per 4 square metre rule applies).

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 22 March 2020.

The Prime Minister announced that non-essential travel in Australia should be avoided.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Transcript of press conference, Australian Parliament House, media release, 22 March 2020.

23 March

The Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Bill 2020 passed in the Australian Parliament.

Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Bill 2020.

The Minister for Health announced a further expansion of telehealth services, allowing all vulnerable general practitioners and other vulnerable health professionals who were currently authorised to use telehealth item numbers to use telehealth for all consultations with all of their patients.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Expansion of telehealth services, media release, 23 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced legislation that would help with the cost of child care and provide support to child care centres during COVID-19 closures.

Amendments to the legislation allowed the Minister for Education to:

increase the number of days that a family can continue to claim the Child Care Subsidy in cases where a child is absent from child care for more than the currently allowable 42 days

give a family access to additional absences, without the need for evidence, in relation to COVID-19

waive the current obligation of child care services to require a family to pay gap fees if the service is forced to close.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), Supporting families and children using child care, media release, 23 March 2020.

24 March

The Minister for Families and Social Services announced that eligibility for the fortnightly $550 coronavirus supplement would be extended to ‘students who receive Youth Allowance (Student), AUSTUDY and ABSTUDY (Living Allowance)’.

A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services), Supporting students through the effects of coronavirus, media release, 24 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced that mutual obligation requirements for jobseekers would be lifted until 31 March 2020.

M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) and A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services), Mutual obligations lifted until congestion clears, media release, 24 March 2020.

The immigration detention visitor program was temporarily ceased.

Department of Home Affairs, ‘Immigration detention’, Department of Home Affairs website, n.d.

Under the Commonwealth’s Biosecurity Act 2015, the Prime Minister announced a travel ban on Australians travelling overseas commencing 12pm on 25 March 2020 (exemptions were possible for some categories of traveller).

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 24 March 2020.

Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Overseas Travel Ban Emergency Requirements) Determination 2020.

The Prime Minister announced that National Cabinet agreed to new and enhanced social distancing measures that would apply from 11:59pm (local time) 25 March 2020. Tighter restrictions related to weddings, funerals, fitness classes, beauty salons, arcades, play centres and more.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 24 March 2020.

25 March

The Prime Minister announced that on the advice of the AHPPC, all non-urgent elective surgery—in both the public and private health systems—would be temporarily suspended. Category 1 and some exceptional Category 2 surgery would continue until further notice.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Elective surgery, media release, 25 March 2020.

The Prime Minister announced that National Cabinet agreed to an AHPPC recommendation to expand coronavirus testing criteria. The updated testing criteria was the minimum requirement—states and territories could expand testing criteria at their discretion and if they had the capacity.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), National Cabinet update, media release, 25 March 2020.

The Australian Government created the new National COVID-19 Coordination Commission to ‘coordinate advice to the Australian Government on actions to anticipate and mitigate the economic and social effects of the global coronavirus pandemic’.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), National COVID-19 Coordination Commission, media release, 25 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced:

… every Australian mobile phone will be sent a text message from the Australian Government with important steps each person can take to protect their own health, the health of their families and the health of the whole community from the coronavirus.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), B Murphy (Australian Government CMO) and P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Australian Government text message regarding Coronavirus prevention steps, media release, 25 March 2020.

26 March

Under the Commonwealth’s Biosecurity Act 2015, the Minister for Health announced travel restrictions into certain remote areas to protect vulnerable Australians. Anyone travelling to designated areas would need to self-isolate for 14 days prior to entry.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and K Wyatt (Minister for Indigenous Australians), Travel restrictions for remote areas commence tonight, media release, 26 March 2020.

27 March

The Prime Minister announced that all travellers arriving in Australia would be required to undertake their mandatory 14-day self-isolation at designated facilities (e.g. hotels).

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media release, 27 March 2020.

29 March

As agreed by National Cabinet, the Prime Minister announced updated COVID-19 measures, including indoor and outdoor gatherings limited to two persons only and evictions put on hold for six months by the states and territories for commercial and residential tenancies.

The Australian Government released the Coronavirus Australia app and the WhatsApp channel to:

… provide a trusted source of information for Australian looking for important advice on how they can protect themselves and others, current restrictions on social gathers, how they can access support and the latest data on Australian cases.

(These platforms differed from the COVIDSafe app, which the Government launched on 26 April 2020.)

S Morrison (Prime Minister), National Cabinet statement, media release, 29 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced $1.1 billion in funding to expand mental health and telehealth services, increase domestic violence services and provide more emergency food relief. This included:

• $669 million to expand Medicare-subsidised telehealth services for all Australians until 30 September 2020, when they would be reviewed

• $150 million ‘to support Australians experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence due to the fallout from coronavirus’

• $74 million for a range of mental health supports and

• $200 million to support charities and other community organisations which provide emergency and food relief.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M Payne (Minister for Women), G Hunt (Minister for Health) and A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services), $1.1 billion to support more mental health, Medicare and domestic violence services, media release, 29 March 2020.

30 March

The Australian Government announced the $130 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy payments.

Further details on the JobKeeper Payment (and all aspects of the Australian Government’s economic response) are available from the Treasury’s website: Economic response to the coronavirus.

S Morrison (Prime Minister) and J Frydenberg (Treasurer), $130 billion JobKeeper payment to keep Australians in a job, media release, 30 March 2020.

The Treasury, ‘JobKeeper Payment’, The Treasury website.

The Government advised all Australians to stay home unless shopping for essentials, receiving medical care, exercising or travelling to work or education. In addition, people aged over 70, aged over 60 with pre-existing conditions, or Indigenous people aged over 50 were advised to stay home wherever possible for their own protection.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media release, 30 March 2020.

31 March

The Minister for Health announced that the Australian Government approved temporary changes to medicines regulation. These changes would ‘improve access to medicines, reduce the burden on GPs and support social distancing and self-isolation’ and ‘ensure Australians can continue to access the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines they need, as the COVID-19 outbreak unfolds’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Ensuring continued access to medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic, media release, 31 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced a partnership with the private hospital sector. Securing 30,000 hospital beds and 105,000 nurses and staff, the partnership was to ensure the health system was ready to treat patients through the COVID-19 pandemic.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), N Coatsworth (Australian Deputy CMO) and A McMillan (Australian Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer), Australian Government partnership with private health sector secures 30,000 hospital beds and 105,000 nurses and staff, to help fight COVID-19 pandemic, media release, 31 March 2020.

The Australian Government announced $59.3 million in additional funding for Meals on Wheels and similar programs to support senior Australians who were urged to follow COVID-19 restrictions and stay home.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), G Hunt (Minister for Health) and R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), Meals on Wheels program reinforced to help senior Australians at home, media release, 31 March 2020.

April 2020

1 April

The Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government announced the opening of the first GP-led rural respiratory clinic in Emerald, Queensland. The clinic was ‘established as part of the Australian Government’s $2.4 billion health package to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak …’

M Coulton (Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government), E McPhee (President of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine) and J Hall (President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia), First rural COVID-19 respiratory clinic opens, media release, 1 April 2020.

The Australian Government recommended all Australians, especially those in vulnerable groups or age brackets, to arrange vaccination against seasonal influenza during the month of April.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian CMO), Flu vaccination more important than ever during the month of April, media release, 1 April 2020.

2 April

The Australian Government announced the Early Childhood and Care Relief Package, which covered up to 50 per cent of fee revenue for childcare centres if families were not charged fees.

S Morrison (Prime Minister) and D Tehan (Minister for Education), Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package, media release, 2 April 2020.

The Australian Government launched a new Jobs Hub to highlight opportunities for Australians to access new employment.

M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business), New jobs hub highlighting job opportunities for Australians, media release, 2 April 2020.

The Australian Government announced funding for up to 20,000 new online education places for Registered Nurses (RNs). The online training would allow experienced RNs ‘to assist in the delivery of care in intensive care and high dependency units across Australia’ and ‘to be used to maximum effect in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and A McMillan (Australian Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer), Training more nurses for critical care, media release, 2 April 2020.

3 April

For continuity of education during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister for Education announced that the Australian Government would provide $453.2 million in funding in 2021 to support almost 350,000 children to access preschool.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), Preschool funding guaranteed for 2021, media release, 3 April 2020.

The Prime Minister announced that during the Easter period, places of worship would be considered places of work, but must remain closed to the public. Services would be streamed and only clergy and those formally involved in services or streaming were permitted to attend.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 3 April 2020.

The Minister for Government Services announced a temporary pause for an initial period of six months on Services Australia’s debt raising and recovery activity ‘to help ease pressure on people’s budgets during the coronavirus pandemic’.

S Robert (Minister for Government Services), Pausing debt activity during the coronavirus pandemic, media release, 3 April 2020.

The Australian Government announced the establishment of an advisory group to ‘guide development and implementation of a response plan focusing on the unique health needs of people with disability during the coronavirus pandemic’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services) and S Robert (Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme), Immediate response plan to focus on people with disability during coronavirus, media release, 3 April 2020.

The Minister for Finance announced $800 million, provided to the Department of Health from the Advance to the Finance Minister, to ‘fund the further procurement of masks and other emergency medical or emergency health equipment to deal with the impact of COVID-19 in Australia’.

This Advance to the Finance Minister determination was in addition to previously issued Advance determinations of $100 million (issued on 4 March 2020) and $200 million (issued on 9 March 2020) to fund procurement for the National Medical Stockpile.

M Cormann (Minister for Finance), Advances to the Finance Minister in the week ending Friday 3 April 2020, media release, 3 April 2020.

4 April

The Minister for Health announced that the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce would receive $1.5 million in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund, saying that:

The Taskforce will analyse emerging national and international research and data on COVID-19 to provide frontline health care workers with the most up-to-date information and advice on the disease in a rapidly evolving environment.

This funding was in addition to the $2.4 billion Coronavirus National Health Plan.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), $1.5 million to support clinical management of COVID-19, media release, 4 April 2020.

The Australian Government announced a $220 million upgrade to CSIRO’s high containment biosecurity research facility in Geelong. Formerly known as the Australian Animal Health Laboratory, the facility was renamed the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness.

The Government also committed up to $10 million to support CSIRO’s work to help secure a vaccine for COVID-19.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and K Andrews (Minister for Industry, Science and technology), CSIRO upgrading world class facility to fight diseases like coronavirus, media release, 4 April 2020.

The Australian Government announced changes to temporary visa holder arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included:

• access to their Australian superannuation, in line with changes made for Australian citizens and permanent residents

• from 1 May international students working extended hours in major supermarkets would see their hours returned to the maximum 40 hours a fortnight as more Australians were recruited into these roles

• temporary skilled visa holders who had been stood down, but not laid off, maintained their visa validity

• businesses could reduce the hours of the visa holder without the person being in breach of their visa conditions

• if a 4-year temporary skilled visa holder was re-employed after the pandemic, time already spent in Australia would count towards their permanent residency skilled work experience requirements

• Working Holiday Makers (WHMs) in the critical sectors of heath, aged and disability care, agriculture and food processing and childcare, would be exempt from the six month work limitation with the one employer and eligible for a further visa to keep working in critical sectors if their current visa was due to expire in the next six months. They were required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days before transferring to another part of the country

• workers who were in Australia under the Pacific Labour Scheme and Seasonal Worker Programme could remain in Australia for up to 12 months to work for approved employers and

• WHMs, Pacific and Seasonal workers and other temporary workers employed in critical sectors were potentially eligible for a Temporary Activity (subclass 408 Australian Government Endorsed Event stream) visa.

The Government strongly encouraged temporary visa holders to return home if they were unable to support themselves in Australia under these arrangements.

A Tudge (Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs), Coronavirus and temporary visa holders, media release, 4 April 2020.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), D Littleproud (Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, National Disaster and Emergency Management) and A Tudge (Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs), Supporting the agriculture workforce during COVID-19, media release, 4 April 2020.

M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs) and A Hawke (Minister for International Development and the Pacific), Australia supporting Pacific workers, media release, 4 April 2020.

Department of Home Affairs, ‘COVID-19 and the border’, Department of Home Affairs website.

Migration (LIN 20/122: COVID-19 Pandemic event for Subclass 408 (Temporary Activity) visa and visa application charge for Temporary Activity (Class GG) visa) Instrument 2020.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Transcript of press conference, Australian Parliament House, media release, 3 April 2020.

6 April

The Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs announced that citizenship ceremonies would be held online via secure video link for those already approved for Australian citizenship. Although Australian citizenship applications were still being accepted, citizenship interviews and testing were put on hold.

A Tudge (Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs), Statement on Australian citizenship processing, media release, 6 April 2020.

7 April

The Australian Government released the Impact of COVID-19: Theoretical Modelling of how the Health System can Respond plan that modelled possible scenarios of COVID-19 spreading through the population to inform the response of the Australian Government and medical experts to slow the spread and prepare the health system.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media release, 7 April 2020.

DoH, ‘Modelling how COVID-19 could affect Australia’, DoH website, 8 April 2020.

National Cabinet agreed that states and territories would implement a mandatory Code of Conduct for commercial tenancies.

National Cabinet, Mandatory Code of Conduct: SME commercial leasing principles during COVID-19, National Cabinet, 7 April 2020.

8 April

The Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians announced that to ensure their wellbeing, senior Australians who deferred aged care home services during the COVID-19 pandemic could receive welfare checks through phone calls.

R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), Welfare checks to ensure the wellbeing of Senior Australians, media release, 8 April 2020.

The $130 billion JobKeeper Payment passed the Australian Parliament.

J Frydenberg (Treasurer), $130 billion JobKeeper payment passes the Parliament, media release, 8 April 2020.

9 April

The Australian Government announced more than $154 million in additional support for Australians living with a disability or experiencing domestic and family violence and families impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services) and S Robert (Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme), Supporting Australians most at risk in the wake of coronavirus, media release, 9 April 2020.

The Australian Government announced $27 million in support for the arts sector to deal with the impact of COVID-19. The Government would provide:

• $10 million delivered through Regional Arts Australia’s Regional Arts Fund ‘to help regional artists and organisations develop new work and explore new delivery models’

• $7 million delivered under the Indigenous Visual Arts Fund to support Indigenous artists and art centres and

• $10 million to the industry charity organisation, Support Act, to continue its work across the arts sector.

M McCormack (Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) and P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Targeted support for Indigenous Arts, Regional Arts and respected charity Support Act, media release, 9 April 2020.

The Minister for Health announced $10 million in funding (over 2 years) to support Beyond Blue’s Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service, a free 24/7 service to help people through the COVID-19 pandemic.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Free coronavirus wellbeing support service, media release, 9 April 2020.

The Prime Minister announced that National Cabinet agreed to implement:

• a quarantine exemption for non-cruise maritime crew to transit to and from their places of work

• revised advice from the AHPPC in relation to air crew quarantine exemptions and

• a nationally consistent approach to hardship support across the essential services, such as utilities and local council services, for households and small businesses.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 9 April 2020.

12 April

The Australian Government announced the Higher Education Relief Package. Measures included reducing costs for short, online courses from universities and private providers to help Australians retrain (beginning in May for an initial six months); maintaining funding for universities at current levels, even if there is a fall in domestic student numbers; and greater flexibility in the use of these funds.

D Tehan (Minister for Education) and M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Higher education relief package, media release, 12 April 2020.

13 April

The Minister for Health announced a further $3 million allocated by the Australian Government to support frontline health workers with training and information to ‘support the treatment of patients with coronavirus’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), $3 million to boost the national coordinated coronavirus response, media release, 13 April 2020.

15 April

The Australian Government announced the first rural GP-led COVID-19 respiratory clinic in NSW officially opened in Wagga Wagga.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) and M Coulton (Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government), First regional COVID-19 respiratory clinic opens in Wagga Wagga, media release, 15 April 2020.

16 April

The Australian Government announced a $3.3 million investment to ‘establish a rapid coronavirus Remote Point of Care Testing Program for remote and rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), K Wyatt (Minister for Indigenous Australians) and M Coulton (Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government) Rapid COVID-19 testing to protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, media release, 16 April 2020.

National Cabinet agreed to AHPPC advice, outlining seven conditions that would need to be in place to start relaxing coronavirus measures.

National Cabinet also agreed to a series of National Principles for School Education and endorsed the Management and Operational Plan for COVID-19 for People with Disability—released on the Department of Health’s website.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 16 April 2020.

DoH, Management and operational plan for people with disability: Australian health sector emergency response plan for novel coronavirus (COVID-19), April 2020.

18 April

The Minister for Health announced that the Australian Government received 58 million protective face masks to ‘help provide essential protection for frontline health workers at risk of COVID-19’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), 58 million face masks arrive to protect health workers from COVID-19, media release, 18 April 2020.

21 April

The Australian Government announced that elective surgery restrictions would be eased from 27 April.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), B Murphy (Australian CMO) and N Coatsworth (Deputy CMO), Elective surgery restrictions eased, media release, 21 April 2020.

The Prime Minister announced that to continue to suppress COVID-19, National Cabinet ‘commenced further work on Australia’s public health response including enhanced testing, tracing and local health response capabilities’.

S Morrison (Prime Minster), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 21 April 2020.

22 April

The Australian Government announced that the lifting of mutual obligations for job seekers would continue until 22 May 2020.

M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) and A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services), COVID-19 mutual obligation arrangements: further extension of suspension and assistance to job seekers, media release, 22 April 2020.

The Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians announced a free call support line for seniors, their families and carers to support their mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak.

R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), Free COVID-19 support line for Senior Australians, media release, 22 April 2020.

The Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction announced that Australia established its first government-owned oil reserves for domestic fuel security. Also announced was a deal with the United States to store Australian owned crude oil in its Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

A Taylor (Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction), Australia to boost fuel security and establish national oil reserve, media release, 22 April 2020.

23 April

The Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management announced that at the virtual G20 meeting of Agricultural Ministers, Australia called for international experts to scrutinise wildlife wet markets.

D Littleproud (Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management), Australia calls for action on wildlife wet markets, media release, 23 April 2020.

The Australian Government announced the establishment of a network of 15 air freight service providers and freight forwarders to accelerate delivery of agricultural and fisheries exports into key overseas markets.

M McCormack (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), S Birmingham (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment), D Littleproud (Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management) and J Duniam (Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries), New air freight network to boost agricultural and fisheries exports, media release, 23 April 2020.

The Australian Government announced that international students studying relevant medical courses would be exempt from the 40-hour per fortnight work limit if they worked in support of coronavirus health efforts or for registered disability services providers.

A Tudge (Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs), G Hunt (Minister for Health) and S Robert (Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme), Boosting health and disability worker numbers during the coronavirus, media release, 23 April 2020.

The Australian Government announced the launch and funding of the Critical Health Resource Information System, to operate nationally in all public and private hospitals with Intensive Care Units.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and N Coatsworth (Deputy CMO), COVID-19: rapid response boost for Australia's intensive care units, media release, 23 April 2020.

24 April

The Prime Minister announced that National Cabinet met and noted that the suppression strategy for the virus was working. It outlined new measures, which included:

• expanded testing criteria across Australia to all people with mild symptoms of COVID-19

• updated directions based on AHPPC advice concerning schools, masks and sport and

• development of ‘nationally-consistent, industry-specific work health and safety guidance on COVID-19, accessible via a central hub provided by Safe Work Australia’.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media release, 24 April 2020.

The Treasurer provided a JobKeeper update, clarifying the operation of the rules. Clarification or changes to the rules were outlined for:

• employees employed through a special purpose entity, rather than an operating entity

• charities and the treatment of government revenue

• religious practitioners, allowing JobKeeper Payments to be made to religious institutions in respect of religious practitioners

• the ‘one in, all in’ principle

• full time students aged 16 and 17 years old

• International Aid Organisations and

• universities.

J Frydenberg (Treasurer), JobKeeper update, media release, 24 April 2020.

The Minister for Health announced additional funding of $6 million for drug and alcohol services. Funding was to be rolled out by 30 June and directed to online and phone support services for people experiencing drug and alcohol problems.

The minister also announced:

… the National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (NOFASD) Australia will deliver a COVID-19 Alcohol and Pregnancy campaign addressing increased alcohol consumption leading to unplanned alcohol-exposed (FASD) pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Additional $6 million to support drug and alcohol services during COVID-19, media release, 24 April 2020.

The Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts announced that applications were opened for the $5 million Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund 2020 Round, fast-tracked to assist regional and metropolitan news publishers with the significant challenges they faced as a result of COVID-19.

P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Supporting public interest journalism, media release, 24 April 2020.

26 April

The Australian Government launched the COVIDSafe app.

The Minister for Health stated he had issued a new determination under the Biosecurity Act 2015, ensuring information provided through the app would only be accessible to authorised health officials in each state and territory, with any other access or use a criminal offense.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Press conference, Canberra, transcript, 26 April 2020.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), G Hunt (Minister for Health), S Robert (Minister for Government Services), B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), COVIDSafe: New app to slow the spread of coronavirus, media release, 26 April 2020.

27 April

The Assistant Treasurer announced a JobKeeper payment extension for ‘businesses suffering from a significant reduction in turnover due to COVID-19’. Businesses had until 8 May 2020 to ensure eligible employees ‘received a minimum of $3,000 in gross wages for the first two fortnights of the JobKeeper support period’.

M Sukkar (Assistant Treasurer), JobKeeper payment extension to help business cashflow, media release, 27 April 2020.

The Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme announced ‘further initiatives to support NDIS participants and providers during the coronavirus pandemic’. This included:

• flexible use of existing NDIS funding to enable participants’ access to disability supports through telehealth and telepractice through the purchase of low-cost assistive technology, including smart devices

• new support items for Supported Independent Living providers, if a participant was diagnosed with the coronavirus and

• downloadable ‘Access Request’ and ‘Supporting Evidence’ forms available on the NDIS website.

S Robert (Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme), Further initiatives to support NDIS participants and providers during coronavirus pandemic, media release, 27 April 2020.

The Minister for Education announced an additional $27 million in grants of up to $10,000 for childcare services to continue providing care to the children of essential workers.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), More support for child care services and children, media release, 27 April 2020.

28 April

The Australian Government announced a $94.6 million support package to help zoos and aquariums remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic.

M McCormack (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), S Birmingham (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) and S Ley (Minister for the Environment), Funding lifeline for Australia's zoos and aquariums, media release, 28 April 2020.

The Australian Government released an economic update on the impacts of the coronavirus, announcing that government support for the economy totalled $320 billion (16.4 per cent of the GDP).

J Frydenburg (Treasurer) and M Cormann (Minister for Finance), Update on the economic impacts from the coronavirus, media release, 28 April 2020.

29 April

The Australian Government announced that in partnership with Minderoo Foundation and private pathology providers, Australia secured an additional 10 million COVID-19 test kits and pathology equipment to be installed across the country.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government CMO), Ground breaking partnership delivers 10 million COVID-19 tests and equipment, media release, 29 April 2020.

The Australian Government announced ‘$1 million in grants for community organisations to provide digital devices to older Australians through the Be Connected program’.

A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services) and P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Supporting isolated older Australians during coronavirus, media release, 29 April 2020.

30 April

The Australian Government announced that members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and an Australian Medical Assistance Team had finished their support at Burnie’s North West Region Hospital following a COVID-19 outbreak amongst the hospital’s staff. It was the first time the ADF had been called on to help operate a domestic hospital.

L Reynolds (Minister for Defence) and G Hunt (Minister for Health), ADF and AUSMAT complete support to North West Regional Hospital, media release, 30 April 2020.

The Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories announced economic support for Norfolk Island businesses and residents affected by COVID-19. In addition to Jobseeker and special child care relief, Norfolk Island businesses were given additional time to obtain an Australian Business Number, allowing them to access to JobKeeper for eligible employees.

N Marino (Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories), Supporting the Norfolk Island economy through COVID-19, media release, 30 April 2020.

May 2020

1 May

The Australian Government announced that following the development of the national principles for clinical education during the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students would be deployed in hospitals nationally.

To employ some of the 3,600 final-year medical students in health care roles, a new, paid medical assistant role would also be created.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and D Tehan (Minister for Education), Medical students to join the fight against COVID-19, media release, 1 May 2020.

Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), ‘National principles for clinical education during the COVID-19 pandemic’, DESE website.

The Australian Government announced a freeze on the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge at current levels ‘to support freight operators working hard to keep shelves stocked and essential goods moving during the COVID-19 pandemic’.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) and S Bucholz (Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport), Continued support for truckies to keep Australia moving during COVID-19, media release, 1 May 2020.

The Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management announced that the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer sought to unite member countries of the World Organisation for Animal Health to deliver reforms on wildlife markets globally. This was in response to the ‘COVID-19 virus’, thought to have originated in a wildlife market, and the potential for zoonotic and pandemic pathogens to emerge in these markets.

D Littleproud (Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management), A united approach to wildlife markets, media release, 1 May 2020.

The Prime Minister announced that National Cabinet met and endorsed:

• the draft Code of Conduct on Pandemic Procedures for the aged care sector

• the National Principles for the Resumption of Sport and Recreation Activities and

• updated AHPPC advice on the fifteen conditions needed before relaxing restrictions.

National Cabinet also brought forward the review of the first phase of removing baseline restrictions to 8 May 2020.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media release, 1 May 2020.

To ensure childcare services receiving support under the Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package but which are not eligible for JobKeeper payments are able to remain open, the Australian Government expanded the eligibility for additional supplementary payments.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), Ensuring more child care services remain open and viable, media release, 1 May 2020.

The Australian Government announced an additional COVID-19 specific support package totalling $205 million for residential aged care providers, bringing the total COVID-19 specific Australian Government funding for aged care to more than $850 million.

S Morrison (Prime Minister) and R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), New COVID-19 payment to keep senior Australians in residential aged care safe, media release, 1 May 2020.

The Australian Government launched a new online toolkit on the Safe Work Australia website ‘to provide detailed guidance for businesses and workers on how to stay safe from COVID-19’.

C Porter (Minister for Industrial relations) and M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business), New toolkit to help businesses get back to work safely, media release, 1 May 2020.

2 May

The Minister for the Environment announced that under the Australian Government’s flagship heritage program, 29 successful applications would receive up to $5.3 million in funding to ensure conservation of significant natural and cultural heritage continued during the threat of coronavirus.

S Ley (Minister for the Environment), New funding to conserve and protect national heritage areas, media release, 2 May 2020.

3 May

The Australian Government launched a new domestic violence awareness campaign: Help is Here. As part of the Government’s $150 million Domestic Violence Support Package, the campaign included advertising across television, digital, social media, radio, magazines and newspapers as well as in shopping centres, hospitals and GP surgeries. The campaign would also promote the two national helplines—1800RESPECT and MensLine Australia.

M Payne (Minister for Women), A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services), Campaign to combat domestic violence during COVID-19 crisis, media release, 3 May 2020

4 May

As part of its Higher Education Relief Package, the Australian Government facilitated the roll-out of a suite of six-month online courses in nursing, teaching, counselling, IT and allied health, designed to help unemployed Australians gain new qualifications during lockdown.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), Short courses now available to upskill Australians, media release, 4 May 2020.

The Australian Government welcomed a new short course developed by the new Australian Industry Skills Emergency Response Sub-Committee in response to COVID-19. The course delivered an infection control skillset to allow Australians to quickly qualify to stop the spread of germs in the workplace.

M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business), Fast tracking the upskilling of Australian workers on COVID-19 safety, media release, 4 May 2020.

5 May

National Cabinet met to discuss options for easing restrictions over the coming months and:

• encouraged Australians to download the COVIDSafe app

• agreed that Safe Work Australia would be the single source of information on returning to work safely

• agreed to establish a three-step framework, to be determined on 8 May 2020, to gradually remove baseline restrictions to enable Australians to live in a COVID-19 safe economy and

• announced funding for the legal assistance sector, with $49.8 million for additional frontline legal services and $13.5 million for IT costs to support the sector’s transition to delivering assistance virtually and online.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined the National Cabinet meeting to discuss approaches to combating COVID-19 and a trans-Tasman COVID-19 safe travel zone.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media statement, 5 May 2020.

The Treasurer announced changes to businesses’ legal obligations to make it easier for them to operate during COVID-19. These changes allowed company boards to:

provide notice of annual general meetings to shareholders using email;

achieve a quorum with shareholders attending online; and

hold annual general meetings online.

J Frydenberg (Treasurer), Making it easier for business to operate during COVID-19, media release, 5 May 2020.

The Minster for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government announced ‘Australia’s first regional Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service-led GP respiratory clinic opened in Toowoomba to provide locals with [a] culturally safe place to be tested and treated for COVID-19’ to take pressure off hospital emergency departments and GP clinics in the region.

M Coulton (Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government), Australia’s first regional Aboriginal-led COVID clinic opens in Toowoomba, media release, 5 May 2020.

The Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts announced that the Australian Government would contribute $100,000 towards the 2020 Australia Reads and Australia Reads at Home campaigns to promote literacy, connection and wellbeing during COVID-19.

P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Government support for Australia Reads, media release, 5 May 2020.

6 May

The Australian Government welcomed the announcement from biopharmaceutical company CSL Behring that Australia would be one of the first countries to produce COVID-19 Immunoglobin, a plasma-derived treatment for people with COVID-19.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), COVID-19: potentially lifesaving immunoglobulin treatment for seriously ill Australians, media release, 6 May 2020.

In response to COVID-19, the Assistant Minister for Finance, Charities and Electoral Matters announced the amendment of ministerial guidelines for public and private ancillary funds, in support of Australia’s philanthropic sector.

Z Seselja (Assistant Minister for Finance, Charities and Electoral Matters), Incentivising increased support for charities in response to COVID-19, media release, 6 May 2020.

The Australian Government announced support, made available through the $1 billion Relief and Recovery fund, to provide immediate relief to tourism businesses operating in Commonwealth National Parks. National park entry fees were also waived until 31 December 2020.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), S Ley (Minister for the Environment) and S McMahon (Senator for the Northern Territory (NT)), Supporting tourism businesses in Commonwealth National Parks, media release, 6 May 2020.

7 May

The Minister for Families and Social Services announced that the Australian Government would increase funding to the Men’s Referral Service and the Salvation Army to help people access support for domestic and family violence during the coronavirus pandemic.

No to Violence would receive $2.4 million to expand the Men’s Referral Service to provide telephone and online support services. The Salvation Army would receive $320,000 in additional funding towards its Safer in the Home program due to increased demand for the service.

A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services), Boost to domestic and family violence services, media release, 7 May 2020.

After concerns over an outbreak of COVID-19 in a Victorian abattoir, the Australian Government issued a statement to reassure Australians that there was no evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted by food.

D Littleproud (Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management), Ministers reassure that food is COVID safe, media release, 7 May 2020.

The Attorney-General announced that the Australian Government would provide an additional $63.3 million to frontline legal services to meet increased demand during the pandemic:

Of the $63.3 million in extra funding, $20 million will be used to assist those dealing with domestic violence matters. Another $29.8 million will help fund other COVID-19 issues, such as tenancy disputes, insurance, credit and debt related program, and work related claims.

The remaining $13.5 million would allow service providers to shift to virtual service delivery, through improvement of IT capabilities.

C Porter (Attorney-General), Funding boost to ensure struggling Australians can get legal assistance, media release, 7 May 2020.

The Minister for Health announced an additional 40 million new masks from the National Medical Stockpile would be made available for hospitals, aged care workers, GPs and nurses, Indigenous health workers, respiratory clinics, pharmacists, and allied health workers, along with a $3 million mental health support program through the Black Dog Institute for frontline health workers.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Doorstop, Melbourne, transcript, 7 May 2020.

The Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts announced that the Australian Government opened applications for the ‘$50 million Public Interest News Gathering (PING) program to support commercial television, radio and newspaper businesses in regional Australia during COVID-19’.

P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Public Interest News Gathering Program opens for business, media release, 7 May 2020.

8 May

The Australian Government announced that Pacific Island countries would be equipped with rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 through a collaborative effort between Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the Pacific Community and the WHO.

M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs) and A Hawke (Assistant Defence Minister), Increasing COVID-19 testing capacity in the Pacific, media release, 8 May 2020.

National Cabinet finalised the three-step plan to gradually remove baseline restrictions and ‘make Australia COVID-safe’:

Step 1 will focus on carefully reopening the economy, and giving Australians opportunities to return to work and social activities, including gatherings of up to 10 people, up to 5 visitors in the family home and some local and regional travel

Step 2 builds on this with gatherings of up to 20, and more businesses reopening, including gyms, beauty services and entertainment venues like galleries and cinemas

Step 3 will see a transition to COVID safe ways of living and working, with gatherings of up to 100 people permitted. Arrangements under step 3 will be the ‘new normal’ while the virus remains a threat. International travel and mass gatherings over 100 people will remain restricted.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on Coronavirus measures, media release, 8 May 2020.

11 May

The Australian Government announced $4.9 million in funding under the SME Export Hubs Initiative to support ten export hubs from five states to help small and medium enterprises through the coronavirus pandemic.

K Andrews (Minister for Industry, Science and Technology) and S Birmingham (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment), Export hub grants help businesses through crisis, media release, 11 May 2020.

12 May

The Australian Government announced an estimated $3 million in further fee relief from the Minister for Environment’s portfolio and $2.6 million from the $1 billion Relief and Recovery Fund for tourism businesses on the Great Barrier Reef, helping a regional economy hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), S Birmingham (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment), S Ley (Minister for the Environment) and W Entsch (Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef), Great Barrier Reef tourism and regional economic boost, media release, 12 May 2020.

13 May

The Australian Government’s Taskforce Iris made its first arrest over alleged fraudulent welfare claims for individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the bushfires.

P Dutton (Minister for Home Affairs) and S Robert (Minister for Government Services), First arrest on coronavirus welfare fraud, media release, 13 May 2020.

14 May

The Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians announced that the Australian Government amended the Aged Care Act to give aged care residents the option of taking additional leave during an emergency, such as temporarily relocating to live with family to decrease risk of exposure to COVID-19.

R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), New emergency leave provision for aged care residents, media release, 14 May 2020.

The Australian Government announced that almost $870 million of defence estate works would be released to the market to bolster the defence industry as the economy recovered from COVID-19.

Under the Forward Release Program, more than 300 work packages were created for the Australian defence industry.

L Reynolds (Minister for Defence) and M Price (Minister for Defence Industry), Morrison Government releases Defence estate works in major COVID-19 support plan, media release, 14 May 2020.

The Minister for Education announced that the Australian Government would provide $7 million to subsidise 1,015 places in courses in ‘teaching, agriculture, health, science, engineering, clinical psychology, information technology (IT) and languages’. The short courses were designed for Australians that had lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 crisis or wanted to ‘retrain in national priority areas’.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), Short courses providing new skills to Australians, media release, 14 May 2020.

The Minister for Education announced that the Australian Government would provide ‘an additional $10 million to improve COVID-19 hygiene measures in non-government schools that plan to have 50 per cent of their students back in the classroom by June 1’.

D Tehan, (Minister for Education), Improving hygiene in schools, media release, 14 May 2020.

The Australian Parliament passed legislation to protect the privacy of individuals using the COVIDSafe app. The measures included up to five years in jail or a fine of $63,000 per offence and made it a criminal offence to ‘coerce a person to use the app, to store or transfer COVIDSafe data to a country outside Australia, and to decrypt app data’.

C Porter (Attorney-General and G Hunt (Minister for Health), Privacy protections for COVIDSafe App enshrined in law, media release, 14 May 2020.

The Australian Government welcomed the Australian Rail Track Corporation’s implementation of measures which ‘provide immediate financial relief to rail freight operators maintaining the supply of essential goods through the COVID-19 pandemic’.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) and M Cormann (Minister for Finance), ARTC rail relief welcomed by Australian Government, media release, 14 May 2020.

The Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs announced a temporary ‘free’ rate of customs duty for medical equipment to support increased supply of these products during the COVID-19 pandemic.

J Wood (Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs), Government temporarily removes customs duty for essential medical and hygiene goods to combat COVID-19, media release, 14 May 2020.

15 May

The Prime Minister announced that National Cabinet had endorsed the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan. Funding of an additional $48.1 million to support the plan built on approximately $500 million the Government had announced since 30 January 2020 for mental health and suicide prevention. The plan’s key objectives were to:

Meet the mental health and wellbeing needs of all Australians to reduce the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the short and long term;

Outline seven key principles and 10 key priorities to inform the jurisdictions as they respond to the challenges of COVID-19 during the response and recovery from the pandemic; and

Define governance, coordination and implementation requirements across jurisdictions to facilitate informed planning and decision making[.]

S Morrison (Prime Minister), Update on coronavirus measures, media release, 15 May 2020.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), B Murphy (Australian Government CMO) and C Morgan (CEO of the National Mental Health Commission), COVID-19: $48.1 million for National Mental Health Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan, media release, 15 May 2020.

In partnership with the not-for-profit organisation MTPConnect, the Australian Government announced the third round of its Biomedical Translation Bridge Program. The $22.3 million program was to support COVID-19 related research projects.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Government backs innovative COVID-19 research, media release, 15 May 2020.

The Attorney-General announced that to ease the burden of COVID-19 on civil marriage celebrants, the Australian Government would waive the annual registration fee of $240 for the 2020–21 financial year.

C Porter (Attorney-General), Fee relief for struggling marriage celebrants, media release, 15 May 2020.

16 May

The Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business announced that the Australian Government and state and territory governments agreed to jointly invest $80 million in the infection control training fund. The fund supported customer-facing businesses to engage in short courses to train workers in how to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business), Infection control training fast-tracked for reopening businesses, media release, 16 May 2020.

19 May

The Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts urged Australians to have confidence in Australia’s safety standards in relation to 5G mobile technology and warned Australians about misinformation linking the coronavirus and 5G technology.

P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Misinformation linking 5G and the coronavirus, media release, 19 May 2020.

20 May

The Australian Government announced $1.76 million to support a program of cultural and creative tours through the Playing Australia initiative ($1,167,654), the Contemporary Music Touring Program ($335,389) and the Contemporary Touring Initiative ($257,861).

P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Funding boost for regional touring to assist hard hit communities, media release, 20 May 2020.

The Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts announced that the Australian Government would provide $1.1 million from the Visions of Australia Program to support cultural exhibitions to tour across regional Australia when restrictions were eased. The projects were to help support jobs, tourism and a sense of community during the recovery from COVID-19.

P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), Support for cultural exhibition tours across regional Australia, media release, 20 May 2020.

21 May

The Australian Government announced that Australia’s aged care and disability support workforce would be reinforced with new training qualifications to help the sector meet the demand for skilled workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) and S Irons (Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships), New skill set to support aged and disability sectors, media release, 21 May 2020.

22 May

The Australian Government announced a new $500 million Local Road and Community Infrastructure Program and the bringing forward of $1.3 billion of the 2020–21 Financial Assistance Grant payment, which, among other things, was intended to ‘help communities battling the effects of COVID-19’.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) and M Coulton (Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government), $1.8 billion boost for local government, media release, 22 May 2020.

The Australian Government announced support to ‘multicultural business owners’ to safely re-open after coronavirus lockdowns by issuing fact sheets on running COVID-safe workplaces in 63 languages.

A Tudge (Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs) and M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business), Helping small businesses create COVID-safe workplaces, media release, 22 May 2020.

25 May

The Minister for Health announced more than $20 million for ‘research to improve mental health care and reduce suicide rates in Australia’. This included a new $3 million grant round for rapid research to improve the national mental health system response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided under the Medical Research Future Fund’s $125 Million Minds Mission.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Additional $20 million for mental health and suicide prevention research, media release, 25 May 2020.

26 May

The Australian Government announced additional funding of $720,000 to Wanslea Family Services to ensure the Towards Independent Adulthood trial in WA could continue until March 2021 through the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services) and M Landry (Assistant Minister for Children and Families), Continued support for young people leaving out-of-home care, media release, 26 May 2020.

27 May

The Minster for Health announced the Australian Government would provide ‘$690,000 to the Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand to support mental health first aid training for all medical students’ so they could recognise and respond to extra stresses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Mental health first aid training for medical students, media release, 27 May 2020.

The Minister for Health announced an additional two million flu vaccines would be available throughout Australia in 2020 to protect the general health of Australians from influenza, ‘particularly important this year due to COVID-19’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), Record flu vaccines in 2020 to protect Australians, media release, 27 May 2020.

The Australian Government announced ‘$5 million in funding for a national campaign to encourage Australians to support local small businesses’. The national campaign was to run with the assistance of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia.

M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business), Supporting local campaign to get small business back on track, media release, 27 May 2020.

28 May

The Australian Government announced a $6 million communications package to support senior Australians experiencing loneliness and social isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic. Almost $5 million was to be used to expand Friend Line, a national telephone support network for senior Australians. To provide at-risk seniors with digital devices, $1 million in grants was awarded to 215 local community organisations.

A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services), P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts) and R Colbeck (Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians), Supporting isolated senior Australians to stay connected, media release, 28 May 2020.

29 May

The Australian Government announced the redirection of over $280 million from the Partnerships for Recovery program to support the medical and humanitarian needs of the Pacific, Timor-Leste and other partner countries in Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs) and A Hawke (Minister for International Development and the Pacific), Partnering with our neighbours to respond to COVID-19, media release, 29 May 2020.

31 May

The Australian Government announced that mutual obligation requirements for job seekers would re-recommence from 9 June 2020, requiring job seekers to undertake at least one appointment with their employment services provider either online or over the phone.

A Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services) and M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business), Gradual return of mutual obligation requirements, media release, 31 May 2020.

June 2020

1 June

The Australian Government announced that in partnership with the Pacific Island Forum, Australia would provide $5.5 million to the World Food Programme to support efforts to manage COVID-19 in the Pacific. The support includes:

… $4 million for air transport and logistics services for the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway, the delivery of humanitarian and critical medical supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment, and assessments of the impact of COVID-19 on food security in the Pacific.

M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs), A Hawke (Minister for International Development and the Pacific) and S Kofe (Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers), Working together to combat COVID-19 in the Pacific, media release, 1 June 2020.

2 June

The Minister for Health announced that the Australian Government would provide ‘$66 million into finding a vaccine and treatments for COVID-19, as well as better preparing for future pandemics’.

The funding included and built on the $30 million announced on 11 March for the Coronavirus Research Response and was provided under the Medical Research Future Fund.

The announcement included:

• a further $2 million for the University of Queensland’s ‘molecular clamp’ vaccine technology (bringing total funding to $5 million)

• a further $13.6 million in grant opportunities to support promising COVID-19 vaccine development projects in 2020–21

• nine research teams receiving $7.3 million to support the development of promising antiviral therapies

• seven clinical trials receiving $6.8 million to investigate treatments for the severe respiratory symptoms of COVID-19

• $3.3 million to the University of NSW for genomics research

• $4 million for digital health research infrastructure

• $2 million for research into the human immune response to COVID-19 infection and

• $600,000 for research to understand the community’s information needs and behavioural drivers during outbreaks, and strategies to address these.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), $66 million for coronavirus-related research, media release, 2 June 2020.

4 June

The Australian Government announced the HomeBuilder program, to ‘fill the gap in construction activity expected in the second half of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic’. From 4 June 2020 until 31 December 2020, ‘HomeBuilder will provide all eligible owner-occupiers (not just first home buyers) with a grant of $25,000 to build a new home or substantially renovate an existing home’.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), J Frydenberg (Treasurer) and M Sukkar (Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing), 'Homebuilder’ program to drive economic activity across the residential construction sector, media release, 4 June 2020.

The Australian Government pledged $300 million from the existing development budget to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, an international public-private partnership that provides access to vaccines for low-income countries.

M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs) and A Hawke (Minister for International Development and the Pacific), Improving access to vaccines for the Indo-Pacific, media release, 4 June 2020.

The Minister for Women announced that the Pacific Women Leaders met virtually to ‘discuss the impact of COVID-19 on women’s health, economic security and personal safety’.

Building on existing programs to support gender equality and empower women and girls in the Indo-Pacific region, the Australian Government announced ‘an additional $16 million to address the differential impact of COVID-19 in the community.’

M Payne (Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women), Standing with Pacific women during COVID-19, media release, 4 June 2020.

5 June

The Australian Government welcomed the announcement that a COVID-19 vaccine candidate, led by the University of Queensland, would be developed in Australia.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), Government welcomes UQ’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, media release, 5 June 2020.

8 June

The Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs announced that the Australian Government had resumed in-person citizenship ceremonies for councils that were able to host physical events safely. For councils unable to host physical events safely, online ceremonies would continue.

A Tudge (Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs), In-person citizenship ceremonies to resume, media release, 8 June 2020.

The Minister for Education announced that the Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package (which included the fee-free child care arrangements) would end on 12 July 2020. The Child Care Subsidy system would resume as of 13 July. The Minister also announced that JobKeeper Payment would cease from 20 July 2020 for employees of Child Care Subsidy approved services. A Transition Payment would be introduced to assist services and child care employees made ineligible for JobKeeper Payment.

D Tehan (Minister for Education), A return to the Child Care Subsidy, media release, 8 June 2020.

9 June

The Australian Government announced funding of $24.2 million for additional mental health care at headspace, noting ‘disruption to normal life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the required restrictions has had profound impacts on young Australians’.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and R Colbeck (Minister for Youth and Sport), $24 million funding boost for additional mental health care at headspace, media release, 9 June 2020.

10 June

The Australian Government committed more than $4.7 million to provide access to free and confidential financial counselling to small regional business affected by COVID-19.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), D Littleproud (Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management), and M Cash (Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business), Backing small regional businesses affected by COVID-19, media release, 10 June 2020.

12 June

Due to the easing of coronavirus restrictions, the Minister for the NDIS announced that the NDIS would move to a post-pandemic phase from 1 July 2020. This included:

removal of temporary 10 per cent price loading on certain core and capacity building supports;

definition of cancellation period is reduced from 10 days to levels under the previous policy; and

Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) period will be returned to the original policy of 90 days (rolled back from 180 days).

S Robert (Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme), Update on NDIS coronavirus response, media release, 12 June 2020.

13 June

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development announced the Australian Government’s Regional Airports Program, which provided 60 regional airports with $41.2 million in funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), Vital funding for regional airports, media release, 13 June 2020.

15 June

The Minister for Industry, Science and Technology announced that the Australian Government was strengthening Australia’s capability to produce essential medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic by funding local companies to make PPE.

K Andrews (Minister for Industry, Science and Technology), Growing Australia’s PPE capacity, media release, 15 June 2020.

17 June

The Australian Government announced $550,000 in funding over two years to support children and young people who have a parent or guardian with a mental illness. This was in response to the increased caring responsibilities and challenges these children and young people faced because of the necessary restrictions to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

G Hunt (Minister for Health) and R Colbeck (Minister for Youth and Sport), COVID-19: support for children and young people, media release, 17 June 2020.

The Minister for Women announced that the Australian Government would provide over $1.8 million in grants under the Women’s Leadership and Development Program to assist Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19.

M Payne (Minister for Women), Support for Australian women during and beyond COVID-19, media release, 17 June 2020.

19 June

The Australian Government endorsed health advice from the AHPPC and the International Air Transport Association to develop the Domestic Passenger Journey Protocol, which would provide ‘clear and consistent advice to Australians travelling domestically’ and ‘give confidence to passengers flying in the post-pandemic era’.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) and G Hunt (Minister for Health), Keeping travellers safe as COVID-19 restrictions ease, media release, 19 June 2020.

20 June

The Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management announced $4 million in funding for a national marketing campaign to promote Australian seafood. According to the Minister, ‘The Australian seafood sector has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, as more than half its total value traditionally flows from exports’.

D Littleproud (Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management), $4 million helping hand as fishers reel from COVID impact, media release, 20 June 2020.

21 June

The Australian Government announced $223 million, jointly funded with the WA Government, ‘to deliver shovel-ready infrastructure projects and urgent road safety upgrades’ to help with economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), M Cormann (Minister for Finance), A Tudge (Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure), M McGowan (WA Premier) and R Saffioti (WA Minister for Transport and Planning), $233 million to unlock hundreds of local infrastructure jobs, media release, 21 June 2020.

22 June

The Australian Government announced $53 million, jointly funded with the NT Government, ‘to deliver shovel-ready infrastructure projects and urgent road safety upgrades’ to help with economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), A Tudge (Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics), M Gunner (NT Chief Minister) and E Lawler (NT Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics), $53 million to unlock infrastructure jobs in the NT, media release, 22 June 2020.

The Australian Government announced $415 million, jointly funded with the Queensland Government, ‘to deliver shovel-ready infrastructure projects and urgent road safety upgrades’ to help with economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), A Tudge (Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics), A Palaszczuk (Premier of Queensland) and M Bailey (Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads), $415 million to unlock hundreds of infrastructure jobs in Queensland, media release, 22 June 2020.

The Australian Government announced $35 million, jointly funded with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government, ‘to deliver shovel-ready infrastructure projects and urgent road safety upgrades’ to help with economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), A Tudge (Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics), Z Seselja (Senator for the ACT), A Barr (Chief Minister) and C Steel (ACT Minister for Roads and Active Travel), $35 million to unlock infrastructure jobs in the ACT, media release, 22 June 2020.

24 June

The Australian Government announced $145 million, jointly funded with the SA Government, ‘to deliver shovel-ready infrastructure projects and urgent road safety upgrades’ to help with economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), S Marshall (SA Premier), A Tudge (Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure) and S Knoll (SA Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government), $145 million to unlock infrastructure jobs in SA, media release, 24 June 2020.

25 June

The Minister for Health announced that the Australian Government was providing PPE including gowns, masks, gloves and goggles, to general practices in the ski fields in NSW and Victoria to help protect frontline medical workers during the ski season.

G Hunt (Minister for Health), PPE for GPs near the ski fields, media release, 25 June 2020.

The Australian Government announced $46 million, jointly funded with the Tasmanian Government, ‘to deliver shovel-ready infrastructure projects and urgent road safety upgrades’ to help with economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), P Gutwein (Premier of Tasmania), A Tudge (Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure) and M Ferguson (Tasmanian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport), $46 million to unlock infrastructure jobs in Tasmania, media release, 25 June 2020.

The Australian Government announced $36 million in funding for the Supporting Agricultural Shows program, providing ‘a one-off reimbursement to agricultural show societies to deal with cash flow pressures caused by COVID-19 related cancellation of agricultural shows’.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) and D Littleproud (Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management), $36 million for our agricultural communities—the shows will go on, media release, 25 June 2020.

26 June

The Minister for Industry, Science and Technology announced $1.9 million in funding for Digital Coaching International to establish ‘The Enterprising Community’, to support small businesses to digitise their operations and processes in a post-COVID economy.

K Andrews (Minister for Industry, Science and Technology), Empowering businesses to go digital in COVID recovery, media release, 26 June 2020.

28 June

Due to an increasing amount of negative online experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts announced an additional $10 million in funding for the eSafety Commissioner. This funding was to assist in education and equipping people with the practical skills to stay safe online.

P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), $10 million boost to vital eSafety support, media release, 28 June 2020.

29 June

The Australian Government announced $1 billion, jointly funded with the NSW Government, ‘in shovel-ready infrastructure projects and urgent road safety upgrades’ to help with economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

S Morrison (Prime Minister), G Berejiklian (NSW Premier), M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), A Tudge (Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure), A Constance (NSW Minister for Transport) and P Toole (NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads), $1 billion to unlock thousands of infrastructure jobs in NSW, media release, 29 June 2020.

To support regional news services in 2020–21, the 107 regional publishers and broadcasters who applied for PING would receive a share of the $50 million (announced by the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts on 7 May 2021).

P Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts), $50 million to flow to support regional news, media release, 29 June 2020.

30 June

The Australian Government announced $7.8 million in funding to support Australia’s oil recycling facilities affected by COVID-19.

M McCormack (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development), S Ley (Minister for the Environment), T Evans (Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management), K O’Dowd (Federal Member for Flynn), More funding to support Australia’s oil recycling industry, media release, 30 June 2020.

The Assistant Treasurer announced that the Australian Government had ‘revised start dates for a number of technical superannuation and taxation measures’, resulting from ‘the reprioritisation of Government resources and the shortened parliamentary sitting period in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis’.

M Sukkar (Assistant Treasurer), Revised start dates for technical superannuation and taxation measurers, media release, 30 June 2020.

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Notes

[←1]

.    Additional research provided by Jennifer Phillips, Nikki Corrigan and Amanda Biggs.

[←2]

.    Additional resources used to obtain information for this chronology: J Ha, K Griffiths, N Blane and D Wood, ‘Tracking the impact of COVID-19 on the Australian economy’, Grattan Institute, blog, 24 April 2020; and Australian Government, ‘News and updates’, Australian Government website.

[←3]

.    G Hunt (Minister for Health) and B Murphy (Australian Government Chief Medical Officer (CMO)), First confirmed case of novel coronavirus in Australia, media release, 25 January 2020; and NSW, Ministry of Health, Coronavirus cases confirmed in NSW, NSW Health website.

[←4]

.    World Health Organization (WHO), WHO Director-General's remarks at the media briefing on 2019-nCoV on 11 February 2020, speech, 11 February 2020.

[←5]

.    WA Health, WA confirms first novel coronavirus death, media release, 1 March 2020.