A two person limit for gatherings: What you need to know from Scott Morrison's latest press conference.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the nation on Sunday night, revealing extreme new measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Australia, where there are currently 3,978 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

The press conference saw Morrison limit all public gatherings to two persons and introduce a ‘no-eviction’ rule for tenants. The Prime Minister also announced all Australians must stay home unless absolutely necessary.

Here is everything you need to know about Scott Morrison’s press conference on Sunday night, March 29

Public gatherings reduced to two persons.

Scott Morrison announced all public gatherings must be reduced to two persons. He said states and territories in Australia will be responsible for enforcing this rule, and that penalties should apply for breaking this strict new rule.

Furthermore, public playgrounds, outside gyms and skate parks will be closed as of tomorrow, Monday March 30, and boot camps will be reduced to two people.

“It is not a time for browsing. It is not a time for catching up with friends or bumping into people and having a long conversation and maybe drawing a few other friends across to catch up on how is it all going,” Morrison said. “No, you can’t do that anymore. That is what we have to stop doing.”

Morrison clarified that you can be with everyone who is in your household – inside and outside the home – but outside of your household, you can only be with one other person maximum.

Morrison added that the wedding and funeral restrictions implemented this past week still remain. This means weddings are still restricted to five people, and funerals are limited to 10 people.

‘All Australians to stay at home’.

Scott Morrison has said all Australians must not leave their homes except for absolutely necessary reasons.

The Prime Minister said there was only a few reasons people should leave their homes.

This includes shopping for what you need (although this should be done “as infrequently as possible”), for medical care or compassionate needs, to exercise “in compliance with the public gathering rules”, and for work and education if you cannot work or learn remotely.

“We feel that it is really important that every Australian does the right thing because for these interventions to take effect, the science shows that you need more than 90 per cent of the population to be doing it all of the time,” Chief Medical Officer Dr Brendan Murphy added during the press conference.

Watch: Scott Morrison announces all Australians must stay home. Post continues after video. 

Advice for Australians aged 70+.

Scott Morrison said it absolutely essential that people over 70 all stay at home and self-isolate “to the maximum extent practical”.

“This is for their own protection to limit their interaction with others in the community,” Morrison said.

Morrison stressed that this new advice to older Australians “does not mean they cannot go outside”.

“They can go outside and be accompanied by a support person for the purposes of getting fresh air and recreation but should limit contact with others as much as possible,” he said.

“These arrangements should also apply to those with chronic illness, over 60, and Indigenous persons over the age of 50.”

No evictions rule for tenants.

Scott Morrison stated there will be a temporary prohibition on evictions of tenants who are unable to pay their rent due to financial stress.

“State and Territories will be moving to put a moratorium on evictions of persons as a result of financial distress if they are unable to meet their commitments,” Morrison announced on Sunday night, adding this will be in place for the next six months.

“My message to tenants, particularly commercial tenants, and commercial landlords, is a very straightforward one – we need you to sit down, talk to each other and work this out,” Morrison continued.

“We need landlords and tenants to sit down and come up with arrangements that enable them to get through this crisis so on the other side, the landlord has a tenant which is a business that can pay rent, and the business is a business that can re-emerge on the other side of this and be able to go on and employ people on the other side of these arrangements.”

Listen: What four Australian healthcare workers want you to know about COVID-19.  

Feature Image: Getty.

Read more on COVID-19:

• “An early positive sign”: What we just learnt from Scott Morrison’s press conference on Sunday morning.
• What you need to know about COVID-19 today, Sunday March 29.
• Can I go for a walk? Exactly what exercise you can and can’t do outside right now.
• Closed schools and mandatory isolation: What a Stage 3 COVID-19 shutdown could look like.
• ‘What if I can’t pay rent?’: Your financial questions on how to get through COVID-19, answered.

If you are sick and believe you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your GP ahead of time to book an appointment. Or call the national Coronavirus Health Information Line for advice on 1800 020 080. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.

To keep up to date with the latest information, please visit the Department of Health website.

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