Beachgoers pack up and depart Bondi Beach following its closure after thousands of peopled flocked there in recent days, defying social distancing orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Sydney, Australia, March 21, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
March 22, 2020
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday that states and territories will consider draconian measures to enforce social distancing to combat the coronavirus.
The potential measures, which he said would be discussed later on Sunday, came after thousands of people flocked to Australia’s beaches in recent days amid an unusually warm autumn spell.
Most of Sydney’s main beaches, including Bondi Beach, were closed on Sunday.
“The measures that we will be considering tonight means that state premiers and chief ministers may have to take far more draconian measures to enforce social distancing particularly in areas of outbreaks than might otherwise be the case,” Morrison said in Canberra.
(Reporting by Jonathan Barrett; Editing by Chris Reese)
