Scott Morrison warns Australians not to travel during Easter holidays as COVID19 cases cross 5,300

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday warned Australians not to travel during Easter and follow social distancing policies to contain the spread of the coronavirus that has killed 28 people and infected over 5,300 others in the country.

The number of known COVID-19 cases has reached one million worldwide and more than 51,000 deaths have been reported across more than 175 countries and territories, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.

There are 5,315 known infections in Australia, with 2,389 in New South Wales (NSW). The death toll stands at 28, after the death of a Victorian man in his 80s, a 74-year-old woman from Albury in NSW, a German passenger from the Artania cruise ship and a Wollongong man who was a passenger on the Ovation of the Seas, health authorities said.

There have been 84 COVID-19 cases linked to the Ovation of the Seas in NSW after it docked in Sydney on March 18 and dozens of Artania passengers were still in Perth hospitals.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday warned that people should not be travelling for the school holidays or to visit family for Easter, which falls on April 12 this year.

"We put the Easter decorations up in the house yesterday with Jenny and the kids - it might actually keep them occupied for at least an hour or so if they're painting Easter eggs or whatever," he said.

"But this Easter will be at home. People should not be getting in their cars and going to other places."
"Had the virus kept growing at the same rate it was 12 days ago, we would now have more than 10,500 cases in this country," he said, adding "That is a tribute to the work that has been done by Australians in getting around and supporting the very sensible measures that have been put in place all around the country."
"But we must continue to do this. It doesn't matter what the temperature is, if it's a warm day, don't go on masses down to the beach."