Australia’s
coronavirus-related death toll rose by three to a total of 68 on Saturday,
health data showed, with the government stepping up its calls for people to
sign up for a controversial movement-tracking mobile phone app.Australia and neighboring
New Zealand have shown early success in potentially stopping COVID-19 after
closing their early and imposing strict curbs on public movement. The daily
growth rate of new infections has steadied in the low percentage single digits
in both countries, a fraction of what was seen a month ago. Australia recorded
36 new cases on Saturday and a total of 6,533 cases, according to the health
ministry data. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday that downloading
a movement-tracking app, which would enable the government to detect potential
new outbreaks and which has been criticized as invasion of privacy, would not
be mandatory. “We will be seeking the cooperation and support of Australians to
download the app to help our health workers, to protect our community and help
get our economy going again,” Morrison said on his Twitter account.“The App we are working on to help our health workers
trace people who have been in contact with coronavirus will not be mandatory”
We will be seeking the cooperation and support of Australians to
download the app to help our health workers, to protect our community and help
get our economy going again”. Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said
there would there will be no surveillance involved with the app, which is to be
ready within weeks. “The app is simply a health app,” Robert said in a
televised briefing. The government said the app would help guild policymakers
in winding back social distancing measures. Australia’s bars and other
“non-essential” businesses have closed, and public gatherings of more than two
people are banned under the threat of fines and even prison. The measures are
expected to double the unemployment rate by mid-year.
New Zealand, which adopted one the world’s harshest lockdowns even
before reporting a first death, saw 8 new confirmed coronavirus cases on
Saturday, bringing all infections to 1,094. So far 11 people have died, health
ministry data showed.
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