The Australian federal government has ordered all cinemas in the country to close due to the current coronavirus pandemic. The order was issued on Sunday evening local time, takes effect from noon on Monday and could remain in place for several months.
The country has closed its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents, but has not gone into lockdown as many others have as yet. That move is expected within the next 48 hours with pubs, restaurants, casinos, indoor sports facilities and places of worship all closing down and restaurants only allowed to operate a take-away service. One exception – schools will apparently remain open.
Tougher measures are being brought in because earlier calls for social distancing were not being adhered to properly, leading to an infamous photo on Friday of Sydney’s Bondi Beach packed to the gills with crowds to beat the 35C/95F weather.
Australia has 1,314 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, though only seven deaths (all elderly). Its infection rate at present is only 1 in 18,181 (the US is 1 in 8,573 while the UK is 1 in 11,700), but that number is expected to go much higher.
Source: Variety
