Ever since the first case of coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified in Australia in late January, we’ve been in a huge period of uncertainty. There’s a lot of misinformation and gossip fuelling the panic, so we’ve put together this guide for where you can get the facts and nothing but the facts.
Because the situation is constantly changing, it’s vital you know the latest recommendations and restrictions that are being put in place. Both federal and state governments are holding regular meetings and sending out press releases with new information, with changes that affect us all in different ways.
Following are what we believe to be the best Australian sources, as well as a few international choices, to help keep you up-to-date and well-informed in this difficult time.
Global sources
The Coronavirus has not disappeared and we’re still a long way off from finding a vaccine, so life may continue in this “new normal” for many months to come.
To keep on top of the facts about the coronavirus, there are two key sources of information: the World Health Organisation and the United Nations.
You can find their information published at:
To stay aware of the number of cases, testing and the death toll as a total and for each individual country we’ve found these sources of information to be the best:
Worldometer has been tracking stats
Google has created a helpful map
Australian Federal Government
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his team have worked hard to keep Australians up to date with new policies. Fortunately, our strict measures brought our Coronavirus Cases to a record low, and whilst some are now enjoying the lighter restrictions, this is not the case for everyone.
It’s important to remain vigilant and socially distanced to ensure we don’t see a resurgence of the virus cases i.e. a second wave again and again.
Keeping up to date with the Federal Government’s messages is important. Rebates, savings and support is still available for those affected by COVID-19 and experiencing financial difficulty, make sure you’re abreast of what’s applicable to you.
Mr Morrison has held lots of live conferences, but if you want to bookmark some pages that you can read at any time, these are some of the most important:
The Australian government’s main website has been redesigned to put COVID-19 information in a more prominent position. This contains all the latest information from the very top.
The Australian Department of Health has a factsheet that gives details on the current status of the virus in Australia, the symptoms you should be aware of and suggestions for how to stop the spread.
This department also has a regularly updated news section and some useful resources that you can keep checking.
For employers, Safe Work Australia is another website to keep an eye on as it caters its news specifically to businesses and what they should be doing at this time.
Australian State Governments
Many of the State Governments have been slowly easing their restrictions, but there is still some way to go and the rules that apply to you are managed at a state level.
You can keep up to date with each of the state’s measures below.
- ACT coronavirus updates
- New South Wales coronavirus updates
- Northern Territory coronavirus updates
- South Australia coronavirus updates
- Tasmania coronavirus updates
- Victoria coronavirus updates
- Western Australia coronavirus updates
We’ve also seen local councils bring in their own rules and funding their own stimulus packages to help business, so it’s vital to keep an eye out for news from your own council.
Australian news sources
Governments and councils aren’t always the best at communicating ideas clearly, and often journalists will follow up with questions to clarify or find out more about an issue.
If you want a different explanation of what’s going on, turning to trusted news outlets is a good way to find out. Many of the news publishers have added coronavirus sections to their sites. These includes:
Again, because there might be local updates specific to you, we advise you to keep an eye on the newspapers specific to your area.
International sources
COVID-19 is a global pandemic and as such there are news sources around the globe with updates on the virus. If you want more of a zoomed-out view, you may want to look at sources like BBC and CNN.
