An-Najah News - Australia has so far avoided the high numbers of coronavirus casualties reported around the world after closing its borders and imposing restrictions on public movement which slowed the growth in new infections to fewer than 40 new cases a day,but  the restrictions are expected to push unemployment to a 16-year high of about 10%.

Australia has now recorded 6,617 cases of coronavirus and 71 deaths since the first case in late January.

With growing calls to ease the restrictions, more than 150 Australian economists warned the government against easing social distancing rules aimed at halting the spread of the new coronavirus even as the rate of infections slowed to a multi-week low.

Australia’s government and central bank have said they will inject A$320 billion ($203 billion) into the country’s economy to try and cushion the economic blow.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week said there would no easing of Australia’s restrictions for at least four weeks.Tony Bartone,the head of Australian Medical Association told“We’ve been so successful so far that that’s given us the opportunity now to plan a sensible, safe, graduated return into the low-risk procedures which provide clinical benefit to patients".