Coronavirus crisis: Health Minister Greg Hunt says there is no advice in favour of state border closures

There is currently no Commonwealth advice or expert body in favour of state border closures, Health Minister Greg Hunt says. Mr Hunt doubled down on comments from the Deputy Chief Medical Officer last week that there was “no medical reason” for borders to remain closed, and said it was time for the “progressive lifting” of such restrictions. “There have been no Commonwealth recommendations in favour (of closures),” he said. “There have been no National Cabinet recommendations in favour and there has been no medical expert panels in favour of state border closures and indeed the National Cabinet's three-step plan for recovery also included the progressive movement and lifting of state border restrictions.” It comes as Premier Mark McGowan has refused to give in to the “bullying” of other States like NSW urging for WA’s border restrictions to lift. Mr McGowan said today it would be “months” before the hard border with the eastern states was removed. “We’ll bring it down when it is appropriate and when they have low levels of infection over east,” he said. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has stood firm on border restrictions remaining in place until September despite Home Affairs Minister and Queensland MP Peter Dutton questioning her timeframe. “Just come out and explain where the September date comes from and we can, you know, have a reasonable discussion,” he said last week. The Federal Government has previously said the possibility of travel with New Zealand would be looked at only after domestic borders re-opened. However, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham last night said he would not let States like WA and Queensland stand in the way of a trans-Tasman bubble. “If New Zealand and some Australian states are ready and willing to progress, then the reluctance of other states to open up their domestic borders shouldn't become an obstacle to progress,” he said. While not commenting on the possibility of some States being left out of a trans-Tasman bubble, Mr Hunt said the initiative “offered hope for people on both sides of the ditch”. “It's a really important thing, that, if we can have, greater international movement, that is safe, we do that,” he said. “As to the timing I will leave that to the Australian Health Protections Principal Committee, they will look at when they think that is safe.” Mr Hunt said Australia must remain “an island sanctuary in a difficult world”, as the world was “clearly heading to 6 million people” infected with the virus. “Border protection and hotel quarantine is literally saving lives and protecting lives and we’ll continue to be a fundamental part of our national health and strategic defence going forward,” Mr Hunt said. “Whilst we’re doing well at home, internationally we have seen an acceleration of cases.” Mr Hunt said epidemiologists had not overestimated the impact of the virus, and consequently the estimate of how many people would need the JobKeeper package, which was revealed last week to fall $60 billion less than estimated. Currently there are just over 500 active COVID-19 cases in Australia, with only 32 of those cases in hospital and five in intensive care. Mr Hunt’s comments came as he unveiled a $20 million funding boost for the third stage of the mental health response to COVID-19, which will include $17 million for grants to tackle suicide and mental illness. He said the best way to honour those affected by the virus, physically and mentally, was to carry out the independent review into the origins of coronavirus. “That’s why we need, that’s why we have, and that’s why we will deliver a comprehensive investigation,” he said. Mr Hunt said the passing of the World Health Assembly motion that called for an independent investigation of COVID-19 was thought “an impossibility” at the time. “But it didn't just pass it passed unanimously, it passed with 137 co responses, they partnership between the EU and Australia and many others,” he said. The Chinese Embassy released a statement following the passing of the motion, calling any link between the investigation and the inquiry Australia had outlined weeks earlier “nothing more than a joke”.