MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2020) A further 44 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, raising the overall total confirmed in the country since the start of the outbreak to 6,366, the national Department of Health reported on Tuesday.
Health authorities in Australia reported no new deaths, meaning that the death toll still stands at 61.
On Tuesday morning, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that it was too early to start lifting social distancing measures enforced to slow the spread of the outbreak.
"If you take your eyes off this thing, and it gets away from you, it writes its own rules. So we do need to understand what the prerequisites are and the things we have to achieve before we can start to ease some of those restrictions," Morrison said, adding that the government will meet on Thursday to discuss what needs to be done before lifting social distancing measures.
The Australian government has implemented several strict social distancing measures in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. Social gatherings have been limited to a maximum of two people, state borders have been closed, and public places such as bars, cafes and restaurants have all been ordered to shut.
