Scott Morrison has warned coronavirus complacency could lead to Australia being exposed to soaring death rates sweeping Europe and the US.
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The prime minister believes the nation is on the road to a virus-safe economy thanks to $320 billion in rescue packages, as well as people taking social distancing and home-working seriously.
Australia's coronavirus death toll rose to 76 on Thursday after a man in his 60s died in hospital and another person died at an aged care home in Sydney
The average daily rise in cases over the past three days is at 0.3 per cent, with just 12 cases detected over the past 24 hours.
Australia has fewer than 2000 active cases, with more than two-thirds of the 6600 people infected having recovered.
Mr Morrison said Australia's impressive numbers paved the way for a gradual relaxing of social and economic restrictions.
"But let's not get complacent while our numbers are good," he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.
European nations with smaller populations than Australia show the disease's devastating capacity.
In Sweden, 1937 have died, while coronavirus has claimed 6262 and 4678 lives in Belgium and the Netherlands respectively.
Among major developed countries France has a mortality rate 100 times of Australia, while in the US the figure is 50 times worse.
"This can happen in Australia if we're not careful," Mr Morrison said.
"That is why Australians and our governments have been so careful to balance the needs to get our economy back to a COVID-safe level."'
Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy told a Senate inquiry Australia faces a permanent risk of a second wave of infections.
Federal and state leaders will undertake a critical review of economic shutdown and social distancing measures in three weeks.
Deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth said the number of people allowed to be at events was something likely to be considered in the first round of easing restrictions.
"The way to take things slowly is to increase numbers slowly," he told reporters.
"You can infer from that that larger gatherings are a long way off, and that would include having crowds at sporting matches, for example, as well as weddings."
Professor Murphy said international border restrictions would be the last measure eased, with the issue unlikely to be considered for three to four months.
Some elective surgeries have been restarted, while state and territory governments have put in place measures to return students to classrooms.
Australia is also pushing for the World Health Organization to be handed the same powers as weapons inspectors to deal with future pandemics.
Mr Morrison has lobbied US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron over the issue.
Such powers would allow health officials to enter countries without invitation to investigate the source of disease outbreaks.
Mr Morrison said he was lobbying for independence, transparency and early action on tackling disease globally.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese backed increased powers for the UN health agency to get access to crucial information to suppress disease.
"We need to know precisely the details of the origins of this pandemic and not just as an academic exercise, but so that we can avoid it ever happening again," he said.
China has been accused of lacking transparency at the onset of coronavirus when it first emerged in the city of Wuhan late last year.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has also launched a global push for independent experts to scrutinise wild animal markets.
The likely source of coronavirus making the jump to humans was at a Chinese wet market.
Australian Associated Press
