OUTCOMES OF FRIDAY'S NATIONAL CABINET MEETING
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* 3105 Australian Defence Force personnel have been deployed around Australia, with just under half in Victoria.
* Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders agreed "suppression" of the virus is the strategic goal, meaning zero community transmission.
* All states and territories must ensure their emergency and health responses are integrated.
* New national data measures will ensure all jurisdictions are aware of what is happening and where.
* A new freight movement protocol has been agreed. It will cover the behaviour of truck drivers and how and when they are tested. The states and territories will enforce it in different ways, including by legislation or under public health orders.
* The federal government has spent $300 billion on coronavirus support and the states and territories have spent $42 billion, with the premiers encouraged to do more.
* The leaders agreed to fast-track 15 major projects worth about $72 billion, which could create 66,000 direct and indirect jobs.
* Environmental approvals will shift to a single-touch process, with bilateral deals between the federal government and all states and territories.
WHAT DOES THE GOAL OF ZERO COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION MEAN?
* Recent outbreaks in NSW and Victoria have shown if the disease is able to enter the community, it will spread quickly.
* The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has recommended - and national cabinet has agreed - the goal should be to have no community transmission of COVID-19.
* The goal of no community transmission recognises that outbreaks will occur but there are ways to reduce this risk.
* Success will rely on finding community transmission cases early and stopping chains of transmission.
* Only when there is no community transmission, will it be possible to relax restrictions, while maintaining things such as hygiene, physical distancing, staying home if unwell, testing, contact tracing, limits on gathering sizes and new ways of working.
(Sources: Prime Minister; ACT Government)
Australian Associated Press
