Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday that nearly 600,000 people in the country have lost their jobs as a result of the financial impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, a number he called “shocking, although not unanticipated.”
“This is a tough day for Australia, a very tough day,” Morrison said at a news conference. “We knew there would be hard news as the pandemic wreaks an impact on Australia as it is on countries all around the world. And so it has been the case.”
Morrison said that although the rate of infections is decreasing in Australia, the country should prepare for further economic hardship.
“In the months ahead, we can brace ourselves and must brace ourselves for further hard news for Australians to take. But it’s important on a day like today that we remember to support each other again,” he said. “It is important as a country that we stand firm and we stand together.”
Nearly 7,000 people in Australia have been infected by the virus, killing 98, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Last week, Morrison announced a three-step plan to reopen the country if infections continue to trend downward.
