Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
The Morrison Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was marked by decisive actions aimed at saving lives and livelihoods.
Faced with an unprecedented crisis, Prime Minister Morrison — with the strong support of Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and Health Minister Greg Hunt — led a coordinated national response to manage the impact of COVID-19 and support Australians through the pandemic. As a result, Australia recorded one of the lowest death rates and strongest economic recoveries globally.
From frontline emergency workers to everyday Australians who made personal sacrifices, the national effort was a shared achievement of which all Australians can be proud.
Bringing Australians together
On 13 March 2020, as the COVID-19 crisis escalated, it became clear that the existing Council of Australian Governments model lacked the capacity and agility to manage a rapidly evolving national emergency. Given the shared responsibilities for health and economic policy under the respective Commonwealth and State constitutions, it was critical to align all governments as closely as possible — particularly in the early months of the pandemic. In response, Prime Minister Morrison established the National Cabinet.
Unlike the previous bureaucratic model, which relied on bottom-up processes with recommendations delivered every six to twelve months, the National Cabinet was a leader-driven body that met as often as necessary — including multiple times per week, often late into the evening. Attendance was strictly limited to heads of government and the heads of their respective departments. No substitutes were allowed. Cabinet confidentiality rules applied to ensure open and frank discussion. Leaders also agreed to abandon the usual shared spokesperson arrangements, with the Prime Minister speaking on behalf of the group.
This new structure proved essential for coordinating Australia’s pandemic response. It enabled a unified national approach to public health measures while respecting the federal structure of governance. The National Cabinet facilitated swift coordination on lockdowns, social distancing measures, and other early interventions — critical at a time when no vaccine was yet available.
Communication was central to the Morrison Government’s strategy. The Prime Minister provided regular public updates and press conferences following each National Cabinet meeting, keeping Australians informed and engaged.
While the National Cabinet functioned closely in its first year, it held no precedence over the constitutional authority of the individual Federal, State, and Territory cabinets. It had no power to compel any jurisdiction. Decisions were taken by consensus. Where agreement was not reached — on matters such as school closures, vaccine mandates (except in aged care and vulnerable health settings), and lockdowns — individual governments acted unilaterally. Throughout the pandemic, Prime Minister Morrison maintained his opposition to vaccine mandates (except in aged care and vulnerable settings), school closures, and unilateral lockdowns.
National Cabinet met more than 50 times during the crisis, primarily via video conference due to travel restrictions and the frequency of meetings. This marked the most extensive federal collaboration in Australia's history. Similar high-frequency arrangements were established for the Council of Federal Financial Relations (Treasurers) and Health Ministers, setting new national records for intergovernmental cooperation.
Saving lives
The Morrison Government’s health response to COVID-19 focused on saving lives and preventing Australia’s health system from being overwhelmed. In contrast to regions like New York, Italy, and Spain, where hospitals collapsed under the pressure of the pandemic, Australia’s objective was to ensure that every patient in need — particularly those requiring ventilation — would receive appropriate care.
The central strategy was to “flatten the curve”, reducing the rate of infection to remain below the capacity of the health system, while at the same time expanding that capacity to meet anticipated demand.
Two fundamental objectives underpinned the Morrison Government’s pandemic response — containment and capacity-building — each supported by four key pillars.
The containment strategy began with early border closures. Australia acted swiftly, declaring coronavirus a disease of pandemic potential in January 2020 and closing its border to China on 1 February. This proactive measure — taken before the World Health Organization declared a global emergency — was widely regarded as one of Australia’s most significant peacetime decisions. Restrictions were later extended to other countries, with mandatory quarantine for returning citizens. Targeted protections for Indigenous communities contributed to one of the world’s lowest infection and fatality rates among First Nations populations.
The second pillar was widespread testing. Australia secured reliable PCR tests early and established a robust national testing network, gaining international recognition for accuracy. By May 2022, more than 60 million PCR tests had been conducted. The rollout of rapid antigen tests — particularly in aged care — added further resilience, with over 100 million RATs distributed across the country.
The third pillar was contact tracing. Initially led by state health systems, tracing efforts were supported by the Commonwealth, particularly in Victoria during its second wave in mid-2020. The COVIDSafe app was introduced to assist tracing and was downloaded by nearly 8 million users.
The fourth pillar consisted of public health and social measures — including social distancing, hygiene protocols, and mask usage — coordinated through National Cabinet. However, the Commonwealth raised concerns over certain unilateral state decisions, such as Victoria’s curfews, criticising them for lacking clear medical justification. A national code was proposed requiring the publication of health advice underpinning restrictive measures.
Capacity-building within the health system formed the second core objective. The first pillar was in primary care and mental health, over 2 billion items of personal protective equipment were secured, national telehealth was deployed within 10 days, and more than 190 million electronic prescriptions were issued. Telehealth transformed Medicare, enabling over 169 million consultations by 2022. Mental health services were expanded with new hotlines and the Head to Health network. Notably, suicide deaths decreased by 7.5% in 2020 and 2021.
The second pillar was in aged care, support included 298 million PPE items, 45 million RATs, and extensive infection control training. Workforce measures included $657 million in retention bonuses and surge staffing support — comprising over 188,000 shifts and Australian Defence Force deployments to 542 facilities. By May 2022, vaccination coverage in aged care was among the highest in the world: 99.2% for staff and 92.5% for residents.
The third pillar in hospital capacity was strengthened by tripling ventilator supply from 2,200 to 7,500 units and establishing the Critical Health Resource Information System. The Commonwealth collaborated with states through a $1.5 billion National Partnership Agreement and invested $1.3 billion in private hospitals to ensure integration with the public system. This unprecedented collaboration preserved more than 30,000 hospital beds and maintained capacity for 105,000 healthcare workers.
The fourth capacity-building pillar was investment in research, vaccines, and therapeutics. Australia led early in genomic sequencing and, by mid-2020, had committed $91 million to vaccine and treatment research and development. Agreements were secured for both domestic manufacturing with CSL and AstraZeneca, and international procurement with Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax. The national vaccine rollout began in January 2021 and achieved comprehensive double-dose coverage — 98% among Australians over 18 — by October that year.
Following early setbacks in the rollout during the first half of 2021, Prime Minister Morrison appointed Lieutenant General John Frewen to oversee the national distribution effort. Under his leadership, the programme regained momentum and met its key vaccination targets.
The Government’s approach was guided by three core principles: adherence to medical advice, strong Cabinet oversight through the National Security Committee and Expenditure Review Committee, and transparent public communication. National Cabinet, despite occasional state-level divergence, played a central role in coordinating national planning.
Four decisions were widely regarded as pivotal to Australia’s success:
Closing the border to China early,
Introducing national telehealth and integrating public and private hospital systems,
Establishing domestic vaccine manufacturing, and
Providing economic support through JobKeeper and JobSeeker to sustain compliance with public health measures.
Australia’s response was defined by early action, coordinated national governance, and integration of health and economic strategies. While criticisms were raised — particularly regarding aged care outbreaks and initial vaccine delays — the country avoided the systemic failures experienced by many peer nations.
Saving livelihoods
In early 2020, the Morrison Government faced alarming forecasts — up to 150,000 potential deaths, unemployment reaching 15%, and economic contractions unprecedented in modern Australian history. Treasury projected a 24% fall in GDP for the June 2020 quarter if lockdowns similar to those in Europe were imposed. Confidence plummeted, the ASX dropped over 30%, and unemployment queues formed outside Centrelink offices. Globally, GDP was forecast to contract by 4.5%, with the United States losing 40 million jobs and more than 100 countries seeking support from the International Monetary Fund.
Australia moved early. On 21 January, coronavirus was listed as a disease of pandemic potential. By 1 February, the border with China was closed — weeks ahead of similar decisions by peer nations. By March, the Morrison Government had implemented a comprehensive health and economic response. Three major stimulus packages were introduced in rapid succession.
The first, announced on 12 March, was a $17.6 billion package that included business investment incentives and direct stimulus payments. The second, on 22 March, provided $66.1 billion in direct support measures, including a $550 coronavirus supplement, cash flow boosts for businesses, and early access to superannuation.
The third major economic support measure, JobKeeper, was launched on 30 March 2020 at a cost of approximately $90 billion. It supported around four million workers and one million businesses. Using the Single Touch Payroll system, JobKeeper kept employees connected to their employers, helping to stabilise the labour market and enable a rapid post-lockdown economic rebound. An independent review under the Albanese Government later described the programme as "well-managed, highly efficient, and value for money," estimating that up to 800,000 jobs were saved.
Beyond JobKeeper, the Morrison Government introduced several complementary initiatives: HomeBuilder supported the construction of over 100,000 homes, JobTrainer provided 450,000 training places and wage subsidies were extended to 220,000 apprentices. Free childcare supported more than one million families, and tax cuts reached 11 million low and middle income earners. Over 100 regulatory reforms were enacted to sustain economic activity and protect consumers.
The Government worked in close coordination with regulators and industry. Banks provided $250 billion in loan deferrals, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission allowed supermarkets and logistics providers to coordinate efforts, safeguarding critical supply chains. Early in 2020, the National Coordinating Mechanism was established within the Department of Home Affairs to ensure effective liaison between industry, State Governments and the Commonwealth — specifically targeting energy and food security during the crisis.
In March 2020, the Prime Minister established the COVID-19 Commission, chaired by respected resources executive Neville Power, to advise on Australia’s economic and industrial response. The Commission focused on securing supply chains, promoting domestic manufacturing, and guiding job creation and recovery strategies. It played a key role in advancing infrastructure investment and advocating for the “gas-led recovery.” Though it was not a decision-making body, the Commission influenced significant policy development and included experienced leaders from the energy, logistics, resources, technology, and finance sectors, as well as former senior union officials. Its work concluded in late 2021 as the country transitioned from crisis response to economic reopening.
The Morrison Government’s economic response was anchored in three principles: front-load targeted and temporary support, avoid long-term structural budget damage, and deliver assistance through existing systems. Treasury advised that, in a fast-moving crisis, it was safer to over-respond than to under-support. Australia’s strong pre-pandemic balance sheet enabled decisive action, with $343 billion committed by the Commonwealth (16.6% of GDP), supplemented by $234 billion in state-based measures (12% of GDP).
Monetary policy reinforced these efforts. The Reserve Bank of Australia cut interest rates by 65 basis points, introduced a term funding facility, set yield targets, and engaged in bond purchases. Fiscal and monetary policy operated in close alignment, with S&P Global describing the response as “decisive and coordinated.”
The Morrison Government’s policies led to a V-shaped economic recovery. While major economies such as the United Kingdom and France experienced GDP contractions of over 8% in 2020, Australia’s economy contracted by just 2.1%. By March 2021, Australian economic activity had already surpassed pre-COVID levels — months ahead of Canada and the UK.
Employment rebounded strongly. Unemployment, which peaked at 7.5% in July 2020, fell to 5.1% within just over a year and reached 3.9% by the time the Morrison Government left office. Labour market outcomes were particularly robust: female and youth workforce participation increased, and long-term unemployment dropped by nearly 25%.
According to Treasury, this labour market rebound accelerated the return to budget surplus. The March 2022 Budget had projected a $78 billion deficit, but stronger-than-expected revenue — up $85 billion — effectively erased it. Revenue upgrades across the forward estimates totalled $365 billion.
Net debt projections also improved significantly. From a forecast of $966 billion in 2020, net debt was reduced to $516 billion by mid-2022. By 2022–23, net debt had returned to 19.2% of GDP — the same level as in 2018–19, before the pandemic.
Key policy decisions — including JobKeeper, international border closures, domestic vaccine manufacturing, and large-scale economic stimulus — were instrumental in maintaining public trust and national resilience. Australia retained its AAA credit rating and outperformed most advanced economies. In contrast, recent challenges in growth, productivity, and living standards have prompted concern about the loss of post-pandemic economic momentum.
Related media:
1. Press release, National Cabinet advice on coronavirus, 13 March 2020: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42727
2. Press release, $130 billion JobKeeper payment to keep Australians in a job, 30 March 2020: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42766
3. Press release, $250 million JobMaker plan to restart Australia’s creative economy, 25 June 2020: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42865
4. Press release, New deal secures potential COVID-19 vaccine for every Australian, 19 August 2020: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42985
5. Press release, Federal Budget supports NT’s recovery plan, 10 May 2021: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43378
6. Press release, Federal Budget supports Victoria’s recovery plan, 10 May 2021: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43377
7. Press release, Federal Budget supports NSW’s recovery plan, 10 May 2021: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43376
8. Press release, Federal Budget supports Tasmania’s recovery plan, 10 May 2021: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43375
9. Press release, Federal Budget supports South Australia’s recovery plan, 10 May 2021: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43374
10. Press release, Federal Budget supports ACT’s recovery plan, 10 May 2021: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43373
11. Press release, Federal Budget supports Queensland’s recovery plan, 10 May 2021: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43372
