The Prime Minister says Australians have a lot to be thankful and grateful for over Christmas, while acknowledging it is "disappointing and frustrating" for people in Sydney who will not be able to spend it with their families.
"As we look around the world we know what is happening and we know that we have to be cautious and the great gains that have been made at great sacrifice and at great cost ... we need to maintain them."Mr Morrison also said he understood the decision by premiers and chief ministers to close their borders to the northern beaches area, pointing to the Northern Territory's practice of using a hotspot declaration and only banning specific areas as the gold standard.
"Like other Australians, of course we wanted things to go as we wanted for Christmas, but the virus has a different idea and that is the practical reality," Mr Morrison said. "I should say that in the [other] seven states and territories we will have Christmas in this country like few countries in the world are," Mr Morrison said.