Prime Minister Scott Morrison says pursuing a strategy to eliminate COVID-19 would be economically disastrous and would cause the unemployment rate to double.

The Prime Ministers’ comments are in line with those made by New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who all but ruled out lockdowns in Sydney.

James Pearson, CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has thrown his support behind the Prime Minister’s comments and says we need to learn to live with the virus.

“If we stuff things up, as has obviously happened recently in Victoria, we need to learn from our mistakes and move on,

“Otherwise we’re going to put too many businesses, too many livelihoods, too much life savings at risk.”

Mr Pearson says suppression was the original strategy announced by National Cabinet and we should stick to the plan.

“We don’t think it would be a good idea to change horses and for the government to go back on its word,

“The fact is suppression has been working in Australia, it’s been poorly executed in one particular state, and now they’re doing something about it and unfortunately a lot of people – including many people in business – are paying a high price for that,”

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