We call on National Cabinet to meet as soon as possible to set out a nationally consistent and predictable set of rules for managing local virus outbreaks.

The community and business desperately need greater clarity and certainty around the thresholds that can trigger border closures and a proportionate response to containing local outbreaks.

Australians cannot spend the entire Christmas and New Year season in limbo, with families and businesses trapped in a no man’s land of information and plans.

Right now, businesses do not know whether they can get back up and running again and airlines don’t know what schedules to run.

These factors are incredibly distressing and disruptive to people’s lives but for businesses, they are confidence draining and job sapping.

No one is doubting that the health situation has to be contained and we need to ensure that local outbreaks are well managed but the rules need to be nationally consistent and predictable.

Please contact signatories directly for comment:

• Airlines for Australia & New Zealand
• Australian Retailers Association
• Australian Tourism Export Council
• Business Council of Australia
• National Farmers' Federation
• Restaurant and Catering Industry Association of Australia
• Transport and Tourism Forum of Australia