Australia restricts travel to remote indigenous areas to slow coronavirus

The mostly deserted steps of the Sydney Opera House, where scheduled public performances have been cancelled due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), are seen on a quiet morning in Sydney, Australia, March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia urged people on Wednesday to avoid travelling to remote indigenous areas to curtail the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in communities that suffer disproportionately low rates of healthcare and income.

As part of a wide-ranging list of "social distancing" measures to stop the illness being spread, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government planned to issue a list of hard-to-reach places where people should avoid going.