Morrison: not far off easing virus restrictions

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says his country is not far away from easing some of the coronavirus restrictions.

Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday that the recent low infections rates were welcome, but that they're not good enough, while calling on Australians to remain focused to try and return the country to being as normal as possible.

"Having a low number of cases and businesses not being open, having a low number of cases and Australians not able to be going about their as normal lives as possible, that is not what success looks like," he said.

Morrison has again defended Australia's request for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, independent of the World Health Organization.

"It would seem entirely reasonable and sensible that the world would want to have an independent assessment of how this all occurred, so we can learn the lessons and prevent it from happening again," Morrison said.

China's foreign ministry had dismissed Australia's call for an inquiry, with the developments placing increasing strain on Australia-China relations.

But Morrison said the move was not targeted, and that his country will do what is in Australia's and the world's interests.