key points:

Medical experts said influenza spikes, which occurred this year in NSW, would strain hospitals
Both the flu and COVID-19 shared identical symptoms and would frustrate data-collection for both
Evidence from China and Italy showed lockdowns needed to be enforced for several months

News Corp says otherwise demanding we go back to work( ODT)

via A winter flu season means Australia’s coronavirus lockdown could last for months – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)