LATEST NEWS ABOUT COVID-19:
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
--
NUMBERS
* Confirmed cases in Australia: 56,387 - an increase of 139 since Saturday.
* Australian deaths: 34 (16 in NSW, eight in Vic, three in Qld, three in WA, two in Tas, two in ACT). 10 were passengers on the Ruby Princess.
* 91 people are in intesive care; 33 on ventilators.
* It's estimated more than 2000 people have recovered.
* 291,000 people have been tested
* The number of global coronavirus cases has passed one million.
--
MEASURES
* The federal government has committed $320 billion, or 16.4 per cent of gross domestic product, to combat the virus' health and economic effects.
* A $130 billion JobKeeper program to subsidise wages at $1500 a fortnight for six million workers, for up to six months. Parliament set to approve on Wednesday.
* Welfare recovery scheme robo-debt has been frozen for six months
* Free child care for people still in paid work in a $1.6 billion package to childcare centres.
* Borders closed in Queensland, Tasmania, SA, NT and WA. A 'hard' border closure comes into effect in WA on Sunday night.
* All Australians are being urged to continue practising social distancing and stay at home unless going out for essentials despite improving figures.
* People aged over 60 with chronic illness are discouraged from leaving their homes unless they need medical care.
* Victoria to spend $20 million on hotel rooms for health workers who need to self-isolate.
* Social distancing rules have been eased to allow churches to organise Easter service broadcasts and webcasts.
* Australians returning home from overseas must be quarantined for two weeks in hotels or other accommodation before being allowed home.
* Australians, excluding aid workers and compassionate cases, are banned from international travel.
* Backpackers travelling to farms for fruit-picking and other jobs will be forced to self-isolate for 14 days to avoid spreading coronavirus.
* All states are telling people no one should travel for the Easter holidays.
* People will be able to access Medicare-funded online consultations.
* A new health advisory group will develop a care plan for people with disabilities.
* South Australia is fast-tracking the graduation of new paramedics and the recruitment of triple zero operators.
* SA Health has produced a book for children to help them understand the situation.
* Still open: supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, public transport, some schools, hairdressers, petrol stations, postal and freight services, bottle shops, newsagents, retail shops. Restaurants restricted to take-away/delivery in most states.
* Closed: schools in Victoria and ACT, gyms, indoor sports venues, pubs, cinemas, nightclubs, casinos, places of worship, theme parks, auction houses, food courts in shopping centres, beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons, spas and tattoo parlours, galleries, museums, libraries, youth centres, community halls, clubs, RSL clubs, swimming pools, amusement parks, arcades, indoor and outdoor play centres, social sports that involve large groups, outdoor and indoor markets, outdoor playgrounds, outdoor gyms, skate parks.
--
KEY QUOTE
* "I'm told because he's a solo operator and an essential service, the Easter Bunny - he or she - will be allowed to continue to operate. But the rest of us will have to do things differently." - Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy.
--
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
* NSW Police have launched a criminal investigation into whether Australian or NSW biosecurity laws were breached in allowing the Ruby Princess to disembark.
* The Queen has made a televised address to the nation.
--
SPORT
* The AFL, NRL, A-league soccer, Super Rugby and netball competitions are postponed.
--
ECONOMICS
* The S&P/ASX200 benchmark index fell 1.68 per cent to close at 5067.5 on Friday, while the All Ordinaries index dropped 1.58 per cent to 5,106.9.
* Moratorium on renters being evicted for the next six months. To be finalised next week.
* Westpac has revised down its forecast for a rise in the unemployment to nine per cent.
--
GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS
* Cases: at least 1,192,028
* Deaths: at least 64,084
* Recovered: at least 245,981.
*Source: State and federal government updates and johns hopkins website at 0800 AEST
Australian Associated Press