LATEST NEWS ABOUT COVID-19:
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NUMBERS
* A total of 6,654 Australians have caught the virus, with only seven new infections reported during the past 24 hours. More than 5000 have recovered.
* Australian deaths: 75 (33 in NSW, 16 in Vic, four in Qld, seven in WA, eight in Tas, three in ACT, four in SA). 21 were passengers on the Ruby Princess. Queensland toll excludes two people who died in other states.
* More than 4,200 people have recovered from COVID-19 and more than 444,000 tests have been conducted across Australia.
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MEASURES
* Some elective surgeries to resume including IVF, dental and eye procedures, children's surgeries, joint replacements, endoscopy and colonoscopies.
* A federal government app to track people who have been in contact with an infected person will be available in the next couple of weeks with the Commonwealth promising it would have no access to the data collected.
* Mutual obligation requirements for welfare recipients have been iced for another month.
* The federal government will relax the 40-hour per fortnight work limit for international students enrolled in medical courses in an attempt to boost the number of health and disability workers.
* Tasmania will give $250 to temporary visa holders suffering financial hardship and up to $1000 for families in a $3 million support package.
* NSW students will attend school one day a week starting from May 11, building to full-time by late July. SA schools return to normal on Monday and WA has urged Year 11 and 12 students to go back full-time when term two kicks off on April 29. Meanwhile, in Victoria, students will continue to be homeschooled.
* 100 million surgical masks will be distributed to frontline workers during the next six weeks, following a recent shipment of 58 million.
* 3.5 million extra doses of the flu vaccine will be made available.
* The Queensland government has committed $3.5 million in funding to Lifeline and a further $1 million to Legacy which helps families of those who have served with defence.
* About $339.5 billion - 17 per cent of the national economy - in combined efforts have been announced by Australian governments and the Reserve Bank so far.
* Queensland families and businesses who can't pay their rent due to the coronavirus are now protected from eviction after the state parliament passed new laws.
* All Australians must continue practising social distancing and stay at home unless going out for essentials or exercise.
* 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.
* Still open: supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, public transport, some schools, hairdressers, petrol stations, postal and freight services, bottle shops, newsagents, retail shops. Restaurants restricted to takeaway/delivery in most states.
* Closed: 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, arcades, indoor and outdoor play centres, social sports that involve large groups, outdoor and indoor markets, outdoor playgrounds, outdoor gyms, skate parks.
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KEY QUOTE
* "Many are facing circumstances they could never have envisaged they would be in. Many are feeling their life is becoming worthless." - Lifeline's Brent McCracken on the spike in calls to Lifeline during the coronavirus pandemic.
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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
* The Ruby Princess will leave Australian waters by late Thursday with 500 crew members on board.
* The UK plans to commence human trials for a COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday.
* Australia has called for scrutiny into China's wild animal markets which are thought to be the source of the coronavirus.
* Thousands of airport staff are facing job cuts as Swissport considers letting 80 per cent of its workers go.
* A refugee in immigration detention is launching a court challenge against the Morrison government for failing to provide safe detention conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.
* Bondi Beach will reopen from next week but only for exercising.
* Australia will establish a strategic fuel reserve to safeguard supplies in times of crisis.
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SPORT
* NRL clubs set to return to training on May 4 as the code remains fixed on a May 28 restart.
* AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan is considering having quarantine hubs for clubs when the AFL restarts.
* The FFA concedes there is little chance of soccer matches resuming before June.
* The AFL, NRL, Cricket Australia, Football Federation and Rugby Australia have all reported taking a financial hit from the virus.
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ECONOMICS
* The Australian share market has rallied into positive territory with the help of investors after world oil prices rose overnight.
* RBA governor Philip Lowe expects GDP to fall by around 10 per cent in the first half of 2020, mostly in the June quarter.
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GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS
* Cases: at least 2,637,414
* Deaths: at least 184,204
* Recovered: at least 717,625
*Source: State and federal government updates and Johns Hopkins website as at 1130 AEST
Australian Associated Press