As the day unfolded: Scott Morrison says social distancing won't apply to schools, global COVID-19 cases surpass 2.7 million, Australian death toll stands at 81

Thanks for following along today. Here are some of the day's main developments:

• The Australian death toll has increased to 81 people after the death of another resident from the Newmarch House in Sydney's west.
• Health authorities will review Australia's national medical stockpile after it emerged personal protective equipment subject to shortages - including gowns, visors and goggles - were not among items put aside for a crisis.
• While traditional Anzac Day marches were cancelled, communities have still managed to come together.

We'll continue our live coverage overnight and into Sunday. Thanks for joining us.

So, you’ve panic bought chickens for the shutdown! Congratulations and welcome to the chook loving community.

Chickens, as you’re finding out, are the complete package, supplying eggs and "black gold" (their nitrogen-rich and compostable poop), but also companionship, mental health benefits, entertainment, distraction for children and adults alike, and a capacity to destroy the garden which will take your breath away.

They are also addictive, affectionate, and will cause your social media to light up the sky like a flame. Perfect for self-isolating.

But chickens are complex. They’re not egg machines. They have needs. Here are some practical tips to fast track your journey. Remember: a contented chook is a productive chook.

Read more here. 

The number of new coronavirus cases in Russia has risen by 5,966 over the past 24 hours, bringing its nationwide tally to 74,588, the country's coronavirus crisis response centre said on Saturday.

It also reported 66 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total death toll in Russia to 681.

The number of coronavirus cases in Russia began rising sharply this month, although it had reported far fewer infections than many western European countries in the early stages of the outbreak.

Reuters

If you’ve been paying attention to the show’s promos, you’ll know it won’t be business as usual when Ten’s news quiz show, Have You Been Paying Attention?, returns on May 4.

“We realised about a month ago we weren’t going to be able to get an audience, or even five contestants, into a studio without breaking some sort of government regulation,” says Tom Gleisner, host of the show and, with his partners at Working Dog, one of its producers.

“We toyed with the notion of the five contestants being separated by perspex screens, but they would have looked like Sydney cab drivers, so we quickly moved on from that.”

Instead, they settled on a format that retains as much of the flavour of the show as possible, while also acknowledging that TV production in the age of COVID-19 is fundamentally different.

Read the full story here.

The state's weekly coronavirus total has fallen sharply as the number of Queenslanders fined for breaching public health orders keeps steadily climbing.

Only 16 patients tested positive for COVID-19 in the week to Saturday, even as testing criteria was expanded on Friday to include anyone with symptoms, anywhere in the state.

That's less than a third of the coronavirus 54 cases recorded in the previous seven-day period.

Read the full story here. 

While many do their jobs remotely, The Sydney Morning Herald photographers continue to capture Sydney's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

See the full gallery here.