As the day unfolded: NSW pubs, clubs to seat up to 50 people from June as restrictions loosened; COVID-19 cases top 5.1 million worldwide, Australian death toll stands at 101

Thanks for reading. This is Matt Bungard signing off. We'll be back tomorrow with more live, free coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

This is what you need to know from today:

• The global death toll passed 328,000, and cases have passed the 5 million mark.
• Australia had 14 new cases today, two in NSW and 12 in Victoria.

• The biggest policy miscalculation in Australian political history has reignited calls for the Morrison government to extend the $130 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy to casual and foreign workers while damaging the internal standing of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

• Another rating's agency has put Australia's triple A credit rating on negative outlook, raising fears about the size of household and government debt as signs grow the federal budget deficit will approach $75 billion.

• Some of Victoria's highest paid public servants will receive hefty pay increases, in the tens of thousands of dollars in some cases, while the state grapples with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Sydney Airport boss Geoff Culbert has urged state premiers to open their borders in time for the July school holidays, saying it offers many tourism operators their only hope of surviving the coronavirus pandemic.

• Colourful billionaire Clive Palmer will challenge Western Australia's hard border closure in the High Court next week after claims he was denied an exemption to enter the state.

• Queensland will not put restrictions on public transport use, as students prepare to go back to school and many workers get set to return to offices from next week.

• Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott says international chains such as H&M and Zara have made it increasingly difficult to run a profitable department store, prompting his decision to shut or convert 167 Target shops across the country.

We'll continue our live coverage of the pandemic overnight and into Saturday in a new blog, which you can read here. Thanks for joining us.

In life before COVID-19, Anna Howard felt guilty when she made excuses to spend time alone to daydream, walk or sew. The rules of lockdown, though, gave Ms Howard permission to escape the burden of obligations, the weight of things she "ought" and "should" be doing.

Ms Howard, who lives in Sydney's upper north shore suburb of St Ives, said she was a "little sad" that the COVID cocoon was ending.

"For some people, [the lockdown] has been a lovely experience," said psychologist Michelle Roberts of Barrington Centre in Melbourne.

Ms Roberts, who specialises in trauma, loss and grief, said she'd enjoyed living in a small village, working from home, and only venturing out to patronise local businesses. "Our world shrunk because the big world became unpredictable. When people are dealing with uncertainty and change, they become more introspective and bond more closely," Ms Roberts said.

Read the full story here

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has worked non-stop since the novel coronavirus emerged, informing its 194 member states of its evolution and providing technical advice, its director-general said on Friday.

"WHO has worked day and night to coordinate the global response at all three levels of the organisation, providing technical advice, catalysing political solidarity, mobilising resources, coordinating resources and much more," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the WHO Executive Board.

"So far almost $US800 million ($1.22 billion) has been pledged or received towards WHO's appeal for COVID-19 programmes, leaving a gap of just over $US900 million ($1.38 billion)," Tedros told the 34-member board holding a virtual three-hour session.

Russia's central bank has room to cut interest rates, with the effect of temporary pro-inflationary factors proving more modest than forecast, Governor Elvira Nabiullina said on Friday.

Nabiullina said earlier this month that the central bank would consider a 100 basis point cut at its next rate-setting meeting on June 19 to limit the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nabiullina echoed comments by finance minister Anton Siluanov on Thursday in saying that there were no plans to amend the current fiscal rule, a tool which allows it to build up a rainy-day fund and maintain macroeconomic stability during periods of low oil prices.

Reuters

Beijing is set to establish new national security agencies in Hong Kong as it attempts to wipe out protests in the Chinese territory.

Hong Kong's opposition leaders reacted furiously to the surprise move revealed in a late night press conference on Thursday, warning it would be the "end of Hong Kong", following the protests that engulfed the city throughout 2019.

The late-night move triggered swift reactions around the world. United States legislators are preparing a bipartisan bill to sanction Chinese officials who implement the laws and President Donald Trump threatened to address the issue "very strongly".

The last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, said it was a “comprehensive assault on the city’s autonomy, rule of law, and fundamental freedoms”.

Read the full story here