As it happened: Victoria only state to record new COVID-19 cases as Australian death toll stands at 103
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Summary
The global death toll from coronavirus has passed 364,000 and there are more than 5.9 million known cases of infection, according to Johns Hopkins University
Australia's death toll stands at 103. Victoria was the only state or territory to record new coronavirus cases on Saturday
Hundreds of people protested in Australia's capital cities with an anti-vaccination message, as a potential coronavirus vaccine triggers a new wave of sceptics
All passengers from the Ruby Princess cruise ship have been contacted by NSW Health after a crew member was diagnosed with tuberculosis
Australia and New Zealand are two of 29 countries invited by the Greek government to join a "travel bubble"
9.51pm on May 30, 2020
Thank you for following our live coverage
By
Thank you for following our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic today. I'm wrapping up the blog now, but for those of you seeking a recap of the day's developments:
Victoria was the only state or territory to record new coronavirus cases on Saturday. It recorded 11 new cases and closed some major state parks due to concerns visitors were failing to observe social distancing laws.
The only intensive care patient in NSW who was on a ventilator no longer requires one.
Hundreds of people protested in Australia's capital cities with an anti-vaccination message, calling the coronavirus pandemic a "scam". Medical experts have warned of a new wave of vaccine sceptics and called for a pro-vaccine information campaign.
All passengers from the were contacted by NSW Health after a crew member was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Brazil has overtaken Spain to rank fifth in the world in coronavirus deaths.
Countries including India, Iran and Indonesia will start loosening lockdown restrictions despite climbing coronavirus cases.
Protesters attempt to show they are social distancing at the rally in Sydney.Dominic Lorrimer
Goodnight and keep safe.
9.11pm on May 30, 2020
Trump's termination of WHO relationship prompts criticism
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President Donald Trump's announcement he was cutting US funding for the World Health Organisation prompted criticism on Saturday, as spiking infection rates in India and elsewhere served as a reminder the global pandemic is far from contained.
Trump on Friday charged that the WHO didn't respond adequately to the pandemic, accusing the UN agency of being under China's "total control."
The WHO wouldn't comment on the announcement but South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize called it an "unfortunate" turn of events.
Donald Trump claims China "has total control over the World Health Organisation".AP
"Certainly, when faced with a serious pandemic, you want all nations in the world to be particularly focused ... on one common enemy," he told reporters.
The US is the largest source of financial support for the WHO, and its exit is expected to significantly weaken the organisation.
Close to 6 million coronavirus infections have been reported worldwide, with more than 365,000 deaths and almost 2.5 million recoveries, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
AP
8.46pm on May 30, 2020
Victoria was the only state to record new cases on Saturday
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Of all Australian states and territories, Victoria was the only one to record new coronavirus cases on Saturday.
The state has recorded 11 new cases in the last 24 hours. Two of those are returned travellers in hotel quarantine, two are from unknown sources, and three are linked to a family outbreak in Keilor Downs.
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"We’ve clearly got some hotspots in Victoria right now. That’s the reality of a very infectious virus," Victorian Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said this morning.
NSW recorded no new cases for the first time in more than two weeks.
But a NSW Health media release issued on Saturday reminded people that the virus is still likely circulating among people in the community with mild symptoms.
"As such, the risk of outbreaks and a resurgence of causes remains," the statement said.
"With further restrictions set to be lifted from Monday, it remains essential that everyone maintains social distancing of 1.5 metres and regularly washes their hands."
There are no longer any patients in NSW who currently require ventilators. Just one person is being treated in an intensive care unit.
There have now been 7,185 coronavirus cases in Australia. Of these, 6,606 have recovered.
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8.17pm on May 30, 2020
UK advisers warn lockdown easing is too soon
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Britain is easing restrictions on people's movements too soon as infections continue to rise, according to two of the government's scientific advisers, Sky News has reported.
An "untested" system to test and trace the spread of the virus exacerbated the risk of wider contagion, John Edmunds and Jeremy Farrar of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies were quoted as saying.
A woman wearing a protective face mask passes a sign reading "Please Use Face Coverings" in the financial district in the City of London.Bloomberg
England is expected to see between 40 and 80 ongoing deaths a day even without a second wave, based on present numbers, Edmunds said.
Farrar noted that a newly introduced National Health Service test and trace system needed to be "fully working" before measures were eased.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson further relaxed curbs on movement this week even as the Office for National Statistics calculated that an additional 54,000 new coronavirus cases were emerging each week.
The UK has recorded 272,607 people with coronavirus, of whom 38,243 have died, according to data collated by John Hopkins University.
Bloomberg
7.47pm on May 30, 2020
Melbourne school safe to remain open after year 2 student tested positive
The child attends Holy Eucharist Primary School in St Albans South and is linked to the growing Keilor Downs cluster.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the class of between 20 and 30 pupils at Holy Eucharist Primary School would go into isolation for two weeks.
He confirmed the child was related to a student at Keilor Downs College who also contracted the virus.
“That child did not have symptoms on-site but we’re still taking measures of quarantining the classroom for that child. But the primary school I fully expect to open on Monday,” Professor Sutton said.
There are now 11 cases linked to the Keilor Downs cluster, which forced the college to close temporarily last week.
Independent Education Union Victorian general secretary Debra James said the safety of students and staff must come first.
Ms James said the union was satisfied with the school’s management of the situation after speaking with both the principal and health and safety representative.
7.20pm on May 30, 2020
Latest COVID-19 news from around the world
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Many countries will start loosening lockdown restrictions in the hope of kick-starting economies, despite climbing coronavirus cases. Here are the latest updates from around the world:
Egypt has ordered its people to wear face masks in public, when taking private transportation, and inside government offices.
Pakistan recorded its single highest overnight death toll of 78, and confirmed cases soared passed 66,000. Meanwhile the country's Civil Aviation Authority announced international flights can resume in and out of the country.
India has registered another record single day jump of 7,964 coronavirus cases and 265 deaths, a day before the two-month-old lockdown across the country of 1.3 billion people is set to end.
Around 400 German managers, workers and family members have begun returning to China aboard charter flights as multinational companies in the world's second-largest economy seek to get their operations running again at full speed.
South Korea reported 39 new cases of the coronavirus, most of them in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area where officials have found more than a hundred infections linked to warehouse workers.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said mosques are to resume daily prayers throughout the country, even though some areas are seeing high levels of coronavirus infections.
Indonesia will gradually open shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment sites from June in an attempt to jump-start the pandemic-hit economy. It recorded 557 new infections and 53 new deaths on Saturday.
AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
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6.48pm on May 30, 2020
Medical experts call for pro-vaccine information campaign amid protests
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Hundreds of people took to streets across Australia's capital cities today with an anti-vaccination message. It comes after experts warned a new wave of sceptics anxious about a potential coronavirus vaccine were re-invigorating the movement.
Australia is one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, with 94.74 per cent of children fully vaccinated by the age of five.
The peak medical body's president Tony Bartone said government and media must "act now" to ensure immunisation science is communicated above and beyond conspiracy theories.
Today's protesters claimed the COVID-19 pandemic was a "scam", and carried signs declaring they were against vaccines and 5G technology.
"It's growing," Dr Bartone said of the non-vaccination movement. "Anyone who speaks against the science of vaccination needs to expect to be slapped down by scientific sources... Anyone who gives a platform to anti-vaxxer messages should similarly expect to be also held to a similar account."
"Clearly, there needs to be significant resources put into the community about the importance of public information, the importance of public health education right from earliest years," Dr Bartone said.
Protesters in Sydney's Hyde Park on SaturdayDominic Lorrimer
With Max Koslowski
6.15pm on May 30, 2020
Still just one active case in South Australia
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South Australia has recorded another day with no new cases of coronavirus.
Of the state's 440 cases, four have died and 435 have recovered. Just one active case remains.
That person, a woman in her 50s, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Tuesday, May 26. She had recently travelled from overseas, was tested upon arrival at Adelaide Airport, and has been in isolation since arriving.
The Department of Health and Wellbeing reminded people to continue to practice good hygiene, keep 1.5 metres distance from other and stay at home if unwell.
"Keep up the good work SA and let's not undo all the good," a department media release said.
5.44pm on May 30, 2020
Spain reports new COVID-19 cases imported from the US
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Two people who travelled from the United States to the Spanish region of Valencia have tested positive for coronavirus, potentially becoming Spain's first imported cases of the virus since travel restrictions were imposed in mid-March.
Regional Health Councillor Ana Barcelo said the travellers had likely not complied with a mandatory two-week quarantine after arriving in Spain.
Workers place a mask on the figure of the Fallas festival in Valencia.AP
"They have not travelled directly to Valencia, but stopped at mid-point airports and we don't know exactly the route they took, or if they finally travelled to Valencia by car or by plane", she told a news conference.
Imported cases practically vanished after it closed its borders and locked down its population on March 14, but authorities will be closely monitoring for any resurgence when the tourism-dependent country re-opens in July.
Valencia, which is home to tourist resorts, will move to phase two of a four-stage easing process on Monday.
Reuters
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5.13pm on May 30, 2020
Chief Medical Officer backs voluntary use of face masks on public transport
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In today's newspapers, health reporter Dana McCauley reported that Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has backed the voluntary use of face masks on public transport.
The comment is a departure from the previous official advice that there was no benefit in ordinary citizens wearing masks while in public, and comes as new academic research indicated that wearing masks can reduce the risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 while asymptomatic.
People wearing face masks in South Korea.AP
But Professor Murphy warned masks did not provide "a complete protection", echoing the concern of infectious disease experts that they could give wearers a false sense of security.
An academic study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal BMG Global Health on Friday found masks were 79 per cent effective at curbing transmission - but only before symptoms emerged.
Infectious disease expert Raina MacIntyre, who co-wrote the paper, said its findings were relevant for Australians.
"The tide of evidence and opinion is overwhelming all over the world," Professor MacIntyre said.
She called for masks to be provided on trains, trams and buses and in supermarkets, where "you see people breaking the social distancing requirements all the time".