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If you suspect you or a family member has coronavirus you should call (not visit) your GP or ring the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The Prime Minister has announced:
On June 1, a number of restrictions will be easing across NSW and Victoria. As national cabinet settles in for its meeting this morning, let's take a look at what is set to change as the states prepare for what is broadly stage two of its plan to reopen the economy.
In NSW
In Victoria (largely borrowed from Rachael Dexter's explanation in this article):
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:
Victoria's chief health officer has reassured parents that schools remain a low risk for coronavirus transmission after a student tested positive.
WA will be the first state to introduce a 2-square-metre rule, replacing the 4-square-metre rule, as part of Phase 3 restrictions to take effect from next Saturday, June 6.
Investigators are working to "untangle" the changing story of a nurse at the centre of two coronavirus scares in Queensland.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has vowed to continue supporting the economy to get people back into work despite the federal budget deteriorating by $18 billion in April as company and personal income tax revenues collapsed.
We'll continue our live coverage of the pandemic early on Saturday morning with Laura Chung.
More than 20 government and international relations courses are among those on the chopping block at the University of Sydney, as it prepares to cut courses and casual staff in the faculty worst-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
About 8 per cent of courses across the university's arts and social sciences faculty will be cut according to early estimates, which is less than up to 30 per cent initially stipulated.
But that figure is an average across the six faculty schools. Staff estimate cuts to the school of social and political sciences could be closer to 30 per cent, while in the languages school it could be 4 or 5 per cent.
About 100 students and staff representatives protested against the cuts on Friday, pasting an open letter to Vice-Chancellor Michael Spence to the walls of the university's administration building.
It was the kind of inspired idea that had musicians across the globe swapping notes. In Denmark late last month, 500 tickets sold out within minutes to a live, drive-in concert by popular Danish singer-songwriter Mads Langer in an open field on the outskirts of the city of Aarhus.
Cars were spaced out to meet social-distancing requirements, the music was broadcast on FM radio, and fans could remain in their vehicles and get closer to Langer via video-conferencing tool Zoom.
Now Australians are embracing the concept: just last week, Casey Donovan held a drive-in concert in a car park in Sydney’s inner west, applauded via flashing headlights, and Keith Urban recently did the same in Tennessee as a thank-you to US healthcare workers.
“I think it’s a great idea,” says Jon Hart, singer and keyboard player for Australian band Boy and Bear.
The final matches of the 2019-20 A-League season will be played in NSW, FFA chief executive James Johnson has confirmed.
A day after it was announced the competition was seeking to conclude the season with 32 games in 36 days, Johnson said the majority of the matches will be played in NSW in an isolation hub.
The sole exception will be fixtures between the three Victorian clubs - Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Western United - which may be played in that state before the trio head north to join the hub.
India has reported a jump of 7466 coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, its biggest one-day surge, as the country relaxes lockdown measures.
The total number of infections rose to 165,799, the Health Ministry said on Friday in its daily morning update. This was the first time more than 7000 more cases were detected in a 24-hour period, following on from seven-consecutive days of more than 6000 cases per day.
There were 175 new deaths linked with COVID-19, taking the total number of deaths to 4706, surpassing the toll in neighbouring China, where the virus emerged last year.
Despite the rapidly increasing infections, India has progressively relaxed restrictions including opening up air travel.
Public servants trained to hunt down corrupt police and officials are now using their detective skills to trace the spread of coronavirus in Queensland.
More than 500 law enforcement officials working for the Crime and Corruption Commission and the Justice Department have been trained up to help public health officials trace potential outbreaks.
Before the virus invaded Queensland, the state had 200 people trained in contact tracing.
That number has swelled to 1213 including the 524 public servants helping out during the pandemic.
The Australian Industry Group has called on the Victorian Government to reconsider its position to fine employers for requiring workers to attend their work sites and offices.
Tim Piper, Victorian head of the national employers association, the Australian Industry Group, said the decision flies in the face of interactions between Government and industry during this pandemic crisis.
“The Premier has successfully sought the support of industry during this period. But this is an unfair rebuke and one which is potentially divisive between employees and employers. You don’t want employees being asked to dob in their bosses,” Mr Piper said.
“The most appropriate approach is to encourage employers and employees to be working together, to maintain social distancing and ensure as many people stay home as possible,” he said.
European Union foreign ministers sought to toughen their strategy on China on Friday to counter Beijing's increasingly assertive diplomacy and accelerate efforts to end unfettered access for Chinese business in Europe.
Amid European criticism of Beijing's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, EU foreign ministers met via videolink for their first discussion before two possible EU-China summits this year, one expected at the end of June and another in September.
The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell called this week for a "more robust" China strategy and told the UN Security Council of his "deep concern" about China's new security law for Hong Kong, calling on Beijing to reconsider.
Borrell is due to hold a news conference today.
Foxtel's streaming service Kayo Sports left fans frustrated with many unable to view the first pay-TV game of the NRL since the COVID-19 pandemic shut the season down in March.
Some fans who tried to log in to the service to watch the 6pm kick-off between the Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys were unable to do so, greeted with an error message or a frozen screen.
"We are currently experiencing an issue with profiles and logging in," the Kayo website read. "We are doing everything we can to get it back up and running."
Kayo has been contacted for comment.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has vowed to continue supporting the economy to get people back into work despite the federal budget deteriorating by $18 billion in April as company and personal income tax revenues collapsed.
Mr Morrison said with the Reserve Bank "out of ammo", the federal government would work with the states to boost jobs with a heavy focus on infrastructure and transport projects that could be brought forward.
This week, RBA governor Philip Lowe warned it would be a mistake for governments to withdraw support for the economy, arguing it would be a "long, drawn-out process" to bring down unemployment, which is expected to reach 10 per cent by June.
Finance Department figures released on Friday show how the coronavirus pandemic has up-ended the government's plans to deliver the first budget surplus in more than a decade.
Through April, the budget deficit grew by $18 billion, taking it to $40 billion by month's end. In the mid-year update released in December, the budget was expected to show a $7.6 billion shortfall at that point.