Latest snapshot of covid-19 impact include $16 million for food relief providers
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NUMBERS
* Almost 6400 Australians have caught the virus, with about 3340 having recovered.
* Australian deaths: remain at 61 (26 in NSW, 14 in Vic, four in Qld, six in WA, five in Tas, two in ACT, four in SA). 18 were passengers on the Ruby Princess.
* Six deaths are linked to the Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Sydney’s Macquarie Park.
* Nearly $1.5 million in on-the-spot fines have been handed out over the long weekend with Queensland issuing 754 at $1334 a pop, NSW ticketing 200 at $1000 each and Victoria hitting more than 150 with $1652 fines.
MEASURES
* The Victorian government on Sunday announced it has extended its state of emergency for another four weeks to midnight on May 11.
* The Tasmanian government has called in Defence Force medics after closing two hospitals at the centre of an outbreak in the state’s northwest for a “super clean”, with around 5000 people to be placed into quarantine for two weeks.
* Victoria has expanded its coronavirus testing criteria to include people displaying fever or breathing symptoms.
* NSW will establish a same-day text messaging service for those who undertake a coronavirus test and return a negative result.
* Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a $28 million mental health fund to support those who are becoming increasingly vulnerable during the coronavirus crisis.
* About 750 Qantas staff will self-isolate after 18 baggage handlers, 13 of their close contacts and three other staff became infected.
* The federal government announced higher education institutions will be able to offer cut-price courses for six months from May.
* The federal government announced on Saturday $16 million for food relief providers in a $100m package for Australian charities.
* It had already committed $320 billion, or 16.4 per cent of gross domestic product, to combat the virus’ health and economic effects.
* A $130 billion JobKeeper scheme will provide coronavirus-affected businesses $1500 a fortnight to pass onto employees over six months.
* 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.
* Interstate Queenslanders must present a pass and have a legitimate reason to return home
* Australians, excluding aid workers and compassionate cases, are banned from international travel.
* Popular NSW and Queensland beaches have been closed
* 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: schools in Victoria and ACT, 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, amusement parks, arcades, indoor and outdoor play centres, social sports that involve large groups, outdoor and indoor markets, outdoor playgrounds, outdoor gyms, skate parks.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
* Australia’s jobless rate is expected to reach 10 per cent for the June quarter based on Treasury analysis.
* A coronavirus outbreak of 49 cases in northwest Tasmania has been linked to an “illegal dinner party” of medical workers, according to the Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy. Premier Peter Gutwein says Professor Murphy was commenting on a rumour but police are to investigate.
* Qantas and Virgin is closing in on a multi-million dollar deal with the federal government to support flights between capital cities.
* Three more Qantas rescue flights will bring home Australians stranded in Peru, Argentina and South Africa this week.
* The criminal investigation into the Ruby Princess cruise ship debacle will take another five months to complete.
* The United States has surpassed Italy for most fatalities from the coronavirus of any country as the number of deaths surged to more than 20,000, nearly half of the victims in New York state.
* Britain’s COVID-19 death toll has passed 10,500 while Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been released from hospital.
SPORT
* The NRL plans to restart its competition on May 28 however Sport Minister Richard Colbeck says the date is probably ” a bit ambitious”.
* FIFA is considering postponing the restart of all international football matches to 2021 due to the coronavirus.
* The AFL, NRL, A-League, Super Rugby and Super Netball competitions are postponed.
ECONOMICS
* The Australian share market opened flat on its return from the Easter break but the S&P/ASX200 was down 0.5 per cent after 30 minutes.
* The head of the IMF predicts the virus will trigger the worst global economic downturn since the 1930s Great Depression with only partial recovery in 2021.
* Job advertisements have been slashed by two-thirds as Australian businesses absorb the economic pain of the coronavirus.
* OPEC has agreed to cut oil output by about 10 per cent of global supply to support oil prices.
GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS
* Cases: at least 1,924,314
* Deaths: at least 119,655
* Recovered: at least 444,836
*Source: State and federal government updates and worldometers website at 1130 AEST
with AAP
Pearl Dy is a community manager and journalist. She is passionate about business and development particularly involving not-for-profits, charity and social entrepreneurship.
