Some Australians are just days away from their first weekend of relaxed restrictions in almost two months.
Meanwhile, public school students will return to classes across Western Australia today, with a parent survey showing at least 60 per cent of children could attend.
Follow all the latest coronavirus updates in our live blog.
Live updates
By Bridget Judd
Stimulus payments having 'profound impact' on households
The Federal Government's stimulus payments are having a "profound impact" on Australia's households, with a surge in unemployment payments more than offsetting the fall in income from job losses.
According to the Commonwealth Bank, since mid-March there has been a 50 per cent increase in the number of CBA bank accounts receiving fortnightly Jobseeker payments [previously called Newstart].
The Government's first $750 emergency cash payment has also been paid to 6.5 million Australians.
By Simon Smale
Can I go to my holiday house?
Hi there.Are we able to travel to our holiday house up the coast (Port Stephens) with the family for the weekend?-Andrew P
Hey Andrew,
From Friday 1 May, up to 2 adults and their dependent children will be allowed to visit another household.
You will still need to practise social distancing and good personal hygiene.
Take extra care when visiting vulnerable people.
If you are feeling unwell,you should not visit other people at home.
"Don't take risks — we don't want to see the numbers suddenly spike up because people are being irresponsible," Ms Berejiklian said.
She also said that easing the restrictions was not a "license to go wild and have massive parties".
By Bridget Judd
Clear your schedule, it's time to binge-watch
For the first time, films only released on streaming platforms will be eligible for an Oscar.
Usually, a movie has to screen in a cinema in Los Angeles for at least seven days to be eligible for consideration.
With theatres closed, the Academy announced the temporary change for the 2021 awards.
"The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theatre. Nonetheless, the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules," the Academy said.
By Simon Smale
What is a coronavirus super-spreader?
What is an actual superspreader - is it someone who just moves around a lot spreading germs, or is it a particular type of the virus that is different?-Jayne
Hi Jayne,
A super-spreader is basically someone who spreads an infectious disease to many other people, most frequently the medical workers treating them.
The director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Professor Kanta Subbarao, told the ABC the term first really came into use during the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak.
By Bridget Judd
'Unfortunately, there may be more'
Federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck says he fears there could be further COVID-19 deaths at a Western Sydney aged care home.
Five residents at Newmarch House in Cadden died yesterday, bringing the total number of coronavirus deaths at the home to 11.
Senator Colbeck says the Federal Government has been working with state health authorities to ensure residents are getting the best possible care.
He's told Channel Nine yesterday was a tragic day.
"Unfortunately, there may be more but I don't know the individual circumstances of them all, it's just the effect of this virus, and I can understand how concerned family members may be."
By Bridget Judd
NSW records 11 new coronavirus infections
It takes the state's total to 3,020.
Two of those new infections are staff at Anglicare Newmarch House — the Western Sydney aged care home where 11 residents have died from COVID-19.
A total of 56 people, including 22 staff and 34 residents, have been infected at that facility since an employee worked six shifts despite displaying mild coronavirus symptoms.
By Simon Smale
Morning all,
I'm jumping on this blog-train to help Bridget answer some of your questions.
Keep sending them in and we'll get to them as soon as we can.
By Bridget Judd
'Some jobs will not return'
The Finance Minister Mathias Cormann is speaking now.
Asked if he expects the jobless rate to stay high for some time, he told ABC News Breakfast "some jobs will not return".
"But new jobs will emerge as well. We are working on a plan for a strong recovery on the other side.
"Clearly the first priority was to ensure we provided the necessary and appropriate supports for our economy, for business, for Australians through this period and we've done that through a combination of JobSeeker and JobKeeper and various other programs designed to support business and support Australians.
"And our focus now is on maximising the strength of the recovery on the other side. That clearly is going to be the focus now and there will be new opportunity, fresh opportunities as well, as a result of some of the adaptation that business has been forced to go through over this period."
By Bridget Judd
US records more than 1 million cases of coronavirus
The number of confirmed US coronavirus cases has topped 1 million, representing almost a third of the global total.
The news came as about a dozen states moved to restart their economies despite a lack of large-scale virus testing.
President Donald Trump's economic adviser has forecast an unemployment rate of more than 16 per cent for April and protests have been breaking out over stay-at-home orders.
By Bridget Judd
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is speaking now
She's addressing changes to the restrictions in NSW.
From Friday, groups of two adults — and their children if they have any — will be able to visit other households for social gatherings.
The Premier says the change does "not give you a licence to go beyond the rules".
"Please know how important it is for everyone to respect the rules we put in place. The reasons why we're allowing people to come into other people's households is to extend the definition of care. It's to reduce social isolation and it's to improve mental health, because we know that so many people in our community have been literally locked up in their homes for weeks on end."
The four reasons you can leave the house (working/school, groceries, exercise and care/medical needs) still remain, and you should only visit another person's house for care reasons.
Ms Berejiklian adds: "This is not a holiday".
By Bridget Judd
Brendan Murphy apologises over 'illegal dinner party' claim
Australia's chief medical officer has apologised to Tasmanian health workers for comments he made about an illegal dinner party contributing to a coronavirus outbreak in the state's north-west.
Professor Brendan Murphy was giving evidence to a New Zealand Parliamentary Inquiry in April when he appeared to suggest that an "illegal dinner party" attended by health workers in the north-west had contributed to the outbreak.
At the time, Tasmania's director of public health said contact tracing did not support the claim and a police investigation, concluded this week, also found no evidence.
In a statement released to the ABC this morning, Professor Murphy apologised to Tasmanian health workers for his comments, and said he welcomed the investigation's "positive outcome".
Reporting by Alison Costelloe.
By Bridget Judd
'It's about giving people the option'
Anna Bligh, chief executive of the Australian Banking Association, is speaking now.
She says debit cards will be sent out to those who don't currently own one — the majority of whom are older and more vulnerable and have been urged to stay at home during the pandemic — to allow them to pay bills or order groceries online.
"I certainly want to make it clear that these cards will be sent out to people with instructions that the banks will have people on the other end of the line to help. But these cards are not mandatory.
"They're being sent to people, but people will not be obliged to use them if they don't feel comfortable. It's about giving people the option.
"If they are at home, if they have to quarantine, if they have to isolate for longer, and they do need to pay bills or order groceries online, they'll have an option that they don't have now."
By Bridget Judd
School term resumes in NSW today
The NSW Government says while no student will be turned away, parents should keep their children at home for now.
Students will then return to the classroom using a staggered approach in two weeks time.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian says if all goes well, students will be back on campus full-time before the end of this term.
She says the timeline will be revised at the end of week three.
By Bridget Judd
Olympics will be scrapped if they can't be held next year
Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori says the postponed 2020 Games will be scrapped if they can't be held next year.
The games were last month postponed until July 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan's medical association says it will be difficult to hold the Olympics next year unless a vaccine or an effective treatment is developed.
But Mr Mori says a further delay is not an option.
By Bridget Judd
'It's safe to be in the classroom'
The Federal Government is offering billions in funding to private schools — if they have kids back in the classroom by June 1.
Speaking on ABC News Breakfast, the Education Minister Dan Tehan says the medical expert panel has determined "it's safe to be in the classroom teaching with the right protocols in place".
"Why we are doing this [funding], Catholic and independent schools have approached the Federal Government and said some schools were experiencing cash flow issues and were asking for us to bring forward the July payment we would normally make to them.
"What we have decided to do is bring forward those payments in two installments. They will get the first if they commit to have a plan in place to get students back and teachers back teaching all year levels by the end of May, if they achieve 50 per cent, they will get the second installment."
Mr Tehan adds schools are already beginning to get "back to normal".
"As you're aware, in Australia, in South Australia, and in the Northern Territory, schools are resuming right across those states and students are attending in South Australia, they had over 60 per cent attendance yesterday. So we're already seeing schools getting back to normal there."
By Bridget Judd
Questions from the audience
How many screening tests does NSW aim to carry out each day? And when will asymptomatic testing likely begin? Thank you!-Chris
Morning, Chris.
According to the NSW Government, there is now laboratory capacity to approximately double the volume of testing for COVID-19 from an average of 4,000 tests to 8,000 tests per day, through both the public and private health systems.
How many Australians have now downloaded the COVIDSafe app? Hopefully a large percentage by now!-Lara
Good question, Lara.
During the Health Minister Greg Hunt's press conference yesterday, he said the app had been downloaded by 2.44 million Australians (as of 12:30 Tuesday).
So there's a pretty good chance it's above that now.
By Bridget Judd
Remember the whole toilet paper fiasco?
Well, those toilet paper limits that were enforced in supermarkets last month due to coronavirus-fuelled stockpiling have been lifted by Coles and Woolworths.
From today, Coles customers can buy up to 10 packets of toilet paper or paper towel, while Woolworths is allowing shoppers to purchase up to four.
A one-packet-per-customer limit for toilet paper still remains in place in Aldi.
TL;DR - Don't be a pork chop and ruin it for everyone.
By Bridget Judd
Good news, rugby fans
The NRL says a revised 20-round season will resume late next month after finalising negotiations with its television broadcast partners.
There'll be 18 more rounds played in addition to the two that were completed before the season was suspended due to coronavirus.
The State of Origin series will be played following the Grand Final, which is scheduled for the 25th of October.
The NRL made the announcement after sanctioning four players for breaking social distancing regulations, and interim chief executive Andrew Abdo says he's hopeful there won't be a repeat.
"We're working day and night to get the competition up and running. Any setback is a setback for all us as a game. But I'm not concerned about this particular issue derailing any of those discussions."
By Bridget Judd
'We need to identify weaknesses'
Senior former defence officials and now government MPs say Australia needs to secure its supply chains in the event of a further global crisis.
Cheryl Durrant, the Defence Department's former director of preparedness has told the ABC's 7.30 that COVID-19 has exposed Australia's essential services and supply chains as increasingly vulnerable.
Until recently one of Australia's most senior military planners, she says Australia should have been far better prepared for the pandemic and must get ready for the next crisis.
Andrew Hastie , the Chair of the Parliamentary Security and Intelligence Committee, says the nation needs to identify potential vulnerabilities in the supply chain.
"We need to identify weaknesses that we need to mitigate. We don't want to ever be in a position where we're reliant upon another country for our security or our prosperity. We do not want to be strategically or economically coerced."
By Bridget Judd
Almost half the businesses interested in JobKeeper haven't signed up
Almost half the Australian workforce could be paid up to $1,500 a fortnight for six months through the $130 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme.
But many employers are giving up before a single payment has been sent.
Understandably, the most expensive welfare program in the nation's history is having teething problems.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA0LTI5L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWF1c3RyYWxpYS1saXZlLW5ld3MtY292aWQxOS1sYXRlc3Qtd29ybGQtY2FzZXMtM20vMTIxOTQ3NzbSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTIxOTQ3NzY?oc=5
2020-04-28 20:00:20Z
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