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.
Which restrictions are easing on Monday in NSW and Victoria?
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.
Commuters move through Green Square train station on Tuesday morning.Credit:Louise Kennerley
In NSW
- The general rules about gathering in homes and public places remain the same: five visitors to a home, and groups of 10 can gather in a public place
- Restaurants, pubs and cafes will be allowed to host 50 patrons, up from 10 currently, with restrictions: they can only take group bookings of 10 people or less and shared food and utensils are out
- The cap on wedding attendees doubles to 20 and 50 people will be allowed to gather at funerals and religious services
- Beauty, waxing, tanning and nail salons can begin treatments, adhering to social distancing
- Museums, galleries, libraries, zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums will reopen, adhering to social distancing
- The restrictions on public pools stay the same: only outdoor pools may open and they are only allowed 10 patrons at a time, and one swimmer per lane
- Regional travel for any purpose is allowed within the state
In Victoria (largely borrowed from Rachael Dexter's explanation in this article):
- People will be able to gather in groups of 20 in households (that figure includes members of a household) and public places (which includes outdoor fitness groups)
- Restaurants, pubs and cafes will be allowed to reopen, and can host 20 diners
- Weddings and religious services will be allowed 20 guests, in addition to the celebrant (and, in the case of weddings, the couple). Funerals can have 50 attendees, as in NSW, this is an increase from the 20-person indoor, 30-person outdoor rule
- Beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons, spas, tattoo parlours and massage parlours may reopen with up to 20 patrons
- Galleries, libraries, museums, zoos, historic sites, arcades, drive-in cinemas, outdoor amusement parks will reopen with up to 20 patrons per space
- Indoor and outdoor swimming pools can be opened to a maximum of 20 patrons per separate enclosed space and a limit of three people per lane in each pool
- Overnight stays are allowed in private residences and hotels, and campgrounds, caravan parks and tourist accommodation allowed to reopen for regional travellers, as long as shared bathroom and kitchen facilities are not used
Latest updates
WATCH: South Australian Premier gives a coronavirus update
Straight out of the national cabinet meeting and in before the Prime Minister, South Australian Premier Steven Marshall is due to address the media.
Australians searching for the Queensland holiday they can't yet have
Australians are searching for a holiday in the sunshine state, even if Queensland's border restrictions mean it isn't feasible just yet.
Search data from several major travel booking sites shows that international destinations have all but disappeared from Australians' travel plans this winter, replaced by holidays closer to home, Craig Platt reports.
People swimming at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast on May 16, 2020.Credit:Getty
Expedia hotel search data for the July school holiday period (June 27 to July 20) shows why Queensland may want to reconsider keeping its borders shut to interstate visitors, with three of the top five destinations in the state: the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Cairns.
This year, the only international destination in the top 10 is the New Zealand adventure holiday destination Queenstown, which did not make the list last year.
National cabinet and COAG: what's the difference?
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to address the nation after today's national cabinet meeting. We were originally told that would be around 1.30pm, although it is now looking like it could be later.
On the agenda today was reopening the economy, tax reform as well as the future of the national cabinet itself following calls from multiple state and federal personalities to keep the meetings going after the pandemic.
If you're asking – isn't that just COAG? The answer is: sort of yes. COAG meets two to four times a year and also includes local government representation, whereas national cabinet has been occurring much more frequently and doesn't have the LGA President. But a cynic would say the real difference between the two is just that national cabinet is occurring in a time of crisis, when bipartisan cooperation is essential.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said earlier this week national cabinet should be considered to replace the COAG forum which had become clumsy, overly bureaucratic and mired in red tape.
However, South Australian Premier Steven Marshall is in favour of keeping COAG as it and the national cabinet are "two different beasts".
with AAP
Coles returns to packing customer bags, lifts all product restrictions
It was only a couple of months ago that there were product restrictions on long lists of items and empty shelves in the nation's supermarkets.
But, in the latest sign of normality, Coles has announced this morning its staff will return to packing customer bags from Monday.
Coles has announced its staff will return to packing customer bags from Monday.Credit:Sasha Woolley
The supermarket has also removed all product restrictions, and will be replacing old reusable bags with fresh ones on request.
Customers can still pack their own bags, if they would prefer.
“We are grateful for the way customers have adapted to some big changes in our stores including packing their own bags," said Coles CEO Steven Cain.
"We hope that our team offering to pack them again makes life a little easier and that a replacement Coles ‘Better Bag’ will provide some peace of mind at a time when good hygiene practices and social distancing are as important as ever.”
Social distancing and hand sanitising practices will remain in place.
Women executives demand three month extension of free childcare
By Wendy Tuohy
The Federal Government's $1.6 billion free childcare scheme should be extended for three months to ensure women are not put at risk, according to the national organisation for senior women executives.
Sue Morphet, president of Chief Executive Women, said if women lose access to childcare when the scheme ends on June 28 as well as suffering longer-term financial disadvantage they could be prevented from exiting unsafe situations such as domestic violence at home.
"Women are most likely to suffer more and suffer longer as a result of this particular crisis and they are likely to be suffering for three years and more," she said.
"If they do they will lose their financial security which enables them to make social decisions ... such as against family violence and the like."
Future of 56,000 sheep destined for coronavirus ship unclear
In Western Australia, the future of tens of thousands of sheep destined to be transported on a ship which has had a coronavirus outbreak among its crew is unclear.
Six more members of the international crew on the Al Kuwait, which is docked at Fremantle, tested positive to COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total to 12 (a quarter of its crew).
There are 56,000 sheep destined for the ship being held at a feedlot in Perth. Their intended destination was the UAE and Kuwait, however their future is uncertain ahead of a moratorium on sheep exports to the Middle East from June 1 to September 14.
Meanwhile, Western Australians are waking up to new freedoms this morning, with regional travel now allowed within the state.
The state government has also announced this morning that restrictions on visiting hours at public hospitals aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus will be partially eased next week, allowing people in maternity wards two birthing partners and also allowing children to relatives in hospital.
As three-quarters of Australians kept kids home, women did the work
By Shane Wright
More than three quarters of Australian parents kept their children home from school or childcare due to the coronavirus pandemic with women picking up the bulk of the care load.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics this morning released a running survey it has been carrying out through the pandemic, revealing just how it has disrupted the everyday lives of millions of workers.
Of the parents keeping their children at home almost all had to change their working arrangements. In 38 per cent of cases, parents worked from home, another 22 per cent reduced or changed their working hours while 13 per cent took leave.
Women were three times as likely to stay at home to look after their children than men.
The bureau's household surveys program manager, Michelle Marquardt, said there had also been a lift in difficulties for parents.
“Parents also reported difficulties experienced by their children while learning from home. These included difficulties concentrating (58 per cent), feeling lonely (49 per cent) and feelings of anxiety (33 per cent)," she said.
Despite heavy restrictions on people moving around the country, the survey found 13 per cent of people provided unpaid care to a vulnerable person outside their household. Another 23 per cent provided care to someone within their household.
The most common form of help was shopping.
The survey also suggests the hit to the jobs market in April continued through into May.
The bureau said 63.2 per cent of people reported holding a job in mid-May, effectively the same level as early April when key parts of the economy were closed.
Almost 59 per cent of people said they were working paid hours. Ahead of the pandemic shutdown, this was 64 per cent.
One in five people said they were eligible for the JobKeeper $1500 fortnightly payment while 13 per cent said they had started receiving the payment.
Seven per cent of people reported at least one person in their household was receiving some sort of payment relief, such as mortgage deferrals, due to the virus.
New Zealand down to just one case
New Zealand's Ministry of Health has announced there is just one known case of coronavirus in the country, after confirming seven recoveries overnight.
The total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand since the start of the pandemic remains at 1154 and it has not reported a new case in a week.
From midday today, Kiwis will be allowed to gather in groups of 100, provided contact details of attendees are kept for events such as weddings and funerals.
High Court challenge to Queensland border closures will be filed
By Michaela Whitbourn
A High Court challenge to Queensland's border restrictions will be filed after the state government failed to meet a "deadline" of Thursday imposed by Queensland Senator and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson to re-open the state.
"Following the Queensland Premier’s refusal to re-open the state's border by 4pm yesterday, lawyers acting on behalf of several Queensland businesses expect to file a [constitutional] ... challenge in the High Court, either today or early next week," Senator Hanson said.
Senator Hanson is not a party to the case but has fielded calls from interested plaintiffs and attempted to raise funds for the cause.
NSW barrister Guy Reynolds, SC, will lead the case, instructed by a Queensland law firm.
"I am disappointed in the Queensland tourism body, the state mayors, and those industry leaders who have failed to take up this fight and challenge Annastacia Palaszczuk over the border closure," Senator Hanson said.
"I do however want to congratulate the plaintiffs in this case, who have very strong prospects and have stepped forward to take on this rogue state government."
A GoFundMe page has been set up for donations for the legal team other than Mr Reynolds, who is expected to appear pro bono.
On Sunday, the state government is expected to make an announcement on travel changes under stage two restriction changes, though has flagged the border may not be reopened until July at the earliest.
Businessman and former federal MP Clive Palmer has also joined the legal fray yesterday over the state’s border closure, adding Queensland to his High Court challenge involving the Western Australia restrictions.
In the lead-up to the senator's imposed deadline, Deputy Premier Steven Miles noted Senator Hanson had only recently called for a border in north Queensland which has recorded few cases of COVID-19.
“I think she’s more desperate to seek headlines than she is concerned about this virus and its impact on Queenslanders,” he said.
with Matt Dennien
Two new cases in NSW, both in hotel quarantine
There have been two new coronavirus cases recorded in NSW in the latest daily reporting period, both in hotel quarantine.
NSW Health said there had been 9962 tests carried out during the reporting period, taking the total number of tests conducted in the state to just shy of 485,000.
There have been 3092 coronavirus cases in the state since the pandemic began and 2666 people have recovered.
"While the numbers are pleasingly low, recent cases acquired in the community indicate the virus is still likely to be circulating among people with mild symptoms," NSW Health said in a statement, urging people to come forward for testing even with the mildest symptoms.
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