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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Naaman Zhou, Christopher Knaus and Amy Remeikis

Australian shares plunge 6.4% and AFL season to start as planned amid Covid-19 outbreak – as it happened

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To finish up on 18 March

There will be another big day ahead of us. Here is a brief outlay of today:

  • Australia recorded its sixth death from Covid-19, when an 86-year-old man died in a Sydney hospital from the virus.
  • NSW saw its biggest spike in daily cases, with 57 new cases recorded.
  • Victoria recorded 27 new cases.
  • Tasmania recorded three new cases.
  • The AFL season will start as scheduled tomorrow, but with shorter quarters (and season).
  • Production on the TV series Neighbours has been temporarily halted.
  • A NSW man has been charged with the assault of two elderly shoppers in a Lismore supermarket.
  • The Australian share market has had another absolute shocker of a day, shedding more than $105bn and closing 6.43% down.
  • The Aussie dollar has dropped to a 17-year low, of about US60 cents.
  • Faith services have been cancelled all over the nation.
  • Queensland suspended its parliament sitting.
  • The Northern Territory announced a $65m stimulus.
  • The Reserve Bank of Australia will make an announcement tomorrow, with both a rate cut and potential quantitative easing measures on the cards.
  • The next stage of the Morrison government stimulus is expected over the next three days.

Thank you for joining us for today’s Covid-19 blog. We will continue to keep you updated as this rolls on. In the meantime, as always – please take care of you.

Updated

The Council of Australian Governments (Coag) Disability Reform Council has met.

The council agreed on the following priorities:

  • Ensure appropriate consideration is given to people with disability and the disability services sector in the health response, including access to telehealth, infection control training and personal protective equipment.
  • Ensure the ongoing delivery of core NDIA service delivery as part of the NDIA’s Pandemic Plan, including the shift from face-to-face planning to telephone planning, and the redirecting of NDIA staff and partners to priority service delivery roles that support participants in response to Covid-19.
  • Ensure the continuation of services to NDIS participants through the extension and increased flexibility of NDIS plans where necessary so that the NDIA can focus on reviewing plans that may require amendment in response to the impact of Covid-19.
  • Ensure appropriate plans are in place to respond to any workforce shortages that may arise as a result of Covid-19.
  • Ensure providers are supported to remain viable during the period of impact of Covid-19 and beyond.

Updated

Gil McLachlan says the AFL has taken the advice of the medical authorities and the government – and those involved in the AFL itself – in making the decision to go ahead.

“It will be day by day,” he says, on how the league will move forward.

The season has already been cut to just 17 games, and quarters have been cut to 16 minutes.

Updated

AFL season to start as planned

The AFL boss, Gil McLachlan, says the league has weighed up the options and decided it is able to move forward with the season as planned.

He says that if a player tests positive to Covid-19, the league will temporarily pause if needed.

Updated

At this stage, Queensland is pushing ahead with its local government elections, scheduled for 28 March.

Its electoral body is recommending people vote early to avoid polling day crowds.

Updated

The AFL season will be starting on time, with Richmond taking on Carlton, this Thursday, as scheduled.

(Thanks to AAP for that update)

Tasmania has confirmed another three cases of Covid-19.

That brings the total there to 10.

The three people, in their 40s, had all recently travelled overseas.

Updated

I wouldn’t expect the next stage of the government’s stimulus package – now being called a ‘safety net’ or, if you are Dan Andrews, a “survival package” to come tomorrow. The government is waiting to see what the RBA does, so it will be Friday at the earliest, but more likely than not, the weekend.

It has to come by Monday though. Parliament will sit next week for the last time in at least six weeks, which means it is the last chance to pass the stimulus measures.

Updated

This is where the conversation will be heading tomorrow, once the RBA announces its next step:

Updated

BaptistCare closes aged care centres to visitors

BaptistCare has announced it is closing all of its aged care centres to visitors.

BaptistCare runs the Dorothy Henderson centre, where three of Australia’s elderly Covid-19 patients who died were living.

From its release:

In these unprecedented and challenging times, BaptistCare have taken precautions to prioritise the safety and health of our residents, families and staff.

Older Australians are especially vulnerable to this virus, and it is vital we take additional measures to protect our residents and staff as the transmission of COVID-19 continues to escalate in the community.

This is a preventative measure only and there is currently no other case of COVID-19 at any other BaptistCare home.

The preventative closure to all visitors means:

    • BaptistCare residential aged care homes will not be allowing casual and non-essential access (including families, friends, school groups).
    • Visits from essential services such as GPs and allied health providers will continue as per normal.
    • Residents will be requested to remain in our homes, with any residents who need to leave being required to isolate in their rooms on return for 7 days.
    • All recreational and lifestyle programs as well as chapel services at each Home will continue as long as the Home remains free of COVID-19, with social distancing measures in place as further prevention.

We are assessing this developing situation in an ongoing way, and we will advise residents and families as soon as anything changes.

We understand how difficult this will be for many of our families, and even for our residents who look forward to visits from their loved ones, however we appreciate all cooperation at this time as we do all we can to protect our residents and staff.

While we do not know exactly what is to come with this pandemic situation, we do know that the safety and health of our residents, staff and the wider community, are our ongoing priority.

Updated

From AAP:

An aged care service provider has moved to bar all visitors from its homes to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

It’s a step up from new measures introduced by the federal government, which would limit visits to aged care facilities to short, two-person visits once a day.

Anyone who has been overseas in the past two weeks, been in contact with someone who has coronavirus or respiratory infection symptoms will be barred completely.

The changes are part of a range of measures announced by the prime minister and chief medical officer on Wednesday.

These include warning Australians against all overseas travel and banning non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.

An email from Estia chief executive Ian Thornley to family and friends of residents said its facilities would close to visitors from 5pm on Wednesday.

“We understand that this decision will have significant impact on our residents and their close contacts and sincerely apologise for this,” he said in the email seen by AAP.

Visitors would still be allowed in “exceptional circumstances on compassionate grounds” with volunteers also to be barred from Estia homes and non-essential resident outings banned.

Estia is a commercial aged care provider running nearly 70 residences in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

Evening recap

It’s been another big day.

To recap just some of it:

  • Australia recorded it’s sixth death from Covid-19, when an 86-year-old man died in a Sydney hospital from the virus.
  • NSW saw its biggest spike in daily cases, with 57 new cases recorded.
  • Victoria recorded 27 new cases.
  • Production on Neighbours has been temporarily halted.
  • A NSW man has been charged with the assault of two elderly shoppers in a Lismore supermarket.
  • The Australian market has had another absolute shocker of a day, shedding more than $105bn and closing 6.43% down.
  • The Aussie dollar has dropped to a 17-year low, of about US60 cents.
  • Queensland suspended its parliament sitting.
  • The Northern Territory announced a $65m stimulus.
  • The Reserve Bank of Australia will make an announcement tomorrow, with both a rate cut and potential quantitative easing measures on the cards.
  • The next stage of the Morrison government stimulus is expected over the next three days.

Updated

You may have heard a lot about the Singapore response to Covid-19 today.

The Conversation has written about it here:

Updated

The government will be loosening some of the restrictions placed on international workers to help the aged care sector.

From Alan Tudge:

Aged care providers will temporarily be able to offer more hours to international students to ensure the care of senior and vulnerable Australians, as part of the campaign to combat the impact of coronavirus.

Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alan Tudge said international students would help fill critical staff shortages emerging in the sector.

The measures will be administered by the Department of Home Affairs and are available to approved providers of Commonwealth-funded aged care services, only for existing employees.

Providers can register with the Department if they believe the changes will assist them.

Employers are still required to abide by all relevant Australian workplace laws. Students have the same rights under Australian workplace law as all other employees.

NSW police have arrested someone over the alleged assault at a Lismore supermarket yesterday.

Updated

The Australian reports Woolworths has established an “emergency management team and crisis management team” to try to cope with the added pressure on the supermarket group’s supply chain.

Woolworths has set up an emergency management team and crisis management team within its supermarkets business to ensure rapid daily decisions are made in the face of the panic buying triggered by the coronavirus pandemic that has seen its supermarkets stripped of products from toilet paper to meat.

Such has been the pressure on its stores that its chief executive has characterised it as Woolworths being pushed to feed 50 million Australians a week.

Updated

Given all the need for accurate and fast news at the moment (I would argue always), and particularly given newsroom resources are taken up with Covid-19, the media union is calling for AAP shareholders to keep the newswire service open until the end of the year, at least.

Scott Morrison is chatting to Paul Murray tonight on Sky.

This really was the biggest issue of the day – in terms of what had people worried:

Updated

Palace Cinemas has announced it will close all 17 cinemas across Australia for an indefinite period from tomorrow, and will reopen when circumstances allow.

The cinema is offering full refunds for people who have booked tickets, and those who have bought tickets in person can email a copy of their ticket direct to the cinema for a refund.

Updated

Christmas Island and the Cocos Keeling Islands are closing their borders, with only residents and essential staff now allowed in:

Updated

How faith communities are managing social distancing

We are getting some more details on how faith communities will manage the ban on gatherings of more than 100 people.

  • The Lebanese Muslim Association is temporarily suspending all activities at its mosques and prayer halls from Thursday morning. That includes its mosques in Cabramatta, Young and Lakemba, one of Australia’s largest mosques that hosts thousands of people every week. It is encouraging prayer at home. Additional activities and the night prayer during Ramadan will also be suspended. Religious counselling and other services will be offered online and over the phone.
  • The Anglican archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies, says the Anglican church in Sydney will suspend all church gatherings until further notice. He is encouraging churches to provide their services and sermons online or via other communication methods. Easter services will not take place and he will record a video of a Good Friday and Easter Sunday sermon.
  • Sydney synagogues have also suspended services after a recommendation from the Sydney Beth Din. In a statement, issued on Tuesday, a day before the government’s announcement of the new restrictions, the authority said there was no time to waste and recommended gatherings including weddings and funerals also be limited to immediate family.
  • The Permanent Committee of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference was meeting today to determine its response.

Updated

Saudi Arabia has called an online G20 summit for next week, to help G20 nations build a “coordinated response” to the hit to the global economy.

Updated

Some good news (hopefully) for those working from home:

To support productivity and connectivity in response to COVID-19 social distancing measures, NBN Co has cleared the way for RSPs to meet the changing needs of their customers. From Monday, RSPs will have access to up to 40 per cent more Connectivity Virtual Circuit (CVC) at no additional charge for at least three months. This applies to all NBN access technologies, including fixed wireless and Sky Muster satellite services.

These new measures take advantage of the flexibility in the NBN to account for changing data usage patterns, which are expected to result in higher traffic levels during the day and increased activity in the suburbs as compared to business districts.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting a first-grade Sydney University rugby player has tested positive for Covid-19 and now “dozens” of players are having to be warned, given the player took part in a weekend championship.

The City of Sydney has also announced it is cancelling all non-essential events, as per the new advice:

Updated

A new training module has been put out for health workers:

Updated

Anyone wanting a bit more information on the ANU teaching pause will find it here.

If you have exams scheduled, they might also be impacted. The new schedule is:

Classes will resume on Monday 30 March, with the two-week mid-semester break occurring as planned. Semester one will be extended by one week to allow for this pause, and the timing of the end of semester and exam period will be adjusted to accommodate this, as below:

  • One-week pause: Monday 23 to Friday 27 March
  • Classes resume: Monday 30 March (new week 5)
  • Mid-semester break: Monday 6 April to Friday 17 April
  • Return from mid-semester break: Monday 20 April (new week 6)
  • End of teaching: Friday 5 June (new week 12)
  • Semester one exam period: Thursday 11 to Saturday 27 June

Updated

The Australian National University has announced a teaching pause:

The Australian National University is taking every precaution to respond to this challenge in a way that ensures the wellbeing and safety of our community, as well as ensure core operations.

We are planning for the long-term.

Today ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt announced ANU will pause coursework teaching for one week from Monday 23 March.

Coursework teaching will recommence on Monday 30 March.

This pause will allow the University to focus on four priorities:

  • Finalising moving our courses to remote learning so we can finish semester one and continue teaching for the rest of the year;
  • Focusing on safely bringing home staff and students who are currently overseas;
  • Setting up work from home arrangements for when they are needed, and
  • Finalising local level business continuity plans.

The University remains open, including libraries, childcare centres, retail outlets and residential halls.

During the pause all staff, including casuals, will continue to be paid their usual fortnightly pay, and the pause will not affect any planned leave or self-isolation arrangements.

Updated

Because it has been the big issue of the day:

New South Wales police have released images of the man they are looking to talk to in relation to an incident in a Lismore supermarket, which left two women in their 70s injured.

Here’s Old Mate.

Updated

Penny Wong wants a bit more information from the government on who, exactly, is being called home.

Is it just tourists, or are those working overseas also being called back, Wong wants to know.

For example, there are hundreds of thousands of Australians living in the United States and United Kingdom. The kinds of questions they have been asking are:

    • Is the Australian government warning them to return home?
    • What is the risk to these Australians if they do not?
    • If they cannot return now, do they face not being able to return for months or years?
    • How can they get home with commercial flights grinding to a halt?

We also know that 1.35 million Australians took cruises in 2018, meaning there are likely to be thousands of Australians on cruises at any given time.

This is a difficult and stressful time for Australians abroad. There will be numerous cases where large numbers of Australians will need more direct support.

We commend DFAT’s consular team for their hard work around the clock, and urge the Morrison Government to ensure that DFAT is adequately resourced to provide the essential support Australians need.

In particular, we urge Minister Payne to explain how the government is seeking to minimise risk for Australians wishing to return home but who are unable to access commercial flights.

Updated

The British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert has not been reported among the 85,000 prisoners temporarily released from Iranian jails out of fear coronavirus could sweep through the country’s overcrowded prisons.

As the Iranian government struggles to contain an exponential rise in Covid-19 cases – currently the country has 16,000 confirmed cases and nearly 1,000 deaths – a doctor on state-run TV warned more than three million people could die across the country if isolation measures aren’t strictly adhered to.

There are growing concerns for prisoners held in Iran’s overcrowded jails, where healthcare is poor and many prisoners have already compromised health.

The government says it has released half of the country’s “security” prisoners on furlough to arrest any potential Covid-19 spread, but nothing has been heard publicly on Moore-Gilbert’s case.

Updated

Two elderly women 'assaulted' by man in supermarket

Lismore police are looking for someone who allegedly assaulted staff and shoppers at a supermarket in the northern NSW town yesterday.

The man pushed his trolley into two women, believed to be aged in their 70s, knocking one to the ground and then pinning the other against the shelving. A 45-year-old female store attendant attempted to intervene but was punched in the face.

The store manager and a security guard approached the man and were also assaulted, before the man was removed from the premises.

The 45-year-old woman sustained bruising and swelling to her left jaw, bruising and swelling to her left forearm, a small laceration to her left forearm, stiffness to her neck, bruising to her chest but declined medical assistance.

The two older women left the store without leaving their details and it’s unknown if they were injured.

His description has been put out:

He’s described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged in his mid-50s, 170cm tall with a medium build, dark brown to grey hair pulled back in a man bun at base of neck, and is unshaven with a scruffy “two-day” growth.

At the time he was wearing a grey/black-collared T-shirt, dark denim jeans, sunglasses and was carrying a black backpack. He was last seen wearing a matt-black cycle helmet and riding a white girls-style bicycle.

Updated

The West Australian AMA president, Andrew Miller, spoke to the ABC a few moments ago.

He believes Australia is headed to a “reduced school model”:

We have a reduced school model. Kids that need to be there for educational reasons or for family reasons, the children of critical workers or people who need to stay in the workplace have no one else to help, that’s the sort of thing that would still keep going to school.

We need to avoid getting to the stage of Italy or Wuhan, where they had to have complete lockdown, which causes chaos at the other end.

That’s why you’re seeing people panicking and provisioning a bit because they’re worried, they’re intelligent and watching what’s going on overseas and they so the numbers here are now starting to kick up on exactly the same gradient as the curve did in other countries.

We’ve had some effect but we need to get on with it because of the nature of the maths here.

To be very clear, that is not what the advice is at the moment. Currently, all states and territories are united in not closing the schools, which all leaders say is based on the advice they have received from health authorities.

Updated

South Australia has announced another five people have tested positive for Covid-19 today, bringing the state’s total to 37.

Updated

Australian stock market plunges more than 6.4%

The Australian market plunged more than 6.4% on Wednesday, wiping out gains it made on Tuesday.

After a rollercoaster ride this week the benchmark ASX200 index is now back where it was in early April 2016.

Since coronavirus selling gripped the market on 21 February it has shed 30% of its value.

Today it also dropped below the psychologically important 5,000 mark, closing the day at 4,953.2.

The former market darling Afterpay lost a third of its value on Wednesday, with stock that was changing hands for more than $40 just a few weeks ago worth just $13.07 at the close of trade today.

The fintech, Wednesday’s biggest loser, is heavily exposed to the coronavirus-ravaged retail sector and some analysts question its financial model.

Almost every sector lost ground today, with only utilities rising.

Updated

This would also be very helpful for parents:

Updated

Sydney film festival and Sydney comedy festival cancelled

The Sydney comedy festival is the latest coronavirus cancellation, with the organisers finally making a call that had been anticipated by many.

“Although the festival will not be staged in April and May, a number of performers will look to reschedule their shows for later in the year,” they said in a statement. Tickets will be refunded, with more information forthcoming.

The Sydney film festival, planned to take place from 3-14 June, has also been called off. Organisers will be in touch with ticketholders to offer 2021 replacements or process refunds.

“In this rapidly evolving and unknown environment, the SFF board and management know this is the only responsible decision – albeit a devastating one. However, the health and safety of our community is our first concern,” the festival’s CEO, Leigh Small, said in a statement.

Updated

Anthony Albanese was on ABC Sydney radio a little earlier.

He had a little to say about Labor’s request the defence force be called in to help with Australia’s Covid-19 outbreak:

A practical suggestion is that we have the Australian Defence Force, we have mobile army surgical hospitals that we roll out at times of emergencies in cyclones or during the tsunami in Indonesia. Can we use them? Can we use everything at our disposal to make sure that people can get tested sooner if possible? Because we know that is one of the keys to limiting the number of people who contract this virus.

Mathias Cormann says with all the advice he has seen, he is “extremely happy” to send his children to school.

Mathias Cormann is speaking to Sky and he says the next stimulus package has to be announced “some time between now and when the parliament comes back early next week”.

That’s “in the next few days”.

“We expect businesses to close and Australians to lose their jobs,” Cormann says, adding that the government is attempting to head off as many of those job losses and business closures as possible.

Updated

Queensland has suspended its parliament sitting

The Queensland parliament sitting has been suspended.

The Labor government’s numbers trumped the LNP’s opposition to the plan.

The opposition is taking it well:

Updated

Yesterday we broke the news of more than 100 Australian doctors and dentists stuck on a ship off the coast of Chile after the country stopped accepting cruise ships docking.

We have a bit more information on those on board:

There are 73 doctors, 20 dentists, five nurses and other health professionals – that’s 107 Australians in total, as well as 10 New Zealand citizens, two British citizens and one Danish citizen.

That’s just for the medical conference, there are others on board. The ship can hold 500. The cruise departed on 29 February from Chile down to Antarctica and no one has boarded since then.

Mark Cunich, managing director of Unconventional, the conference organiser, said those on board were in good spirits, and no one was sick.

“I have spoken to passengers who are still in high spirits and being well looked after by Hurtigruten. Our delegates are all very keen to get home to Australia and New Zealand, spend the required time in quarantine and then get back to work as soon as possible.”

Updated

The agriculture minister, David Littleproud, was forced to put something out on Australia’s food security a little earlier today.

Updated

If anyone is still hoarding food or panicking, consider this – Australia makes enough food for 75 million people.

That’s Australia alone. That’s how much we add to the food stocks in the world.

We have a population of 25 million people.

I was never any good at maths, but even I can tell that we are going to be OK when it comes to the food stakes.

Let me buy my potatoes people. Things have gone too far.

Updated

The NT leader, Michael Gunner, says he is expecting the economy is going to need some propping up for at least six months.

For those who just like to work out, there are new guidelines for what needs to be made available:

General hygiene measures at facilities

Facilities should ensure that:

• Spaces at each facility, surfaces and objects are regularly cleaned with disinfectant;

• Provide hand washing guidance (www.who.int/gpsc/clean_hands_protection/en/);

• Promote regular and thorough hand washing by staff and participants;

• Provide sanitising hand rub dispensers in prominent places around the event (particularly entry or high use areas such as a registration desk, change rooms, toilets or kiosk);

• Make sure dispensers are regularly refilled; and

• Promote exclusion of ill persons.

Gyms, indoor fitness centres and swimming pools

Settings like gyms, indoor fitness centres and swimming pools are not required to close at this time providing they meet these requirements for social distancing and hand hygiene. Such venues should take actions to ensure regular high standards of environmental cleaning take place.

New community sport guidelines released

The sport minister, Richard Colbeck, has just released community sport guidelines:

AHPPC Covid-19 Community Sport Guidelines

All community sport participants must play a role to help reduce the transmission of Covid-19, including those organising, attending or supporting attendance at these activities.

Participants should not attend and participate in community sport if they:

• Have travelled internationally or been exposed to a person with Covid-19 in the preceding 14 days; or

• Are at a high risk including the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

Attendance at community sport activities

Only essential participants should attend activities, ie players, coaches, match officials, staff and volunteers involved in operations and parents/guardians of participants;

All players, visitors should practise the following social distancing measures at community sporting activities:

• Players, visitors and officials should minimise physical contact as much as is practicable, for example no shaking hands, no walking out with player mascots, no pre- or post-match celebrations and no celebrating between players during the match.

• When spectating or attending a game or training session, ensure a distance of 1.5 metres is kept between yourself and others;

• Access to change rooms should be restricted solely to players, officials and essential staff;

• If spectating, try to maintain 1.5 metres between yourself and others.

• It is recommended that sporting teams, including school sporting teams, maintain local competitions only, with no inter-district, or inter-club travel. As with all gatherings, basic protective measures should be observed, such as regular hand hygiene practices before, during and after the match, do not share drink bottles, and avoid touching your face.

It is acknowledged that contact sports have a greater risk of transmission than other sports, and as such, should be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, other mitigation strategies for match socialisation and contact must be employed to reduce the risk to players, visitors and officials more broadly.

Updated

Michael Gunner says every leader has been made very, very aware of why more stimulus needs to come now:

We are seeing a collapse in revenue. Let’s be upfront on that. The nation is seeing a collapse in revenue.

The message from Dr Philip Lowe is we have to act now, that that is what we must do and if we don’t act now we will see a much longer economic downturn that lasts beyond the six-month timeframe we are working to around the coronavirus.

The advice is go hard, get ourselves sorted for the six months so we can bounce back at the end of it. If we don’t do that we lock in a five- to 10-year economic load.

That is the message to every premier, chief minister and prime minister from the Reserve Bank governor.

Updated

While cinemas, arts venues, churches, food courts and sporting halls around the country are closing under new bans on gatherings of more than 100 people indoors, the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has said Crown casino will only remain open while it satisfies the conditions set for it by the chief health officer, Brett Sutton.

Andrews told journalists on Wednesday the casino was “already a very different place” to what it is normally under the restrictions.

“To this point, they’ve been delivering on all the different things [Sutton] has been asking them to do,” he said. “They want people to be confident they are making all the changes they need.”

Social distancing measures have been put in place, and the casino has turned off half of its poker machines, spacing out which poker machines people can play at. More hand sanitiser has been made available and extra cleaning measures were put in place after the state of emergency was declared on Monday.

Andrews said as soon as Sutton advised otherwise, he would close it. For now Crown has been allowing up to 450 people into each of the casino’s facilities at a time. He said Crown would be exempt from the 100-people limit because Crown is both a hotel and a workplace, which are exempt from the bans.

Updated

Northern Territory announces $65m stimulus package

Michael Gunner has announced a new financial support package for the Northern Territory.

It includes:

  • $10,000 for eligible businesses for shop fitouts and physical changes
  • Another $10,000 for those businesses that spend $10,000 of their own
  • $5m immediate works package
  • $50,000 for clubs, community organisations and not-for-profits for repairs and renovations (matched dollar for dollar)
  • $30m for the return of the Home Investment Scheme
  • Government fees and charges and electricity prices frozen until July 2021
  • Domestic tourism marketing campaign

We know for this rescue and recovery package to work it has to be targeted, timely and temporary. We have to go hard and early. But let me be crystal clear about this, if we need to do more, we will do more.

We will scale up to save jobs. I will do whatever it takes to save jobs and protect Territorians from the impacts of the coronavirus. I will take whatever measures are needed to save lives and I will spend whatever it costs to save jobs.

We will never know if we did too much but we will know if we did too little and we will know it forever.

There may be critics who say this is too much, how can we afford it.

To that I simply say we can’t afford not to because we go down the path of cuts and we know what happens. It will kill the economy and it will kill jobs.

Updated

A reminder that all the people who need blood transfusions in Australia still need blood.

Updated

Lorena Allam has written on the call to change work-for-the-dole requirements in remote communities.

The peak Aboriginal medical service of the Northern Territory says it wrote to the federal minister Ken Wyatt six days ago asking for work-for-the-dole activities to be suspended “on public health grounds” to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission in vulnerable remote communities, but did not receive a response.

“We are disappointed that the minister has not responded to our letter,” said the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory chief executive, John Paterson.

But on Monday Wyatt’s department, the National Indigenous Australians Agency wrote to providers to say “mutual obligations remain in place at this stage”, meaning that Aboriginal people will still be expected to turn up for group activities or risk losing their welfare payments.

Updated

RBA announcement scheduled for 2.30pm tomorrow

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is holding another streaming concert.

Updated

Australian share prices are collapsing in afternoon trade, with the benchmark ASX 200 index down 6.25% at around 2.45pm.

At these levels, Tuesday’s extraordinary 5.8% gain is set to be wiped out.

Buy-now-pay-later outfit and former market darling Afterpay has been smashed to smithereens, with its share price imploding by almost a third to make it by far the biggest loser of the day so far.

It has been falling since the beginning of the coronavirus panic; shares that were changing hands at more than $40 in the middle of last month are now worth just $13.07.

All sectors except utilities have been punished today, with consumer discretionary stocks – that means things like department stores and gambling – down the most.

Updated

We have no more information than that, at this point.

But the attorney general’s point about people who have not received welfare assistance previously and may be suddenly needing some kind of help is very interesting. And it doesn’t look like whatever happens, it will be a cheque-is-in-the-mail-style stimulus:

Now, when you talk about cash, what we have said, I think fairly consistently since the beginning of this, is that the individuals we have a very deep, broad welfare system, which is a proven delivery mechanism to get people through hard times.

Now how we might modify that welfare system for these particular and extraordinary challenges is obviously something that’s being worked on.

But already in the first round of stimulus we’ve dealt with this issue of the pause with respect to say for instance business.

So business being able to get in, in the first wave of the direct fiscal economic stimulus payments based on the amount of withholding tax they keep for their employees, which is a good proxy measure for the number of people they employ – of up to 25,000 – is going to allow that business if it has a downturn in demand to keep people engaged with the business, even though they’re doing less work, and get through that six months so that they can surge out the other side of it when things get better, and when things get better they’re likely to get, you know, better fairly quickly.

Updated

Christian Porter also mentioned this:

The central issue is having identified people who will need assistance, what’s the best, most efficient delivery mechanism to give that assistance?

And with the employment issues, I mean, very, very sadly it’s going to mean for a period of time over the next six months that people who have never had any contact whatsoever with the welfare system perhaps for the entirety of their lives, will be needing of assistance from the taxpayer.

And in fact these who up until this point have been paying the taxes that keeps the system able to offer assistance.

So, you know, it is extraordinary, these are unprecedented times in many ways, but not issues that we’re unprepared for, they’re being dealt with quickly, but in a very orderly fashion and based on all the best evidence and data that we can get in.

Updated

Christian Porter spoke to Perth radio 6PR a little earlier today. The transcript has just come out.

He has a bit more on this switch we are seeing from “stimulus” to “safety net”.

Well I would describe the round one measures as being sort of traditional fiscal stimulus.

I mean they were things designed to keep businesses ticking along even with reduced demand, which will be clearly the case in many sectors, I mean many sectors are going to have increased demand obviously, but traditional stimulus measures to keep the economy pushing through what will be a very challenging six months.

What is now being considered, what I would describe more generally as safety net issues – so not so much in the nature of traditional economic stimulus designed to push the economy through a challenging time but to identify people who will be in need of assistance, whether they’re businesses or business sectors or obviously individuals and clearly we’re going to have some issues around unemployment.

So we’re trying to look at the ways in which we can cater for what are our best estimates around the scale and depth and location of those sort of problems.

Updated

Football (soccer) is off, until at least the middle of next month. One of the Canberra clubs has put out this alert to members:

Football Federation of Australia (FFA) has announced a suspension of all football (soccer) activities until after Easter, Tuesday 14 April.

This means there will be no training, games, meetings or any other football activities.

The decision comes as the latest in a series of measures being introduced by the FFA to combat the ongoing spread of COVID-19 following the announcement of its COVID-19 Guidelines yesterday and places the concerns, health and wellbeing of the Australian football and wider community as the highest priority.

While we are all keen to get out on the pitch and get the season underway, we must consider the health risk that the spread of the virus poses to players and their families.

Slowing the spread of the virus is the most important thing to do now and the only way we are likely to get any chance of a season of football in 2020.

Updated

From the Dan Andrews press conference, there was also an AFL update:

The AFL is doing everything the chief health officer has asked of them. I think that’s good.

The ghost game issue, the no crowds, that makes perfect sense. Ultimately decisions for that code, for that league, for that professional sport is a matter for those who govern it.

It won’t be the last discussion I have with Gill [McLachlan, the AFL’s CEO]. Footy is very important, not just culturally, but as an identity thing for us, particularly as Victorians.

It’s a big employer as well. We’ll continue to speak with the AFL.

Those matters are principally for them, and beyond that, what I’m pleased to be able to report, they’re following the advice.

They’re doing the right thing, to listen and engage with the chief health officer, to get that advice and act with an abundance of caution.

I think that’s really clear and AFL are doing everything the chief health officer and experts are asking of them.

Updated

Just a reminder that the RBA will be making an announcement tomorrow on its next step.

Updated

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has released its wishlist for the second tranche of stimulus.

It’s quite a list. They want:

  • Payments equivalent in size to Newstart to businesses with a “material reduction in revenue either directly or indirectly attributable to COVID-19” to keep employees in work (jobs@risk)
  • Concessional loans – either through deferred payment like a higher education loan or a business loan fund to give out loans of up to $500,000 with 80% of the debt guaranteed by the government
  • Support for transforming domestic supply changes
  • Changes to workplace laws, including delaying the annual minimum wage case that usually orders pay rises for those on the minimum wage
  • A wage subsidy for sick leave
  • A holiday from government charges

Some of these measures will be highly controversial – particularly the idea of freezing the minimum wage by calling off the annual review.

The ACCI has suggested that the government’s plan to support sick workers through the sickness allowance needs to go further.

ACCI said on this point:

“Many employees will have sick leave entitlements or carers leave to deal with children and family members needing care. However, the use of personal leave for isolation without illness is limited, some employees may not yet have accrued paid personal leave, some will have utilised their entitlement, and some casuals have effectively been paid in advance for such leave through an additional pay loading. In such situations there may not be a backup income where someone cannot work, although this is far from a problem with, or restricted to, casual employment.

Two urgent measures suggested are:

  1. Building on, extending or second round of access to government sickness payments to such employees.
  2. Urgent amendments to the Fair Work Act to extend access to personal leave in such situations and to enable greater agreed flexibility in how payments can be provided to cover this period.”

Updated

Meanwhile, in very 28 Days Later areas:

On the private schools that have no infections and have chosen to close, both the NSW and Victorian leaders say they wish they would reconsider.

Updated

Every leader we have heard from today – Scott Morrison, Gladys Berejiklian, Dan Andrews and Steve Marshall have all come out very strongly on the issue of schools staying open.

They have all said variations that it is based on the best health advice available – and that to close the schools would do more harm than good.

Updated

Today’s additional cases in NSW and Victoria are the largest daily increase in Covid-19 confirmed cases we have seen thus far:

Guardian Australia Covid-19 interactive
Guardian Australia Covid-19 interactive

Updated

The Victorian magistrates court has followed the NSW local court in trying to minimise the number of in-person matters to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

In a statement, the magistrates court says it has immediately suspended the Koori court, to protect the health of Aboriginal elders and respected persons who are involved in its operation, while other courts – the drug court, court integrated services, family violence matters and civil pre-hearings – will be conducted over the telephone as much as possible.

The listing times for people charged via summons have been pushed out to 20 weeks from date of issue, and 12 weeks for people who are in the community on bail. Civil case hearings have been suspended for 20 weeks unless urgent.

All Australian jurisdictions have suspended new jury trials for the time being to prevent the spread of the virus among jurors, and the high court and federal court have suspended all in-person hearings.

Updated

Daniel Andrews on the school closure issue:

I can only convey the advice of the chief health officer.

And not just one chief health officer, all chief health officers, closing the schools now en masse will do more harm than good. I’m not criticising any parent for being anxious, it’s a perfectly natural thing.

My kids are at school, the chief health officer’s kids are at school, and that’s where your kids should be.

If that changes, then we won’t hesitate to take a different course, to act differently.

But at this stage, the advice is consistent and clear - the best place for kids is at school.

For their safety and the safety of others in the community, particularly people who are vulnerable.

Covid-19 and your kids

The Australian Academy of Science has published a fact-checked video, featuring the University of Sydney’s Professor Robert Booy, on what we know about Covid-19 and children.

You can watch it here:

The Australian Academy of Science

On the payments Daniel Andrews was talking about, he says he will release the information as soon as it comes:

There’s a number of payments the commonwealth has announced as part of their first package.

There’s going to be a further package.

There was an airline package announced today.

You’ll see more and more announcements, if not daily, then certainly many more announcements to be made.

We’re doing the really hard work, the detailed work to get this right.

We’ll have more to say, no matter what announcement I make, I won’t be able to say you to that’s the last announcement we’ll make on this because it’s changing so fast.

It’s going to need to be a big effort, more and more, throughout the year.

I take the view when governments work together at a state and federal level, when all of our partnerships are strong, that’s when we can take strong action, not just to save lives from a health point of view, but to make sure people are in work, and that businesses can bounce back from this once the worst of it has passed.

Updated

Tony Burke is asking all Australians to do what they can for the arts industry:

I am writing to the major music and TV streaming platforms, and to the commercial radio industry, urging them to support Australian creators through this crisis.

If they all focus on playing and promoting Australian content through this crisis it could help keep our artists alive.

I am writing to platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Stan and a number of commercial radio proprietors to ask them all to do their bit.

There are things all Australians can do too – if you’re spending more time at home because you’re sick or self-isolating, please: stream Australian music; watch Australian movies and TV shows; read Australian books.

If you’re getting a refund on a performance of an Australian artist consider using some of that the money to buy some merch, direct from the artist’s website.

And if you’ve got some spare cash, consider donating to an organisation like Support Act, which helps artists doing it tough.

Australian artists enrich our lives and our nation. Whenever Australia faces a crisis, they’ve got our back – performing benefit concerts, raising money and lifting our spirits. Now, we need to have their back.

Updated

You may have heard some things about ibuprofen and its impact on Covid-19 – there are suggestions people should not take it if they are diagnosed with the virus. To be clear – THIS IS NOT CONFIRMED and if you have to take ibuprofen for any existing health conditions, DO NOT STOP TAKING IT. Talk to your doctor.

The Victorian chief medical officer, Brett Sutton, says Australian authorities are aware of the reports and are looking at it:

I have just heard of the Lancet report and WHO reporting it on ibuprofen. It seems to be a theoretical risk rather than one demonstrated.

We should talk about it in 10 minutes on AHPPC and we’ll make timely advice on recommendations for Australians.

I would say if you’re currently prescribed it, you need to talk to your prescriber. I wouldn’t stop taking it now.

We’ll consider it.

We’ll provide advice as soon as we can.

Updated

Asked when the rule against gatherings of 100 or more people indoors was first raised, the Victorian chief medical officer, Brett Sutton, has confirmed it was raised last week in the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee:

Yes, it has been under consideration for a week with AHPPC. We have worked through details and we have tried to review what other jurisdictions internationally have done and people have picked different thresholds. Working through the details over the past few days has embedded that as one of the principles that we think will be useful.

Asked why the threshold was set at 100, he replied:

There is no magic number that makes 100 the absolute consideration. As I’ve said, for gatherings of less than 100 people, they need to do all the right things, in terms of social distancing as well. When you bring in a threshold, you know you won’t get really significant gatherings of people indoors and understanding that a lot of those settings that would be a crush and so for some pubs and clubs and other settings like that, we know that if there is a limit of 100 or fewer, we won’t have really significant proximity of one person to another. We will consider other thresholds and social distancing directives in order to manage that risk.

Updated

Bluey is emerging as the one shining light this year.

The Australian animated series season two launch was the most watched daytime TV show, averaging 596,000 viewers.

A still from the Camping episode of the Australian children’s TV show Bluey
A still from the Camping episode of the Australian children’s TV show Bluey. Photograph: ABC TV

Updated

The books industry, like much of the arts world, is struggling under the weight of social distancing measures.

Authors have had speaking gigs, festivals and launch events for new releases cancelled, and foot traffic is lower than usual in bricks and mortar stores – all of which affect book sales.

Melbourne’s indie bookstore scene, though, has been rallying in the face of the crisis, and many stores are now offering free delivery to surrounding suburbs to help bring solid reads to self-isolators across the city. Alan Vaarwerk, the editor of literary journal Kill Your Darlings, has collated all the new delivery information into a handy map for booklovers to find out who is dropping off books in their area.

Updated

From AAP:

Panic buying at supermarkets has helped Australian retail turnover to its first rise in three months.

Shoppers frantically buying toilet paper, rice, pasta and other goods due to coronavirus fears drove turnover in February up by 0.4% to $27.7bn, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures on Wednesday.

This was 1.7% up on the same month last year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said.
The supermarkets and food retailers enjoyed the biggest turnover increases.

However, trade has not been as buoyant for others.

Clothing, shoes and personal accessories shops had weaker turnover.

Duty-free stores and shops reliant on overseas visitors also had tougher times, due to travel bans preventing the spread of Covid-19.

The bureau has published the figures earlier than usual to help people understand the community response to the virus.

Updated

Quick update

There was a lot that just happened there, so a quick update:

  • A fifth person has died after contracting Covid-19 in NSW
  • Australia’s death toll now stands at 6
  • NSW has reported 57 new cases
  • Victoria has reported 27 new cases
  • Virgin Australia is warning job losses are “inevitable” for the airline
  • The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, says the time for “survival payments” is rapidly upon us
  • Anglican services have been suspended in Sydney

Updated

Victoria reports 27 new cases

From Victorian health authorities:

Twenty-seven new cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) were confirmed yesterday – bringing the total number of cases in Victoria to 121.

The new cases include 14 men and 13 women, with people aged from late teens to early seventies. The Department of Health and Human Services is continuing to investigate all new cases.

At the present time, there are two confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission. Currently six people are recovering in hospital. More than 15,200 Victorians have been tested to date.

Victoria’s chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, said we will continue to see more cases of Covid-19 in Victoria.

“We are reviewing this rapidly evolving situation daily and will continue to provide up-to-date information to the community,” Sutton said.

“We are all focused on doing whatever is necessary to minimise the spread of infection and keep Victorians safe.

“For the virus to spread, extended close personal contact is most likely required. Close personal contact is at least 15 minutes face-to-face or more than two hours in the same room.

“At the moment, we urge the public to be mindful and take steps to minimise the risk of Covid-19. Everyone has a role to play in protecting yourself and your family. Hands should be washed regularly with soap and water. Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. If you are ill, stay at home.”

Updated

Daniel Andrews doesn’t have any details of the “survival payments” he is talking about, but says details will be coming very soon:

I am not being critical of stimulus. I have been supportive of the federal government stimulus package but encouraging people to spend is one thing and I think for a whole range of other Victorians and Australians, it is survival payments that their businesses need, that their staff need, that their families need.

That is the work that we are doing and when we are ready to make a considered advice from the experts, a well-considered package, then we will make those announcements.

Updated

'Survival package' is on the cards, says the Victorian premier.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says he believes things are moving forward from stimulus to “survival” payments:

Stimulus is very important. There is a big difference between trying to encourage people to spend and helping people and businesses to fundamentally survive.

We are getting beyond – fast getting beyond – stimulus and we’re into survival payments – a survival package.

We have many businesses who have zero income. Offering them a tax cut doesn’t necessarily do it.

If we are going to have some businesses close their doors, if we want to avoid them collapsing altogether and if we want to make sure they are there at the end of this virus, we need to be providing that sort of emergency capital, that sort of emergency cash. We are doing some work, we will have more to say about that.

It is important to get this right. To be calm, to be considered and no doubt, the federal government is considering issues of guaranteeing mortgages, guaranteeing income, all manner of different measures.

Updated

The Anglicans are also cancelling gatherings:

Archbishop Glenn Davies has issued a public statement on the future of church services because of the spread of Covid-19.

“In light of the prime minister’s announcement this morning, banning enclosed gatherings in excess of 100 people, I have decided that the Anglican church in Sydney should suspend all public church gatherings until further notice,” Davies said.

“We are encouraging all our churches to consider providing their services online or by other communication methods. We shall make every effort to care for our church communities and the wider public, especially those who are isolated and vulnerable. Anglicare Sydney will continue its vital work of showing Christ’s love in ministering to all people, especially older Australians. Anglican schools will also continue to play a significant role in caring for students and families.” the official statement said.

“I call on all Christians to pray for health workers and those seeking to develop a vaccine and to pray that the spread of this disease may slow. God’s love for all people has not diminished, nor his sovereignty over his world. Therefore, I urge all Christians to continue to trust in God’s goodness and mercy in this crisis, and to show Christ’s love to those affected.”

Updated

Aged care minister Richard Colbeck has released the additional measures for aged care home visits:

  • Aged care facilities around Australia are now required to restrict visitation as the federal government continues to combat the spread of coronavirus.
  • Visits should be limited to two people per resident at one time each day, restricted to rooms, outdoor or specific areas designated by providers.
  • Children should not visit aged care centres at all.
  • Large group visits or gatherings, including social activities or entertainment should also be ruled out until further notice.

Updated

A little more on the Catholics meeting from Melissa Davey:

In light of the announcement that indoor gatherings will be limited to 100 people or less, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney has issued a statement to say the Permanent Committee of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference will meeting to talk about what to do.

No doubt masses and other religious gatherings around the country will be affected.

The statement did not say when the meeting would be held, just saying that it would “be issuing guidelines shortly for the Catholics of Australia”.

Fifth Covid-19 death in NSW

NSW Health has announced a fifth person has died after contracting Covid-19, bringing Australia’s death toll to six.

NSW Health has also announced a further 57 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19

Updated

Paul Scurrah says he is “comfortable” with Virgin Australia’s position, in getting through the crisis into the other side, but again says the entire workforce will see some impact from what is occurring. He has, of course, welcomed the government’s $715m assistance package for the aviation industry in Australia, and says that is something which is being seen around the world:

It is too early to put a number on the exact impact of our people from a permanent perspective.

It is fair to say that all 10,500 people that work for us right now will see some impact.

Whether that impact is in temporary, part-time work instead of full-time work, whether that impact is in people taking leave without pay, whether that is people doing job-sharing, that is all being worked through. I can assure you, we have a willing and supportive work force who know that there is tough decisions to be made.

No-one wants it to happen. I am pleased that the people are willing to work with us, our wonderful people of the Virgin Australia Group are willing to work through this with us.

Virgin Australia boss 'there will be an impact on jobs'

Virgin Australia boss Paul Scurrah says jobs at the airline will be hit by this development and “redundancies are an inevitability”:

Our 10,500 people are feeling the impact of this decision today. It is one of the things that weighs heavily on me and my team, as we share that news with our people.

What is amazing is how many of them have stepped up and offered help, how many have rolled up their sleeves and done incredible things over the past week and it makes me a proud leader.

The saddest part about this is there will be impacts on our people. What we’re working through now is how that impact can be shared, how it can lessen the long term impact on people and we’re talking with our people directly and the unions to make sure that that impact is minimised.

Part of what they have volunteered up is people willing to take leave without pay, people willing to go from full-time to part-time.

People willing to job share and that is the incredible people we have working here. We will work through that. Inevitably, given the crisis we are in, there will be an impact on jobs.

These decisions are made to make sure we minimise the impact on jobs and save as many jobs as we possibly can.

He goes on to get even blunter:

Redundancies in these circumstances will be an inevitability. The decisions we have made today, as hard as they may be, have been made to make sure that the Virgin Australia Group is in the healthiest possible state to go through what is an aviation sector crisis and a global crisis.

The National Press Club in Canberra has put together an expert panel to speak on coronavirus, including Associate Prof Vanessa Johnston, Dr Kamalini Lokuge and Prof Jodie McVernon.

Lokuge, who has provided medical care and epidemiological services on the ground during the Ebola outbreaks across West Africa, said closing schools was not necessarily the best measure and looking at what measures were being implemented overseas was not always useful. She said case finding and quarantine measures currently being implemented were known to be effective, and that there were many unique factors in Australia that needed to be considered when implementing measures such as school closures.

“We’ve had different risks and likelihood of importation due to patterns of travel,” she said. “Our public health units have been working tirelessly to keep this infection at bay and contain it.”

She adds the government “always knew at some point it could not completely put out every spark”.

Johnston, a public health physician in the population health protection and prevention division of ACT Health, answering a question about how long the virus survives on surfaces, says “we just don’t know yet”.

“Some viruses in that family can last on inanimate objects for some hours, even potentially some days, so it is important in terms of overall hygiene practices that we clean and disinfect surfaces we regularly touch.”

Updated

At the World Square Coles in central Sydney, there’s no meat on the shelves.

No soap either, and no eggs and no oats. Instead, dozens of notices telling customers to limit their purchases to two per person. There are plenty of most fresh vegetables – except bulk potatoes.

Office workers on their lunch break and nearby residents are milling around with nothing to buy, cursing under their breath. The sole items still on the meat shelves? Coles brand barbecue chicken bubbles and haloumi kebabs.

Updated

Paul Scurrah, who heads up Virgin Australia operations, is speaking on the airline’s decision to suspend all international flights until 14 June.

Scurrah says Virgin will bring Australians home who want to come home, now that the government has put out the official call, but beyond that domestic services will be cut by 50% because of “softening demand”.

Updated

On testing, Associate Prof Vanessa Johnston said testing was currently being refined to those showing both clinical and epidemiological indicators. There has been a lot of talk about whether more testing should be carried out, even though Australia has a high testing rate compared with other countries, and despite global shortages of tests.

Doctors have urged only those who need to be tested to take up GP and emergency doctor time.

Johnston said while doctors were currently testing to certain criteria, they were also allowing clinicians to use clinical judgement to test outside of that. All healthcare workers with fever, regardless of whether they had travelled, were being tested. People with community-acquired pneumonia were also being tested regardless of travel, she said.

“We only want to be testing people at this stage who are symptomatic,” she said. “The primary driver is when you have symptoms, not withstanding some presymptomatic transmissions.”

Updated

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has announced it is meeting this afternoon to discuss the decision to ban indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.

The conference has released a statement saying it will be issuing guidance to Catholics after that meeting.

Back to the National Press Club in Canberra and Dr Kamalini Lokuge is answering a question on panic buying in supermarkets.

Could that behaviour be exposing others to the virus? Lokuge says:

I think we’ve just come through the bushfires. We’ve been really concerned that not only are we going to lose homes, we’ve seen communities lose electricity and water supply. People are hyper-vigilant and concerned. The first thing to say is this epidemic, pandemic, will not close Woolworths. It will not affect essential services like electricity and water supply. it’s important we reassure Australia that’s not going to happen.

The more Australians are competing with each other to grab groceries and pushing trolleys through supermarkets... they can’t social distance.”

Earlier, shadow defence minister Richard Marles suggested getting the defence force involved in logistics to help deal with the crisis.

“This is a matter of national emergency. The defence force is a national asset and I think it is time that we think about how we get them engaged,” Marles said in an interview on 3AW with Neil Mitchell.

“One thing the Australian defence force is very good at is logistics. I mean, in large measure, it is a massive logistics organisation – it can help there.

“I think it can help in terms of establishing you know, makeshift fever clinics and the government is talking about putting them in place, we need to get them in place quicker [and] I think the ADF could help there.”

He also flagged that the ADF could conduct welfare checks for the elderly and those most in need.

“There’s a whole lot of roles they could play. Again, what I think we need though is to get a plan from the government about how this great national asset of ours is being put into play.”

Updated

It’s pretty clear that Prof Jodie McVernon is a little tired of being asked endless questions about modelling; how many Australians will be infected or die. McVernon is from Melbourne’s Doherty Institute and her expertise is infectious disease preparedness.

She’s asked – no doubt not for the first time – if any modelling about that is being done for Australia. But the best time to get good, accurate data is not at the beginning of an epidemic, she says.

“We need to look at data from Australia to predict what’s going to happen in Australia,” she said. ‘It’s a different country and society, it has different measures in place.”

Currently, she says, most cases are imported from overseas. It’s not until you start to get more widespread community transmission that you start to get information about what happens with the coronavirus epidemic in Australia.

“We are asked many questions about models,” she says. “We are continuing to refine our models. We will continue to do that, but I will not give you a number to tell you where this is going or how bad it’s going to be.”

She said many Australians underestimated the harsh and draconian measures implemented by China. That’s why shutting everything down including schools was problematic.

“There’s a lot more to understand and a lot more to know,” McVernon says.

Updated

Federal Labor is calling on local councils to immediately lift truck delivery curfews, saying they are restricting the ability of supermarkets to restock.

The shadow local government minister, Jason Clare, said a temporary relaxation of curfews could help supermarkets restock shelves and keep up with the increase in demand.

“To respond to the current surge in demand, expected to last for at least several weeks, it is important that local governments’ temporarily lift these curfews,” Clare said.

“Importantly, this will help reduce panic buying and hoarding as people will regain confidence that all they need is available in the supermarket.”

He said that Woolworths and Coles saw the curfews as a genuine limitation to their ability to restock in many local government areas.

At the National Press Club, epidemiologist Kamalini Lokuge says that panic buying could actually increase the risk of contracting the virus.

“Being in the supermarket competing for groceries is not going to allow you to do good social distancing,” she says.

But she says that after the summer bushfire season, she can understand there is some community anxiety that some basic services could be disrupted.

Steven Marshall on government stimulus:

Look, it’s a fast-moving virus, as we know, and we’ve got to have an adequate response. I think I Australia was the first to move with our immediate economic stimulus.

I’ve been clear and frank with people ever since and that is that it may not be our last.

We are only still coming to terms with exactly and precisely what the economic impacts are going to be.

We know there has been a very significant federal stimulus announced after our state stimulus and they’re already talking about what additional help and support they can have, especially for small businesses and those people that find themselves in a difficult position during this coronavirus.

But we’ve got to really understand exactly and precisely what the implications are going to be and then I think governments, at the state and federal level, will respond.

… But to date, I think we’ve never seen such a swift, significant movement outside of a budget period before.

Updated

Hong Kong reported 10 new cases on Tuesday, equalling its highest daily record from February. Half were imported cases.

While the region is widely recognised as one of a few countries to have had success in keeping the rate of infection low, authorities are very concerned about a second wave. They have issued an outbound travel red alert for everywhere in the world other than Macau, Taiwan, and mainland China.

From Thursday all international arrivals must undergo mandatory quarantine at home for 14 days, and the announcement sparked a rush of people – particularly students – to come home.

Two students who flew back from London on Monday and a 24-year-old who was working in Denmark declared on arrival that they felt unwell. They were taken to hospital immediately, where they tested positive for the virus.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Hong Kong centre for health protection urged students not to come back from overseas if they are already feeling sick.

Those who have symptoms should seek medical advice in the local health authority instead of going back to Hong Kong because this may pose risks to other people who are travelling on the flight,” Chuang said.

For those without symptoms, it depends on their situation. If they are advised by their school, or their parents want them to come back to Hong Kong, I think they can. But they have to take good personal environmental hygiene measures, especially during their stay in the airport as well as on the flight.”

Updated

The National Press Club in Canberra has put together an expert panel to speak on coronavirus, including Associate Prof Vanessa Johnston, Dr Kamalini Lokuge and Professor Jodie McVernon.

Johnston, a public health physician in the population health protection and prevention division of ACT Health, is speaking first, and is speaking about what health systems are doing to prepare, especially to protect vulnerable people.

She said while there was only a small number of cases in Australia where the source of infection could not be identified, this was nonetheless concerning.

“This indicates there are small pockets of localised community transmission in Australia, she said.

“We know that human-to-human transmission of the virus is via droplets and contaminated of objects in close contact. The incubation period is 0 to 6 days, ranging to 14 days.

We don’t know how significant a driver of transmission this is. We know that Covid-19 presents as a mild illness in the majority of cases with fever and cough being the most commonly reported symptoms.

Severe or fatal outcomes can occur but they tend to occur in the elderly and those with comorbid chronic medical conditions.”

Updated

Steven Marshall on “well” people taking up tests and resources and time:

This is a very important issue. There are too many “worried well” people going along and really utilising very finite services that we have.

We’ve been standing up these dedicated rapid testing assessment clinics right across the state in line with the recommendations from the public health officials in South Australia, and we will continue to do so.

But this is not an opportunity for somebody who says, “Look, I have a bit of a ticklish throat. I’m going to go down and have myself tested.”

We need to preserve and reserve all of these testing kits for the people that are in the most vulnerable cohort.

So I’m going to be very, very strict on this.

This is not an opportunity for people who are panicked by this to go down and be tested. They can self-isolate if they want to, and if their situation moves into a cohort that requires a test, they will be given that test.

But we are not going to start having loads and hoards of people lining up for that question.

I had to go to the doctor yesterday (unavoidable and an unrelated issue to anything virus-related) and the number of people DEMANDING to be tested because they had sneezed or felt a headache coming on was ridiculous. Follow the advice.

Updated

The WA premier, Mark McGowan, has said that police patrols in regional and metro shopping centres will be stepped up, and that “people are acting like jerks, drongos and bloody idiots” at supermarkets.

The WA health minister, Roger Cook, confirmed four new cases in the state, taking the total to 35. About half the people presenting to clinics for testing weren’t eligible, Cook said.

McGowan urged West Australians not to engage in non-essential interstate travel, but said there were no plans to shut domestic borders. A letter from medical professionals in the state has asked McGowan to consider doing so.

“This is not really something at this point in time we could possibly contemplate because the consequences for the state would be absolutely catastrophic and dire,” he said, citing the fact that much of the state’s medicine, food, and workforce comes from the eastern states.

He confirmed rules are being drafted to restrict access to remote indigenous communities, and liaison with the NT government is underway.

“Don’t go into a remote community unless it’s for essential purposes, and if you’re from a remote community, don’t come into town unless it’s for an essential purpose.”

Regulations for access to aged care facilities are also being drafted, which will include a restriction on visitors under 16, unless the situation was an end-of-life one.

Updated

Steven Marshall says South Australian authorities will be checking up on people who have been ordered into self-isolation.

We’ve declared a public health emergency.

People will not only be endangering their own health if they do not abide by these orders but they could have catastrophic consequences.

We’ve got to our most vulnerable citizens.

I don’t want to hear one more person talking about, “Look, it’s just a cold. Everybody will get over it.” They won’t.

Turn on your television sets.

Have a look, very clearly, at what is happening around the world where they haven’t put these very strict restrictions in place early.

Australia is in front of the curve, and we are fortunate, I’ve got to say we are fortunate, because we lag, if you like, behind the front end of this virus, and South Australia lags even further behind the front end.

So we are in a much better position.

But there’s no point in putting these restrictions in a day before they’re needed.

We still have no evidence of community transmission in South Australia.

We should be very grateful for that.

But we can’t become complacent.

He also tells people to stop using the finite resources for tests if they have something like “a ticklish throat” and to follow the advice

'We are as one'

Steven Marshall says every state and territory was in agreement to follow the expert advice and keep schools open:

The advice was unequivocal.

There was no discussion or dissent from any of the states, the territories or the Commonwealth.

We are as one.

That we want our students to go to school.

If there is any change whatsoever in that advice from the the [Australian Health Protection Principal Committee ]we will put it into place.

We are following examples where we have evidence of nations that have been done this and not done it in the past.

If we look Singapore, for example, which is identified as one of the, if you like best practice examples of coping with the coronavirus, they have all their students at school.

It’s really important that we listen to the experts.

I know these are anxious times and I know that there is a lot of people out there, so-called experts.

But all we can do, as legislators and as governments, is listen to the experts.

If we start going in multiple different directions we will undermine our ability to provide our very best response to this pandemic.

The South Australian prime minister then gets really, really strong on the schools issue:

Look, I certainly discourage it but I do know parents have the rights to make their own decisions based upon what’s best for their family but they do have an obligation if they are removing their child from school to adopt the protocols of making sure they can educate their child.

They can’t just remove their child from education in South Australia but I make this point, and I make it as strongly as I possibly can - this is not a political decision, it is not an ideological decision, it is an evidence-based decision which has been informed by the brightest minds in Australia and they’re making it very clear.

Children should go to school and to preschool and to kindy, here in South Australia, and around the country, and not to do so doesn’t diminish the risk - in fact, it increases the risk and it reduces our response as a nation so the coronavirus.

It will harm our ability to tackle the coronavirus.

So this couldn’t be any clearer.

Steven Marshall also adds that everyone, when it comes to the food hoarding, really needs to calm down:

I have got to make it really clear, we are not going to run out of food in Australia. If there is any country with food security it is Australia. We are particularly well-served here in South Australia.

What we’ve got to do though now is to access that food, keep those supply chains open and access that food in an orderly fashion because otherwise we’re actually increasing the risks associated with that coronavirus.

So my strong message is to stay calm at this time. There is plenty of food in Australia, there’s plenty of food in South Australia.

There is no chance that we’re going to have a lockdown in our CBD or in our state. There’s a lot of fake news around at the moment and it is really important that you go to a valued source for your information and make your decisions based upon that.

Meanwhile, the Australian Dollar continues to be absolutely smashed by the economic impacts of coronavirus.

As Martin Farrer tells me:

It has dropped 0.3% today and is now below US60c for the first time since 2003.

So far this year it has lost 15% against the US dollar as investors dump what they see as more risky currencies in favour of holding the greenback and Japanese yen.

It’s good for exports because it makes them cheaper.

The SA premier says it was with great sorrow that the decision to cancel public access to Anzac Day ceremonies had to be made – but it was unavoidable.

He says that public transport is considered “essential” and will continue.

Updated

Steven Marshall then moves on to aged care:

I think most people were expecting that there were going to be some changed arrangements with regards to aged care access.

This makes logical sense because we’ve known for a long period of time that the most vulnerable to this coronavirus are the aged people, people living in our residential facilities.

We’ve already seen, with the deaths in Australia, already three coming from a single aged care facility in New South Wales.

If we get in early and we put sensible, logical restrictions on people going into aged care facilities, we will save lives.

It’s as simple as that.

I know this can be inconvenient for people who want to visit their loved ones in aged care facilities but it is vitally important that we restrict the number of people, the times that they’re in these facilities and the one in which they interact.

Updated

South Australian premier Steven Marshall is addressing his state with an update as well.

He starts with the question of school closures:

Different countries have responded to epidemics in the past. Those nations which kept their students at school did better than those that didn’t have their students at school.

It’s been absolutely ridiculous recently to have suggestions that we close the schools for two weeks.

And Professor Brendan Murphy specifically addressed this. What’s the point of closing for two weeks?

What happens at the end of those two weeks?

These restrictions that we’re looking at putting in place now are not in for one or two weeks, they’re not in for one or two months – the expectation now is that these will remain in place for six months or more.

So strong advice, and this is my advice to parents and to school communities, that schools must remain open. This also applies to our early childhood centres and our kindies here in South Australia.

Updated

The National Press Club has an address from three public health experts today, on the coronavirus.

It’s almost an empty room – journalists are spaced out, as under guidelines.

Associate Prof Vanessa Johnston from the population and prevention division of ACT is up first.

As at 5.30pm yesterday, 17 March, there were a total of 414 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Australia and five deaths.

Of the 300 of those cases for whom there are data, 212, or 71%, were considered to be overseas-acquired. Most of those were acquired in the USA, Iran, Italy and the UK. 62 cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

The source of infection for just 26 cases is currently unknown. What this tells us is that for the majority of cases in Australia, we can identify a source of exposure for them.

They are imported or they are close contacts of cases in this country.

There is only a small number at this stage where we have not been able to identify a source, and that is what is concerning us now, as this indicates there are small pockets of localised community transmission in Australia.

As of yesterday afternoon, 177,700 infections were confirmed globally. The total number of cases and deaths outside of China has overtaken the total number of cases in China.

Indeed, as the number of daily new cases reported in China has continued to decrease, cases are increasing in other countries, territories and regions globally.

Updated

Hello everyone – you have Amy Remeikis with you on the blog now. A massive thank you to everyone for this morning’s excellent work.

I hope everyone is as well as can be.

In Queensland, the government has just announced an $8m support package for the arts sector. It involves rent relief and added certainty around government funding. The Guardian explored the damaging impact of Covid-19 on Australia’s arts sector on the Full Story podcast this morning. It’s well worth a listen.

Leeanne Enoch, Queensland arts minister, said:

To provide certainty for the sector, companies that are current recipients of the 2017-2020 Organisations Fund, will be guaranteed a further 12 months’ funding at current levels to December 2021. And in addition, Arts Queensland is also suspending applications for the next four-year funding round, in order to take pressure off organisations to do long-term planning.

Updated

Berejiklian says people should not be concerned about food supplies. There is no need to panic buy, she says.

As the prime minister said this morning – and I can’t echo his words strongly enough – do not worry about supplies. Do not worry about having to buy more than you need. Just purchase what you need. There is enough to go around.

Updated

Dr Kerry Chant is asked about Scott Morrison’s decision to ban indoor gatherings of 100 people or more. She is asked when this was first raised as an option in the meetings of chief medical officers.

She says only:

I understand that the AHPPC deliberations are for government and those recommendations get forwarded to government for consideration. There is a range of options and policies that are obviously worked up from time to time but yesterday, the outcomes of the meetings from the prime minister announced was based on input from AHPPC that provided advice over Monday and Tuesday and forwarded that to advice for the premiers’ consideration last night.

Updated

The premier says there are no plans to extend the Easter break for schools.

We have no plans to change existing arrangements. School holidays are as scheduled.

Berejiklian is asked about private schools which have already shut down in NSW. Their actions now run against the advice of federal and NSW governments. She says:

We would hope that any school considering acting alone on this reconsider.

But we say this: In the main, the peak bodies representing those schools, the peak bodies that we are in regular contact with and I can assure you we have been in regular contact with them, have assured us that they support this decision. They will keep their schools open, which is the right approach.

Updated

NSW has 50 new cases of Covid-19

The chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, is speaking. She attempts to give an update on the number of cases, but her phone, which has the numbers, dies mid-press conference. She says the number of cases is about 267, but she’ll need to confirm the numbers.

She says the number of cases has increased by about 50 in NSW. Asked whether she’s concerned about such a significant jump, Chant says:

It reflects a couple of factors. One is we’re doing high rates of testing. That is a very pleasing thing from my perspective because it means we are able to detect cases in the community, identify those contacts and obviously contain them and self-isolate them because we know we are seeing a number of cases in the contacts of cases. We are also tracking down links and chains of transmission, to block any further community transition. This reflects the fact that across the world, we have seen increasing case numbers. What we have seen is increasing cases in returning travellers from Europe and also America, adding to the previous countries that we have had, which were the original ones which were Iran, South Korea and Hong Kong. The outbreak has changed and evolved, bringing into the forefront those countries, particularly in Europe and UK and also America.

Berejiklian says NSW’s health system is ready to cope with the increased demand due to the pandemic. She says she will leave “no stone unturned” in making sure the system is properly resourced.

Our health system continues to be well-prepared for what we might expect in the next few weeks and months and this is a commitment we make, to leave no stone unturned in resourcing and supporting our health officials, and especially I want to thank our frontline health staff.

They have been doing it tough but they have risen to the challenge. And no matter in what capacity you work in the health system, whether you are involved in keeping things clean, whether you’re involved in testing people, whether you’re involved in keeping the general health and wellbeing of our citizens well, thank you on behalf of all of us.

Updated

NSW premier says best advice is to leave schools open

The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is speaking in Sydney.

She backs prime minister Scott Morrison’s advice that it’s best to leave schools open.

In particular, I wanted to address the issue of schools. I know there has been some concern expressed by some people about that policy. I want to stress we believe there is strongly, as state leaders, as the prime minister has stated, the best option for schools is that they stay open. It is the best option from a health perspective and also a best option moving forward.

Updated

Westpac predicts deeper recessions, unemployment rate of 7%

Westpac chief economist Bill Evans, a well-respected forecaster, has released new advice about the economic impact of Covid-19. The advice has changed dramatically from just last week.

Westpac is now predicting a deeper recession and an unemployment rate of 7%.

We have increased our estimate of the shock to the most exposed component of consumer spending (hotels; restaurants and cafes; recreational services; and air travel) to minus 40% over the two quarters from minus 25%.

We have increased the expected shock to consumer durables to minus 7% and revised up the negative impact on home renovations and additions.

We expect outbound and inbound tourism to contract by 80% over the two quarters. Overall we now see consumer spending contracting by 0.1% (March quarter) and 2.8% (June quarter) before recovering by 1.9% in the September quarter and 1.0% in the December quarter.

You can read the full report here.

At Scott Morrison’s press conference, in addition to announcing schools would stay open, he noted he would “be having further discussions today with independent schools, Catholic schools and others, about these arrangements and talking them through with them”.

Sounds like there might be some pressure coming on those sectors to follow public schools’ lead and stay open – after some reportedly moved to or called for closure, against current advice.

Jacinta Collins, the executive director of the National Catholic Education Commission, told Guardian Australia it was “working closely with all governments – federal, state and territory – around what should be occurring on schools, and at this point the position is that they remain open”.

Asked if she dissented from the medical advice on that point, Collins replied “no, not at all – I am comfortable with the current advice, which is to stay open” although she noted “that may change”.

Unlike the Catholic and public school systems, the independent school bodies do not own and run the schools. The NSW Association of Independent Schools’ position is already to stay open, in line with advice. Nevertheless some independent schools have closed, citing falling class numbers.

So it’s unclear what a meeting with the PM is going to achieve if individual schools respond to pressure from their own community of parents and close.

Updated

Australia’s food-hoarding rush drove retail turnover up 0.4% last month, according to preliminary figures released by the Bureau of Statistics.

The ABS said increased volume at supermarkets was the main reason for the increase, which followed very poor trading in December and January, but other retail sectors were already starting to suffer from the coronavirus crisis.

“Offsetting weakness was seen in the clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing sub-industry where businesses reported adverse impacts from Covid-19,” it said.

“Weakness was also seen in other retailing including duty-free stores and luxury goods retailing where businesses that are heavily reliant on overseas visitors reported impacts from Covid-19.”

The figures are subject to change, with final numbers to be released on 3 April.

Updated

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians released a statement saying it is concerned specialist physicians are unable to access personal protective equipment (PPE) through the Primary Health Networks.

Prof John Wilson, a respiratory physician and president-elect of the college said doctors and their patients, particularly those with serious, pre-existing chronic conditions, needed to be protected.

“The inability of specialist physicians in private and non-hospital community-based practices to access PPE may lead to some services not being able to continue. This is the last thing we need in the current environment,” Wilson said.

The college has written to all state and territory health departments to urge for better frontline support.

Meanwhile the president of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health, Prof Linda Selvey, said clear information from medical authorities was needed to keep the public calm and informed.

“It’s important that the community is prepared for the potential range of outcomes and are ready to act on the ongoing advice from health authorities as this pandemic evolves,” she said.

“We encourage the public to stay updated with the latest official medical advice being offered by their state and federal government health authorities.”

Updated

Facebook blames 'bug' for coronavirus post censoring

We’ve been receiving reports that Facebook is treating articles from mainstream media outlets about coronavirus as spam. That means they’re being censored from users’ feeds.

Facebook’s vice-president Guy Rosen has just responded by blaming a “bug in our anti-spam system”.

One of the article blocked was a Sydney Morning Herald report quoting the chief medical officer.

Updated

Ian Whitney has just tweeted about his experience returning from the United States. He says he was permitted a trip to the supermarket before going into self-isolation.

Bowen responds to Scott Morrison’s earlier comments that schools could not be closed because 30% of healthcare workers have children in school.

He says that the government could provide childcare to healthcare workers in the event that schools need to be closed.

Labor supports the current advice to keep them open, but Bowen said that could change.

“Prepare now for health workers,” he said. “Let’s not use the fact that health workers have their kids in school as a reason not to close schools if that becomes the right decision.

“In Norway, the schools are closed but there is a skeleton teaching staff left in the schools for health workers – the kids of health workers – so they can still go to work.”

Updated

Anthony Albanese is calling for a joint press conference with himself, Scott Morrison and the heads of supermarket chains to offer “clear and consistent” advice to curb panic buying.

“The prime minister made some comments about this [but] people out there are feeling anxious,” he said. “It is one of the reasons why we have said that the government needs to give very clear and consistent advice to the public.

“We want the public to trust those in authority but in order to facilitate that, those in authority have to trust the public. They have to be transparent. They have to be clear in the messages.

“I think it would be a good thing for myself to stand with the prime minister and the heads of Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, our major supermarkets – and talk about the supply-chain issues ... because it’s very clear that, in terms of the supply chain, that we’re not going to run out of toilet paper or tissues or pasta.”

He adds: “My son works for one of those companies. He has told me about difficulties being on the checkout, getting yelled at because certain products weren’t available. Nineteen-year-old kids aren’t responsible for the fact there is no toilet paper in the aisles.”

Updated

Albanese says he does not expect parliament to sit for a full four days next week. The Labor leader is confidently predicting a shorter session:

“I would expect that parliament will sit for as long as necessary. We won’t be having long speaking lists. We want this to be expedited.

We will go through proper processes, as is appropriate but I would expect that the parliament won’t sit the full four days.

Updated

Anthony Albanese says Labor is likely to support the second stimulus package:

“We haven’t seen the legislation yet but our inclination is to provide that support. We will be constructive.

If we have a suggestion, it’s been to bring things forward. For example, some of the economic stimulus plan is quite clearly designed to assist growth in the June quarter. That is good but there is no reason why spending money today or next week isn’t better than waiting until March 31st.

My view would be, as soon as legislation is passed, that money should go out the door. For measures that don’t need legislation, they should be going out the door right now.

Updated

Chris Bowen is recommending the ABC’s Coronacast podcast with Dr Norman Swan:

There is a lot of misinformation particularly online ... I say to all Australians be careful what you believe online during this crisis. Whether it says Greg Hunt or Scott Morrison said something or whether I said something ... Go to the credible sources.

Updated

The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, and the shadow health minister, Chris Bowen, are speaking now.

“We cannot get to the other side and look back and think we should have done more,” Bowen says. “Hence we have supported every single measure that the government has put in place, including some that have been controversial at the time. We have also made constructive suggestions that more should be done.

“Yesterday, the government announced a small expansion in the telehealth rebate which I welcome. I say that it needs to go much further.”

Updated

Labor’s shadow infrastructure minister, Catherine King, has responded to the federal government’s $715m relief package for the Australian aviation industry.

She said it is “a welcome first step but it is highly likely that much more will be needed”:

The government must ensure Australia has a vibrant aviation sector once the coronavirus outbreak has passed and support the 50,000 Australians who work in the industry. While we haven’t seen the full details of the package, we broadly welcome the government’s announcement ...

However further capacity reductions of both international and domestic services from both major airlines in the last 24 hours and ongoing requests from across the aviation sector indicates further support will be needed.

The Transport Workers’ Union has also issued a statement that the bailout “won’t save jobs”.

“The announced assistance package to airlines will not protect jobs at companies which service Qantas, Virgin and other airlines, as airlines drastically scale back their operations and international travel grinds to a halt” the union said.

That includes the jobs of baggage handlers, caterers, cleaners and cabin crew.

“Waiving fees for some airlines is not going to save jobs,” said the TWU national secretary, Michael Kaine. “The package announced last night is what you get when you only talk to well-paid airline executives and refuse to speak to the wider industry or workers.”

Updated

It’s a tale of two airlines as far as market reaction to the government’s airline bailout package is concerned.

Shortly before 11am Virgin Australia, which had been the focus of red-hot market speculation that it was in deep financial strife, had soared 6.35% while the flag carrier Qantas, which while still damaged by the coronavirus chaos had fared relatively better, had plunged by about 14%.

Updated

Amazon in the US and UK is suspending non-essential shipments to warehouses – from third party sellers – until 5 April.

Five categories of goods will be exempt: baby products, health and household; beauty and personal care; groceries; industrial and scientific; and pet supplies.

It’s as yet unclear whether similar measures could be brought in in Australia.

Updated

Victoria police have warned drivers that they can lose their licence or be fined if they refuse a breath test over coronavirus fears.

Queensland police announced on Monday that they had immediately and until further notice suspended “static” roadside breath and drug tests — that’s when you round a corner and suddenly find yourself in a queue of cars being tested – to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Random single-car breath and drug tests will continue.

Victoria has taken the same approach – suspended the use of the big drug/0.05 bus but continued to carry out single-car stops.

And in a statement on Wednesday, Victoria police said drivers could not refuse a breath test out of coronavirus fears.

They said:

The exposure risk to coronavirus from a PBT machine is no different to going about your daily life in the community. Expert medical advice has been sought and Victoria Police has been reassured that it is safe for people to participate in a PBT. It is against the law for drivers to refuse a PBT on the basis that they suspect coronavirus could be contracted.

New straws and gloves are used every time a PBT is conducted. The machine is also disinfected between use. If the driver is not confident this has taken place, they can ask the police officer to complete the steps in front of them again.

If a person refuses to undergo a PBT, normal penalties apply. This includes your licence being cancelled for two years and a maximum fine of nearly $2000.

Updated

Now that the national cabinet has imposed a ban on 100 people in enclosed spaces, it’s worth noting we’ve already reported that this was discussed but not recommended at earlier meetings.

Asked if any of the chief medical officers on the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee had expressed a view this measure should be introduced a couple of days ago, the chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, replied:

Last Friday, AHPPC was strongly of the view that it was time to really up the ante on social distancing. And we have been, since then, talking about both internal and external gatherings. At the time on Friday, the recommendation to the national cabinet was to implement the mass gatherings for 500 people externally, and we were instructed to come back and look at internal gatherings in this meeting over the next two days and that is what we did.

Updated

The Australian market slipped back 1.85% at the opening bell after the government announced a relief package for airlines and amid increasingly gloomy economic forecasts.

The flag carrier Qantas plunged 7.34% while the challenger airline Virgin Australia, which had been the focus of market speculation about its financial viability, soared 12.7%. The regional airline Rex, which this morning revealed its own financial weakness, dived 6%.

In a report, the ratings agency S&P said “the 2020 global recession is here and now”, slashing growth forecasts for economies around the world.

Before the exchange opened, more companies revealed the damage they were taking from the virus outbreak.

Air New Zealand shares have been suspended until at least Friday while the company works out the hit it will take from sweeping travel bans.

The Australian government gave airlines a package of tax and service charge cuts worth $715m this morning amid widespread uncertainty about their ability to continue given travel bans and the end of corporate travel. Rex said that without help it would close in six months. It published a wish-list of relief that on first glance looks very similar to the government package.

SkyCity, which operates casinos in New Zealand and Adelaide, said poker machine revenue was down 14% and revenue from table games had plunged 43%. The poker machine maker Aristocrat and the private hospital operator Ramsay withdrew profit guidance.

Updated

Summary so far

So to recap the events of this morning:

Updated

A final world from Brendan Murphy:

“It is impractical to fully isolate a large part of the country. This virus will spread. But as the prime minister said, it is really important to isolate vulnerable people. So our focus is on trying to protect aged care and remote communities.”

And with that, Scott Morrison ends the press conference to attend a cabinet meeting.

I’ll be posting a summary of everything that has happened this morning shortly.

Updated

He is now asked about a letter from WA doctors who have asked the premier to close the state’s borders. “Does that have merit?”

Morrison says: “That is not something the WA government has supported. That is not a measure that has been recommended by the AHPPC or any medical officers.”

He says the only domestic border restrictions needed are for specific or remote communities, as in the NT.

Updated

Scott Morrison is asked if he will look at new economic programs for the second stimulus package.

He says: “The same principles that applied to the policies we announced last week on the economic stimulus measures are applying to the measures we’re working on.”

Should the 100-people indoor limit have been implemented earlier?

Morrison says no:

I can’t understate the significance of the gear change that occurred last weekend [with outdoor gatherings]. The gear change when we were moving to far more widespread social distancing and bans on gatherings and all of this.

This has a much more profound impact on the economy, and there are many things that will be hard to predict going forward.

Updated

“My health is being checked on a regular basis,” Scott Morrison says. He says he had a check-up last night. But his doctor has not advised him to get a test.

“Testing equipment is an important resource,” he says.

He says he is now only meeting the cabinet “virtually”.

Updated

Morrison is now taking questions. On schools:

Right now, schools should remain open. That is the clear and crystal health advice from the AHPPC, and that is the clear and unified position of all the states and territories.

School holidays are coming up soon, and then schools will reopen after school holidays.

But when it comes to managing this, it is about being scalable and sustainable. Any measure you put in place, you must be prepared to put in place for at least six months. It could be longer.

Updated

Brendan Murphy is also addressing schools. He says schools should take precautions to prevent transmission but it is not expert advice to close them.

“We don’t know whether children may be a vector of asymptomatic or transmission with low levels of symptoms,” he says. And if schools were closed “they may be looked after by vulnerable elderly relatives who are the people that we’re worried about”.

He also says there should not be a complete lockdown of aged care:

Again, things you could do for a month and then stop, would have no long-term benefit. We’ve got to protect our elderly for the long haul, for six months. And you cannot completely deny access to an elderly person in a residential facility to their closest next of kin.

Every citizen needs to think about every interaction they have with a person during the day. No more handshakes, no more hugging – except with your family. No more scant attention to hand hygiene.

He says that still the majority of cases are imported, and the number of cases is low.

Updated

The chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, says we should not have a two- to four-week lockdown because afterwards “the virus will just flare up again”.

“To be clear – a short-term, two- to four-week shutdown of society is not recommended by any of our experts,” he says. “It does not achieve anything. We have to be in this for the long haul. As the prime minister said, it could be six months or more that we have to practise these new ways of interacting.

“There is no way that we can lockdown society and make everyone stay home and then in a month’s time, undo that, because the virus will just flare up again without any real long-term benefit.”

Updated

A final line from Morrison on hoarding: “Stop doing it. It’s ridiculous! It’s un-Australian, and it must stop.”

Now he passes over to the chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy.

Updated

He also confirms that the government is working on a second stimulus package.

“We are putting in place further measures and we will announce them once they’ve been properly designed and they can be properly implemented,” he says. But they are coming.

So far, 80,000 tests have been completed.

And he adds, there are a lot of hoaxes floating around on the internet and chain text messages about an upcoming lockdown.

They are not correct. “Don’t believe it – it’s rubbish,” he says. “There’s a lot of ridiculous stuff that’s circulating.”

Updated

Hoarders must 'stop it', PM says

And more on schools from before, Morrison says there is “a national public interest to keep the schools open”.

“Whatever we do we have to do for at least six months,” he says.

“That means the disruption that would occur from the closure of schools around this country, make no mistake, would be severe. What do I mean by severe? Tens of thousands of jobs could be lost, if not more.”

He says 30% of health workers would be impacted as well, as they have children who would need to be looked after.

Morrison offers a short comment on stockpiling and hoarding.

“I can’t be more blunt about it,” he says. “Stop it.”

Updated

New restrictions on visiting aged care homes

Scott Morrison is now outlining new restrictions on visiting aged care homes

Homes and visitors now must:

  • Limit visits to short times
  • Limit to two visitors at one time a day
  • Visits should be conducted in a resident’s room rather than communal areas
  • There should be no large group visits or gatherings – including social gatherings or entertainment
  • No school groups will be allowed to visit

He says that in the case of a resident nearing the end of their life, a home will have discretion to make special arrangements for family to visit them.

That will be done on a facility-to-facility basis and will still accomodate social distancing.

That adds to earlier restrictions on:

  • Those who have returned from overseas in 14 days
  • Those in contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19
  • Those who have not been vaccinated against influenza after 1 May

Updated

Schools to remain open, Scott Morrison says

“The health advice is that schools should remain open,” the prime minister says.

“This is also what Singapore has done. Singapore has been one of the more successful countries. In Singapore, the schools are open.”

He stresses this is the advice from experts including the chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy.

“It has a different manifestation amongst younger people and that presents a very different health challenge to the broader population,” Morrison says.

“Many of us here are parents and obviously we are concerned about the health of our kids.

“The health advice that I’m happy to follow for my kids, for Jenny and my kids, is the same health advice I am asking all other parents around the country to follow.

“I am telling you that, as a father, I’m happy for my kids to go to school. There is only one reason your kids shouldn’t be going to school and that is if they are unwell.”

Updated

Scott Morrison says domestic air travel is “low risk”, based on advice from Brendan Murphy:

We have not seen a lot of evidence of people contracting this virus on aircraft. It is when they have arrived. The issue is not people necessarily being on planes, the issue is people moving around the country.

He stresses the importance of social distancing.

“Dr Murphy and I are practising social distancing right now. I would suggest the rest of you might want to think about that as well.”

Public transport is essential, he says, but you should practise social distancing while on it. “If you are in a cab or an Uber, sit in the back seat, not the front seat.”

Updated

Ban on indoor gatherings of more than 100

The government has banned non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, effective immediately.

This comes after the ban on outdoor events of more than 500.

“Outdoor areas it is 500 and indoor areas it is 100,” Scott Morrison says. “That is effective now, as of today.”

He says essential gatherings include: airports, public transport, hotels, prisons, courts, shopping centres, offices and factories, construction sites.

These will not be affected.

Updated

Do not go overseas, all Australians told

The travel advice to every Australian has been upgraded to “do not go overseas”.

“For those considering going overseas in the school holidays: don’t,” Scott Morrison says.

He says the biggest number of infections has come from Australians returning to the country.

He adds that a human biosecurity emergency was declared under the Biosecurity Act by the governor general this morning.

“I don’t want people to be alarmed by these measures,” he says. They are similar to public health legislation and emergency legislation already put in place by the states and territories.

Updated

He says the overall response to the coronavirus could stretch to more than months.

“The measures [and] protections that are put in place to protect peoples’ health, they obviously have, in some cases, quite severe economic implications,” he says. “Wherever possible we need to keep Australians working.”

Earlier, the deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, said we “can’t go into a full lockdown”.

Updated

Scott Morrison is speaking now. It’s expected he will announce restrictions on internal gatherings above 100 people.

“This is a once-in-a-hundred-year type of event,” he says. “We will keep Australia running ... there is no two-week answer to what we are confronting. There is no short term quick fix.

“The idea that you can just turn everything off for two weeks and turn it back on again, that is not the evidence. It is not our way through this.”

Updated

Tom Hanks has been discharged from hospital and is now in isolation in Queensland. The coronavirus stricken Oscar-winner says he is in good spirits and has “no fever but the blahs”. His wife, Rita Wilson, who also has coronavirus, has beaten him in six straight hands of gin rummy, the actor says.

He also addressed the earlier Vegemite controversy when he shared a photo of an especially thickly spread slice of toast.

Updated

Also, as we wait for Scott Morrison’s announcement at 9am, some digital housekeeping.

You can opt in for specific app alerts just for coronavirus, if you want.

You will need to update your Guardian app, and sign up within the app. You’ll also need to have notifications for the Guardian app enabled on your phone generally.

Our audience editor, Dave Earley, offers a guide below:

Updated

Virgin Australia suspends international flights

Breaking aviation news. Virgin Australia says it will suspend all international flights from 30 March until 14 June.

In a statement to the ASX, the airline also said it would cut group domestic capacity by 50% until 14 June as well.

Just today the government announced a $715m bailout for airlines, including Virgin, Qantas, Rex and others.

The airline says it will also “operate a reduced international schedule between now and 29 March to enable Australians to return home”.

Updated

'Additional measures' on internal gatherings confirmed

The health minister, Greg Hunt, has spoken to ABC AM to discuss increased testing, the decision to keep schools open and the national cabinet meeting last night which considered “additional safeguards” on mass gatherings and internal gatherings.

Hunt confirms that Scott Morrison will make an announcement about “greater restrictions on internal gatherings shortly”. The PM is scheduled to speak at 9am.

We know already that the leaders have discussed a ban on gatherings of 100 people or more in enclosed spaces, which would cause cinemas, theatres and the like to close.
But Hunt won’t confirm that’s what’s about to be announced, claiming the prime minister and premiers still have to “finalise” their advice. Hunt said to also expect “tighter restrictions” on aged care homes.

“The direction is clear: additional measures [will be taken] on internal gatherings,” he said.

Asked about the New Daily’s report of a Liberal donor who contracted coronavirus after contact with Peter Dutton, Hunt confirmed that he has been tested for coronavirus given his own close contact with Dutton.

He said:

The reason why is because I met the case definition for a short period – the answer was negative. That was on Thursday of last week, I had a heavy night sweat. And once we had information that I’d been in contact, but we subsequently discovered two things: that contact predated the period for which [Dutton] was described as being contagious; it turns out it was negative, we move on from that. I’m one of the 81,000 who has [been tested]. We met the case definition, I self-isolated, and was subsequently tested and it turned out to be negative.

Updated

Third confirmed case in ACT

The ACT’s chief health officer, Dr Kerryn Coleman, has confirmed that a third case of Covid-19 has been confirmed in the territory.

“The individual is a female in her 70s and has been admitted to Canberra hospital,” she said. “A positive test result was confirmed last night.”

Updated

97,000 new test kits will arrive today, imported from overseas, in a move announced yesterday.

However, a new 15-minute rapid test is still not yet available, though the Department of Health has said it sees “merit” in it.

The full story from my colleagues Christopher Knaus and Michael McGowan has more:

As more and more employers ask their workers to stay home, the Sydney Morning Herald has published a print paper from an empty office.

KFC will suspend all dine-in facilities across Australia, and only offer drive-through, pickup and delivery.

The fried chicken chain said it had “proactively made this decision to support social distancing in the community”.

The move comes after the Sydney-based roast chicken purveyor Chargrill Charlie’s also suspended eat-in facilities, and went cashless.

KFC said it would also introduce compulsory hand sanitiser use after every cash transaction, encouraging cashless options, and provide all staff with Covid-19 training.

Updated

The New Zealand government is urging Kiwis travelling overseas to return home as soon as possible.

An alert on the safe travel website follows similar advice issued by the Australian government overnight.

Countries around the world are imposing strict travel restrictions. This is leading to a reduction in passenger numbers and many air routes will not remain commercially viable for long. The options for New Zealanders to get home are reducing dramatically. We are therefore urging New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider returning home as soon as possible.”

Many Kiwis overseas will face an arduous journey home, with few long-haul flights still connecting to the south Pacific nation as demand dramatically decreased following the introduction of self-isolation rules for all new arrivals.

New Zealand’s national carrier, Air New Zealand has also said it will slash its overseas flights by 85% in the coming months.

'We can't go into full lockdown,' Michael McCormack says

Michael McCormack is asked: “Can you see a situation where Australia goes into a full-scale lockdown?”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that crisis point,” he says. “We need businesses stay open. We need people to be operating and running our hospitals.

“We can’t go into full lockdown because we need Australia to keep running. It will. Australians are pretty clever – we’re pretty innovative. We’ll get through this.”

He stresses that “Australia has food security” and there is no need to hoard or panic buy.

He adds that the government is working on increasing supply to stores, including relaxing delivery curfews and “working with our transport sector to make sure that more deliveries can get to supermarkets sooner”.

Updated

On the Dfat advice for Australians overseas to return immediately:

That’s the advice and Australia’s health system is probably far better than some of the countries in which those people are at the moment.

We see that the world is almost going into lockdown and we want Australians to be home where they’re safest.

Updated

The deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, is now speaking about the assistance package for airlines.

He says it won’t just go to Qantas and Virgin but to smaller regional airlines as well.

“What they can expect is assistance by way of fuel excise charges being waived,” he says. “What they can expect is Air Services Australia fees being waived and security screening fees being waived.

“We’re back dating it to February 1, so that’s $159m that will go straight into their bottom lines. Going forward over the eight-month period, it could be up to $750m for the airline companies. That’s not just Qantas and Virgin, that’s also [for] regional airlines like REX. But also for general aviation.

He’s asked by the ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland whether Qantas and Virgin have assured him they will continue to be economically viable.

“I asked them what in fact they needed, they said this is what was required ... They have assured me that at the moment they are going OK.”

Updated

The ABF commissioner, Michael Outram, is being asked whether it would be possible to close Australia’s borders, or if it is being considered.

He says already “all unessential travel to Australia has been turned off”, due to the 14-day self-isolation.

“There were 23 flights cancelled just yesterday. We’ve turned off all non-essential travel”.

But he says the ABF does not want to stop all flights.

“If you turn off everything at the border ... Those flights bring essential workers like engineers and pilots. There are people bringing stem cells. There are people bringing essential goods and services. So we don’t want to stop all flights to Australia. We don’t want to seal ourselves off.”

Updated

Australian Border Force is providing an update now. A spokesman says the smart gates in airports have been updated to provide self-isolation advice in 22 languages.

Updated

The Australian aviation industry will receive a $715m relief package, as the federal government waives a range of fees to help support the sector, reeling from the effects of the coronavirus and associated travel restrictions.

We’ll be bringing you the full story on that shortly.

Gallipoli Anzac Day ceremony cancelled

All Australian-led Anzac Day ceremonies overseas, including the Gallipoli ceremony, will be cancelled. The veterans affairs minister, Darren Chester, just announced the change on ABC News Breakfast.

That will also include ceremonies held in western Europe and elsewhere.

“We have got to respect the wishes of the host nations which are already putting in place restrictions on large public gatherings,” Chester said. “We simply couldn’t be having large gatherings of 500 or 1,000 people on Anzac Day on foreign soil this year.”

Earlier this week a range of local ceremonies were called off.

Updated

Good morning, everybody, this is Naaman Zhou bringing you the latest news and updates on coronavirus in Australia.

Last night Australians who are overseas were warned to come home as quickly as they can, as borders and airports close. There is a press conference with more information on that coming up at 7.30am which I will be following.

We’re expecting more news today on increased social distancing measures, and increased stimulus spending. Airlines could be among those to benefit from government assistance.

As ever, lots has happened while we slept. In Australia, we now have 452 confirmed cases of Covid-19 but deaths remain steady at five.

Updated

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