Australia coronavirus update latest: fifth Covid-19 death at Sydney’s Newmarch House aged care home – live news

Brendan Murphy says he is ‘pretty confident’ most will be negative but it is necessary to monitor community transmission. Follow the latest updates

Night has fallen now across the entire continent.

Usually hundreds of thousands of Australians would be up before sunrise tomorrow to join ANZAC day dawn services and to honour those who serve and have served. But coronavirus means this year will be different.

While the day has had its elements of public ritual since 1916, much early Anzac Day commemoration was private rather than public, sometimes conducted at the gravesides of Australian soldiers buried in cemeteries in Britain and Australia. Women were prominent in these efforts, honouring the memories of men they might or might not have known by placing flowers on their tombs.

There are other echoes of the past. Anzac Day in 1919 was also disrupted by a major crisis in public health. In New South Wales, where the rate of infection from Spanish influenza was high and the number of deaths – approaching 1,000 by Anzac Day – was alarming, the government had banned public meetings.

Several key developments emerged from the national cabinet meeting earlier today.

Rules around aged care visits, hopes for a restart of community sport, clarification on jobkeeper payments and a repeat of medical advice for school classrooms all made for a busy day.

Related: Scott Morrison warns aged care homes to end strict coronavirus lockdowns or face new rules

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Australia coronavirus update live: Two more deaths reported in NSW as national death toll reaches 74 – latest news

New South Wales chief medical officer says 231 people are now being treated for Covid-19, with 20 in intensive care. Follow live

It has been floating around again for a while, but this morning Josh Frydenberg put company tax cuts firmly back on the table.

Business Council of Australia chief executive, Jennifer Westacott told Sky News’s Laura Jayes they were absolutely needed (but she would say that, wouldn’t she).

We’re trying to solve business investment, which was low before this terrible crisis. It’s business investment that drives productivity which drives higher wages. So that’s the problem, let’s frame that up first. Look I think it is important for us to put it back on the table but along with other tax reform. It’s not the only thing that needs to be done. It’s important that we look at the state taxes, the productivity sapping stamp duty taxes, payroll tax. It is interesting how much payroll tax has been deferred.

The whole question of the right configuration of the state taxes. Whether or not we bring forward those other income tax cuts. So it’s not just company taxes but it is important we have a competitive company tax rate. To the treasurer’s point, we’re not asking, in the Business Council, for us to have the lowest rate, we’re simply asking for a competitive rate, so that we can be a magnet for investment in this country.

In case you haven’t seen this as yet, or cried today, I am giving this another run, because we all need a bit of heartbreakingly lovely in our lives.

After noticing that Ken slept with a photo of his late wife every night, one of the carers at Thistleton Lodge presented him with this incredible gift... pic.twitter.com/Q1v8V8HUFS

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Tony Abbott’s anti-Muslim rhetoric while PM ‘profoundly dangerous’, Malcolm Turnbull says

Turnbull says it was a threat to national security and Abbott’s style of government was ‘erratic and flaky’

Malcolm Turnbull has accused Tony Abbott of the “profoundly dangerous” decision to inflame animosity against Muslims while terrorism was the greatest security threat to Australia during his prime ministership.

In a wide-ranging interview on ABC TV’s 7.30, the former Liberal prime minister took aim at his predecessor for running an “erratic” and “flaky” government and his conservative ally turned challenger, Peter Dutton, for destroying his leadership in pursuit of the “absurd proposition” he could lead the Coalition to victory.

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The exit strategy: how countries around the world are preparing for life after Covid-19

As Australia makes plans to gradually lift its coronavirus lockdown, we look at what the rest of the world is doing

Australia has a road out of its coronavirus lockdown, long and winding though it may be.

Having warned repeatedly that this pandemic response was taking Australia into “uncharted territory”, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, has leaned again on a navigational metaphor for our subsequent recovery.

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Australian government plans to bring in mobile phone app to track people with coronavirus

Coalition wants to introduce app within fortnight as part of pandemic ‘road out’ strategy but PM says easing of restrictions still many weeks away

Australia soon will adopt a sophisticated mobile phone app that tracks coronavirus victims and the people they come in contact with.

The federal government wants to introduce the app, now being used in Singapore, within a fortnight and will outline the plan to premiers during the next meeting of the national cabinet on Thursday.

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Covid-19 should not be allowed to run free, but Australians are looking for a positive timetable | Malcolm Farr

The government’s coronavirus response is working, however there is a growing view the cure has been worse than the disease

Worrying and at times nasty themes are seeping out of the national insecurity produced by the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s not just the strange grocery hoarding, the ignorance of street-level racist rants, or the emergence of coughing as an assault weapon.

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Australia coronavirus live update: education minister orders independent schools to reopen – latest news

Dan Tehan wants all schools to provide in-person teaching to children whose parents want it. Follow live

The NRL season will recommence in late May, but it’s still unclear in what form it will happen.

#BREAKING: The NRL has announced a competition restart date of May 28. #9News pic.twitter.com/e5uwbe0fAj

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson is calling for road blocks on the Great Ocean Road to force people to stay home this long weekend. @Kieran_Gilbert

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‘We must keep the tension in the cord’: Morrison urges Covid-19 vigilance over Easter – video

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media in Canberra about how Australia is tracking in dealing with the spread of the coronavirus. "We are making significant progress," Morrison said before urging continued vigilance over the upcoming Easter holiday. "We must keep the tension in the cord".

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From tight purse strings to massive fiscal firepower: the Coalition’s staggering transformation | Katharine Murphy

The RBA begged the government for stimulus to kickstart the economy – to no avail. But coronavirus has seen a radical change in thinking

On 12 March Scott Morrison came to his courtyard with $17.6bn. A week later the Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate to 0.25% and pumped more than $100bn into the financial system in an effort to keep struggling businesses afloat and stave off substantial job losses.

On 22 March Morrison returned to his courtyard with another $66bn. Then on 30 March, Monday, the prime minister came back with $130bn for wage subsidies. Monday’s $130bn will be spent not over the four-year forward estimates, which is the budgetary convention. It will be spent over the next six months.

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Coronavirus Australia update live: Tasmania records its first Covid-19 death – latest news

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison announced further restrictions on Sunday, including limiting public gatherings to two people. Follow all the latest Covid-19 updates

Passengers onboard the Ocean Atlantic have begged Scott Morrison to help bring them home via a YouTube video.

The passengers, who include about 150 Australians, embarked on what was supposed to be an Antarctic cruise in February/early March.

Queensland will also be issuing on the spot fines for people who ignore the social distancing rules. As AAP reports:

In Queensland thus far, no more than 10 people - other than residents - will be allowed inside a home at any one time, with homeowners and occupants now obliged to ensure they and visitors practice social distancing as much as possible.

Queensland Police now have powers to issue infringement notices for breaches of quarantine directions of up to $13,345 for individuals and $66,672 for businesses.

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After the coronavirus, Australia and the world can never be the same again | Katharine Murphy

In a deeply ingrained reflex, Australians have looked to government in this crisis. Will it prove its worth?

We are all off balance. From the moment I open my eyes in the morning, I feel the discomfiting sensation of being suspended between the set of propositions that existed before the pandemic and the set of propositions that exist now.

I suspect everybody is encountering this out of kilter sensation frequently in normal life. Thousands and thousands of Australians were employed last week but aren’t today. Businesses have gone bust, or teeter on the brink. Kids are not at school. Socialising is curtailed. Unless you are young and sanguine enough to believe coronavirus is either a beat-up or a “boomer remover” and therefore it’s business as usual, you are either ill or deeply anxious about getting ill and infecting others.

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Scott Morrison announces forced quarantine for all Australian arrivals – video

Australian prime minister has announced a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all arrivals into the country from midnight on Saturday. Morrison also said Australian Defence Force personnel would assist state and local authorities in policing those who will are already isolating at home

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As Australia goes off the coronavirus cliff, the question is how hard will it land? | Katharine Murphy

A significant spike in cases and state lockdowns are signals that life has changed. It’s all now on the health system

Anyone watching events on Sunday will know the coronavirus story is now moving so fast it is hard to keep on top of what’s happening.

So let’s keep this simple. Let’s be very clear what happened.

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Australian leaders call for schools to remain open amid coronavirus pandemic – video

Prime minister Scott Morrison and chief medical officer Brendan Murphy say schools should remain open despite calls to restrict gatherings of more than 100 people. NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian says schools remaining open is the 'best option from a health perspective'

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PM tells Australians to ‘stop hoarding’ as he announces sweeping measures to slow spread of coronavirus

Scott Morrison says massive step-up of the government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak likely to be in place for at least six months

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told Australians to “stop hoarding” as he announces sweeping new measures to try to slow the spread of coronavirus, including a ban on indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, a global do-not-travel order, and strict new rules for visiting aged care homes.

In a massive step-up of the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, Morrison announced that a national cabinet of state and federal leaders had agreed on Tuesday night to an indefinite new ban on indoor groups of 100 people or more, with exemptions for schools, public transport, universities, prisons, courts, supermarkets and worksites.

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Businesses affected by coronavirus should have access to disaster relief funds, says Queensland

State says virus ‘is no different’ to floods, cyclones and bushfires as it prepares to ramp up pressure at Coag meeting

Queensland will use the upcoming meeting of state leaders and the prime minister to appeal to the federal government to open up its natural disaster assistance payments to local industries impacted by the coronavirus.

Scott Morrison has previously rejected Queensland’s request for the disaster recovery funding arrangements to be made available for businesses knocked by the economic slowdown resulting from Covid-19 on 4 February, and again on 28 February.

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Sports rorts: Scott Morrison sidesteps question about late changes to spreadsheet

Prime minister says ‘ministerial authority’ was with Bridget McKenzie when asked about changes she says she did not make

Scott Morrison has sidestepped a question about whether changes to a spreadsheet of sports grants on 10 and 11 April last year – including a change sought by his own office – were made with proper legal authority.

The former sports minister Bridget McKenzie reignited the sports rorts controversy late last week by insisting she made no changes to the brief and attachments outlining successful projects funded under the sports grants scheme after 4 April 2019.

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Six grants worth a total of $260k approved in marginal seat of Longman before election

LNP candidate advertised one of the grants on Facebook a month before election without specifying source of funds

Six taxpayer-funded grants were approved in the key marginal seat of Longman through the Department of Social Services in the month before the last federal election, including $177,000 for the Bribie Island and Districts Junior Rugby League Club.

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Sport Australia defies Senate on questions over sports rorts grants

Exclusive: senior officials claim no ‘specific recollection’ of a hastily convened teleconference to discuss colour-coded spreadsheets

Sport Australia defied a Senate committee request to respond to questions about its role in the Morrison government’s controversial sports grants program, while senior officials involved in the administration of the grants claim to have no “specific recollection” of a hastily convened teleconference to discuss the government’s colour-coded spreadsheets.

Sport Australia had been ordered to respond to 40 questions its officials had taken on notice following a 28 February committee hearing examining the $100m sports grants program by 6 March.

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Sports rorts changes everything. It’s time for a federal Icac | Katharine Murphy

If we care about integrity in government, the Coalition must be held accountable for the grants saga

Before we go forward, just for a minute, I want to look back. Let’s track back to last April when the Morrison government was mulling the grants at the centre of the “sports rorts” scandal.

Politics was hurtling towards a federal election that the Coalition (well, perhaps everyone apart from the prime minister himself) fully expected to lose. Believing there were five minutes left to live, the government went into hyperdrive. There was a rush of appointments and decisions – in the press gallery it felt like a volcano was erupting in our inboxes.

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