Coronavirus Australia live updates: Health department confirms 17 nursing homes hit by virus

Australia's coronavirus fight could take a devastating turn as the deadly illness spreads in homes where our most vulnerable live.

Coronavirus has spread to 17 Australian nursing homes, where those most vulnerable to the deadly disease live.

The Department of Health confirmed that more than a dozen aged care homes had been affected by the virus with 41 staff and residents testing positive.

"As of April 2 at 2pm, 41 care recipients and staff in 17 aged care services across the country have tested positive for COVID-19. The states with a positive result are NSW, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania and Victoria.

A total of 5107 cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed across the country, with 2298 in New South Wales, 1068 in Victoria, 838 in Queensland, 385 in South Australia, 400 in Western Australia, 71 in Tasmania, 84 in the Australian Capital Territory and 21 in the Northern Territory.

A total of 24 people have died, including two in WA, three in Queensland, 10 in NSW, six in Victoria, two in Tasmania and one in the ACT.

READ MORE: Follow the latest coronavirus updates

Our live coverage has wrapped for today, here's how it played out.

Updates

10:02 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

Ban on all but most basic outdoor activity in Victoria

Victorians will be able to exercise outdoors during the weekend, but a new ban on some activities has been issued.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has announced that fishing, hunting, boating, camping, and golf will not be allowed during the pandemic.

“Hang up your rods, leave the tinnie in the driveway, and clean your clubs at home,” Professor Sutton said.
“No round of golf or gym session with your mate is worth that cost.”

Urging Victorians to stop looking for loopholes, Prof Sutton advised people to stay home and save lives.
“These restrictions are tough, but they are there for a reason. If we don’t do this, Victorians will die,” he said.
Exercise is still considered one of the four reasons why leaving home is allowed, along with buying food and supplies, medical care or working and studying.
The type of exercise allowed, however, is defined as “basic”.

The chief health officer reminded Victorians that police will enforce these directions.
By Wednesday, eight fines had been handed out to individuals and businesses for breaching rules aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus.

On-the-spot fines can be up to $1652 for individuals and up to $9913 for businesses.

– Ulises Izquierdo, AAP

9:01 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

Northern Territory land council warns on food security

The powerful Central Land Council has called on governments to guarantee food supplies in Aboriginal communities during the coronavirus pandemic to stop indigenous people defying stay home orders and travelling.
They must also monitor the price of food items in remote community stores and come down hard on price gouging, says Joe Martin-Jard, chief executive of the CLC representing indigenous people in the south of the Northern Territory.

Vast swathes of the NT, along with Western Australia and Queensland, have been shut off from the world to try and stop COVID-19 spreading there.
The virus would have a devastating effect on vulnerable Aboriginal populations, many of whom have diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses.

“We need immediate freight subsidies and supply guarantees for these stores so they can reduce their prices and don’t run out of essential supplies,” Mr Martin-Jard said.
Food and other essentials at local stores were becoming unaffordable and scarce, sparking fears community residents will travel in and out of biosecurity areas to shop in Alice Springs and put themselves at greater risk of getting the virus.

– Greg Roberts, AAP

8:56 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

Coronavirus confirmed across 17 nursing homes

Coronavirus continues to spread in Australia's nursing homes.

There have now been 41 residents and staff in 17 nursing homes diagnosed with the virus, the Department of Health said in a statement.

The hardest hit has been Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Sydney where 16 residents and five staff tested positive for the virus. Seven close contacts have also tested positive.

Five residents have died, including one earlier today.
The Northern Territory and the ACT do not have any positive coronavirus cases.

8:20 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

Government confirms parents won't lose childcare place

Education Minister Dan Tehan has confirmed parents won't lose their coveted spot at childcare centres, regardless of whether they keep their child at home or not.

Speaking on ABC's 7.30 tonight, Mr Tehan said the government's new childcare system would mean a lot of things were different.

"As of this Sunday night, we're putting a completely new system in place. So what we've said to parents is up until this Sunday night you had those absences (of 42 days) and we increased that level of absences (to 62 days) but we're putting a new system in place as of Sunday night," he said.

"What a parent will be able to do in that situation is they'll be able to keep the continuity with their childcare centre, but they don't have to attend and they will not be charged fees.

"What we want centres to be concentrating on is ensuring that all those people who are working, that childcare is free and is available for those people.

"Everyone with those existing arrangements with their childcare centre will get that continuity of care for their children because what we didn't want to be looking at was a situation where health workers, workers who are making sure that we're getting food supplied to our supermarkets aren't faced with the daunting task of having to try and find a new centre for their child.

"We want to make sure that they're getting that continuity of care for their children."

8:12 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

Grandma who died in NSW had been on Ruby Princess

A grandma who died in central NSW yesterday had been on the ill-fated Ruby Princess before her death.

Janet Lieben, 67, died in the ICU at Orange Base Hospital yesterday after contracting the deadly virus on the cruise ship while on a trip with the Air Dispatch Association of Australia (ADAA).

The ADAA confirmed Ms Lieben's death on Facebook.

"It is with great sadness, I must inform everybody of the passing of Janet (Kiwi) Lieben, Jerry Lieben's wife," the group's president Nick Nicolai said.

"Her passing was as a result of COVID-19 after travelling with our International Reunion group, on board the Ruby Princess. Jerry is still in hospital and still fighting."

Mr Lieben remains in Orange Base Hospital.

The couple had been in self-isolation since March 19 after getting off an 11-day cruise with the Ruby Princess.

7:37 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

PM opens up on emotional press conference

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has opened up about his emotional moment on Thursday at a press conference about coronavirus.

Speaking on A Current Affair, Mr Morrison said he became emotional earlier in the day thinking about his two daughters having to endure a situation akin to the Great Depression of the 1930s.

"I became a bit emotional today because I was thinking about a conversation I had with my grandmother. She lived through the depression in rural New South Wales. She told me stories about what it was like.
"I honestly hope my … kids don't have to grow up in a situation that she faced.
"It is very upsetting, as a nation, we face this, not through any fault of ours in Australia, these events have happened to us.
"But we will face it in the same way my grandmother's generation did, I have great confidence.
"My girls will show as much character as she did. We talk about the normal things each day." 

– From Candace Sutton

The PM speaks on A Current Affair. Picture: Channel 9

7:24 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

PM's blunt response to extending free childcare

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has delivered a flat "no" to anyone thinking the government's unprecedented free childcare scheme could become a permanent thing.

On Channel 7's The Latest tonight, Mr Morrison was asked if the free childcare would be extended past the six month timeline.

"No. No. It won't," the PM said.

"These are special conditions to deal with the crisis that we are in, and like with all the arrangements we are putting in place – the JobKeeper program, the JobSeeker COVID-19 supplement – all arrangements are being done on a temporary basis.

"All measures we are putting in place are designed to get us through the crisis period of the COVID-19 virus. And one of our key principals has been not to load up the budget years into the future. So that it will enable us to get back on to a sure footing once the crisis has passed."

6:48 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

Queensland's border closures come into effect tonight

Queensland's stricter border closures are also due to come into effect – however state residents will still be given access.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk issued a reminder about the border closures earlier today.

From midnight tonight, if you are not a Queensland resident or have your border pass to be considered exempt from restrictions, you will not be able to enter our state. #coronavirusaustralia pic.twitter.com/Bv1WeK3l4Q

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) April 2, 2020

6:38 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

Reports more than 200 Ruby Princess crew showing symptoms

There are fears hundreds of Ruby Princess crew are sick with coronavirus, as the controversial cruise ship remains floating off NSW's coast.

Six crew members from the Ruby Princess have already been taken off the ship, including a 66-year-old man who was medically evacuated off earlier today.

More than 500 confirmed cases of coronavirus and seven deaths are linked to the ship.

However there are now fears the more than 1,100 crew still on the ship could fall sick.

9 News reports more than 200 of the crew are already showing symptoms and are in self-isolation.

6:15 pm April 2, 2020 Highlight

'Concerning' cluster found in Western Australia as eight new cases confirmed

A concerning cluster of coronavirus cases has been found in Western Australia.

There has been a spike of cases in the state's Kimberley region, "which is of grave concern", Premier Mark McGowan said.

Six new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the region yesterday with a handful of tests still being analysed.

"Of the six new case, five were health care workers, three in Broome, one in Kununurra and one in Halls Creek," Mr McGowan said.

"All cases are currently self-isolating and contact tracing is under way to determine the source of the infection and identify and isolate close contacts.

"There are already strict travel restrictions in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 throughout the Kimberley, particularly residents in remote Aboriginal communities.

"Access to the Kimberley is strictly restricted under state and Commonwealth law. The Kimberley is closed to tourists and visitors and additional restrictions apply to specific communities. However, further restrictions to stop the movement of people between towns or local government areas are now being introduced.

"We cannot take any chances here. We know just how vulnerable the Kimberley and Aboriginal people are to viruses like coronavirus."

Mr McGowan said he held "very serious concerns about the situation in the Kimberley".

"We must act fast," he added.

Additional restrictions around the Kimberley region were coming into effect from midnight tonight.

"New boundaries in line with the four local government areas are now in place. People must stay in their local government area," Mr McGowan said.