Coronavirus: Everything that’s happened in the past 24 hours

It has been another frantic day of coronavirus developments in Australia. Here’s everything you need to know about how it will affect you.

All the virus news from the past 24 hours. Picture: Joel Carrett/AAP

There’s a lot of information to take in with the coronavirus pandemic, as the situation is rapidly changing.

Over the past 24 hours in Australia there have been some pretty significant developments, so let’s take you through what happened.

Australia’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases is edging towards 5000, with that number likely to be surpassed within the next 24 hours.

The country’s death toll has risen to 21 after a 95-year-old woman from Sydney’s Dorothy Henderson Lodge died yesterday, and another person died at Orange Base Hospital in central NSW this afternoon.

As of Wednesday afternoon there were 4862 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Australia, with 2182 in NSW, 968 in Victoria, 781 in Queensland, 367 in South Australia, 392 in Western Australia, 69 in Tasmania, 84 in the Australian Capital Territory and 19 in the Northern Territory.

RELATED: Follow the latest coronavirus updates

The national coronavirus death toll has risen to 21 after a person died at Orange Base Hospital.

WHAT WE KNOW

Today the Victorian Government announced a new $1.3 billion plan to prepare the healthcare system for an influx of coronavirus cases.

State Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the state was getting ready for the “worst-case scenario” and the package would pay for the biggest expansion of the intensive care capacity in Victoria’s history.

She said the state currently had about 500 intensive care beds, with the money going towards funding an extra 4000 and equipment that would be needed going forward.

“This is worst-case scenario planning. We hope that we will never need to actually use this type of capacity in Victoria, and it is incumbent on all of us to do our bit and to make sure that this capacity won’t actually be needed,” Ms Mikakos said at a press conference this morning.

Victorian Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos addresses the media during a press conference in Melbourne. Picture: James Ross/AAP

A German cruise ship docked at a port in Fremantle, WA, reportedly refused directions by Border Force personnel to leave Australian waters.

Operators of the ship, Artania, which is responsible for dozens of coronavirus cases, have reportedly pushed back on the demands to leave and instead asked for a two-week extension.

WA Premier Mark McGowan labelled the standoff as “one of the greatest frustrations of my life”.

This comes as police continue to crackdown on those who defy social distancing and self-isolation orders.

NSW Police, joined by the Australian Defence Force, were seen conducting door-to-door checks of homes and businesses across Sydney today.

NSW Police Force and the Australian Defence Force conducting Public Health Order checks at homes and businesses in Sydney. Picture: NSW Police

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW

Last week, state governments began a gradual lockdown banning mass gatherings, closing pubs and restaurants and encouraging people to limit outdoor activities.

In the last few days these restrictions have gone even further, to stage three, with groups of more than two banned, people told to leave the house only to buy the essentials and for exercise and overseas arrivals quarantined in hotels.

The aim is to slow community transmission, but it won’t be until around Easter that we will see the impact these new restrictions are having on the number of cases.

Bond University’s Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare director Paul Glasziou said without the measures in place, Australians cases might be double what we currently have or around 8000 people with COVID-19.

“It means it’s taken about seven to 14 days for these new interventions to kick in,” Prof Glasziou told the ABC.

With the changes introduced on Monday, Australians should be seeing an impact on the number of cases by the end of next week, he added.

That could mean the further restrictions imposed will lead to a further push down in new infections from Monday, April 6 with the full effect by the Easter weekend of April 11- 12.