As the day unfolded: Scott Morrison shuts down pubs, gyms and restaurants for six months as COVID-19 cases surpass 335,000 worldwide

Thanks for following along today. Here's what you need to know:

• There are now 1715 cases in Australia
• Around the world, there are now roughly 336,000 cases, and nearly 15,000 deaths.
• The Senate announced this evening that those on Youth Allowance, Austudy and Abstudy will also be included in the government's supplement package
• The NRL has finally announced that it is suspending the season
• All services deemed non-essential - including pubs, clubs, gyms, cinemas and entertainment venues - shut their doors at midday

We'll continue to provide you live coverage of the pandemic tonight and into Tuesday in a new blog, which you can read here.

Mainland China has reported a drop in its daily tally of new coronavirus cases, reversing four straight days of increases, as the capital, Beijing, ramped up measures to contain the number of infections arriving from abroad.

China had 39 new confirmed cases on Sunday, the National Health Commission said, down from 46 a day earlier. All the new ones involved travellers arriving from abroad, many of them Chinese students returning home.

Beijing stepped up measures to contain imported infections, diverting all arriving international flights from Monday to other cities, including Shanghai and as far west as Xian, where passengers will undergo virus screening.

Foreigners who miss international connections as a result of the measure would have to leave China, an immigration official said at the health commission's daily briefing, adding that foreign visitors should "think carefully" before choosing Beijing as a transit point.

AP

The Games are over for this year as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) prepares to announce an extraordinary postponement that will ensure Tokyo 2020 becomes Tokyo 2021.

Amid growing pressure from athletes, sports and Olympic committees, some of which were threatening a boycott should the July Games have gone ahead in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IOC will announce a postponement that will add to the $22 billion figure it has already cost Japan to stage the event.

Things moved rapidly on Monday. The Canadian Olympic Committee announced it would refuse to send athletes should the July 24 start date remain in place, before the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) told its athletes that it was now untenable to safely assemble a team amid health risks, travel bans and huge disruptions to training.

Read the full story here

Coronavirus infection rates continue to rise sharply across south-east Asia, with concern growing about whether numerous countries will be able to control the outbreak.

Singapore Airlines has slashed 96 per cent of its flights, with 138 of its 147 planes grounded. Just a handful of routes will be kept open, which spells bad news for Australians who were hoping the global aviation hub would remain open as a route of last resort home.

The city-state reported 23 more cases on Monday, including 18 imported cases from overseas, to take it to 455 positives overall. Until recently Singapore had been widely praised for its handling of the coronavirus crisis, but recent rises in infections, most from overseas, has prompted it to significantly tighten its entry requirements for travellers.

Indonesia is now reporting 579 infected people and 49 deaths as of Monday afternoon.

That death toll is the highest in south-east Asia and suggests the total number of cases is significantly higher than official figures. Government officials took journalists on a tour of the athlete's village for the 2018 south-east Asian games, which has been turned into a treatment centre, on Monday.

Bali's reported cases have doubled from three to six, but there are fears that the province - a favourite holiday destination for Australians - is massively under-reporting case numbers because of a shortage of testing.

Health Ministry spokesman Achmad Yurianto said 4000 rapid tests were conducted in South Jakarta on Sunday. Another 125,000 kits will be distributed around Indonesia on Monday. This comes after many delays in the start of rapid testing but also suggests there could be a significant rise in numbers soon as tests begin to roll out at scale outside the main island of Java.

The Philippines reported eight more coronavirus deaths, taking it to 33 in total - the second highest in the region. But only 16 new infections were reported, meaning the total is 396 people. This suggests that the Philippines, like Indonesia, is still under-reporting total infections because of a lack of testing.

Vietnam is now reporting 121 positive cases, including many foreigners who have travelled to the country. The country has cracked down on arrivals from overseas to try to stop the spread of the disease.

In Malaysia has now reported 1306 cases of infection, including 11 deaths. It is now setting aside emergency funds to purchase medical equipment such as ventilators and gowns for its hospitals.

Thailand reported 122 new infections on Monday, down from Sunday's rise of 188 new cases. There are 721 infections in the country now.

The NSW teachers' union will demand further school closures if strict staff safety measures are not met by Tuesday, while parents say they are confused and anxious about how to respond to "mixed messages" about whether to send students to school.

Unions may push for further closures if strict teacher safety measures are not met.Credit: Eddie Jim

It came as a leading public health expert called for students still at school to have their temperature checked three times a day, and for teachers to be given priority for COVID-19 testing.

After flagging a school shutdown for all but the children of essential workers on Sunday, the NSW government softened its stance on Monday and said while parents would be encouraged to keep their children home, no student would be turned away from school.

Read the full story here

For millions of Australians, rugby league is a beloved fixture of everyday life. In the off-season, fans discuss player signings, the chances for the year ahead. The season starts with great anticipation and each game is eagerly anticipated and scrutinized. Notwithstanding some dubious off-field behaviour, players are idols and role models for thousands of young people.

The standing in which the NRL and its players are held by its fans should have been the overriding factor for the NRL when considering whether their season should continue in face of the coronavirus outbreak. On Monday afternoon, the NRL finally succumbed to the inevitable and suspended its season. It will be a sign to all fans how seriously this pandemic should be taken.

Despite the shutting down of restaurants, casinos and the AFL postponing games until at least the end of May, the NRL had held on until the last possible moment, still intent on playing through the coronavirus epidemic. Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys had said it was important to keep people’s spirits up. “You have got to have some things to make life a little more normal,” he said.

Read the full piece here

Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment are scrambling to deal with the forced shutdown of their gaming floors and restaurants, with a lengthy lockdown shaping up as a major challenge for both casino operators.

A security guard outside Crown Casino on Monday.Credit: AAP

Crown and Star both remain in trading halts after the federal government on Sunday announced the closure of pubs, clubs and casinos nationally to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Crown confirmed it would close the gaming floors and restaurants at its Melbourne and Perth casinos, but was continuing to assess the financial impact of the forced shutdown.

Read the full story here

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has just told the Senate that people on Youth Allowance, Austudy or Abstudy will now be included in the supplement package, giving them an additional $550 per fortnight.

This follows the earlier announcement that the unemployed will get a $750 payment from March 31, and on April 27 a $550 a fortnight supplement is available for those on the Jobseeker payment.

For nearly 50 years, the Biennale of Sydney has presented some of the most dynamic contemporary art from around the globe in iconic venues across Sydney - but are switching to a digital format from Tuesday onwards.

Tennant Creek group Jimmy Frank, Fabian Brown, Rupert Betheras and Joseph Williams are exhibiting at Artspace and Cockatoo Island for the Sydney Biennale. Credit: Rhett Wyman

"The COVID-19 pandemic and potential impact on the safety of our visitors, artists, staff and wider community remains our top priority," a statement from the Biennale read.

"We will continue to adapt and innovate in the face of this global crisis. Our doors close across Sydney, and they will open online – for everyone, everywhere across the world."

The Biennale will work with Google to create a virtual exhibit with live content, virtual walk-throughs, podcasts, interactive Q&As, curated tours and artist takeovers.

"We look forward to welcoming you back to the physical exhibition when our government authorities deem it safe to reopen."

Friends, we need to take a moment to talk about toilet paper. Not the hoarding. The avoiding.

Because despite Australians' newfound passion for TP, it's actually pretty gross when you think about it. Yes, we're all used to our Western method of post-bathroom cleansing, which involves large wads – folded or scrunched – of this increasingly rare commodity. In a lot of countries, however, that's considered quite disgusting.

These are the countries in which a shortage of toilet paper will never be an issue. In these places you can hoard all you like – most people don't need it. When there's a ready water supply, there's no issue with the tissue.

Read the full story here