I'll said it before and I'll say it again.. the pain and suffering caused by the lockdowns is far worse than the virus. Dying from the coronavirus isn't long and drawn out like cancer. It's over relatively quickly. Unemployment can last a lot longer.
I am now starting to see the silver lining of the wuhan virus. With the higher death rates of the economic n social parasites. Gahmen budgets will actually improve because they can stop paying to feed these sick farts. These sick farts can also move on n stop being burdens on their families. Policies can now be realigned to help the economically productive be more productive n hopefully translate to a higher standard of living for the middle n working class to less taxes etc.
Of course the looser interest groups like pharmaceuticals, age care etc will suffer will cry n trash n take everyone down with them. Sigh..the tyranny of the minority.
Coronavirus update: UK announces home lockdown measures, WHO says the pandemic is accelerating, NSW confirms 149 new infections - ABC News
Posted 7h
A hospital worker wearing blue scrubs and a face mask.
Gatherings above two people have been banned in the UK.(AP: Darryl Dyck)
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Millions of Britons have been ordered into home lockdown, the World Health Organisation says the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating and NSW has confirmed 149 new infections.
Spain has recorded its highest daily COVID-19 death toll, with more than 460 deaths confirmed overnight.
This story is being updated regularly throughout the day. You can also stay informed with the latest episode of the Coronacast podcast.
Boris Johnson announces new restrictions for the UK
UK to see tough new lockdown measures as Boris Johnson addresses nation
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says people in the UK will only be allowed to leave home for these reasons:
Buying essential goods, such as food or medicines
One form of exercise a day
Medical needs
Travel for essential work
Gatherings of more than two people have been banned, and all shops selling non-essential goods will shut.
Mr Johnson said "no Prime Minister wants to enact measures like this", but said there were no easy options for fighting the coronavirus "national emergency".
149 new coronavirus infections in NSW
Gladys Berejiklian warns of harsh penalties for those not obeying isolation orders.
Health authorities in NSW have confirmed 149 new coronavirus infections in the 24 hours to 8:00pm AEDT Monday, taking the state's total to 818.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian described the increase as "substantial".
"I'm confident New South Wales will control as much as we can the spread of this virus, so long as everybody steps up and does what they need to do," she said.
Minister failed to anticipate Centrelink demand after 'maybe a million' lost their jobs
People are lining up outside the office windows, and the line appears to stretch around the building.
A line outside a Sydney Centrelink office early on Tuesday morning.(ABC News: Housnia Shams)
Government Services Minister Stuart Robert says he failed to appreciate the scale of demand that would be placed on Centrelink's website following the forced closure of pubs, clubs and indoor entertainment and sporting facilities yesterday.
"My bad, not realising the sheer scale of the decision on Sunday night by the national leaders," he said.
Long queues are forming outside Centrelink offices across the country again today, despite the Federal Government urging welfare-seekers to go home.
Social Services Minister Anne Ruston urged people to instead contact Centrelink by phone or online.
Economists say pandemic could see house prices plummet 20 per cent
Houses in the Hobart suburb of Gagebrook.
Houses are being withdrawn from auction as coronavirus continues to spread.(ABC News: David Hudspeth)
AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver has predicted that unemployment will likely shoot up to about 10 per cent, double its current level, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
CoreLogic's Tim Lawless said Australia's housing market would start "losing steam" by April, and the situation could be worse than expected because of high household debt.
The areas worst hit by mortgage stress would be those exposed to tourism, and where there is a higher portion of hospitality workers such as in some pockets of Western Sydney.
More than 300,000 cases now recorded worldwide
The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating, with more than 300,000 cases now recorded worldwide and infections reported from nearly every country.
World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus outlined the numbers:
It took 67 days to go from one reported case to 100,000 cases
Then it took only 11 days to reach 200,000 cases
Then it took just four days to reach 300,000 cases
But Dr Tedros said "we're not helpless bystanders", urging countries to take both defensive measures (home isolation and social distancing) and attacking measures (testing every suspect case, tracing and quarantining every close contact).
Experts say loss of smell or taste might be an early sign of infection
A close up of a lady's nose.
The World Health Organisation is looking into whether the loss of smell or taste are a defining feature of the disease.(ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe)
Medical experts citing reports from several countries say a loss of smell or taste might be an early sign of a COVID-19 infection.
There is "good evidence" from South Korea, China and Italy for loss or impairment of smell in infected people, says a joint statement from the presidents of the British Rhinological Society and of ENT UK, a British group that represents ear, nose and throat doctors.
They wrote that in South Korea, some 30 per cent of people who tested positive for the virus have cited loss of smell as their major complaint in otherwise mild cases.
A similar proposal was published on Sunday local time by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. It noted, "rapidly accumulating" anecdotal evidence from around the world that the pandemic virus can cause not only loss of smell but also a diminished sense of taste.
Maria Van Kerkhove, an outbreak expert at the World Health Organisation, said on Monday that the UN health agency was looking into the question of whether the loss of smell or taste were defining features of the disease.
A-League suspends its 2019-20 season
Adam Le Fondre, in blue, attempts to go past Daniel Georgievski by turning the ball with the outside of his right boot
The competition still hopes to complete its 2019-20 season at a later time.(AAP: Brendon Thorne)
The A-League has followed the AFL and NRL in shutting its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Football Federation Australia boss James Johnson made the announcement this morning, saying the competition still hoped to complete its 2019-20 season, which still has five rounds to play.
The decision will be reassessed on April 22.
Supermarkets allowed to coordinate to get groceries to consumers
Australia's consumer and competition watchdog has eased regulations for major supermarket chains, allowing them to coordinate with each other when working with manufacturers, suppliers, and transport and logistics providers.
The move is designed to ensure consumers have reliable and fair access to groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Australia's supermarkets have experienced unprecedented demand for groceries in recent weeks, both in store and online, which has led to shortages of some products and disruption to delivery services," ACCC chair Rod Sims said.
The change does not allow supermarkets to agree on retail prices for products.
Michael Hill jewellery stores to close indefinitely
The shop front on Michael Hill jewellers in a shopping centre.
Michael Hill said new social-distancing rules were not consistent with the day-to-day conduct of its business.(ABC News: Solua Middleton)
Jewellery chain Michael Hill International says it will immediately suspend operations of its Australian store network indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement to the New Zealand stock exchange, the jeweller said local workers would be stood down with access to leave entitlements.
It said the Federal Government's new social-distancing rules were not consistent with the company's day-to-day conduct of its business.
Olympic official expects Tokyo 2020 postponement
International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound says he expects the organisation to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
He said what probably turned the tide in the last couple of days was the curve on the COVID-19 cases.
UN chief calls for COVID-19 ceasefire
The UN Secretary-General has called for a global ceasefire to tackle coronavirus crisis.
"It is time to put armed conflict on lock down and focus together on the true fight of our lives," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
"The virus does not care about nationality or ethnicity, faction or faith. It attacks all, relentlessly. Meanwhile, armed conflict rages on around the world.
The plea comes after Syria confirmed its first case of COVID-19: a 20-year-old woman.
Syria's health system and infrastructure has been ravaged by nearly a decade of civil war and humanitarian workers fear a catastrophe if a major coronavirus outbreak takes place there.
Germany announces trillion-dollar stimulus package
Angela Merkel walks in a navy blazer down a corridor with a large German and EU flag.
Germany's stimulus measures amount to more than 30 per cent of GDP.(AP: Michael Kappeler, Pool)
Germany has announced a stimulus package worth up to 750 billion euros ($1.392 trillion) to mitigate the damage of the coronavirus outbreak on Europe's largest economy, with Berlin aiming to take on new debt for the first time since 2013.
The new measures massively bolster a previous pledge of at least 460 billion euros in loan guarantees to help handle the fallout of running down public life to a minimum.
The measures amount to more than 30 per cent of Germany's GDP, according to Oliver Rakau, chief German economist at Oxford Economics.
This announcement comes as Mrs Merkel herself returned a negative result for a coronavirus test.
The Chancellor went into quarantine at home on Sunday evening after being informed that a doctor who had administered a vaccination against pneumococcal infection to her on Friday had tested positive.
There are also signs emerging the exponential upwards curve in new coronavirus infections in Germany is flattening off thanks to strict social distancing measures, the head of Germany's public health institute said.
As of Sunday, there were 22,672 cases of coronavirus in Germany, with 86 deaths.
Australia's coronavirus testing criteria set to change
A microscopic image shows orange circular cells surrounded by long green cells.
An electron microscope image shows the coronavirus in orange.(AP: NIAID-RML)
The Department of Health has told the ABC that the testing criteria for COVID-19 will broaden in the near future.
So far, those who qualify for a coronavirus test have to meet the following:
You have returned from overseas in the past 14 days and you develop respiratory illness with or without fever
You have been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case in the past 14 days and you develop respiratory illness with or without fever
You have severe community-acquired pneumonia and there is no clear cause
You are a healthcare worker who works directly with patients and you have a respiratory illness and a fever
But on last night's episode of Q+A, Australia's deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly said new test criteria would be announced "over the coming days".
In comments delivered to the ABC after the episode, the Health Department said it continues to "review the testing criteria" as more is known about the virus.
"In light of our stronger travel restrictions the focus logically moves to the community with COVID-19 symptoms, on top of returned travellers and close contacts of cases," it said.
Spain records its highest daily coronavirus death toll
You look down a sloping street of an empty Barcelona street on an overcast day.
Barcelona's streets have been deserted since Spain declared a state of emergency over the outbreak.(AP: Emilio Morenatti)
Spain's coronavirus death toll has reached 2,182, adding 462 fatalities overnight, marking its highest daily coronavirus death toll — equivalent to a rise of more than 26 per cent over the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, 4,000 health workers are believed to be infected with the coronavirus, which equates to more than one in 10 of total confirmed cases.
The number of cases registered in Spain rose to 33,089, up from 28,572 cases on Sunday. This means health workers account for nearly 12 per cent of the total.
After Italy, Spain is Europe's worst-affected country, having recorded 2,206 deaths in total, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University. However, there have been 3,355 recoveries.
Parliament passes stimulus package, won't sit again until August
Late last night, the legislation for the Federal Government's coronavirus economic stimulus package made it though Parliament.
The bills were passed without objection in both the House of Representatives and the Senate after some amendments were made.
The legislation enables workers, students and businesses to get direct financial support if they have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The measures, costing at least $83.8 billion, were rushed through in a single day.
Federal Parliament is not scheduled to sit again until August.
South Korea records lowest number of new cases
A man wearing a face mask walks amid an austere concrete square casting long shadows.
South Korea has instituted a strict nationwide social distancing policy.(AP: Lee Jin-Man)
There is hope that Asia's largest coronavirus outbreak outside of China may be abating.
The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 64 new cases on Monday, taking the national tally to 8,961. The death toll rose to 118, from 110.
But the new numbers marked the 12th day in a row the country has posted new infections of around 100 or less, compared with the peak of 909 cases recorded on February 29.
Of the new cases, 13 were from overseas travellers who tested positive after the government toughened border checks and imposed a two-week mandatory quarantine for all long-term arrivals from Europe.
South Korea began taking a 15-day intensive social distancing policy on Sunday, including restrictions on high-risk events such as religious, sports and entertainment gatherings.
ABC/wires