Latest snapshot of the coronavirus -sharenews
LATEST NEWS ABOUT COVID-19:
NUMBERS*
* Confirmed cases in Australia: 1709
* New cases: 313 since 3pm, March 22
* Australian deaths: seven (six in NSW, one in WA)
* Social distancing: one person per four square metres
* Groups over 100 banned
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MEASURES
* Border controls come into effect in SA and WA today, Queensland tomorrow. Already in place in Tasmania (freight and essential travel excepted)
* Non-essential travel should cease
* Non-essential services urged to close
* Still open: public transport, some schools, hairdressers, supermarkets, pharmacies, petrol stations, postal and freight services, bottle shops, newsagents, retail shops, restaurants restricted to take-away/delivery in most states
* Elective surgery delayed in WA, NT, but ramped up in Victoria and NSW
* Parents urged to keep children home in NSW, Queensland
* Closed: schools in Victoria and the ACT, gyms, indoor sports venues, bars, cinemas, nightclubs, casinos, some places of worship, theme parks
* Updated testing guidelines expected to be announced soon
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COMMENT
* Quote: "What we saw yesterday was heartbreaking." - Social Services Minister Ann Ruston on the queues outside Centrelink offices.
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SPORT
* IOC expected to announce soon that this year's Tokyo Olympic Games will be postponed
* The NRL has joined the AFL and suspended its season indefinitely
* Soccer, Super Rugby and netball domestic competition postponed
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ECONOMICS
* Finance: The ASX200 has closed down 5.6 per cent, to 4,546 while the All Ordinaries index plunged 5.98 per cent to 4475.8
* Parliament has passed two packages worth $17.6 billion and $66 billion in response to the outbreak of the virus
* The IMF predicts a recesion worse than the GFC, but says there'll be a recovery in 2021
* Queensland to reveal $3 billion rescue package on Tuesday
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GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS
* Cases: more than 373,648
* Deaths: more than 16,319
* Recovered: at least 101,507
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* Source: Australian Department of Health website at 1500 March 23.
© AAP 2020
