Leaked correspondence shows thousands of people were allowed to board the Ruby Princess after a wave of passengers fell sick, as New South Wales police begin a criminal investigation into the cruise ship. 7NEWS reports that the NSW Port Authority was aware of 158 sick passengers as early as March 8, but nine negative results for COVID-19 meant 2700 more people were allowed to board for a cruise to New Zealand. When the ship subsequently turned around, passengers say they were told it was due to bad weather not health concerns. The revelations come as NSW police announced ($) the cruise ship company and authorities would be the subject of a criminal investigation undertaken by the homicide squad. A further four passengers from the ship died at the weekend, with 11 of 35 Australians to have died from COVID-19 linked to the cruise. The ship remains moored off the Sydney Heads with almost 200 crew members on board exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has urged Australians to abandon their typical Easter festivities next weekend, as social distancing measures show signs of reducing the increase of infections. Queensland reported just nine cases in the previous 24 hours, Victoria 20, and South Australia 2. NSW recorded 87 new cases, bringing the national total to 5687. Woolworths and Coles will limit the number of customers ($) allowed in-store ahead of an anticipated Easter shopping surge. Meanwhile, a new Newspoll indicates Prime Minister Scott Morrison enjoys the highest approval ratings for a prime minister since Kevin Rudd during the global financial crisis, with his rating as preferred prime minister jumping by 11 points in just three weeks, leading Labor leader Anthony Albanese 53 per cent to 29 per cent.

Lobbying from unions and charities has prompted the Federal Government to relax the eligibility requirements for the JobKeeper wage subsidy, ahead of a vote on the package when Parliament meets on Wednesday. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that casuals who have worked for multiple employers over the past year will be eligible for the $1500 fortnightly payment, instead of requiring 12 months with a single employer. ACTU secretary Sally McManus is pushing for a reduction to the one-year limit and to make changes through awards and enterprise agreements, instead of the Fair Work Act. Meanwhile, the ABC reports that charities with a turnover of less than $1 billion needed to have recorded a drop in revenue of 15 per cent decline in turnover to be eligible. The previous threshold required a drop of at least 30 per cent.

Private health insurers stand to enjoy up to a $5.5 billion windfall due to a fall in elective surgery and other procedures during the COVID-19 crisis, according to a new paper from the Australia Institute. Guardian Australia reports that health minister Greg Hunt’s decision to pay at least $1.3 billion to private hospitals was factored into the calculation, along with bans on dental service. Meanwhile, frontline healthcare workers are struggling to get flu shots as public demand for the vaccine surges, according to The Age.

Global deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic have soared past 60,000, with more than 1.2 million confirmed cases across the globe. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to hospital for tests, 10 days after testing positive for coronavirus. Misinformation about the virus continues to spread in Britain, with arson attacks on mobile phone towers due to a conspiracy theory falsely linking 5G mobile phone transmission equipment and COVID-19 deaths. Spain and Italy saw some encouraging signs over the weekend, with new coronavirus infections and deaths slowing in both countries.