Supermarkets, corner stores and pharmacies across New South Wales have been given the option to stay open 24/7 in a new wave of measures announced by the state government.

NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes made the announcement on Twitter on Wednesday evening, posting that is a business chooses, it will be allowed to operate for 24 hours, given the current coronavirus pandemic.

It comes as Australia reported its ninth fatality, a 69-year-old Queensland man who died after contracting coronavirus on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

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Earlier, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Kristina Keneally lashed out at Prime Minister Scott Morrison over the “confusing” rules introduced by the government last night.

Also, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly warned that just one infected case could go on to infect 400 people if Australians continue to flout government guidelines.

Draconian stage two rules will shut another enormous swath of businesses from midnight and Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he would offer “no resistance” if individual states wanted to go further. Experts fear up to two million Australians could lose their jobs in the worst downturn since the Great Depression.

More than 2400 cases of COVID-19 have now been confirmed across Australia, with 1029 in New South Wales, 466 in Victoria, 443 in Queensland, 205 in Western Australia, 197 in South Australia, 44 in the Australian Capital Territory, 42 in Tasmania and six in the Northern Territory.

Nine people have died, with seven deaths in NSW, one in Queensland and one in WA.

Our rolling coverage has ended for the day, here’s how it unfolded.