Spain has recorded more than 10,000 deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australia has confirmed three more deaths as it passes 5,000 confirmed cases, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced free child care for anyone who needs it, and the CSIRO has started trials for two potential vaccines.

Meanwhile, New York has gone from one case to more than 83,000 in a month, with the Governor saying the "top of the curve" is another month away and "nobody knows what's going to happen".

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Thursday's top stories

More than 10,000 deaths in Spain

Spain has become the third country to detect more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases. ( AP: Manu Fernandez )

Spain's death toll has passed 10,000 after a record 950 people died overnight, according to the country's Health Ministry.

The number of cases registered rose by about 8 per cent from Wednesday to 110,238 cases in total, the ministry said.

The proportional daily increases have been slowing down in the past few days.

The total death toll reached 10,003, rising by just over 10 per cent, about the same rate as the previous day.

Over 6,000 people were in intensive care, the data showed.

Record 6.6 million seek unemployment benefits in the US

New York has more than 83,000 positive cases. ( AP: Bebeto Matthews )

More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in the last week, doubling a record high set just one week earlier, as layoffs accelerate due to coronavirus.

The report from the US Labor Department showed job cuts are mounting — the figure for last week is much higher than the previous record of 3.3 million reported last week.

The surging layoffs have led many economists to envision as many as 20 million American job losses by the end of April, while the unemployment rate could spike to as high as 15 per cent this month, above the previous record of 10.8 per cent set during a deep recession in 1982.

Deaths in state of New York are approaching 2,000. ( Reuters: Stefan Jeremiah )

Meanwhile the death count from COVID-19 in New York, the worst-hit state in the United States, has more than doubled in 72 hours to 1,941.

One month after New York discovered its first infection — a health care worker returning from Iran — the state has tallied more than 83,000 positive cases.

With more than 12,000 people hospitalised, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the latest outbreak projections show no respite this month.

"What we're looking at now is the apex — the top of the curve — roughly at the end of April, which means another month of this," he said.

One model cited by Mr Cuomo projected 16,000 deaths in New York once the outbreak had run its course in the coming months.

"Nobody knows what's going to happen … We're at a place we've never been before," he said.

According to the Johns Hopkins University database, the United States has 209,071 confirmed COVID-19 cases — making it the first country to pass the 200,000 cases mark.

Yesterday, White House modelling projected between 100,000 to 240,000 deaths from the virus in the United States in the coming months, even with social-distancing measures.

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Child care to be free for parents who still need it

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 18 seconds 1 m 18 s Childcare for essential workers to be made free

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Federal Government will provide additional support for about 13,000 childcare facilities to ensure they remain open.

"We will be ensuring for those parents who are still in that position where they are needing that child care, it will be free," he said.

Mr Morrison said if you have a job in this economy, then "that is an essential job".

Education Minister Dan Tehan said the free childcare would be in place for six months from next week and would not be means tested.

He said the additional funding amounts to $1.6 billion.

When asked if there was a mixed message in the policy, Mr Morrison said the advice had always been clear that there is "no health risk to children going to school or going to child care".

More than 600 childcare and after-school-care centres have closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

CSIRO starts trials for two potential vaccines

Flu shots are rolling out early this year in medical clinics and pharmacies. ( ABC News: Alison Branley )

The CSIRO has started the first stage of trials on two potential vaccines for COVID-19.

The tests have begun at the Australian animal health laboratory in Geelong, where ferrets are being injected with vaccines.

The animals will be exposed to the virus about four weeks later. Human trials are at least a few months away.

The CSIRO is among dozens of organisations around the world racing to produce an effective treatment, which the World Health Organisation hopes will be on the market before the middle of next year.

The CSIRO is also looking at how a vaccine could be most effectively delivered — including whether a nasal spray could be better than a needle.

In the absence of a COVID-19 vaccine, Australians are being urged to get their flu vaccination as soon as possible to reduce strain on the health system caused by the new disease.

Flu shots are rolling out early in medical clinics and pharmacies.

More deaths confirmed in Victoria and Queensland, Australia passes 5,000 cases

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 2 minutes 30 seconds 2 m 30 s Third coronavirus death recorded in Queensland

Victoria has recorded its sixth death from coronavirus after two women, one aged in her 70s and one aged in her 60s, died in hospital.

The younger woman was a patient in a cancer ward.

She was one of several inpatients and staff from The Alfred's haematology and oncology ward who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Two other patients from the ward have tested positive and remain in a stable condition, while 10 staff have the virus and are recovering at home.

There are now 1,036 cases of coronavirus in the state, with 68 new cases confirmed overnight.

An 85-year-old man with COVID-19 also died in hospital in Toowoomba overnight, bringing the death toll in Queensland to three.

"Each of these deaths reminds us of just how important our effort to stop the spread of this outbreak, to slow the spread of this outbreak, is," Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said.

Another 57 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Queensland, bringing the state's tally to 835.

The deaths in Victoria and Queensland raise the national toll to 24, with 5,050 COVID-19 cases now confirmed in Australia.

Western Australia to close its borders

The WA Government will introduce a "temporary closure" of its interstate borders from midnight on Sunday.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the state's isolation was its best defence against the threat of COVID-19.

"In effect we'll be turning Western Australia into an island within an island, our own country," Mr McGowan said.

"It won't be forever, it's a temporary closure to make sure we limit the spread of the virus in WA."

There will be some exemptions, including for healthcare workers, emergency services, freight, security and judicial services.

Exemptions would also apply for fly-in fly-out workers and their families, but strict 14-day self isolation measures would need to be followed when they first entered the state.

Entry on compassionate grounds may also be granted.

Coronavirus hits 17 Australian nursing homes

Five residents of Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Sydney have died from coronavirus. ( Supplied: BaptistCare )

There have now been 41 residents and staff in 17 nursing homes diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the Federal Department of Health.

Aged care facilities in all Australian states have recorded infections, but there are no cases in Northern Territory or ACT nursing homes.

Based on the figures and information obtained exclusively by the ABC, 10 of the 17 facilities have still not been named.

Annie Butler from the Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation said governments should make it easier to find out which homes had recorded coronavirus infections.

"The staff definitely have a right to know, the family have a right to know," she said.

Workers to have access to two weeks unpaid pandemic leave

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 2 minutes 9 seconds 2 m 9 s Attorney-General Christian Porter announces industrial relations changes in response to pandemic

Attorney-General Christian Porter has announced two weeks unpaid pandemic leave will be made available for employees across a majority of awards.

As well, workers covered by the 103 modern awards will be able to take double the duration of leave at half the pay.

Mr Porter said the changes will give employers flexibility that "could well make the difference between survival of the business and preservation of the jobs or the failure of the business and the loss of the jobs".

It also closes a loophole for employees who need to self-isolate but aren't actually sick.

Previously, bosses could have said no because technically staff were not 'unfit for work because of personal illness'.

Morrison tears up talking about getting through the crisis with his family

Prime Minister Scott Morrison got emotional as he answered the question "what keeps you awake at night with this crisis?"

This is how he responded:

"To be honest, I am pleased that my family is with me. They have joined me in Canberra. That is a great comfort to me and I hope it is a comfort to them. But they sustain me and we are just like any other family, I suppose, in many other respects. "You talk to your kids about what this means, and I suppose the really difficult issue for all of us is trying to imagine the world on the other side of this and to give your family some positive and encouraging news about how amazing Australia is and how we all come out of this. "And I think back to my grandmother and how she lived through the Depression, and I remember as a kid being told stories by my grandmother about what they used to do as a family to get through. And we are doing the same thing in our house. We are keeping each other entertained, as I said the other day. Jigsaw sales are soaring, I understand. "You have got to keep your family positive and keep connected and together. To us, our faith is very important to us. That helps us get through each day. But every family is different. Stay together, Australia."

Garage sales and food trucks banned in Tasmania

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has announced further restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Greyhound and horse racing will stop immediately, while TAB and U-Bet stores will be forced to close from 6pm tomorrow night.

Garage sales and sex work will also be banned from tomorrow evening.

Farmers markets can continue but stallholders will only be allowed to sell fresh produce, meaning food trucks will be banned.

The opening of the recreational scallop fishing season this weekend will not go ahead but no commercial fisheries will close.

Mr Gutwein said the announcement would be another blow to the economy, but it was critical no stone was left unturned in the fight against coronavirus.

There have been 74 confirmed cases in the state and two deaths.

Garage sales will be banned in Tasmania from Friday night. ( ABC Central Victoria: Terri-Anne Kingsley )

Australia's 'world-leading' test rate

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia has reached a testing rate of more than 1,000 tests per 100,000 people, about 1 per cent of the population.

"We are the first country, to the best of our knowledge, that has been able to exceed that mark," he said.

More than 260,000 coronavirus tests have been carried out across the country.

NSW coronavirus social-distancing laws to last 90 days

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 2 minutes 31 seconds 2 m 31 s Highlights: NSW coronavirus case numbers stabilise as the lockdown timeline is revealed

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says the state's tough coronavirus social-distancing laws will last for 90 days.

"People will have gotten the message by then, hopefully," he told media this morning.

Mr Fuller said three tickets were handed out in the past 24 hours in relation to social distancing, giving the example of four men in a park drinking alcohol.

"Three of the men left, one refused to go. He got a $1,000 ticket. You know, I think it's entirely appropriate," he said.

Mr Fuller added that he was personally reviewing every fine handed out, saying any ticket he believed was unreasonable would be "withdrawn immediately".

NSW health authorities have confirmed 116 new coronavirus infections, bringing the state's total to 2,298.

Peter Dutton says he needs an 'honest picture' of cruise ship situation

The Ruby Princess remains stranded off the NSW coast. ( AAP: Joel Carrett )

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has been in discussions with NSW Police about how to handle eight cruise ships off the coast of the state.

The vessels have been refused permission to dock by the Federal Government as it seeks to curb the spread of coronavirus.

In Western Australia, another cruise ship is refusing to leave local waters.

Mr Dutton told Sydney radio station 2GB he was concerned some cruise companies were not telling the truth about the health of passengers and crew and believed more health assessments were being carried out.

"I need to get an honest picture of what is happening. We are going to have a health company by the name of ASPEAN, but also NSW and WA Health and probably QLD Health, do a proper assessment of what is happening onboard," he said.

Earlier, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said doctors would assess up to 9,000 people on board the ships.

"We expect in the next couple of days we will start. You can imagine dropping doctors, specialists across eight ships, 9,000 people, it's a big task. But just from my perspective, if someone needs to come off because of urgent medical reasons, they are being extracted quickly," he said.

Highest daily death toll recorded in the UK

The UK has recorded its highest daily death toll two days in a row now. ( AP: Matt Dunham )

Another 563 patients with coronavirus have died in the United Kingdom, where the total number of deaths is now 2,352.

It is the country's highest number of deaths in a single day, and marks two days in a row where the country has recorded its highest single day death toll.

More than 29,474 people have tested positive for the virus, up by more than 4,000 since yesterday.

It comes as the Government confirmed that more than 2,000 frontline health workers in England have been tested for coronavirus since the outbreak began.

Hundreds have been screened since the weekend in a push to get healthy, self-isolating medics back to work.

Wimbledon scrapped for 2020

Roger Federer said he was "devastated" by the cancellation. ( AP / Pool photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas )

Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since World War II as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The tournament was scheduled to be played in June and July, but was scrapped for this year after an emergency All England Club meeting.

"We believe that it is a measure of this global crisis that it is ultimately the right decision," club chairman Ian Hewitt said.

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer tweeted the word "devastated", before retweeting a doctor who called the decision "the need of the hour".

The French Open is currently postponed until late in the year, while the US Open is slated to go ahead at this stage — despite part of its New York venue being turned into a 350-bed temporary hospital.

Half a million businesses have sought help paying wages

A total of 496,675 Australian businesses have asked the Federal Government to help cover the cost of wages.

Under the $130 billion JobKeeper scheme, announced earlier this week, some businesses will be given $1,500 a fortnight per worker to keep them employed during the coronavirus crisis.

The legislation is set to pass Parliament next week when some politicians return to Canberra on Wednesday.

The Federal Government has also launched Jobs Hub, which puts job advertisements into a database that is searchable by location.

"In the last few weeks there's been about 50,000 jobs that have been advertised including medical, call centre, transport and logistics," Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said.

Fears for remote communities amid travel bans

There are concerns the high cost of groceries in remote communities will force residents to defy quarantine restrictions to shop in major towns.

Central Land Council chief executive Joe Martin-Jard said in some cases food prices in remote communities were 10 times higher than elsewhere.

"In one community store a lettuce costs $10. People pay $5.50 for tinned steak," he said.

"Governments have assured our constituents that they will have everything they need in their communities to stay safe and well during this difficult time. We are holding them to this promise."

In one case, a remote community is down to less than a week's worth of food for more than 100 people.

It's understood that talks are underway with a local supplier to bring in bulk supplies to meet that community's needs.

The Australian Federal Police have sent in 102 officers to assist NT Police with enforcing quarantine measures, including manning check points.

Across the border in WA, there have already been 11 COVID-19 cases in the remote Kimberley region, which has prompted the WA Government to introduce even tougher travel restrictions than are in place across the rest of the state.

The new measures will restrict movement between the region's four local government areas.

Australians stuck in Nepal arrive home today

Evacuees on board the flight out of Nepal amid the coronavirus pandemic. ( Supplied )

Hundreds of Australian and New Zealand tourists who had been stranded by the coronavirus pandemic in Nepal have touched down in Brisbane.

A chartered flight left Kathmandu last night, carrying 222 Australians and 28 New Zealanders. They had been stranded in Nepal after it extended its coronavirus lockdown — but the Nepalese Government has since allowed rescue flights to take tourists back to their home countries.

Australia's embassy in Nepal told travellers the flight would cost just short of $3,000 for economy and nearly $4,000 for business class.

Evacuee Michael O'Donovan said his risk of infection in the country was low, but leaving was still the best option.

"I can't stay here indefinitely. At some point I have to go back home," he said.

Passengers will be placed into mandatory quarantine for 14 days.

Meanwhile, about 130 Australians who have been on the Ocean Atlantic cruise ship are now on their way back to Sydney from Montevideo, Uruguay via a special charter flight.

Energy networks say they won't disconnect power for struggling customers

Some of Australia's biggest energy networks have promised not to disconnect electricity and gas for customers in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia who are suffering financial stress as a result of coronavirus pandemic.

Energy Networks Australia announced four measures:

Small business customers who "are mothballing over the period of 1 April to 30 June 2020 as a result of COVID-19" could be eligible for full tariff relief

Small business customers who "are mothballing over the period of 1 April to 30 June 2020 as a result of COVID-19" could be eligible for Small retailers who are residential customers and go into default as a result of the virus could be eligible to have their network charged rebated

Small retailers who are residential customers and go into default as a result of the virus could be eligible to Payment plan incentives — including the deferral of network charges — could be arranged for large retailers

Payment plan incentives — including the — could be arranged for large retailers Residential or small business customers who may be in financial stress will not have their services disconnected without their agreement before July 31

Fewer deaths in Italy, but cases rise

Italy has registered more coronavirus deaths than any other country in the world. ( Reuters: Manuel Silvestri )

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has climbed by 727, putting total deaths at 13,155.

It was a significantly smaller increase than what was seen yesterday, and the lowest daily tally since March 26.

However, the number of new cases rose more sharply than a day earlier, growing by 4,782 against a previous 4,053, bringing total infections to 110,574.

In Lombardy, the epicentre of the outbreak, the daily tallies of deaths and cases were both up compared with those of the day before, reversing the recent trend.

Italy has registered more deaths than anywhere else in the world and accounts for around 30 per cent of all global fatalities from the virus.

Italy's largest daily toll from the epidemic was registered last Friday, when 919 people died. There were 889 deaths on Saturday, 756 on Sunday, 812 on Monday and 837 on Tuesday.

19 people dead in a single French nursing home

France has registered 509 deaths in hospital from coronavirus in 24 hours, the highest daily toll in the country so far.

That brings the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in hospitals since March 1 to 4,032, said Jerome Salomon, the chief of France's health service.

Those deaths do not include people who died outside a hospital setting, including a number of deaths in aged-care homes.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that 19 people had died since March 20 in a home named The Riviera in the town of Mougins on the Cote d'Azur.

In eastern France, the hardest hit region in the country, 411 out of 620 homes for the elderly have cases of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe last week ordered those in special homes be confined to their rooms after an earlier ban on family visits.

Prince Charles pays tribute to healthcare workers in video

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Prince Charles says he is out of isolation and in good health after contracting coronavirus.

In a video message released on social media, the 71-year-old spoke of a strange, frustrating and often distressing experience following his diagnosis in March.

The Prince of Wales paid tribute to healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus in the UK.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those marvellous people, whose extraordinary skills and utter selfless devotion to duty, and the care of their patients, make us so very proud," he said.

Turkmenistan bans the word 'coronavirus'

Turkmenistan's leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov rules his country through a personality cult. ( Sputnik via Reuters )

The Central Asian country of Turkmenistan — which has so far reported no cases of the virus — has banned the use of the word coronavirus altogether.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says state media has been stopped from mentioning coronavirus, and the word has also been removed from health information brochures.

The group says people can even be arrested for wearing face masks or talking about the virus, including by undercover police.

Turkmenistan, which borders Iran, is one of the world's most closed-off countries, and RSF ranked it last in its World Press Freedom Index in 2019.

Its autocratic leader President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has ruled the country since 2006 through an all-encompassing personality cult that styles him as Turkmenistan's "arkadaq", or protector.

Indonesia begins mass release of prisoners

Up to 30,000 Indonesian prisoners will be granted parole. ( Reuters via Antara Foto/Nyoman Budhiana )

Indonesia has begun releasing prisoners from the country's overcrowded jails, a move that could see up to 30,000 people eventually released from prison.

Official data shows there are 270,386 prisoners across Indonesia, more than twice the official capacity of its jails.

Many centres lack proper sanitation, which makes inmates particularly vulnerable to the spread of diseases.

A document issued by the law and human rights ministry stipulated that adult prisoners would be eligible for parole if they had served two-thirds of their sentences, while children would be eligible if they served half of their jail term.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo this week declared a national public health emergency in a bid to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

One study has suggested coronavirus could kill almost a quarter of a million Indonesians. ( AP: Tatan Syuflana )

So far, the government has reported 1,414 infections and 122 deaths from the virus, but some officials and experts believe a lack of testing has masked the scale of the outbreak.

One study has suggested almost 250,000 Indonesians could die from COVID-19 by the end of the month.

Israel links aid for Gaza to recovering soldiers

Gaza has only 12 reported cases, but health facilities there may not be able to deal with a wider spread. ( AP: Adel Hana, file )

Israel has linked any assistance it might offer for the Gaza Strip's efforts against coronavirus to progress in its attempt to recover two Israeli soldiers lost during the 2014 war in the Palestinian enclave.

Blockaded and impoverished, Islamist Hamas-ruled Gaza has reported 12 coronavirus cases and authorities worry that local health facilities — with just 96 ventilators for a population of two million — are insufficient to contain a contagion.

"The moment there is talk of the humanitarian world in Gaza — Israel also has humanitarian needs, which are mainly the recovery of the fallen," Defence Minister Naftali Bennett told reporters.

"And I think that we need to enter a broad dialogue about Gaza's and our humanitarian needs. It would not be right to disconnect these things ... and certainly, our hearts would be open to many things."

Hamas has never stated whether the two Israeli troopers are dead or alive, but neither has it provided a sign of life, something it did in a similar case.

The US accepts aid from Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending medical aid to the US. ( AP: Alexei Druzhinin )

Russia has sent the United States medical equipment to help fight the coronavirus pandemic following a phone call between the countries' two presidents.

The Russian military transport plane carrying 54 tonnes of ventilators, masks, respirators and other items left an airfield outside Moscow and was expected to arrive in the United States on Wednesday night (local time).

US President Donald Trump, who has been struggling to fill shortages of ventilators and personal protective equipment, accepted the offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin after they discussed the COVID-19 crisis in a phone call.

"[Mr] Trump gratefully accepted this humanitarian aid," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was cited as saying by the Interfax news agency.

Mr Trump himself spoke enthusiastically about the Russian help after his call with Mr Putin.

A US official in Washington said the equipment would be carefully examined to make sure it comports with quality requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration.

In Russia, the official tally of confirmed cases is 2,337 with 17 deaths, although some doctors there have questioned the accuracy of official data.

China evacuates students from UK

China has sent a chartered flight to London to pick up a group of international students who have struggled to return home as coronavirus shuts down global travel.

Chinese officials said similar flights were organised last month to bring 1,457 Chinese citizens out of countries such as Iran and Italy.

The Chinese government said it had given out "health packages" with more than 11 million masks and 500,000 disinfecting products to Chinese students in hard-hit countries.

But with imported infections now making up the bulk of China's reported new cases, officials are also encouraging students abroad to "limit their travels" to avoid cross-infection.