What you need to know about COVID-19 today, Wednesday April 8.

NSW will use number plate recognition over the Easter long weekend.

NSW police will patrol caravan parks and use technology such as number plate recognition to ensure people are following social distancing rules over the Easter long weekend.

The state’s police commissioner has warned officers will be out in force to ensure people are abiding by the road rules, and public health orders designed to tackle the coronavirus threat.

Mick Fuller on Wednesday said police would use all of their powers and technology – including number plate recognition and road cameras – to identify people who shouldn’t be travelling under social distancing restrictions.

He said officers were going through caravan parks early and issuing warnings.

“The big focus will be on our country roads, those back streets, our main highways, the caravan parks right across country NSW,” he told reporters.

“People will be given one opportunity to pack up, go back to your home state, go back home, otherwise we will unfortunately have to issue tickets.”

The government has repeatedly urged Easter holiday-makers to cancel their non-essential travel as part of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Australian COVID-19 cases surpasses 6,000.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases passed 6,000 on Wednesday.

Australia has recorded a 1.6 per cent increase in the past 24 hours, according to the Financial Review.

As of Wednesday night, the death toll in Australia stands at 50.

In NSW, there are 2,734 cases, Victoria has 1,212, Queensland has recorded 943, South Australia has 470, Western Australia has recorded 481, Tasmania has 98, there are 97 in the ACT and 28 in the Northern Territory.

US records highest death toll in single day.

The United States has recorded their deadliest day in terms of COVID-19 deaths, with more than 1,800 fatalities between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Their national death toll is nearly 13,000, and they have over 400,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.

New York is the epicentre of COVID-19 in America, with a total of 5,489 fatalities.

However NY Governor Andrew Cuomo said that hospitalisations appeared to be reaching a plateau.

“I want the American people to know there is a light at the end of this tunnel, and we feel confident that if we keep doing the right thing for the rest of this month, that we can start to slowly reopen in some places,” US Surgeon General Jerome Adams told Good Morning America.

China's Wuhan lockdown ends.

Wuhan, the Chinese city where the coronavirus pandemic first broke out, has ended a two-month lockdown but a northern town started restricting the movement of its residents amid concerns of a second wave of infections.

China sealed off Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, in late January to stop the spread of the virus.

Over 50,000 people in Wuhan caught the virus, and more than 2,500 of them died, about 80 per cent of all deaths in China, according to official figures.

Restrictions in Wuhan have eased in recent days as the capital of Hubei province reported just three new confirmed infections in the past 21 days and only two new infections in the past fortnight.

But even as people leave the city, new imported cases in the northern province of Heilongjiang surged to a daily high of 25, fuelled by an influx of infected travellers arriving from Russia, which shares a land border with the province.

Australia's death toll rises to 50.

The number of Australians who have died from coronavirus has risen to 50.

A 62-year-old Adelaide woman died this morning in the Royal Adelaide Hospital after acquiring COVID-19 from the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

It is the second death in South Australia, after a 75-year-old man died at the same hospital on Monday.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed another death in the state, marking Victoria's 12th death.

Yesterday afternoon, Western Australia confirmed the death of two people aged in their 70s. A Victorian also died yesterday, as did the first South Australian - a 75-year-old man.

More than 5,900 Australians have the virus, and about 2,500 have recovered.

The Daily Telegraph reports 13 local government areas across New South Wales will have their coronavirus testing ramped up because of their elevated risk of community transmission.

Waverly, Woollahra, Dee Why, Manly, Ryde, Macquarie Park, Broken Hill, Lake Macquarie, Manning, Nowra, South Nowra, Byron and Port Macquarie.

A number of beaches on the Gold Coast, including Surfers Paradise, have now been closed after crowds of people enjoyed the sun and the surf over the weekend. Those caught sunbaking or sitting will be fined, but exercise will be permitted.

Manly Beaches in Sydney were also closed on Sunday for the same reason.

Sydney's eastern beaches and Victoria's beaches already closed their coastlines weeks ago.

Australians have been warned it's vital they stick to social distancing rules over Easter, as authorities continue to be concerned about the number of community transmitted coronavirus cases.

The daily increase in new cases has dropped to about three per cent on average, but more than 500 people have been infected with COVID-19 by someone in the community who didn't know they had it.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says that's why people shouldn't be complacent.

The Prime Minister says a drop in new cases has bought valuable time, but urges Australians to stay home over Easter otherwise it will completely undo everything achieved so far.

NSW could 'tweak' restrictions.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday morning said the number of new cases continues to stabilise and that's a "positive thing".

She stressed there was a difference between social distancing measures and restrictions on businesses and movement.

Berejiklian said whether or not to ease restrictions will be assessed "on a month-by-month basis".

"I said yesterday that social distancing would be a part of our lives until there was a vaccine or a cure, and that's absolutely the case, but I also want to stress that social distancing is different from restrictions," she said.

She said every month health experts will give advice on whether there is an opportunity to relax any of the restrictions.

"We need a sufficient amount of data to inform us as to whether the new restrictions we have in place have been successful and to what extent they've been successful.

"Obviously, the health experts give us the advice as to whether that means that we can relax any of the restrictions. So whilst we're out and about, until there's a cure, we'll definitely all need to keep the 1.5 metre distance from one another.

"However, the restrictions are a different issue and they will be based on health advice as to whether or not we lift any of the restrictions."

When asked about reported May 1 had been considered as a possible date for easing restrictions, Berejiklian said it would depend on health advice and she did not want to "raise expectations".

But there could be room to "tweak" them, she said.

"If the advice in a couple of weeks is that there might be a couple of aspects that we can tweak to provide relief to our citizens, well then, we'll take that advice."

NSW has recorded 48 new coronavirus cases, bringing the state's total to 2734.

Chief medical officer Dr Kerry Chant said 227 were being treated by NSW Health. 36 patients are in intensive care, 22 of whom are on ventilators.

Victoria could implement 'stage four restrictions'.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the state could be heading for stage four restrictions.

Andrews said while cases of COVID-19 were stabilising across the state, it was not time for complacency and further restrictions could be coming.

"If and when there is a need to do more, we won’t hesitate to do that. We know there’ll be pain, we know there will be disruption, but that is a price worth paying if it saves lives," he said.

"That’s what the first three stages have done, the stability in these numbers hasn’t happened by accident."

The premier said more positive cases were expected in Victoria as testing numbers increased on Monday.

Victoria increased testing for the coronavirus from Monday, with the premier saying it stood to reason that the more testing that was done, the more positive cases would be found.

"The point is, this will change rapidly, as it has every single day since we’ve been in this crisis," Andrews said.

Boris Johnson getting oxygen.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable overnight in intensive care, after suffering a deterioration of his COVID-19 symptoms and he remains in good spirits.

His spokesman told reporters the prime minister, who was admitted to hospital on Sunday, was receiving standard oxygen treatment and was breathing without any other assistance.

He did not require a mechanical ventilator.

WATCH: An A&E Doctor explains how Boris Johnson being moved to intensive care serves as a “powerful warning.” Post continues after video.

"The prime minister has been stable overnight and remains in good spirits. He is receiving standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any other assistance. He has not required mechanical ventilation, or non-invasive respiratory support," the spokesman said

Johnson's personal battle with the virus has shaken the British government just as the United Kingdom enters what scientists say is likely to be one of the most deadly weeks of the pandemic, which has killed 70,000 people worldwide.

The current COVID-19 figures.

The COVID-19 modelling used by the government has been released.

Strict social distancing measures have prevented Australia's intensive care units being overwhelmed by 35,000 coronavirus patients.

Doherty Institute modelling provided to federal and state leaders and released publicly yesterday looked at our worst case scenario.

It showed that if no action was taken, around 23 million people, or 89 per cent of the population could be infected.

If that happened, only 15 per cent of people who needed intensive care, would have had access.

As a result of our actions in Australia, authorities are cautiously confident the health system will cope under the strain of coronavirus.

The World Health Organisation has warned countries against easing restrictions too early.

While the WHO has no blanket recommendation in place, spokesman Christian Lindmeier said: "One of the most important parts is not to let go of the measures too early in order not to have a fall back again.

"It's similar to being sick yourself if you get out of bed too early and get running too early, you risk falling back and having complications."

There are reports in the Daily Telegraph that New South Wales has been tossing up relaxing the state's shutdown as early as May 1, with Australia's coronavirus curve still on the downwards trend.

The Federal Government has however given no indication about how long this will be our reality, repeating warnings it will last for at least six months.

Three sick children rushed to hospital in NSW.

The Mail Online is reporting that three children, reportedly sick with COVID-19, have been taken from Sydney's Hilton hotel to hospital.

A police source confirmed the news to the publication, with pictures from 10pm last night showing the kids being wheeled to ambulances by emergency service workers in protective equipment.

The Hilton is one of the hotels housing hundreds of Australians that have been forced to quarantine for 14 days after arriving home from overseas.

In Australia, there have been less than 100 cases of coronavirus involving children under the age of nine.

The first 288 Australians quarantined will be allowed to leave today after undergoing a final health check.

Over the next week, more than 3000 Australians will follow suit.

QLD infectious disease nurse diagnosed.

An infectious diseases nurse treating COVID-19 patients in a Brisbane hospital has tested positive to the illness.

The nurse had been working in the infectious diseases unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital when she began feeling unwell.

She stayed home when symptoms emerged and notified her bosses immediately. The nurse is now resting in isolation.

The hospital is covered by the Metro South Public Health unit, which has told six other staff members who came into contact with the nurse to self-isolate for the required 14 days.

Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew's accuser, in hospital.

Prince Andrew's sexual abuse accuser, Virginia Giuffre, is being tested for coronavirus.

Ms Giuffre, who lives in Queensland with her husband and three kids, tweeted a picture from a hospital bed and said: "I'm so scared right now. Having trouble breathing, fever and cough. Getting tested for Covid-19 praying it's not positive".

I’m so scared right now, having trouble breathing, fever & cough. Getting tested for Covid-19 praying it’s not positive ???? ???? pic.twitter.com/GfAzxut82Q

— Virginia Giuffre (@VRSVirginia) April 7, 2020

She made global headlines last year for an interview in which she said she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and made to have sex with Prince Andrew three times when she was 17-years-old.

Prince Andrew denies the claims, and gave a now infamous BBC Newsnight interview about the allegations, which was so damning it forced him to step back from royal duties as the allegations were investigated.
- With AAP. 

Feature image: Getty.

To protect yourself and the community from COVID-19, keep at least 1.5 metres away from other people, regularly wash your hands and avoid touching your face.
If you are sick and believe you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your GP ahead of time to book an appointment. Or call the national Coronavirus Health Information Line for advice on 1800 020 080. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.

To keep up to date with the latest information, please visit the Department of Health website.