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What you need to know about COVID-19 today, Monday May 4.

Australian numbers remain low.

The national death toll from COVID-19 reached 95 on Sunday, following the death of an 83-year-old in Western Australia and another person at the Anglicare-run nursing home, Newmarch House, in western Sydney.

But only 18 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the 24 hours to Sunday afternoon, taking the national total to 6801, still an extremely low figure by international standards.

South Australia has recorded its 11th straight day with no new cases. There are just seven active cases in the state.

WATCH: Today’s coronavirus headlines. Post continues after video.

Video by Today Show

In Queensland, which relaxed some measures over the weekend, police were forced to issue more than 30 infringement notices for breaches of COVID-19 restrictions on the first day of easing curbs.

There was only one new case recorded in the state yesterday, but the ABC reports the source of the case is yet to be confirmed.

Queenslanders Enjoy Outdoor Activities As Coronavirus Restrictions Are Eased
People gathered at Burleigh Heads over the weekend as social distancing rules were eased. Image: Chris Hyde/Getty.
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"Although we are now seriously looking at what measures could be relaxed... we are very cautious about the need to move slowly," Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said yesterday.

"The lessons we have learnt from overseas is that if you go too quickly and open up things too quickly, you can get a second wave."

The National Cabinet will on Friday consider lifting some broader restrictions.

The current COVID-19 figures.

However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said relaxing restrictions would depend on Australians signing up for the COVIDSafe app, which uses Bluetooth connections to determine who infected people have come into close contact with.

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Prof Murphy said 4.25 million people had now registered for the app after it was launched a week ago.

Pompeo thinks coronavirus came from a lab.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says there is a "significant amount of evidence" the new coronavirus emerged from a Chinese laboratory.

Speaking to the ABC, Pompeo contradicted a statement issued this week by the top US spy agency that said the virus did not appear to be man-made or genetically modified.

"The best experts so far seem to think it was man-made. I have no reason to disbelieve that at this point," Pompeo said on Sunday.

White House Coronavirus Task Force Holds Daily Briefing At The White House
US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a coronavirus task force briefing. Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty.
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When the interviewer pointed out that was not the conclusion of US intelligence agencies, Pompeo backtracked.

"I've seen what the intelligence community has said. I have no reason to believe that they've got it wrong," he said.

US officials familiar with intelligence reporting and analysis have said for weeks that they do not believe Chinese scientists developed the coronavirus in a government biological weapons lab from which it then escaped.

Rather, they have said they believe it was either introduced through human contact with animals, or could have escaped from one of two Wuhan government laboratories believed to be conducting civilian research into possible biological hazards.

As many states in America relax their restrictions (despite an ever increasing number of cases), hundreds of people have attended an Oregon protest against the stay-at-home orders.

They held signs reading "Reopen Oregon" and "Let me earn a living" as they demonstrated at the state capital.

Protestors rally at Oregon State Capitol
Demonstrators line the street during a protest in Oregon. Image: Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty.
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Protests have emerged in Germany.

America isn't the only country protesting. Hundreds have joined demonstrations in the German cities of Stuttgart and Berlin to protest the ongoing restrictions on public life sparked by the coronavirus.

Organisers say 5000 joined what they described as a "non-partisan" weekly protest in the southwest city of Stuttgart.

In the capital Berlin, police said around 300 protesters gathered.

Protesters Demand End To Coronavirus Lockdown Measures
Protesters gather to demand an end to the Coronavirus lockdown measures in Munich, Germany. Image: Gisela Schober/Getty.
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Registered outdoor gatherings are allowed in Berlin of up to 20 people. From Monday this rule will be relaxed to allow groups of up to 50 people.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he is watching the attempts of politicians to strike a balance between protecting the population and providing relief from the restrictions.

Sydney school shut.

A Sydney school has closed for intensive cleaning and contact tracing after a student tested positive to the coronavirus.

Just days after term two began, Warragamba Public School will be "non-operational for on-site learning" today, with all students undertaking at home learning.

"The (education) Department has been advised by NSW Health that a student has tested positive for COVID-19," a statement on the school website says.

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"The school will be non-operational for the on-site attendance of staff and students while the school conducts contact tracing and is cleaned."

Melbourne school cluster.

A primary school in Melbourne's north will be shut for three days after one of its teachers tested positive to COVID-19.

Parents and carers of children at Meadowglen Primary in Epping were notified of the development on Sunday morning.

The principal of the school says the music teacher had not been in contact with any children this year, but the school would undergo a deep clean nonetheless.

Students who have been attending the school in person will be able to go to a neighbouring school until Thursday.

This was reported just after a heated interview on schooling during the crisis on ABC television with federal Education Minister Dan Tehan accusing Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews of failing in his leadership and taking a sledgehammer to schools by keeping them shut.

Dan Tehan
Dan Tehan accused the Victorian Premier of "taking a sledgehammer" to the state's education system. Image: Insiders.
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Mr Tehan later issued a statement withdrawing the remarks, saying he had overstepped the mark.

Victoria recorded 13 news coronavirus cases on Sunday, six of which were linked to an outbreak at a meat processing plant.

Aged care staff to be tested daily.

Anglicare's Newmarch House aged care staff members will now be subject to daily COVID-19 tests in an attempt to manage the outbreak at the facility where 14 residents have died.

Four new COVID-19 cases were reported in NSW yesterday, of which two are staff members at the aged care home in western Sydney.

coronavirus Newmarch House update
The cluster at Newmarch House has been devastating. Image: Getty.
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There are now 63 infections linked to the facility including 26 staff members and 37 residents.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new measure will be implemented in an attempt to manage the outbreak after a 76-year-old resident died at Nepean Hospital from the virus on Sunday.

NSW now has 3035 COVID-19 cases with 14 people in intensive care including 11 who require ventilators.

Flight Centre drops cancellation fees after 6000 complaints.

Travel agency Flight Centre has averted court action by the consumer watchdog and agreed to drop its cancellation fees and refund customers that have already been charged.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has welcomed Flight Centre's change in policy after the watchdog received more than 6000 complaints.

The travel agent had come under heavy criticism for charging up to $300 per booking for travel cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Flight centre complaints
Flight Centre was inundated with 6000 complaints. Image: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty.

Flight Centre will refund thousands of customers who, from March 13, were charged $300 per person to get a refund for a cancelled international flight or $50 for a domestic flight, the ACCC said in a statement.

The refunds also apply to cancellations fees charged by Aunt Betty, Travel Associates, Student Universe, Universal Traveller and Jetescape Travel (trading as Byojet Travel), which are part of the Flight Centre group.

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The new coronavirus hotspots.

New hotspots have emerged in Pakistan and Russia, with both reporting their biggest one day spikes in new infections.

Russia has reported 125,000 cases and more than 1,200 deaths, with 3000 of 10,000 workers at a vast natural gas field testing positive.

The country is considering temporary hospitals at sporting complexes and shopping malls.

Pakistan announced 1,300 new cases on Saturday, increasing its total cases to more than 18,000.

Doctors are pleading for stricter lockdowns, but the country's government said it might ease controls.

- With AAP

Feature image: Getty.

To protect yourself and the community from COVID-19, remain in your home unless strictly necessary, 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.


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