ACM, the publisher of this website, has journalists in every state and territory in Australia and below we bring you the best of our content from across our network today.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
We hope it can help you find your path during this strangest period in our lives.
Here are some quick links to the key content today:
Hunter to play big part in COVID-19 drug trials
The Hunter Medical Research Institute [HMRI] will play a key role in a nationwide clinical trial into potential treatments for COVID-19.
The ASCOT trial will involve researchers testing drugs on patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Patients will be randomly selected to receive one of four different treatments. They will receive either the drug Lopinavir-Ritonavir [an HIV medicine], hydroxychloroquine [a malaria medicine] or a combination of both those drugs. The fourth group will receive standard care without the drugs.
HMRI-affiliated researcher and infectious diseases expert, Professor Josh Davis, said the therapies would be trialled on patients before they deteriorate to the point of needing a ventilator.
About 2000 patients are set to be recruited at hospitals, including John Hunter and Calvary Mater Newcastle, over the next 12 to 18 months.
Ballarat's COVID-19 count remains steady for three straight weeks
Ballarat has marked another significant milestone in its coronavirus battle, reaching three consecutive weeks without a new COVID-19 case.
The total number of confirmed cases in the city remains at nine, as the amount of active cases in Victoria drops significantly. Of the 1336 cases recorded in Victoria, just 78 remain active after falling by 41 overnight, while there has also been 15 deaths.
This week Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said Eliminating coronavirus in Australia could be possible if testing ramps up to include people without symptoms,
Professor Sutton said the low numbers of new infections meant Australia was on its way to zero cases.
"If we were to carry on with the trajectory that we are on we could see zero cases in a month from now," he said. "That would mean lots of testing, lots of individuals coming forward potentially trying to work out if there's asymptomatic transmission," he said.
The business making nearly one million surgical masks a week
A regional Victorian business is leading the fight to restock the nation's dwindling medical supplies, manufacturing almost one million surgical masks a week.
Restrictions on elective surgeries are set to ease, however many hospital and healthcare groups have raised concerns about the shortage of masks.
Shepparton manufacturer Med-Con has increased its production fourfold in the past six weeks.
Med-Con co-owner Ray Stockwell said the government had provided his company with a $1.44-million grant, allowing it to scale up and send every mask it produces to the national stockpile.
"The numbers are just mind boggling," Mr Stockwell said. "We were doing one manufacturing shift a day, four days a week. Now we're doing three shifts a day, seven days a week."
"Currently we do 900,000 masks a week, that's with just three machines."
Ambulances transport remaining COVID-19 positive crew off Ruby Princess
Ambulances and medical crews arrived at Port Kembla a short time ago to begin disembarking the remaining Ruby Princess workers who are sick with coronavirus.
The Mercury understands the 21 crew members, who are still testing positive to the virus, will be assessed and then transported in the ambulances and buses to medical facilities.
Unions have been pushing hard for the sick crew to come off the ship, saying it should not be forced to leave Australian waters until they have been given the proper medical care.
As the ambulances arrived, the national coordinator for the international transport workers federation in Australia Dean Summers reiterated the importance of getting the crew off the ship.
"Here we are the day before the ship had been ordered to go to sea," he said. "We've had ambulances and buses go through and hopefully that indicates some of the sick people are coming off the ship.
"We know from the health department that there are 21 active and contagious cases of COVID-19 on board the ship, and we cannot let this ship sail with any cases."
My life living under Singapore's coronavirus 'circuit-breaker'
You might have been sitting down to tea on Tuesday night, Horsham-born woman Megan Freckleton was tuning in to YouTube to listen to an address by Singapore's prime minister.
Ms Freckleton has lived in the country with her partner Jeppe since July 2018.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was detailing the latest rules for residents as part of the COVID-19 "circuit-breaker": go out alone only. Do not exercise with another. Stay home otherwise.
While many people are feeling the strain of the state of emergency lockdown measures in Victoria, Singapore's strict measures can still seem unimaginable.
But for Ms Freckleton, an occupational therapist, they have become part of everyday life.
This is how many Illawarra jobs have been lost amid lockdown
As many as 12,500 jobs have been lost in Illawarra's five local government areas as a result of COVID-19.
New estimates by the Illawarra Business Chamber have put the number of people out of work much higher than first thought.
During March there were other reports of between 5000 and 10,000 jobs losses occurring on the South Coast.
But the Illawarra Business Chamber update on the likely impact of the coronavirus crisis in Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Shoalhaven and the Wingecarribee is likely to be closer to the mark.
Coles, Woolies relax online restrictions
Supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles have broadened their home delivery service for online customers, giving hope that life may be returning to normal amid ongoing coronavirus concerns.
Coles this week reopened its home delivery, "click and collect", to all customers, after having previously limited orders for vulnerable and remote Australians because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Woolworths will make "tens of thousands of extra weekly home delivery windows for online customers", WooliesX Managing Director Amanda Bardwell said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ms Bardwell said their delivery service was now extended to more than 850 of their 1000 stores and was complemented by their contracted courier companies adding 5,000 new drivers.
If you're looking to stay up to date on COVID-19, but would rather receive the main points direct to your inbox sign up for our twice-daily digest here.