LATEST COVID-19 DEVELOPMENTS:
* Brisbane’s three-day snap lockdown ended at midday on Thursday after Queensland reported just one new locally acquired COVID-19 case, a person who was already in quarantine.
* Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack urged Australians to “do your patriotic duty” and see the country, encouraging them to travel.
* More than 100,000 cheap tickets for flights have already been booked on the first day of a federal scheme covering 15 locations over the next three months.
* But tourism operators are calling for more wage subsidies and direct financial support, warning half-price flights will not be enough for their businesses to stay afloat.
* Queenslanders have to wear a mask indoors except when eating and drinking for the next 14 days, as several restrictions remain in place for the whole state.
* Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd lifted the declaration of Greater Brisbane as a national hotspot.
* Victoria will move to ease its border restrictions with Brisbane from 6pm on Thursday. Tasmania is assessing travel restrictions. The NT revoked Greater Brisbane as a hotspot.
* Victorian authorities will crack down on businesses who are not maintaining COVID-safe practices over the Easter break, the government warned.
* NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people to stay in their local area over the Easter period if they’re in Ballina, Byron, Lismore and Tweed.
* NSW recorded just one new case in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, a man in his 20s who had already been flagged.
* Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk asked the federal government to be more transparent with its vaccine numbers. The NSW and Queensland governments also criticised the federal government’s rollout.
* Ms Berejiklian wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday evening requesting the green light to increase the state’s role in the COVID-19 vaccination program.
AUSTRALIAN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS:
* Australia reported two new locally acquired cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, one in Queensland and in NSW. There were 16 overseas-acquired cases reported in hotel quarantine; nine in Queensland, four in NSW, two in Western Australia, and one in South Australia.
* The national death toll is 909: Victoria 820, NSW 56, Tasmania 13, WA 9, Queensland 6, SA 4, ACT 3 (Two Queensland residents who died in NSW have been included in the official tolls of both states).
GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS:
* Cases: at least 128,895,000
* Deaths: at least 2,816,000
* Recovered: at least 73,121,000.
Data current as of 1730 AEDT on April 1, taking in federal and state/territory government updates and Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre figures.
Australian Associated Press