National News

A 75-year-old Queensland woman has died of the coranavirus.The woman, who died in a Caboolture Hospital, was a passenger on the Ruby Princess cruise ship, says Queensland Chief Medical Officer Jeannette Young.

The rate of coronavirus infections across Australia is slowing but Prime Minister Scott Morrison concedes it is still at a strong level.

NSW has recorded a further 186 cases of patients with COVID-19, taking its total of confirmed cases to 1791.

US President Donald Trump has backed away from calling for a quarantine for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, instead directing that a "strong travel advisory" be issued for the coronavirus epicentres.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has confirmed the Morrison government is working on a wage subsidy so that business can keep workers on their payrolls during the coronavirus crisis.

The next two weeks will be the toughest yet in the fight against coronavirus in France, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has warned as his government raced to add intensive care beds and source protective gear.

A man and a woman have been fined $1000 each after the pair allegedly flouted their 14-day coronavirus self-isolation period following their arrival from Thailand.

Retailers Country Road, Mimco, Politix, Trenery and Witchery will close their doors as the spread of coronavirus leaves many shoppers confined to their homes.

LATEST NEWS ABOUT COVID-19:NUMBERS* Confirmed cases in Australia: 3635, up 15 per cent in a day and double the total from four-and-a-half days ago* NSW is the worst hit with 1617, after 212 new cases were confirmed.

A woman has allegedly repeatedly coughed and spat upon a police officer in Sydney's southwest amid the COVID-19 pandemic.