Leaders urge for more testing as mystery cases continue to emerge – as it happened

NSW premier concerned over low testing levels as state grapples with growing number of mystery cases; partner of a Brisbane hotel quarantine cleaner who contracted new Covid-19 strain tests positive. This blog is closed

• Covid hotspots NSW; Qld hotspots; Victoria hotspots
• State by state restrictions explained
• NSW records five new cases of community transmission
• Follow the global liveblog

8.12am GMT

With that, we'll be closing the blog for today. Here is everything that happened:

7.40am GMT

Federal Coalition senator Gerard Rennick has posted a series of tweets that question the risk of Covid-19, and the measures that the Labor party, the media and health bureaucrats (are) imposing".

While all loss of life is tragic, I've put together some information to put some perspective around the impact of Covid."

While all loss of life is tragic, I've put together some information to put some perspective around the impact of Covid.

In 2020, 909 people die from Covid and the median age of deaths to date in Australia from Covid is 86 years. #auspol pic.twitter.com/YnAcZCYx13

In 2019, 4,124 died from Influenza & pneumonia & the median age was 88.8 years. No border closures or lockdowns were imposed.

In 2009, under the then Rudd Government there were around 38,000 cases of Swine Flu & 191 reported deaths, including 41 deaths in Queensland.

Why is the Labor Party, the media & health bureaucrats imposing much harsher measures now given the severity of Swine Flu, rather than rely on the health system as they did back in 2009?