LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
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* Another five deaths recorded in Victoria on Saturday of people aged in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, bringing the state's toll to 61.
* Victoria recorded 357 new cases, with 3995 active and 42 people in intensive care.
* About one-third of Victoria's coronavirus deaths - 22 out of 61 - are linked to aged care.
* The Victorian government has made it compulsory for aged care staff to wear personal protective equipment and efforts are underway to restrict workers to one facility to limit virus spread.
* The federal and Victorian governments have established an aged care response centre to assist with the growing crisis in the sector, which has been severely hit by the second wave of coronavirus. The new response centre will assist with workforce provisions, the prevention of outbreaks and support for providers.
* The Fair Work Ombudsman has launched an investigation into whether security guards monitoring Victoria's bungled hotel quarantine program were being underpaid.
* Queensland has re-imposed a ban on pub-goers standing at bars or high tables, requiring them to be seated at all times, though they can still order from the bar.
* NSW has recorded 15 new COVID-19 cases and there have been 30,535 tests in the state in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday.
* Four of the new NSW cases are associated with a series of funeral gatherings and a church service attended by a woman in her 40s from the Fairfield area.
* WA has identified two historical cases through blood testing - one from the Ruby Princess cruise ship and the other linked to overseas travel in March.
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ECONOMICS
* Experts believe treasurer Josh Frydenburg's hefty budget deficit forecasts will get bigger as a result of tackling the COVID-19 crisis. AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver expects the government will be forced to provide at least a further $20 billion in stimulus between now and the delayed May budget on October 6, and he also thinks revenue will recover more slowly than the government anticipates.
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KEY DATES
* July 28 - From midnight, South Australians will not be allowed to return home from Victoria while caps will be re-imposed on family gatherings, funerals and weddings.
* August 7 - Tasmania will open a travel bubble with South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. A decision will also be made on including NSW, Queensland and ACT.
* August 15 - Tentative date for WA to lift all remaining restrictions, except border closures and access to remote Aboriginal communities.
* August 19 - The date flagged for Victoria's six-week lockdown to end at 11.59pm.
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AUSTRALIAN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS
* Australia's total number of cases is now 13,969 with 5053 active.
* The national death toll as of Saturday is 145: NSW 49, Victoria 61, 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).
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GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS
* Cases: at least 15,947,618
* Deaths: at least 642,829
* Recovered: at least 9,743,590
Data current as of 1730 AEST July 25, taking in federal government and state/territory government updates, Worldometer and Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre.
Australian Associated Press
