COVID-19

It comes after New Zealand also said it would be looking at limiting the number of arrivals in the country via a booking system.

The prime minister said there were no plans to reimpose restrictions across the country, after Victoria enforced stay-at-home rules in metropolitan Melbourne and one regional area due to a spike in infections.

Morrison was asked about the issue of travel bubbles being set up with other countries and taxing travellers.

"We haven't even concluded in the arrangements with any other countries at the moment.

The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with Covid-19 coughs, sneezes or speaks.

In an open letter to the agency, which the researchers plan to publish in a scientific journal next week, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined the evidence showing smaller particles can infect people, the newspaper reported.

The 3,000 or so residents of the blocks are being told not to leave their homes for any reason for at least five days.

At least 23 cases of infection were found on two estates in recent days.

The state of Victoria recorded 108 new cases on Saturday, its second-biggest daily increase. Australia as a whole has seen 104 coronavirus deaths.

There have been at least 8,362 infections nationwide.

Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews said the latest figures there were a very real concern to everybody.

All users have to do is carry one, and the battery lasts up to nine months without needing a recharge - something one expert said had "stunned" him.

The government agency which developed the devices acknowledges that the Tokens - and technology in general - aren't "a silver bullet", but should augment human contact-tracers' efforts.

The first to receive the devices are thousands of vulnerable elderly people who don't own smartphones.

To do so, they had to provide their national ID and phone numbers - TraceTogether app users recently had to start doing likewise.

Many hard-hit countries are easing lockdowns put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus while making extensive alterations to work and social life that could last for a year or more until a vaccine is available.

Some countries are experiencing a resurgence in infections, leading authorities to partially reinstate lockdowns, in what experts say could be a recurring pattern into 2021.

Djokovic, along with Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki, tested positive after playing in the Adria Tour, an exhibition tournament organised by the 17-times Grand Slam champion.

The tournament witnessed packed stands during the opening leg staged at Djokovic's tennis complex in Belgrade from June 13-14, with players hugging at the net, playing basketball, posing for pictures and attending press conferences together.

The second leg was held in Zadar from June 20-21.

A coalition of NGOs says the pandemic has been a disaster for the country with the tourism sector shedding 100,000 jobs in the tourism-dependent country.

The rural development organisation FRIEND says the job losses each represent a household of four people, which accounts for half the country's bread winners.

FRIEND's chief executive Sashi Kiran said that doesn't take into account the informal sector.

"We've had massive layoffs, from Airports Fiji, Fiji Airways, lots and lots of companies," she said.

There has been community concern about their return from Sinai, particularly after it was revealed some of the locals who had been working with the troops have tested positive for Covid-19.

But health minister Ifereimi Waqainabete said they're being held in strict quarantine and will be tested for the coronavirus.

"Because this is a big group - the numbers are big - they are using up two facilities I believe," he said.

The cyclone caused widespread devastation, particularly in rural and maritime communities.

But even before this cyclone hit, Fiji, like the rest of the world were already fighting our own battle against COVID-19. Businesses have been affected and many have lost their jobs and are struggling to support their families.

This pandemic will continue to spread, and affect our people if not prevented.

Pacific Energy values the lives of every Fijian.

A survey by Pacific Trade and Invest shows 90 percent of Pacific SMEs report a decline in revenue since the pandemic hit and 92 per cent believe COVID-19 has negatively influenced the economy.

The outbreak has severely affected the operations and profitability of their businesses.

Not only that, those employed by the SMEs have lost  jobs as they could not sustain the impact of the outbreak.

Travel bans and restrictions on gatherings have also affected businesses in PNG and the Pacific.