LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
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* Victoria registered 113 new cases of the virus on Friday. It's the fifth straight day the number has been below 150 and is the lowest figure since July 5. However, the state recorded another 12 fatalities.
* Melbourne residents whose homes were damaged in major storms overnight have been given special exemptions to strict coronavirus lockdowns.
* It's forecast to be sunny and mild over the weekend prompting the Victorian premier Daniel Andrews to urge people not to breach strict lockdown rules to enjoy the weather.
* The Victorian Opposition has proposed amendments to the government's state of emergency legislation including that the powers should be extended on a month-by-month basis pending approval of both houses of parliament.
* Anti-lockdown protesters in Melbourne have been savaged by Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius as "bats*** crazy."
* NSW has recorded 13 new cases, with four schools closed and the Sydney CBD gym cluster increasing to 14 infections.
* The South Australian government has removed some coronavirus restrictions as the state goes five days without a new COVID-19 infection. People living or working 40 kilometres either side of the border are now allowed to come and go but will be subject to testing.
* Queensland coronavirus restrictions limiting gatherings to 10 will be extended to the Gold Coast.
* Schoolies Week on the Gold Coast has been cancelled with students warned concerts and mass gatherings on beaches will be banned to stop coronavirus spreading.
* Queensland's chief health officer says the number of people applying for medical exemptions to enter her state is "unsustainable" following the death of an unborn twin in NSW.
* Tasmania has extended its state of emergency by two months until the end of October, while all arrivals to the state will have their temperature checked.
* Scott Morrison has defended his embattled aged care minister Richard Colbeck after he walked out of the Senate during a debate on his failed response to deadly outbreaks.
* Mr Morrison has vowed to establish a national definition for coronavirus hotspots with or without agreement from state governments.
* Hundreds of Australians have been exempted from a cap on international arrivals to fly home from Lebanon following a deadly explosion.
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KEY DATES
* August 2 to September 13 - stage four lockdown for Melbourne, including a nightly curfew, and stage three lockdown for regional Victoria.
* August 29 - Tentative date for the last remaining restrictions on gatherings to be removed in WA.
* September 11 - NSW government to temporarily waive the hotel quarantine fee for NSW residents returning from Victoria.
* September 13 - Victoria's state of emergency due to end unless a bid to extend the state of emergency for 12 months passes parliament.
* October 26 - Tasmania's state of emergency is due to expire.
* November - Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry report due.
* December 1 - Tasmania's borders will remain shut until at least the last month of 2020.
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AUSTRALIAN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS
* There were 129 new cases in Australia - 113 in Victoria, 13 in NSW and 3 in Queensland. There were 12 more deaths in Victoria.
* The national death toll as of Friday is 583 : Victoria 496, NSW 54, 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 24,643,146
* Deaths: at least 835,843
* Recovered: at least 17,103,722
Data current as of 1815 AEST August 28, taking in federal government and state/territory government updates, Worldometer and Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre.
Australian Associated Press
