With a steady stream of information and misinformation about COVID-19 (coronavirus) circulating, Echonetdaily will endeavour to update this page as news comes to hand.
UPDATED May 18, 11.30am
NSW COVID-19 statistics
Last updated 8pm, 17 May 2020. Source: NSW Health
3076 people with confirmed cases including interstate residents in NSW health care facilities
2612 recovered
416 active cases – (excluding persons recovered and lives lost)
This does not necessarily mean that these cases are infectious.
48 lives lost
368,805 people tested and cleared
Queensland COVID-19 statistics
0 New cases (last 24h)
1,055 Total cases
154,220 Total tests
6 Total lives lost
World Health Organization stats – UPDATED May 18, 2.42am AEST
Globally, as of 6:42pm CEST, 17 May 2020, (May 18, 2.42am AEST) there have been 4,534,731 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 307,537 deaths, reported to WHO.
Recent stories, information and updates regarding COVID-19
COVID-19 reduces Australian life expectancy
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Life shows life expectancy in Australia has decreased slightly for the second year in a row.
Wuhan market increasingly likely origin point for COVID-19
An international team of researchers has found more evidence that COVID-19 came from animals in a Wuhan food market.
Editorial – There’s a bat in my lab!
The lab-leak theory that Covid-19 came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology – instead of a nearby wet market – was thrashed about in public recently, with the US Senate Homeland Security Committee holding a hearing into Covid-19.
Fresh air federal funds for Northern Rivers schools in need
Eighteen schools in the Northern Rivers division of Richmond have received $25,000 each as part of the federal government’s School Upgrade Fund, Labor Member for Richmond Justine Elliot said last week.
COVID-19 pandemic has cut life expectancy globally
COVID-19 reversed earlier trends toward longer life expectancies. During the pandemic, life expectancies globally dropped by 1.6 years according to a new study published in the Lancet medical journal.
COVID-19 update for New South Wales
Let’s not forget that Covid-19 is still a big issue in our community with 31,935 cases reported across Australia in the last week – an average of 4,562 cases per day.
Five graphs you need to see before the Global Carbon Budget...
The Global Carbon Budget is about to be refreshed, giving the world a critical insight into how efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are (or are not) progressing.
Public transport mask mandate to end
Masks will no longer be mandatory on public transport from tomorrow, Wednesday 21 September.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
