The Supreme Court has issued an updated fact sheet for The Virtual Courtroom that provides information to practitioners and participants who appear before the Supreme Court using the Virtual Courtroom audio-visual link system. The updated version, which replaces an earlier version published in late March, includes information about a test link that parties can use ahead of their appearance. More here.

The Office of the Registrar General has now issued a new Guidance note on executing NSW plans during COVID-19 restrictions. NSW Land Registry Services has also updated the interactive Administration Sheet, Section 88B instrument, and plan lodgement checklist to support electronic signing (available here). Further information is available from NSW Land Registry Services.

The Federal Circuit Court is calling for feedback from litigants, lawyers and others court users about their experience of court hearings and alternative dispute resolution events that have been conducted electronically. A short survey is available on the Court’s website.

In an Australian first, heat maps pinpointing COVID-19 cases by postcode will now show how many people have recovered from the virus, the estimated number of active local cases and number of tests completed. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the de-identified NSW Health data would help inform the community about COVID-19 testing and recovery rates across the state. More details here.

From today, up to two adults and dependent children are allowed to visit another household in NSW. This rule has been introduced to reduce social isolation and improve mental health. Read more about the two people visitation rule here.

National Cabinet has brought forward a decision on relaxing restrictions to next Friday. However, more Australians need to download the COVIDSafe app before measures can be relaxed. At today’s meeting with the Prime Minister, state and territory leaders endorsed the draft ‘Code of Conduct on Pandemic Procedures’ for residential aged care. The government is making a one-off payment of $205 million into the aged care sector to help it respond to the coronavirus and comply with the new industry code. 1.5 million Australians are now on Jobseeker and 900,000 claims have been processed in six weeks. National cabinet also endorsed a set of national principles for the resumption of sport and recreation activities. More here.

More than 3.5 million Australians have voluntarily downloaded and registered for the new coronavirus app, COVIDSafe. The app is part of the three key requirements for easing restrictions: Test, Trace and Respond. Read the COVID-19 FAQs here.

Forty five per cent of Australians aged 18 years and over had their household finances impacted by COVID-19 in the period mid-March to mid-April, according to results from the second ABS Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey. The survey also highlighted changing patterns in how Australians are keeping in touch with each other and differences among age groups as to changes in emotional and mental wellbeing. Details here.

Australia’s key retail industry groups have created a COVID-19 Retail Recovery Protocol to provide a consistent, practical and public health-led guide for shopping centres and retailers that continue to trade, are re-opening or are preparing to re-open when COVID-19 restrictions start to ease. More here.

Upcoming public hearings for the Select Committee on COVID-19 will be held on 5 and 7 May 2020. The committee is to present its final report on or before 30 June 2022. The closing date for submissions is 28 May 2020. More here.