Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has called the Ruby Princess cruise ship debacle a"human tragedy"and said the upcoming criminal and coronial investigation"was the right thing"for NSW authorities to do.

"Whilst the ship was in their care,they are nevertheless doing their best and they've raised some very significant questions about the communications from the company in question. I'll let them proceed with that,"Mr Hunt said in a live interview on60 Minutes.

"First and foremost,it's been a human tragedy. We know that NSW has today called both a criminal and a coronial investigation and I think that was the right thing for them to do."

The state's homicide detectiveswill lead a criminal investigation into the cruise ship,as the passenger death toll climbed to 11 and authorities prepared to board the cruise ship when it docks south of Sydney tomorrow.

Almost 2700 passengers were allowed to disembark the cruise ship on March 19 and more than 600 have since tested positive for coronavirus.

More than 1000 crew members,largely from developing nations such as the Philippines and Indonesia,remain aboard the cruise ship that has been hovering off the coast near Sydney.

As many as 200 crew members have suspected respiratory illnesses. The ship is currently waiting in the waters off Botany Bay.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has said there is still"much more to go"in terms of the country's virus response,as Australia's daily growth rate for new COVID-19 cases lowered to 5 per cent.

"Half of our job is to reduce infections and flatten the curve. The other half is to boost capacity,"he said in a live interview on60 Minutes,noting that Australians were"doing magnificently on self-isolation".

He said Australia had received 30 million masks to distribute to health workers.

"That's replenished the stockpile,"he said."It's still a global challenge but we will immediately move to make the first 10 million of those available to precisely the heroic healthcare workers ... over the coming days.

"[There's] more to come,including significant amounts of gowns,gloves,goggles and so we're working in a difficult global environment as well as making masks here in Australia."

Mr Hunt said he expected Australia to make up to 200 million masks by the end of the year.

"This is about protecting our population but,above all else,protecting our magnificent healthcare workers,"he said.

NSW Police charged two people in Sydney with breaching social distancing requirements over the weekend:

• A 21-year-old man was charged for refusing to comply with move-on directions after he ignored'beach closed'signs at Bondi Beach this morning. He allegedly coughed at a police officer,claiming to have COVID-19.
• A 59-year-old man in the Northern Beaches was charged with trespassing and breaching the Public Health Act at a Dee Why Hotel,after receiving two prior notices for similar breaches.

Police also issued 18 penalty infringement notices. In Sydney,these include:

• Four men,aged 22,24,19 and 19,who were drinking and having a barbecue at the Lilli Pilli Baths in the Sutherland Shire and refused to leave when asked by police.
• A 37-year-old man in Newtown,who was warned about associating with four other adults. He was stopped on King St two hours later and issued a notice.
• Two women,20 and 21,in Bankstown were pulled over in their car and"unable to provide a valid reason for driving around". A notice was issued to the passenger,21,who allegedly provided incorrect identification information to police and became"argumentative".
• Another Bankstown man,30,who allegedly accelerated his car after seeing police and did not provide a valid reason for driving.
• A 33-year-old Toongabbie woman,who was a passenger in a car driven by a food delivery driver. Police allege she"was only there because she said she was bored being at home".
• A man was issued a notice at the Sydney Opera House,after being issued a warning last week.

Pope Francis has begun the first of several Holy Week ceremonies that will be held without the public this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Normally,tens of thousands of Romans and pilgrims,clutching olive branches,would have flocked to an outdoor Mass led by the pontiff. Instead,Francis was leading the ceremony inside the shelter of St. Peter's Basilica,which seemed even more cavernous than usual because it was so empty.

Besides his aides,a few invited prelates,nuns and laypeople were present,sitting solo in the first pews and staggered,so they could stay a couple of metres apart to reduce risk of contagion.

Wearing red robes and appearing pensive,Francis blessed braided palms held by the others,then held one himself. The Vatican has said there are seven cases of COVID-19 among residents or employees of the tiny independent city state.

With churches closed,travel banned and events cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic,Andrew Taylor wrote in theSun-Herald there will be little to do this Easter besides eating.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show has beencancelled for the first time since 1919 when the Spanish flu pandemic led to a similar cancellation of public events and gatherings including church services.

Read more about how coronavirus has changed Easter in Sydney here.

With AP

UK deaths from the coronavirus could rise to between 7000 and 20,000 under measures taken to slow the spread of the virus,says Neil Ferguson,a professor at Imperial College in London who has helped shape the government's response.

"We had an exponentially growing curve of infections which we interrupted at a certain time,"the epidemiologist told the BBC's Andrew Marr program on Sunday.

"We don't have the ability right now to measure how many people have been infected,that will come with antibody tests,and so we are making statistical estimates of that and those are subject to a certain degree of uncertainty.

"We think it could be anywhere between about 7,000 or so up to a little over 20,000."

The Queen will urge Britain to prove that this generation is"as strong as any"in an address to the nation tonight (5am AEST).

AAP

Jacinda Ardern's government has quietly codified a"bonk ban"more than a week into New Zealand's clampdown designed to stamp out COVID-19.

New Zealand authorities have issued new lockdown guidance that separates families and lovers who don't live together. With Kiwis not even half-way through an initial four-week lockdown that could be extended,it remains to be seen how long couples will spend apart.

Self-isolation principles were previously vague. Before the lockdown,Ms Ardern asked Kiwis to"apply common sense"and shrink down their social group to"a small group of individuals who are part of your bubble ... the bubble you must maintain"for the month.

That was understood largely to mean households,but the non-specific language allowed families and partners who didn't live together to see each other.

However,the issuing of a Health Act Order,which replaced the unspecific order with explicit language,leaves no room for misinterpretation.

It allows for no fraternising across households with very limited exemptions;for shared custody of children,and when at least one of the partners lives alone. The end result is the criminalisation of most relationships between Kiwis who don't live together.

Ms Ardern has justified the decision as necessary to fight COVID-19,on the same day that New Zealand cases tipped 1000.

The lockdown has closed all non-essential businesses - including all restaurants and educational facilities - and provided Kiwis with very few reasons to leave their own homes.

Of the 1039 Kiwis to have caught the virus,15 are in hospital,with three requiring support in intensive care units. One person,an elderly South Islander,has died due to coronavirus.

AAP

In Sydney on Sunday,authorities again moved to disperse crowds on Manly Beach which had grown too large.

Since the introduction of social distancing rules,there have been inconsistencies and questions about how police are interpreting the law. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller acknowledged simple issues such as exercise had become"complex".

"We want people to get out and manage their mental health but when you look at transmission around beaches it's much higher than other areas,"he said."We will be stopping people and if they don't have good reason to be where you are you face $1000 fine."

In response to questions from theHerald on Sunday,a spokeswoman for NSW Police said"a lot of this comes down to being sensible and common sense".

Yes,you can go for a walk with another person or direct household members at a beach or a park,but not if they have been closed by council,she said. If many others have the same idea you should move on,encourage others to move on,or risk fines,she added.

"If you're out having a run and you sit on a park bench because you're stuffed,explain it to an officer. Police have discretion,"the spokeswoman said.

In response to examples of being fined,the spokeswoman said most people who have been issued infringement notices have previously refused an order to move on. The Sydney man fined for eating a kebab on a park bench had been stopped twice already that day before being fined.

The Police Commissioner would be reviewing fines issued under the emergency provisions,she said.Read more about how social distancing rules are being enforced here.