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Two more Australians have died from coronavirus, taking the nation’s death toll to 11.
The two deaths are Victorian men in their 70s, the state’s chief health officer confirmed on Thursday.
The Federal Government has broadened testing criteria, meaning more Australians can now be screened.
Anyone with a fever or acute respiratory infection who works in health care or aged care can now be tested for the virus.
So too can people living in areas with an elevated risk of community transmission, or where there are two or more plausibly linked cases.
This takes in aged and residential care, rural and remote Aboriginal communities, detention centres, boarding schools, and military bases that have live-in accommodation.
The Australian Medical Association says the testing criteria should be even broader, so as to better understand the virus.
Australia has been placed into an even tighter lockdown as governments desperately try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Further restrictions on businesses, community facilities and public spaces came into effect at midnight.
Tasmanian independent senator Jacqui Lambie wants the nation to go into a full lockdown by midnight Friday.
“For goodness sake prime minister, we don’t want any more 35 minutes of your dribble, please make a decision that a leader would make,” she told Nine.
“Play it safe mate and put us into lockdown unless it is for essential services, please.”
There are more than 2500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, with hundreds of people hospitalised.
More than 169,000 people have been tested for the disease.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said one sick person could lead to 400 more contracting the disease within a month if they didn’t stick to distancing and quarantine measures.
The government is sending text messages telling Australians: “Stop the spread, stay 1.5m from others, follow rules on social gatherings, wash hands, stay home if sick”.
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