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Australia’s chief medical officer has written to doctors urging them for help as Australians rush out to get tested for Covid-19, including those who don’t need it.

The letter says there has been “extreme pressure” on personal protective equipment stocks continues. Meanwhile, he wrote, “the situation regarding pathology test kits, reagents and swabs is deteriorating rapidly, with kits no longer being available in some regions of the country”. He told doctors:

Pathology collection centres have also experienced large backlogs in testing appointments in some parts of Australia, and emergency testing facilities have had to be established in some areas to ensure that urgent patients can get access to testing.

From Naples to Tuscany, Italians have been singing from their balconies across the country, in an effort to boost morale during its nationwide lockdown that began this week, due to Covid-19.

Videos of Italian neighbours singing together have been appearing on social media after Italy’s prime minister Giuseppe Conte announced the restrictions that shut down virtually all daily life.

Related: Italians sing patriotic songs from their balconies during coronavirus lockdown

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