In Australia, federal government-funded research has revealed far more people have potentially been exposed to the coronavirus than anticipated.

Researchers from the Australian National University have now developed a new test which picks up previous Covid-19 infection in a patient's blood.

The study indicates eight in 3000 healthy and previously undiagnosed Australians had likely been infected with the virus.

"This suggests that instead of 11,000 cases we know about from nasal swab testing, about 70,000 people had been exposed overall," Associate Professor Ian Cockburn said.

The researchers claim the test will help authorities get a better grasp of the spread of the illness – and can help demonstrate whether or not herd immunity exists.

Cases soar across the globe

As coronavirus case numbers continue to fall in Australia, it's a very different story in other nations.

Ireland's entire cabinet is now in isolation as the county's health minister waits on coronavirus test results, while 17 members of India's parliament all contracted the illness as the country braces to pass five millions cases.

Meanwhile, England is facing a shortage of coronavirus tests as it grapples with a second wave and another lockdown is potentially on the cards for Canada as cases rise there.

Spain's official Covid-19 death toll has now passed 30,000 and more than 195,275 people have died from the virus in the US.

Israel's second lockdown, which will last for three weeks, will begin on Friday.

Despite rising cases globally, World Health Organisation boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has insisted the closure of schools should be a "last resort".