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A man in a cast at Bondi Beach has been arrested after spitting at police

Lifeguards at Bondi Beach called police this morning when a man refused to leave the closed beach. The man then spat on police and claimed to have COVID-19. LIVE COVERAGE

Nick Hansen
less than 2 min read
April 5, 2020 - 1:29PM
The Sunday Telegraph

This coronavirus article is unlocked and free to read in the interest of community health and safety. For full access to the Daily Telegraph journalism, subscribe here.

A man wearing a cast on his arm allegedly coughed on police, claiming he had COVID-19, after he refused to leave Bondi Beach today.

Police later said they had confirmation the man was not COVID-19 positive.

Images capturing the man’s arrest show him pinned by officers against the metal rail above the sands at Bondi.

He was refused police bail to appear at Central Local Court tomorrow. 

Read more here

Read all the latest COVID-19 news in our blog below

Updates

The latest snapshot of COVID-19 cases, measures and impacts as of 1700 AEST on April 5

Billy Freeman

NUMBERS

* Confirmed cases in Australia: 56,387 – an increase of 139 since Saturday.

* Australian deaths: 34 (16 in NSW, eight in Vic, three in Qld, three in WA, two in Tas, two in ACT). 10 were passengers on the Ruby Princess.

* 91 people are in intensive care; 33 on ventilators.

* It's estimated more than 2000 people have recovered.

* 291,000 people have been tested 

* The number of global coronavirus cases has passed one million.

—

MEASURES

* The federal government has committed $320 billion, or 16.4 per cent of gross domestic product, to combat the virus' health and economic effects.

* A $130 billion JobKeeper program to subsidise wages at $1500 a fortnight for six million workers, for up to six months. Parliament set to approve on Wednesday.

* Welfare recovery scheme robo-debt has been frozen for six months

* Free child care for people still in paid work in a $1.6 billion package to childcare centres.

* Borders closed in Queensland, Tasmania, SA, NT and WA. A 'hard' border closure comes into effect in WA on Sunday night.

* All Australians are being urged to continue practising social distancing and stay at home unless going out for essentials despite improving figures.

* People aged over 60 with chronic illness are discouraged from leaving their homes unless they need medical care.

* Social distancing rules have been eased to allow churches to organise Easter service broadcasts and webcasts.

* Australians returning home from overseas must be quarantined for two weeks in hotels or other accommodation before being allowed home.

* Australians, excluding aid workers and compassionate cases, are banned from international travel.

* Backpackers travelling to farms for fruit-picking and other jobs will be forced to self-isolate for 14 days to avoid spreading coronavirus.

* All states are telling people no one should travel for the Easter holidays.

* People will be able to access Medicare-funded online consultations.

* A new health advisory group will develop a care plan for people with disabilities.

* Still open: supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, public transport, some schools, hairdressers, petrol stations, postal and freight services, bottle shops, newsagents, retail shops. Restaurants restricted to take-away/delivery in most states.

* Closed: schools in Victoria and ACT, gyms, indoor sports venues, pubs, cinemas, nightclubs, casinos, places of worship, theme parks, auction houses, food courts in shopping centres, beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons, spas and tattoo parlours, galleries, museums, libraries, youth centres, community halls, clubs, RSL clubs, swimming pools, amusement parks, arcades, indoor and outdoor play centres, social sports that involve large groups, outdoor and indoor markets, outdoor playgrounds, outdoor gyms, skate parks.

—

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

* NSW Police have launched a criminal investigation into whether Australian or NSW biosecurity laws were breached in allowing the Ruby Princess to disembark.

—

GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS

* Cases: at least 1,192,028

* Deaths: at least 64,084

* Recovered: at least 245,981.

*Source: State and federal government updates and johns hopkins website

Good news kids - Easter eggs will still arrive this year

Billy Freeman

The coronavirus restrictions have not shut down all the holiday fun after the country's top medical advisor confirmed the Easter Bunny's work was an "essential service".

Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy said the upcoming Easter holidays would be "very different" for every family this year, but one special job would continue. 

"I've been asked about the Easter Bunny and I'm told because he's a solo operator and an essential service, Easter Bunny, he or she, will be allowed to continue to operate," Prof Murphy said. 

"But the rest of us will have to do things differently."

TRIPLE TREAT

Darren Prendergast

The Queen will address the British public to thank healthcare workers dealing with the coronavirus crisis.

She has already recorded the message, to be broadcast at 8pm on Sunday in the UK (0500 Monday AEST).

Britain has now recorded 708 new deaths from coronavirus and a total of 4313 people have died.

Queen to make televised COVID-19 speech

Billy Freeman

The Queen will address the British public to thank healthcare workers dealing with the coronavirus crisis.

She has already recorded the message, to be broadcast at 8pm on Sunday in the UK (0500 Monday AEST).

Britain has now recorded 708 new deaths from coronavirus and a total of 4313 people have died.

Darren Prendergast

Australian Border Force's account of how NSW Health gave the final green light to allow the Ruby Princess cruise ship to disembark in Sydney is "utterly persuasive" according to the Attorney General.

Christian Porter said while he had not gone through a "PhD analysis" of whether the NSW Government, ABF or the Carnival cruise company was most at fault for allowing the coronavirus-riddled passengers to disembark, he believed Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram. 

"I found Mike Outram's explanation of the timing of events and the bearing of responsibility to be utterly persuasive," he said. 

"So anyone who wants an answer as to responsibility for what occurred I think would do no better than listen to Mike Outram's account."

Mr Porter said he thought the NSW Police investigation into the matter "makes sense". 

Last month Mr Outram provided a public run down of the days leading up to the Ruby Princess disembarking, and while he refused to "apportion blame" emphasised the ABF only had oversight of immigration and customs, not health. 

Mr Outram said after hearing criticisms of ABF officers, he believed it was important to "clarify some actual facts" about how passengers were allowed off the ship. 

"I've got no information in front of me, factual information at all that says my officers did not equip their responsibilities under the customs … (or) immigration acts," he said. 


"We in the Border Force do not have expertise in health or in biosecurity."

Mr Outram said on March 17 NSW Health requested information from the Ruby Princess' senior doctor including a log of passengers and crew with fever or acute respiratory symptoms, travel histories and if tests were conducted and results.

"They requested that any passengers or crew with flu like illnesses were isolated and provided with hand rubs and masks," he said. 


"On March 18, at 9:39am the senior doctor on the Ruby Princess notified the Health Department with the following, they had collected viral swabs for a few cases of febrile influenza, negative test, and that those people had been isolated."

Mr Outram said on March 18 the Ruby Princess was told a NSW Health panel had assessed the ship as "not requiring on-board health assessment in Sydney".

"NSW Health stated to the Ruby Princess, 'you are free to disembark tomorrow'," he said.

"However, in accordance with the Australian government guidance, all passengers must go into self isolation for 14 days."

Mr Outram said despite the NSW Health ruling that the Ruby Princess was "low risk" his six officers wore masks and gloves when conducting their customs and immigration checks. 

"There were number of passengers in their cabins," he said. 

"The Department of Agriculture officials advised my officers that NSW Health had conducted a risk assessment, had rated the riskas low and that health officials would not be attending the vessel. 

"As a result of that information, all of the passengers were given a green light to disembark."

Mr Outram refused to specifically blame NSW Health for the failure, but said ABF did not have responsibility for conducting or facilitating health checks.

"People can then make their own minds up about what happened in respect of the Ruby Princess," he said.

– Clare Armstrong

Border Forces' Ruby Princess account 'persuasive': A-G

Jo Seymour

Australian Border Force's account of how NSW Health gave the final green light to allow the Ruby Princess cruise ship to disembark in Sydney is "utterly persuasive" according to the Attorney General.

Christian Porter said while he had not gone through a "PhD analysis" of whether the NSW Government, ABF or the Carnival cruise company was most at fault for allowing the coronavirus-riddled passengers to disembark, he believed Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram. 

"I found Mike Outram's explanation of the timing of events and the bearing of responsibility to be utterly persuasive," he said. 

"So anyone who wants an answer as to responsibility for what occurred I think would do no better than listen to Mike Outram's account."

Mr Porter said he thought the NSW Police investigation into the matter "makes sense". 

Last month Mr Outram provided a public run down of the days leading up to the Ruby Princess disembarking, and while he refused to "apportion blame" emphasised the ABF only had oversight of immigration and customs, not health. 

Mr Outram said after hearing criticisms of ABF officers, he believed it was important to "clarify some actual facts" about how passengers were allowed off the ship. 

"I've got no information in front of me, factual information at all that says my officers did not equip their responsibilities under the customs … (or) immigration acts," he said. 


"We in the Border Force do not have expertise in health or in biosecurity."

Mr Outram said on March 17 NSW Health requested information from the Ruby Princess' senior doctor including a log of passengers and crew with fever or acute respiratory symptoms, travel histories and if tests were conducted and results.

"They requested that any passengers or crew with flu like illnesses were isolated and provided with hand rubs and masks," he said. 


"On March 18, at 9:39am the senior doctor on the Ruby Princess notified the Health Department with the following, they had collected viral swabs for a few cases of febrile influenza, negative test, and that those people had been isolated."

Mr Outram said on March 18 the Ruby Princess was told a NSW Health panel had assessed the ship as "not requiring on-board health assessment in Sydney".

"NSW Health stated to the Ruby Princess, 'you are free to disembark tomorrow'," he said.

"However, in accordance with the Australian government guidance, all passengers must go into self isolation for 14 days."

Mr Outram said despite the NSW Health ruling that the Ruby Princess was "low risk" his six officers wore masks and gloves when conducting their customs and immigration checks. 

"There were number of passengers in their cabins," he said. 

"The Department of Agriculture officials advised my officers that NSW Health had conducted a risk assessment, had rated the riskas low and that health officials would not be attending the vessel. 

"As a result of that information, all of the passengers were given a green light to disembark."

Mr Outram refused to specifically blame NSW Health for the failure, but said ABF did not have responsibility for conducting or facilitating health checks.

"People can then make their own minds up about what happened in respect of the Ruby Princess," he said.

– Clare Armstrong

Darren Prendergast

OVERNIGHT SNAPSHOT OF CORONAVIRUS IMPACT

  • Confirmed cases in Australia: 5548.
  • NSW is the worst hit state with 2493 cases as of Saturday night.
  • Australian deaths: 30 (12 in NSW, eight in Vic, three in Qld, three in WA, two in Tas, two in ACT).
  • 287,000 people have been tested
  • The number of global coronavirus cases has passed one million.

AUSTRALIAN MEASURES

  • The federal government has committed $320 billion, or 16.4 per cent of gross domestic product, to combat the virus’ health and economic effects.
  • Welfare recovery scheme robo-debt has been frozen for six months.
  • Free childcare for people still in paid work in a $1.6 billion package to childcare centres.
  • A $130 billion JobKeeper program to subsidise wages at $1500 a fortnight for six million workers, for up to six months. Parliament set to approve it on Wednesday.
  • Borders closed in Queensland, Tasmania, SA, NT and WA. A "hard" border closure comes into effect in WA on Sunday.
  • All Australians are being urged to practise social distancing and stay at home unless going out for essentials.
  • People aged over 60 with chronic illness are discouraged from leaving their homes unless they need medical care.
  • Social distancing rules have been eased to allow churches to organise Easter service broadcasts and webcasts.
  • Australians returning home from overseas must be quarantined for two weeks in hotels or other accommodation before being allowed home.
  • Australians, excluding aid workers and compassionate cases, are banned from international travel.

-AAP

Five international cruise ships leave Sydney

Jo Seymour

NSW maritime police have transferred 1300 foreign national crew members in tenders between five cruise ships in Sydney Harbour in order to enable the ships to depart.

Operation Nemesis, which involved coordinating the crew movements and departure of the five ships, was the organisation's largest maritime operation undertaken in Sydney Harbour.

NSW Police Marine Area Command worked with the NSW Ports Authority and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line to coordinate the safe return of the ships to their home ports.

Two ships, the Spectrum of the Seas and the Radiance of the Seas, left on Saturday afternoon.

Three remaining Royal Caribbean ships were anchored in Sydney Harbour on Saturday evening and the early hours of Sunday before they each took their leave.

The Voyager of the Seas departed about 8pm to return to an international port. It was followed by the Ovation of the Seas about midnight and the Celebrity Solstice about 1.45am.

Five Australian crew members also elected to remain on the ships and continue to international ports.

Darren Prendergast

Police and the state coroner will oversee the criminal investigation into the Ruby Princess as a tenth COVID-19 death is linked to the ship.

It means the cruise ship that politicians had hoped would vanish from Australian waters, and which is still carrying almost 200 sick crew, is now a crucial body of evidence.

Police Commissioner Mick Fuller confirmed his initial inquiries, made on behalf of Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week, had progressed to a criminal investigation which would begin on Monday.

The question for investigators, the Commissioner said on Sunday, was whether the Ruby’s operator Carnival had been “transparent in contextualising the true patient-crew health conditions relevant to COVID-19”.

Specifically it will be an investigation into if Carnival downplayed or omitted key information about potential coronavirus carriers on board in violation of Australia’s laws.

Full story: https://bit.ly/2V5iyBl

Coroner to look into Ruby Princess COVID deaths

Jo Seymour

Police and the state coroner will oversee the criminal investigation into the Ruby Princess as a tenth COVID-19 death is linked to the ship.

It means the cruise ship that politicians had hoped would vanish from Australian waters, and which is still carrying almost 200 sick crew, is now a crucial body of evidence.

Police Commissioner Mick Fuller confirmed his initial inquiries, made on behalf of Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week, had progressed to a criminal investigation which would begin on Monday.

The question for investigators, the Commissioner said on Sunday, was whether the Ruby’s operator Carnival had been “transparent in contextualising the true patient-crew health conditions relevant to COVID-19”.

Specifically it will be an investigation into if Carnival downplayed or omitted key information about potential coronavirus carriers on board in violation of Australia’s laws.

Full story: https://bit.ly/2V5iyBl

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/coronavirus-nsw-live-updates-qantas-comes-to-the-rescue-of-stranded-aussies/live-coverage/cceff38a1d449625121f7859ad6f42e3