Live breaking news: Bluesfest cancelled amid Qld's COVID-19 outbreak

There are fears Byron Bay's Bluesfest won't survive with continued lockdowns after it was cancelled for the second year running.

Ben Graham, Ally Foster and Shireen Khalil

less than 2 min read

March 31, 2021 - 2:23PM

Queensland's growing COVID-19 outbreak has spread to NSW with one new case being confirmed overnight, prompting a swift reaction from health authorities.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the new case visited a Byron Bay venue at the same time as an infected hens party from Queensland.

As a result, a raft of new restrictions have been brought in for the Byron Bay , Ballina, Tweed Heads and Lismore shires.

Also, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has signed a public health order to cancel the Byron Bay Bluesfest which was expected to commence tomorrow.

"Expect it to be postponed till COVID outbreak is managed," Mr Hazzard told news.com.au

The lineup included Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss, Kasey Chambers and Kate Ceberano.

This live blog has now finished. Read on below for earlier updates or visit the news.com.au homepage for the latest news.

Updates

Bluesfest: 'We cannot survive another six to 12 months'

The loss of Bluesfest, for a second year in a row, is no doubt a massive blow to Byron.

Bluesfest injects $100 million into the local economy, according to the ABC, and now with 15,000 people unable to attend tomorrow's event, it will have major financial implications.

Evelyn Richardson from Live Performance Australia, told the ABC, it is "devastating news", not just for Bluesfest, but for the live entertainment industry.

"We have only just started to get back on our feet and we've seen one case of community transmission close down a major festival, having major flow-on effects less than 24 hours before the festival was happen," Ms Richardson said.

Read the full Bluesfest statement via our website: https://t.co/guopwZMVFe pic.twitter.com/t5LaUo63CN
— Bluesfest Byron Bay (@BluesfestByron) March 31, 2021

"People being turned way to go home and an operator that has been running that festival for 30 years who has had the festival shut down two years in a row and now in an environment where nobody can get insurance for that.

"This has major implications for the industry. We can't sustain another six or 12 months of this, of sudden lockdowns and being shut down."

Ms Richardson said a lot of time and effort had gone into developing a COVID-safe plan that had been approved by NSW Health, but in less than 24 hours, the entire event has been shut down.

"That is not something that you can easily recover from. We would be expecting – we would be calling on the New South Wales Government to certainly step up and ensure that Bluesfest, as a major regional festival which has been running for a very long time, is able to survive a second shutdown."

She suggested the cancellation of the event could cost "$10 million-plus".

"A lot of artists, a lot of people who have flown in, service providers and so on who all need to be paid, because it was opening tomorrow. This is not a decision that any promoter can respond to easily."

Ms Richardson said Live Performance Australia have been calling on federal and state governments to create a business interruption fund since last year.

"I think this most recent closure is clear evidence that this is now a matter of urgency," she said.

"We are just starting to come back now. We cannot survive another six to 12 months with continued lockdowns and this kind of response.

"We need governments to be able to manage community transmission and know that we can moving forward."

Bluesfest director's 'most difficult statement'

Bluesfest organisers have asked the 15,000 people expected to be at tomorrow's festival to "please don't go to the site".

It comes after the popular Aussie event was cancelled due to COVID-19, for the second year in a row.

Peter Noble, Bluesfest Director said this is one of the most difficult statement's he has ever had to make.

"We really wanted to be at the forefront of the return of live music at Pre-COVID-19 level,” Mr Noble said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We feel deeply for everybody affected, the fans, the artists, and the hard-working Bluesfest team.

"But in the end, the health of our community must come first."

He said this weekend they will be packing down the event that was cancelled within 24 hours of gates due to open.

"We will be having discussions regarding Bluesfest postponement and will update everybody soon."

Bluesfest 2021 has been cancelled for the second year in a row.

The festival was due to open its gates on Thursday, April 1 until Monday, April 5, but has now been forced to be rescheduled.

"We are heartbroken that COVID-19 has spread into our local community," the statement read.

"We are getting the message out as quickly as possible so that those travelling to the event can make alternate arrangements."

If it had gone ahead, Bluesfest would have been the first major festival to occur in Australia since the summer of 2019/20.

"It had a capacity of 16,500 people daily over its five days, with three performance stages, plus camping – operating at approximately 50 per cent of normal capacity and production."

"The Bluesfest team has worked day and night for a year to achieve the approved COVID-19 Safety Plan – the first of its kind in the music industry and have been told by the NSW Health that it exceeded othermajor sporting events in its depth and ability to protect the public."

What happened to the 4 million jabs?

Four million Australians were supposed to have received their coronavirus vaccine by today. But so far that figure sits at just over 670,000.

In response to that, Health Minister Greg Hunt said:

"In terms of the vaccinations, what we're doing now, we are working towards the rapid acceleration to see a result such as today with 72,000 vaccinations done," he said at a press conference on Wednesday.
"As we see the rollout of the phase 1B, as we see the CSL production which we have fought to have done in Australia come online which expands our capacity, there's been no change in our timelines.
"We did, back on January 25th, once there was a collapse in international supply, revise them. So our timelines in terms of the completion of the first doses for Australians by the end of October hasn't remained and then along the way we will just continue to keep ensuring that those vaccines roll out."

When asked about when 6 million would be administered, which the prime minister said would happen in mid-May – he didn't directly respond.
Instead, he reiterated that the targets hadn’t changed, and insisted Australia was on track to ensure every Australia had one dose of the vaccine by October.

Byron Bay Bluesfest cancelled

The Byron Bay Bluesfest has been cancelled.

The multi-award winning and internationally renowned event was due to commence tomorrow, where up to 15,000 people were expected to party.

However, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has signed a public health order cancelling the event.

JUST IN

The Byron Bay Blues Festival has been cancelled, the ABC understands.

via @abcnews
— David Taylor (@DaveTaylorNews) March 31, 2021

Mr Hazzard said that while cancelling the event is "disappointing" for music lovers and the local community, as well as organisers, he hopes ticket holders can hold onto them until a new date is set.

"Expect it to be postponed till COVID outbreak is managed," Mr Hazzard told news.com.au

News.com.au asked Mr Hazzard whether ticketholders will be given any compensation for accommodation or other expenses.

"That will be up to the organisers but I am hopeful music lovers will support them by giving them time to reorganise the festival and to exchange tickets when it is safe for the Bluesfest to proceed," he said.

NSW Health said in a press release on Wednesday that the action is being taken to "minimise the risk of the highly infectious COVID-19 variant of concern being transmitted in the local area, as well as across states and territories".

This is the second year in a row the festival has been cancelled.

Hunt responds to vaccine criticism

The pace of the vaccine rollout has been criticised with some states – particularly QLD and NSW – claiming they have not received a detailed 12-week plan on vaccine delivery.

Amid those claims, Mr Hunt said “the 12-week plan, the iteration was provided on 16 March and that sets out the doses expected each week”.

"Overwhelmingly we have had a very positive response to that. As I say, those supplies have been delivered exactly as set out in the forward plans, initially four weeks and now 12 weeks."

More details on vaccine data up to National Cabinet

When asked by a reporter whether more details on vaccine data will be made public, Mr Hunt said it is up to National Cabinet.

"We are very open and very flexible on these matters but it is entirely a matter for the members of the National Cabinet," he said during Wednesday's press conference.
"They have sought to be open and transparent in providing the information as I have just done with the rundown of national figures. So the National Cabinet has been an extraordinary vehicle.
"That's not to say from time to time there won't be differences of views and that not everyone will necessarily have the same opinion but it's been a profoundly important vehicle.
"We learnt, looking back in history at the Spanish flu and some of the challenges that the federation faced, and that was conceived and established by the Prime Minister with that knowledge of history as well as the contemporary needs. So short answer is it's a matter for the members and we're very flexible and able to work with them on that."

Hunt congratulates Qld and NSW contact tracing

During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt praised the work of Queensland and New South Wales for its contact tracing.

"Beyond that, I think it's important to recognise that in Queensland we have seen two more cases today. I think we can say that that was lower than many had thought might have been the case," Mr Hunt said.

"That's a tribute to the contact tracing that's occurring in Queensland and around the country. I think it is a very positive step. We know it's still a significant concern. It's still a Commonwealth hotspot and that as a consequence of that we know that there are risks. But Queenslanders are stepping up to be tested.
"We are seeing very strong results and a very low number of positive cases which were, in any event, directly connected with the existing cluster."

Mr Hunt said regarding the one case in New South Wales, "there's intense contact tracing" going on from New South Wales Health which, "as we've always said, has an extraordinarily capable and highly-developed contact tracing system. So all of those parts are coming together".

Record day for vaccinations

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said it has been a "record day" for vaccinations with 72,826 vaccinations in the past 24 hours.

"That's showing that the national vaccination program is accelerating exactly as intended in the manner that was intended at the time it was intended, off the back of a very clear development," he told reporters on Wednesday.

"That is the capacity to have sovereign domestic manufacturing with strong, stable supplies coming out of CSL and other places. So that is extremely important."

He said it takes the national total to 670,369 vaccinations, adding that vaccines have reached more than 99,000 people in aged care.

NT chief minister negative for COVID-19

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has returned a negative COVID-19 test after coming into contact with family members visiting from Queensland and developing cold-like symptoms.

Mr Gunner's family arrived in Darwin from Toowoomba on Friday, a week after a man infected with the UK strain of the virus started moving about the state's southeast, Perth Now reports.

New NSW venues added to hotspot list

A number of COVID-19 alerts have been issued new venues across NSW, following the confirmation of a new virus case in Byron Bay.

Anyone who has been to the following venues must immediately get tested and self-isolate and remain in isolation until further advice is provided by NSW Health.