This blog has now ended. Read on for all the earlier updates.
Live breaking news: South Australia shuts border to greater Melbourne from 6pm tonight
South Australia will close its border to greater Melbourne from 6pm tonight, in a bid to protect itself from Victoria's growing Covid-19 outbreak.
Welcome to Rush Hour, news.com.au's live breaking news blog.
South Australia will close its border to greater Melbourne from 6pm tonight, in a bid to protect itself from Victoria's growing Covid-19 outbreak.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Premier Steven Marshall said that the only people exempted from the closure will be essential travellers with the appropriate permit.
Returning South Australians will be expected to "subject themselves" to 14 days of quarantine.
Continue checking back throughout the morning for all of today's news updates.
Updates
Signing off
Marvel Stadium put on alert
Marvel Stadium has been put on alert, after a positive case of Covid-19 attended the Essendon/North Melbourne game last Sunday.
According to Victoria Health, individuals sitting on level 1 between aisles 5 and 28 and level 3 between aisles 6 and 29 must get tested and stay isolated until they have received a negative result.
"The Department is working with the AFL and Marvel Stadium to contact spectators to provide this advice," they said.
"Some individuals with the closest contact to the positive case will be directly provided more specific advice from the Department of Health.
"Others attending the stadium not located in these areas will be advised to check for symptoms and be tested if any develop."
A positive case attended the Essendon/North Melbourne game at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, 23 May.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) May 26, 2021
Individuals sitting on Level 1 between Aisles 5 and 28 or Level 3 in between Aisles 6 and 29 must get tested and stay isolated until they have received a negative result. [1/3] pic.twitter.com/h310WoVtEC
'I don't care': PM blasted in parliament
Scott Morrison has lashed out at his Covid-19 critics, slamming the “whingers and complainers” in the Labor Party who have accused him of failing to roll out the vaccines fast enough.
Declaring “every Australian was happy” to live in Australia during the pandemic, the Prime Minister insisted the nation was the envy of the world.
However he was also blasted by the speaker for not sticking to the question.
Picture: Gary Ramage
During a fiery question time, the PM erupted after Labor leader Anthony Albanese put the blame for the latest outbreak in Victoria squarely on the Morrison Government’s shoulders.
But it was a question from Labor frontbencher Mark Butler over the slow pace of the vaccine rollout that prompted Mr Morrison to lash out.
– Samantha Maiden
Federal Government offers 130,000 additional vaccine doses
The Federal Government will provide Victoria with an additional 130,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine in the face of its current outbreak.
For the next six weeks, an additional 15,000 AstraZeneca doses will be provided (totally 90,000), while this week alone, an extra 40,000 AstraZeneca doses will be provided.
From Monday, the Altona North GR respiratory clinic will also become an AstraZeneca and Pfizer hub.
Quarantine leak likely happened when food was delivered
On the leak at Adelaide's Playford Hotel, Professor Spurrier said the review from SA authorities found it likely occurred when food was delivered to residents in the facility.
"There were two occasions when the case that was infectious – and we didn't know he was infectious at that stage or nor did he – where he'd opened his door to get food that had been delivered," the chief health officer said.
"Once was less than 30 minutes, once was less than 12 minutes, he shut his door and (has) gone back inside. But the person in the next room opened his door to get his food and pick up his parcels as well…It's possible opening the door could have brought that person who was not infected in contact (with the virus)."
Does SA feel 'guilt' over Victorian situation?
Premier Steven Marshall is asked whether he feels any "guilt" over the situation in Victoria, given it started from an Adelaide hotel quarantine breach.
"Well obviously any leak from a quarantine hotel and medi-hotel is something we take very, very seriously," Mr Marshall responded.
"We have maintained a very high standard in South Australia but this is a highly contagious disease, there is no doubt about that.
"That is why we made sure there was a thorough and robust investigation straightaway. Now, that investigation hasn't shown any breach whatsoever.
"It just heightens, I suppose, our focus on making sure that there is a continuous improvement program. We'll share our findings with other states and the territories as well who are operating quarantine hotel arrangements because we have got to be working together at any infection, any community transmission across the country, any leakage from a quarantine hotel is something that we have to take seriously because it does potentially affect the way that we are living in our country at the moment."
How long will the border stay closed?
Professor Spurrier is asked how long the border will remain shut to Melbourne.
"It's very difficult to predict at the moment because it's obviously an evolving situation and we are getting updated as things evolve over in Victoria, so it's too early to say," she said.
"Obviously we would want to have it as short a time as possible and we are absolutely hoping that Victoria, with their fantastic contact tracing, get their primary secondary contacts into quarantine quickly and get that wrap around."
She added that "there is no end date at this point in time".
Three South Australians considered close contacts
Three South Australians are considered close contacts of Melbourne cases, SA's chief health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said.
The trio were within two rows of infected people at the Port Adelaide versus Collingwood game at the MCG last Sunday.
One of them is still in Victoria, where they will now have to quarantine, while the other two are in SA.
State shuts border with greater Melbourne
South Australia will close its border to greater Melbourne from 6pm tonight, in a bid to protect itself from Victoria's growing Covid-19 outbreak.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Premier Steven Marshall said that the only people exempted from the closure will be essential travellers with the appropriate permit.
Returning South Australians will be expected to "subject themselves" to 14 days of quarantine.
"Anybody who has returned from greater Melbourne since May 20 will need to undertake a range of testing," Mr Marshall added.
Picture: Keryn Stevens
"In fact, testing one day one, five and 13 and again after that first test is taken; they will need to go into isolation pending a negative result coming in.
"People coming in from Bendigo will be permitted (to enter SA) but they will need to undertake tests on day one, five and 13 and again isolate pending that negative result from test number one.
"Our thoughts are with everybody in Victoria at the moment, particularly those in Melbourne. Any outbreak in Australia is something that we need to take extraordinarily seriously at the moment."
Man likely contracted Covid in SA hotel through aerosol transmission
South Australian health authorities have said a Melbourne man likely contracted Covid-19 in hotel quarantine through aerosol transmission between adjacent rooms.
A report from SA Health into the transmission concluded "there was no high-risk single event or high-risk breach in infection prevention and control practices".
The transmission was highly likely caused by "the close timing of doors opening and closing between adjacent rooms", the report found.
The man tested negative to coronavirus while in quarantine and flew back to Melbourne, where he tested positive six days later.
Genomic testing by Victorian authorities has linked the man to the state's latest cluster.
Major update in state’s rail strike drama
One of NSW’s most powerful unions has issued a major update ahead of a huge proposed rail strike that would threaten New Year’s Eve celebrations.
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Cop charged with street racing in luxury car
A young police officer has been charged with street racing offences after he allegedly crashed his luxury car into a power pole.
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‘Wtf’: Commuter chaos hits major city
Urgent trackwork at a major transportation hub threw travel plans for peak hour commuters into chaos.
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