114 new cases, 11 deaths as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg slams Victoria’s handling of virus crisis
Victoria has been slammed for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg labelling it a “slow car crash” and panning the Andrews Government’s “litany of failures”. It comes as the state recorded 114 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths.
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Victoria’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been described as a “slow car crash” by Josh Frydenberg.
It comes as Victoria recorded 114 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths on Sunday.
The federal Treasurer on Sunday also called the state a “massive drag on the national economy” and slammed Daniel Andrews for nor providing Victorians with clarity about the road to recovery.
“In Victoria, we have seen a litany of failures,” Mr Frydenberg said.
“Obviously with quarantine being the most obvious, and Victorians have seen the what but they haven’t heard the how and the why, and they have to wait until November for the enquiry to come back and that is a long way away.
“In the meantime, hundreds of people have lost their lives and hundreds of thousands are expected to lose their jobs.
“Obviously we’ve also seen testing and tracing in Victoria which has not been up to the standard of other states.
“We saw the rejection of the offer from the ADF of assistance, and we’ve heard from no less authority than the Australian Medical Association, the AMA, that in Victoria it’s been like watching a slow car crash occurring.”
Mr Frydenberg said the Victorian Premier’s planned 12-month extension to the state of emergency powers was “complete overreach”.
“What we saw from Daniel Andrews and announcing an expectation that he would get another 12 months in the state of emergency was complete overreach,” Mr Frydenberg said.
“It showed that he hadn’t heard the concerns of the people of Victoria who are subject to curfews who can’t move greater than 5 kilometres from their home.”
He asked Mr Andrews to provide hope and clarity to Victorians to help with mental health and the economy.
“Victorians are in the dark,” Mr Frydenberg said. “They don’t know what happens next.
“The impact that these decisions that the state government are taking is huge on people’s mental wellbeing and mental health, but also on the economic recovery. “
Meanwhile, the latest deaths include a man in his 70s, five women and a man in their 80s and three women and a man in their 90s.
Nine of the 11 deaths are linked to aged-care outbreaks.
Currently, 472 Victorians in hospital, 25 of whom are in intensive care and 11 on a ventilator.
More than 14,200 people were tested for COVID-19 on Saturday.
Victoria’s 2830 active cases include 406 healthcare workers and 127 in aged-care.
Victoria’s mystery cases have increased by three.
Infections in regional Victoria continue to fall, with 166 active cases recorded.
There are 55 active cases in Geelong, an increase of three. Bendigo and Ballarat have not recorded any new cases, with 10 and six active cases respectively.
The new figures come after Saturday’s daily coronavirus dipped below 100 for the first time in 55 days.
Ninety-four new infections were recorded, along with 18 deaths.
The last time the state recorded fewer than 100 cases was 55 days ago on July 5.
CASES TOO HIGH FOR VIC TO OPEN UP
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said the virus cases are still “too high” for the easing of stage four restrictions.
Mr Andrews said he understood there was “fatigue and frustration” but that the government needed to have a “clear plan” that could be delivered and cases would explode if the state opened up now.
“At 100, 94, at 114, whatever the number, we simply could not open up,” Mr Andrews said.
“Those numbers would explode, we would finish up and perhaps an even worse situation than we have been in recent months. We cannot fritter away all that good work and sacrifice.”
Mr Andrews hinted that an easing of restrictions could be announced next weekend but declined to reveal how that would look.
It comes as Victoria marks four weeks of stage four on Sunday.
“When we have eased at other points during this pandemic journey, we’ve usually given people about a week’s notice,” he said.
“I don’t think we have often or at all given people two weeks’ notice. That’s the nature of this virus — it’s got a 10-day to two-week life cycle.
“So what’s occurring today really may change quite rapidly over the next week, the next 10 days, the next two weeks.
“That’s what we are working towards, and as soon as we can give
people as much notice as possible and produce details that we can all have some degree of confidence in, that’s exactly what we will do.”
KID’S BIRTHDAY PARTY BUSTED BY COPS
A birthday party for a five-year-old is among the breaches police busted on Saturday.
Twenty people, including 12 adults and eight children were found at a home in the Latrobe area, with officers fining the female party organiser.
Other breaches include a Warrnambool house party, where police issued a warning and returned an hour later to find youths from seven different addresses still inside.
A San Remo family of two adults and three children was stopped at vehicle checkpoint, with the male driver saying he was picking up medication from his work before deciding to get a pizza in Pakenham on his way home.
Asked why his partner and three children needed to also attend, he said the family had to do everything together.
Police also spoke to a Hawthorn woman who was found parked in St Kilda, claiming she got lost after looking for a supermarket to buy toilet paper.
In total, 192 fines were issued on Saturday, including 69 curfew breaches and 20 for failing to wear a mask.
Meanwhile, more than 2200 Victorians have been busted for multiple COVID-19 breaches.
The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal 1531 have been penalised $1652 twice and the worst of the recidivists has been caught 24 times defying Chief Health Officer directives.
That man – a 27-year-old from Hallam – racked up offence No.24 on Thursday night when he was arrested in the Doveton area.
Read the full story here.
BEACHGOERS FLOCK ON SUNNY DAY
People taking advantage of the sun flocked to Victoria’s beaches and walking paths on Saturday, despite Mr Andrews’ warnings against doing “anything that might jeopardise” the COVID-19 strategy working.
On a day when the temperature in Melbourne peaked at 19C, people flocked to Ocean Grove and Torquay beaches. The esplanade at St Kilda beach was also busy.
Mr Andrews on Sunday slammed beachgoers for flouting restrictions, saying: “No day at the beach is worth that. I want to get past this so people can spend as much time at the beach as they want and can do it safely.”
Port Phillip mayor Bernadene Voss said the number of people disregarding official health advice was “concerning”.
Police and defence force personnel on Saturday reminded people to adhere to social distancing.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers would enforce stage-four restrictions. “We will be highly visible and issuing fines for deliberate, obvious and blatant breaches of the Chief Health Officer’s directions,” she said.
Melbourne’s temperature is forecast to hit 20C on Sunday with showers late in the day.
DEFIANT COVID-DENIERS PLAN PROTEST
A group of coronavirus deniers dubbed a “tinfoil hat wearing brigade” vows to defy strict stay-at-home orders by protesting next weekend.
Thousands have registered their interest in attending the “Freedom Day” event on Saturday outside the sacred Shrine of Remembrance at 11am.
The hopeful attendees are made up of a wide variety of groups including coronavirus conspiracy theorists, anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, anti-authoritarians, anti-media, 5G conspiracy theorists, self labelled ’sovereign citizens’ as well as ordinary Victorians.
Rally organisers are recruiting others to join their event saying “the time has come” with many attendees changing their profile pictures on social media to actively promote the event.
“March with us against government corruption,” the event page says.
“Are you tired of your rights being taken away from you? Tired of being told you will need a coronavirus vaccine? Now is the time to rise together against the evil that is trying to control all of us.”
One of Victoria’s highest ranked police officers labelled the planned protest as “batshit crazy nonsense” in a colourful spray, warning it had the potential to “send us backwards” in the coronavirus fight.
“The tinfoil hat wearing brigade are alive and well,” Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said on Friday.
“They are taking every opportunity to leverage the current situation to serve their own ridiculous notions about so called ‘sovereign citizens’ about constitutional issues and about how 5G is going to kill you grandkids – it is batshit crazy nonsense. People need to wake up to themselves.”
The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal Solihin Millin, 76, was charged with incitement for his alleged role in the event’s organisation.
“They had a search warrant and confiscated all my computers and mobile phones,” Mr Millin said.
“I have been interrogated, fingerprinted, and released on bail with conditions to comply with the Chief Health Officer’s directions.”
The Windsor grandfather is the founder of anti-vaxxer group “Make Australia Healthy Again” and boasts online coronavirus is “not a scientifically defined disease”.
Many defiant organisers declined the opportunity to answer questions, some due to their anti-media views, others due to fear of being arrested.
One who spoke under the agreement of remaining anonymous said it was important to rally because the “ANZACs fought for our freedoms” and “we let them down on ANZAC Day”.
“The more Dan Andrews tells the people not to do something, the more they want to do the opposite right now,” he said.
“People are standing now before things get worse and more of their rights get taken from them.”
Victoria Police have vowed to do everything they can to dismantle the protest, dedicating hundreds of officers to the cause.
“We are prepared to take action to stop this,” Mr Cornelius said.
“You can expect that we, your police, will be looking to hold you to account.”
RCH LAUNCHES DRIVE-THROUGH VACCINATIONS
Mr Andrews on Sunday urged parents to ensure their child’s vaccinations were up-to-date amid fears families are delaying appointments.
The Royal Children’s Hospital has recorded an alarming decrease in visits since June as nearly two-thirds of parents have pushed back their appointments.
These figures also show one in five children had a vaccination delayed as a result of this trend.
In response, the hospital has opened a drive-through clinic to vaccinate children during the pandemic, with around 700 daily appointments available.
Fewer families are also presenting to hospitals across the state and the RCH currently recording a 60 per cent drop in activity compared to normal levels.
A survey of more than 2000 parents found the most common reason for these delays was because parents were worried their child would be infected with coronavirus.
“Our hospitals have measures in place to keep our families safe, so there is no need to delay seeking medical care,” Mr Andrews said.
RCH National Child Health Poll director Anthea Rhodes said these vaccinations were vital to prevent outbreaks of diseases such as whooping cough measles.
She said there was a risk herd immunity could be weakened and infections could spread when students return to school.
“The last thing we want to see off the back of the coronavirus pandemic is outbreaks of this disease,” Dr Rhodes said.
“Thinking of healthcare as something you will attend to after the pandemic is not a particularly healthy or safe thing to do.”
HOW CITY’S BIGGEST EVENTS WILL LOOK AFTER LOCKDOWN
A crowd of up to 50,000 could attend the Melbourne Cup as Victoria’s major events calendar prepares to kick off after the lockdown.
The state government is working with event groups to ensure major attractions can proceed but many will likely have crowd caps and social distancing measures to adhere to.
Organisers of other major events including the Boxing Day Test Match, the NBL and the Australian Open are also preparing contingency plans for crowds.
Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said while the virus was still a concern the state was looking forward to staging its usual attractions.
Read the full story here.
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