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LIVE: Coronavirus Australia: Dad banned from seeing girl, 4, with cancer in Brisbane

A NSW father has spoke of his heartbreak after not getting to visit his four-year-old daughter who is in a Brisbane hospital with cancer due to strict quarantine rules. 

Sam Clench, Alexis Carey and Natalie Brown
less than 2 min read
September 11, 2020 - 6:40PM
Emotional QLD Premier breaks down at press conference

A NSW father has spoken about his heartbreak about not getting to visit his daughter, 4, who is undergoing treatment for cancer in Brisbane. 

 

 

Brad Jones told Seven News he lived in Lismore with five other children and was unable to routinely quarantine as he had to care for them and hold down a job as well. 

But not knowing when he would be able to visit his "princess warrior" next was heartbreaking. Charlotte has her mother Melissa with her in Brisbane. 

It comes amid an intense war of words over Queensland's harsh border restrictions that has seen families separated amid funerals and medical treatment. 

Meanwhile, Victorian Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius had some choice words for residents intending to attend an anti-lockdown protest tomorrow.

Having previously referred to protesters as the "tin foil hat brigade" and calling their behaviour "batsh*t crazy nonsense", Mr Cornelius didn't fail to provide a colourful response when asked today if he was growing frustrated with the number of anti-lockdown protests that continue to occur in Victoria.

"To be honest, I feel a bit like a dog returning to eat his own vomit. None of us want to do that and I'm sick of it, really," he told reporters.

"If people were less selfish and a bit more grown up, we wouldn't have to keep doing this."

Mr Cornelius urged Victorians to – if they must – voice their opinions in ways that aren't currently illegal.

"By all means, as I've said, be the keyboard warrior," he said.

"Voice your protest online and indeed if you can engage in protest activity while remaining at home, likewise, do so, be creative."

Our live coverage has ended for the day, here's how it unfolded. 

Updates

Dad pleads to see sick child in hospital

The dad of a four-year-old "princess warrior" girl battling cancer in hospital has been banned from seeing her unless he undergoes quarantine in Queensland.

Brad Jones’ daughter Charlotte is in a Brisbane intensive care unit and undergoing chemotherapy, Seven News reports.

However he lives in the border town of Lismore with five other children. Mr Jones told Seven he was able to see his daughter last week after a seizure but did not know when he could do so again.

“It’s not just about the expense, we’ve got a young family down here,” he said.

“I’ve got a job so we want to still keep an income coming through.

“I still have to quarantine even though we’ve got no cases here on the northern rivers.”

Charlotte in hospital. Picture: Seven News

Charlotte's mother Melissa is with her in Brisbane, however Mr Jones said he misses seeing his daughter terribly.

“She’s my little princess warrior,” Jones said. “I miss having her in my arms, trying to make her smile.

“When we get around each other, it gives her that big lift.”

He has called for Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to change the border restrictions amid growing pressure and heartbreaking stories of families ripped apart due to the rules.

“Please Annastacia – have some compassion – I really want to see my daughter,” he said.

Queensland issues more virus alerts to venues

Queensland Health has added more venues to its list of places where confirmed COVID-19 cases have visited.

Anyone who's been to these new locations should monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they arise:

  • St Edmunds College, Ipswich on September 7 either in the morning or afternoon

The full list of locations can be found on the department's website.

Guidelines for NSW graduation and formals released

NSW Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell has released the guidelines for senior students' graduation and formals.

The "milestone events" will be permitted to go ahead from November 12 – the day after the final 2020 HSC written exam, but strict COVID-19 safety rules will be in place.

Students will be asked to bring their own pens for yearbook signings and dancefloors at formals must be outside or in well-ventilated areas.

Tables at the festivities will be limited to 10 people.

As for dancing, caveats have been put in place for students dancing with another person.

"Dancing with partners from outside the school community is allowed only if partners are from the same local community and have an established relationship and normally socialises with the student cohort," the statement said.

Schools are urged to ensure the capacity of the event "does not exceed four square metres per attendees".

"Students should restrict the number of guests they bring to graduation events, and schools are encouraged to live-stream these ceremonies for anyone not able to attend," Ms Mitchell said.

Premier's private heartache revealed

After days of criticism over her harsh border policy – which has been slammed for its “double standards” and blamed for keeping families apart – Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk broke down during a press conference this morning.

Following repeated questions over the policy – which saw the leader level an accusation of “bullying” against Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday – Ms Palaszczuk’s composure finally appeared to crumble.

Picture: Supplied

“These are difficult decisions and they’re heartbreaking. I’m human just like everyone else. These issues hurt me deeply,” she told reporters.

“They hurt me deeply because during this pandemic I have lost loved ones as well. I know exactly what people are going through, OK?”

While Ms Palaszczuk, who for weeks has remained firm that her border stance would not be swayed despite the barrage of critics, didn’t elaborate this morning, the emotional moment was the closest she has come to publicly talking about the loss of her grandmother, Beryl Erskine, in June.

Read the full story here.

Hotel guests told to 'complain to your MPs'

Anthony Piovesan, NCA NewsWire

Returned travellers detained inside Victoria’s hotel quarantine program were told to complain about the bungled scheme to their local MPs, an inquiry has heard.

Documents tendered to Friday’s hearing revealed returned travellers had acted upon feedback from calls to the hotel quarantine’s hotline, which was to seek help from local MPs instead.

Department of Health director of emergency management Merrin Bamert told the inquiry she had heard detainees had set up a Facebook page to communicate with one another about issues.

Picture: David Geraghty/NCA NewsWire

“There had been a suggestion that they’d been told to complain to local MPs … in the event where it was felt that someone in the GSS call centre had told a guest to start complaining to your local MPs,” she said.

GSS was the party responsible for handling the hotel quarantine program’s internal help hotline.

The inquiry also heard one of the detainees who had mental health issues had sent a complaint to police minister Lisa Neville, suggesting the hotel quarantine “situation was so bad” they were “purposefully overdosing”.

But Ms Bamert, who oversaw internal operations across multiple hotels, said there were “options internally” to phone for help.

“It should not be the responsibility of GSS to provide info about that (medical overdosing) – or not appropriate to ring local MPs – there should be internal mechanisms which we did have in place,” she told the inquiry.

“If there were mental health support cited on documents before checking in – they were given Beyond Blue and Lifeline – they could have rung down to concierge, the concierge could have then transferred feedback back to team leaders, or nurses depending on what the need was.”

Read the full story here.

One new case in South Australia

There's been one new COVID-19 infection in South Australia overnight, bringing the state's total number of cases to 466.

However, there's no cause for concern: the new case represents an old infection and poses no wider risk to public health, a statement from SA Health said.

The case is a woman in her 20s who arrived from overseas, went straight into hotel quarantine and tested positive to COVID-19 on her day 12 test. Further testing has confirmed the result represents an old infection and there is no risk to public health.

She remains in hotel quarantine in SA but it not considered an active case.

SA Health explained that, while the woman returned a negative test result on day 1, "it is not uncommon for people with an old infection to return both positive and negative results on subsequent tests as the virus continues to shed".

There are no active coronavirus cases in the state, though residents are urged to continue monitoring for symptoms, and get tested if they arise.

Previously reported NSW case excluded

A previously reported case of COVID-19 in NSW (a staff member of Concord Hospital) has now been excluded.

This means anyone previously identified as a casual contact for Macquarie Shopping Centre (on September 5, between 2pm and 5pm) is no longer considered a casual contact, NSW Health tweeted this afternoon.

Breakdown of Victoria's new cases

Victoria's DHHS has released its official data for the day, after the state reported 43 new coronavirus cases and nine deaths.

Of the state's 1336 active cases, only 74 are located in regional Victoria (currently under stage 3 lockdown), with the remaining 1249 are in metropolitan Melbourne (still under stage 4 restrictions).

Victoria's largest (non-aged care) outbreaks with the highest number of active cases include:

  • 17 active cases are currently linked to Bulla Dairy Foods in Colac
  • 13 active cases are currently linked to Dandenong Police Station
  • 10 active cases are currently linked to Vawdrey Australia Truck Manufacturer
  • 10 active cases are currently linked to Peninsula Health Frankston Hospital

The Department is also investigating cases linked to two family clusters in Melbourne's south-east, and a ward at Monash Health.

Top cop feels 'like a dog returning to eat his own vomit'

Victorian Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius had some choice words for residents intending to attend an anti-lockdown protest tomorrow.

Having previously referred to protesters as the "tin foil hat brigade" and calling their behaviour "batsh*t crazy nonsense", Mr Cornelius didn't fail to provide a colourful response when asked today if he was growing frustrated with the number of anti-lockdown protests that continue to occur in Victoria.

"To be honest, I feel a bit like a dog returning to eat his own vomit. None of us want to do that and I'm sick of it, really," he told reporters.

"If people were less selfish and a bit more grown up, we wouldn't have to keep doing this."

Today's warning will be Mr Cornelius' third in two weeks to rally attendees, with a protest planned in Melbourne at The Tan tomorrow and other events planned for Sunday and in the coming days.

"It is at the moment unlawful to leave home to engage in protest activity," he said.

"Please, please don't leave home to engage in an activity which is going to spread the deadly virus and keeps us locked at home for even longer."

Picture: Alex Coppel

Mr Cornelius urged Victorians to – if they must – voice their opinions in ways that aren't currently illegal.

"By all means, as I've said, be the keyboard warrior," he said.

"Voice your protest online and indeed if you can engage in protest activity while remaining at home, likewise, do so, be creative."

Mr Cornelius warned, however, that police were on the lookout for anyone inciting protests and anyone who attends the events over the weekend can expect to meet "significant policing resources" and the possibility of a fine (or arrest).

"Don't take us for fools, we'll call you out and hold you to account," he said.

"If people still choose to ignore warnings…they should be prepared for a strong policing presence in the city and surrounding areas."

He also shared how his wife would react if he came home with the news (like protesters no doubt will tomorrow) that he'd been issued a $1652 COVID-19 fine.

"I don't know how you'd go, but if I went home to tell my family that I'd just worn a $1652 fine which was going to cost my wife the opportunity to buy new curtains, I'd be a lot of trouble," he said.

"But obviously for some people, that sort of message doesn't have the impact."

ACT calls for review of 'unfair' border bans

The coronavirus-free ACT is being "unfairly treated" by the closed border's Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said today.

The ACT has gone two months without an active case of COVID-19, prompting Mr Barr to call on the chief health officers in those states to reconsider their border bans with his own.

"It's unfortunate we continue to be lined up with NSW when the evidence just does not support those concerns," Mr Barr said.

RELATED: One word exposes Queensland's shame

While he said the closures were "legitimate" earlier in the pandemic, "now in September…the concerns that have been expressed about the ACT have never eventuated, and we're now more than 60 days without a new case".

"I respectfully request the chief health officer (of Queensland) to have a look at the circumstances here. I think she's been on the public record previously that she wanted to see a couple of months without any new cases.

"We've now got over that threshold, it's time for Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and potentially Western Australia as well to have a look at this issue and not lump us in with NSW."

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/coronavirus-australia-andrews-government-in-fear-of-the-virus-expert-says/live-coverage/f74baa7f2df174572c7eeeb9de8f8e67