Coronavirus Australia live: Remdesivir approved as first Australian virus treatment option

The first Australian treatment option for COVID-19 has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, but it won't be available to everyone who gets the virus.

Sarah McPhee, Ben Graham and Ally Foster

less than 2 min read

July 10, 2020 - 5:57PM

Remdesivir has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration as the first Australian treatment option for severe cases of COVID-19.

However it can only be used in adults and adolescents in hospital with severe infections. It will not be available to people unless they are "severely unwell, requiring oxygen or high level support to breathe, and in hospital care," the agency warned.

It comes as NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard flagged a "troubling" virus case where a Victorian man tested positive for COVID-19 after travelling to Sydney's south. The man drove from Melbourne only July 7 and reportedly stayed in a caravan park in the Sutherland area.

Meanwhile two new COVID-19 cases were linked to a Sydney pub, sparking fears of a possible outbreak. Chief medical officer Kerry Chant said there is a "strong possibility" the two cases were picked up from another person who was at the pub in Casula that day.

READ MORE: Follow our coronavirus coverage

Australia has recorded a total 9169 cases of COVID-19, with 3278 in New South Wales, 3379 in Victoria, 1068 in Queensland, 443 in South Australia, 630 in Western Australia, 228 in Tasmania, 113 in the Australian Capital Territory and 30 in the Northern Territory.

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

Updates

Aussies 'bored' of social distancing

Australians are bored and sick of social distancing but need to be able to maintain it to prevent coronavirus cases soaring again, the deputy chief medical officer has warned.

Paul Kelly spoke to Tracy Grimshaw on A Current Affair and said he understands that Australians are finding social distancing and rigorous hand washing "boring" but it needs to be done.

"You're kind of sick of it – but it's absolutely crucial," he said. "We're not out of this yet, the virus is very infectious."

Victoria recorded its highest ever number of cases on Friday with two new cases in Casula sparking fears the virus has jumped the border into New South Wales.

There is a limit to what can be done at this time though, he said. "It's a waiting and seeing game."

TGA approves Australia's first COVID-19 treatment

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has granted provisional approval to a first treatment option for COVID-19 in Australia.

Remdesivir has been approved for use in adults and adolescents with severe symptoms of the virus who have been hospitalised.

"Remdesivir is the most promising treatment option so far to reduce hospitalisation time for those suffering from severe coronavirus infections," the agency said in a statement.

"Remdesivir offers the potential to reduce the strain on Australia's health care system. By reducing recovery times patients will be able to leave hospital earlier, freeing beds for those in need. Remdesivir will not be available to Australians unless they are severely unwell, requiring oxygen or high level support to breathe, and in hospital care."

However the TGA warns that while the news is a "major milestone" in tthe battle against the pandemic, the drug has not been proved to prevent infections or help in milder cases.

The drug has recently been approved in the European Union, Japan, and Singapore. The agency said international bodies shared their view of the drug at an early stage and the decision was made within two weeks.

The provisional approval will last for a maximum of six years and could provide "substantial benefit to Australian patients."

Travellers face long delays at Queensland border

Those travelling into Queensland have faced long delays in bad weather as the state border opens for the first time in weeks.

Some families were bogged in the wet weather and had been waiting for hours to cross. Other travellers opted to stay in a hotel to avoid the queues after being told the process would not be easy by officials, Nine News reported.

Earlier today, Gold Coast Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler described the situation as "like New Year's Eve".

"There is localised congestion but the traffic's moving relatively easily," he said, warning the weekend could also be busy with travellers facing delays.

Hospitality businesses are hoping the border opening will make up for months of lost revenue. Anyone entering the state will be subject to a border declaration and COVID-19 screening, however it's still closed to those from declared hot spots, including Victoria.

Massive queues at pub testing clinic

There are big queues outside the pop-up testing clinic at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula.

Footage from Nine shows a long line of cars in the Pub's carpark waiting to be tested.

It comes after two people were diagnosed with COVID-19 after visiting the hotel.

LATEST | 360degrees of chaos at the Crossroads Hotel. The pub turned pop-up testing clinic after two tested positive. @9NewsSyd pic.twitter.com/7X25HrMC9l
— Airlie Walsh (@AirlieWalsh) July 10, 2020

Victoria's active virus cases by LGA

Victoria recorded 288 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the state's total to 3379.

Of that total 1172 cases are active and 509 are from community transmission.

Here is a list of of some of the LGA's with the most active cases:

– Hume has 331 cases, with 167 active.

– Melbourne has 318 cases, with 226 active.

– Wyndham has 234 cases, with 151 active.

– Brimbank has 211 cases, with 82 active.

– Moonee Valley has 198 cases, with 120 active.

– Moreland has 166 cases, with 63 active.

– Casey has 133 cases, with 19 active.

– Banyule has 116 cases, with 18 active.

– Stonnington has 114 cases, with 12 active.

– Whittlesea has 108 cases, with 42 active.

– Melton has 96 cases, with 24 active.

– Boroondara has 87 cases, with 12 active.

– Darebin has 84 cases, with 25 active.

– Greater Geelong has 73 cases, with five active.

– Monash has 70 cases, with 16 active.

– Yarra has 66 cases, with 25 active.

– Maribyrnong has 64 cases, with 30 active.

– Port Phillip has 62 cases, with 10 active.

– Manningham has 49 cases, with 15 active.

– Hobsons Bay has 47 cases, with 21 active.

– Whitehorse has 43 cases, with 15 active.

– Mitchell has 23 cases, with nine active.

Pub fined $5500 over social distancing

Channel Ten News reported that the Golden Sheaf Hotel has been fined $5500 by the NSW Office of Liquor and Gaming.

Around 250 people were caught lining up this week outside to get into the hotel, in Double Bay in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, with no social distancing being observed.

-Candace Sutton

#BREAKING: The Golden Sheaf Hotel in Double Bay has been fined $5500 over a line of 250 patrons outside the establishment that did not have social distancing. pic.twitter.com/8cwr90CJUA
— 10 News First Sydney (@10NewsFirstSyd) July 10, 2020

Hundreds of healthcare workers infected

Victoria has recorded a massive spike in COVID-19 cases, with 288 new infections recorded overnight.

The state's total number of cases now sits at 3379, overtaking NSW as the state with the highest total of cases.

Of the new cases 26 are connected to known outbreaks and 262 are still under investigation.

There are 47 Victorians in hospital, with 12 of those in intensive care.

"I know there will be great concern about these numbers. People will feel deeply concerned to see that number as high as it is," Premier Daniel Andrews said.

"We didn't take this step to return to staying at home, except for the four reasons for metropolitan Melbourne, because the numbers were stable, we didn't take that step because we didn't have a problem, we took that step because we knew it would need to get worse before it got better and that unless we took those steps we simply wouldn't be able to bring a sense of control to this.

Picture: David Crosling/NCA NewsWire

"We would not be able to see a stabilisation and then a driving down of those case numbers stop at the same time, no-one should underestimate how significant, how big a challenge we all face."

Mr Andrews also noted that the state conducted 37,588 COVID-19 tests yesterday.

"The sheer volume of testing we are doing, I am confident by that. That is a massive number of tests," he said.

"To get those taken and get them processed, that means you will find more virus because we know the virus is out there across metropolitan Melbourne.

"The key point here is to acknowledge that these numbers will need to increase, they will need to get to a peak before it is we can stabilise them and drive them down."

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All the new cases from today

There have been 306 new cases recorded across Australia today, with Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory all seeing a rise in new infections.

VICTORIA

– 288 people diagnosed with coronavirus across the state.

– Of those new cases 26 are linked to known outbreaks and 262 are still under investigation.

– There are 47 Victorians in hospital, with 12 of those in intensive care.

– There 1172 active cases across the state.

– 14 of the new cases have been linked to healthcare workers.

NSW

– 14 people diagnosed with coronavirus across the state.

– 13 of the new cases are returned travellers in hotel quarantine

– One case is a man in his 30s from Albury. He is linked to two other positive cases in the area.

– Three people diagnosed with coronavirus across the state.

– All three cases are travellers who have returned from overseas.

– Two are returning Western Australian residents and one is from interstate.

– There are 19 active cases, all in hotel quarantine.

ACT

– One new case, a woman in her 20s, has been recorded in the past 24 hours.

– The woman is a close contact of a previously confirmed case.

The NSW Health Minister flagged another "troubling" virus case that was diagnosed after a man in his 20s visited the Sutherland area from Melbourne.

The man drove from Melbourne and entered NSW on 7 July, and has reported minimal contact with anyone in NSW apart from his partner and two friends.

Contact tracing is underway, with Mr Hazzard thanking the man for coming forward.

"That is excellent that he came forward, and I encourage others in a similar situation that may have come from Victoria or Melbourne particularly to make sure you are on high alert, because we in New South Wales are on high alert, and we want you to get tested, and it is crucial you do," he said.

He said he wouldn't name the caravan park where the man was staying.

"We are looking at what other measures might be necessary for others in and around that caravan park, but obviously first of all there needs to be questioning to understand what his contacts might have been

"Can I just say on that front, New South Wales runs the risk at the moment of people coming out of particularly the Melbourne area, if they have ducked out of Melbourne, perhaps just before our new laws came in, our new orders, or perhaps they have come out since the orders, you would know that you are potentially a risk to the community of New South Wales," he said.

"I would ask you at this point to consider packing up your caravan, packing up your tent or what else you have, and head home to Victoria."

Reporter cops abuse for question to premier

A journalist has copped a torrent of online abuse after asking a question during Victoria's daily press conference yesterday that left the premier "flustered".

At the end of yesterday's press conference Herald Sun reporter Alex White asked Daniel Andrews whether he went out for his birthday, which happened to be just before lockdown restrictions returned to Melbourne.

“Let me indicate to you when that occurred, Alex. That occurred after I had done a two-and-a-half- hour cabinet meeting over Zoom and I think my plate might have been a bit cold but we’re all doing all sorts of things but I was pleased to be at home with my parents – sorry, with my wife and my kids. Happy? Fine? Very good," Mr Andrews said in response.

“Are there any other questions? Now that I’ve got all flustered? No? Very good. I’m going home now to them as well. Thanks.”

It seems the line of questioning didn't sit well with some people, with Ms White reportedly copping multiple abusive messages after the press conference.

Mr Andrews has called for an end to the abuse, revealing in a Twitter post that Ms White called his office to apologise.

A journalist asked me a question yesterday – and I answered it. She then called my office to say sorry. I consider that the end of the matter.

Abusing journalists – or anyone – on Twitter does no one any good. We have far more important things to deal with, let’s all move on.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) July 10, 2020