Gladys Berejiklian takes a subtle swipe at Victoria
The NSW Premier has taken a swipe at Victoria and critics of hers who have slammed her for “not going hard enough” in the past. Follow us live.
Welcome to our live Covid coverage following the developments in NSW.
New South Wales has recorded 1116 new locally-acquired Covid cases and four deaths.
The premier said four females died with the virus. They were not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions. They are a woman in her 50s, one in their 60s, one in their 70s and one in their 80s.
You can read more about this below and follow our updates. The freshest news will be at the top. You can follow our Victoria coverage here.
Restrictions easing in Victoria
From midnight on Thursday playgrounds will reopen and restrictions will ease around in-home child care arrangements.
Mr Andrews said more restrictions would be able to ease when Victoria reaches it’s 70 per cent first dose target, which he expects the state will hit on September 23.
As a result of this, the following changes will come into effect when that goal is reached:
• The 5km travel limit for shopping and exercise will be expanded to 10km
• The daily exercise limit will be expanded from two to three hours
• Outdoor gym equipment and skate parks will reopen
• Outdoor personal traning will be allowed with up to two people plus the trainer
• Child minding for school-aged children will be allowed
• Private inspections of unoccupied premises for a new purchase or end of a lease will be permitted
• Construction sites will be able to increase to 50 per cent of their capacity where 90 per cent of their workforce have received at least one vaccine dose
‘They are going to go up’: Victorian Premier warns
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says COVID-19 case numbers are “going to go up” as the state recorded 120 new cases in the community.
“What we must do is suppress case numbers sufficient to buy us time to get people vaccinated,” Mr Andrews said. “What that means is that we can’t ease restrictions today in any profound way.”
“We are in for a difficult time, a challenging time, over these coming weeks. This is very, very tough. But it is simply not possible to make wholesale changes, to have our ‘freedom day’, if you like, or an opening up day in metropolitan Melbourne in the next few weeks.”
One thing cut from NSW reopening plan
Home visits could be off the cards for some time after the NSW Premier hinted at freedoms that will come once the state’s vaccination target is met.
Gladys Berejiklian said people could expect to dine out, have a drink at the pub and attend public events once the state reaches 70 per cent double doses.
But indoor gatherings may not get the green light.
Read more from NCA NewsWire’s Erin Lyons.
Gladys takes a swipe at Victoria
Ms Berejiklian has taken a swipe at Victoria and critics of hers who have criticised her for “not going hard enough” in the past.
She encouraged people to compare case numbers in Victoria and NSW — and look at the trajectory of Victoria’s case numbers are going.
“I just say to everybody, Delta is evolving, and the questions I get it today are very different to what I was getting just a few weeks ago when I was accused of not being hard enough,” she said.
“I know that people will not believe me when I say this, but we have done (well) to keep the case numbers where they are, given our population, given the spread, in fact if you look at the trajectory of Victoria’s case numbers are going.
“I will let people make those comparisons themselves, but having been through this, we know how quickly case numbers get up to where we are now. And had we not taken the measures we had, they would have been much higher.”
‘Victoria is perhaps turning the corner’
Ms Berejiklian says that Australia will continue to move forward under the nationally-agreed reopening plan, and that Victorian may be “turning a corner” in its elimination mindset today.
Victoria has seen a surge in cases today and is understood to be slightly easing its restrictions.
“I feel that Victoria is perhaps turning the corner in how they are dealing with Covid in terms of accepting what the Delta strain is alike, and what it means for citizens, but I hope that we ate a position at least where the two large states are on the same page,” she said.
She said that was a positive sign given the two states make up almost 70% of the nation’s population.
Where the new cases were found
Of the 1116 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night:
• 408 are from Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD)
• 372 are from South Western Sydney LHD,
• 132 are from Sydney LHD,
• 68 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD,
• 52 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD,
• 29 are from Western NSW LHD,
• 22 are from Northern Sydney LHD,
• Eight are from Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD,
• Six are from Hunter New England LHD,
• Three are from Far West LHD,
• Two are from Central Coast LHD,
• Four are in a correctional centre
• 10 cases are yet to be assigned to an LHD.
New wastewater warnings
Dr Gale says she is concerned about detections of Covid-19 in wastewater “in quite a number of locations across New South Wales”.
Those areas are: Thredbo, Merimbula, Port Macquarie, Dunbogan, Bonnie Hills, Warren, Molong, Tamworth and Gunnedah.
More details on hospitalisation and deaths
NSW Deputy chief health officer Marianne Gale said there are 917 Covid cases in hospital. “There are 150 people in intensive care, 66 of whom require ventilation,” she said.
“As we’ve seen to date, the majority of those people in ICU have not been vaccinated and of those 150, 127 people in ICU are not vaccinated.
“As the Premier said, sadly, we report the deaths of four people today. They are a woman in her 80s from south-western Sydney who passed away at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She was not vaccinated and also had some significant underlying health conditions.
“We also report the death of a woman in her 60s from western Sydney who died at Concord Hospital. She was also not vaccinated and also had underlying medical conditions.
“A woman in her 50s passed away. She was from south-western Sydney and died at Liverpool Hospital. She was not vaccinated and also had some significant underlying health conditions. “A woman in her 70s passed away from south-west Sydney, also at Liverpool Hospital. She was not vaccinated and also had underlying health conditions.”
Gladys aims for mid-October reopening
Ms Berejiklian says this month is the month to get ready for reopening next month and ensuring we’re all getting vaccinated.
She spoke of some of things that will look different once October comes around.
“I want to remind everybody that September is the month when we’re asking everybody to get ready,” she said.
“Make sure you (you) are vaccinated so we can get back to life at 70% double-dose vaccination which we anticipate will happen somewhere around the middle of October.
“That’s the date we’re working towards. Initially it was the end of October but because of the rates we’re seeing people come forward that could be as early as mid-October.
“When we hit the 80% double-dose number, which we anticipate will be in November.
“New South Wales look forward to having our citizens enjoy international travel and New South Wales looks forward to stepping up and welcoming thousands of Australians home who have been waiting to come home for a long time.
“Once you hit 70% double dose numbers, hotel quarantine looks different. The way we manage the disease is different.
“Tracking and tracing is different and I’m having these conversations now with everybody so we can get used to what life is like living with Covid. Our position is the one we stated from the outset. It’s impossible to eliminate the Delta strain.”
NSW records new 1116 Covid cases, and four deaths
New South Wales has recorded 1116 new locally-acquired Covid cases and four deaths.
The premier said four females died with the virus. They were not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions. They are a woman in her 50s, one in their 60s, one in their 70s and one in their 80s.
Some 148,000 people came forward to get vaccinated yesterday.
NSW press conference at 11am
We’ll bring you the key details from that and provide a live stream at the top of the page. If you hit refresh, you should see it now.
Gladys makes border threat
Also on her interview with Sunrise this morning, the NSW Premier talked about whether her state would be forced to go it alone on opening up borders.
She said she will ease restrictions and attempt to resume international travel when vaccination targets are met, regardless of what the other states do.
“I don’t want 8 million people in NSW to suffer because some people don’t go forward with what they signed up to,” she said.
“I still live in hope that everyone will commit to what we signed up to. It’s confronting but every state will have to learn to live with Covid. If not at 80% double dose, then when?”
She said the Prime Minister had ultimate responsibility over international borders and, if other states don’t hold their end of the bargain, she will press him to make a call.
“I will strongly advocate to the Prime Minister, who has responsibility for international borders, that I would be repaired on behalf of the NSW people to allow our citizens to travel but also to welcome Australians that want to come back home,” she said. “That is something I feel strongly about.
“This is the other frustration stop the other state premiers always give me a hard time when there were small outbreaks here and there before this one.
“But that is because we were the ones bringing all the Australian home for them and other states and we did not mind doing that because that is what you do, you help each other out in a crisis and you sticks together and don’t shun people away and criticise each other, we work together and that is what I have strived to do and I continue to do that.
“I hope everyone sticks to the plan. I hope everyone does what they signed up for.”
Victoria records 120 new local cases
Of the 120 locally acquired cases, 64 have been linked to known cases and outbreaks. Further case information will be provided this morning.
Reported yesterday: 120 new local cases and no cases acquired overseas.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 31, 2021
- 33,455 vaccines doses were administered
- 56,501 test results were received
- Sadly, 2 people with COVID-19 have died
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/UivzH9pHw9
Gladys Berejiklian makes reopening vow
Residents in NSW could be sipping beer at the local pub and attending events in large groups by the end of October if the state premier has her way.
Gladys Berejiklian told Sunrise once the state hits it 70 per cent vaccination target for double doses “you can expect to do everything that you missed doing”.
“Whether it is attending a public event or having a drink, if you are fully vaccinated and the state has hit its 70 per cent double dose target, please expect to do all of those things we have been missing for too long,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Victoria cases expected to spike today
Early indications show Victoria could see a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases today.
They show that the state could see just under 120 infections.
Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to reveal the state’s lockdown exit plan today, with health and government officials locked in emergency meetings overnight to discuss the trigger points for easing restrictions.
You can follow our live coverage of Victoria’s Covid-19 situation here.
Urgent virus warnings across NSW
Health authorities have issued an alert for 13 new Covid-19 exposure sites across regional NSW - including Whitebridge, Dubbo, Hay, Moree, Mudgee, Raymond Terrace, Tooleybuc, West Wyalong and Wyoming.
It comes after the state, on Tuesday, recorded 1164 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 and, sadly, three deaths of people with the virus.
There are currently 871 Covid cases in hospital, with 143 people in intensive care and 58 of those patients requiring ventilation.
NSW to halve international arrivals
After criticising states including Queensland for cutting their caps on international arrivals, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said her state will halve its number of returned travellers.
The federal government has agreed to halve the number of overseas arrivals to NSW, with a new cap of 750 people allowed to return to Sydney each week until the state’s vaccination targets are met. The new cap will come into place from next week and is expected to remain until October.
Read more from our reporter Mathew Murphy
Maskless man taunts police officer at Woolworths
An anti-masker who filmed himself confronting a female police officer after brazenly flouting the public health rules has been lashed on TikTok.
In the video, which was shared on the social media platform yesterday, the man harassed the cop inside a NSW Woolworths store.
In the clip, the officer can be heard asking the maskless man if she can see his exemption for not wearing a mandatory face covering.
Bondi limo driver fined for Covid breach
This morning it has been revealed that the Bondi limousine driver dubbed the “index case’’ in the nation’s worst Covid outbreak has copped a $500 fine for breaking NSW public health orders
Police say the driver was not wearing a face mask while waiting at a bus stop – which is in breach of the strict rules in the state.
The Daily Telegraph reports he was sitting on an outdoor bench near his Bondi home without wearing a protective mask.
His job as a driver of international aircrews has been blamed for the original Bondi Delta cluster, which has now spread far and wide.
Authorities said he was unvaccinated while transporting international aircrews to and from Sydney airport before sparking infections across Bondi.
However, the limo driver insists that he may have caught the virus while dining at a local cafe.
NSW Police carried out investigation into his behaviour but found there was insufficient evidence to establish that he breached any public health orders.
His son started a GoFundMe page and explained the family’s side of the story.
He said his dad has become a “scapegoat” for the outbreak by the government and the media.
“My father always wore gloves, masks and sanitised his vehicles between passengers and this was confirmed by the numerous people that police interviewed during their investigation,” he said.
“All international aircrew that he drove have tested negative to Covid, so how on earth could Gladys Berejiklian, Dr Kerry Chant and Brad Hazzard go on public television and make unsubstantiated claims that he is patient zero?
“Being the first to test positive doesn’t make you patient zero. Remember: he is only getting tested because he’s required to for his job.
“We all know that Covid can be asymptomatic for the majority of people. Surely they realise it could have been in the community for some time undetected?”
He said his dad spent 4-5 hours with his younger sister and her children on June 11, “doing all the things that grandparents do – hugs, kisses, mealtime”.
“None of them have to this day tested positive to Covid,” he said.
“How is it that such a contagious disease skipped his children and grandchildren, but infected a man in his 50s at Myer the same morning? That is why he thinks he got it out and about in the community.”
NSW Health believes the driver caught the Delta strain of the virus on Friday, June 11, before he spent the weekend travelling around the eastern suburbs with his wife, visiting Belle Cafe in Vaucluse and shopping at Westfield Bondi Junction.
He is believed to have shared the virus with a man in his 50s he passed at Myer, while in another similarly brief moment at the cafe it is thought a woman in her 70s contracted the same virus.
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