We are closing the blog for tonight - last of Melbourne's 112-day lockdown. In just a few hours, the Victorian capital will officially re-open for retail and hospitality. One of my colleagues is staying up late for the occasion to capture the moment bars in the CBD open up at midnight, and you'll be able to read about it on Wednesday morning.
Here's what made news:
- Victoria recorded no new cases or deaths for the second consecutive day and Premier Daniel Andrews said households could have two visitors once a day from midnight tonight;Loading
- Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck has blamed Victoria's second wave of coronavirus for deaths in the aged care sector and says he does not feel personally responsible for them.
- NSW residents will be able to travel to Tasmania without facing quarantine from November 6, after Tasmania deemed the state to be low risk. The state recorded two locally acquired cases;
- Premier Mark McGowan has said he will stick to advice from WA's Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson on the state's hard border lockdown, despite mounting evidence public sentiment is turning against the strict measures;
- Queensland reported no new cases and there were only three active cases left in the state. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is holding firm on a Friday deadline – one day before the state election - to announce if the Queensland-NSW border will reopen.
- The US, Russia and France set new daily records for coronavirus infections as a second wave swelled across parts of the northern hemisphere, forcing some countries to impose new curbs.
We'll be back on Wednesday morning. Thanks for reading, commenting and emailing. This is Rachael Dexter signing off - take care, stay safe and goodnight.