Coronavirus Australia live news: ‘Elimination plan’ will drive out business; Gloves off as Morrison queries Victoria’s ‘crushing’ exit plan
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive James Pearson has urged Victoria’s medical advisers to explain why they are ‘aiming for elimination instead of suppression’.
- Unions back ‘slow, steady’ exit plan
- PM puts Victoria on notice
- Lockdown lifting could be fast-tracked
- Victoria records lowest numbers since June
- Merlino lashed over lockdown road map
- Vaccine available ‘within months’
Welcome to our rolling coverage of the continuing coronavirus pandemic. As unions back Daniel Andrews’ ‘slow steady’ exit plan to lockdown, Scott Morrison has put Victoria on notice over extra funds amid the state’s strict shutdown. Daniel Andrews has said steps out of lockdown could be fast-tracked as Victoria recorded its lowest numbers since June Airport check-in systems have added torchless and voice-activated sensors that can determine if a person is showing symptoms of COVID-19.
Rebecca Urban 11pm: Alarm over regional learning lag
Thousands of students in Victorian regions largely untouched by the coronavirus face a further five weeks away from school.
Rachel Baxendale 10.30pm: Health chief backs data on ‘gold standard’ NSW
Federal Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy has described NSW as “the exemplar” for coronavirus contact tracing, as Victoria faces pressure over failures that exacerbated the state’s second wave of the virus.
Simon Benson 10pm: Your mess, Dan, you can pay for it
Scott Morrison has accused the Andrews government of sentencing Victorians to a lockdown longer than necessary due to inadequate contact tracing.
Ewin Hannan 9.25pm: Andrews should help small business
Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell has urged the Andrews government to cover costs incurred by small businesses forced to close.
Imogen Reid 8.55pm: Hunt flags vaccines next year
Health Minister Greg Hunt says new COVID-19 vaccines could be available for Australians early next year if they pass clinical trials.
“Subject to the clinical trials and subject to the effectiveness approvals and subject to the safety regulator and our medical expert panel, we’re looking to receive the first of those vaccines in the first quarter of next year,” he told Nine’s A Current Affair on Monday night.
“We’ll make them available on a free and voluntary basis to the whole of the Australian population.”
Australia is awaiting the results of potential coronavirus vaccines trials being conducted at the University of Queensland and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
READ MORE: Recovery delayed ‘until next year’
Imogen Reid 8.25pm: Victoria is unique: Andrews
Daniel Andrews says Victoria cannot be compared to other states, because it has “a set of unique circumstances”.
Victorian needed to control the rate of community transmission and the amount of mystery cases before it could begin to reopen, the Premier told ABC’s 7.30 program on Monday night.
He also rejected the Prime Minister’s claim that Sydney would be under curfew had the Berejiklian government implemented the same thresholds as Melbourne’s.
“Sydney has not had the amount of community transmission we’ve had. I don’t think that’s a particularly valid comparison, and not a worthwhile one,” Mr Andrews said.
“We’re not in New South Wales. We have got a set of unique circumstances that apply to Victoria and a roadmap to safely and steadily ease out of these current rules, these current restrictions, to find a COVID-normal, to open up and stay open.”
Mr Andrews said politics was of no value when it comes to the state’s bungled hotel quarantine system, insisting it was his job to keep going despite calls for his resignation.
“My position and the responsibility I have is to see our state through this. That is what I’m focused on,” Mr Andrews said.
“Let me be as frank as I can be: Politics has never mattered less to me. Leadership is not about doing what’s popular, it is about doing what’s right.
“The politics of this, that is of no value.”
Mr Andrews admitted that modelling the amount of businesses that will go under as a result of the state’s plan was a challenge, but added the next week would be spent consulting different sectors to craft a support package.
“It’s not about simply imposing that. It is about listening, and trying to craft a package that will be of the greatest impact,” he said.
READ MORE: Andrews should help small business
AFP 8pm: Metro trains restart as India overtakes Brazil
India restarted city metro services on Monday after a nearly six-month hiatus as the vast nation overtook Brazil to become the second-worst affected country in terms of coronavirus cases, behind only the US.
The resumption of metro services came as the South Asian nation recorded 4.2 million infections since the pandemic began, health ministry data showed.
It surpassed Brazil’s total, making it the second-highest tally behind the US’s 6.25 million.
India has also recorded 71,642 deaths, fewer than the 126,203 in Brazil and 188,540 in the US.
Many experts, however, say it is not testing enough people and not properly recording many deaths, meaning the real numbers may be much higher.
READ MORE: A third mistake by Victoria will mean it’s time for intervention
AFP 7.30pm: China shows off vaccines for first time
China has put its homegrown coronavirus vaccines on display for the first time, as the country where the contagion was discovered looks to shape the narrative surrounding the pandemic.
High hopes hang on the small vials of liquid on show at a Beijing trade fair this week — vaccine candidates produced by Chinese companies Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm.
Neither has hit the market yet but the makers hope they will be approved after all-important phase-three trials as early as year-end.
A Sinovac representative said his firm has already “completed the construction of a vaccine factory” able to produce 300 million doses a year.
On Monday, people at the trade fair crowded around booths showing the potential game-changing vaccines.
China, which is facing a storm of foreign criticism over its early handling of the pandemic, has been trying to repurpose the story of COVID-19.
State media and officials are now emphasising the revival of Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the deadly pathogen surfaced, as a success story in the fight against the virus.
They are also touting progress on domestic vaccines as a sign of Chinese leadership and resilience in the face of an unprecedented health threat that has pummelled the global economy.
READ MORE: Our house price growth into top 20
Rachel Baxendale 7.05pm: Active Victorian cases by LGA: Full list
Active confirmed cases of COVID-19 by LGA as of Monday, with net increase/decrease since Sunday in brackets:
Wyndham (outer southwest): 204 (-11)
Brimbank (outer west): 194 (-5)
Moreland (north): 113 (-7)
Melton (outer northwest): 112 (-1)
Darebin (north): 101 (-1)
Hume (outer north): 101 (-27)
Casey (outer southeast): 93 (-2)
City of Melbourne: 77 (-3)
Whittlesea (outer north): 74 (-5)
Hobsons Bay (inner southwest): 62 (-6)
Bayside (southeast): 59 (-1)
Maribyrnong (inner west): 55
Moonee Valley (northwest): 54 (+2)
Greater Dandenong: (outer southeast): 54 (+1)
Kingston (southeast): 44 (-4)
Monash (southeast): 36 (-2)
Port Phillip (inner south): 31 (-4)
*Colac-Otway (western regional Vic): 25 (+1)
Yarra (inner northeast): 25 (-1)
Frankston (outer southeast): 20 (-1)
Cardinia (outer southeast): 21 (-6)
Mornington Peninsula (outer southeast): 18
Glen Eira (southeast): 16 (+2)
*Greater Geelong (southwest regional Vic): 16 (-3)
Yarra Ranges (outer east) 15 (+1)
*Latrobe (eastern regional Vic): 13 (+1)
Banyule (northeast): 11
Maroondah (outer east): 11
Boroondara (east): 10 (+1)
Stonnington (inner southeast): 10
Manningham (east): 8
*Mitchell (central regional Vic, north of Melb): 8
*Moorabool (western regional Vic): 8
Knox (outer east): 8 (-2)
Whitehorse (east): 8 (-3)
Nillumbik (outer northeast): 6 (+2)
*Greater Bendigo (central regional Vic): 4
*Ballarat (western regional Vic): 3 (+1)
*Greater Shepparton (northern regional Vic): 3
*Horsham (western regional Vic): 3
*Campaspe (northern regional Vic): 2
*East Gippsland (eastern regional Vic): 2
*Baw Baw (eastern regional Vic): 1
*Corangamite (southwest regional Vic): 1
*Mansfield (northeast regional Vic): 1
*Pyrenees (western regional Vic): 1
*South Gippsland (southeastern regional Vic): 1
*Surf Coast (southwest regional Vic): 1
*Warrnambool (southwest regional Vic): 1 (-1)
*Macedon Ranges (central regional Vic): 1 (-2)
Interstate: 2
Unknown: 33 (-5)
Regional total: 95 (-3)
TOTAL: 1781 (-91)
*Denotes regional Victorian LGAs
Source: Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
READ MORE: Police warned department over security
Imogen Reid 6.50pm: School to reopen after negative test
A school in Sydney’s west that was forced to close due to a suspected COVID-19 case has been advised it can reopen tomorrow after additional testing found the case was negative.
Staff and students from Lidcombe Public School were on high alert after authorities reported a student had tested positive for coronavirus.
“NSW Health has advised us that following additional testing this case is negative, meaning this person is not infected with COVID-19,” the school said.
“The staff and students who were identified as close contacts will be contacted directly by NSW Health and released from isolation.
“NSW Health acknowledges that the response may have adversely impacted you and your family. They would like to apologise for any inconvenience or distress this may have caused.”
The school has urged anyone still waiting for test results to stay in isolation until they receive a negative result.
“The school will recommence normal operations tomorrow and be vigilant in implementing injection control procedures, including daily cleaning in accordance with normal protocols, the promotion of healthy hygiene habits and will continue to make hand sanitiser available for staff and students to use while at school,” the school said.
READ MORE: DJs springs into seasonal bloom
Rachel Baxendale 6.40pm: Cases linked to aged care hits 873
A total 873 active COVID-19 cases are related to aged-care facilities in Victoria — a decrease of 43 cases since Sunday. Some of the victims will have recovered and some will be among eight of the nine deaths in the 24 hours to Monday which were linked to aged-care facilities.
As of Monday there have been 528 coronavirus deaths linked to aged-care facilities in Victoria.
The 10 aged care outbreaks with the highest cumulative total numbers of cases are:
● 232 cases linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer southwest (an increase of four since Sunday);
● 215 cases linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping, in Melbourne’s north;
● 206 cases linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner, in Melbourne’s north;
● 162 cases linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer, in Melbourne’s west;
● 139 cases linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth, in Melbourne’s outer east;
● 127 cases linked to Twin Parks Aged Care in Reservoir, in Melbourne’s north;
● 124 cases linked to Cumberland Manor Aged Care Facility in Sunshine North, in Melbourne’s west;
● 119 cases linked to BlueCross Ruckers Hill Aged Care Facility in Northcote, in Melbourne’s inner north (an increase of three since Sunday);
● 118 cases linked to Japara Goonawarra Aged Care Facility in Sunbury, in Melbourne’s outer northwest;
● 117 cases linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg, in Melbourne’s northeast;
● 116 cases linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North, in Melbourne’s outer southeast.
Victorian outbreaks with the highest numbers of active cases on Monday include:
● 19 active cases linked to Frankston Hospital in Melbourne’s outer southeast. The cluster had a total of 80 cases (20 active) on Saturday;
● 14 active cases linked to Vawdrey Australia Truck Manufacturer in Dandenong South, in Melbourne’s outer southeast. The cluster had a total of 49 cases (21 active) on Saturday;
● 16 active cases linked to Bulla Dairy Foods in Colac, in southwest regional Victoria, up from 15 active cases on Sunday;
● 11 active cases linked to Dandenong Police Station. DHHS first mentioned this cluster last Wednesday September 2.
● 10 active cases are currently linked to the Royal Melbourne Hospital Royal Park campus, down from 11 active cases on Sunday. This cluster had reached 164 cases on August 31.
READ MORE: Queensland debt to smash through $100bn barrier
Rosie Lewis 6.30pm: Release modelling, Westacott urges Andrews
Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott has urged Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to release modelling he has based his “restricted” recovery road map on, saying the business community wants to understand how it will drive government decisions.
“The authors of the modelling themselves have described the modelling as a guide, and we understand it’s a challenge to model, but that’s why we need transparency of data and sharing of information,” Ms Westacott said on Monday.
“We want to understand how the Victorian modelling is going to drive decisions, what it is based on and how it is going to work. We are calling for the modelling to be released so business can work with the state government to make sure we can create COVID safe workplaces and get the economy open faster.”
While the Andrews government has released a seven-page document that references the University of Melbourne modelling used to inform the road map, the BCA says it does not explain the data or assumptions behind the modelling clearly or in enough detail.
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Rachel Baxendale 6.10pm: Known outbreaks linked to 16 new cases
Of the 41 new coronavirus cases recorded in Victoria on Monday, 16 have been linked to known outbreaks, while the rest are under investigation.
The state’s total number of cases since the pandemic began rose by 36 on Monday to 19,574, due to five previously reported cases being reclassified.
Accounting for cases that have been reclassified over the period, Monday’s average daily case number for the previous 14 days is 84.8 for Melbourne, 5.3 for regional Victoria, and 90.1 for the whole state.
In order for Melbourne to move to the second step of relaxing coronavirus restrictions by September 28, the 14-day daily average needs to reach 30-50.
This would enable public outdoor gatherings of up to five people from up to two households, the resumption of childcare, and a staged return to the classroom for Prep to Grade Two and VCE students.
For the third step, which would see Melburnians released from a stay-at-home lockdown and a curfew by October 26, the statewide 14-day daily average needs to fall below five cases, with no more than five cases with an unknown source over that entire period.
There have been 4369 cases in Victoria where contact tracers have been unable to establish a source of transmission since the pandemic began, including four since Sunday.
Of the 19,754 cases of coronavirus in Victoria since the pandemic began, 17,056 people have recovered from the virus — an increase of 135 since Sunday.
Of the 1781 current active cases in Victoria, 1651 are in people from metropolitan Melbourne, while 95 are in those in regional Victoria, 33 are either from unknown locations or subject to further investigation, and two are interstate residents.
Of the total 19,754 cases, 18,210 cases have been in people from metropolitan Melbourne, while 1178 have been in those from regional Victoria, while 9337 cases have been in men and 10,212 in women.
There have been 3314 cases in health workers — an increase of 20 since Sunday — indicating almost half of Victoria’s 41 new cases on Monday were in health workers.
However, the number of active cases in health workers has fallen by two cases on Monday to 259 due to people recovering.
READ MORE: Police warned department over security at quarantine hotel
Rosie Lewis 5.40pm: ‘Elimination in all but name’: Chamber warns on exit
A leading business group has labelled Victoria’s controversial recovery road map “an elimination strategy in all but name” and warned businesses will leave the state to invest elsewhere.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive James Pearson urged the state’s medical advisers to explain “why they have shifted the dial and started aiming for elimination instead of suppression”.
The committee of doctors advising national cabinet on the COVID-19 recovery has endorsed a suppression strategy over eradication.
“Be prepared for businesses leaving the state to invest elsewhere. Businesses face continuing, heavy restrictions, despite the fact they have COVID-safe plans and have shown their capability to prevent the spread of the virus in workplaces,” Mr Pearson said.
“Many people in business in Victoria will have to consider whether they can keep going. One option will be to relocate … where jurisdictions will be competing to attract employers and investors.”
Melbourne will move to stage three of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ road map on October 26 if there were less than five new cases across the state over the previous fortnight and less than five new cases with an unknown source.
There will need to be no new cases in the state for 14 days to reach the fourth step, which is expected to be around November 23.
Under the fourth stage, cafes and restaurants can seat groups of up to 20 people with a maximum of 50 patrons.
Fifty people would be allowed at weddings and funerals.
Mr Pearson said the government should adopt a more targeted approach for restricting people’s movements.
“The Victorian Government’s road map for reopening metropolitan Melbourne uses excessive thresholds for easing restrictions and should be overhauled using the national road map as the basis,” he said.
“ACCI believes targeted approaches to the isolation and movement of people remains the best course. The Victorian government provides an updated map of cases by Local Government Area and we know a number of these have no active cases – let’s get more localised and smarter with the restrictions.
“We have to live with the risk of the virus, to suppress the virus, not eliminate it. But the Victorian plan is an elimination strategy in all but name. It needs to go back to the drawing board.
He said businesses are not against the state roadmap’s ‘first step’: “It’s the second stage onwards, the long tail of the road map, which is disproportionate to risk and is destroying business confidence.”
The Victorian government says it is pursuing an “aggressive suppression” strategy to contain the coronavirus.
Department of Health secretary Brendan Murphy, the former chief medical officer, said Victoria was taking a “conservative approach” but it was still suppression instead of elimination.
“There’s no rule book for this virus but I think some of us feel that, if there were more confidence in the public health response capability, you could take some slightly more generous triggers,” Dr Murphy said. “But I don’t think they are genuinely pursuing an elimination strategy. They’re still pursuing aggressive suppression.”
Remy Varga 5.30pm: Guest breach saw police warn on quarantine security
An email containing images of a guest leaving hotel quarantine in April saw police warn the state’s Health Department about concerns over security companies involved in the hotel quarantine program. It came a month before the outbreak responsible for most of the second-wave coronavirus cases.
In an April 15 email, Victoria Police Commander Tim Tully said the Department of Health and Human Services may need to “engage directly with security to address the immediate concerns before this becomes an issue in the media”.
The inquiry into the bungled scheme released the emails of Commander Tully on Monday, including images of a guest leaving hotel quarantine, which were sent to police by a representative from shopping centre group Vicinity Centres.
“We have got the quarantined people again out this morning,” said the Vicinity representative, whose name has been redacted.
“One has tried to enter a convenience store onsite.
READ the full story here.
Mackenzie Scott 4.30pm: Send rent reductions straight to tribunal: REIV
The Real Estate Institute of Victoria has instructed its members to direct all rent negotiations to the state’s disputes tribunal in an attempt to flood the system after the Andrew’s government extended the ban on evictions.
In a statement released on Sunday, the representative body advised its members to refuse to negotiate rent reductions and instead refer all requests to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), a system the REIV openly acknowledged is already struggling to meet the current caseload.
The state government's decision in August to extend the ban on tenant evictions for a further six months to December 31 in light of the lockdowns last week has drawn the ire of the Institute, which argues landlords are facing financial stress from rental loss with little support available.
REIV chief executive Gil King said tenants hold the power in the current arrangements.
“Until balance and commonsense is restored we will embark on a moratorium-strike,” Mr King said.
“Let’s see how the system copes without our co-operation.”
READ the full story here.
Ewin Hannan 3.40pm: Unions back ‘slow, steady’ road map
Victorian unions backed the Andrews Government’s proposed road map, declaring its “slow and steady” approach was the best path to recovery and to avoid a third wave of outbreaks.
Victorian Trade Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari said on Monday the criticism of the state government by Scott Morrison was “hopeless”, accusing the Prime Minister of “abrogating his responsibilities”.
“It’s all politics,” he said. “It’s not the type of leadership we need right now.”
Mr Hilakari also rejected the call by Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell for Victoria, not the Commonwealth, to fund a higher JobKeeper rate if desired.
He said business groups critical of the state government would be more unhappy if there was a big increase in cases and outbreaks as a result of opening up too early.
“I think people are pretty supportive of slow and steady,” he said.
READ MORE: PM cuts Andrews loose over road map debacle
Ewin Hannan 3.05pm: Cover small business costs, Andrews urged
Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell has urged the Andrews Government to cover costs incurred by small businesses forced to close due to ongoing restrictions, slamming the Premier’s road map as a “devastating blow”.
Ms Carnell also said if the state government wanted a higher JobKeeper rate maintained in Victoria, it should finance it and not have the Morrison government “pick up the tab”.
She said many small businesses In Victoria would not be able to open for at least another eight weeks and only on the condition there were under five COVID-19 cases per day as a statewide average.
“For those struggling small businesses that know they cannot remain viable under these imposed conditions, the Victorian Government needs to step up and help them make the sensible business decision to exit,” she said.
“This means the Victorian Government needs to pay for all break-lease termination fees – not just on the premises but also equipment so small business owners can walk away without further penalties.
“It is unreasonable to expect small businesses to continue to hang on and accumulate debt, given this ongoing forced closure is no fault of their own.
“This is a situation no small business could have planned for. The lockdown extension has forced small businesses into this dire predicament and now the government needs to do the right thing to support them to exit if they cannot afford to hang on.
She said small business loans were often secured against the family home, “so these hardworking small business owners are now faced with gut-wrenching decisions about their future. They need to be supported in every aspect”.
READ MORE: Virus fear that could cost lives
Matthew Denholm 2.30pm: $7.5m in travel vouchers snapped up by Tasmanians
Tasmania’s Liberal government gave away $7.5 million in travel vouchers in 40 minutes on Monday and is likely to repeat the largesse, as it tries to save the tourism industry.
As part of a Make Yourself at Home campaign to persuade Tasmanians to travel within their state, the government invited locals to register for $7.5m in vouchers to spend on accommodation or tours.
Premier Peter Gutwein said he was “overwhelmed” after all the money was allocated just 40 minutes after the vouchers became available online at 9am this morning.
“It’s been so successful I think we’ll have to look at another go at this,” he said, revealing 21,500 vouchers had been issued to an estimated 55,000 to 60,000 Tasmanians. “I couldn’t be happier for the tourist industry.”
The scheme offers individuals reimbursement of $150 and families $500 for accommodation or tours undertaken before December 1.
The vouchers are intended to soften the blow to the state’s tourism industry from Mr Gutwein’s decision to keep state borders shut until December 1, due to COVID-19 outbreaks in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
READ MORE: Fifth Qld hospital worker tests positive
Charlie Peel 1.55pm: Qld hospital coronavirus cluster grows
The COVID-19 cluster at a southeast Queensland hospital has grown to five after another nurse tested positive to the virus.
The Ipswich Hospital nurse, aged in her 30s, was under quarantine after she was recognised as a close contact of a previous case.
Staffing arrangements in the West Moreton health district have been thrown into chaos by the cluster, which forced more than 200 staff into quarantine.
The woman is one of two people to test positive to the virus in the past 24 hours.
The second was a woman aged in her 20s who shared a household with a previously diagnosed person.
There are currently 25 active cases of the virus in Queensland, most of which are linked to the outbreak at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre at Wacol.
Queensland Health Director General John Wakefield said the Ipswich Hospital cluster had caused disruptions for the health network’s roster.
“At this stage the emergency department staff previously under quarantine have all tested clear and are now back at work, which has helped a lot,” Dr Wakefield said.
Elective surgery at the hospital has been reduced and some staff have been shifted from elective surgery areas to support the acute medical admissions department.
Private hospitals have been called on to help cover elective surgeries.
“We’ve initiated a private hospital relationship … to be able to support those patients whose surgery has had to be cancelled,” Dr Wakefield said.
“In addition to that, I’ve mobilised over the weekend, our other large health services surrounding Brisbane … to be able to support West Moreton.”
READ MORE: Virus fear that could cost lives
Olivia Caisley 1.40pm: Morrison: No plan to raise Medicare levy
Scott Morrison has refused to say whether he will consider raising the Medicare levy by one per cent to improve the embattled aged care sector.
The Prime Minister on Monday said it “wasn’t in the government’s plan” to raise taxes while the economy was struggling with the impacts of the coronavirus.
“The budget is in October and I don’t engage in speculation on these measures, the aged care royal commission will bring out their recommendations next year,” Mr Morrison said.
“I understand they have made some comments around this issue today. I will await their (the royal commission’s) recommendations …
“The one way you build your economy back is you don’t hit it with high taxes. And that is not our plan, it has never been our plan, our plan to grow our economy has always been about getting (having) people’s backs.”
READ MORE: Media group turns to crowd funding
Remy Varga 1.25pm: 177 fines issued for Covid breaches
Victoria Police have fined three people for drinking alcohol and listening to music on an inflatable boat on Caroline Springs lake in Melbourne’s far northwest.
Among the 177 fines issued for public health breaches in the last 24-hours, 11 people have been fined for failing to wear a mask while 68 penalties have been issued for curfew breaches.
Examples provided by Victoria Police include a man at a checkpoint near the town of Little River, around 50km southwest of Melbourne’s CBD, who told officers he was picking up a drinking buddy.
Another man was caught at Lilydale Railway Station – more than 40km from his home – and said he thought restrictions were over and wanted to go on a daytrip.
Meanwhile, a man was caught walking the streets in the Whitehorse region in Melbourne’s northeast because he wanted takeaway food but didn’t want to pay the UberEats surcharge.
On Caroline Springs lake, Victoria Police found two men and one woman on an inflatable boat drinking alcohol and listening to music.
READ MORE: Final test for closed borders
David Ross 1.20pm: NSW to allow Year 12 formals, graduations
NSW Health has confirmed year 12 students across NSW will be able to celebrate finishing school with COVID-19 safe graduation ceremonies and formals being allowed to take place during Term 4 from 12 November after the final HSC exam.
Schools across NSW will receive COVID-19 safety plan guidance for Year 12 graduations and school formals by 11 September.
This comes after the NSW government banned high school formals, choirs, and other social events across the state in mid-August after several cases were linked to school social settings.
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Olivia Caisley 1.10pm: PM offers extra help for contact tracing
Scott Morrison has offered more resources to Victoria and any states or territories experiencing outbreaks to bolster their contact tracing abilities.
The Prime Minister said it was important Victoria matched the contract tracing abilities of NSW, which is being held as the gold standard in containing coronavirus outbreaks.
“If they need extra Services Australia support, we’ve already had ADF support in there, but I think if there is extra support that is needed to lift whether it’s in Victoria or, indeed, in Queensland or Western Australia or Tasmania, if this is what is preventing the easing of restrictions, then I think it is about matching the level of capacity against what is happening in New South Wales,” he said.
“I should stress, it’s just not about how many people you’ve got on the phone. Information systems are critical to this.”
“The way work is structured and organised is critical to this. And it’s an integrated tracing capability.”
READ MORE: Airport tweak to detect virus
Remy Varga 1pm: Andrews rejects Sydney lockdown comparison
Mr Andrews has rejected commentary that Sydney would be under curfew if it was subject to the same restrictions as Melbourne, saying Victoria’s higher rate of community transmission meant adopting the same measures as the NSW capital would be a plan of “false hope”.
The Victorian Premier said it was fair to draw the comparison between the two major cities but said it was unfair not to acknowledge the difference in rates of community transmission.
“That’s not a point of pride, it’s just a fact,” he said.
“Trying to compare the two is not the same.
“I’ve seen all this commentary that under our settings they’d be in lockdown.”
Mr Andrews said the two cities were different, which had to be reflected in the policies introduced to combat the virus.
“We are different and you’ve got to have settings that marry up with that difference, otherwise it’s not a strategy, it’s just a plan of hope but false hope,” he said.
“So those numbers need to be quite low and commonsense tells you if we ask our contact tracers to win an unfair fight, well then they won’t.”
READ MORE: CSL deal for Covid vaccines
Olivia Caisley 12.50pm: PM’s ‘wait and see’ over funding for Victoria
Scott Morrison has said he will “wait to see” what economic support the Andrews government introduces before announcing further relief specific to Victoria after the state conceded it needed to extend its lockdown and curfew measures.
Asked how he could justify slashing the government’s wage subsidy programs at the end of the month given Victorians had been banned from going to work, the Prime Minister said he will see what the Andrews government does first before the Commonwealth “considers any responses that we’ll be making.”
“JobKeeper is a national program. JobKeeper is a program that is as important in Cairns as it is in Cronulla or, indeed, in anywhere else in Melbourne or Western Australia,” Mr Morrison said.
“Different states will draw on that in heavier amounts as Victoria is now and they will be drawing heavily on this over the balance of this year and, I would think, into next year.”
He said the situation in Victoria was “very specific” to the state.
“I’m seeking to see what the Victorian government will be doing in taking actions to mitigate the economic impact of the decisions the Victorian government has made regarding the restrictions and the plan that they have set out,” Mr Morrison said.
“When it comes to specific economic support income support or other forms of support that they consider is appropriate to deal with the consequences of the decisions the Victorian government is taking, I’ll be looking to see what they’ll be doing first before the Commonwealth considers any responses that we’ll be making.”
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Olivia Caisley 12.40pm: Health Minister says it’s ‘a day of hope’
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the vaccine deal will hopefully see Australians returning to the lives and lifestyles “they’ve known and loved” prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Hunt says both the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, and another being developed by the University of Queensland in partnership with CSL, are “leading vaccines globally.”
“We are fortunate to have, as a nation, secured them and be able to produce them here in Australia,” Mr Hunt said.
“The best advice that we have – and it’s not determined yet – is that there is likely to be multi year protection. Nobody can say whether it will be lifetime.”
Mr Hunt, who hails from Victoria and is the member for Flinders, said the announcement should bring hope to Victorians and Australians as it signalled a “pathway out” of the havoc caused by the coronavirus pandemic
“Today is a day of real hope for Victorians, real hope for Australians, and a pathway out to an Australia that sees us recover the very best of what we are and who we are.”
READ MORE: Qld faces rising debt
Olivia Caisley 12.35pm: PM: Sydney would be in lockdown under Vic plan
Scott Morrison has described Victoria’s decision to continue curfews and harsh restrictions as “crushing news” and a plan he hopes is a “worst-case scenario.”
The Prime Minister on Monday raised issues with the modelling outlined in the plan, saying he “can’t help but be struck by” the fact Sydney would be under lockdown under the same thresholds set out in Victoria’s plan.
“I know Victorians – and Greg (Health Minister Greg Hunt) has just joined us today directly from Victoria – the feeling out there today is hard,” Mr Morrison said.
“They’re frustrated. The mental health of Victorians will be sorely tested. The plan that was outlined yesterday, I hope, is a worst-case scenario.”
He said Sydney doesn’t need to be under curfew because they have the tracing capability to deal with outbreaks and said he hoped Victoria would follow NSW’s lead in improving these mechanisms.
“That’s why I say it’s important that we work on building that tracing capability in Victoria to get it at a level that enables it to move in a more confident way than I think the plan that was announced yesterday set out.”
READ MORE: ‘A plague worse than Covid’
Olivia Caisley 12.25pm: PM outlines ‘significant’ vaccine agreement
Scott Morrison says Australia has taken “another significant step” to protect the health of its citizens against the coronavirus through the signing of a $1.7bn agreement for the supply and production of more than 80 million doses.
The Prime Minister says the agreement forms part of a “sovereign vaccine strategy” that should bring hope to the nation after a “tough day in Victoria” saw the extension of lockdown restrictions.
“A homegrown sovereign plan for vaccines is the hope I bring to Australians today,” he said.
“ … it follows recommendations by the medical expert panel – which I indicated is led by Professor Murphy. We don’t expect this will be the last decision we make in this area, but these are the two best prospects, and we have acted on the advice that they have brought forward.”
He says the decision to formulate a sovereign vaccine strategy was endorsed by Cabinet on Friday.
Under a $1.7bn commitment, Australians will get priority access to more than 84 million doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, and another being developed by the University of Queensland in partnership with CSL.
READ MORE: Armani combats coronavirus
Rachel Baxendale 12.20pm: Victoria’s positive test rate at two-month low
Victoria’s 41 new cases on Monday come after 12,938 tests were processed in the previous 24 hours, bringing the number of tests processed since the pandemic began to 2,403,388.
This brings the positive test rate for Monday to 0.32 per cent, the equal-lowest positive test rate since July 3, and well down from the peak positive rate of 3.73 per cent from 671 cases and 18,000 tests on August 2.
There have been 4369 cases where contact tracers have been unable to establish a source of infection – an increase of four since Sunday.
For Victoria to move out of stay-at-home and curfew restrictions under the Andrews government’s road map, these unknown source cases need to fall to a total of fewer than five over 14 days.
The total number of active cases is now 1781 – a decrease of 91 since Sunday, and down from a peak of 7880 on August 11.
There are now 259 active cases in health workers, down from 261 on Sunday.
The number of active cases in regional Victoria has fallen from 98 on Sunday to 95 on Monday, down from a peak of more than 500 in August.
There are 873 active cases across 93 aged care facilities, down from 916 on Sunday.
This means 49 per cent of Victoria’s current active cases are linked to aged care.
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Remy Varga 12.10pm: Andrews would ‘rather be right than popular’
Mr Andrews said he isn’t going to “free wheel” Victoria’s health response in a bid to be popular when asked if he had displeased one of his fellow state government ministers with the road map.
The Victorian Premier told reporters on Monday that he wished he could have released a faster road map, and would have had he’d been able.
“But that would have been to say to Brett, thanks for all your modelling, thanks for all your work, we’re just going to freewheel this because that’s what people want,” he said.
“That’s to be popular rather than right. And I don’t think that’s something that you should do.”
READ MORE: A road map to despair
Remy Varga 12pm: ‘Wrong’ to say business not consulted on reopening
Mr Andrews has rejected criticism the state government did not listen to business and industry groups, saying an “enormous amount of effort” was put into consultation prior to the release of Victoria’s coronavirus road map on Sunday.
“Now, that’s not to say that business received the news that they wanted but that’s a different thing to not being listened to,” he said. “I would reject that. That’s simply wrong.”
Mr Andrews’ comments follow widespread backlash from the business community over continued industry restrictions in the state’s road map.
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Remy Varga 11.55am: Andrews: We have done as much as we can
Following widespread criticism from business and industry leaders over a lack of meaningful consultation on Victoria’s coronavirus road map, Mr Andrews said he understood the frustration but “we have done as much as we possibly can.”
“There’s 100,000-plus people going back to work quite soon that – and the mix of that and how that will work in very practical terms has absolutely been informed by very detailed discussions,” he said.
“I know there are a lot of – a lot of businesses, a lot of sectors, a lot of peak bodies who did not get the – the news they wanted yesterday.”
Remy Varga 11.45am: Peak health body not consulted on road map
Professor Sutton said the Victorian government did not discuss the state’s coronavirus road map with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, the peak national public health emergency body, before unveiling the road map on Sunday.
Victoria’s CHO said the state government instead held “in principle discussions” with the AHPPC on lowering the effective reproduction rate and driving down transmission rates.
“Not this specific road map for Victoria,” he said. “Because no-one’s got a view of the Victorian industry and population and epidemiology to the extent that we do ourselves.”
Professor Sutton said he would discuss the road map with AHPPC later on Monday and listen to their advice.
“I’ll be updating them in a couple of hours on the road map to talk through it and to have reflections from them in terms of how they see it and any other advice they’d give,” he said.
“We’re always open to those conversations.”
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Remy Varga 11.40am: No quicker path out of ‘Second Step’
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the state could transition to the Third Step earlier than scheduled but the date of the Second Step was locked in regardless of whether case numbers fell faster than anticipated.
Professor Sutton told reporters on Monday that September 28, when the state is scheduled to move into phase two of the Victorian government’s road map, was a “hard date:
“We’ll make the following step after 28 September potentially sooner, but 28 September is locked in for the next step,” he said. “That’s a hard date.”
Under the state government’s road map, Victoria can move into state Stage Two if the state sees between 30-50 cases per day.
Mr Sutton said bringing forward the schedule move into phase three, scheduled to take place on October 26 if the state records less than five per day, could potentially be reviewed.
“There’s absolutely a need for clarity and people – in people’s minds they need to know especially from an industry point of view about some of those indicative dates,” he said.
“But we could miss them on the one hand because the – we don’t get to those numbers … But we should also reflect on being in a much more successful position earlier on and to give consideration to earlier.
Under Step Three, the curfew in place in metropolitan Melbourne will be lifted as well as the 5km household limit. Up to 10 people will be allowed at public gatherings and households will be able to set up social bubbles.
READ MORE: Third time unlucky for Premier
Rachel Baxendale 11.25am: Victoria tally since pandemic start 19,574
Victoria’s 41 new coronavirus cases on Monday bring the state’s total since the pandemic began to 19,574.
Nine deaths in the 24 hours to Monday have brought the state’s coronavirus death toll to 675.
The deaths include those of a woman in her 70s, a woman and three men in their 80s, and a woman and three men in their 90s.
Of the nine deaths, eight have been linked to aged care.
There are 266 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus on Monday, including 25 in intensive care, of whom 17 are on ventilators.
This compares with 283 people in hospital on Sunday, including 19 in intensive care, of whom 16 were on ventilators.
READ MORE: Failure no option for Andrews
David Ross 11.20am: Four new cases in NSW
Four new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in NSW, bringing the state’s total to 3,929.
Three of the cases were locally acquired infections and all were healthcare workers identified following a case reported in another healthcare worker who had worked at Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Liverpool Hospital on 5 September.
The remaining newly confirmed case was in a traveller in hotel quarantine.
The new cases follow 10,129 tests in the 24-hours to 8pm on Sunday night, down on the 38,526 tests the day before.
Four new cases of #COVID19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,929.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 7, 2020
Of the four new cases to 8pm last night, one is a returned overseas traveller in hotel quarantine and three are locally acquired. pic.twitter.com/TeW2F49PrL
However, NSW Health was at pains to point out the testing discrepancy was due to 18,958 tests being included in the earlier release after they were not captured in the data between 10 August and 2 September.
Overall 2,338,155 tests have been carried out in NSW.
READ MORE: Final test for closed borders
Remy Varga 11.15am: Eight Victorian deaths linked to aged care
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said eight of the nine deaths reported on Monday are linked to the aged care sector.
🛣ï¸Steps towards COVID Normal: https://t.co/XKmHRQssyA
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) September 7, 2020
💻Updated info & FAQs will be added to https://t.co/G8SzqvcIHI  
â„¹ï¸ @businessvic can help with details about workplaces https://t.co/zFNBxxhRng
📞 Urgent query? Call the Coronavirus hotline 24/7 on 1800 675 398
He also said the number of active cases among healthcare workers increased by four to 259.
“Many of whom will have gotten it from the workplace [and[ just makes the point that hospitals are high-risk workplaces and this is a wildly infectious virus,” Mr Andrews told reporters.
COVID-19 transmission in the aged care sector and among healthcare workers has driven case numbers in Victoria’s second wave.
READ MORE: Slow, steady strangulation
Staff writers 9.45am: Andrews: lockdown lifting could be fast tracked
Daniel Andrews has offered Victorians some hope on his road map out of lockdown, saying the five-step strategy could be remodelled to fast-track the lifting of restrictions if cases started to drop at a faster rate
“There is a chance that if there’s a significant shift, if we saw things change dramatically, then we would obviously remodel the whole thing,” the Victorian premier told 3AW on Monday.
“We have to be confident that we knew enough … There are things you will never know. Not every single symptomatic person gets a test so it could be bubbling out there in the Victorian community at a level greater than what your testing numbers show.
“But if there’s a step change, then of course, we always reserve the right to look at that, model it, make sure it is truly representative of how much virus is out there and we would make judgments based on that.
“It’s all driven by the data and if the data was to fundamentally change then we would be standing up making different announcements.”
The Premier said he was expecting future outbreaks of the virus in 2021 but did not intend to send Victoria into another lockdown after the final step of the road map was reached.
“A strategy where you’re trying to eradicate it would mean to say if you got past that 28 days [with no cases] and you had one case, you would go back into lockdown. That’s the difference,” he said.
“We will have cases in the future, in 2021. We will have outbreaks but you’ve got to give close contact tracers decent odds, it’s got to be a fair fight.
“If they’re trying to trace 100,000 people everyday, then you just can’t do it. But if you get it down really low, you don’t have to go back into lockdown because you can track and trace them and keep a lid on things, but only off a really low base.”
READ MORE: Andrews’ road map ‘will eliminate business’
Sarah Elks 9.20am: Queensland debt set to go over $100bn
Queensland’s total debt is forecast to smash through the $100bn barrier by mid-next year, more than $18bn higher than predicted before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Treasurer Cameron Dick on Monday announced the Palaszczuk government’s COVID-19 Fiscal and Economic Review, less than two months out from the October 31 state election and in lieu of delivering a budget this year.
The documents show that in the 2020-21 financial year, total government debt will hit $101.96bn, up from the $83.8bn for 2020-21 forecast at the December financial update.
Mr Dick has previously said he had no choice but to borrow more, due to the unprecedented health and economic crisis.
The state’s predicted operating surplus of $151m for 2019-20, predicted in December, has evaporated, and has been replaced by an operating deficit of nearly $6bn.
Unemployment is expected to skyrocket to 8.5 per cent mid-next year.
READ the full story here
Rachel Baxendale 8.45am: Victoria records lowest numbers since June
Victoria has recorded 41 new cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to Monday – the lowest daily number of new cases since June, more than two months ago.
There have been nine deaths added to the death toll in that time, bringing the toll to 675.
All but 19 of these deaths have occurred as part of Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus cases, which was sparked by breaches in the Andrews government’s hotel quarantine program.
#COVID19VicData for 7 September, 2020. There were 41 new cases reported and 9 lives lost. Our thoughts are with those impacted. More information will be available later today. pic.twitter.com/NfCMBdBDzP
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) September 6, 2020
Victoria has not recorded fewer than 50 new daily cases since June 28, when there were 49 cases.
There were 41 cases the previous day on June 27, and 30 cases on June 26.
The cases bring the seven day daily average down to 76.3, and the 14 day daily average down to 95.6.
If Victoria is to move to a slight relaxation of restrictions on September 28, allowing two-household gatherings of up to five people outdoors, a resumption of childcare and a staged return to the classroom for VCE and Prep to Grade Two students, the 14-day average number of cases needs to fall to 30-50 cases.
David Ross 8.15am: Merlino lashed as he defends slow lockdown exit
Victorian deputy Premier James Merlino has said the decision to move slowly out of lockdown was “hard and tough” but the best way to stop a slide back into a new wave and lockdowns.
Mr Merlino told the ABC on Monday that moving too soon to reopen the economy, as called for by some business figures, put any potential recovery at risk.
“We can’t put at risk making some decisions now that would be welcomed by business, welcomed by communities and families, the numbers spike up again and all the gains we made over the past 6 weeks spike up again,” he said.
But Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox has lashed Mr Merlino and the Victorian government, saying the consultation process from the government had been “a joke”.
“They’re not interested in listening, there’s been zero interest with trying to engage with the business community in a meaningful way,” he said.
“If NSW applied the Victorian numbers NSW would be shut down today there’d be no outdoor dining in Queensland.”
Mr Merlino said the modelling showed that even if restrictions were followed there was a 60 per cent chance by Christmas we’re back in lockdown.
The people of Victoria are hurting. But I also think people are with us and don’t want to put it at risk, not being able to be with family and friends by Christmas,” he said.
He said the government had engaged with industry and as part of the latest relaxation of restrictions some workers would be allowed to return to worksites.
“You don’t have an economic recovery if you have a third wave,” he said.
“I know businesses would like us to do more quicker but the worst thing we can do for businesses is open up and then reimpose restrictions because we opened up too fast.”
However Mr Willox branded the policy “absolutely ludicrous” and “not worth the paper it’s written on”.
“The fury within the business community is palpable and people are saying they’re not going to stand for it,” he said.
Mr Willox called for restrictions to be dialled back so that “cases should be handled on a localised proportional basis”.
“We know where the outbreaks are in Victoria primarily in aged care and primarily in healthcare, that’s where they need to be handled,” he said.
“To lock down an entire city on the basis of that is just going to cause rack and ruin.”
Mr Willox said due to the latest lockdowns and economic hit Victoria was “going to be a basket case for years”.
“There’s going to be high unemployment, there’s going to be no migration, no foreign students. The city will be empty for another six months at least, Victoria is going to need all the help it can get to get back on its feet,” he said.
“That’s the disappointing thing, the government in this so-called road map has no ideas, no creative solutions for how to get Melbourne moving again.”
READ MORE:
Ben Packham 8.05am: Australian made vaccine available ‘in months’
Scott Morrison says a coronavirus vaccine should be available for Australians within six months, after announcing new deals to secure access to two of the most promising options under clinical trial.
Under a $1.7bn commitment, Australians will get priority access to more than 84 million doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, and another being developed by the University of Queensland in partnership with CSL.
If trials prove successful, the vaccines will be almost entirely manufactured in Melbourne, with early access to 3.8 million doses of the Oxford vaccine in January and February.
It is the first time the government has set out a possible timeline for Australians to get access to a COVID-19 vaccine, offering hope for a nation battered by lockdown and divided by coronavirus border closures.
READ the full story here
David Ross 7.35am: Sutton defends Victoria’s road map
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has said the state’s strategy as outlined on the weekend will “get us gradually opening to the most normal life and work” but if the state moved too fast it risked returning to where it had “already been”.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where the epidemic curve takes off again,” Mr Sutton told the ABC on Monday.
Mr Sutton said the state was pursuing an aggressive suppression strategy and was confident contract tracing was now up to the task of getting on top of new cases as the state moved out of its strong restrictions.
“I am confident that if we can get to those levels, that we’ll be able to move into a COVID-normal life that we’re all desperately looking for,” he said.
“We’re hitting the straps with the contact tracing metrics and performance metrics that we’re looking at each and every day. We’re contacting all of the cases for interview every day within the first 24 hours.”
“Almost all of them -90-95 per cent – are interviewed in that 24-hour period. And all the close contacts are contacted within 48 hours. So they’re the kind of thresholds that we know that we need to get to.”
But Mr Sutton said he and the Victorian government were aware of the risk of non-compliance with restrictions as the public tired of the lockdowns.
“We’ve all been subject to this. And some obviously have suffered more in terms of working livelihood and I understand that fatigue. But if there were an easier alternative – if we could just go back to a normal life now, we’d be choosing that.”
READ MORE: Slow strangulation for millions
David Ross 7.15am: Ipswich hospital staff in isolation after positive case
A Queensland nurse has tested positive to COVID-19 and 220 staff at Ipswich hospital are in isolation as the Sunshine State’s viral cluster grows.
An outbreak from the state’s two Corrective Services facility, linked to two teens who dodged quarantine and returned from Melbourne while sick, has now seen 83 people infected.
The Ipswich hospital nurse is one of two people diagnosed on Sunday and has treated COVID-positive patients.
The other case is a student at Staines Memorial College who was already in isolation.
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David Ross 7.00am: Sydney schools closed over positive tests
Two Sydney schools will be shut on today after students tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.
A 10-year-old student at Lidcombe Public school in Sydney’s west has tested positive and the school has been shut for a deep clean.
- @NSWHealth strongly recommends you wear a mask when you are:
— NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (@mhcsnsw) September 5, 2020
Inside places where it is difficult to keep 1.5 metres distance from other people. #Multilingual resources https://t.co/wsJpAkRVp1https://t.co/iYElv9GvJP
#COVID19Au #COVID19 #Dari #دريلو pic.twitter.com/lvIbMoc013
The source of the Lidcombe Public school cases is unknown.
Parents and students are being alerted and warned to stay home.
Kincoppal-Rose Bay will also remain shut after two year seven students tested positive, however, their cases have now been linked to Sydney’s growing CBD viral cluster.
READ MORE: Final test for closed borders
David Ross 6.45am: Global coronavirus cases nearly 27 million
Global cases of coronavirus have reached 26.96m, with the United States continuing to lead the pack in confirmed cases.
Cases in the USA are now pushing on from 6.2m according to the Centre for Disease Control.
New numbers capturing the rate of infection over the weekend are yet to be published, but recent data suggests the rate of new infection in the US has stabilised at a lower rate in recent weeks after peaking in July.
More than 188,051 Americans have now died of COVID-19, while 292,055 cases were confirmed in the last week.
Brazil remains the second worst affected country with confirmed cases in the country pushing north of 4.12m, according to the John Hopkins Coronavirus resource centre.
However, India is likely to eclipse Brazil if current trends continue, with 4.11m cases confirmed in the country.
The infection growth has now moved to the country’s populous regional and rural areas, where testing capacity is constrained, meaning the recorded case count may not reflect the extent of the pandemic.
It’s a similar story in Africa where limited testing has seen relatively low case counts.
South Africa has the greatest confirmed case count for the continent, with 636,884 cases and 14,779 deaths.
Cases in the UK are now surging, with the country recording more than 3000 cases in the last 24 hours, a level not seen since May.
The UK has recorded 41,551 cases in the last 28 days, Europe’s highest.
The British Health secretary Matt Hancock said the majority of the new cases were young Britons.
British prime minister Boris Johnson said his government would look to tighten restrictions if case numbers continued to grow by limiting household visits.
READ MORE: Knives out for lockdown
Damn Kitney 6.00am: New check-in technology to detect Covid symptoms
Former PwC chief executive Luke Sayers’s new advisory and investment business has joined the billionaire Fox family to partner a Melbourne technology company that has developed a multifunctional health screening device for COVID-19 and other potential illnesses.
Simply known as Sayers, Mr Sayers’s new firm has forged a strategic partnership with a company known as Elenium, which during the pandemic has pivoted its airport check-in systems to add torchless and voice-activated sensors that can determine if a person is showing symptoms of COVID-19.
Elenium, which is run by Young Rich-Lister Aaron Hornlimann, has recently moved its technology into the aged-care sector through a deal with Nagambie HealthCare, a regional hospital and aged-care provider in Victoria.
Elenium’s torchless kiosk, developed in partnership with Amazon Web Services, enables Nagambie HealthCare employees, visitors and contractors to quickly self-assess their vital health signs, including temperature, respiratory and heart rates before entering Nagambie facilities.
Read more: Elenium airport technology tweaked to detect COVID-19 symptoms
Patrick Commins 01.20am: Banks’ delayed repayments put on the line
Hundreds of thousands of business and mortgage customers will in coming weeks be having what for many will be an uncomfortable conversation with their bank about whether they are able to restart repayments
As the six-month period of grace for COVID-affected borrowers approaches its end, Josh Frydenberg on Sunday said temporary insolvency and bankruptcy protections would be extended a further three months to December 31.
Policymakers and banks are keen to ensure that borrowers and businesses still struggling to get back on their feet as a result of the health crisis are not prematurely tipped into bankruptcy or default — particularly in light of the second wave of coronavirus cases that has delayed the country’s economic recovery from its deepest downturn since World War II.
Read the full story here.
Patrick Commins 01.30am: BCA boss blasts JobKeeper exec bonuses
Business Council of Australia boss Jennifer Westacott has blasted executives who received bonuses even as their companies took billions in taxpayer-funded emergency support through the COVID-19 crisis.
“In my view, companies should not be paying executive bonuses if they are receiving JobKeeper,” Ms Westacott said. “It doesn’t make sense. It wasn’t designed for that. It was designed to keep people working.”
During the recent reporting season a number of listed firms that received wage subsidy payments also paid bonuses or dividends.
Read the full story here.
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