Coronavirus Australia live news: Aged care, schools leading virus hotspots
Data reveals aged care settings are the most common site of transmission in Victoria, along with schools, abattoirs and hospitals.
- Aged care, schools leading virus hotspots
- NSW records 18 new cases
- Zero Qld cases, teams head north
- Vic has 410 new cases, 21 deaths
- Auckland cluster puts NZ on alert
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Data reveals aged care settings are the most common site of transmission in Victoria, along with schools, abattoirs and hospitals. Gladys Berejiklian has revealed NSW will not follow the same strategy used by Victoria or New Zealand if lockdowns are needed to stamp out outbreaks. There were 410 new cases of Covid-19 detected in Victoria in the last 24 hours and 21 deaths recorded.
Paige Taylor 11pm: Woman arrested after ‘sneaking across WA border’
A woman in Victoria who was told she must pay for her own quarantine in a Perth hotel sneaked into the state by road undetected, police say.
West Australian police allege they found the woman at her partner’s home in the beachside Perth suburb of Scarborough.
They have charged the 28-year-old from the northern Perth suburb of Ascot with a breach of the state’s Quarantine (Closing the Border) Directions.
The woman applied for and was granted an exemption to enter Western Australia, travelling via air from Victoria, and was due to arrive on Tuesday, police said.
The woman was advised that on arrival she would be issued a direction to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days at her own expense.
When she did not arrive at Perth Airport she was found in Scarborough, police said.
“Police will allege that sometime between July 30, 2020 and August 11, 2020, the woman entered Western Australia via road, undetected,” police said in a statement on Wednesday night.
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Sharri Markson 10.40pm: ‘Hospital does not want them’
Elderly people infected with COVID-19 are arriving at Melbourne hospitals, being refused treatment and sent back to their aged care home.
Angelica Snowden 10.10pm: Health officials move to high alert
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned she will toughen up COVID restrictions as school outbreaks continue.
Paul Garvey 9.45pm: ‘Nobble Palmer or we go belly-up’
A bill aimed at killing off Clive Palmer’s $30bn legal claim has support from both sides of West Australian politics, as well as tacit approval from the resources industry
AFP 9.15pm: Britain into record recession
The coronavirus pandemic pushed Britain into its deepest-ever recession, data showed on Wednesday.
The British economy — the world’s seventh in size — contracted by an unprecedented 20.4 per cent in the period from April to June, far worse than any of its European neighbours and also well below the so-called Group of Seven richest countries in the world.
By comparison, France’s economy contracted by 13.9 per cent in the second quarter, Canada by 12 per cent, Germany 10.1 per cent, the US 9.5 per cent and Japan 7.6 per cent.
The news that the virus has knocked down a fifth of its economy came as Britain continues to grapple with one of the highest death tolls in the world from the pandemic, which some observers blame on the government’s early dithering over the imposition of strict confinement measures.
Nevertheless, the subsequent lockdown brought activity shuddering to a halt particularly in the key services, production and construction sectors.
“It is clear that the UK is in the largest recession on record,” said the Office for National Statistics, which compiles the data.
Even if some experts are still predicting a “V-shaped” rebound, Britain’s economic woes could not come at a worse time as it still has to reach a trade deal with the EU following its exit from the 27-country bloc.
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Glynis Traill-Nash 8.50pm: For the love of uggs
Once mocked, now embraced, the humble ugg boot has emerged as a pandemic panacea.
David Crossland 8.20pm: Germany rediscovers the beer garden
The Bavarian tradition is enjoying a surge in popularity because it offers space and greater safety in the pandemic.
AFP 7.50pm: Duterte offers to be Russian vaccine guinea pig
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be a guinea pig for a controversial Russian coronavirus vaccine, his spokesman said on Wednesday, as the Southeast Asian nation emerged as a frontrunner for overseas clinical trials.
Moscow says it has developed the world’s first vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” against the virus and is in the final stage of tests involving 2000 people.
However, Western scientists have raised concerns about the speed of development of Russian vaccines, suggesting researchers might be cutting corners.
But despite the scepticism, Manila has accepted Russia’s offer to participate in clinical trials, vaccine supply and production of the drug, and Philippine health authorities said they were meeting the Russian drug developer Gamaleya on Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the drug was safe and that one of his own daughters had received the inoculation, dubbed “Sputnik V” after the pioneering 1950s Soviet satellite.
Mr Duterte has also expressed “huge trust” in Russia’s efforts to stop the contagion.
“I believe the vaccine that you have produced is really good for humanity,” Mr Duterte said, praising Mr Putin.
“I will be the first one to be experimented on,” he said.
Mr Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said that the President — known for controversial remarks — was not joking.
“He’s old. He can sacrifice his life for the Filipino people,” Mr Roque said.
READ MORE: Victoria lockdown sinks east coast confidence
AFP 7.20pm: S Korea fights virus with bus stops
South Korea has opened a hi-tech new front in the battle against coronavirus, fortifying bus shelters with temperature-checking doors and ultraviolet disinfection lamps.
Ten advanced facilities have been installed in a northeastern district of Seoul, offering protection from monsoon rains, summer heat, and the novel coronavirus.
To enter, passengers must stand in front of an automated thermal-imaging camera, and the door will only slide open if their temperature is below 37.5C. A separate camera is installed lower down to test children.
Inside the glass-walled booths — which cost about 100 million won ($117,000) each — the air-conditioning systems have ultraviolet lamps installed to kill viruses at the same time as cooling the air.
A dispenser provides hand sanitiser, and users are advised to wear face masks at all times, while keeping at least 1m apart from others.
“We have installed all the available anti-coronavirus measures we can think of into this booth,” said Kim Hwang-yun, a district official in charge of the Smart Shelter project.
Free Wi-Fi is also included.
South Korea endured one of the worst early coronavirus outbreaks outside China but brought it broadly under control with an extensive “trace, test and treat” program while never imposing a compulsory lockdown.
Housewife Kim Ju-li, 49, said she felt “really safe” after using the new bus stop for the first time: “I know others around me had their temperatures checked as well as me.”
READ MORE: Aged care, schools leading virus hotspots
AFP 6.50pm: Brussels region makes face masks compulsory
The wearing of face masks in public is compulsory in the Brussels region from Wednesday, regional authorities announced, as Belgium battles one of the most serious coronavirus outbreaks in Europe.
Face masks were already required in most closed public spaces since July 11 for people aged 12 and over.
The measure was extended in the 19 municipalities of the Brussels region after the threshold of 50 daily cases per 100,000 people was crossed, the regional government said.
Belgium has one of the highest per capita death rates from COVID-19 in the world and infections are again rising after earlier success in bringing the epidemic under control.
The number of cases in the country of around 11.5 million people topped 75,000 on Wednesday. Nearly 10,000 deaths have been registered.
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Rachel Baxendale 6.20pm: Victoria repeatedly rejected ADF assistance
Victorian authorities rebuffed ADF assistance with compliance in the state’s bungled hotel quarantine program at least half a dozen times, according to defence department records.
A detailed timeline of engagement between six ADF liaison officers stationed at Emergency Management Victoria headquarters and from March 21, and Defence headquarters, shows a standing offer of assistance by ADF personnel in hotels was repeatedly rejected.
The records contradict the version of events conveyed on Wednesday by Premier Daniel Andrews and his Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp, who says he neither sought nor was offered ADF assistance with the hotel quarantine program during crucial planning meetings on March 27 and 28.
Max Maddison 5.50pm: New Zealand cluster grows amid testing blitz
New Zealand’s cluster of coronavirus cases has grown to five, with an additional four cases suspected, as health authorities scramble to test 200 close contacts.
A widespread testing blitz has been launched after health officials learned two members of the infected family visited Rotorua - around three hours south of Auckland - while symptomatic, while a third, also symptomatic, went to work at a finance company.
All suspected cases are linked to the original family who returned positive tests on Tuesday, while the confirmed case is a woman in her 50s, who arrived in New Zealand from Islamabad on August 7.
Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the four suspected cases were awaiting test results.
“We will make available the test results as soon as we have them, but they are all being treated as probable cases and therefore are in full isolation and full contact tracing has been initiated for those cases,” Dr Bloomfield told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.
“Just over 200 close contacts have been identified and over a hundred of those have already been phoned and spoken with.”
With Auckland forced back into stage three lockdown, health officials remain puzzled about the source of the original infection. While genomic testing results are expected within the next 24 hours, officials suspect the infections are linked to staff working at the borders or at managed isolation facilities.
Health authorities were met with long lines at testing sites across Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington.
READ MORE: How virus mysteriously resurfaced in NZ
Max Maddison 4.05pm: Aged care allegations ‘insulting’: DCMO
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has rebuffed claims the federal government’s lack of action resulted in aged care residents dying prematurely, saying allegations that there was a lack of urgency is “frankly insulting”.
With the high stakes royal commission into aged care hearing about the widespread issues facing the sector throughout the pandemic, the government’s ostensible lack of preparation has been put under the spotlight.
Yet, Dr Coatsworth said many of the claims made at today’s hearings didn’t represent the true extent of the commonwealth’s response.
“There were many words used in the royal commission witness statements today that perhaps don’t reflect the totality of the government’s response, both at federal and state level to preventing deaths in aged care,” Dr Coatsworth told a daily briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
“This is a virus that disproportionately affects the aged in our community. That is not a statement of futility, it is a statement of fact.
“So the assertion that there was an attitude of futility towards death in residential aged care in Australia is frankly insulting to the entire Australian community who locked down to prevent deaths amongst our most vulnerable.”
In addition, Dr Coatsworth said the country had 429 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19. Eighteen from NSW, 410 in Victoria and one case diagnosed in Tasmania, which is currently under investigation. There were 21 new deaths overnight.
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Paul Garvey 3.30pm: Exemptions granted to 7000 people in WA
Almost 7000 people have been granted exemptions from Western Australia’s coronavirus quarantine requirements since April.
As the number of active coronavirus cases in Western Australia fell to just one, figures tabled in WA’s parliament showed that 6,661 people had been granted quarantine exemptions over the past four months. The figures also showed some 35,243 people from interstate and some 7,093 people from overseas had been allowed to enter WA between 12 May and 10 August.
Opposition health spokesman Zak Kirkup said he was horrified by the number of quarantine exemptions.
“This shows once again that the Labor government’s hard border is a myth and it is pure luck that Western Australia has not been exposed to the devastation of a mass outbreak of COVID-19 like Victoria has experienced,” he said.
WA premier Mark McGowan told reporters on Wednesday that the quarantine exemptions included commonwealth, defence and health officials as well as exemptions on compassionate grounds. Many of the exemptions were also aircrew from domestic flights.
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Sarah Elks 3.26pm: Hotel quarantine escapee hands himself back in
A Toowoomba man who absconded from hotel quarantine has handed himself back in.
Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the man left yesterday from the Toowoomba motel, after allegedly entering Queensland illegally from NSW.
He had tested negative for COVID-19, and he absconded on day 9 of the 14-day quarantine.
Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said police would investigate how the man managed to leave the hotel quarantine, which is monitored by police officers in Queensland, not private security guards as in other states.
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Mackenzie Scott 3.20pm: HomeBuilder helps new home sales rise 64pc
New home sales have risen by almost two thirds on the back of the federal government’s HomeBuilder stimulus package which helped to buoy the turbulent building sector, according to Housing Industry Association analysis
The onset of the pandemic in March saw the highly reactive new home sales market plunge as consumer confidence fell. But in the two months following the June announcement of the $668m grants package, sales numbers have bounced 64.4 per cent compared to the two months prior.
Chief Economist at the HIA, Tim Reardon, said the $25,000 grant to eligible new residential homes, together with the improving health conditions and easing of restrictions across most jurisdictions, caused confidence in the market to improve.
“Housing data has been ricocheting through the COVID-19 period,” Mr Reardon said.
“While we are cautious of over interpreting data from only two months, this is a clear indication that HomeBuilder will help protect jobs in the sector in the second half of 2020 and into 2021. Additional sales data in August will be required before drawing accurate conclusions.”
West Australia has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the grant program, aided by strong affordability and additional state government grants and concessions, with sales most states recording gains over in the two months following the announcement
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Sarah Elks 3.10pm: Could Broncos be booted from NRL over breaches?
The Queensland government will wait for the outcome of a police and NRL investigation before deciding whether the Brisbane Broncos should be booted from the competition for repeated COVID-19 breaches.
The Queensland Police Service is investigating allegations several Broncos breached the NRL’s strict coronavirus rules and left the “bubble” by attending an event at a Brisbane pub on August 1.
Health Minister and Deputy Premier Steven Miles said rugby league players were expected to follow the strict rules.
“We’ve been clear all along, being able to run the competition is a privilege for the NRL,” Mr Miles said.
He was asked whether the government would consider kicking the Broncos out of the competition. Mr Miles said he wanted to see the results of the investigation before “jumping to judgement”.
Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said there was “quite a large” number of the Broncos playing group at the pub.
He would not say whether any of the players had given false names when signing in at the pub, or what the allegations were against them.
Police will conclude an investigation and then hand the matter over to the Queensland Health authorities and the NRL to investigate any alleged breaches to the rugby league “bubble”.
READ MORE: Broncos players under review after pub visit
Rachel Baxendale 2.40pm: Workplaces where you’re most likely to catch virus
Aged care is by far the most common known site of transmission for coronavirus in Victoria, followed by schools, abattoirs and hospitals, according to data released on Wednesday by the state’s health department.
The data shows 2453 of the 15,646 cases of COVID-19 in Victoria since the pandemic began have been linked to aged or residential care facilities.
This is followed by 630 cases linked to schools, 551 linked to abattoirs, 540 linked to hospital or healthcare settings, and 439 linked to warehouses.
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Rachel Baxendale 2.28pm: Hotels ‘safe despite grog sales scheme’
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says he is confident vulnerable people in the state’s hotel quarantine system are safe, despite a departmental official being stood down yesterday after The Australian made inquiries over allegations he had been scheming to sell liquor to alcohol-dependent people in hotel quarantine.
While Victoria has not taken overseas arrivals into hotel quarantine for over a month, after genomic sequencing linked “at least a significant proportion” of the state’s second wave of coronavirus cases to breaches in the system, COVID-positive people from housing commission towers, their close contacts, health workers, and other vulnerable people who need to isolate are being put up in quarantine hotels.
Asked whether the health official’s alleged actions showed the Andrews government was still incapable of properly managing hotel quarantine, despite an overhaul which saw police and Corrections Victoria staff take over from private security guards, Mr Andrews said, “no”.
“No … It shows that that person has been involved in appalling conduct and because there’s a zero tolerance for that sort of conduct, he’s been stood down,” Mr Andrews said.
“The circumstances of that will be investigated. That’s appropriate. I think the notion of procedural fairness is very important, but that person’s been stood down and we won’t hesitate, his superiors, the secretary of the department won’t hesitate to act against him if any of those matters are proven.”
Asked whether he could be certain the official’s behaviour wasn’t more widespread, Mr Andrews said swift action had been taken.
“I certainly don’t believe we’re seeing that sort of behaviour, but again, part of this is the Secretary of the Department will need to satisfy herself that this one incident is just that, it’s a single incident, and that there are no other issues,” he said.
Asked whether the vulnerable people currently in hotel quarantine were safe, Mr Andrews said he did not believe the care and support they were being provided had ever been criticised.
“There have been clear deficiencies in some of the security arrangements, but they’re very different things,” Mr Andrews said.
Asked about the problems with infection control arrangements which previously plagued his government’s hotel quarantine system, Mr Andrews said: “Well, yeah, as you say, the vast majority of the people you’re referring to … have got the virus now.”
“We’ve got a pretty good global picture about the likelihood of being infected twice,” Mr Andrews said.
Asked about the safety from contracting COVID of those working in the quarantine hotels, Mr Andrews said he was confident everything necessary to keep people safe.
“There are many vulnerable people there and they have many varied needs, some very complex, people that are in there, and I’m confident that we are providing for them,” Mr Andrew said.
“What went on, allegedly, with that particular individual, is shameful. He’s been stood down, and if these things are proven, he will be sacked.”
READ MORE: Isolation hotel chief axed in grog scandal
Remy Varga 2.24pm: ‘Just chilling’: 10 men fined over curfew breach
A group of men “just chilling” in a parked car in the inner northern Melbourne suburb of Flemington are among the latest public health breaches.
Victoria Police have also fined multiple people in the last 24-hours for visiting convenience stores to purchase cigarettes, food and drinks in breach of the 8pm to 5am curfew.
In total, 184 fines have been issued including 24 for failing to wear a mask or face covering and 58 for curfew breaches.
There 16 fines issued at vehicle checkpoints at Melbourne’s lockdown zone.
Imogen Reid 2.07pm: NSW won’t follow Victoria on lockdowns
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has revealed New South Wales will not follow the same strategy used by Victoria or New Zealand if lockdowns are needed to stamp out outbreaks in certain areas around the state.
She said while NSW is very much “in control” of the clusters, the state government will not adopt the same response used in Melbourne or New Zealand.
“We have watched closely what has happened in New Zealand and Victoria. I also want to commend the police for leading a number of scenarios where we have discussed what might happen if we have to go down that path,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Without passing any judgment or commentary, and I think about the Premier of Victoria every day, the pressure they are under, but it seems apparent that any future scenario would involve cities rather than postcodes or local governments areas.”
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Imogen Reid 1.44pm: Isolation order for five new NSW venues
NSW Health has added five new locations to their list of impacted venues, including a shopping hub in Parramatta that was visited by a positive twice in one week.
Anyone who attended the following venues during the dates and times below have been advised to isolate, monitor and test for COVID-19 should any symptoms present, however mild:
Parramatta Westfield on 5 August between 4pm-5:30pm and 8 August between 12pm – 1pm
Rhodes Ikea on 8 August, between 1:20pm -2:20pm
Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club from 5pm on 7 August to 1:30am on 8 August
Castle Towers Shopping Centre on 7 August between 3:30pm – 5pm
Baby Bunting, Penrith on Saturday 8 August between 1.15pm – 1.45pm
Of the state’s known clusters, there are now 116 cases linked to Thai Rock in Wetherill Park, 68 infections linked to the funeral events in Bankstown and surrounding suburbs, 11 cases associated with the Batemans Bay Soldiers’ Club and 19 infections included in the Tangara School Cherrybrook cluster.
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Remy Varga 1.00pm: Forensic audit of hotel security contracts
Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions Secretary Simon Phemister says government contracts with private security firms allowed subcontracting, which he said was necessary due to the scale of the operation.
“We’re doing a forensic audit of the contracts,” he said.
Mr Phemister said his department raised the need for a Victoria Police presence at the hotel quarantine program.
Mr Phemister said he assumed the deputy state controller overseeing the program would have consulted with experts, with the department sending a series of emails over the need for a police presence.
“We raised it through the appropriate escalation points, those emails were directed to the deputy state controller,” he said.
“If they’re the ones I’m assuming the deputy state controller consulted the experts, I’m assuming, and addressed our concerns and we continued under the direction of the expert agencies.”
Mr Phemister said the deputy state controller was Chris Eagle.
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Imogen Reid 12.11pm: Sydney cluster strategy: ‘Wear a mask’
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has again stressed the importance of wearing face masks in situations where adequate social distancing cannot be guaranteed.
However, authorities are still holding back from making them mandatory in NSW.
“Whilst compliance is increasing and we’re pleased with the take-up that has been there, we need it to go further because our concern is the accumulation of unknown sources” Ms Berejiklian said.
Echoing the Premier, Health Minister Brad Hazzard said masks should be worn on public transport, at places of worship and shopping centres.
“If you’re on public transport, you really should be wearing a mask. We’re not making it mandatory at this stage but we’re certainly saying to the community, wear a mask,” Mr Hazzard said.
“It’s not a matter of actually asking whether it’s ok to do it, it’s a case of just do it.”
Ms Berejiklian urged communities in western Sydney and southwestern Sydney, where there has been a higher level of community transmission, to come forward for testing.
“We know for some communities, that is not something that they’re used to doing,” she said.
“But we really need to know that anyone who has the mildest of symptoms and anyone who feels that they may have been exposed because they’re a direct contact or a venue they may have visited, or a place of worship, may have been compromised with exposure. We really need people to come forward and get tested.”
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Remy Varga 11.56am: Minister bats question over botched hotel quarantine
Jobs Minister Martin Pakula says the responsibility of infection control management lay with the Department of Health and Human Services.
“I’m not speaking to the individual responsibility of ministers, I’m saying that under the operational plan, the operational control and the responsibility for infection control and health matters lay with the department of Health and Human Services,” he said.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos fronted the parliamentary hearing into the state government’s COVID response on Tuesday, but declined to say who was responsible for botched program that unleashed Victoria’s coronavirus second wave.
Jobs Secretary Simon Phemister said it wasn’t his department’s decision to use private security guards, which he said was made by a multi-agency meeting attended by two of his staff members.
He said the Jobs department played no role in detention at all, instead fulfilling ancillary roles such as concierge services.
He said there was a “very pivotal meeting” at 4.30pm on March 27, which was attended by two of his staff members.
“We all put forward our views, defer to the experts when it came to matters of security when it came to matters of health protection and public health,” he said.
And from that meeting an operational plan was struck … We didn’t offer any advice into that meeting in areas where we don’t hold expertise, including security.”
Mr Phemister said the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions was commissioned to hire private security contractors after this meeting.
Mr Phemister says EMV Commissioner Andrew Crisp chaired the meeting on March 27 where the decision to use private security guards was made.
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Imogen Reid 11.49am: Pieces missing in Tangara school puzzle
Addressing the cluster at the Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said she would not confirm that five students contacted the virus while on a study retreat while investigations into the cluster continue.
However, she said some of those five students had since tested positive for the virus.
“We have some hypotheses, but that person is not linked to a known cluster as well,” Dr Chant said.
“So until we have all the pieces of the picture, I think it’s improper for me to speculate.”
She said authorities are still working to identify the source of the outbreak.
“We haven’t identified the exact chain of transmission of how this virus got into Tangara,” Dr Chant said.
Two new cases have been linked to the cluster, taking the total number of infections to 19.
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Imogen Reid 11.38am: Hotel fee waived for NSW returnees from Victoria
NSW residents returning from Victoria have been given a “grace period” before they will be required to pay for mandatory hotel quarantine.
The fee will be waived for the next month to ease the financial burden on returnees.
“The government has, the premier particularly and the deputy premier, considered the issues around the equity of New South Wales residents who might want to come back from Victoria and the fairness issue is driving what we’re doing here, announcing that as of the next month, starting tomorrow, New South Wales residents can fly back into sydney and they won’t have to pay for their quarantine,” NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.
“They certainly will have to do the quarantine because that is a major preventer in terms of the spread of the virus.”
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Remy Varga 11.27am: Stage Four restrictions ‘here until mid September’
Victoria’s Treasury department is forecasting that stage-four restrictions will last until at least mid September before the state transitions back to stage-three.
Fronting a parliamentary hearing into the state government’s handling of the crisis, Treasury Secretary David Martine said department modelling assumed the state would be back under stage-two restrictions by December.
“We’re assuming for the remainder of the September quarter that we move from stage four into stage three,” he said.
“So that takes us to the end of September.”
Around 250,000 Victorian jobs are expected to be lost in the state due to stage-four restrictions, which imposed restrictions on businesses and industries such as construction and meatworks.
As well, stage-four imposes on Melbourne residents an 8pm curfew, a one-hour daily exercise limit and a one-person limit per household on essential shopping.
A six-week stage four lockdown began on August 2, when Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire residents were already three-weeks into a stage-three restriction period.
The Victorian government budgeted $80 million for the bungled hotel quarantine system, which is believed to have unleashed Victoria’s deadly coronavirus second wave.
Victorian Jobs Minister Martin Pakula told a state parliamentary hearing on Wednesday the scheme, which saw returning travellers detained for a mandatory two-week period in hotels, was budgeted in the vicinity of $80 million.
“It was a budget allocation made specifically for the purpose of booking hotels, it came out of consolidated revenue.”
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Sarah Elks 11.21am: Man absconds from Queensland quarantine
Police are hunting for a man who has absconded from COVID-19 quarantine in the Queensland city of Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.
Police Minister Mark Ryan told parliament that police were currently searching for a man who had breached mandatory hotel quarantine in Toowoomba.
“The man returned from a NSW hotspot and was directed to hotel quarantine for 14 days. Police will allege the man has left on his ninth day in quarantine. The man has, however, received a negative COVID-19 test and is not considered to be a high risk to the community.”
“Can I assure the House and also all Queenslanders, that the police will be very proactive in ensuring they search for this man and apprehend him. It is a very serious matter to breach quarantine and there will be serious consequences for this man as well.”
READ MORE: Vic lockdown sinks east coast confidence
Imogen Reid 11.11am: NSW records 18 new cases as Sydney cluster grows
NSW has recorded 18 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 3,726.
Of those new cases, 13 were locally acquired and linked to known cases, one is a returned traveller, two were locally acquired without a known source and two were acquired in Victoria.
NSW Health confirmed a second health care worker at Hornsby Hospital has been diagnosed with coronavirus, but said they did not work while infectious.
“Staff who had contact with the first positive case have been self-isolating for 14 days and tested for COVID-19,” NSW Health said.
A third confirmed case has been identified at Our Lady of Mercy College, however health authorities have not been able to trace the source of infection.
“Due to the concern about the virus spreading within the school, NSW Health and the school agreed to close the high school for 14 days to allow for contact tracing and to reduce the risk of the virus spreading at the school,” NSW Health said.
The state health authority also announced that the Tangara School for Girls cluster has now been linked to 19 cases, increasing by two since Tuesday.
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Rachel Baxendale 11.01am: Aged care deaths majority of 21 fatalities
The record 21 coronavirus deaths in Victoria in the 24 hours to Wednesday include 16 cases linked to aged care.
Among the recent deaths are those of two women and one man in their 70s, six women and five men in their 80s, five men and one woman in their 90s, and one woman in her 100s.
The state’s death toll now stands at 267, 247 of which have occurred since July 5.
There are 662 Victorias in hospital with coronavirus on Wednesday, including 43 in intensive care, of whom 25 are on ventilators.
Despite 410 new cases of coronavirus being recorded in the 24 hours to Wednesday, the number of active cases has fallen by three in that time, from 7880 on Tuesday to 7877 on Wednesday.
Sadly this is partly due to the 21 deaths, but also due to almost as many recoveries as new cases.
There have now been 15,646 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria since the pandemic began.
The number of cases with an unknown source has increased to 2961.
This does not include 2151 cases which remained under investigation on Tuesday, as well as a proportion of Wednesday’s new cases which are yet to be linked to known outbreaks.
Victoria’s positive test rate has risen to 2.06 per cent, the highest rate since 3.02 per cent last Wednesday, and down from a low of 0.95 per cent on Sunday.
The rate comes from 410 positive and 19,927 tests processed in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
There have been 1,874,615 tests processed since the pandemic began.
There are 1079 active cases in health workers in Victoria on Wednesday – a decrease of 106 cases since Tuesday.
The number of active cases linked to aged care has risen by 91 since Tuesday, to 1929.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said there had been increases “of concern” in regional centres including Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.
Regional Victoria remains in Stage Three lockdown, while Melbourne is in much stricter Stage Four.
READ MORE: Hundreds in aged care ‘dying prematurely’
Imogen Reid 10.48am: Study centre linked to school closed for cleaning
The study centre linked to the Tangara School for Girls cluster in the Sydney suburb of Cherrybrook has closed for deep cleaning.
The Eremeran Hills Study Centre in Pennant Hills confirmed reports that a number of Tangara students had attended a retreat organised by the Catholic Opus Dei centre.
“At this state we can confirm that there was a recent retreat attended by 5 high school girls in year 10 an 11 organised by Eremeran,” read a statement on the Eremeran website.
“We are assisting NSW Health in their endeavours to ascertain whether this may have contributed to the outbreak.
“It is not possible to comment further at this time as NSW Health is continuing its contact tracing and investigation into the source of the outbreak. We also have a responsibility to respect the privacy of the affected individuals and families.”
It comes after the total number of cases linked with the school cluster jumped to 17 on Tuesday, after growing to three infections on Sunday and nine on Monday.
Health authorities are still investigating the source of infection, but the retreat has been considered a likely catalyst for the cluster.
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Rachel Baxendale 10.29am: Labor blocks Andrews recall to hearing over ADF
Labor has used its numbers on Victoria’s Parliamentary Accounts and Estimates Committee to block a request from the state opposition for the Premier to be recalled to correct or clarify the evidence he gave to the committee’s COVID-19 inquiry on Tuesday.
Mr Andrews told the committee the federal government had not offered ADF personnel to run its hotel quarantine scheme.
However, the federal Department of Defence approved a request signed on June 24 by Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp for 850 ADF personnel to provide “compliance and monitoring support” at quarantine hotels.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds directly contradicted Mr Andrews’s version of events on Tuesday, saying Defence had approached all states and territories over the need for ADF support with hotel quarantine following an offer by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on March 27.
“On 28 March, 2020, Victorian authorities advised that Victoria was not seeking ADF assistance with mandatory quarantine arrangements,” Senator Reynolds said.
At the opening of Wednesday’s PAEC hearing, Liberal MP Richard Riordan asked that Mr Andrews be recalled to correct or clarify his evidence.
Labor chair Lizzie Blandthorn, who has the casting vote on the committee, refused Mr Riordan’s request.
The committee is made up of five Labor members, three from the Coalition, one Green and one Liberal Democrat.
READ MORE: Reynolds scotches Andrews’ ADF claim
Rachel Baxendale 10.16am: ‘No request for ADF’: Victorian emergency chief
Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp has issued a statement saying he did not seek ADF assistance as part of the state’s bungled hotel quarantine scheme, but failing to address the fact that he signed off on a request to the federal government for ADF personnel on June 24.
READ the full story here
STEPHEN LUNN 10.05am: Coronavirus ‘worst disaster’ for aged care
Professor Joseph Ibrahim, head of health law and ageing research institute at Monash University’s department of forensic medicine, told the commission the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the aged care sector is the “worst disaster” in his career.
“In my opinion, hundreds of residents are, and will, die prematurely because people have failed to act. There‘s a …. lack of urgency. There’s an attitude of futility which leads to an absence of action,” he told the commission.
Professor Ibrahim said aged care providers were relying on advance care plans of residents as a method of managing the pandemic inside care homes, and there was a focus by authorities on leaving residents in settings that have been affected by COVID.
“I think (this) is wrong and inappropriate. We have the knowledge to do better.”
“We all because we have treated residents as second class citizens. There‘s an absence of accountability. There are no consequences for failing to deliver good care in aged care,” Professor Ibrahim said.
The commission will also hear today from federal health secretary Brendan Murphy and the aged care regulator, the aged care quality and safety commissioner Janet Anderson.
READ MORE: Sick, sedated, trapped in homes
Rachel Baxendale 10.00am: Andrews to address media at 10.45am
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is due to address the media at 10.45am.
The Premier’s press conference comes as his Treasurer Tim Pallas faces questions at a Parliamentary Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing.
Jobs Minister Martin Pakula, whose department oversaw crucial aspects of the government’s bungled hotel quarantine program, is due to front the inquiry from 11.15am.
READ MORE: Schools extend helping hand to families
Sarah Elks 9.45am: Swans, Dockers to move to Cairns
The Sydney Swans and Fremantle Dockers AFL teams will base themselves in Cairns for the rest of the season, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced.
The state announced zero new cases again overnight, with Ms Palaszczuk telling parliament the good health response allowed AFL and other codes to flourish in the state.
Queensland will also trial a program of allowing COVID-19 testing to occur at pharmacies, which Ms Palaszczuk said were often the first places people with symptoms went for advice.
The state has 11 active cases, and 1089 total confirmed cases.
More than 8000 tests were conducted overnight, of a total 693,707 tests since the start of the pandemic in Queensland.
Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles said the result represented 11 days in Queensland without community transmission.
The pharmacy testing trial will allow community pharmacies across the state to take part in the pilot program.
“This trial is about making testing even more accessible,” Mr Miles told parliament.
“Community pharmacies are accessible, trusted places in Queensland (including the regions).”
Pharmacists will be provided with extra training to conduct the testing, and samples will continue to be analysed by Queensland Health, Mr Miles said.
People who are tested will still be required to stay home and isolate until they get a negative test result.
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Imogen Reid 9.30am: AMA chief ‘more worried about NSW than ever’
The president of the Australian Medical Association NSW says she is more worried now than she has been “at any other stage during this pandemic”, and has called on residents to start taking the pandemic more seriously.
Dr Danielle McMullen said NSW had become complacent despite the increasing number of clusters.
“The fact we have community transmission, particularly cases where we don’t know where they’ve come from, means we all really need to be taking action to reduce the spread,” she told the Today show.
“I’m more worried now than I have been at any other stage during this pandemic.
“The general public needs to take this seriously and realise it is a big issue, it hasn’t gone away and it is not the time to be complacent.”
Dr McMullen said the NSW government needed to introduce harsher social distancing restrictions to contain the spread of the virus.
“In NSW we need to see firmer restrictions, particularly in hospitality venues, so pubs and clubs, and really get the public or more restrictions to consider how much we’re moving around the community at the moment,” she said.
READ MORE: ‘Dad died without knowing he had virus’
Imogen Reid 9.20am: Family travelled in NZ while infectious
The New Zealand family who have tested positive for COVID-19 with no known source visited Rotorua in the country’s North Island while infectious.
New Zealand’s Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the family are still in strict isolation at home while health authorities determine whether they will be moved into a quarantine facility in Auckland.
“Following further interviews with the public health unit with the people who have tested positive, that has revealed that one of the cases, a woman in her 20s, travelled to Rotorua on Saturday while symptomatic,” Dr Bloomfield said.
“A family of four that travelled to Rotorua. We are working with urgency to find out what places the family have visited while in Rotorua over the weekend.”
Dr Bloomfield announced that the entire workplace of one of those infected has been shut down while every staff member undergoes testing.
He said the New Zealand government’s decision to reintroduce harsh restrictions was prompted by the worsening situation occurring in Melbourne.
“We have seen in other countries, and jurisdictions, like in Victoria … where a resurgence occurs that is incredibly important to act early,” Dr Bloomfield said.
“Where the level of alert that we are implementing here in New Zealand was not implemented in Victoria until some weeks after their first cases reappeared in the community.
“That is why we are responding strongly and quickly. We have the systems to stamp it out. We have done it before and can do it again.”
READ MORE: Play it safe — seated venues find their feet
Rachel Baxendale 9.05am: Victoria records 21 deaths, 410 new cases
Victoria has yet again recorded its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic, after 21 people died in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
The daily death toll comes after a previous record of 19 deaths in the 24 hours to Tuesday, and 18 in the 24 hours to Monday.
There have been 410 new cases in the 24 hours to Wednesday, up from 331 on Tuesday, 322 on Monday and 394 on Sunday.
The seven-day daily average has nevertheless fallen to its lowest figure in 18 days, at 406.
This is in large part due to today’s 410 new cases replacing last Wednesday’s record 725 new figures in the calculations.
There were 410 new cases of #coronavirus (#COVID19) detected in Victoria in the last 24 hours. We are sad to report that there have been 21 deaths.#Covid19VicData pic.twitter.com/ddHx2bCGmu
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) August 11, 2020
READ MORE: State in slow lane to recovery
Imogen Reid 8.48am: Two Sydney shopping centres linked to positive case
Two shopping centres in Sydney’s west and northwest have been linked to a positive COVID-19 case after being visited by infected patrons last week.
Staff at the Westfield shopping centre at Parramatta were notified by NSW Health that an infected person visited the complex on August 5 during the afternoon. Workers have been advised the risk to them and customers was “low”.
An infected shopper also visited Castle Towers shopping centre in Castle Hill on August 7 between 3.30pm and 5.30pm.
They spent most of their time in the food court on Level 1 which has now been cleaned along with the rest of the centre.
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Imogen Reid 8.21am: Andrews ‘caught with his pants on fire’
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been “caught with his pants on fire”, says Liberal Senator Matt Canavan, after he was accused of lying during a parliamentary inquiry into the state’s hotel quarantine fiasco.
Yesterday Mr Andrews fervently rebuked any suggestion the Australian Defence Force offered the Victorian government assistance to run the hotel quarantine scheme.
However, Mr Canavan said the Premier was attempting to mislead the parliament.
“You can’t mislead a parliament, even if you’re doing it by Zoom. That’s no excuse,” he told the Today show.
“And that is exactly what Daniel Andrews has done yesterday. He has misled the parliament.
“So Daniel Andrews needs to go back to the parliament and correct the record as soon as possible. That is what you do when you mislead the parliament.
“People have been asking for answers for months from this government and the first they’ve given, clearly are misleading ones.”
READ MORE: Reynolds scotches Andrews’ ADF claim
Staff writers 8.07am: Biden picks Harris for ‘pandemic election’
With the US election looming in November and Americans facing an uncertain future with the pandemic creating confusion and stretching the nation’s health system, Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden has named Kamala Harris, a high-profile senator from California, as his vice-presidential pick.
Former president Barack Obama said that Mr Biden had “nailed this decision” in a lengthy statement.
“Now Joe has an ideal partner to help him tackle the very real challenges America faces right now and in the years ahead,” Mr Obama said, calling Harris “more than prepared for the job.” He highlighted her personal and professional background, saying “She’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake.”
READ the full story here
Imogen Reid 7.38am: South Coast restaurant closed after Tangara link
NSW Health has issued a fresh warning after two people linked to the Tangara School for Girls cluster in Cherrybrook travelled to Shoalhaven on the state’s south coast while infectious.
The pair dined at a local restaurant called Wildginger in Huskisson on Saturday 8 August from 8pm.
The venue said they are “devastated” by the news and will be closed for the next two weeks while the staff undergo two weeks self-isolating.
“Please be advised that at this time, none of our staff have tested positive for COVID-19 and the incident was from patrons visiting from Sydney,” the restaurant said in a post on Facebook.
“The matter has now been taken over and is being handled by the NSW Department of Health. They will be directly contacting anyone who was at Wildginger during the ‘at risk hours.’”
READ MORE: Strewth — Covid cluster nears cabinet
Erin Lyons 7.21am: School outbreak linked to religious ‘retreat’
A study and prayer retreat may have triggered an outbreak of COVID-19 at Tangara School for Girls, Cherrybrook, in Sydney’s northwest.
As of 8pm Tuesday, 17 cases had been linked to the school, including 11 students and a staff member. The rest are believed to be close contacts.
“The original source of this cluster remains under investigation,” NSW Health said on Tuesday.
However, The Sydney Morning Herald reports several students who tested positive attended a retreat at a convention centre in Bargo.
The school said it did not arrange the retreat and that it was co-ordinated by the Eremeran study centre with the Catholic organisation Opus Dei.
The school’s secondary campus remains closed until August 24 while the junior campus was scheduled to reopen today, for students whose parents need to send their children to school.
“All students, staff and support staff of the secondary school must self-isolate for 14 days and get tested, regardless of symptoms,” the health department said.
It encouraged students at the primary school to monitor symptoms and get tested no matter how mild.
Parramatta Public School will also be closed today after a student tested positive to COVID-19.
“We wish to advise that Parramatta Public School will be non-operational for on-site learning tomorrow. All students will undertake at home learning tomorrow,” the school said.
It’s outside school hours care program has been suspended.
“All staff and students are asked to self-isolate while contact tracing occurs,” the school said.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged schools to cancel any extra-curricular activities.
“Extra-curricular activities, those excursions and overnight things which ordinarily you would do, are not acceptable during a pandemic,” she said.
NSW recorded 22 new coronavirus on Tuesday.
Sixteen were locally acquired and linked to known cases, four were returned travellers in hotel quarantine, one was from Victoria and one remains under investigation. -NCA
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Imogen Reid 7.06am: Lebanon case numbers surge after blast
Lebanon has seen a record daily increase in the number of coronavirus cases after the blast at the Beirut port that has overwhelmed already cramped hospitals. Lebanon’s total now stands at 7121 cases and 87 deaths since February.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands plans to introduce mandatory home quarantine for people identified by local authorities as having been in close contact with somebody infected with COVID-19 and for travellers returning home from high-risk countries.
Germany has extended a partial travel warning for Spain to the capital Madric and the Basque region. The foreign ministry has also warned against any unnecessary tourist trips amid rising infection rates.
The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has declared it safe for children to return to school in September despite reports the virus can spread between secondary school pupils as quickly and fiercely as it does between adults.
Mr Johnson said he had “no doubt” schools would be able to reopen, but stressed the need to remain vigilant to control the virus.
Experts are sounding the alarm on Russia’s announcement to approve a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing.
Immunologists and infectious disease experts have called the move “reckless” without a complete trial data to show whether the vaccine will work. They have also warned that potential adverse effects of the treatment may not be picked up in time before it goes into production.
Globally, there have been more than 20 million people infected with the virus, while the total number of COVID-19 deaths is 738,266.
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Staff writers 6.40am: Shoppers try to force supermarket doors
Panic buying has returned to Auckland supermarkets ahead of the city going into lockdown at midday today (10am AEST).
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern begged people to refrain from a supermarket rush but within hours of her announcing Stage 3 lockdown for Auckland, long queues began forming in front of supermarkets.
In one video posted online, security guards can be seen trying to control a stream of shoppers forcing their way through the doors of supermarket Countdown in the south Auckland suburb of New Lynn.
Police are at New Lynn Countdown after people ripped the doors open when security tried to control the amount of people rushing in. That woman is saying she needs food for her kid. This ain’t it Auckland. pic.twitter.com/PDf1Oe26Mx
— Matt Manukia (@MattManukiaTVNZ) August 11, 2020
Just a few moments before. pic.twitter.com/lt6OYo7ran
— Matt Manukia (@MattManukiaTVNZ) August 11, 2020
“Please do not rush to the supermarket tonight … there is no reason to rush out and make any purchases this evening,” Ms Ardern said as she announced restrictions.
“You’ll even be able to get a takeaway coffee.”
The New Lynn supermarket was forced to close shortly before 10.30pm, an hour and a half early, after it was overrun by the shoppers.
READ MORE: Dogs a boost to lockdown survival
Max Maddison 6.00am: Auckland cluster puts NZ on alert
New Zealand has been plunged back into a second round of tougher COVID-19 restrictions after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed four new cases from a single family on Tuesday.
With the source of the infection unknown, Ms Ardern said Auckland, where the family lives, would enter a four-day “level-three” lockdown until noon on Friday.
The rest of the country would be under level-two restrictions for the same time.
The new cases end a 102-day run without a community transmission of coronavirus in New Zealand.
“We’re asking people in Auckland to stay home to stop the spread,” Ms Ardern said.
“Act as if you have COVID, and as though people around you have COVID.”
Health authorities were first alerted when a man in his 50s was tested at their GP.
Health officials tested all six members of the family, three of whom tested positive.
READ the full story here
Rebecca Urban 5.45am: Schools extend helping hand to families
The high price of schooling is placing as many as 70 per cent of families under financial pressure, as the coronavirus forces schools to reduce or suspend tuition costs.
A survey of 1800 families with children attending government and non-government schools has revealed even those with higher incomes are not immune, with more than half those on more than $180,000 a year reporting some degree of financial pressure.
The Futurity Parents Report Card, released on Tuesday, highlights how susceptible schools are to the impact of the pandemic.
It comes as non-government schools across Victoria, including Carey Grammar School, Lauriston Girls School, St Kevin’s College and Melbourne Grammar School, have offered families continued fee discounts or rebates on activity payments.
Belgrave Heights Christian School in the Yarra Ranges has redeployed money set aside for a new building to a crisis and recovery fund to support families experiencing financial hardship. It has so far been accessed by the parents of 70 students, almost 10 per cent of the school’s enrolment.
Futurity Investment Group executive Kate Hill said the survey of the financial firm’s members, conducted on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, found that a majority of families were already feeling the pressure from school fees, with 8 per cent claiming the pressure was negatively influencing their quality of life.
READ the full story here.
Damon Johnston 5.30am: Health chief axed over ‘flogging grog’
A senior Victorian public health official was axed on Tuesday night after complaints he was scheming to sell grog for profit to alcohol-dependent guests at two city hotels used in the government’s coronavirus isolation program.
Just hours after The Australian submitted questions about the allegations against the Department of Health and Human Services manager, the government acted swiftly to remove the public servant and order an investigation into the scandal.
“A DHHS employee has been stood down from his role at the Brady Hotel,” a spokesman for the Department of Justice and Community Safety said.
“A formal investigation is underway. These are serious allegations and, if substantiated, are completely unacceptable conduct for a government employee. It would be inappropriate to comment any further.”
The public servant’s dramatic removal pitches the Andrews government’s domestic hotel quarantine program at The Brady Hotel and The Grand Chancellor into a crisis, and follows the bungling of the international hotel quarantine program. According to a written complaint, seen by The Australian, the DHHS official made the comment during a debate over whether guests at the Brady Hotel and the Grand Chancellor should be provided with alcohol.
READ the full story here.
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