Coronavirus Australia live news: Scott Morrison evokes Paul Keating on recession
Scott Morrison issues a warning and evokes Paul Keating as recession bites and jobless rate climbs to 7.1pc.
- PM borrows Keating recession line
- Jobless rate surges by 227,000
- Victoria records 18 new cases
- Beijing’s second wave worsens
- PM: Borders should be opened
- No overseas flights until 2021
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. The PM has reworked Paul Keating’s recession line, while warning of more job losses. The unemployment rate has hit 7.1pc after 227,000 jobs were lost in May. Victoria has recorded 18 new cases, as community transmissions continue. Beijing has warned of ‘serious danger’ as it faces a spike in cases. Border closures and the clampdown on interstate travel are costing nearly 5000 jobs a week, new data reveals.
Imogen Reid 8.50pm: ‘200 vaccines in development for COVID-19’: WHO
The World Health Organisation has revealed there are 200 possible vaccine options currently in development to combat COVID-19.
WHO Deputy Director-General Dr Soumya Swaminathan said 10 vaccines are in human testing, with three of them already moved on to stage three testing.
“Our goal is to accelerate the development of the vaccine but to make sure it is fair and equitable,” she said.
“We can only do that if the world comes together and agrees with this mechanism. So we are proposing a framework that could be used to decide who should be prioritised.”
Dr Swaminathan said frontline workers, those over the age of 65 and people who live in situations that are high transmission settings should be prioritised when the first round of available vaccinations roll out.
AP 6.23pm: China’s new virus outbreak easing off
A new coronavirus outbreak in Beijing saw a decline in daily cases, while the United States increased pressure on China’s leaders to reveal what they know about the pandemic.
The outbreak first detected at a wholesale market in the capital last week has infected at least 158 people in China’s biggest resurgence since the initial outbreak was brought under control in March.
The city reported 21 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, down from 31 on Wednesday. City officials said close contacts of market workers, visitors and other connections were being traced to locate all possible cases as quickly as possible, with testing and prevention measures being taken.
READ MORE: Beijing lashes Payne over ‘rubbish’ attack
Mackenzie Scott 4pm: Expats look to home with positive $A, virus response
Australia’s coronavirus health record and an attractive Australian dollar are two key factors influencing cashed-up expats in deciding to flock home, according to a new report from Knight Frank.
A new report reviewing the top end of Australia’s residential real estate market found that while the withdrawal of prestige listings throughout the coronavirus crisis shrunk the pool of available listed stock, deals were still being made off-market with little discounting.
Much of the demand for property came from the expat market, largely based in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the US and the UK.
For many of those expats who are considered high net worth (with wealth valued over $US1m [$1.45m]) and ultra high net worth individuals (wealth valued over $US30m), the low Australian dollar and relative affordability of the top end of the domestic market proved attractive. But the report also noted a distinct swing towards health and lifestyle as a buying motivator.
READ FULL STORY here.
The Mocker 3.55pm: Statue of limitations as left sifts history
Those who cite the toppling of statues as a great moment for historians refuse to accept an uneasy reality: the pasts of their heroes may be similarly murky., writes The Mocker
What are the chances of a government or local authority commissioning a statue in the next few years to honour a great achiever who happened to be heterosexual white male? To paraphrase the late satirist A.P. Herbert, he would have to be the righteous man, always thinking of others.
Prudence is his guide, his motto “First, cause not offence”. He is one who considers every potential ramification of his words and actions, and he defers to the sensitivities of his audience. His speeches can never be misconstrued, nor is he afflicted with unconscious bias. He is pure in motive and thought.
Every one of his utterances on social media is judicious and tactful. He is so wise he can discern the values of generations to come. Every book he has read, every play he has seen, every movie he has watched is free of the dreaded microaggression. Never has he been in the company of those who fail to meet these high standards.
READ FULL COLUMN here.
Agencies 3.30pm: Ruby Princess checked under ‘old’ rules
Assessment protocols which allowed the COVID-carrying Ruby Princess cruise ship to enter Sydney should have already been scrapped and re-written, a senior NSW Health official says, AAP reports.
A draft document for cruise ship health procedures dated February 19 should have been updated from March 10, nine days before the vessel docked, NSW Health executive director Dr Jeremy McAnulty told an inquiry on Thursday. The change would have been in accordance with updated information regarding suspected COVID-19 cases from the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia. It would have included testing of all passengers who had been to any country within 14 days, as well as acute respiratory illnesses with or without fever. Dr McAnulty said the risk assessment process used by the heath assessment panel to deem the ship low risk before arrival was “no longer relevant” when the ship was granted access to berth in Circular Quay on March 19.
Dr McAnulty told the inquiry the CDNA update meant the ship should never have been labelled low risk.
More than 20 coronavirus deaths across Australia have been linked to the 2700 passengers who disembarked the Ruby Princess when it arrived in Sydney on March 19.
The inquiry continues.
READ MORE: Explosive text messages from political assassin
Agencies 3.15pm: South Korea sees steady rise in new infections
South Korea has reported 59 COVID-19 cases as infections steadily rise in the capital area where half the country’s 51 million people live, AAP reports.
The figures announced Thursday by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bring the national caseload to 12,257, including 280 deaths. The agency says 39 of the new cases are in Seoul and the surrounding region, where authorities are trying to stem transmissions amid increased economic activity and eased attitudes on social distancing.
Eight new cases were linked to international arrivals. Officials are concerned the resurgence of the virus in China could bring more imported cases. South Korea has tied at least 1,379 cases to international arrivals and is requiring two-week quarantines on all passengers arriving from abroad.
READ MORE: Trad defends herself on house purchase
Richard Ferguson 2.45pm: Morrison reworks Keating line on recession
Scott Morrison has warned more Australians will likely lose their jobs after the unemployment rate jumped to 7.1 per cent on Thursday in the recession “we shouldn’t have had to have.”
The Prime Minister told the House of Representatives evoked Paul Keating in describing the recession, saying it would never have happened with coronavirus.
“Australians today are dealing with the news of some 270,000 – most half of those young people – of (their fellow citizens) having lost their jobs in May. And we know there will be more because of the recession Australia now finds itself in because of the pandemic,” he said.
“The recession has been brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. It’s the recession we weren’t going to have and we shouldn’t have had to have, Mr Speaker.
“The last recession we had in this country was described by the Labor Treasurer at the time (Mr Keating) as the recession we had to have. We should never have to have a recession and that’s what the government that had worked so hard to do, over many years.”
READ MORE: Jobless rate worst since the 1980s
Agencies 2.30pm: China opposes push to rethink Hong Kong
China said Thursday it “resolutely opposed” comments from G7 foreign ministers urging it to reconsider its proposed Hong Kong national security law, AAP reports.
At a meeting with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Hawaii, senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi said Beijing “resolutely opposes the statement made by the G7 foreign ministers on Hong Kong-related issues”, according to a statement on the foreign ministry website.
READ MORE: Troops clubbed, pushed off cliff
Agencies 2.05pm: NSW Premier attacks ‘artificial’ border limits
NSW has recorded two COVID-19 cases from a record of almost 17,400 tests, with authorities warning residents to avoid letting their guard down, AAP reports. Both coronavirus cases were in returned travellers in quarantine, NSW Health reported on Thursday, and no patients are currently in intensive care.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian rejected the idea of restricting movement between NSW and Victoria after the latter state reported 18 new cases on Thursday, including some within the community.
She labelled domestic Australian border closures “artificial” and said they were thwarting movement, business and family reconnection at a difficult time. The state’s unemployment rate was on Thursday revised upwards to 6.4 per cent. “There could be unexpected spikes and that’s the nature of a pandemic. I don’t begrudge the Victorians that – it’s not a reason to close borders with them,” she said.
“It’s ridiculous in this day and age, given how we’ve handled the virus across the nation, that state borders continue to be there – they’re artificial, thwarting economic activity, thwarting businesses reaching their potential and thwarting what Australia could be doing in terms of our supply chains, our manufacturing industry, our tourism.”
READ MORE: Albanese backflips and finds his voice
Max Maddison 1.40pm: NT says it’s virus-free, will reopen borders
The Northern Territory has “officially eradicated” coronavirus, says Chief Minister Michael Gunner, as he prepares to reopen the borders on July 17.
Having gone 28 days without a reported case of coronavirus, Mr Gunner said the Northern Territory was the “safest place in Australia”.
“That means today the Northern Territory has officially eradicated the coronavirus. The first and only place in Australia to do so,” Mr Gunner said.
“I know July 17 is too far away for some people. What I have learnt in the last few weeks is
that everyone has an opinion when to open the borders … I know I can’t make everybody happy but I can keep people safe and alive that’s why I’m listening to the expert medical advice.”
Despite multiple cases of community transmission in Victoria, Mr Gunner said it was “now tracking at an acceptable level”.
Richard Ferguson 12.50pm: Protest virus cases won’t slow reopening: PM
Scott Morrison says the growing number of COVID-positive Black Lives Matter protesters have not yet slowed the national cabinet’s push to re-open the economy.
Three people who attended the Melbourne BLM march a fortnight ago have now tested positive for coronavirus, and there were fears a COVID-19 outbreak at those rallies would slow the economy further.
The Prime Minister said in Canberra the states have not said they are changing course on their staged re-openings, but he would continue to take advice from chief medical officers.
“Despite the fact that we have had a number of people that have tested positive to coronavirus who took part in those mass gatherings, against health advice, so far, thankfully, so good,” he said. “And at this point I am not aware of any states seeking to ease up on the pace of reopening their economies. But we will keep watching the data and they are taking advice from their chief health officers, as I am from mine.”
READ MORE: Border closures costing 5000 jobs a week
Rosie Lewis 12.40pm: PM, music artists at arts roundtable
Pop singer Guy Sebastian and classical artist Mark Vincent have joined a roundtable with Scott Morrison and entertainment industry stakeholders as the sector waits for a government-funded relief package.
The Prime Minister conceded the industry was “obviously doing things very tough and the challenges will endure longer than most” but he has not revealed details of the plan, which was due to be announced as early as last week.
Other attendees in the Zoom meeting included ARIA chief executive Dan Rosen, Australian Chamber Orchestra managing director Richard Evans and The Gordon Frost Organisation managing director John Frost. There were nearly 20 attendees in total.
Funds to ensure theatres are COVID-safe and a marketing campaign to promote cultural tourism are part of a $345m suite of measures being proposed by the arts industry.
READ MORE: $345m arts ‘revival’ needed to ensure the show goes on
DAVID ROGERS 12.30pm: State by state jobless numbers revealed
The Australian dollar slipped on the jobless news to as low as 68.36 US cents from 68.75 US cents ahead of the news, while the benchmark S&P/ASX200 stock index slid further to be 1.5 per cent lower at 5900.60.
Economists had, on average, expected the unemployment rate to jump to 7.0 per cent with about 100,000 jobs lost in the month.
However, the participation rate — or the percentage of people looking for work, dropped by 0.7 percentage points to 62.9 per cent, reflecting the weak job market conditions.
The underemployment rate slipped 0.7 percentage points to 13.1 per cent and the under-utilisation rate — or the rate of people looking for more working hours — rose 0.1 percentage points to 20.2 per cent.
The biggest rise in unemployment was in Western Australia, where the jobless rate rose to 8.1 per cent from 6.1 per cent. Queensland and South Australia hit 7.9 per cent, Northern Territory rose to 7.4 per cent while New South Wales ticked up slightly to 6.4 per cent, from 6.3 per cent. Victoria’s jobless rate also rose to 6.9 per cent from 6.0 per cent. — AAP
FOLLOW THE MARKETS IN OUR TradingDay blog here
Richard Ferguson 12.15pm: PM says jobless figure is ‘heartbreaking’
Scott Morrison has called the jump in the unemployment rate “heartbreaking” and vowed to focus on growing more jobs in the post-COVID economy.
The unemployment rate has increased to 7.1 per cent from 6.2 per cent last month, and 227,000 jobs were lost in May alone.
“As heartbreaking as all of these stories are that are represented in these numbers, the sad truth is these numbers are not surprising in these circumstances,” the Prime Minister said in Canberra.
“We know there will be more in the months ahead. We are very aware of the significance blow that Australians are being hit with through the course of this pandemic. This recession will be written in the stories of those who are experiencing terrible hardship.
“While Australia is doing better than almost any other developed economy in the world, if you have lost your job, that is no comfort. So, we cannot set our expectations and what is happening elsewhere in the world.
“These statistics are a reminder to all — not that we need one — that with all the other noise about whatever else is going on, our task is simple. And that is we must get Australians back into work.”
READ MORE: Adam Creighton — Biggest jobless jump since recession we had to have
Adam Creighton 11.50am: Jobless rate surges to 7.1pc in May
The unemployment rate surged to 7.1 per cent in May, bringing about the biggest increase over two months since consistent records began in 1978, as lockdowns saw a further 227,000 workers lose their jobs.
The jobless rate rose from 6.2 per cent in April to 7.1 per cent – the highest level since late 2001 – the ABS said on Thursday, revealing the total number of hours worked in the economy were 10.2 per cent lower in May than in March, before the coronavirus pandemic.
Over two months the jobless rate has increased from 5.2 per cent to 7.1 per cent, a rise unmatched since 1978.
“The drop in employment, of close to a quarter of a million people, added to the 600,000 in April, brings the total fall to 835,000 people since March,” said Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS.
“The ABS estimates that a combined group of around 2.3 million people – around 1 in 5 employed people – were affected by either job loss between April and May or had less hours than usual for economic reasons in May,” Mr Jarvis said.
New policies to help business and households during the coronavirus pandemic have increased uncertainty around the true level of unemployment, given recipients of JobKeeper and JobSeeker aren’t necessarily classified as unemployed in the monthly labour force survey.
In late May 1.64 million people received JobSeeker or youth allowance, and a further 3.5 million were receiving JobKeepr via their employers.
The official tally of unemployed increased 85,000 to 927,000 according to the May labour force survey, which was conducted in the first week weeks of May.
The under-utilisation rate, which adds together the unemployment and underemployment rates, rose to a new record high of 20.2 per cent.
The previous time the unemployment rate increased by as much was in the 1991 recession, when the jobless rate jumped to 9.9 per cent in April.
In 1982 the jobless rate jumped from 1.3 percentage points to 8.3 per cent over the two months to October and, it rose 1.2 percentage points to 9.9 per cent over the two months to April 1991.
FOLLOW THE MARKETS IN OUR TradingDay blog here
Adeshola Ore 11.25am: Domestic violence inquiries rise
Frontline domestic violence services in NSW say they have experienced a surge in victim inquiries as coronavirus restrictions ease.
Research by Women’s Safety NSW revealed domestic violence specialists reported a 42 per cent increase in client numbers since the lockdown measures were relaxed. The peak body blamed the spike on aggressors feeling a loss of control as their victim had more freedom and ability.
The organisation’s research surveyed 43 domestic violence and family specialists from across metropolitan, regional and remote NSW during the last week of May. Of the specialists surveyed, almost half, 48 per cent, reported an increase in the percentage of high-risk cases since COVID-19 restriction began to lift compared to earlier survey periods in March and April.
If you or someone you know may be at risk, consider calling Call 1800 737 732 (1800 RESPECT).
READ MORE: Labor games exposed
Stephen Lunn 11am: One-year-old among Melbourne’s new virus cases
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said a one-year-old child from a childcare centre was among the state’s 18 new cases.
Despite the significant numbers, on top of the 21 new cases reported on Wednesday, Ms Mikakos said the easing of restrictions in Victoria scheduled for Monday would continue.
“Obviously I’m concerned about the increasing number of cases in the past few days,” she said. “Clearly we do have community transmission in Victoria. And I just want to reiterate the message to Victorians: Take this issue seriously.
“At this point in time in terms of the changes that we have already announced for Monday, they will be proceeding,” she said.
“But of course, in terms of how we go forward in the coming weeks … we will make those assessments, based on the chief Health Officers advice, as we as we see the numbers unfold.”
Ms Mikakos said the protester who tested positive for the virus, the third since it took place on January 6, was not infectious at the protest.
“They did attend the protest with a number of friends and those individuals will also be tested as part of the contract tracing that occurs,” she said.
The protester had worked two shifts at a large retail outlet in a shopping mall, Ms Mikakos said, and it had been for cleaning. It’s believed the shop is the H&M store in Melbourne’s Northland shopping centre.
READ MORE: What keeps Australia sane
Max Maddison 10.30am: Consumer confidence rebounds, report shows
Consumer confidence had rebounded to pre-crisis levels, despite the number of Australians reporting financial stress jumping significantly, new University of Melbourne survey data reveals.
Melbourne Institute’s research, which uses weekly surveys to assess the impact of COVID-19 in Australia, found over a quarter of people surveyed described their financial condition as “financially stressed” – a 10 per cent increase from the week prior.
The leap in financial stress was primarily driven by people aged between 35-44 and 45-54.
However, the survey data suggested that consumer confidence has lifted, as people reassess their views about the long term impact of the outbreak.
“Consumer confidence in Australia plummeted in April but rebounded in May and June, and is now roughly at the level before the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in January 2020,” the report said.
“Although the majority of Australians remain pessimistic about the state of the economy, expectations are shifting towards a return to a “new normal” sooner rather than later.”
READ MORE: NAB shaves mortgage rates
Rachel Baxendale 10am: Melbourne demonstrator worked while infectious
The Black Lives Matter protester who is now the third positive case from the demonstration is understood to have worked two shifts at an H&M store in Melbourne’s Northland shopping centre while infectious, with the store now closed for cleaning and all known close contacts being tested.
Two of Victoria’s other new cases are linked to unrelated childcare centres, namely Learning Century in Pakenham in Melbourne’s outer southeast, and Guardian Childcare & Education in inner city Prahran.
Victoria has now had a total of 1780 COVID-19 cases, 193 of which have unknown sources. As of Thursday, there are 81 active cases in the state.
Victoria’s death toll remains 19, with four currently in hospital including two in intensive care.
Rachel Baxendale 9.40am: Another Victoria protester tests positive
A third protester who attended the Black Lives Matter protest in Melbourne 12 days ago is among 18 people to have tested positive to coronavirus in Victoria in the past 24 hours.
Of Thursday’s new cases, eight are believed to be community transmissions, six were detected in returned overseas travellers in hotel Quarantine, three are under investigation.
The remaining case was detected in a household contact of a patient linked to a GP clinic in Croydon, in Melbourne’s outer east, taking the total number of cases in that cluster to five.
READ MORE: Virus puts brakes on super run
Richard Ferguson 9.30am: PM supports charter flight plan for students
Scott Morrison has backed an ACT plan to allow more than 300 foreign students from different countries into the nation’s capital, but warned only states with internal borders will benefit.
The Australian revealed on Wednesday that a charter flight from a central hub – with Singapore the most likely option – is set to bring University of Canberra and ANU students from a range of other nations – not just one source country as previously thought – back in late July.
The Prime Minister – who backed the ACT plan last week – said he wanted campuses opened to domestic students first, but that the UC-ANU pilot program was the right model for returning students.
“We do … we’re working with the ACT and South Australia at the moment,” he said. “I made it clear to South Australia you can’t have people coming from Singapore and not from Sydney. And we need university campuses to be open to domestic students before looking at this. This is the model and you can do it.”
READ MORE: New plan to revive university sector
Robert Gottliebsen 9.25am: How business can get back on track
Small business will have to do the heavy lifting if jobs are going to bounce back. Here are 10 things Michaelia Cash can do to help. Read more here
Richard Ferguson 9.15am: Morrison: Borders should be opened up
Scott Morrison has called for all borders to be reopened now, after revelations the clampdown on interstate travel is costing nearly 5000 jobs a week and $84m a day.
The Australian revealed on Thursday that modelling by Lucid Economics shows Queensland is the worst affected state, shredding more than 1000 jobs a week since March.
The modelling also shows the daily cost to the NSW and Victorian economies were $21m and $19m respectively.
“This is why borders should be opened up. There has never been any advice they should be closed. That’s why this is so frustrating,” the Prime Minister told Sydney’s 2GB radio.
“I’m glad we have a timetable at least now. And that’s so important because, in particular, the tourism industry up there in Queensland can now start planning to take people again.
“It would take a month or so for most of those businesses to wind back up again so they need that forewarning.”
The federal government has backed a High Court appeal against the border closures in Queensland and Western Australia.
READ MORE: Border closure toll revealed
Jacquelin Magnay 9am: Premier League back after three-month hiatus
Players knelt in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and victims of the coronavirus were remembered as the Premier League made a sombre return on Wednesday from a 100-day shutdown that deprived England of its national sport. Read more here
Max Maddison 8.50am: Health Minister: We’ve done incredibly well
Australia’s remaining coronavirus cases are “almost exclusively” down to the last group of cases in Victoria, says Health Minister Greg Hunt.
Highlighting the increase in recorded cases, which has been below half a per cent per day, Mr Hunt said Australia had done “incredibly well as a country”.
“Really it is almost exclusively down to the last group of cases in Victoria which we are continuing to chase. The other states and territories occasionally will get something,” Mr Hunt told television program Today on Nine.
“But overwhelmingly as a country we have zeroed in and zeroed in and progressively decreased the number of cases. We are doing well.”
Despite only two cases appearing from the Black Lives Matter protests, Mr Hunt said the rallies were “always a lottery” which could have resulted in a “catastrophe at this stage”.
READ MORE: ALP leaders hold all the cards
Max Maddison 8.30am: Victorians last on the list for interstate travel
Victorians will be the last travellers allowed to enter South Australia, says Premier Steven Marshall, as he outlines the way forward for the resumption of interstate travel.
Despite analysis from the Tourism Council suggesting 5000 tourism jobs were lost for each week state borders remained closed, Mr Marshall said SA was leading the way.
“So we have lifted that restriction for 14 days of self-isolation with WA, Northern Territory, Tasmania. We’re probably going to move with Queensland very soon now,” Mr Marshall told television program ABC News.
“Then NSW, ACT and then ultimately Victoria. July 20 is the date. We’re the only jurisdiction that has put a date on that.”
Mr Marshall said the state was conscious of the economic damage, but said border restrictions were crucial to ensuring the state didn’t suffer a relapse.
“We’re really keen to get our economy stood-up as quickly, but as safely as we can. We don’t want to relapse, we don’t want to be putting these restrictions back in place, two, three, four weeks down the track,” he said.
“We’re doing it in a careful, considered way. We think we got the balance right in South Australia.”
READ MORE: Airlines take alcohol off menu
Max Maddison 8am: International flights delay until next year
Australia is unlikely to see international flights from much of the world until next year, says Trade Minister Simon Birmingham.
Mr Birmingham said quarantine arrangements would stay in place until the threat of coronavirus posed “next to no threat”.
“We will get on and try to do what we can, obviously with near neighbours like New Zealand, who are in a similar position to us of having successfully suppressed COVID,” Mr Birmingham told television program Today on Nine.
“We will take a look how we can carefully readmit cohorts like international students, under strict quarantine arrangements that ensure they pose next to no threat to the Australian public. But in terms of letting tourism and travel just open up freely again, I think that’s quite some way off.”
Recognising the financial pain tourism operators were suffering, Mr Birmingham he was keen to get domestic tourism up and running to redirect the $20bn Australian’s spend overseas each year across the country.
“That’s one of the reasons why we are so keen to see state borders opened up and domestic travel facilitating so we cannot just have a look where government payments might get people through this but also get normal commercial activity back into the businesses by getting Australians travelling back out across the country,” he said.
READ MORE: Domestic tourism to take off
Max Maddison 7.35am: Global COVID-19 cases top 8.2 million
Global confirmed cases of coronavirus have passed 8.2 million, as total fatalities approach 450,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
With more than a quarter of the 8,273,605 infections, the US still has more than double the cases than Brazil.
However, despite recording almost 35,000 cases yesterday, Brazil’s five-day average has declined, raising hopes that the worst of the outbreak is over.
In Iran, daily reported cases are hovering around 2500 as the country struggles with a second wave of infections.
Global fatalities have reached 446,202, with 117,568 deaths in the US, while Brazil and the UK follow with over 40,000 each.
READ MORE: Europe blamed for China breakout
Max Maddison 7.15am: Beijing outbreak worsens with 31 new cases
Beijing health authorities are racing to quell a second wave of coronavirus, after another 31 cases were reported on Wednesday.
The outbreak, linked to imported salmon from the wholesale Xinfadi food market, has forced the municipal government to cancel hundreds of flights, suspend schools and reinstate residential screenings.
The additional 31 cases brings the total number of infections to 137 over the past six days. The outbreak has spread to nine of the city’s 17 districts.
“Beijing faces serious danger of imported cases and spread in the city and the country,” said Chen Bei, the deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government.
READ MORE: Beijing locks down after new COVID-19 outbreak
Max Maddison 7am: Berejiklian rules out mandatory sentences
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says while laws will be reviewed, she won’t commit to mandatory minimum sentences for assaulting police in the wake of a Central Coast attack on two officers last night.
Ms Berejiklian lauded police for their ongoing work, but said “respect needs to be returned” from a small minority.
“Nothing should excuse people for taking this kind of unacceptable activity and violence against men and women on the front line,” Ms Berejiklian told host Ben Fordham on 2GB.
Ms Berejiklian said mandatory sentences could have “unintended consequences”.
“NSW has the toughest laws in the land,” she said.
“We have really tough penalties … we’re always reviewing those matters.”
READ MORE: Editorial — Defunding police a crazy move
Max Maddison 6.30am: Dexamethasone now available to Australian virus patients
Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australian doctors will now have the option of using dexamethasone — the low-cost drug proven to help the sickest coronavirus patients.
In a UK trial, tests showed dexamethasone, a steroid, was responsible for the survival of one in eight COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
While just three Australian COVID-19 patients — two of whom are on ventilators — are currently in intensive care, Mr Hunt said the drug would give doctors another treatment option.
“It’s not going to prevent you getting it, it’s not going to cure you,” Mr Hunt told Ben Fordham on Sydney radio 2GB.
“It gives people who are very, very sick a much better chance of survival.”
Mr Hunt also announced $4m a year in funding for children stroke research, part of a broader $12m package for stroke and health disease research.
Results from the #RECOVERYtrial. Low-dose dexamethasone reduces risk of death by one-third in #COVID19 patients on ventilators & by one-fifth for patients requiring oxygen alone.
— Martin Landray (@MartinLandray) June 16, 2020
A huge team effort across 175 NHS hospitals. https://t.co/kIwN6VsYHj
READ MORE: $10 drug hailed as COVID-19 treatment breakthrough
Rosie Lewis 5.15am: Border closures cost nearly 5000 jobs a week
Border closures and the clamp down on interstate travel are costing nearly 5000 jobs a week and shrinking Australia’s economic output by $84m a day, according to new modelling, as Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham flags overseas holidays will be delayed until next year.
Queensland is the worst affected state, shredding an estimated 173 direct and indirect jobs each day since late March — more than 1000 a week — and losing about $147m in economic activity on a weekly basis.
The modelling, by Lucid Economics for the Australian Tourism Industry Council, also shows 168 jobs were being lost in Victoria daily while the Queensland, South Australian, Western Australian, Tasmania and Northern Territory borders remained closed and 165 jobs disappeared each day in NSW. The daily cost to the NSW and Victorian economies were $21m and $19m respectively.
Read the full story here.
Rebecca Urban 5am: Subcontinent identified as source of COVID-19 spike
Overseas travellers continue to account for a significant portion of Australia’s coronavirus cases, with Victorian officials singling out emerging hot spots of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan as contributing to the biggest spike in positive tests in more than a month.
The state reported 21 new cases on Wednesday, with 15 detected in people staying in hotel quarantine.
Nationwide, 62 per cent of all COVID-19 cases recorded since January were acquired overseas.
Analysis of Department of Health data shows the trend had eased slightly into June. Of the 98 positive tests in the past seven days, 45 had recently returned from overseas.
Read the full story here.
Agencies 4.45am: Ardern admits she’s ‘lost confidence’ in health department
A furious Jacinda Ardern has called in a defence force chief to run New Zealand’s COVID-19 quarantine system after saying she had lost confidence in her health department.
The New Zealand Prime Minister lamented an “unacceptable failure of the system” on Wednesday as two New Zealanders were allowed to leave their mandatory isolation without being tested for coronavirus, and then later both testing positive.
“It should not have happened and it cannot be repeated,” Ms Ardern said sternly.
Read the full story here.
Add your comment to this story
Locked out victims of Cocoon
Disturbing mismanagement by a registered NDIS provider, Cocoon SDA Care, left three women with disabilities on the street, and they are far from the only victims.
Gumatj clan mourns loss of beloved elder
A senior ceremonial leader of the Gumatj clan – a member of the famous Yunupingu family of northeast Arnhem Land – has died, aged 70.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout