Coronavirus Australia live news: Stoush over $40m tennis quarantine ends; zero cases but restrictions remain in NSW
Tennis Australia has clarified comments by its CEO Craig Tiley, after he claimed taxpayers would be chipping in to pay for player quarantine.
- Stoush over tennis quarantine ends
- JobKeeper can’t run ‘endlessly’: PM
- Contradiction on who’s paying tennis quarantine
- Zero cases but restrictions to remain in NSW
- Tiley: blame me, not Melbourne
- China ‘too slow to react’ to virus
- Economy boost in new home rush
- Post-JobKeeper rescue plan revealed
Welcome to live coverage of Australia’s response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Tennis Australia has clarified comments by its CEO Craig Tiley, after he claimed taxpayers would be chipping in to pay for player quarantine. There were no new cases of community transmission in NSW as testing rates doubled, but the Premier says restrictions won’t be rolled back until next week. An independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic has found Chinese authorities could have acted “more forcefully” to protect public health in the early stages of the outbreak.
Joseph Lam 11.27pm: India exports locally produced vaccines
India has exported its first batch of locally produced COVID-19 vaccines in a move officials say will boost its soft power and help take on rival vaccine producer China.
New Delhi approved two vaccines - Covishield, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and produced by India’s Serum Institute, and Covaxin, made by local firm Bharat Biotech - in January.
On Wednesday, 100,000 “free” Covishield vaccines arrived in the Maldives and 150,000 were sent to Bhutan as a “gift”.
Maldives is happy to receive as grant, 100,000 doses of Covishield developed by Serum Institute of India - among the first countries to receive vaccines from India.
— Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) January 20, 2021
As always, India stands strong & steadfast, by our side, as 1st responder in any crisis#MaldivesIndiaPartnership pic.twitter.com/Pdi99YxBr1
About 675,000 Indians have been vaccinated since Saturday when the rollout of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines began, according to government sources. The south Asian country aims to vaccinate 300 million, just under a quarter of its 1.36 billion population, by July.
India also plans to offer 20 million doses to its South Asian neighbours with others in Latin America, Africa and Central Asia next in line, Bloomberg News reported last week. It also has ambitious plans to supply 200 million doses to Covax, a World Health Organisation-backed effort to procure and distribute inoculations to poor countries.
With AFP
Joseph Lam 10.37pm: 10,000 Aussie at-home test kits head to US
A Brisbane health company has sent 10,000 first-of-its-kind COVID-19 test kits to the US after receiving approval from the Food and Drug Administration in December last year.
Digital diagnostics manufacturer Ellume Health sent the at-home test packages from its Brisbane warehouse to Los Angeles on Wednesday after receiving a $US30m ($38 million AUD) injection from the US government last year to scale up its production.
Brisbane company @EllumeHealth sent its first shipment of at-home COVID test kits to the United States today. It’s another successful local manufacturer rolling up its sleeves to fight the global pandemic and employing hundreds of Queenslanders to do so. #qldjobs pic.twitter.com/9VSoNDi9jL
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) January 20, 2021
The Queensland company, which employs about 300 people, said it had grand plans for expansion following the successful launch of the test kit which is said to detect COVID-19 within 20 minutes.
Queensland Premier Annstacia Palaszczuk has applauded the successful launch of the test kit.
“It’s another successful local manufacturer rolling up its sleeves to fight the global pandemic and employing hundreds of Queenslanders to do so,” she wrote on Twitter.
READ MORE: Ellume set to make more than $1bn from rapid COVID-19 tests
Charlie Peel 9.40pm: Local alarm at mining camp lockdown plans
Scott Morrison was on Wednesday night meeting with Gladstone mayor Matt Burnett over concerns about the Palaszczuk government’s proposed use of a mining camp to house returned overseas arrivals.
The Homeground mining camp in Calliope near the central Queensland coast has firmed as the first choice for a dedicated international quarantine facility to replace the use of hotels.
In a letter to the Prime Minister and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, the Gladstone Regional Council has raised 12 concerns about the proposal, outlining fears it could lead to local outbreaks and impact on the region’s vital resources industry.
The Palaszczuk government raised the idea after Greater Brisbane was sent into lockdown for three days this month after a cleaner the Grand Chancellor Hotel became infected with the UK strain of COVID-19 from a man in quarantine.
Rosie Lewis 8.53pm: Hospitality, tourism chiefs hopeful of help
The tourism industry is consulting with the Morrison government on a limited extension of JobKeeper after March 28, while the hospitality sector is in talks with Treasury about ongoing financial assistance for accommodation and food services businesses once the $90bn pandemic wage subsidy scheme ends.
Both industries, which are considered among the hardest hit by border closures and COVID-19 restrictions, are hopeful that the government is listening and will deliver on targeted funding.
It comes as Josh Frydenberg pledged to continue “strongly supporting” the accommodation and food services sector, after Restaurant and Catering chief executive Wes Lambert wrote to the Treasurer pitching a new wage subsidy scheme called “HospoKeeper”, as revealed in The Australian.
Jess Malcolm 8.07pm: AMA call for mass upscaling of drug-making
The Australian Medical Association has warned of a shortage of essential medications because of supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, and is calling for a mass upscaling of critical drugs to be manufactured onshore.
The drugs range from normal routine medications used for reflux and heartburn and hormone replacement therapy for women to more serious medications for gastrointestinal issues, antidepressants and allergies.
AMA vice-president Chris Moy said Australia’s ability to secure basic and life-saving medications had diminished, exposing the medical system’s overreliance on international supply chains.
Joseph Lam 7.13pm: Seven cases lock down southern Beijing
About 1.6 million people have been banned from leaving the Chinese capital after authorities recorded seven new cases of COVID-19.
On Wednesday China authorities imposed a partial lock down of residents in Daxing, a southern district of Beijing, closing schools and banning residents in the area from leaving the city for three days.
The lockdown arrives a week after authorities locked down about 5 million people in Langfang, about 80km from Beijing, over a single COVID-19 case
Six of the seven cases reported were in Daxing which includes one of the city’s international airports.
Daxing’s 1.6 million residents account for about 7 per cent of Beijing’s total population of 21.56 million people.
READ MORE: Jokowi approves Chinese jab
Paul Garvey 7.09pm: Wards deserted from here to maternity
In his more than 15 years in private practice, obstetrician Michael Gannon has never faced a month like this.
February will be the quietest yet for births for the former president of the Australian Medical Association — as well as for many of his colleagues around the country — as empty maternity wards feel the full brunt of COVID-19’s impact on birthrates.
The disruption in the early stages of the pandemic to IVF services, which typically account for up to 15 per cent of births in Australia, are being felt inside maternity hospitals nine months later.
David Charter 6.30pm: Highs and lows of Trump’s divisive reign
“YOU know what? We started something incredible. We built the greatest economy in the history of the world.” Eleven weeks after peppering his final campaign speech with claims of the biggest and best of his achievements, Donald Trump leaves office with an eclectic mix of records that mark a tumultuous presidency.
His highest approval rating came just five days after his inauguration in January 2017. His highest disapproval score was last week after the storming of the Capitol, according to an aggregate of polls by FiveThirtyEight.
Read more on the highs and lows of Trump’s reign.
Blake Antrobus 5.50pm: New development in border trio case
Police will drop a fraud charge against one of the women accused of lying to Queensland authorities on her border declaration pass last year after her lawyer confirmed she would plead guilty to producing false or misleading documents.
Diana Lasu, 21, Olivia Winnie Muranga, 20, and Haja Umu Timbo, 21, did not appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court as their cases were briefly mentioned on Wednesday.
Their lawyers appeared in their place.
The trio have each been charged with fraud and providing false or misleading documents.
James Hall 5.27pm: The mask issue that won’t go away
Residents in Sydney’s west will be slapped with a $450 fine if busted throwing face masks on the ground, as the mandatory wearing of the protection equipment has increased the garbage threat.
Blacktown City Council says the new rule is in response to a build-up of rubbish in the area and it comes as numerous reports across the world warn of the environmental damage of single-use masks.
A BBC report from September cautioned consumers that disposable masks were “causing enormous plastic waste”, with the straps posing a risk to wildlife.
Angie Raphael 5.10pm: AFL player pleads guilty to breaching quarantine orders
AFL player Sydney Stack has pleaded guilty to breaching COVID-19 self-quarantine orders, which was allegedly discovered when police intervened in a Perth street fight.
Stack, 20, had been allowed to enter WA on compassionate grounds via the G2G Pass system and arrived at Perth Airport from South Australia on December 10.
He was told to self-quarantine for two weeks in Northam, northeast of Perth, but police alleged he left that property and stayed in the Perth suburb of Belmont.
Police further alleged he visited the entertainment hub of Northbridge, where he was found fighting in a street on December 19.
Read more here.
David Rogers 5.01pm: ASX surges to 11-month high
Australia’s sharemarket rose for a second-day running, hitting 11-month highs amid positive leads from Wall Street before Joe Biden’s inauguration early on Thursday.
The S&P/ASX 200 index closed up 0.4pc at 6770.4 points - an 11-month high on a daily closing basis - after rising as much as 0.7pc to 6788.1.
Outperforming sectors included Tech, Industrials, Energy, Materials and Consumer Discretionary.
Read more in the Trading Day Blog.
Rachel Baxendale 4.41pm: Stoush over $40m tennis quarantine ends
Tennis Australia has issued a clarification after CEO Craig Tiley on Wednesday morning said the Andrews government would “absolutely” provide taxpayer money to help cover the cost of hotel quarantine for 1270 players and their teams, only to be contradicted minutes later by Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville.
“Tennis Australia is funding the AO quarantine program,” a Tennis Australia spokeswoman said in a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon.
“The Victorian government support relates to ongoing discussions about funding for an extension to the agreement to host the AO in Melbourne and a range of other assets to help promote the city and the state, domestically and internationally.”
In a morning radio interview, Mr Tiley told 3AW: “The quarantining costs are new costs. The state government are supporting and assisting that.”
Asked how much the state government was contributing, Mr Tiley said: “Well that’s still to be determined because we’re still in the middle of that. Probably the end of next week or the week after we’ll know exactly, but it’ll be, whatever the quarantine cost ends up being, but the state government also supports the venue and the site.”
Pressed again on whether he was saying that taxpayers would foot some of the bill for quarantining tennis players, Mr Tiley said: “Yes, absolutely”.
As short time later, Ms Neville said that was not the case.
“I did see Craig Tiley’s comments on Twitter, by 3AW, I think, but I want to be very clear that hotel quarantine for the Australian Open is fully funded by Tennis Australia,” Ms Neville said.
“I’ve triple confirmed that again today after I saw that tweet.”
Ms Neville said the state government did provide funding for the Australian Open “as an event, which we do with all major events, but that is separate to the hotel quarantine program, which is completely funded by the Tennis Australia, Australian Open.”
READ MORE: Tennis boss at odds with health chief
Lachlan Moffet Gray 4.15pm: Where the tech jobs are booming
The Australian tech industry has emerged from the COVID-19 recession to embark on a hiring spree, with some ascendant buy now, pay later firms looking to increase their headcount by more than 50 per cent.
Analysis by Citi’s Research Innovation Lab shows that hiring activity in the industry stepped up in the December half as confidence over demand outlook grew and some companies made use of newly shored-up balance sheets following capital raises.
Leading the way for positions advertised as a percentage of the current workforce was ZipCo, which advertised for just under 300 positions, equivalent to 59 per cent of its workforce.
Anthony Piovesan 3.55pm: Grim traffic warning for Melbourne
Traffic in Melbourne is tipped to get “much worse” than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, with modelling from Victoria’s peak infrastructure body revealing people are expected to ditch public transport for their cars.
Infrastructure Victoria predicted an expected 15 per cent rise in the number of car trips taken on inner-Melbourne roads.
Traffic is currently at 92 per cent of pre-COVID levels, and Infrastructure Victoria expects it to climb to 100,000 more car trips per day than pre-COVID levels, unless the state government intervenes.
Adeshola Ore 3.40pm: Personal attacks aren’t foreign policies: PM
Scott Morrison has hit out at Anthony Albanese’s criticism that he pandered to outgoing US President Donald Trump during his administration, saying “personal attacks are not foreign policies.”
In a speech at the USAsia Centre in Perth today, Anthony Albanese laid out his vision for the Australia-US alliance if Labor wins the next federal election. The Opposition Leader also accused the Prime Minister of pandering to Donald Trump during his presidency.
“Personal attacks are not foreign policies,” the Prime Minister told reporters in Queensland where he is touring drought-affected communities.
“The leader of the opposition thinks sledging me is some sort of foreign policy, he just does not get it,” he said.
“It is the job of every Prime Minister, of whatever political persuasion you are, and every president of the United States whatever persuasion they are, to continue to steward it as a very important relationship.”
READ MORE: Mask issue that won’t go away
Rachel Baxendale 3.35pm: Pest control needed for mice in tennis hotel
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville has conceded pest control had to be called in to control mice at an Australian Open quarantine hotel, and accused a tennis player who complained about the mice of having been feeding them.
Kazakh tennis star Yulia Putintseva, who is staying at the Pullman Hotel in Albert Park, has issued a series of tweets featuring videos of mice she found in her hotel room.
“I’m not in the 5 star hotel, (you) are kidding, I’m in the room with mouses and spiders (sic),” Ms Putintseva tweeted.
im not in the 5 star hotel 😂 are kidding im in the room with mouses and spiders😂
— Yulia Putintseva (@PutintsevaYulia) January 19, 2021
She said there was more than one mouse in her room, and after moving rooms complained that she still couldn’t sleep because there were mice in the new room.
it’s actually a lot of them! Not even 1 in my room now🤦ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸ pic.twitter.com/uUaicOhoB5
— Yulia Putintseva (@PutintsevaYulia) January 19, 2021
Different room same story🤦ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸ wanted to go to sleep but noooope! pic.twitter.com/REZu1LqDMv
— Yulia Putintseva (@PutintsevaYulia) January 19, 2021
Asked about the mouse problem on Wednesday, Ms Neville said: “We did firstly move the particular tennis player the other day.”
“We’ve had the hotel pest controlled this week, and I think there may have been some feeding going on of the mouse, so we’re doing everything we can to make sure these rooms don’t have mice.
“Everyone is responsible. We don’t send cleaners into these rooms. Everyone has to clean their own room. This is for everyone in hotel quarantine, so every tennis player needs to clean their own room and change their own beds if they want that, and ask for linen to do that, so I just encourage them to minimise interaction with the mice.
“We will keep doing pest control if we need to, but hopefully that pest control work that was done this week will have fixed the problem.”
Asked whether she was saying Ms Putintseva had been feeding the mice, Ms Neville said: “As I understand there may have been some feeding going on. Yes.”
READ MORE: Tennis doubts on player positives
Joseph Lam 3.24pm: Man charged over testing clinic assault
A 43-year-old man has been charged after allegedly assaulting a female nurse at a drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic in Northern Sydney.
About 9.45am on Friday January 15, the passenger of a vehicle which pulled into Macquarie Hospital drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic in North Ryde allegedly assaulted the nurse, throwing a coffee cup at her face and verbally abusing her after being asked to put out a cigarette.
Man charged after COVID testing nurse assaulted - #NorthRydehttps://t.co/ViHhiJG0XC
— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) January 20, 2021
The vehicle fled the scene shortly after the nurse sought assistance from colleagues.
She suffered a minor laceration under eye and red marks to her cheek, police said.
Local area police arrested the man around 5.15pm the same day on Steward St, Dundas Valley, about 8km from the hospital. He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was refused bail and is due to appear in nearby Burwood Court on Wednesday.
READ MORE: Sydney woman charged over spitting incident on way to Covid clinic
Rachel Baxendale 3.08pm: Discarded PPE ‘not from quarantine hotel’
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville says personal protective equipment found discarded near an Australian Open quarantine hotel has not come from the COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria staff running the hotel.
The ABC reported on Tuesday that neighbours of the View Hotel on St Kilda Road, Melbourne had become concerned after seeing PPE, including face masks, floating around the street outside the hotel.
“I want to be really clear about this, 100 per cent this is not (Covid Quarantine Victoria) PPE,” Ms Neville said on Wednesday.
“The PPE is maintained by CQV in locked underground carparks where it’s collected.
“No public have access to it, it has no ability to move out to the street.
“We are looking at CCTV to see if there’s any other way that that has come, not from us, but you know from other garbage collections in the street or whatever it might be, and we’ll investigate that CCTV, but I can assure people and assure the residents there that this is not PPE from the CQV program.”
READ MORE: State reveals it’s had eight mutant virus cases
Rachel Baxendale 2.50pm: Wipe out: Tennis Australia’s $80m cash reserve hit
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley says extra costs associated with this year’s Australian Open will exhaust the organisation’s $80m cash reserve.
“Then we’re taking a multimillion dollar loan as well, which over the course of the next five years we’ll pay off,” he told 3AW.
Asked whether that meant the event would cost more than $100 million, Mr Tiley said quarantining costs would “probably end up being in over $40 million”.
He said revenue from broadcasters had held strong, but ticketing revenue was likely to be down due to coronavirus crowd limits of 10,000 in each arena.
“But at the end of the day, we’re going to have a billion people around the world watching Melbourne for two weeks and enjoying a global sporting event,” he said.
“If we get this right … we can potentially be a shining light for others, maybe the Olympic Games and others on how to get this done, and I think that’ll be a great feather in the cap for Melbourne.”
Asked about Premier Daniel Andrews’ comments that the future of the Australian Open would be threatened had Melbourne not held the tournament this year, Mr Tiley said the tournament’s standing, rather than the tournament itself, would have been imperilled.
“(Not holding the tournament is) the beginning of the decline,” Mr Tiley told 3AW.
“If you miss a year of hosting and then you run the risk of missing potentially a second year, then you start to lose the importance of it.
“If we didn’t host (it), you lose your status, and you lose the interest of the players coming, and that’s when you’re in real trouble.”
READ MORE: Australia’s most in-demand jobs for 2021
Rachel Baxendale 2.35pm: Most players now ‘accepting’ quarantine: Tennis boss
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley says anger has subsided among Australian Open Tennis players regarding their quarantine conditions.
“The majority of them are accepting and understanding of the situation, and I think there’s an adaptability curve they’ve all gone through,” Mr Tiley told 3AW.
“It’s the first time they’ve experienced a hard lockdown like they have.
“We have 1270 people we brought in, and the majority have been very accepting and appreciative of the opportunity to be here.”
He said the 72 players in hard lockdown after flights containing coronavirus positive people would have “a really difficult time when they come out (of quarantine) to get their fitness levels that they want to potentially get to” – which was why there was a nine-day buffer between when they come out and the start of the tournament.
He said the past few days had been “tough” and “challenging” for his 600 Tennis Australia staff members, and the 1500 staff running the three quarantine hotels where the Australian Open contingent are staying.
He said there had been some “ugly stuff” on social media.
“I have appealed to the players to keep in mind that the Victorian community have been through a really tough time, and we need to respect that, and then also that these players are also our guests, so we need to respect that as well.”
Of public backlash from people who believe the benefits of the Australian Open are outweighed by the coronavirus risk, Mr Tiley said the event makes a $370m contribution to the Victorian economy in a normal year.
However, he conceded the figure would be diminished in 2021 due to coronavirus.
Asked what impact coronavirus would have on this year’s economic impact, Mr Tiley said: “That number’s determined at the end of the Australian Open.”
READ MORE: NSW virus rule likely to stay ‘indefinitely’
Jessica Malcolm 2.10pm: AMA push for more onshore medicine manufacturing
The Australian Medical Association says COVID-19 has created a shortage of essential medications due to pandemic-related border closures, calling for a mass upscaling of critical medicines to be manufactured onshore.
Vice President of the AMA Dr Chris Moy, who is a member of the Medicines Shortages Working Party run by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, said some people have had to pay more for essential medicines this year.
“The Therapeutic Goods Administration is working through a group now, to really be a bit more positive, proactive and monitoring of medications,” Dr Moy said. “I think that we need to look at stockpile levels.”
Dr Moy says a mass upscaling of the medicines which can be manufactured onshore needs to happen, to ensure less vulnerability in the system.
“I think that the broader strategy, the lessons we learned from this is that we cannot always be reliant,” he said.
“The world isn’t always just a smooth run in place where there’s going to be a free supply of medication that we can pluck off the line at any time. And we do need to just cater for the fact that these stress points are potentially going to occur and next time it could be much worse and we may not have the luxury of getting ourselves out of trouble much more easily.”
READ MORE: Consumer confidence retreats
Rosie Lewis 2pm: We ‘can’t run on government money forever’: PM
Scott Morrison has declared the economy “can’t run on government money forever” as he warned industries calling for the extension of JobKeeper the wage subsidy scheme won’t continue “endlessly”.
The Australian revealed on Wednesday the hospitality industry has written to Josh Frydenberg asking for a “HospoKeeper” scheme, which would replace JobKeeper when it is set to end on March 28.
The scheme is very similar to JobKeeper but is designed to target the food services and accommodation sector and only those businesses that are losing revenue and continue to be impacted by government-imposed restrictions.
While the Treasurer would not be drawn on the proposal on Tuesday, The Australian understands he is preparing a formal response to Restaurant and Catering Australia.
The Prime Minister said his government was undertaking the “hard job” of “getting the Australian economy back on its own feet”.
“We can’t run the Australian economy on government money forever,” he told 2GB radio.
“After the change in September (to JobKeeper) when we reduced the payment and reassessed the eligibility, 450,000 businesses came off it and more than two million Australians who were on taxpayer-funded income support, basically, on JobKeeper, no longer needed it.
“We’ve got to keep that going this year because it’s all it’s all taxpayers’ money. It’s all debt. And it’s got to be paid back. And so we’ve got to be very careful with how we deal with these programs. They can’t just continue endlessly. We’ll keep looking at the information, take it step by step. There are still sectors that, you know, are struggling.”
READ MORE: Calls for ‘HospoKeeper’ to replace JobKeeper
Jessica Malcolm 1.25pm: Concerns over Qld’s proposed rural quarantine facility site
A workers accommodation site in regional Queensland called ‘Home Ground’ is being considered by the state’s government as a place to quarantine international arrivals.
The idea was flagged last week by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk who suggested overseas travellers could quarantine in rural areas outside of the state’s densely populated capital city.
The facility in Gladstone, about 100kms from Rockhampton, has 1400 rooms and was previously considered to be a bubble site for the National Rugby League.
However, Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett has raised concerns about the capacity of the facility to contain the virus in case of an outbreak, confusion surrounding the logistics as well as widespread fear in his community.
“We’ve been fairly insulated from COVID-19 in that our economy is fairly well protected because it continued to operate,” he said. “While the major industry continues to operate, the economy moves forward. What if there is an outbreak? Will they use the Gladstone Hospital? Or the Rockhampton facilities?”
Mr Burnett raised serious questions about the capacity of the local medical system, considering the Gladstone hospital does not have an ICU.
“Obviously, it’s fear, it’s concern and it’s a little bit of not knowing what the proposal is. And I guess we’ll anticipate finding out more about that after the national cabinet meeting.”
“We want to be kept in the loop and what happens to our major industry if they are forced to shut down?”
READ MORE: Mining camps for overseas travellers
Jessica Malcolm 12.55pm: Biden honours 400,000 US people killed by COVID
As Donald Trump spends his final night in the White House, his successor Joe Biden has arrived in Washington to attend a brief ceremony to honour the more than 400,000 people who have died from COVID-19 in America.
This is part of Mr Biden’s attempt to signal a new tone for the US government and its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and honouring a core part of his election campaign.
The President-elect, who is known for his public displays of emotion, has stressed the need to unite the country after President Donald Trump’s chaotic four years in office.
“It’s hard sometimes to remember, but that’s how we heal. It’s important to do that as a nation,” Mr Biden said at the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
Inauguration Eve is normally a time of massive crowds gathering in the capital, but Mr Biden, joined by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, were almost alone on the empty National Mall due to COVID restrictions and heightened security after the deadly riot at the US Capitol.
On the Mall’s grassy expanse, some 200,000 flags have been planted to represent the absent crowds at the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday. – with AFP
READ MORE: Trump’s farewell: our movement is just beginning
Rachel Baxendale 12.33pm: Minister contradicts tennis chief over quarantine funding
The Andrews government minister in charge of hotel quarantine says taxpayers will not be footing the bill for the quarantine of Australian Open tennis players, contradicting Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley, who said the state government would “absolutely” be making a financial contribution.
A contingent of about 1200 people, including players, officials and support people are being put up at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne’s CBD, View Hotel on St Kilda Road, and the Pullman Hotel in Albert Park, where they are completing 14 days of quarantine ahead of the tournament beginning on February 8.
Mr Tiley told 3AW radio on Monday that the quarantine program would cost more than $40m.
Asked whether the state government would “help with the quarantine costs”, Mr Tiley said: “Yes, absolutely”.
He was unable to quantify the state government contribution, saying it was “still to be determined”.
At her press conference a short time later, Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said Mr Tiley was wrong.
“I did see Craig Tiley’s comments on Twitter, by 3AW, I think, but I want to be very clear that hotel quarantine for the Australian Open is fully funded by Tennis Australia,” Ms Neville said.
“I’ve triple confirmed that again today after I saw that tweet.”
Ms Neville said the state government did provide funding for the Australian Open “as an event, which we do with all major events, but that is separate to the hotel quarantine program, which is completely funded by Tennis Australia, the Australian Open.”
Ms Neville said it was “appropriate” for Tennis Australia to foot the bill for quarantining Australian Open players and staff.
“We are asking, for example, Australians who return to contribute to their hotel quarantine costs, so it seemed appropriate to us that also tennis players or their association could and should contribute to their hotel costs,” Ms Neville said.
“Australians aren’t contributing 100 per cent, but they’re contributing a significant amount, so it is appropriate that Tennis Australia similarly did that, and in this case we believed it was appropriate for their private commercial event that they contributed, they paid for the whole cost.”
Ms Neville said the government was paying the upfront costs of hotel quarantine currently, with Tennis Australia to be sent the bill for the full amount.
“As soon as we’ve got the full costs at the end of this we’ll make sure that that bill is sent to Tennis Australia,” she said.
READ MORE: Tennis doubts on player positives
David Ross 12.02pm: State border closures drag consumer confidence down
Border closures in response to local outbreaks and booming COVID numbers overseas have dragged down Australian consumer confidence from its 10-year-high.
The Westpac Consumer Confidence Index showed the retreat from its December high, falling 4.5 per cent in January.
This comes after several state borders snapped shut in the dying days of 2020 in response to a surge of COVID-19 cases in Sydney’s northern beaches and west which spread south of the Murray to Victoria.
The December consumer confidence surge came as sentiment roared out of the depths it plunged in April 2020 as national lockdowns as the threat of a pandemic tanked the Australian economy.
Despite the recent slipping of consumer sentiment the Westpac survey still pegs it at near record highs after years in the doldrums.
Almost all parts of the index fell, driven most by expectations of economic conditions in the next 12 months.
Jess Malcolm 11.55am: Three new cases linked to Australian Open
The Victorian government has confirmed there are three more cases of COVID-19 associated with the Australian Open, which will be recorded in tomorrow’s numbers.
One case is a player, along with their support person.
Another case is another player who they believe to be shedding the virus, but is still in hard lockdown after arriving on one of the flights with confirmed positive cases.
This brings the total number of cases associated with the Australian Open to ten.
“These figures will be confirmed tomorrow when the data comes out, but because I’m aware of these figures, I wanted to share them with you, because there’s been a lot of debate about how many people we have in the Australian Open who are positive,” Police Minister Lisa Neville said.
The news comes as Victoria records its 14th day free from community transmission, following over 10 thousand tests completed to 8pm last night.
READ MORE: Andrews cops serve for lowering net for tennis
Jess Malcolm 11.45am: Alert issued for southwest Sydney
NSW Health is urging people in Sydney’s south west to be extra vigilant following detected fragments of the virus found at a treatment plant in Glenfield.
The catchment area covers over 160,000 people, so health authorities are asking anyone with the mildest of symptoms to come forward and get tested.
“Testing numbers have risen in recent days but are still insufficient to provide confidence that chains of transmission will be picked up,” NSW Health said in a statement.
“High testing rates help reveal cases that would otherwise go undetected and are an invaluable tool in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
Every person who gets tested plays an important role in helping to contain the spread of COVID-19.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 20, 2021
People in Sydney’s south-west are being asked to be extra vigilant when it comes to symptoms after NSW Health’s ongoing sewage surveillance program overnight detected fragments...
While this could reflect known returned travellers in the area, everyone living or working in Airds, Ambarvale, Appin, Bardia, Blair Athol, Blairmount, Bow Bowing, Bradbury, Campbelltown, Casula, Claymore, Currans Hill, Eagle Vale, Englorie Park, Eschol Park, Gilead, Glen Alpine, Glenfield, Gregory Hills, Holsworthy, Ingleburn, Kearns, Kentlyn, Leumeah, Long Point, Macquarie Fields, Macquarie Links, Menangle Park, Minto, Raby, Rosemeadow, Ruse, St Andrews, St Helens Park, Varroville and Woodbine should monitor for symptoms and get tested and isolate immediately if they appear.
People are urged to check the NSW Government website for regularly updated details of venues of concern, and affected public transport routes, and are asked to follow the health advice provided.
READ MORE: Zero cases but restrictions remain in NSW
Jess Malcolm 11.31am: Masks to remain, changes flagged for NSW weddings
Ms Berejiklian flagged that mask-wearing was the “fourth line of defence” which is essential to be in place while they track the spread of the highly infectious strain of the virus overseas.
“The reason why we might make that approach in terms of the mask wearing is because we’re still looking at the impacts of the contagious strains of the virus that are emerging.”
Weddings are also set to return with some level of normalcy in the next round of easing of restrictions, with the Premier promising this will be the last weekend people will have to wait.
“I want to, in particular, highlight the concerns expressed to us by events around weddings because we know the angst that’s causing people and this is the last weekend you’ll have to go through before there will be some relief,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We appreciate families and also for those who are conducting those events, the financial and emotional stress that has been caused, but please know that if things continue the way they are, by this time next week, there will certainly be decisions made around getting us as close as possible to pre-Avalon conditions.”
READ MORE: When NSW restrictions will lift
Jess Malcolm 11.10am: Zero cases but restrictions to remain in NSW
Gladys Berejiklian says there were no cases of community transmission after testing rates doubled from yesterday’s numbers to 19,959 in the last 24 hours.
But Sydney residents will likely still be under current restrictions on Australia Day as the NSW Premier said restrictions would not be eased until next week.
NSW recorded zero new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 20, 2021
There were three cases recorded in returned travellers, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,890. pic.twitter.com/fbb1b45CQO
“The best health advice we have is that we should wait another week before easing restrictions,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“If we keep case numbers low and the rates of testing pretty good, then we will be able to move as close to pre-Avalon conditions as possible,” she said.
While the Premier said she wanted to encourage people to be free to move around as much as possible, she flagged masks will be enforced “indefinitely” particularly in enclosed settings such as on public transport.
“Masks are the fourth line of defence,” she said.
Ms Berejiklian said enforcing mask wearing is a way for people to feel comfortable going back to work, which will create a thriving CBD and help the economy.
“We want to encourage people to go back to work in a COVID safe way.”
READ MORE: AstraZeneca claims ‘not evidence-based’
Adeshola Ore 10.45am: Morrison responds to Albanese’s Trump criticism
Scott Morrison has hit back at Labor over claims his personal affinity with Donald Trump eroded the US-Australia alliance.
In a speech to the USAsia Centre in Perth today, Anthony Albanese laid out his vision for the Australia-US alliance if Labor wins the next federal election. The Opposition Leader also accused the Prime Minister of pandering to Donald Trump during his presidency.
“If people are going to have a crack at me because I work with the President of the United States, well I think that reflects more on them than me,” the Prime Minister told 4BC radio.
“It’s a foundational relationship we have. Whoever the Prime Minister is and whoever the President, it’s important that both of us steward that relationship to the benefit of both of our countries and anyone who doesn’t understand that just doesn’t get it.”
Labor has previously criticised Mr Morrison for failing to directly call out Mr Trump after his supporters incited deadly riots on the US Congress earlier this month.
READ MORE: Albanese confident he’ll lead at election
David Rogers 10.34am: ASX surges to 10-month high
Australia’s share market surged to a 10-month high in early trading.
The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.6pc to 6779.8 in the first 25 minutes, breaking above the recent high of 6757.9
A 12pc after-hours rise in Netflix added to slightly positive offshore leads with S&P 500 futures rising 0.2pc.
The technology sector was strongest with Afterpay up 4.6pc to $140.07 after Jefferies started research coverage with a Buy rating and $153.04 target price.
Other outperforming sectors included Industrials, Energy, Health Care and Consumer Discretionary.
Among standouts in those sectors, Transurban surged 4.4pc, Ampol rose 2.8pc, PolyNovo rose 5.2pc on its expansion plans, and Aristocrat rose 3.1pc before its results next week.
Banks and miners underperformed with CBA down 0.3pc and Fortescue down 0.1pc.
Read more in the Trading Day blog.
Jess Malcolm 10.15am: No new local cases in Queensland
Annastacia Palaszczuk says Queensland has recorded no new local coronavirus cases following 7990 tests.
This marks the state’s ninth day free from community transmission. There were two cases recorded in overseas travellers.
The Queensland Premier said they are “100 per cent” on track to lift mask wearing and gathering restrictions for greater Brisbane at 1am on Friday morning.
“This is a testament to the hard work of people in Brisbane,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Health authorities warned against the highly infectious strain overseas, citing worrying figures from Britain overnight who recorded its highest daily death total.
“We are trying to minimise the risk with the infectious new strain. It’s not a problem just for Queensland, but for all of Australia,” Dr Jeannette Young said.
“Health systems are crumbling under this highly infectious strain.”
READ MORE: Norway deaths won’t affect rollout
Greg Brown 10.02am: PM unveils $11m pledge to Queensland electricity link
Scott Morrison has unveiled a $11 million funding commitment towards a transmission line to link regional Queensland’s Mount Isa region to the national electricity grid ahead of a visit to a mine in the resources-rich state.
The Prime Minister said the government would provide taxpayer support to bring the CopperString 2.0 project to a final investment decision.
“Our support for CopperString is an investment in the future of Queensland that will bring power prices down, create 750 direct construction jobs and unlock the significant economic potential of the north west minerals province,” Mr Morrison said.
“Access to affordable and reliable energy supply will help drive new investment and new opportunities, providing a long-term future for families, businesses and local communities from Townsville to Mount Isa.”
In the second day of his Queensland tour, Mr Morrison will visit the lead and silver producing Cannington Mine in the state’s northwest, before heading to Gladstone.
READ MORE: Albanese confident he’ll lead at election
Jess Malcolm 9.50am: Stosur’s coach urges sympathy for players
Coach of Australian tennis star Sam Stosur says people should have sympathy for the players who are not able to train ahead of the Australian Open set to begin in February.
Rennae Stubbs, who has coached Ms Stosur since 2019, said that the players locked up will be “fully behind” going into the competition.
“It’s terrible,” Ms Stubbs said on Sunrise. “They’re going to be fully behind going into the Australian Open, no doubt about it. They will have a week to prepare. You might think it is enough, it could be, depending on how much work they have done prior to quarantine.”
“They will do as much as they can in the room but as far as tennis is concerned, no doubt they are going to suffer.”
There are 72 players under hard lockdown after becoming close contacts of positive cases on three infected charter flights arriving into Melbourne.
The players will be free from isolation next Friday leaving them with nine days to train in the lead up to the tournament, according to Australian Open organisers.
READ MORE: If we can bring tennis stars here, why not Australians?
Tim Dodd 9.45am: University’s $90m revenue pandemic loss
The University of Wollongong has reported an interim 2020 operating loss of about $40m after losing about $90m in revenue due to the pandemic. The result would have been much worse except for major spending cuts of at least $36m made by the university.
University of Wollongong vice-chancellor Paul Wellings paid tribute to the “efforts and sacrifice made by all staff” to achieve the result.
Like nearly all universities, Wollongong has suffered from the travel ban which prevented international students from coming to Australia, and revenue from international student fees is likely to fall further in 2021 compared to last year because of the continuing closure of borders.
But the university said there is increased interest from domestic students in 2021 with “enrolments currently tracking ahead of the same stage of the annual student recruitment cycle in 2020”.
READ the full story here.
Jess Malcolm 9.12am: Miranda Kerr in quarantine breach strife
Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr reportedly broke quarantine regulations when she left her Hunter Valley property during a 14-day mandatory isolation period.
She has been slapped with a warning after failing to inform NSW police when she was leaving, as per her exemption which allowed her to visit a sick relative.
Ms Kerr was completing a 14-day quarantine period with her husband and Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel.
“Under the terms of an approved NSW Health exemption, she was allowed to leave the property for a specific purpose,” NSW Police told The Daily Telegraph.
“The woman was required to complete a notification process prior to leaving the address, however, the process was not followed and she was issued with a warning,” NSW Police said.
READ MORE: Twiggy Forrest spared quarantine after COVID
Jess Malcolm 9.07am: Australia, NZ ‘unique’ in COVID management
Infectious diseases physician Peter Collignon says Australia and New Zealand are “unique” in the world with both countries achieving low levels of COVID-19 without locking people up.
“What we have done, particularly our border closures, our hotel quarantine, despite the leaks, we have managed to contain this virus with good contact-tracing, co-operation with the public, limiting movement at times, and particularly quarantine and isolation,” Dr Collignon told the ABC.
“That has happened both with an elimination and a suppression strategy.”
“It’s achieved the same end and we have been able to do it without really locking up other than the Melbourne problem we had last winter, without really hugely restricting people’s movement socially and economically.”
Dr Collignon said pathology has been vital in getting the virus under control, enabling experts to track and test the genetic make-up of the virus which is important in working out if the infection has been recent or distant.
“Without pathology, you wouldn’t know what infection you had. For a lot of people, COVID is very similar to influenza or the common cold virus, and the only way that you know whether you’ve had COVID or something else is to do very specific tests,” he said.
READ MORE: Lockdowns ‘put a brake on spending’
Adeshola Ore 8.52am: Wong confident Biden will ease China tensions
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong says she is confident the incoming Biden administration will be able to ease trade tensions between the US and China in a way that benefits Australia’s relationship with its largest trading partner.
In a speech to USAsia Centre in Perth today, Anthony Albanese will say Australia will have to pave the way for a more multilaterally-minded US Democrat administration to re-engage with Asia following Donald Trump’s “America First” stance.
Ms Wong said Labor wants the terms of the US-China trade competition to be defined so that Australian farmers do not lose out to American producers.
“We want a region where sovereignty is respected, where trade enables prosperity for all,” she told the ABC.
“I have been heartened by some of the comments of the incoming administration about the current trade issues we have with China and we hope that we can have a much more constructive framework for coexistence in which the rules of the road are respected.”
Ms Wong accused Scott Morison of eroding the US-Australia alliance through prioritising his personal affinity with Donald Trump over national interest.
Mr Albanese will also today accuse the Prime Minister of pandering to Mr Trump during his presidency.
“He has put his political affinity with Mr Trump and his own political interests ahead of Australia’s interests and the values in the alliance,” Ms Wong told the ABC.
“It is Scott Morrison who’s failed to call out Mr Trump and defend democracy as other world leaders have. And he continues to indulge the conspiracy theorists in his own ranks instead of disavowing them which would be in our interest for him to do.”
READ MORE: ‘Beware Biden’s China trade bid’
Jess Malcolm 8.38am: Tennis boss clarifies: six players test positive for COVID
Australian Open CEO Craig Tiley has confirmed there are six cases of COVID-19 associated with the tournament, following some confusion with figures from the Victorian Government.
“We’ve had over 3200 tests, and of those tests, there are six active cases that are in the hotel,,” Mr Tiley told Sunrise.
Organisers are reportedly holding conference calls every night with the 72 tennis players in hard lockdown to discuss how they are going and ensure they are coping.
A growing list of tennis players who are in their sixth day of quarantine continue to complain about being locked up in quarantine unable to leave their rooms to train.
“We have a (a conference call) every night, we talk to the 72 players that are unfortunately in lockdown and trying to do all we can to make it as best the situation as possible” Mr Tiley said.
“This loss we discussed, the schedule, this is a massive logistical exercise, it has its challenges, but nothing we haven’t been expecting.”
Mr Tiley has again confirmed that players were told of the rules before coming to Australia that there was a risk of quarantine if someone tested positive on the aeroplane.
He also said conversations about whether players will play a reduced game length are happening “in real time” and organisers are working closely to ensure players can be as ready for the competition as possible.
“Every player coming to Australia was aware there was always going to be a risk that if they tested positive, or if they were in a cohort or in a plane that was possible that a close contact, it would be determined they would have to remain in a hard lockdown until such time, like every Australian coming home completed their 14 days, so there was a risk for everyone.”
READ MORE: Kyrgios, Djoker get on each other’s nerves
Rachel Baxendale 8.21am: Zero Victorian cases amid tennis player confusion
There are now no locally acquired active coronavirus cases in Victoria, after the state recorded its 14th straight day with no community transmission.
Yesterday there were 0 locally acquired cases reported, and 3 in hotel quarantine. It has been 14 days since the last locally acquired case. 19,810 test results received - thank you for getting tested.
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) January 19, 2021
More later: https://t.co/2vKbgKHFvv#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/Wli493VkXi
There have been three new cases identified in international travellers in hotel quarantine.
It is not yet clear whether any or all of these are linked to the Australian Open tennis tournament.
As of Tuesday, seven cases had been confirmed in people associated with the tennis.
There are currently 34 active cases in Victoria, all of which are in international return travellers in hotel quarantine.
The latest figures come after 19,810 tests were processed in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
READ MORE: Swanton — It’s Open season on social media
Adeshola Ore 8.10am: Biden climate policy will leave us out in cold: Wong
Opposition foreign affairs affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong has warned the incoming Biden administration’s climate policy will leave Australia isolated on the global stage.
In a speech to the USAsia Centre in Perth today, Anthony Albanese will lay out his vision for the Australia-US alliance if Labor wins the next federal election and call on Joe Biden to set out a regional strategy to deal with China.
Ms Wong said Scott Morrison needed to shift the Coalition’s policy on climate if it wanted to “come to the table in a meaningful way” with the incoming US president.
“Mr Biden campaigned on the promise of making America a leader on climate, including a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050,” she told the ABC.
“Yet we have a leader in Australia, Mr Morrison, who refuses to commit Australia to net zero emissions. We are isolated and our economy and jobs will suffer as a consequence.”
READ MORE: Schools forced to teach green activism
Jess Malcolm 7.58am: Olympics will go ahead — with or without vaccines
The Tokyo Olympic Games will take place this northern summer even without vaccinations, according to the organisers.
A spokesperson for the event — which is scheduled for July 23 — says it could happen even without the need for athletes or spectators to be vaccinated. This comes ahead of a decision on how many fans will be allowed in venues scheduled for March.
“We are not willing to see the Games taking place behind closed doors,” Spokesman Masa Takaya said on the BBC. “We obviously want to see as many spectators as possible inside the venues, which is why we have been working tightly with the Japanese government and all international stakeholders, spearheaded by the IOC.”
Mr Takaya also dismissed claims that most Japanese people want the games to be re-postponed.
“Most recent surveys show people want the Games to be re-postponed, but in that trend we see that people are willing to see the Games go ahead in some form, which is why we want to keep conveying how we are able organise the Games in this situation,” he said.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also said in Parliament this week that the games will go ahead, as holding the games this summer would be a “sign of victory against the coronavirus.”
“We will have full anti-infection measures in place and proceed with preparation with a determination to achieve the Games that can deliver hope and courage throughout the world,” he said.
However, Sir Keith Mills, the deputy chairman of the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic Games, called for the games to be cancelled as the new COVID-19 variant sweeps the world.
“If I was sitting in the shoes of the organising committee in Tokyo, I would be making plans for a cancellation and I’m sure they have plans for a cancellation,” Sir Mills told the BBC. “I think they will leave it until absolutely the last minute in case the situation improves dramatically, in case the vaccinations roll out faster than we all hope.”
READ MORE: Greatest month of tennis worth the pain, says Cash
Ellie Dudley 7.50am: Homebound Aussies splurge on luxury cars, goods
Luxury brand sales are soaring in the wake of the coronavirus recession, as Australians splurge on French champagne, $12,000-a-night hotels and high-end cars, spending money once set aside for international travel.
Prestige cars have been at the centre of the premium sales boom, as brands such as Porsche, Audi and BMW outperform more modest brands.
Niti Bajaj purchased her second Porsche on Tuesday, eager to splash out after her overseas holiday to India was cancelled this year. “We wanted to spend the money here now, put it back into the economy and support Australia,” she said.
READ the full story here
Jack Paynter 7.37am: Confusion surrounds Australian Open player cases
The Australian Open boss has slapped down claims that any players have tested positive for coronavirus.
A media release from Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton on Tuesday afternoon revealed three of the state’s four new cases in hotel quarantine were linked to the tennis tournament, and said two of the positive tests were players.
“The new cases are one female in their 20s and two males in their 30s, all associated with the Australian Open, and one female aged in their 30s who is a returned traveller,” the media release said.
“The new positive cases linked to the Australian Open involve two players and one non-playing participant.
“That takes the total cases associated with the tournament to seven. Two cases were reclassified due to evidence of previous infection.”
The Department of Health and Human Services said the two confirmed cases of viral shedding did not change the hard lockdown provisions for players, coaches and other officials on the affected flights.
“As yet, none of the three affected flights have been cleared as a result of the two reclassified cases,” the statement said.
But just hours later in his daily update to reporters, Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley disputed claims that any players had been diagnosed with coronavirus.
“Of those six, plus one, which was the flight attendant, none of them are players, (they are) players’ entourage, coaches,” he told reporters.
“As far as (players) testing positive and going to the medi-hotel – no, none.”
Mr Tiley said the cases were not acute but likely viral shedding, but deferred to health authorities to provide those details.
“There have been some players on the viral shedding list,” he said.
“Again, I’ll have to leave it to Quarantine Victoria to give those numbers. They’re not big numbers. It’s a few.”
Anyone who tests positive while in hotel quarantine is moved to a medi-hotel where they receive more intensive medical care.
There remains 72 players in hard lockdown after arriving in Australia on three flights that included COVID-positive passengers.
The DHHS has been contacted for clarification. — NCA Newswire
READ MORE: Craven — Hints of Trumpism in Andrews, McGowan
Jess Malcolm 7.18am: US COVID death toll passes 400,000
The US death toll from COVID-19 has now passed 400,000, on the eve of the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden who has made the fight against the virus a priority of his first term.
This news comes in the final hours of President Donald Trump’s presidency, which he is reportedly spending in the White House’s Oval Office considering issuing more than 100 pardons.
The bleak threshold was reached only about a month after the US recorded its 300,000th death from the disease in mid-December, and nearly a year since it announced its first COVID-19 death at the end of February 2020.
The US death toll from the virus remains by far the highest, though some other countries are registering more deaths in proportion to their populations such as Italy, Britain and Belgium.
About one in two Americans believes the virus is currently not at all under control, according to a Washington Post-NBC poll released Tuesday. In total, the US has recorded more than 24.1 million cases, though with testing shaky at the start of the pandemic, the real toll is believed to be much higher.
Just over three per cent of the population have so far received one of the two vaccines licensed in the US of which 1.6 million people have received the two required doses.
Mr Biden, eager to speed things up, has promised 100 million doses injected during his first 100 days in office.
FOLLOW Live updates as Trump prepares to leave the White House
Jess Malcolm 6.50am: Tiley: Blame me, don’t take it out on Melbourne
Australian Open CEO Craig Tiley has pleaded with players to stop complaining about quarantine on social media, asking them to come directly to him instead.
“Sometimes, the minority are the loudest voices and the majority are the silent ones,” Mr Tiley told reporters on Tuesday night. “It reminded me a little bit of that. But what really upset me last night the most was – if you’ve got a complaint, come to me.”
“Blame me. Don’t go out on social media and take it out on the staff, take it out on the Melbourne community, take it out on Australia. Don’t do that.”
He spoke as World no. 13 Roberto Bautista Agut apologised for a video in which he complained hotel quarantine was like “living in a prison – with Wi-Fi”.
Exclusive: world number 13 @BautistaAgut rips the authorities in Australia ahead of AUSTRALIAN OPEN. "It's like a jail here" pic.twitter.com/PWwQL7ngES
— Sport5 (@sport5il) January 18, 2021
He told Israeli TV channel Sport5: “These people have no idea about tennis and about practise courts and it is a complete disaster”.
Last night, he released a statement apologising for the comments, saying it was a private conversation that he didn’t realise was going to be made public.
âœðŸ» pic.twitter.com/I8Y3bx7QK7
— Roberto BautistaAgut (@BautistaAgut) January 19, 2021
“These are hard times for athletes and society in general,” he said in the statement.
World no. 13 female Victoria Azarenka also released a statement last night calling for her fellow tennis players to have some understanding of what people in Melbourne have been through with tough restrictions and lockdowns due to COVID-19 last year.
Following the arrival of three charter flights into Melbourne carrying positive cases of COVID-19 there are over 70 players in hard lockdown unable to train, causing some to complain about the conditions in social media.
A total of nine people have tested positive while in quarantine ahead of the tournament, but two cases were deemed to be historical infections on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Albrechtsen: PM plays to home crowd over ‘pariahs’
Jess Malcolm 6.20am: UK sets new record for daily COVID-19 deaths
Britain has reached a new daily record for COVID-19 deaths with more than 1600 people dying in just one day.
There was, however, a sign of hope as the number of new cases over the past week was down about 22 per cent, with a stringent lockdown announced this month having an effect.
New figures also show that an estimated one in eight people in England had had COVID-19 by December last year.
The NHS is under significant pressure in all parts of the country.
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) January 19, 2021
Please, stay at home. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/YVDjPLXsnF
The NHS said there were now 400 military personnel now working alongside doctors and nurses in hospitals across London and the Midlands.
With the global death toll now well past two million and new variants of COVID-19 causing deep concern, countries across the world are grappling with how to slow down infection rates until vaccines become widely available.
Britain is in the middle of a massive vaccination drive, and more than four million people have received the jab. The government hopes to vaccinate the entire adult population by autumn.
Fears over the new virus variants were growing in Germany, which on Tuesday was expected to extend and tighten a partial lockdown beyond January. In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed the country will remain in lockdown until the middle of February.
We're making good progress with our vaccination plan, with over 4 million people now having received their first dose.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 18, 2021
Thank you to everyone involved in this great national effort to protect the most vulnerable from the virus. We will beat this together 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/DD3a5cNsfO
READ MORE: Trump’s Europe travel move dumped
Olivia Caisley 5.20am: China, WHO ‘too slow to react’ on COVID-19
An independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic has found Chinese authorities could have acted “more forcefully” to protect public health in the early stages of the outbreak and there were “lost opportunities” when it came to preventing the spread of the virus.
The second report from the independent panel’s second report on progress, which reports to the World Health Organisation and is based in Switzerland, found most countries did not act on warnings quickly enough and did not share information when cases emerged.
“What is clear to the panel is that public health measures could have been applied more forcefully by local and national health authorities in China in January,” it said.
The probe, co-chaired by former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, also called for international health alert systems to be upgraded and “brought into the 21st century” to help prevent a similar crisis from taking off again.
Read the full story here.
Simon Benson 5am: $50bn boost to economy in rush for new homes
Homeowners have emerged as the key drivers of the nation’s COVID-19 recovery, with a stunning spike in take-up of the federal government’s HomeBuilder grants, which are estimated to underwrite more than $50bn in broader economic activity in 2021.
The surprise pre-Christmas rush to take up the $25,000 cash grants, which the industry claims have rescued the residential construction sector from a “valley of death” crash, has led to a 91 per cent surge in new home sales in December.
Treasury data obtained by The Australian reveals a tripling in the number of HomeBuilder grants that had been applied for to the end of December, taking the expected number of new builds from 27,000 to beyond 75,000.
Read the full story here.
Rosie Lewis 4.45am: Hospitality industry outlines post-JobKeeper rescue plan
Employees working for the nation’s worst-affected restaurants, cafes and hotels would continue having wages subsidised by taxpayers on a monthly basis after JobKeeper ends, under a detailed rescue package being pitched to Josh Frydenberg to help save the hospitality industry.
“HospoKeeper” would replace JobKeeper from April for six months as part of a “short-term, targeted” scheme, with eligible businesses paid the current fortnightly JobKeeper rate of $1000 for full-time staff or $650 for employees who worked fewer than 20 hours a week. The payments would be available to all accommodation and food services businesses but only if they were “substantially affected” by government-imposed restrictions, such as venue density limits, caps on event numbers, working-from-home directions for CBD workers or interstate and international travel bans.
Businesses would also need to prove via their Business Activity Statements at the end of each month their revenue was down by 15 to 30 per cent compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The post-JobKeeper proposal, one of the first of its kind, came as Scott Morrison left the door open to further assistance for tourism amid predictions it will take years for the sector to fully recover.
Read the full story here.
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