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Coronavirus Australia live news: Partner of Qld mutant strain case has virus

The partner of the cleaner who contracted the UK variant of COVID-19 and sparked Greater Brisbane’s recent lockdown has tested positive.

Rachel Baxendale and Joseph Lam
An empty Valley Mall, on day three of the COVID-19 lockdown in Brisbane.. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning
An empty Valley Mall, on day three of the COVID-19 lockdown in Brisbane.. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning
38 min read
4:51PMJanuary 11, 2021.
Updated 10:18PMJanuary 11, 2021

Welcome to live coverage of Australia’s response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

As Greater Brisbane prepares to emerge from three days of lockdown, a man has tested positive to the highly-contagious UK strain of COVID-19.

WA has lashed NSW for its approach to virus, but Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says suppression, not elimination, is the aim. Victoria has unveiled a ‘traffic light’ permit’ system easing NSW regional travel bans, but but Greater Sydney and Brisbane remain no-go red.

Rachel Baxendale 9.43pm: Vic permit application site finally goes live

The Victorian government website enabling people to apply for a permit to enter the state is now up and running, more than three hours after a permit became a requirement for anyone visiting Victoria.

From 5.59pm, any traveller to Victoria who does not have a valid permit, even if they are visiting from a “green zone” jurisdiction with no coronavirus, can be punished with a fine of almost $5000.

Until just after 9pm, it was impossible to apply for such a permit, with the “Apply for permission to enter Victoria” page on the Service Victoria website advising visitors that the permit system would be “available shortly” and to “check back here later today”.

In a tweet at 9:11pm, Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services thanked visitors for their patience, advising that the site was now live.

“Service Vic and DHHS are very sorry for the delay and any inconvenience,” the department said.

A government spokeswoman had earlier advised The Australian and other media outlets that the reason for the delay was that Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton was yet to sign off on the legal directions required to implement the new permit system.

But Professor Sutton has since tweeted, saying the directions were signed on time.

Following the website going live and Professor Sutton’s tweet, the government spokeswoman said the teams from DHHS and Service Victoria had “worked as quickly as possible to get the permit system up and running, as they worked to draft directions and experienced some technical issues.”

“We acknowledge the delays and apologise for the inconvenience,” the spokeswoman said.

Ellie Dudley 9.32pm: Three new potential exposure sites in Brisbane

Queensland Health has alerted Brisbane residents of three new potential exposure sites of the coronavirus, after another case of the UK variant was found this evening.

The new case is the partner of the cleaner who was the first person to test positive for the highly-transmissible variant of the virus in Australia.

The possible exposure sites are located in Sunnybank and Acacia Ridge in the south of Brisbane.

Anyone who went to the following venues at the relevant times should be tested immediately for COVID-19 and quarantine at home for 14 days, regardless if a negative result is received.

Nextra Sunnybank Hills Newsagent, Sunnybank Hills. Tuesday January 5, 8am-8.15am.

Bunnings Warehouse, Acacia Ridge. Tuesday January 5, 2pm-2.40pm.

Sunnybank Cellars, Hellawell Road, Sunnybank Hills. Wednesday January 6, 2.05pm-2.15pm.

Staff writers 9.04pm: Venue alerts for Sydney’s west, inner west, beaches

NSW Health has issued alerts for venues in Sydney’s west, inner west and Northern Beaches after they were visited by confirmed cases of COVID 19.

Anyone who attended Blacktown Workers Sports Club (Grange Buffet) for more than one houron January 3 between 11.40am and 1.30pm is considered a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of whether a negative result is received.

If you were there for less than an hour you must get tested immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received:

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must get tested immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received:

Coles, Warriewood Square, 12 Jacksons Rd, Warriewood on Thursday, December 31 between 2pm and 2:10pm or on Tuesday, January 5 between 12:45pm and 1pm.

Woolworths, Warriewood Square, 12 Jacksons Rd, Warriewood on Monday, January 4 between 12:15pm and 12:45pm or on Wednesday, January 6 between 12pm and 12:15pm.

Aldi, Warriewood Square, 12 Jacksons Rd, Warriewood on Tuesday, January 5 between 12:10pm and 12:40pm or on Friday, January 8 between 12pm and 12:25pm.

Rebel, 12 Jacksons Rd, Warriewood on Wednesday, January 6 between 12:15pm and 12:30pm.

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed should monitor for symptoms and, if they occur, get tested immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received:

Blacktown Workers Sports Club (everywhere except Grange Buffet), 170 Reservoir Rd, Arndell Park on Sunday, January 3 between 11:40am and 1:30pm.

Michel’s Patisserie, 260 A Liverpool Rd, Ashfield on Wednesday, January 6 between 4pm and 5pm.

Pool and Spa Warehouse, 20 Chard Rd, Brookvale on Friday, January 8 between 11:05am and 11:15am.

Pharmacy Less, 12 Jacksons Rd, Warriewood on Friday, January 9 between 12:25pm and 12:35pm.

Robyn Ironside 9.01pm: Border bans ‘more worrying than Covid’

The fear of being caught out by sudden border closures is now proving more of an impediment to domestic travel than the fear of catching COVID-19, in a devastating blow for tourism operators.

A very quiet Sydney CBD. Picture: Christian Gilles
A very quiet Sydney CBD. Picture: Christian Gilles

In the two weeks since Christmas Eve, tourism revenue has dropped at least $3bn compared with a year ago, with regions such as far north Queensland losing $8m a day.

Almost daily changes to border restrictions by the states and territories in response to COVID cases have been blamed by frustrated operators, struggling to keep up with who can go where.

Research by the Australian Airports Association found 52 per cent of 500 people surveyed, were now more concerned about sudden border closures than COVID-19.

Read the full story here.

Patrick Commins 8.33pm: Victorians hit the shops and boost retail sales

Retail spending surged in November, boosted by Victoria’s first full month out of lockdown and the spectacular success of the Black Friday sales promotions.

Hilda Simonds in her deserted fashion boutique, Erika, in the heart of the Melbourne CBD … ‘we have been closing at 3pm, trying to save wages’. Picture: Aaron Francis
Hilda Simonds in her deserted fashion boutique, Erika, in the heart of the Melbourne CBD … ‘we have been closing at 3pm, trying to save wages’. Picture: Aaron Francis

Turnover jumped a whopping 7.1 per cent to $31.7bn in the month, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, against a 1.4 per cent increase in October.

In a year marked by wild swings in consumption, sales in November were 13.3 per cent higher than the same month in 2019. That marked the strongest year-on-year growth in more than three decades, excluding the period coinciding with the implementation of the 10 per cent goods and services tax in 2000.

Read the full story here.

Jacquelin Magnay 7.51pm: Scott Morrison’s travel cap ‘too tight for our expats’

When Grant Dansie heard Scott Morrison’s tighter restrictions on stranded Australians, including reducing the caps on overseas ­arrivals, his heart — already grieving for the loss of his mother, who had been murdered by his ­father — sunk even lower.

Grant Dansie, with his young family in Norway, fears he wont be able to return to Adelaide to bury his mother, Helen.
Grant Dansie, with his young family in Norway, fears he wont be able to return to Adelaide to bury his mother, Helen.

Mr Dansie, the married father of a five-year-old son and one-year-old twin daughters, works for Norway’s aid agency in Oslo and had been planning to return to Adelaide with his wife and children to lay his mother’s ashes to rest.

His wheelchair-bound mother, Helen Dansie, drowned when her husband, Peter Dansie, pushed her into a pond in the Veale Gardens in Adelaide parklands in April 2017.

‘‘There is no way we can come home now,’’ Mr Dansie said after the federal government halved cap arrivals for NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.

Read the full story here.

Rachel Baxendale 7.05pm: Victoria’s permit system still not up and running

Almost an hour after Victoria’s new permit system was due to come into effect, with noncompliance punishable with a $5000 fine, the website people need to access to apply for a permit still isn’t up and running.

The Andrews government is granting a “grace period” to people attempting to enter Victoria in the interim, although it is not clear how this grace period works, or whether those returning from regional NSW, where restrictions were eased from 5:59pm, are yet able to do so.

The delay has reportedly been caused by the need for Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton to sign off on the legal direction to enforce the permit system.

A spokeswoman for Premier Daniel Andrews said shortly before 7pm that the system, which was due to take effect from 5:59pm, would be “up and running very shortly”.

Heidi Han 6.44pm: Chinese travel restrictions ahead of Lunar New Year

More travel restrictions and control measures have been announced across China less than three weeks before its annual Lunar New Year travel rush kicks off, as the country is fighting against one of its most severe coronavirus outbreaks south of Beijing since the Wuhan outbreak last year.

Chinese state media reported on Monday that 85 new local transmitted cases had been confirmed in the latest 24-hour period, including 82 in Hebei province with additional 49 asymptomatic cases. The figures came after more than 360 people tested positive in a massive nucleic acid test of over 13 million people in Shijiazhuang and Xingtai of the Northern Province in neighbouring Beijing.

China deletes Wuhan lab studies in latest COVID-19 cover-up

The latest resurgence of COVID-19 cases has prompted China’s National Health Commission to urge workers to stay in the city they currently work in for the upcoming Chinese New Year, which falls on February 12, and not to return home.

The transport department announced a “free-refund” policy for people who had already bought their tickets, while China’s railways are expected to transport 407 million passengers during the period this year.

Despite no official travel ban for the 40-day “Chunyun” travel rush, which starts on January 28 and ends on March 8, many local authorities have tightened travel restrictions, including requiring a negative Covid test result before travelling and pressuring government and other public-sector workers to avoid travelling.

Incentives to encourage employees to remain and work during the holiday season include overtime pay and subsidies, free food and accommodation and holidays arranged for another time of year, according to state media China Daily.

Inbound travellers are posing an alarming risk to China, with state media reporting 298 active cases in quarantined overseas arrivals.

Mackenzie Scott 6.11pm: Queensland records second community case of UK strain

The partner of a quarantine hotel cleaner diagnosed with the UK strain of COVID-19 has contracted the highly-contagious virus.

The man initially tested negative to the virus when he entered quarantine on January 7 but returned a positive result upon follow up tests on Monday.

It comes as Greater Brisbane prepares to emerge from three-days of lockdown at 6pm (local time). State health authorities are still concerned that more people could have been infected, with masks to be mandated in all public indoor spaces for the next 10 days to minimise transmission risk if the virus is still circulating

A total of 304 close contacts have been identified since the initial health alert was issued on Thursday afternoon, with 154 of the group testing negative so far.

Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young said all would be tested again on Monday to ensure they remained free of the virus. Dr Young said a positive test would not necessarily mean a return to lockdown if the person had correctly isolated themselves.

READ MORE: Border blues as table grapes rot on vines

Rachel Baxendale 5.41pm: No guarantee of no repeat of NYE border chaos: Andrews

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says there is “nothing that can be done” to prevent a repeat of the New Year’s Eve border closure chaos, which saw thousands of Victorians stranded in NSW.

“There’s nothing that can be done to prevent that. If I get public health advice to lock out another part of the country and people from that part of the country travelling to Victoria, I will not hesitate to do that. I will do it in a moment,” Mr Andrews said.

“The stakes are very high here. We have built something that is precious, and it needs to be safeguarded, and I make no apology for doing everything I can to keep Victoria safe.

“That’s why when you are making a judgement about whether you are going to travel to other parts of the country, you have to at least give some thought to the notion that there could be an outbreak and your plans may well be impacted by that.”

The Hume Freeway check point on the Victorian side of the border near Wodonga after the border closed. Picture: Simon Dallinger
The Hume Freeway check point on the Victorian side of the border near Wodonga after the border closed. Picture: Simon Dallinger

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton similarly said he could make no guarantee that Victoria’s new “traffic light” system won’t see people retrospectively locked out of their own state having visited a “green zone” that was reclassified to “red” following their visit.

“If in a single day there are multiple individuals identified and the origin or source of that transmission is not known, then it could absolutely go to red from a green designation overnight. I can’t rule out that possibility,” Professor Sutton said.

However, the CHO encouraged people to continue travelling interstate.

“I think they should be travelling interstate. We’re all in need of seeing family, friends, loved ones, and there are important occasions that people need to get to,” he said.

“What everyone should be aware of is that we’re all working to a system whereby we have to protect the health and wellbeing of Victorians, and do what’s appropriate in order to manage that risk.

“So people get caught out, sometimes it’s an inconvenience, sometimes it’s absolutely tragic. People need to bear in mind that that’s a risk that we are all needing to manage in our lives.”

READ MORE: Trapped: family sent into quarantine

Rachel Baxendale 5.12pm: Victoria’s permit application site not yet online

Victoria’s permit application website is not yet online, less than an hour before anyone attempting to enter the state will be required to apply for a permit.

Under the new rules which come into effect at 5.59pm on Monday, even those travelling from a coronavirus “green zone” will be required to apply for a permit to enter Victoria, with a $5000 fine applicable if people do not comply.

But shortly after 5pm the Service Victoria website was telling those attempting to “apply for permission to enter Victoria” that “the new permit system will be available shortly”.

“Please check back here later today,” the website says.

The failure to have the website up and running follows several similar tech failures over the course of the pandemic, including when the Victorian Department of Justice website crashed in August, preventing businesses and their employees applying for permits to work during Victoria’s lockdown, the Business Victoria website crashing as small businesses rushed to apply for pandemic assistance cash grants, and the same website crashing as Victorian’s flocked to take advantage of $200 regional travel vouchers last month.

READ MORE: New lamb ad parodies border restrictions

Rachel Baxendale 4.30pm: 6pm respite for those in Vic region travel quarantine

Victorian Chief Health officer Brett Sutton said he expected people who have been detained in hotel quarantine as a result of having travelled to regional NSW in the past 14 days to be released when the area is reclassified as an “amber” zone at 5:59pm.

The Australian revealed on Monday a Melbourne family has been ­detained in hotel quarantine after flying back from the Gold Coast, despite having been hundreds of kilometres from any known corona­virus cases when they drove through regional NSW days before Victoria closed the border with its northern neighbour, stopping overnight in Albury, Mudgee and Armidale before arriving in Queensland on December 30.

Victorian Chief Health officer Brett Sutton with health minister Martin Foley in the background. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Wayne Taylor
Victorian Chief Health officer Brett Sutton with health minister Martin Foley in the background. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Wayne Taylor

Ellise and Justin McLoughlan said on Sunday they would be more than happy to quarantine at their home in Yarraville, in Melbourne’s inner west, with their two children aged five and seven, but they remained in quarantine at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Docklands on Monday afternoon.

“For those who’ve been in regional New South Wales, they will be given advice as of 5:59pm tonight with instructions about how they can manage their risk ongoing,” Professor Sutton said, when asked whether the reclassification of regional NSW would result in the release of people like the McLoughlans.

Asked whether he expected such people to be released from hotel quarantine on Monday, Professor Sutton said: “Yeah, I would.”

The Australian understands there are about 60 people currently detained at the Four Points by Sheraton in Melbourne’s Docklands who will be eligible to be released today, having visited regional NSW but not been to any hot spots in the past 14 days.

Sadly, it sounds like it will not be an immediate process due to the bureaucracy involved.

Detainees have been told DHHS authorised officers are still waiting for official confirmation that they are eligible to be released.

Once this happens a clinical team needs to provide evidence of negative coronavirus test results so that detainees can be provided with “End of Detention” papers — which could present problems for those who have been detained for less than three days, as DHHS has been refusing to test detainees until Day Three of their quarantine.

Protocols limiting movement in the hotel during dinner service, which takes place between 6pm and 8pm, could also delay the release of detainees who are desperate to return to their homes.

READ MORE: Trapped: family sent into quarantine

Rachel Baxendale 4.10pm: Why Vic lifted the ban on NSW regions

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the absence of active cases in regional NSW, including on the central coast, had been the basis for his decision to reclassify the area as an “amber” zone from which people can now gain a permit to travel to Victoria.

Professor Sutton said other factors included:

– No COVID-19 fragments detected in wastewater in regional NSW, other than a “low positive” in Ulladulla on the South Coast;

– No cases resulting from two travellers linked to Victoria’s Black Rock cluster who visited Eden and Bermagui on the NSW South Coast in late December;

– No cases resulting from a positive case from Sydney who travelled to Orange and Broken Hill, including in the person’s co-traveller.

Professor Sutton said the trend in greater Sydney, which remains a “red zone” from which travel is not permitted, was “positive”.

“But there are ongoing cases, ongoing new exposure sites, ongoing transmission for the greater Sydney area,” Professor Sutton said.

“Greater Sydney including Blue Mountains and Wollongong, will remain as red zones for now.

Victoria Police man a checkpoint on the Echuca-Moama bridge, the border between Victoria and New South Wales. Picture: Mark Stewart
Victoria Police man a checkpoint on the Echuca-Moama bridge, the border between Victoria and New South Wales. Picture: Mark Stewart

“There will be an ongoing review of Greater Sydney, in terms of mystery cases, ongoing transmission, the level and extent of exposure sites, and the chains of transmission.”

As for Brisbane, Professor Sutton said that given the cleaner who tested positive for the virus was “out and about until January 7”, Victorian health authorities would continue to monitor the situation before allowing Victorians to return from Brisbane.

“It’s still a relatively short period of time in the exposure for the few hundred close contacts identified to date, there are still close contacts that might be identified, there are other results that need to come through on those close contacts,” Professor Sutton said.

However he praised the “very robust response” from Queensland health authorities and notes “a lot of negative tests” of close contacts to date.

“That’s very encouraging, but it is appropriate to follow the Brisbane lead of it being an area of risk,” Professor Sutton said.

“(The border closure with Brisbane) in my view needs to be considered every day, and we need to see more negative testing of close contacts play out over the next day or so.”

READ MORE: ‘Most ridiculous’ COVID rule canned

Rachel Baxendale 3.40pm: We’re not looking to wipe this thing out: Andrews

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says his state and others are pursuing and “aggressive suppression strategy” against coronavirus and are “not looking to wipe this thing out”, placing himself at odds with comments earlier on Monday from WA Premier Mark McGowan.

Mr McGowan said NSW’s approach of suppression, rather than elimination, was at odds with the efforts of other jurisdictions.

“There’s five states and two territories doing one thing, and one state doing something different. I would go with the majority,” Mr McGowan said.

National Cabinet has a policy of pursuing suppression, rather than elimination, of the virus.

Asked to respond to Mr McGowan’s comments on Monday afternoon, Mr Andrews said he was “not here to be a commentator on other states.”

“What I will say though, just to be completely clear with everybody, we are not looking to wipe this thing out,” Mr Andrews said.

COVID-19 vaccine: what happens if you say no?

“We have to live with it, and that’s exactly what we have been doing these last few weeks.

“The virus got out of hotel quarantine in Sydney, it then made its way to Melbourne, and we have not locked the place down, we have put in place absolutely top-level contact tracing, we’ve seen tens of thousands, more than 100,000 people come and get tested.

“This is with us until we get enough of the community through that important process, where the vaccine will be rolled out.

“It was something that was discussed at national cabinet on Friday, I know health ministers are working very hard together on that.

“We’re all part of this. It’s not a matter of trying to eradicate the virus, it is a fact we have to live with it.”

Asked whether Mr McGowan was wrong in saying there were “five states and two territories doing one thing, and one state doing something different”, Mr Andrews said he had not seen Mr McGowan’s comments.

“You’ve read some comments to me. I’d need to see the full context. I’d need to see what he said,” Mr Andrews said.

“But I’m being really clear with you, as a member of the national cabinet, all of us are pursuing an aggressive suppression strategy, or an active suppression strategy, where if you finish up with cases, you crack down on those cases as hard as you possibly can.”

READ MORE: Coles among Sydney virus alert sites

Staff writers 3.15pm: New alerts issued in Western Sydney

NSW health authorities have issued new alerts, including for four train routes, in western Sydney.

The venues include Campsie Super Fresh in Campsie, Australia Post in Hurlstone Park and the Campsie Hills Seafood Shop in Campsie.

Joseph Lam 2.35pm: Child who forced childcare centre alert may be false-positive

Victorian health authorities are confident the child who tested positive for COVID-19 in Israel which put a Melbourne childcare centre on high alert may be due to a false positive.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said the child who tested positive on arrival in Tel Aviv on Saturday did so while using a rapid point of care test.

“It’s my suspicion that it’s not going to end up being a confirmed positive case,” Mr Sutton said.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Geraghty
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Geraghty

“Rapid point of care tests have been known to turn up positive when the case isn’t positive.”

Explorers Armadale childcare centre, 7km southeast of the Melbourne CBD, visited by the child, had since been for deep cleaning.

The centre’s general manager Jarrod Macdonald said staff, students and parents were urged to get tested and isolate while waiting for an update from Victorian authorities.

The child is said to have not displayed symptoms when attending the centre.

READ MORE: New lamb ad pokes fun at border restrictions

Joseph Lam 2.10pm: Victoria lifts NSW regions travel ban, but not Sydney or Brisbane

Victoria has eased travel restrictions for regional NSW, but not greater Sydney or Brisbane.

It comes as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced Victoria will implement a new “traffic-light” travel system for anyone wishing to enter the state, with a coloured signals to match the virus status of where the traveller is from. Permits will still be required.

Regional NSW will change from red zone to orange zone from 9pm tonight.

Mr Andrews has described the permits as a “a new, common sense traffic-light system” which will help provide “clarity and certainty” to manage the COVID-19.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

From 6pm Monday everybody in other parts of Australia will need to apply for a permit to enter Victoria and that will be “based on the colour code” of the place they are coming from.

Victoria recorded its fifth consecutive day with no new locally acquired cases detected.

Under the new system regional NSW will be granted amber status, allowing Victorians in regional NSW to get home from 6pm.

Sydney, Wollongong and the Blue Mountains remain as red zones.

“In terms of greater Sydney, the trend is positive but there are ongoing cases,” said Victorian chief health office Brett Sutton.

Under the new system, those in the red zone will not be allowed to enter Victoria and will face a $4957 fine for doing so without a valid reason or exemption.

Travellers in orange zones will have to take a coronavirus test within 72 hours of arriving in Victoria and will be required to isolate before and after the test until a negative result is received.

Anyone visiting from a green zone will be allowed to enter Victoria.

Ellen Ransley 1.50pm: NT revokes Brisbane hot spot status

Travellers from Brisbane have been allowed to return to the Northern Territory as of Monday morning after the city’s hotspot status was revoked.

As of 11am, residents from Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay and Redlands council areas were able to enter the NT.

The chief health officer’s decision to revoke the status comes after Queensland recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 for the third day in a row.

Richard Ferguson 1.44pm: ACT lifts Greater Brisbane quarantine

Nearly 5000 people will be freed from quarantine in Canberra on Monday, as the ACT lifts restrictions on people coming in from Greater Brisbane.

ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman has declared Greater Brisbane is no longer a COVID hotspot after the end of the three day lockdown and quarantine will lift from 2pm.

“We had around 4800 identify to ACT Health they had been in Greater Brisbane,” she said in a statement.

“This change means that both ACT residents and non-residents have been in Greater Brisbane on or after January 2, 2021, will no longer be required to quarantine.

Restrictions on people entering Canberra from Brisbane will be lifted at 6pm.

Rachel Baxendale 1.20pm: Andrews to give update at 2pm

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is due to address the media at 2pm alongside Health Minister Martin Foley.

The press conference follows Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton’s attendance at the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) meeting this afternoon.

Mackenzie Scott 1pm: Gabba Test go-ahead, with half the crowd

The fourth test cricket match has been greenlit to play at the Gabba in Brisbane this weekend with greater restrictions following the virus scare.

Australia will play India in the Sunshine State following lengthy negotiations between the visiting side, cricket Australia and Queensland health authorities.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the development was good news for Queensland cricket fans.

“Like most elite events last year which saw Queensland host several sporting bubbles, COVID-19 has made preparing for Friday’s Test anything but routine,” the Premier said.

“We’ll keep listening to the strong medical advice of the Chief Health Officer to keep Queenslanders safe and our economy strong.”

Crowds will be capped at about 18,000 at the Gabba for the Test, with mask restrictions for spectators. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Crowds will be capped at about 18,000 at the Gabba for the Test, with mask restrictions for spectators. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Following the three-day lockdown, which ends on Monday night at 6pm, additional restrictions will be in place.

The maximum daily capacity at the Gabba will now be capped at 50 per cent, equal to about 18,000 spectators per day. Masks will be mandatory when entering, exciting and moving around the stadium, including when buying food and drink.

The state’s chief health officer Jeannette Young said the new rules are consistent with the approaches taken at the Sydney SCG and Melbourne MCG Tests.

“These new precautions for the Gabba will allow the Test to continue safety and help us to protect Queenslanders and players,” Dr Young said.

“These precautions … reduce the risk of seeding COVID, particularly the new UK strain we’ve detected in Greater Brisbane.”

READ MORE: Abuse from stands just not cricket

Paul Garvey 12.55pm: Fall in line: WA Premier lashes NSW over virus

Western Australian premier Mark McGowan has called on NSW to fall in line with the other states and territories and join the rest of the country in pursuing the elimination of COVID-19.

Mr McGowan on Monday morning said NSW’s approach of suppression, rather than elimination, was at odds with the efforts of other jurisdictions.

“There’s five states and two territories doing one thing, and one state doing something different. I would go with the majority,” Mr McGowan said.

“The states and territories that want to eliminate the virus have the right approach. The idea that you tick along with the virus and somehow that is a better model is wrong.

“I just urge the NSW govt and people in NSW to look outside NSW at what other states and territories are doing in order to crush and kill the virus. That’s a better approach.”

The comments came as Mr McGowan welcomed the news of no new cases in both Queensland and Victoria. Queensland has now gone two days without a case of community transmission and Victoria five days, which if maintained could lead to WA reopening its border to arrivals from those states in early February. NSW, meanwhile, has recorded four new cases in the past 24 hours.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

Mr McGowan said Queensland had done the right thing in enacting a three-day lockdown in Brisbane after the UK variant of COVID-19 was detected in a hotel quarantine worker.

“The Queensland approach and the Victorian approach I think is the right approach. You need to eliminate the virus from Australia,” Mr McGowan said.

“It would be advisable if NSW eliminated the virus from Sydney, that would mean we could rest a lot easier across Australia.”

WA has not had a case of community transmission of the virus since April.

The scale of the pandemic in Britain and the United States, Mr McGowan said, highlighted how well Australia had fared to date.

“The remarkable thing out of all this, and I just hope it continues, is how well Australia as a whole has done,” he said.

“There’s no country in the world bar New Zealand that’s done as well as Australia and I want that to continue.”

WA, which has taken the strictest approach to managing its domestic border, has previously insisted that states record 28 days without a case of community transmission before its chief health officer will consider reopening WA to new arrivals.

“Opening and closing borders is obviously difficult, so before you open a border you want to be absolutely sure before so you don’t have to close it back down immediately,” he said.

“We have a very, very cautious, precautionary approach because we know if the virus gets in the community it can spread rapidly and kill people.”

Staff writers 12.40pm: One year since China first reported death of man to virus

On Monday dozens of Wuhan residents danced in a park as part of their morning exercise. In other, distant parts of the world many are in isolation, hospital or, worse.

On this day, January 11, in 2020, Chinese media reported the death of man, 61, in Wuhan by a yet to be identified virus. A year on, the global tally of deaths with the now identified COVID-19 numbers more than 1.9 million.

The intergenerational debt count is climbing by the day. In Australia alone, COVID debt is forecast to reach more than $1 trillion.

In late September, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee published a comprehensive report on the origins of the pandemic.

Yet no one has been held accountable for the pandemic and hopes that justice might be served are dimming.

READ MORE: Covid lies expose China’s threat to the world

Richard Ferguson 12.10pm: Frydenberg ‘uncomfortable’ with Trump Twitter ban

Josh Frydenberg says he is uncomfortable with Twitter’s ban on outgoing US President Donald Trump, joining Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack in slamming the social media giant.

Mr Trump has been banned from his favourite outlet Twitter – along with Facebook and Instagram — after the siege of the US Capitol by his supporters, which led to the deaths of five people.

The Treasurer on Monday said that commercial companies had to take their own actions, but he felt the banning of Mr Trump, who still lead the United States for another week, was problematic.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“I feel pretty uncomfortable with those measures which were announced. Freedom of speech is fundamental to our society,” he said in Melbourne.

“Those decisions were taken by commercial companies, but personally I felt uncomfortable with what they did.

“When it comes to preaching hate or very violent terrorist related material on the internet, the Government has taken action (on banning it).”

Mr McCormack went further than Mr Frydenberg on Monday, and said the Trump social media ban was “censorship.”

“I don’t believe in that sort of censorship,” he told ABC News.

“There’s been a lot of people who have said and done a lot of things on Twitter previously that haven’t received that sort of condemnation or indeed censorship.

““That’s a matter for Twitter, they’ve made that call, they’ve got a company, they’ve got a business to run, and they’ve made that decision.”

READ MORE: Censorship of history must be thwarted

Joseph Lam 11.50am: Melbourne childcare centre shut down as child tests positive

A child has tested positive for COVID-19 while overseas two days after attending a childcare centre in Melbourne.

Explorers Armadale, 7km southeast of the CBD, has been shut with staff, students and parents urged to get tested isolate after a child who attended the centre on January 7 and 8 has tested positive for COVID-19 in another country on Saturday, Nine News reported.

General manager Jarrod Macdonald said the centre is currently working with the Department of Health and Human Services to manage the situation.

“We have been advised that a child at Explorers Armadale has been diagnosed with COVID-19,” he said in an email to Nine News.

“We remind families to get tested even if they have mildest symptoms.

“Close contacts will be required to undertake mandatory testing throughout the isolation period.”

The child is said to have not displayed symptoms when attending the centre.

NSW records three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases

Joseph Lam 11.35am: Urgent investigation over Mt Druitt ED closure

NSW Health is urgently investigating possible connections to a positive case of COVID-19 which led to the closure of a hospital’s emergency department in Western Sydney.

A person who visited Mount Druitt hospital on Saturday — which led to the emergency closure and transfer of patients to a nearby hospital — returned a positive test on Sunday, NSW Health confirmed.

Once the positive result was received on Sunday, the patient was transferred to Westmead Hospital for treatment.

NSW Health said Mount Druitt Emergency Department is undergoing deep cleaning and will shortly be operating as normal.

Support staff from the Western Sydney Local Health District have been called in to assist.

Mackenzie Scott 11.25am: Qld treads carefully on what may trigger fresh lockdown

Queensland health authorities have failed to say whether another case of the UK variant of COVID-19 in the community could trigger another lockdown

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would work on the advice of national cabinet and state chief health officer Jeannette Young if another case of the highly contagious virus variant was loose in the community.

“We will be discussing it with the AHPPC (Australian Health Protection Principal Committee), and we will be discussing it with national cabinet,” Ms Palaszczuk

“Whatever advice Doctor Young gives me, I will take that advice.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during today’s press conference. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during today’s press conference. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said she asked for the three day lockdown in order to get as many close and casual contacts tested and into isolation as soon as possible. Close contacts will be tested again today to ensure they are virus free.

Dr Young said if one of the close contacts who has been in isolation now tests positive, a lockdown will not be required.

Queensland health authorities will discuss with counterparts in other states and territories later today about whether border restrictions affecting Greater Brisbane can be removed.

Joseph Lam 11.20am: Slight optimism amid new strain fears

Health experts have relayed some reassuring news about the new coronavirus variant from the UK which saw Brisbane enter a three-lockdown over the weekend, with some saying while it is more infectious, it isn’t more severe.

Sanjaya Senanayake optimistically cited the contact tracing results of a case in Brisbane which found out of 147 close contacts, 112 had tested negative.

The Australian National University infectious diseases doctor said the vaccine should be effective against the new strain.

Victorian chief health office doctor Brett Sutton shared a similar view noting that is not yet known whether it is more severe.

“The new variant strains of COVID (B.1.1.7 and others) – now famously in the UK – have made us take a really precautionary approach to isolation. So individuals with concerning variant strains will now be in isolation for 14 days. Is it really required? We don’t know.

Maybe. 6/x,” he wrote on Twitter.

Joseph Lam 11.15am: Four new local NSW cases, three linked to Berala

NSW recorded three new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, with another one overnight.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “Overnight we did have three cases of community transmission, all were linked directly to the Berala cluster and those cases are being managed at the moment.”

“Since 8pm, as has been reported this morning, there was that case regarding the emergency department at Mount Druitt.”

The Mount Druitt case has yet to be linked to a cluster and will be technically included in tomorrow’s numbers.

There are also eight new cases among returning international travellers in 24 hours to 8pm Sunday.

The Berala cluster is responsible for a total of 26 cases in NSW.

Testing rates were down about 20 per cent in the previous 24 hours, at 18,047 compared to 23,763 the day earlier.

Since the beginning of the pandemic NSW has recorded 4,829 cases, 56 deaths and 4,373,669 tests.

Agencies 10.50am: Most Japanese don’t want virus-postponed Olympics

Support for holding the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Olympics this summer has hit a new low in Japan, as the country battles a third wave of infections.

Just over 80 per cent of respondents polled by Kyodo news agency said the huge global event should be cancelled or postponed again — a jump from around 60 per cent in a December 6 survey by the same outlet.

READ the full story here.

Mackenzie Scott 10.20am: Restrictions breakdown of end of Brisbane lockdown

Greater Brisbane’s three day lockdown ends this evening but restrictions will stay in place for another 10 days.

Queensland reported no new cases of community transmission on Monday, the third consecutive day following the UK variant of COVID-19 entering the community via a hotel quarantine worker.

More than 18,900 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours. A total of 304 close contacts have been identified, with 154 testing negative

State premier Annastacia Palaszczuk congratulated the Brisbane region for following the rules put in place last Friday.

While people will soon be able to move around, restrictions will still be in place until 1am January 22.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled
Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Mask wearing will be compulsory in high-risk indoor locations.

“We want to make sure that incubation period, that 14 days, has totally lapsed before we get back to normal,” Ms Palaszczuk.

Masks will be required to be worn in shopping centres, supermarkets, hospitals, aged care facilities, places of worship, indoor markets, libraries, indoor recreation centres (cinemas, art galleries and gyms), public transport, taxi and rideshare and airports.

Workplaces where social distancing can’t be maintained will also have masks mandated.

Some restrictions will be kept in place for business, including the reintroduction of the one person per sqm rule.

Stadiums will be allowed to reach half capacity, including for the Gabba cricket test.

The restriction will be in place for the Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay and Redlands regions.

Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young urged people to come forward if they had been to any of the previously identified locations

“I don’t think everyone has come forward yet,” Dr Young said.

Four cases of the virus were identified in hotel quarantine. The return travellers all came from the UAE, two of whom travelled via the UK. Two were flight crew.

READ MORE: Sydney hospital closed after virus scare

Joseph Lam 10.18am: Lamb ad’s ‘fix’ to bring down Covid border walls

It’s 2031, in a divided country where concrete walls surround every state and territory. Life is bleak behind the grey border walls, until an Aussie barbecue comes to the rescue.

The scent of lamb wafting through the crack in a wall drifts beyond borders, and soon security guards, farmers and even Sydneysiders are tearing down the walls to get a piece of lamb.

It’s not a new dystopian drama on Netflix; but the Meat and Livestock Australia’s (MLA) highly-anticipated annual summer ad “Make Lamb, Not Walls”

The ad launched exclusively on Sunrise on Monday with hosts describing it as a fix to border tensions.

“The new lamb ad has suggested Mend the border battle with the good old chop,” the hosts said.

Media personality Sam Kekovich described the ad as a comical approach to fighting back against COVID-19.

“It’s about this great Australian predator that we’re going to overcome in 2021.”

Australian Lamb: Make Lamb, Not Walls

Richard Ferguson 10.15am: PM takes week off. McCormack in charge

Scott Morrison will take the week off and leave Nationals Leader Michael McCormack in charge.

The Prime Minister will continue to take COVID-19 briefings until he comes back to work next Monday.

“During my short absence, the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack will be the Acting Prime Minister and undertake my duties for this period, including regular health and economic briefings, the planned rollout of our vaccine program with the Minister for Health,” Mr Morrison said in a statement.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman
Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“As well as meeting requests from state and territory governments regarding the National co-ordinating Mechanism and support from the ADF.

“While away I remain in contact with the Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, who will brief me on COVID-19 issues as they occur.”

READ MORE: Victoria’s brutal bureaucracy bereft of basic decency

Joseph Lam 10.10am: Brisbane lockdown lifts tonight, ‘but hang on to your masks’

Brisbane’s three-day snap lockdown ends tonight after three days of zero cases, but the Queensland Premier has warned residents ‘hang onto your masks’.

Queenslanders have to carry a face mask at all times, says Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Queensland has recorded zero locally-transmitted new cases for the past three days, with Ms Palaszczuk congratulating her state on the result.

Premier Palaszczuk announced the border opening on Monday while introducing new rules over a 10-day period for her state including mandatory mask use in certain public outings.

The lockdown will lift from 6pm on Monday.

From then, until January 22, residents of greater Brisbane required to wear masks in shopping centres, supermarkets, retail markets, hospitals, aged care, churches libraries and indoor recreational facilities.

“People made a big sacrifice over the past three days and I honestly thank you.,’ she said. “We’re absolutely happy with that.’

There are 25 active cases in Queensland, including four new cases of international travellers in hotel quarantine.

“The reason why we have to continue to be vigilant is because globally, this is getting worse.”

Joseph Lam 10am: Brisbane lockdown lifts tonight, ‘but hang on to your masks’

While many families in Sydney’s northern beaches celebrated belated Christmases and enjoyed meeting for the first time in weeks as they emerged from lockdown, others engaged in more anti-social behaviour leaving a man in a critical condition in a north Sydney hospital.

Emergency services were called to Delwood Beach, in Fairlight, about 4.30pm on Sunday to find a man, 26, with head injuries by a rock pool.

NSW Police said the man was struck in the back of the head causing him to fall and strike his head on the ground.

The altercation happened after the man and his friends were involved in an argument with four men, two of caucasian appearance and two of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, police said.

After paramedics transferred the injured man to Royal North Shore Hospital, his condition soon deteriorated requiring emergency surgery. He remains in a critical condition.

READ MORE: Christmas in the north as lockdown goes south

Rachel Baxendale 8.40am: Victoria records fifth zero case day

Victoria has recorded its fifth straight day with no new locally acquired cases detected.

One new case has been detected in an international traveller in hotel quarantine.

The latest numbers come after 18,660 tests were processed in the 24 hours to Monday.

There are currently 40 active cases of coronavirus in the state, with some of the 27 people who were part of the Black Rock cluster now classified as having recovered.

Joseph Lam 8.30am: Why Brisbane lockdown could be extended

If Queensland health uncovers locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Monday it won’t reveal whether the state’s harsh three-day lockdown of its capital city has in fact worked, an infectious diseases paediatrician has said.

Professor Robert Booy on Sunrise on Monday said the decision to lock down Brisbane over concerns a highly-infectious COVID-19 variant from the UK had leaked from hotel quarantine was bold and rather strong.

“If we find cases again today, it won’t tell us the lockdown hasn’t worked, it will tell us about transmission that happened three to 13 days ago before the lockdown,” said the University of Sydney professor.

“If there are more cases and there are hidden chains of transmission that can’t be worked out, then there’s probably a good reason for continuing the lockdown a few more days.

“I think they reacted quickly and boldly and rather strongly and that means they are likely going to be able to stop the lockdown as the number of transmissions is likely to be one, two or zero”.

Professor Robert Booy said while Australia was doing well to manage the virus: “We’re always going to be chasing the tail of the virus,” he said.

“This is a virus that transmits even before you’re symptomatic. A day or two before you’re sick you can be giving it to somebody else.

“We’ve got weeks and months ahead of us in dealing with this virus – we’re doing well but we’ve just got to keep going.”

READ MORE: Tax bonus eases pain of lockdown

Joseph Lam 8.00am: Brisbane may face extended lockdown

Brisbane residents may be forced into an extended lockdown on Monday as authorities in the state refuse to say whether the city will reopen.

Despite recording two-consecutive days of no local transmission, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young have refused to rule out a lockdown extension or clarify whether the state capital will open as planned.

Asked about easing restrictions, Dr Young would say only: “Let’s get the numbers and work out what we’re doing.”

At 6pm on Monday, greater Brisbane, which also includes Moreton, Ipswich, Redlands and Logan, was set to emerge from a strict three-day lockdown which was put in place after news broke that a highly-infectious COVID-19 variant from the UK had leaked from hotel quarantine.

Under the lockdown order residents were only allowed to leave home for essential work, medical appointments, grocery shopping and exercise near their home.

The Brisbane CBD had mostly been a ghost town since Friday with the exception of essential workers and store owners.

A decision from Ms Palaszczuk will be announced at 9am (AEST).

Queensland health has urged anyone who visited the following venues in Maleny to get tested for coronavirus immediately:

Cappriccios Italian Pizza Restaurant between 6.30pm and 7pm on January 6

Purple Palate Cellars between 4.15pm and 4.25pm on January 7

Maleny Woolworths between 4.30pm and 4.50pm on January 7

Jetstar flight JQ570 that arrived in Brisbane at 11pm on January 5.

READ MORE: Table grapes rot on vine

Joseph Lam 7.40am: Sydney hospital ED closes amid Covid outbreak fears

A Western Sydney hospital had to close its Emergency Department over concerns of a COVID-19-linked outbreak, Sunrise has reported.

Mount Druitt Hospital Emergency Department closed its emergency department overnight with reports that staff have been seen wearing full COVID-19 personal protective equipment and paramedics were transporting patients away from the hospital in ambulances.

A positive case is said to have visited on Saturday placing the entire hospital on high alert, according to Seven Network’s breakfast news program. The news arrived after concerns NSW Health had failed to get COVID-19 related messages to migrants and suburban communities in Western Sydney as the area returned low testing rates.

Staff writers 7.35am: New alerts in western Sydney

NSW Health has published new alerts in western Sydney, for the Bankstown Shopping Centre and the Thai Hung supermarket in Sydney.

Joseph Lam 7am: Victoria’s updated list of COVID-19 venue alerts

Victorian health authorities are urging anyone who visited the following venues to get tested immediately and to isolate for 14 days regardless of the result:

■ Abbotsford Bodriggy Brewing Company 245 Johnston Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067, Monday December 28 from 2.50pm to 5.30pm;
■ Black Rock Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant 305 Beach Road, Black Rock VIC 3193: Monday December 28 from 7.30pm to 9pm;
■ Royal Brighton Yacht Club (outdoor dining), 253 Esplanade, Brighton VIC 3186: Tuesday December 29 from 12pm to 2pm;
■ Camberwell Tao Dumplings 1 Evans Place, Camberwell VIC 3124: Tuesday December 29 from 12.30pm to 1.30pm;
■ Collingwood Stomping Ground Brewing Company, 100 Gipps Street, Collingwood VIC 3066: Monday December 28 from 6pm to 7.30pm;
■ Docklands Melbourne Boat Hire — Yarra River Cruise. 45 Newquay Promenade, Docklands VIC 3008: Monday December 28 from 11.26am to 2pm;
■ Glen Waverley Village Century City 285-287 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley VIC 3150: Monday December 28 from 2.45pm to 5.30pm;
■ Hampton Merrymen Cafe, 2 Small Street, Hampton VIC: Monday December 28 from 12.50pm to 2.40pm;
■ Keysborough Sikh Temple Keysborough, 198-206 Perry Road, Keysborough: Friday January 1 from 3pm to 6pm;
■ Melbourne CBD Central Lion Hotel, 211 La Trobe Street: Monday December 28 from 10pm to 12am;
■ Melbourne CBD Nandos 27 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne: January 1 from 2am to 2.30am;
■ Moorabbin Grape and Grain Liquor Cellars, 14/16 Station St: Monday December 28 from 8.05pm to 8.47pm; Tuesday December 29 12pm to 4pm;
■ Mordialloc Woodlands Golf Club Club Bar, 109 White Street Mordialloc VIC 3195: Monday December 28 from 4.40pm to 5.15pm;
■ South Melbourne The Nike Company 134 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne; and
■ Springvale Ikea Cafe and Restaurant, 917 Princes Hwy: Thursday December 31 from 5.30pm to 6.30pm and Wednesday December 30 from 12pm to 12.45pm

Joseph Lam 6.40am: Victoria to ramp up hotel quarantine program

Victoria is offering up a quarter of a million dollars for a new chief to oversee the state’s hotel quarantine program amid concerns over new, highly infectious variants of COVID-19.

A job advertisement placed on Christmas Eve detailed the position, Director, Hotel Services, who will oversee a growing group of quarantine hotels in Victoria’s COVID-19 Accommodation program, reported The Herald Sun.

The role, advertised by the Department of Justice and Community Safety, seeks a qualified applicant to “manage an extensive and significant program of work” on a $249,000 salary through to November 30.

The new chief will join three others in a similar role overseeing Victoria’s intake of overseas travellers which has a daily limit of 160 passengers.

Read the full story in The Herald-Sun.

Joseph Lam 6.25am: Announcement expected today on Brisbane lockdown

As Brisbane enters its final day of a strict three-day lockdown, authorities have said they will wait for the test results of the day before making a final decision on reopening the city.

The Brisbane CBD will be mostly quiet on Monday as only essential workers have been given access to the city centre.

Queensland recorded zero new locally-transmitted cases in the 24 hours to Sunday. An announcement by state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will take place at 10am AEDT.

READ MORE: Fresh fears for Queensland hot spot

Joseph Lam 6.20am: Supermarket, department stores in new venue alerts

NSW Health has issued health alerts for the following venues, urging those who have visited to get tested immediately and isolate until a negative result is received:

■ Marrickville Thai Hung Supermarket, 307–309 Illawarra Road, Marrickville, NSW: Thursday December 31 from 3.45pm to 4.45pm;
■ Target, Myer, Smiggle, Big W, Best and Less and Oporto in the food court at Bankstown Central Shopping Centre, North Terrace Bankstown: Wednesday January 5 from 11.30am to 2pm; Friday January 8 from 1pm to 2.30pm; and
■ Bankstown Service NSW, 350/351 North Terrace, Bankstown: Friday January 8 from 11.45am to 1pm.

Visitors of the following venues have been advised to monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately and wait for a negative results immediately should they occur:

■ Bankstown Central Shopping Centre, North Terrace Bankstown: Friday 8 January from 11.15am to 2.30pm; Wednesday 6 January from 11.30am to 2pm.

READ MORE: Three new virus cases in NSW

Stephen Rice 5.15am: NSW pushes for early opening of border with Victoria

The NSW government is pushing for an early reopening of the border with Victoria, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian hitting out at other states for closing their borders too hastily and without consultation.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

With NSW recording only three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and the northern beaches lockdown ending, the Premier expressed her frustration that the border remained closed, with Victorian Premier Dan Andrews suggesting only that he “hoped” to open it sometime later this week.

Asked about the closure of the Victorian border, Ms Berejiklian said: “I would simply say to other state leaders — firstly, please talk to us in NSW before you close the border because we can explain to you the situation that’s going on. Sometimes when there is an unexpected breakout, you do have to see where it goes for the 24 or 48 hours before you make a decision like closing a border.”

Victoria closed its borders to Sydney and central coast residents just before Christmas in response to the northern beaches outbreak, and then to wider NSW before New Year’s Eve, causing massive disruption and traffic chaos as holidaying Victorians rushed to get home before the border closed.

Gladys Berejiklian urges premiers to 'talk to NSW before closing their borders'

Read the full story here.

Sid Maher 5am: Tax cuts, concessions ease pain of virus lockdown

Tax cuts and low income concessions have put $7bn in the pockets of nearly eight million Australians in the past six months, underpinning a boom in household spending that has partially offset the impact of COVID-19 closures.

Unpublished data from the Australian Taxation Office shows about $1.1bn has flowed to tax­payers as part of the federal government’s stage II tax cuts between July 1 and January 3.

Another $5.9bn has been paid under the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset that flowed to 7.8 million people at the same time.

The tax cuts could partially explain strong retail spending in the second half of the year, despite the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.

 
 

Read the full story here.

Olivia Caisley 4.45am: Regions hit harder by state closures, McCormack says

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has declared regional Australia has been “unfairly impacted” by premiers’ border closures to entire states, warning the regions have shouldered “more than their share” of the pandemic’s impact.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack (right) chats with Meccanico cafe owner Richard Moffatt in Wagga Wagga. Picture: Brad Newman
Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack (right) chats with Meccanico cafe owner Richard Moffatt in Wagga Wagga. Picture: Brad Newman

The Nationals leader, who will embark on a whistlestop regional tour this week while Scott Morrison is on leave, will visit rural communities in NSW, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania to hear first hand what regions are demanding to help with the post-COVID recovery.

It comes amid growing frustration in regional centres over the ad hoc approach taken by states on border closures and the lack of national standards over how many cases should trigger the restrictions.

Asked about statewide coronavirus-related lockdowns, Mr McCormack told The Australian the approach had not been proportionate.

“Regional people who are more than carrying their share of the economic load in terms of growing agriculture and resources and working hard as ever, yes they have been unfairly impinged upon by restrictions placed upon them based on far-off capital cities,” he said.

Australian border restrictions will need to remain in place 'for some time': CMO

Read the full story here.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/coronavirus-australia-live-news-gladys-berejiklian-slams-daniel-andrews-over-hasty-border-shutdown/news-story/1f9a505ab1710db6179b11587907fb2c