Coronavirus Australia live news: China admits to destroying early COVID-19 samples
China concedes it ordered unauthorised laboratories to destroy samples to ‘prevent secondary disasters caused by unidentified pathogens’.
- China admits to destroying early samples
- Trade Minister demands Chinese return calls
- Victoria to reopen hospitality venues by June
- Banks defer $150bn in home loans
- Jacinda Ardern turned away from cafe
- One million tested but pandemic not over
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. China concedes it ordered unauthorised laboratories to destroy early coronavirus samples to ‘prevent secondary disasters caused by unidentified pathogens’. Simon Birmingham threatens China with WTO as tensions ratchet up and his requests to speak to Chinese counterpart are ignored.
Remy Varga 10.33pm McDonald’s shuts 12 stores after driver tests positive
McDonald’s will close 12 outlets in Victoria after a truck driver tested positive for COVID-19.
The driver was a close contact of a worker who tested positive at a McDonald’s outlet in Craigieburn in Melbourne’s northwest, a spokeswoman for the fast-food chain said on Sunday night.
“However, out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to close and conduct a deep clean of 12 restaurants in Victoria, following confirmation a truck driver for an external service provider has tested positive for COVID-19,” she added.
“The truck driver made deliveries to 12 restaurants and interacted with a small number of restaurant employees on each occasion while asymptomatic and unaware they had contracted COVID-19.”
The following restaurants will be closed:
Melton East
Laverton North
Yallambie
Taylors Lakes
Campbellfield
Sunbury
Hoppers Crossing
Riverdale Village
Sandown
Calder Highway Northbound/Outbound
Calder Highway Southbound/Inbound
BP Rockbank Service Centre Outbound
READ MORE: Will the office still be there when it’s time to go back?
AFP 8.35pm China faces second wave, says top adviser
China faces a potential second wave of coronavirus infections due to a lack of immunity among its population, its government’s senior medical adviser has warned.
After months of lockdowns and curbs on travel China has largely brought the virus under control, but fears of a second wave have risen as clusters have emerged in northeast provinces and in the source city of Wuhan.
“The majority of ... Chinese at the moment are still susceptible of the COVID-19 infection, because (of) a lack of immunity,” Zhong Nanshan, the public face of government’s response to the pandemic, told CNN on Sunday.
“We are facing (a) big challenge. It’s not better than the foreign countries I think at the moment.”
Dr Zhong, who helped expose the scale of the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, also said authorities in ground-zero Wuhan had under-reported cases during the early days of the pandemic.
“The local authorities, they didn’t like to tell the truth at that time,” said Dr Zhong, who was part of a team of experts sent to Wuhan to investigate the outbreak.
“I didn’t believe that result (the number of cases reported) so I (kept) asking and then, you have to give me the real number,” he said.
But he added he believed data published after Wuhan was locked down in late January, and when the central government took control of the response, “will be correct”.
READ MORE: Obama slams virus response
AAP 8.10pm WA workers told to return to offices, cafes
West Australians are being encouraged to return to offices and dine at restaurants and cafes when restrictions are lifted on Monday.
No new coronavirus cases were recorded overnight but a third historical infection has been detected, taking the state’s tally to 557.
The latest historical case involves a woman in her 30s who self-isolated after being in close contact with a confirmed case about seven weeks ago. Her initial test results were inconclusive but further analysis has concluded she has contracted and recovered from the virus.
Five cases remain active, with one person in hospital.
WA will unwind many of its coronavirus restrictions from Monday, allowing greater regional travel and up to 20 patrons at a time to dine at restaurants, cafes and bars.
“It’s the time to support our small businesses, time for people to get back to work and time to do it in a COVID-safe manner,” Premier Mark McGowan said on Sunday.
“When our offices go back, which I expect they will to a far greater degree tomorrow, there’s a great opportunity to go out for lunch or dinner and support a local small business.”
READ MORE: Will the office still be there when it’s time to go back?
AFP 6.50pm World’s toughest penalty for failure to wear masks
Qatar has begun enforcing the world’s toughest penalties — up to three years’ imprisonment — for failing to wear masks in public.
More than 30,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the tiny Gulf country — 1.1 per cent of the 2.75 million population.
While on 15 people have died, Qatar has one of the world’s highest coronavirus infection rates.Only the micro-states of San Marino and the Vatican had higher per capita infection rates, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Violators of Qatar’s new rules will face up to three years in jail and fines of as much as $US55,000 ($85,721).
Drivers alone in their vehicles are exempt from the requirement, but several expats said police were stopping cars at checkpoints to warn them of the new rules before they came into force.
Wearing a mask is currently mandatory in around 50 countries, although scientists are divided on their effectiveness.
Authorities in Chad have made it an offence to be unmasked in public, on pain of 15 days in prison. In Morocco similar rules can see violators jailed for three months and fined up to 1,300 dirhams ($204).
Qatari authorities have warned that gatherings during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan may have increased infections.
Mosques, along with schools, malls, and restaurants remain closed in Qatar to prevent the disease’s spread.
But construction sites remain open as Qatar prepares to host the 2022 World Cup, although foremen and government inspectors are attempting to enforce social distancing rules.
READ MORE: Premier urges states to reopen borders
Remy Varga 5.30pm Hospital outbreak fears ease
Melbourne hospital network Epworth Health has confirmed two staff members recorded false positive results for COVID-19 before retesting negative.
The initial positive results triggered pandemic planning, including contact tracing as well as identifying any potential exposure, Group Chief Executive Lachlan Henderson said on Sunday.
“Epworth was contacted on Friday evening and informed two staff had preliminary positive test results,” he said.
“Both staff members were retested on Saturday morning and both returned negative results.”
READ MORE: Trump is far from the worst covidiot
Lachlan Moffet Gray 4.40pm SA stretches to 10 days without a new case
South Australia has recorded no new cases of coronavirus for the 10th consecutive day, with the last known active case making a full recovery on Friday.
Of the state’s 439 confirmed cases, 435 have recovered and four died.
South Australian COVID-19 update 17/05/20.
— SA Health (@SAHealth) May 17, 2020
For more information go to https://t.co/mYnZsGpayo or contact the South Australian COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787. pic.twitter.com/3ILNgMBUCR
One person is recovering in hospital but is no longer considered an active case.
More than 78,800 tests have been conducted in the state, with 1119 conducted on Saturday alone.
South Australia and the ACT are the only jurisdictions on mainland Australia without an active coronavirus case.
READ MORE: Extremists prepare for next ‘civil war’ in Hawaiian shirts
Lachlan Moffet Gray 4.20pm Tasmania gradually unwinds restrictions
Tasmania recorded no additional cases of coronavirus on Sunday but Premier Peter Gutweing warned against becoming complacent as the state prepares to ease restrictions on Monday.
Restaurants and cafes will be allowed to seat up to 10 patrons, households can receive up to five visitors at a time, churches, libraries and other community facilities can reopen for groups of 10, and the same number of people can gather for outdoor activities.
Restrictions are also being relaxed for funerals, which from Monday can have up to 30 guests.
Schools will return from May 25 but strict border controls will remain in place.
The conservative easing of restrictions comes after an outbreak at a hospital in Burnie forced the state’s northwest into special lockdown, contributing more than 70 cases to Tasmania’s case load of 226.
“A number of countries around the world have already found that they have been hit by a second wave,” Mr Gutwein said on Sunday, adding many businesses won’t survive a second lockdown.
“We don’t want to go through that. That would be devastating both in Tasmania and in this country.”
Tasmania has 31 active cases, 182 people have recovered and 13 have died.
The single new case diagnosed in the past week was a passenger on the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
“We are in a good place but we need to get to a better place,” Mr Gutwein said.
Additional reporting: AAP
READ MORE: Familes dread a return to life as they knew it
Remy Varga 3.30pm: Group fined for 12 Apostles breach
Victoria Police have fined a group of people at the 12 Apostles, a spokeswoman confirmed.
Most national parks, beaches and historic sites in the state have reopened with the easing of social distancing restrictions.
But major tourist drawcards including the 12 Apostles remain closed.
In the past 24 hours, Victoria Police conducted 748 spot checks at homes, businesses and non-essential services across the state as part of Operation Sentinel.
READ MORE: Hopes easing brings sellers back
Lachlan Moffet Gray 2.42pm: Andrews has ‘priorities wrong’: Victorian opposition
Victoria’s Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien has taken to Twitter to criticise Premier Daniel Andrews’ decision to open cafes, pubs and restaurants before all students in the state return to school, accusing the premier of having his “priorities wrong”.
Today Mr Andrews said hospitality venues will be able to serve up to 20 people from June 1, increasing to 50 on June 22 and 100 in July.
However, Victorian schools will begin accepting students in a staggered manner from May 26 to to June 9.
But Mr O’Brien said this was part of a response that is “devastating Victoria”.
“So Daniel Andrews will be able to “get on the beers” before most Victorian students can get back to school,” he tweeted.
“Yet again Andrews shows his priorities are all wrong.”
So Daniel Andrews will be able to “get on the beers†before most Victorian students can get back to school.
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelobrienmp) May 17, 2020
Yet again Andrews shows his priorities are all wrong #springst
“Our schools should be back already and our small hospitality businesses should be open.
“But Daniel Andrews – who has never run a small business in his life – thinks he knows best.
“The social and economic toll of this Labor govt’s response is devastating Victoria.”
READ MORE: Flowers a bright spot in these dark times
Lachlan Moffet Gray 2.35pm: China admits to destroying early samples
China has admitted it ordered unauthorised laboratories to destroy coronavirus samples earlier on in the pandemic, according to the South China Morning Post.
It comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted the Chinese government declined to provide early samples of the virus taken from patients at the end of last year, and that these samples were subsequently destroyed.
“Even after the (Chinese Communist party) did notify the WHO of the coronavirus outbreak, China didn’t share all of the information it had,” Mr Pompeo told reporters in April.
“Instead it covered up how dangerous the disease is. It didn’t report sustained human-to-human transmission for a month until it was in every province inside of China, it censored those who tried to warn the world in order to halt the testing of new samples, and it destroyed existing samples.”
On Friday Liu Dengfeng, an official at China’s National Health Commission told a briefing that early samples were destroyed at unauthorised labs to “prevent the risk to laboratory biological safety and prevent secondary disasters caused by unidentified pathogens”.
“The remarks made by some US officials were taken out of context and intended to confuse,” he is quoted as saying in the South China Morning Post.
“Based on comprehensive research and expert opinion, we decided to temporarily manage the pathogen … and imposed biosafety requirements on sample collection, transport and experimental activities, as well as destroying the samples.”
READ MORE: ‘US would lose Pacific war with China’
Lachlan Moffet Gray 2.25pm: No new WA cases ahead of eased restrictions
WA has recorded no further cases of coronavirus, which Premier Mark McGowan lauded as “good news” on the eve the state entering phase two of its restriction easing plan.
From Monday restaurants, cafes and pubs will be able to sit up to 20 patrons, indoor gatherings of up to 20 people will be permitted, community facilities, libraries and places of worship will reopen and residents of WA will be encouraged to return to work.
Mr McGowan said that more than 8800 businesses have downloaded the government’s COVIDSafe app, giving him confidence that operations will continue in a safe manner across the state.
“From tomorrow, one of the blessings we can do is support each through this pandemic and return to our favourite local cafe or restaurant and resume our sport and recreation as well and help get businesses back to work and back into operations,” he said.
Health Minister Roger Cook said that although there were no new recorded cases, a previously inconclusive test returned by a Perth woman seven weeks ago was changed to positive.
“Despite it being non-conclusive at the time, the public health team contact traced the woman in the same way as if she was a confirmed case,” Mr Cook said.
“The woman was in home quarantine at the time anyway, so she was not in the community while infectious or unknowingly infecting people.”
The number of tests in WA have reached almost 66,000, Mr Cook said. The state has 553 confirmed cases of the virus while nine people have died.
READ MORE: 100,000 to get jobs back as economy opens
Agencies 1.50pm: Man referred for assessment after ‘supermarket attack’
A man who is accused of hitting a woman with a bottle when she asked him to socially distance in a Sydney supermarket queue, has been referred for a mental health assessment.
Police say the 59-year-old woman asked Mohammed Hanif Hussein, 47, to move back when he stood close behind her at a supermarket checkout in Miller in Sydney’s southwest on Friday morning.
It’s alleged Hussein responded by hitting the woman on the head with a bottle as she was buying her groceries before fleeing the store.
The woman was treated by paramedics and taken to Liverpool Hospital as a precaution.
Police also say Hussein brandished a meat cleaver when officers approached him on Saturday at a Green Valley park before he was tasered and arrested. Hussein appeared before Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday and was referred for a mental health assessment at Nepean Hospital, with no plea recorded.
He will return to the court if his mental health is deemed adequate. Police on Saturday charged Hussein with several offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assaulting police and using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention.
AAP
READ MORE: Safe work? None of your business
Lachlan Moffet Gray 1.30pm: NSW beats Brazil in coronavirus testing
New South Wales has carried out 365,917 coronavirus tests to date, more than the entire nation of Brazil, despite having just six per cent of the population.
NSW Health said in a statement that 10,179 people were tested in the past 24 hours, with only one case being discovered.
Of the state’s 3075 confirmed cases, 47 have died and 2612 have recovered, meaning there are just 416 active cases in the state.
The number of those active cases being treated by NSW Health is 100, seven of which are in ICU with four on ventilators.
The state’s worst cluster – the Newmarch House aged care centre in western Sydney – has recorded no further coronavirus cases, with the total number of cases connected to the home remaining at 71, with 16 deaths.
NSW Health has urged residents of Penrith near Newmarch House to present for testing, as well as residents of Canada Bay, Canterbury Bankstown, and Cumberland local government areas.
At a press conference on Sunday NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard urged residents of the state to abide by social distancing rules as restrictions ease, slamming people who continue to venture out while sick.
“It certainly is a bitter disappointment to me as Health Minister, to hear that people with runny noses, people with symptoms, are still going out to visit friends at their houses,” he said.
“I’m very aware of situations where, for example, one particular person … who had a runny nose went with that person’s partner to dinner at a friend’s place, and it turned out that the person with the runny nose did have COVID.
“This virus is extremely dangerous … we should not be holding a false sense of security because of the way Australia and its citizenry has managed it.”
READ MORE: Game on, and we can hardly wait
Lachlan Moffet Gray 1pm: China reopens populous areas
After more than a month with no coronavirus deaths and the addition of just five new cases in the past 24 hours, China has given the green light for some of its more populous areas to reopen.
On Sunday the National Health Commission reported five new confirmed coronavirus cases, two of which were “imported” from overseas travellers and three which were locally acquired in the Jilin Province in the country’s north east.
It brings the country’s number of confirmed cases to 82,947 – 79,288 of which have recovered, while the death toll has remained steady at 4634, with just one reclassified fatality being added to the count in the last month.
Only 86 coronavirus cases are being treated for the disease in hospitals.
The low case and death increases means life can begin to return to normal as most of the rest of the world struggles to get the virus under control.
Shanghai will resume flights and some classes for students who want to return to school. Tourist sights like the Forbidden City in Beijing and Shanghai’s Disneyland resort have also recently reopened.
The number of domestic flights have also recovered, with the Civil Aviation Administration of China reporting that more than 10,000 flights per day – 60 per cent of the pre-COVID figure – are now occurring.
Despite the phased reopenings, the Chinese government is determined not to allow a second wave to hit the country. Jilin Province remains under partial lockdown while the government is preparing to test all 11 million residents of Wuhan, the virus’s epicentre, in a bid to catch a new wave of the virus before it spreads.
READ MORE: ‘US would lose Pacific war with China’
Lachlan Moffet Gray 12.45pm: Brazil now world’s fourth-most infected nation
Brazil’s number of coronavirus cases have surged by almost 15,000 in just one day, making the South American country the fourth-most infected country in the world, ahead of previous epicentres Italy and Spain.
The nation’s health ministry recorded 14,919 new cases on Saturday, taking the total to 233,142, behind Russia, the UK and the US.
The growing number of cases is putting pressure on President Jair Bolsonaro who has publicly attended anti-lockdown rallies and has criticised Brazilian states that have taken lockdown measures into their own hands.
Mr Bolsonaro has remained consistent in insisting the Brazilian economy must reopen, despite having ploughed through two health ministers since the pandemic began and having his vice-president Hamilton Mourao enter isolation on Saturday awaiting the results of a coronavirus test.
The number of cases could be far higher, with the country only having carried out 338,000 coronavirus tests as of the start of last week, compared to more than one million tests in Australia and close to two million in Italy and Spain.
The official death toll has also spiked, growing on Saturday by 816 to 15,633.
READ MORE: Brazil next hotspot at breaking point
Lachlan Moffet Gray 12.30pm: ACT virus-free amid high rate of testing
The ACT remains coronavirus free while maintaining a high rate of testing, with the Health Department urging residents to remain vigilant.
The ACT’s total number of confirmed cases remains at 107. Three people have died and 104 have fully recovered, the most recent being a woman in her twenties who contracted the disease overseas.
Of the 13,951 tests carried out in the Territory, 204 were conducted in the last 24 hours.
Residents are being reminded that although restrictions have eased, their responsibilities have not.
“Whenever you leave home, you should think about how you’re going to keep yourself, family, and friends safe,” said Acting Chief Health Officer, Dr Vanessa Johnston.
“Make conscious choices about what you do and when you do it. Just because restrictions have eased, doesn’t mean that we should disregard all the COVID-related behaviours we have learnt over the past few months.
“Stay home if you’re unwell, keep physical distance and make sure you continue to maintain good hand hygiene. If you’re heading to the shops – know what you want, get in and buy it, and get out as soon as you can.”
READ MORE: Ex-Treasury boss urges tax reform
Christine Kellett 12.20pm: Palaszczuk stands firm on border closures
Queensland Premier is standing firm on border closures in the face of pressure from NSW, insisting she will not reopen the state until there is no longer evidence of community transmission.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has today pushed for the urgent reopening of state borders to get the economy moving, but Ms Palaszczuk called the move “negligent”.
“I make no apologies for protecting the health of Queenslanders,” Ms Palaszczuk said on Sunday.
“It would be absolutely negligent of me to lift those restrictions with community transmission happening in New South Wales and Victoria.”
Victoria yesterday announced 11 new cases of coronavirus yesterday, while NSW this morning announced one new case from an unknown source.
The Premier said she would review border restrictions on a monthly basis.
READ MORE: Berejiklian urges states to reopen borders
Lachlan Moffet Gray 12.12pm: One new case amid ‘great NSW bust-out’
NSW has confirmed one new case of coronavirus, something Health Minister Brad Hazzard said should keep people on “high alert” as the residents of NSW begin to venture out of their homes amid the easings of restrictions.
Mr Hazzard said that there has been “a great New South Wales bust-out” with people swarming to newly opened cafes and restaurants and heading outside to enjoy the nice weather.
“I’ve observed today, people at cafes and restaurants, and many of them do not appear to be exercising that 1.5 metres,” Mr Hazzard said.
“I’ll just say to them – please be careful. Please be careful. And to people conducting the cafes and restaurants, please also exercise care and caution when you’re putting the chairs out around the tables.
“We can still have fun, but they’re dangerous times until we sort this virus issue out.”
However, Mr Hazzard said that the discovery of just one case in more than 10,000 cases carried out on Saturday – which was in a returned traveller in quarantine – was “remarkably good”.
There are now 3075 cases of coronavirus in NSW.
Despite the easing restrictions, people in NSW are abiding by the new rules with NSW Police issuing no personal infringement fines for violating public health orders in the past 24 hours.
READ MORE: Lockdown lift: what you can do today
Christine Kellett 12pm: ‘Honestly, a nurse should know better’
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has lashed an infected nurse who went to work at a nursing home while awaiting the results of a coronavirus test.
The North Rockhampton Nursing Centre in central Queensland is in lockdown after the woman tested positive last week. She had returned to work after contracting the virus but had not yet had her test results confirmed.
“It is not acceptable for anyone who is sick in this particular pandemic we are dealing with to go to work,” Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Sunday.
“Honestly, a nurse should know better.”
As well as testing residents and all staff at the facility, health officers have been tracking close contacts of the woman, six of whom who have tested negative.
The state’s Chief Health Officer is headed to Rockhampton tomorrow, and the Premier has flagged a possible inquiry.
Meanwhile, the Premier has praised the restraint of Queenslanders as restrictions ease.
She said just 10 infringement notices had been handed out by police across the state in 24 hours, as residents largely adhered to social distancing while out in public again.
The state recorded no new cases overnight, the total remaining at 1055, with just 12 active cases.
READ MORE: Hospitals facing 18-month backlog
Ewin Hannan 11.25am: Van Diemen defends not deleting Cook tweet
Victoria’s deputy chief health officer Annaliese van Diemen has defended her decision not to remove her tweet comparing the coronavirus to Captain James Cook.
Dr van Diemen tweeted on April 29: “Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror. Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices & completely change how they live in order to survive. COVID-19 or Cook 1770?”
Dr van Diemen said on Sunday that the tweet had been extensively reported and “removing it wasn’t going to change anything”.
She said she regretted that the tweet caused “a large amount of distractions” and she was focused on moving forward and continuing to manage the pandemic.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos reiterated her support for Dr van Diemen on Sunday, saying she was doing a fantastic job.
READ MORE: Victorian health officer counselled over social media use
Agencies 11.14am: States have path forward despite infection risk
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned as COVID-19 restrictions are eased it is likely there will be a number of new infections.
“But at least we have a path forward and now every state can move with confidence,” she told Sky News on Sunday in reference to the three-stage plan to free-up the economy agreed by the national cabinet.
“Given we have the overall framework, we can all move at our own pace in how we open up our economies.”
Australians across the nation have been enjoying some new found freedoms over the weekend after weeks of isolation and rigid social distancing.
Victoria, which has been more cautious than other states in handling the crisis, has also set out its staged plan to allow people to eat and drink inside restaurants, cafes and pubs again from the start of June.
Venues that have been open in recent weeks have only been able to serve takeaway.
“Getting these venues back up and running is very important,” Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.
“But it has got to be done safely. It has got to be done in a safe and appropriate way, in a cautious way.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd on Saturday said people cannot afford to be complacent, saying the “pandemic is not over.”
Australia has now tested over one million people for COVID-19. The number of cases in Australia is now around 7050, but the death toll from the pandemic remains at 98.
Victoria recorded another seven COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, two linked to existing outbreaks, three found in hotel quarantine while another two are still being investigated.
Ms Berejiklian said NSW recorded eight new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, following the three cases recorded in the preceding 24 hours. In Queensland, residents of the North Rockhampton Nursing Centre aged care facility have been evacuated in a bid to stop a possible outbreak of coronavirus after a nurse tested positive on Thursday.
Thirty-five of the facility’s less frail residents were moved to nearby hospitals on Saturday, to generate more space for occupants to isolate.
AAP
READ MORE: Premier urges states to reopen urgently
Agencies 10.45pm: Survey finds teens feel overlooked in pandemic
Most Australian teenagers are worried about their education being disrupted or held back due to coronavirus-driven changes to their schooling, a survey has found.
The UNICEF Australia research also found that 40 per cent of Australians aged 13-to-17 years view many of the pandemic-related discussions about children and young people, such as school closures, as being more about the impact on parents, carers and the economy.
UNICEF Australia program and advocacy manager Juliet Attenborough says young people have been struggling with the mental health and wellbeing implications of continuing their education and social interaction in relative isolation, relying on intense, prolonged screen time in online video for both.
“While a quarter (26 per cent) feel they have no way to contribute to the national discussion and are not really being seen as an important part of the overall picture,” she said in a statement on Sunday.
“They are experiencing high levels of uncertainty about the impacts it will have on their senior studies and graduation from high school and a sense of being relatively overlooked stakeholders in public discussions.” The survey found 67 per cent of the young people were worried about their education being disrupted or held back.
The national survey of 1007 teenagers was conducted through YouGov Galaxy in the first half of April and UNICEF Australia young ambassadors followed up with consultations of young people in regional NSW, Tasmania, Perth and Sydney. “Young people told us that when sitting and concentrating on a screen for a long period of time, it becomes intensely draining – many have lost the ability to immediately ask their teachers questions or to clarify understanding with their friends,” 17-year-old young ambassador Daphne Fong said.
“Learning processes have slowed down.”
AAP
READ MORE: Sydney school shut over positive staffer
Rosie Lewis 10.25am: Premier calls for urgent reopening of borders
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has hit out at her state colleagues for closing their borders during the coronavirus pandemic, declaring she wants them reopened as soon as possible and Australians travelling domestically before they can head to New Zealand.
The state Liberal leader also warned she did not believe the coronavirus could be eradicated in NSW due to its population size but said “we’re getting really close to literally crushing the curve, not just flattening it”.
Australia’s most populous state recorded eight new cases overnight, five of which came from overseas and three from community-to-community transmission.
Read the full story here.
Ewin Hannan 10am: Victorian hospitality sector to reopen
Victorian restaurants, cafes and dining areas of pubs will be permitted to have 20 patrons from June 1 and 50 customers from June 22.
Announcing the easing of hospitality restrictions on Sunday, Daniel Andrews said up to 100 patrons could be allowed by mid-July.
He said he hoped cafes and restaurants would be able to return to full capacity ahead of other states.
But he said Victorians able to work from home should continue to stay away from the office throughout June.
Victoria has the highest-per-capita testing rate in the country, with 233,000 tests conducted so far.
Three more Victorians tested positive to COVID-19 overnight.
READ MORE: Last step to recovery will be a doozy
Rosie Lewis 9.40am: Minister demands China return his calls
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has demanded his Chinese counterpart return his phonecall and engage in an open dialogue as tensions escalate, warning the Asian superpower’s recent “unpredictable regulatory interventions” had made it a riskier market for Australian businesses to invest.
Senator Birmingham said he reserved all rights to take China to the World Trade Organisation and launch a dispute if China went ahead and imposed 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barley — a move which Australia has comprehensively rejected.
“This is about using the system that we strongly support of rules-based international trade, to ensure that where we think that things are operating outside of those rules, we call them out and we seek a resolution through the independent umpire,” Senator Birmingham told the ABC’s Insiders program.
.@Birmo says the Australian Government may initiate a WTO dispute if China proceeds with imposing tariffs. #Insiders #auspol pic.twitter.com/3ytGcMGNnf
— Insiders ABC (@InsidersABC) May 16, 2020
While a request has been made for Senator Birmingham to talk to his Chinese counterpart, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, there had been no communication at this stage.
“The Australian government is always open for thoughtful and engaging dialogue with our international partners, including where we may disagree. And it is ultimately up to them as to whether or not they decide to reciprocate in kind,” Senator Birmingham said.
“The call ought to be returned. But, as I say, it’s not a reflection upon the Australian government. We are open to have that discussion, even where there are difficult issues to be discussed at any time. It’s for our counterparts around the world to decide whether or not they agree to the same standards of open dialogue and discussion.”
READ MORE: China’s bid to control the internet
Agencies 9am: Economy to recover at different speeds
A key member of the Morrison government’s co-ordination team through the coronavirus crisis believes different parts of the economy will recover quicker than others as the pandemic subsides.
National COVID-19 Co-ordination Commission chair Neville Powell says some businesses have been able to operate reasonably well during the crisis, and as restrictions lift, hospitality and the arts will also come back – both big employers.
“Some of the parts that are going to take longer is anything associated with international travel, that’s going to take the longest to come back,” he told Sky News on Sunday.
READ MORE: How we’ll return to work
Christine Kellett 8.45am: Free childcare likely to end in June
The federal government is unlikely to extend free childcare beyond the end of June, according to a report.
With childcare services already returning to 60 per cent capacity, Education Minister Dan Tehan has told Nine newspapers the free scheme, which expires on June 28, probably won’t be extended.
“The success of the rescue package and the success we have had in flattening the curve means we do have to look at how long we want this temporary measure in place and how quickly do we need to change to meet the growing demand,” Mr Tehan is quoted as saying.
On Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned keeping free child care beyond the coronavirus pandemic was not sustainable.
The federal government has temporarily made child care free, guaranteeing services their taxpayer subsidies at late-February levels as long as they don’t charge parents fees.
This gives most centres about half their usual income, plus any JobKeeper wage subsidy they might be eligible for.
It was designed to stop centres closing amid collapsing enrolments as parents pull children out of care due to health fears or because they could no longer afford fees after losing work.
READ MORE: US may join air passenger temperature checks
Staff writers 8.20am: Women hit harder than men in pandemic
Women are being hit harder by the coronavirus than men, suffering job losses in greater numbers, as well as shouldering the burden of homeschooling, new figures reveal.
325,000 Australian women have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, compared to 269,000 men, according to ABS figures published by the Sunday Mail.
Federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said the government needed to look at a return-to-work program specifically targeted at women once the economy reopened, as well as the potential for bosses to allow more men to work from home permanently to ease the pressure on women.
READ MORE: 100,000 to return to work within weeks
Agencies 7.45am: Italy to reopen borders for summer tourist season
Italy will open its borders to travellers from Europe from next month to unwind one of the world’s most rigid coronavirus lockdowns.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte outlined the loosening of movement restrictions on Saturday.
With shops as well as bars and restaurants due to reopen from Monday, the government has also announced that people will no longer have to justify travel within their own region and will be able to meet friends as well as family. “People will be able to go wherever they want – to a shop, to the mountains, to a lake or the seaside,” he said.
The announcements came as coronavirus deaths in Italy, the third-highest in the world, fell to 153 on Saturday, the lowest since March 9.
Good news! #Italy to allow travel to and from abroad from June 3 https://t.co/1cUNkoYaf5 via @Reuters pic.twitter.com/n1pkZoQh6x
— Walks (@Walks) May 16, 2020
A ban on travel between regions and abroad will remain in place until after Italy’s June 2 Republic Day holiday, preventing any mass travel over that long holiday weekend.
But all travel curbs will be lifted from June 3 and travellers from European Union countries will be able to enter without going into quarantine, offering some hope ahead of the summer to the vital tourism sector.
READ MORE: No one saw Italy’s silent bomb until it exploded
Dow Jones 7am: Trump considering restoring funding to WHO
President Trump said the US is considering restoring partial funding to the World Health Organisation after he froze contributions to the group over what he said was its mismanagement of the coronavirus response.
The president on Saturday morning said his administration is weighing a proposal that would provide funding to the group on par with what China is contributing. The move, Mr. Trump said, would reduce overall US funding to the group by 90%.
Responding to Fox Business Network anchor Lou Dobbs, Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter, “Lou, this is just one of numerous concepts being considered under which we would pay 10% of what we have been paying over many years, matching much lower China payments.”
The president added that he hasn’t made a final decision and all funds to the WHO remain frozen. Mr. Dobbs had criticised the administration for considering restoring partial funding to the group. The Fox Business host pointed to a Fox News report that cited a draft letter to the WHO, which said the Trump administration will “agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions.” Mr. Trump said in April that the U.S. would pause funding to the WHO, pointing to what he called the organisation’s failure to adequately respond to the virus. He also accused the WHO of having a pro-China bias.
READ MORE: Trump faces most dangerous virus test
Agencies 6.45am: Infected nurse returned to work while awaiting test
An investigation has been launched after a sick nurse returned to work at a Queensland aged care home while waiting for her coronavirus test results. The North Rockhampton Nursing Centre was locked down on Friday amid fears 115 residents and 180 workers at the state-run facility could be infected. Initial testing of 193 people has come back negative for the virus, however, health minister Steven Miles says it is possible more people could be infected. “We are taking the risks here very very seriously,” he told reporters on Saturday.
About 35 low-risk residents have been moved from the home so that residents in the wing where the nurse worked can be spread out to further reduce the risk of infection.
Chief health officer Jeannette Young said it was unfortunate the nurse waited to be tested after developing coronavirus symptoms.
“She was not providing hands-on care to the residents, which is a good thing,” she said.
“The risk to those residents is even less.” Health officials are now tracing the woman’s movements to track down and test people she came into contact with after becoming infected.
“We do not know exactly who has come within 1.5 metres of the nurse so anyone in Rockhampton with any symptoms needs to be immediately tested,” she said. Ms Young said officials were also investigating the circumstances of the nurse’s testing.
This will include why the woman, who worked in the reception area of the facility, returned to work while waiting for her test results. Mr Miles said it was unacceptable that the nurse had gone to work while having symptoms of the COVID-19 disease.
“To have this happen in a Queensland Health facility is very disappointing,” he said.
“I have asked the director-general to covey to all 100,000 staff that they need to go above and beyond what the chief health officer has advised.” The infected nurse remains in isolation.
Read the full story here.
Agencies 6.25am: Victorian restaurants, pubs, to open in June
Pubs, cafes and restaurants in Victoria will reportedly be allowed to open their doors next month as long as they adhere to distancing guidelines.
The Sunday Herald Sun reports the state government plans to let establishments reopen on Monday, June 1 if they limit the number of patrons to 10 at a time. Victorian cafes and restaurants that have remained open during the coronavirus pandemic could only serve takeaways.
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Colin Brinsden 5.45am: Australian banks defer extra 429,000 home loans
The head of the Australian Banking Association believes the industry is providing a much-needed lifeline for households during the coronavirus pandemic by deferring repayments on their home loans.
New ABA figures released on Saturday show one-in-14 mortgages — or 429,000 home loans worth $153.5 billion — have been deferred for six months during the crisis. That brings the total number of deferred mortgages on the books of banks to 703,000, totalling $211 billion.
ABA CEO Anna Bligh said banks had been prepared to support customers throughout the crisis and assist the economy from the devastating effects of the pandemic.
“Right now they are getting a lifeline, without it I can’t imagine what would be happening to people,” Ms Bligh told reporters in Sydney.
“Australian families who are financially affected by this crisis have had the breathing space they need with a six-month deferral on their home loan repayment while they chart a path through to the other side of this downturn.”
She said some people have managed to get back into work and have cancelled deferment, but there are others — examined on a case-by-case basis — seeking an extension of the six-month period.
Banks have also hired 1500 new staff while redeploying over 2200 employees to frontline areas such as call centres to help meet the historic surge in demand for support over the past few months. — AAP
READ MORE: Gideon Haigh — It’s game on, and we can hardly wait
Nick Perry 5.30am: Jacinda Ardern turned away from Wellington cafe
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern found out there were no exceptions when it came to social distancing after she was initially turned away from a cafe because it was too full under coronavirus guidelines.
Ms Ardern and her fiance, Clarke Gayford, decided to get brunch Saturday at Olive, a restaurant in the capital Wellington.
That was two days after the country relaxed many of its lockdown rules, including reopening restaurants.
But social distancing rules still apply, requiring groups to remain at least one metre apart from each other. Many restaurants have limited their seating to comply with the rules.
What happened next played out on Twitter.
“Omg Jacinda Ardern just tried to come into Olive and was rejected cause it’s full,” wrote one Twitter user, Joey.
Mr Gayford took the time to respond: “I have to take responsibility for this, I didn’t get organised and book anywhere. Was very nice of them to chase us down st (street) when a spot freed up. A+ service.”
Haha I'm glad you guys got a spot eventually cause the brunch was good. My waffles and mimosa were 👌.
— Joey 🧜ðŸ»â€â™‚ï¸ (@reinvention) May 16, 2020
Another Twitter user, Joanne, chimed in: “This has to be the most Kiwi tweet I’ve ever read … love it, love NZ.”
Asked for comment, a spokesman from Ms Ardern’s office said in an email that waiting at a cafe was something that anyone could experience during New Zealand’s virus restrictions: “The PM says she just waits like everyone else.” — AP
READ MORE: Lockdown lift — what you can do today
Colin Brinsden 5.15am: One million tested, but pandemic ‘not over’
Australians are enjoying the benefits of restrictions being gradually lifted across the nation — a reward for enduring weeks of curbs that have helped limit the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
But the repeated message from health authorities is to approach these new found freedoms with care for fear of sparking a second wave of the disease. States and territories have begun the first stage of a three-stage process to lift restrictions on outdoor and indoor gatherings and business operations. Australians are able to sit in pubs, cafes and restaurants for the first time in weeks after isolation and social distancing measures kept the lid on infections and COVID-19 deaths.
But Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd said people could not afford to be complacent.
“The pandemic is not over. The risk to vulnerable people remains significant,” he told reporters in Canberra.
The number of cases in Australia now stand at 7036 after 20 new cases were reported over the past 24 hours.
Coronavirus Update: Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd. https://t.co/tpWcF1u9jl #Coronavirus #7NEWS https://t.co/jgT6NIpfgi
— 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) May 16, 2020
The death toll from the pandemic remains at 98, extremely low by international standards.
Professor Kidd said over one million Australians have now been tested for COVID-19. — AAP
READ MORE: Hospitals facing 18-month backlog
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