Coronavirus Australia live news: 30,000 Aussies could return home this year, Senate committee hears
Daniel Andrews has met with Alan Joyce, as Qantas fosters a bidding war between states for a relocation of key facilities, including head office.
- Why number of stranded has doubled
- 30,000 stranded Aussies to return
- Great ‘people-to-people’ ties with China: PM
- Comeback from Covid is on: PM
- PM ‘so relieved’ at Kylie release from Iran
- SA school closed over infectious pupil
- Hotspot kids risk learning decline
- Business plans two way NZ travel
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
About 30,000 Australians may be able to return home by the end of the year if all flights are filled, a Senate committee has heard. Scott Morrison says there is a great people-to-people relationship between China and Australia, despite the fraying relations between Beijing and Canberra. The Prime Minister says he’s proud of Australians for their ‘endurance’ with Victoria just one day away from being Covid free.
AFP 11pm: Swedish royal couple test positive
Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip and his wife, Princess Sofia, are self-isolating after testing positive for the new coronavirus, the royal palace says.
Carl Philip, 41, the son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and Sofia, 35, “have light flu symptoms” and are recuperating at home in Stockholm with their two young children, the palace said in a statement on Thursday.
The king and queen, as well as Crown Princess Victoria and her husband, Prince Daniel, will all be tested as a precaution, it said.
According to the tabloid Aftonbladet, the royal family gathered for the funeral of the queen’s brother last week, but they all tested negative for the virus before attending that ceremony.
Princess Sofia made headlines early on in the pandemic when she donned scrubs and began doing shifts as a healthcare assistant at the Sophiahemmet hospital in Stockholm, which she has continued to do part-time.
Sweden is known for its softer approach to the coronavirus pandemic, never locking down to the same extent as other countries. As of Wednesday, it had recorded a total of 230,514 cases of COVID-19 and 6,555 deaths.
READ MORE: Advisers ‘gaslight’ medicos on Covid
Imogen Reid 10.15pm: Critics urged to stop trippin’ on Pippin
The producer of the first major musical to hit the stage since lockdown has urged critics to rethink their fury over a decision to cast a black American performer following a wave of public outcry.
The circus musical Pippin came to life at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre on Tuesday this week for the first time since the industry was shuttered in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last month, Australian musical theatre production company Gordon Frost came under scrutiny after US performer Gabrielle McClinton was cast as the Tony Award-winning musical’s lead ringmaster, denying Australian performers, particularly Indigenous talent, the chance of taking on such a coveted role.
Rosie Lewis 9.30pm: Stranded Aussies now number nearly 37,000
About 30,000 more Australians stranded overseas may be able to return by the end of the year, as the number of people trying to come home doubles to nearly 37,000 in just three months.
The federal and Northern Territory governments are also close to finalising a deal to expand the Howard Springs quarantine facility before Christmas, from 500 places per fortnight to 1000, after COVID-19 restrictions, border closures, travel disruptions and a virus surge in some parts of the world affect Australians abroad.
At the end of August there were 18,800 Australians registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as wanting to come home and 26,800 were on the list on September 18, but that had grown to 36,875 by Tuesday.
David Penberthy 8.45pm: School case linked to pizza bar
The notorious pizza bar at the centre of Adelaide’s Parafield COVID-19 cluster has been embroiled in controversy again after health authorities confirmed that a female student whose entire school has been plunged into isolation had eaten a pizza there.
The Woodville Pizza Bar, which is no longer trading, is already under police investigation after it emerged that three of its employees had lied about the business’s staffing arrangements.
But SA Health are still not convinced that the restaurant was necessarily the source of her infection, and have launched an urgent investigation.
AFP 8pm: US Supreme Court backs religious groups
The US Supreme Court has barred New York from imposing coronavirus restrictions on houses of worship in a ruling likely to be heralded by conservatives as a victory for religious freedoms.
Services should not be treated differently from permitted secular gatherings, said the unsigned ruling, one of the first since the appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett tipped the court’s balance to the conservatives.
Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York state, had ordered that only up to 10 people could gather at sites of worship in high-risk areas designated “red zones”.
The court was responding to two applications — from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, as well as two synagogues — claiming they were singled out under the restrictions designed to limit the contagion’s spread in hard-hit New York City.
In a five-four split, the top US court said the measures violated the first amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion.
The court had previously swung the opposite way, upholding similar restrictions on services in California and Nevada.
The shift is indicative of the court’s new weighting, with the three remaining liberals now outnumbered after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September.
The court noted that: “Even in a pandemic, the constitution cannot be put away and forgotten.”
The ruling continued: “The restrictions at issue here, by effectively barring many from attending religious services, strike at the very heart of the first amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty.”
However, the ruling will have no immediate effect as the state restrictions had already been relaxed as they considered their verdict, NBC News reported.
Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan — backed by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts — dissented.
Justice Roberts said there was no need to uphold the groups’ complaints given the governor’s rollback.
But conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch argued that Mr Cuomo had favored secular activities over religious ones.
It is the latest in long-simmering tensions between officials and some religious communities over social-distancing measures, with protests erupting in Brooklyn last month.
The ruling comes as the US continues to report record infection numbers, with more than 86,000 coronavirus hospitalisations on Tuesday alone.
READ MORE: US set for ‘mother of all super- spreader events’
Rachel Baxendale 7.15pm: Alert in Geelong over traces in sewage
Victorian health authorities are urging residents and visitors to Geelong’s northern suburbs and the nearby town of Lara to be on the lookout for coronavirus symptoms and get tested, after viral fragments were detected in sewage from the Oyster Cove wastewater treatment plant in Corio.
“Residents and visitors to Geelong’s northern suburbs and Lara from Saturday 21 to Tuesday 23 November are urged to get tested if they have any symptoms, no matter how mild,” Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services said.
It was unclear whether they meant Monday, November 23, or Tuesday, November 24.
“The result is unexpected given that there are no residents in the area known to have recently had a coronavirus (COVID-19) illness or diagnosis,” DHHS said.
Samples of untreated sewage from more than 50 treatment plants across Victoria are being routinely analysed, as the state reached 27 consecutive days with no new known cases of the virus on Thursday.
Acting Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said the viral fragments may be because of residents or people visiting these areas.
People who have had coronavirus may shed the virus or virus fragments for several weeks in their stool, well beyond their infectious period.
“We have had few of these positive wastewater results recently and, while we haven’t discovered any undiagnosed case of coronavirus (COVID-19), it is possible that there may be an infectious person in this catchment,” Professor Cheng said.
Viral fragments were last week detected in wastewater in Altona, in Melbourne’s southwest, Benalla in the state’s northeast and Portland in the southwest, despite no known local people with recent coronavirus infection.
Increased testing of residents and visitors in these locations has not revealed anyone with the virus.
READ MORE: Critics urged to stop trippin’ on Pippin
Sarah Elks 7pm: Police in isolation after man restrained in quarantine hotel
Eleven Queensland Police officers have been forced into self-isolation after restraining a man in hotel quarantine who later tested positive for COVID-19.
A police spokeswoman said a 41-year-old returned traveller in hotel quarantine at the Rydges in South Brisbane on Sunday had to be restrained by the officers when he tried to leave his room.
It is understood he suffers from mental health issues.
The man tested positive to COVID-19 later that day, and the officers were placed into self-isolation as a precaution.
They were all wearing personal protective equipment, and have returned negative test results.
READ MORE: Britain’s economy shrinks most in 300 years
Andrews pitches for Qantas relocation
Daniel Andrews has met with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, as the airline fosters a bidding war between Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Queensland for a possible relocation of key facilities, including head office.
Qantas announced in September it would conduct a group-wide review of its rented space, with a particular focus on its non-aviation facilities including the leased 49,000 sq m head office in Sydney’s Mascot and Jetstar’s leased head office in Melbourne’s Collingwood.
On Wednesday, just over 48 hours after Victoria’s border with NSW reopened and the day after the Andrews government delivered its state budget, Mr Joyce flew to Melbourne to meet the Premier.
Asked about the meeting on Thursday, Mr Andrews said he was proud as premier to “spend every day fighting for Victorian jobs”.
“These opportunities are even more crucial as we rebuild from the global pandemic. That has been the centre of this week’s budget,” Mr Andrews said in a statement.
“We continue to have constructive discussions with our national carrier about high-skilled, high-wage jobs for Victoria.”
Sources familiar with the meeting said Mr Joyce had taken advantage of Monday’s reopening of the Victoria-NSW border to take a tour of the Melbourne Airport precinct as part of Qantas’s property-review process, before meeting with Mr Andrews.
The Australian understands the pair discussed the importance to Victoria of rebuilding the tourism industry, and Victoria’s submission to the property review.
In September, Mr Andrews said Victoria would pitch aggressively for Qantas to move its key facilities to the southern state.
“We think that we have a very attractive offer to make and we’ll work through that to try and have as many jobs as we possibly can in our city and state,” the Premier said at the time.
Discussions are also afoot with the South Australian, Queensland and NSW governments, with Qantas expected to provide details of the outcome of their review early next year.
When it announced the review in September, Qantas said it was considering bringing its key facilities together in one state as part of its coronavirus recovery plan and with the intention of cutting overhead costs, which include a $40m annual spend on leased office space.
The national carrier has laid off approximately 8000 workers, or a third of its workforce, amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Aviation facilities being considered for relocation include Qantas’ heavy maintenance facilities in Brisbane, where 750 people are employed, and flight simulator centres in Sydney and Melbourne.
A relocation of NSW Qantas group jobs to Victoria could bring as many as 5000 jobs to the state, but conversely the relocation of the Jetstar office would see 1000 jobs move interstate.
Qantas was founded in Winton, Queensland, in 1920, and has had its headquarters in Sydney since 1938. Jetstar’s head office has been in Melbourne since 2004.
READ MORE: Plan for two-way travel with New Zealand by Christmas
AFP 6.15pm: Fears of third wave in South Korea
South Korea reported its highest daily number of coronavirus cases since March on Thursday, with a surge of new infections sparking fears of a major third wave.
Officials announced 583 new cases after several weeks of fresh infections ranging between around 100 and 300.
The latest cases have mostly been clusters at offices, schools, gyms and small gatherings in the greater Seoul area, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.
New infections also emerged within the military, including dozens of newly enlisted soldiers at a boot camp — prompting the defence ministry to bolster its virus measures.
“We are now in a situation where virus outbreaks can happen at any place,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said.
The government tightened social distancing rules in the capital and the surrounding regions this week as authorities scrambled to contain the spread of the virus.
The measures include closing nightclubs and bars and restricting the number of visitors at weddings and funerals to 100.
Cafes are only allowed to serve takeaways and all restaurants must close by 9pm, with only deliveries permitted afterwards.
Thursday’s figures take the total number of recorded cases in the country to more than 32,000.
South Korea endured one of the worst early COVID-19 outbreaks outside mainland China, but brought it broadly under control with its “trace, test and treat” approach. It never imposed the kind of lockdowns ordered in much of Europe and other parts of the world.
The country has previously been held up as a model of how to combat the pandemic, including by the World Health Organisation. The public have largely followed social distancing and other rules, such as wearing face masks.
READ MORE: PM orders public servants back to work
Staff writers 5.35pm: Six Pakistani cricketers test positive for virus in NZ
Six of Pakistan’s squad tested positive for Covid-19, hosts New Zealand Cricket said Thursday, throwing preparations for their five-match tour into turmoil and causing a scare in a country that has largely eradicated the virus.
The squad’s “exemption to train while in managed isolation has been put on hold until investigations have been completed”, the governing body said, adding that the six positive players would be moved into quarantine.
New Zealand’s ministry of health said 53 team members passed a symptom check before leaving Lahore and were tested on arrival in Christchurch on November 24.
Six of those results have come back positive, although two of the six cases are believed to be “historical”.
New Zealand Health said the players will now “be tested a minimum of four times while in managed isolation” and the entire squad would be confined to their rooms.
New Zealand Health also revealed that “several team members have been seen on CCTV at the facility breaching managed isolation rules, despite clear, consistent and detailed communication of expected behaviours”.
“The team as a whole has been issued with a final warning,” it said. “It is a privilege to come to New Zealand to play sport, but in return teams must stick to the rules that are designed to keep Covid-19 out of our communities and keep our staff safe,” said top health official Ashley Bloomfield.
Through strict quarantine measures, aggressive testing and snap lockdowns, New Zealand has largely eradicated community transmission of the virus, registering just 1,684 cases since the pandemic began.
Pakistan are scheduled to face the Black Caps in three T20 internationals and two Tests, with the first match on 18 December. — with AFP
READ MORE: Benefit ‘not slowing job hunt’
Matthew Denholm 5pm: Tasmania accepts mercy flight, but not SA residents yet
Tasmania will accept a coronavirus mercy flight from India and seasonal workers from Timor Leste but is keeping its border closed to South Australia for at least a few more days.
Premier Peter Gutwein on Thursday said the state had struck a deal with the Morrison government to accept a flight of Australians from Delhi on December 6.
Those on board would be processed by Border Force at a hangar at Hobart Airport, rather than allowed into the terminal.
Tasmania Police would escort them on to buses and then escort the buses to hotel quarantine, where the arrivals would undergo 14 days mandatory isolation and regular COVID-19 testing.
Mr Gutwein said Tasmania Police would be responsible for “managing and supervising… 24/7” hotel quarantine security, with assistance from the Australian Defence Force and two private security guards per shift.
“There will be no supervisory role in terms of guests for private security personnel – they will simply be monitoring the main doors and exits,” he said.
In all, Tasmania would accept 450 people on three mercy flights, under the terms of the agreement with the federal government.
A flight of seasonal workers from Timor Leste would arrive on December 2, with 150 workers to be required to undertake 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine and COVID-19 testing.
Mr Gutwein said SA would retain its “medium risk” status for at least a few more days, while Tasmanian health officials further assessed the situation. This means arrivals from SA must self-isolate at a private residence for 14 days.
Victorians will be allowed into the state, free of quarantine requirements, from Friday.
READ MORE: Mum rakes in $50k for COVID-killing spray
Rosie Lewis 4.35pm: Why number of stranded Australians has doubled
About 30,000 more Australians stranded overseas may be able to return by the end of the year, as the number of people trying to come home doubles to nearly 37,000 in just three months.
The federal and Northern Territory governments are also close to finalising a deal to expand the Howard Springs quarantine facility before Christmas, from 500 places per fortnight to 1000, after COVID-19 restrictions and border closures, travel disruptions and a surge in the virus in some parts of the world affect Australians abroad.
At the end of August there were 18,800 Australians registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as wanting to come home and 26,800 were on the list on September 18, but that had grown to 36,875 as of Tuesday.
The number of vulnerable Australians has also doubled from about 4000 in late September to 8070 this week.
Australia’s weekly hotel quarantine capacity is 5625 places, rising to 6745 with the resumption of international arrivals into Melbourne from December 7.
Scott Morrison in September said he wanted to get as many of the 26,800 people home by Christmas but only 14,000 of those Australians have managed the trip so far.
A total of 36,000 have flown home in that time, of which 22,000 were not registered with DFAT.
The Prime Minister blamed the slower progress on state hotel quarantine caps.
“Australia is moving everything we possibly can to get as many Australians home, but there are obviously understandable constraints to that because of the quarantine capacity,” he said.
“State governments have requested to have caps on the number of arrivals who can come back in Australia, particularly in this time where quarantine is under pressure, and that is the greatest risk of transmission of the virus into Australia.”
The Senate’s COVID-19 committee heard the federal government expected 2400 Australians home by Christmas on commonwealth-assisted repatriation flights, rising to 2845 if the Northern Territory takes on additional hotel quarantine capacity.
And there would be about 29,000 seats available on commercial flights between now and January.
“We will do everything we can and we’re prioritising vulnerables both on facilitated commercial flights we organise and if we’re provided surge capacity or any additional capacity, last-minute seats that become available. We will always do everything we can to prioritise vulnerables,” Tony Sheehan, DFAT deputy secretary of the international security, humanitarian and consular group, said.
“You’re going to see very significant numbers (of Australians stranded overseas) between now and Christmas join that 14,000 returned.”
India, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Thailand and South Africa are the top five countries with Australians registered as wanting to come home.
Kylie Rendina, Australian Border Force acting deputy commissioner in operational strategy and co-ordination, said 89 per cent of passengers who arrived in Australia were citizens or permanent residents while 11 per cent were foreign nationals with critical skills or compassionate and compelling circumstances.
Repatriation flights from New Delhi and London have been locked in before December, with the government set to announce “several more” flights arriving before Christmas.
Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally accused Mr Morrison of breaking his September promise to get “as many people home, if not all” of the 26,800 Australians before Christmas.
“Stranded Australians are looking for some honesty and some action from their Prime Minister today. Instead, all they get from Scott Morrison is excuses,” Senator Keneally said.
Almost 426,000 Australians have arrived in the country since the government recommended people do not travel overseas in mid-March. There has been a 1.3 per cent positive COVID-19 testing rate for those in hotel quarantine.
Another 77,249 Australians have left the country since late March.
Emily Cosenza 3.30pm: Testing sites to open longer as SA braces for 40C-plus heat
Changes to opening times for COVID-19 testing stations will be made to keep South Australians safer and cooler during a heatwave moving over the state.
The Victoria Park site in the CBD – which is open from 8am to 6pm daily – will reopen from 8pm to midnight on Friday and Saturday as temperatures are forecast to soar to 40C in Adelaide.
Drive-through stations will also open from 6.30am to 11am on both days.
Testing will be conducted at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital from noon to 9pm, and the Royal Adelaide Hospital station will be open from 9am to 9pm from Thursday to Monday.
SA Health’s Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said another testing facility would open at the Adelaide Showgrounds at Wayville on Friday.
“We are aware that there are people waiting in cars. It is dangerous and you might have children in cars as well,” she said.
“We want to make sure it is as safe as possible for people so that is going to be fully airconditioned and a walk-in testing clinic.”
Adelaide is forecast to reach 40C on Friday and Saturday but the temperature will drop dramatically to 24C by Sunday.
Lachlan Moffett Gray 2.35pm: ACT shape of summer with move to stage four
The ACT will move to stage 4 of its Covid recovery plan on December 2, with a relaxing of restrictions.
There have been no new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the ACT in the past 24 hours, leaving the ACT’s total at 115. There are no active cases in the ACT.
A total of 112 cases have recovered from COVID-19 in the ACT and there are no COVID-19 patients in Canberra hospitals.
Stage 4 begins on Wednesday, December 2 with the following restrictions:
– Business wanting more than 25 people across their venue, can apply the one person per two square metres of usable space rule in both indoor and outdoor spaces, provided they use the Check In CBR app to collect patron contact details.
– Patrons can consume food standing up in both indoor and outdoor spaces but must continue to be seated when consuming alcohol in indoor spaces.
– GIO Stadium and Manuka Oval can have crowds of up to 65 per cent capacity, as long as each event is ticketed and seated, and a COVID Safe Plan is in place.
– Other enclosed outdoor venues with permanent tiered seating and grandstands will be able to have crowds of up to 65 per cent capacity, up to a maximum of 1500 people.
– Large indoor performance venues, such as theatres and arenas, can have up to 65 per cent capacity for seated and ticketed events, up to a maximum of 1500 people
– Cinemas and movie theatres can seat up to 65 per cent of capacity for each theatre, up to 500 people per theatre or cinema, provided they use the Check in CBR app.
– Events up to 8000 people will be able to be considered for exemptions under the COVID Safe Event Protocol, up from 5000. Any events or gatherings in the ACT above 500 people continue to require an exemption under the protocol.
ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said these changes would enable businesses to again welcome back more patrons in time for the busy summer period, while also striking a balance with the continued need to protect the ACT community from COVID-19.
“We acknowledge that many businesses of all types have been impacted by the public health restrictions, and these changes will help them return to a COVID-safe business as usual as we head into summer,” Dr Coleman said.
READ MORE: Hotspot kids risk learning decline
Angelica Snowden 2.20pm: Two new SA cases as Parafield cluster grows
Two new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in South Australia overnight, the state’s chief health officer Nicola Spurrier says.
The first case is a student from Woodville High School, reported last night about 8pm.
Dr Spurrier said the young woman contracted the virus from the Woodville Pizza Bar and is linked with the Parafield cluster.
The other infection was reported in a man in his 40s who is a close contact of a case linked to the cluster. He was in quarantine with his family when he tested positive.
There are now 31 cases linked with the Parafield cluster.
Dr Spurrier also confirmed about 95 per cent of the hotel quarantine staff at Pepper’s have returned negative COVID-19 results. She said she would chase up the final results.
Premier Steven Marshall confirmed almost 5,000 Australians have gone into quarantine after being identified as a contact of someone who contracted COVID-19.
“Nearly 5,000 South Australians have already gone into quarantine to reduce the circulation of this virus and to stop it in its tracks,” Mr Marshall said.
“The record testing rates we have seen over the last few days will be critical in our efforts to rein in this virus,” he said.
“The fact that people have waited patiently, sometimes for hours to get tested, highlights to me the strength of the community spirit in SA.”
Almost 10,000 people were tested yesterday.
READ MORE: US set for 'mother of all superspreader' events
Angelica Snowden 1.16pm: No new local, hotel quarantine cases for NSW
NSW has recorded another day of zero cases of locally acquired COVID-19.
No cases were reported in hotel quarantine.
NSW last publicly reported no locally or overseas acquired cases on 27 September.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) November 26, 2020
Although NSW has enjoyed 19 days without a locally acquired case of COVID-19 and restrictions continue to be eased, now is not the time to be complacent.
It is the 19th straight day of no community transmission.
“NSW last publicly reported no locally or overseas acquired cases on 27 September,” NSW Health tweeted.
Rosie Lewis 12.49pm: 30,000 stranded Aussies could return home
About 30,000 Australians may be able to return home by the end of the year if all government-funded repatriation flights and scheduled commercial flights are filled.
The Senate’s COVID-19 committee has heard the federal government expects 2400 Australians home by Christmas on repatriation flights, rising to 2845 if the Northern Territory takes on additional hotel quarantine capacity.
And there are about 29,000 seats available on commercial flights between now and December 25.
There were 18,800 Australians registered with DFAT at the end of August as wanting to come home and that list has doubled to 36,875 as of Tuesday.
The number of vulnerable Australians has also doubled from about 4000 in late September to 8070 today.
In that time, nearly 36,000 Australian citizens and permanent residents have returned home – more than 14,000 of those who were registered with DFAT, including 3100 vulnerable Australians.
“You’re going to see very significant numbers (of Australians stranded overseas) between now and Christmas join that 14,000 returned,” Tony Sheehan, DFAT deputy secretary of the international security, humanitarian and consular group, said.
READ MORE: ‘Betrayed’: Stranded Aussies PM
Richard Ferguson 11.54am: Great ‘people-to-people’ relationship with China: PM
Scott Morrison says there is a great people-to-people relationship between China and Australia, despite the fraying relations between Beijing and Canberra.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry overnight said the Prime Minister’s government was responsible for the tensions between the communist superpower and this country which has, among other incidents, held up 50 Australian coal ships at Chinese ports.
Mr Morrison said in Canberra that China was a great nation with a great economic story, and he wanted to pursue high-level government dialogue with Beijing.
“There is a wonderful people to people relationship between Australia and China and we share a passionate, deep and abiding interest in the success of southeastern Asian nations, pulling their nations and their people out of poverty,” he said.
“Particularly some nations who are newly developing, like in Myanmar and places like that, so we share those objectives for the region and want to work together on those things.
“That interest sits alongside our interest in maintaining the healthy and wonderful alliance we have with our friends, the United States, and we will make our decisions based on our interest.”
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Richard Ferguson 11.47am: PM won’t be drawn on prisoner swap
Scott Morrison has refused to confirm three Iranian terrorists held in Thailand for attacking Israeli diplomats were swapped for freed Australian hostage Kylie Moore-Gilbert.
Iranian media claims three Iranians in Thailand were released on Thursday in exchange for Dr Moore-Gilbert. They have been previously linked to attempts on the lives of Israelis in Thailand.
The Prime Minister said Israel had not raised any concerns over Dr Moore-Gilbert’s release.
“I’m not aware of any (Israeli representations) that has come to Australia. In my capacity,” Mr Morrison said in Canberra.
“Where another sovereign state has made a decision about the release of prisoners, that is a matter for them.
“Again, as Australia manages the sensitive issues, the reason we do it so sensitively and ensure that the safety of Australians and the safety of Australia is not compromised.
“There are clear guardrails for Australia in how we manage matters and this is important for other Australians who can find themselves in difficult situations.”
READ MORE: Aussie academic freed from Iran prison
Rachel Baxendale 11.45am: ‘Fantastic outcome’: Andrews welcomes Moore-Gilbert’s return
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews welcomed the return of the University of Melbourne lecturer as a “fantastic outcome”.
“We wish her and her family well and we congratulate everybody who’s been involved in that,” Mr Andrews said.
“I’m sure she’ll get a very warm welcome when she comes home. She’s probably been through things that many of us could not really have imagined.”
The Premier said he was yet to speak with Dr Moore-Gilbert, her family, or Foreign Minister Marise Payne regarding her return.
“I think we can all be confident that the federal government has done that very delicate, very quiet work behind the scenes, and that’s now delivered an outcome that all of us can be very pleased with, not least of which her family and her colleagues,” he said.
READ MORE: Aussie academic freed from Iran prison
Richard Ferguson 11.37am: Aussies trickle home amid warning for stranded citizens
Scott Morrison says many Australians have managed to return home for Christmas, as the COVID Coordination Commission says it could take several years to get more than 30,000 people stranded abroad back to Australia.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Marise Payne both said in Canberra that the Department of Foreign Affairs was doing everything it could to get stranded Australians home.
Mr Morrison also repeated his stance that foreign students cannot come to Australia until the backlog of citizens and permanent residents is cleared.
“There will be more who arrive home in Australia by the end of the year,” he said.
“So in relation to the commitment I made at the time, I think we have been making good progress against that.
“Obviously, the ability to get people home to Australia depends on the available quarantine capacity in Australia.
“The state governments have requested to have caps on the number of Australians and arrivals who can come back in Australia, particularly in this time where quarantine is under pressure and that is the greatest risk of transmission of the virus into Australia. We understand that.”
READ MORE: Hotel inquiry: more to come
Angelica Snowden 11.28am: Leaked notes point to ACT’s rollback of restrictions
Canberra is set to further ease COVID-19 restrictions after recording another day of no new cases.
ACT Health sent a draft note to media organisations on Thursday, which said detail about the eased restrictions will be updated “later when they are finalised”.
The note said the relaxed rules will be part of Canberra’s stage four recovery plan.
It also said the territory had today welcomed 120 Australians on a government facilitated flight from Singapore.
“All passengers have entered 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine, supported by ACT Health, ACT Policing and the Australian Defence Force,” the statement read.
All of the returned passengers will have a COVID test today and another between day 10 and 12.
READ MORE: Long lines, no tables await Qld tourists
Richard Ferguson 11.24am: 200 Australians in foreign jails: Payne
Foreign Minister Marise Payne says there are currently around 200 Australians in foreign jails.
One of them is Australian man Karm Gilespie who is facing the death penalty in China for drug smuggling convictions.
Senator Payne said in Canberra that consular staff was still trying to help Mr Gilespie, and every Australian foreign jail case is unique.
“In relation to Mr Gillespie, his matter is still part of a legal process within China,” she said.
“We continue to seek our consular access to him to ensure that we can provide that consular support and of course to seek to ensure that he has access to lawyers as well.
“To be very clear, Australia in all cases, at all times, absolutely opposes the application of the death penalty.
“There are many Australians around the world who find themselves in detention for a vast range of reasons. At any one time, Australian consular officials can be dealing with over 200 cases of people in prison globally, and those reasons are as vast as you might imagine.”
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Richard Ferguson 11.04am: Moore-Gilbert to enter quarantine upon return
Freed Australian hostage Kylie Moore-Gilbert will go into quarantine when she returns to Australia from Iran, which has been ravaged by coronavirus.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Thursday that Dr Moore-Gilbert would be supported throughout the 14 day isolation.
“She will not be alone and she is well supported. I am not able to disclose the location of her quarantine, nor any other private details,” Senator Payne said in a Canberra virtual press conference.
“We would all understand that Dr Moore-Gilbert has adjustments to make, some plans to consider, so this will be a period of privacy and, one expects, decompression.”
READ MORE: Aussie academic freed from Iran prison
Ellen Ransley 10.52am: 1.7m jobless in 2021: modelling
More than 1.7 million Australians could be unemployed in 2021 once the government’s COVID-19 financial assistance ends, according to frightening new modelling.
The report, from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) says total unemployment could peak at 15.1 per cent next year under the most severe of three scenarios modelled.
Even the mildest indicates more than one million, or 8.7 per cent, would be left jobless.
As of October, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates 960,900, or 7 per cent, are unemployed.
The modelling, undertaken by researchers from the University of Adelaide and Curtin University, found at least 103,500 households went into “housing affordability stress” as a result of the pandemic.
Researchers further suggest when JobKeeper is phased out in March 2021, an additional 124,000 households could be tipped into trouble, with 73 per cent of these being private renters.
Read the full story here.
Angelica Snowden 10.17am: Officials working through coal ship issue: PM
The Australian government is working through issues with the Chinese government after it was revealed $700 million worth of coal is stuck on more than 50 ships off Chinese ports, Scott Morrison says.
“I have made it clear that Australia makes decisions about our policies and our national interests and no one elses … we will work through these issues with respect with the Chinese government,” The Prime Minister earlier told Nine’s The Today Show.
“There are obviously tensions there but those tensions aren’t resolved by Australia surrendering its sovereignty,” he said.
#BREAKING: Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is "thrilled and relieved" that Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been freed from prison in Iran. #9Today pic.twitter.com/mZ63KKPBxw
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) November 25, 2020
Mr Morrison said he would work through the “process” to help an estimated 1000 people who are stranded on the ships.
“It is incredibly complicated what we are dealing with here and we have the best people working on these issues,” he said.
“In the same way, we have amazing consular people who have been working on the case of Dr Moore-Gilbert.”
Mr Morrison said he was “very clear” that he wanted to achieve a “happy coexistence and positive relationship” with China.
“They are our single largest trading partner,” he said.
“We deal with very complicated and difficult issues, which this is one of, and we are very keen to ensure we get the best outcome for Australia and in the interests of our relationship.”
READ MORE: China leaves 50 coal ships stranded
Richard Ferguson 10.06am: Wong ‘greatly relieved by academic’s release
Opposition foreign minister Penny Wong said on Thursday she was “greatly relieved” by Dr Moore-Gilbert’s release.
“She and her family have shown extraordinary resilience,” she tweeted.
I’m greatly relieved to see Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert freed from detention in Iran.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) November 25, 2020
She and her family have shown extraordinary resilience.
We are thankful for the work of dedicated officials to bring Dr Moore-Gilbert home.
We wish Kylie and her loved ones a joyful homecoming.
“We are thankful for the work of dedicated officials to bring Dr Moore-Gilbert home. We wish Kylie and her loved ones a joyful homecoming.”
READ MORE: Aussie academic freed from Iran prison
Richard Ferguson 9.36am: University to welcome back Moore-Gilbert
University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell says he looks forward to released Australian hostage Kylie Moore-Gilbert returning to campus after her release from an Iranian jail.
Dr Moore-Gilbert was arrested by Iranian authorities two years ago while on a study trip.
Professor Maskell thanked the federal government for securing her release.
“Our University community is delighted that Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been released and will be coming home to her family and friends. We have waited a long time for this day,” he said.
“This has been a very difficult period and we thank the federal government and the Department of Foreign Affairs for their relentless efforts to secure her safe release,” Professor Maskell said.
“The University is grateful that Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert has now been released and will return to her family, friends and the broader University community. Thank you to everyone involved in her successful release.”
READ MORE: Aussie academic freed from Iran prison
Richard Ferguson 9.30am: Moore-Gilbert family’s thanks to Payne, PM
The family of released Australian hostage Kylie Moore-Gilbert has thanked Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne for securing the Melbourne academic’s freedom from Iran.
In a statement, Dr Moore-Gilbert’s family also thanked her supporters in Australia and the University of Melbourne for their work in securing her release after two years in an Iranian jail.
“We are relieved and ecstatic with the release of Kylie after over 800 days of incredible hardship. We cannot convey the overwhelming happiness that each of us feel at this incredible news,” they said.
“Our family sincerely thanks the Australian government for its sustained efforts to secure Kylie’s freedom, in particular Marise Payne, Lyndall Sachs and Scott Morrison.
“We also recognise all those who worked so tirelessly behind the scenes to achieve this outcome. Thank you also to Kylie’s many supporters and especially the University of Melbourne for its continual solidarity and support.
“We also thank the public for their interest and concern but ask that Kylie and us, her family, are given the space needed to readjust and reacclimate after such a traumatic experience.”
READ MORE: Aussie academic freed from Iran prison
Angelica Snowden 9.05am: Nation must remain COVID ‘match fit’ until vaccine: PM
Scott Morrison says he is confident Australia’s contact tracing systems will be able to cope with any COVID outbreaks, but the states and territories have to keep “match fit” until a vaccine can be widely distributed.
“Working with all the governments around the country, they have all had this health check on how the (contact) tracing systems are working, and they were proven in that Adelaide case in tracing thousands and thousands of people within the space of 24 – 48 hours,” Mr Morrison told Melbourne’s Triple M radio.
“They have got to keep match fit, that’s the key thing, and the public has to keep match fit on COVID too,” he said.
“Just because there are zero cases it does not mean the social distancing and all the other practices are no longer necessary, they remain as necessary … the virus hasn’t gone anywhere until we get a vaccine and even when we do it will take some time for that to work its way through the population.”
READ MORE: Cities’ hotspot kids risk learning decline
Angelica Snowden 8.55am: ‘Comeback from Covid is on’: PM
Scott Morrison has declared Australia’s comeback from coronavirus ‘is on’, although there was still ‘a lot further to go.’
Following a tumultuous year – starting with catastrophic bushfires and leading into a global pandemic – the Prime Minister said he dealt with challenges as they came each day but above all was “so proud” of Australians for their endurance.
“You have to think ahead to where you want to be next I mean the fact that we are going to be open by Christmas – with the exception of Western Australia – a goal we’ve said for some time and despite the odd hiccup here and there and the odd disagreement, we are going to get there,” Mr Morrison told Melbourne’s Triple M radio.
“My enduring and largest impression of this year is I’m just so proud of Australians and particularly Victorians in what they’ve been through most recently,” he said.
“It has just been a big year of everybody pulling together.”
Everyone has had a hard year regardless of their profession, Mr Morrison said.
“It does not matter what your job is – whether you are the Prime Minister, whether you are a nurse or a bus driver or you are a farmer, … whether you are a mum or a father looking after kids looking after the kids doing homeschooling or a small business that has been devastated and you are getting back up on your feet,” he said.
“I’m also proud of the support we’ve given them, in Victoria alone $35 and a half billion … the federal government has come to Victoria’s aid at a most difficult time.”
READ MORE: PM orders public servants back to work
Richard Ferguson 8.45am: PM ‘so relieved’ at release of Aussie academic
Scott Morrison has spoken to released Iranian hostage Kylie Moore-Gilbert, and has thanked her family, friends an diplomat who secured her freedom.
Iranian authorities swapped Dr Moore-Gilbert for three Iranian prisoners on Thursday after holding the Melbourne academic in jail for nearly two years.
The Prime Minister said he was informed of Dr Moore-Gilbert’s release last night and she is now on her way home.
“I spoke to Kylie this morning. It was wonderful to hear her voice and I look forward to seeing her after her return,” he said on Facebook.
“Securing Dr Moore-Gilbert’s release has been an absolute high priority for our Government.
“We have always rejected her conviction and detention and I join with all Australians in praising Dr Moore-Gilbert and her family for their courage, strength and patience as we have all worked tirelessly together to secure her release.
“I also thank our amazing team of consular and other officials, our DFAT team, together with Minister Marise Payne, for doing such as outstanding job.”
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Rachel Baxendale 8.10am: Victoria on 27th day of no cases
Victoria has recorded it’s 27th straight day with no new coronavirus
cases, and a third day with no active cases, after 12,862 tests were
processed in the 24 hours to Thursday.
The state is now one day away from being declared officially Covid free.
Angelica Snowden 8.00am: CBD workers drive economy: industry chief
Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox has welcomed news the NSW state government will drive workers back into the office in a bid to ramp up the local economy.
“There is a heap of businesses – think of all the coffee shops, the stores, the retail that rely on people being in towns and being together, going out at lunchtime, before work and after work, and that really is what drives our economy,” Mr Willox told Nine’s The Today Show.
“So that is why it is important to get people back to work as quickly as possible,” he said.
Mr Willox said a return to the office should be done in a “safe” way and employers would have to manage the transition.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced yesterday she would repeal a health order which required employers to allow staff to work from home. The change would take effect from December 14.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also announced he expected 25 per cent of office workers to return to the CBD from November 30.
READ MORE: Pay rise for young retail workers
Angelica Snowden 7.45am: Canavan: don’t force vaccinations on Qantas passengers
Qantas should not force people to have a COVID-19 vaccine if they want to enter Australia, Queensland senator Matt Canavan says.
There should be exemptions for some people who have “medical reasons”, he said.
“I think we should make sure we have freedom here as well,” Mr Canavan told Nine’s The Today Show.
“We don’t want to force people to make medical decisions – that can be very dangerous,” he said.
“But if the vaccine works I am sure we can make it work.”
He said people did not need to prove they had a TB vaccine before they entered Australia and if they did not want to take the COVID vaccine they should be able to quarantine instead.
READ MORE: Vaccination before flying on Qantas: Joyce
Angelica Snowden 7.35am: Joyce slams ‘dreamy pixie land’ economics of energy bill
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has slammed the NSW state government’s landmark energy bill as supported by “dreamy pixie land” economics.
The Electricity Infrastructure Investment Bill passed the upper house on Wednesday just before 6pm after more than 30 hours of debate.
The government said the swap to renewable energy will save small businesses about $440 per year and individuals $130 per year.
“Fossil Fuels, iron ore and daylight, daylight, daylight are our major export,” Mr Joyce told Sky news.
He also said it was “pretty rude” to suggest coal workers should start to re-skill and did not agree gas needed to be subsidised by the government.
“I would caution my colleagues about working with the Greens … they don’t believe in coal, they don’t like fracking,” he said.
READ MORE: NSW Upper House debates bill all night
Angelica Snowden 7.25am: SA school closed as pupil tests positive
An Adelaide student has contracted COVID-19 sending a school into lockdown, South Australia Health has confirmed.
1/3 COVID-19 CLOSURE: Woodville High School.
— Dept for Education (@edu_sagov) November 25, 2020
The Communicable Disease Control Branch of @SAHealth has informed us that a student who attends Woodville High School is a confirmed case of COVID-19, and has attended while potentially infectious. pic.twitter.com/xAJ1ZOhPuG
The latest case meant one new infection was recorded in the state on Wednesday after authorities made the announcement about 8pm.
The female student attended Woodville High School, just north west of Adelaide city, while infectious. As a result, the school has been closed today and SA Health will conduct contact tracing and a risk assessment.
The student attended the school on Monday November 23 and SA Health has told everyone who attended to immediately isolate. Members of their households must also self quarantine.
READ MORE: Hotel inquiry: more to come
Angelica Snowden 6.45am: Los Angeles records most cases, deaths in US
A restaurant dining ban in Los Angeles is due to come into force on Thursday (AEDT) as officials warned Americans to stay home for the Thanksgiving holiday, while parts of Europe eyed looser coronavirus lockdowns over the festive season.
We continue to expand access to COVID-19 testing where it’s needed most. Our new walk-up site at San Fernando Park helps more Angelenos know their status and protect themselves and those around them.
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) November 25, 2020
More at https://t.co/rHWABmXUEl pic.twitter.com/HDbAu6fWRp
The three-week order in America’s second-biggest city will begin as California faces record COVID-19 cases, and its health secretary urged people to avoid large family gatherings.
According to a tally from Johns Hopkins university, Los Angeles has recorded more coronavirus cases and deaths compared with any other county.
There have been 374,134 cases recorded in Los Angeles since the pandemic began with 7,947 deaths.
The US government’s health protection agency has for the first time called on Americans not to travel for the annual holiday which usually sees families get together over turkey, yams and cranberry sauce.
With the US confronted by soaring numbers of deaths and new cases, plans to deliver a vaccine to Americans are accelerating.
On Wednesday (AEDT) there were 157,180 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,052 deaths.
More than six million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will be available in the first week after it is cleared for emergency use – which is likely next month – and 40 million by the end of December, according to officials.
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Angela Hwang, our Group President, Biopharmaceuticals, answers questions on our #COVID19 vaccine candidate.
— Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) November 25, 2020
Kicking off the 🧵, Q: What is the status of the Pfizer and BioNTech investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate? (1/7)
A: pic.twitter.com/ZkibhPEav7
US on Tuesday, a record, as well as 167,000 new cases and more than 2,000 deaths.
As America grappled with its crisis, some European nations were slowly relaxing measures ahead of their own Christmas holidays, as a second wave of infections slowed following weeks of lockdowns.
But EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned against easing restrictions too quickly.
“We must learn from the summer and not repeat the same mistakes, relaxing too fast,” she said Wednesday.
In a televised address, French President Emmanuel Macron announced shops could reopen from Saturday, and nationwide stay-at-home orders would be lifted from December 15.
British authorities also announced restrictions on social mixing and said travel would be eased across the UK over Christmas.
Elsewhere in Europe, 16 German states agreed to slightly loosen limits on social contact over Christmas, according to a draft deal seen by AFP, even as cases near one million there.
State leaders agreed to cap gatherings to 10 people over the December 23 to January 1 holiday – double the limit for the rest of December.
With AFP
READ MORE: Trump ‘planning to pardon Flynn’
Rebecca Urban 6.15am: Hotspot kids risk learning decline
Outer-suburban areas of Melbourne and Sydney hit hardest by coronavirus outbreaks are more likely to have large numbers of young children deemed vulnerable to falling behind at school in the wake of the pandemic, researchers have warned.
The crossover between municipalities with high community transmission of the virus and regions with high rates of children considered to be lagging developmentally when they start school will be considered in a landmark study examining the fallout of COVID-19 and educational disruptions on young people’s learning.
The University of Queensland research project, funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation, will focus on several cohorts of students considered disadvantaged before the pandemic hit and at higher risk of poorer educational outcomes as a result of widespread school closures.
Among them are children assessed as “developmentally vulnerable” as part of the Australian Early Development Census of school readiness, which measures physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, as well as communication skills and general knowledge.
READ the full story
Rosie Lewis 5.45am: Business plans two way travel to NZ
Two-way travel between Australia and New Zealand would begin by Christmas under a plan being pitched to the Morrison government, in a bid to inject billions of dollars into the economy and boost struggling industries.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will unveil a new trans-Tasman travel bubble proposal on Thursday, with the first flights to lift off on or around December 21 between Canberra and Wellington.
Once proven to be safe, routes would expand to other airports.
John Hart, ACCI’s head of tourism, said the plan would be sent to the Department of Home Affairs, and he was hopeful the Morrison government would allow outbound travel to New Zealand within weeks.
Australians must apply for exemptions to fly overseas under the current restrictions.
READ the full story
Paul Garvey 5.30am: WA holds out on border openings
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan is refusing to guarantee he will drop quarantine requirements for arrivals from Victoria and NSW, despite both states sitting on the cusp of reaching WA’s key COVID thresholds.
Victoria is on track to record 28 straight days without community transmission of the virus on Friday, which would meet the guideline set by WA’s Chief Health Officer before he dropped those quarantine requirements for other jurisdictions. NSW is on track to meet that target next week.
Queensland said on Tuesday it would reopen its border to NSW and Victoria by December 1, but Mr McGowan said his state would take other factors into account when weighing up whether to open up its border to the country’s two most populous states.
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