Coronavirus Australia live news: Victoria’s lockdown to cost economy $3.3bn
Victoria’s second wave will slash $3.3bn from national GDP growth, as the state suffers its worst daily surge on record with 484 new cases.
- ‘Very unhappy’ Andrews can’t rule out longer shutdown
- Victorians spurn isolation despite symptoms
- Victoria records 484 cases, two new deaths
- Queensland hunts 185 ‘illegals’
- Frydenberg warns of ‘eye-watering’ deficit
- ‘Self-isolate even if you test negative’
- Teen guard reveals Vic quarantine holes
Hello and welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Victoria’s coronavirus lockdown will slash $3.3bn from national GDP growth. A ‘very unhappy’ Victorian Premier can’t rule out extending six-week shutdowns may and tougher lockdowns if virus numbers don’t improve. An angry Daniel Andrews says nine in 10 Victorians did not isolate after experiencing symptoms as Victoria records a grim new record of 484 new cases. Josh Frydenberg warns Australia’s deficit is “eye-watering.” Mike Pompeo has called for an international coalition to counter “bullying’’ threats from the Chinese Community Party.
Rosie Lewis 11pm: Unemployed told to job-hunt ‘safely’
Unemployed Melburnians are being encouraged to search for jobs from next month, despite the city being in lockdown, with assurances from the Morrison government that they will not be penalised if they cannot safely look for work.
Read the full story here
Patrick Commins 10.20pm: Economists fear ‘eye-watering’ budget deficit
Josh Frydenberg has warned the country to brace for an “eye-watering” set of budget figures in Thursday’s economic update, with economists predicting Australia’s deficit could blow out to as much as a quarter of a trillion dollars this financial year.
Read the full story here
Rosie Lewis 10.05pm: Extremists using pandemic to recruit
Extremists are using the “isolation, loneliness and financial stress” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to recruit online, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has warned, with two major disruptions into potential domestic terrorist attacks since December.
Read the full story here
Jared Lynch 9.30pm: Your Mercedes-Benz is just a click away
The Covid pandemic has forced the luxury German carmaker into a dramatic rethink, as dealership visits plummet.
Read the full story here
Michael McKenna 8.55pm: Cairns hotel warned to go easy on booze
A Cairns hotel has reissued warnings to occupants under COVID-19 quarantine to refrain from excessive drinking and anti-social behaviour after a spate of complaints about loud music and “balcony hopping”.
Read the full story here
Rachel Baxendale 8.20pm: Police to ‘exercise discretion’ on masks
Victoria Police say they will “exercise discretion” in issuing fines for not wearing mandatory face coverings over the next seven days, to allow people to adjust to the new rules.
From 11:59pm on Wednesday, people living in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire are required to wear a face covering when leaving home for an approved reason such as work, study, essential shopping, medical care or exercise.
The police statement comes after Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warned Victorians not to vilify each other over mask wearing.
“You will see some people who were not wearing masks and a number of them are legitimately not able to wear masks, so please don’t vilify individuals or don’t make the assumption that they are simply stubborn and refusing to wear masks,” Professor Sutton said.
“There will be people with medical, behavioural, psychological reasons not to wear a mask. Certainly don’t make an assumption that they should be the subject of your ire.”
Victoria Police said they would be able to issue on-the-spot fines of $200 to those not wearing a face covering without a legitimate reason.
“This is a critical measure designed to reduce the spread of coronavirus,” a police spokeswoman said. “Police will exercise discretion over the next seven days, as we understand that for many people this is a significant adjustment.
“We understand that the vast majority of Victorians are trying to do the right thing and our exercise of discretion will reflect that.
“That said, we do expect people to follow the Chief Health Officer’s directions and will not hesitate to issue fines to people who are obviously and blatantly showing a disregard for community safety by failing to wear a mask.
“For example, if a person has a mask and refuses to wear it when requested then that person can expect to be issued with the fine.
“Similarly, if a person persists with entering a supermarket when requested not to do so due to the absence of a mask then that person can expect to be issued with a fine.
Police encouraged people with concerns about breaches of the Chief Health Officer’s guidelines to call their assistance line, but urged them not to use the line to report individuals not wearing a face covering.
READ MORE: Cairns hotel urged to go easy on booze
Angelica Snowden 7.45pm: Batemans Bay outbreak linked to two more clubs
The coronavirus outbreak in Batemans Bay has been linked to two more clubs on the NSW south coast.
Contact tracing revealed that an “infectious case” of COVID-19 visited the Malua Bay Bowling Club (on July 7, 8 and 12) and the Narooma Bowling Club (on July 13).
The Southern NSW Local Health district warned people who visited the clubs on those dates to get tested if symptoms develop.
It was revealed on Wednesday that genetic sequencing linked NSW clusters at the Crossroads Hotel, Thai Rock restaurant in southwest Sydney and the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club to virus strains in Victoria.
There are eight cases linked with the Soldiers Club.
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Angelica Snowden 7.30pm: Aged-care home closed after positive test
A Sydney aged-care facility has closed after health authorities confirmed a staff member had tested positive to the virus.
The staff member from Ashfield Baptist Homes, in Sydney’s inner-west, dined at the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park, in the west, which has been linked with 37 cases of coronavirus.
In a statement, the Sydney Local Health District said “the risk to other staff and residents is considered to be very low” because the staff member wore masks, gloves and gowns when they worked with residents.
The staff member did not work while symptomatic, the statement said.
All staff and residents will now be tested for COVID-19 and the home will stay closed to visitors until test results are available.
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AFP 7.15pm: Almost a quarter of Delhi has had coronavirus: study
Almost a quarter of people in New Delhi have had the coronavirus, according to a study that cast serious doubt on the official numbers both in the megacity and across India.
India last week became the third country after the US and Brazil to hit one million cases but many experts have long said that with testing rates low, the true number could be much higher.
Blood tests on 21,387 randomly selected people across Delhi conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control found that 23.48 per cent of them had IgG antibodies — indicating past exposure to the virus.
With Delhi’s population of more than 20 million, the findings by the federal health ministry suggest that 4.7 million people have had the virus, almost 40 times the official tally of 125,000.
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Rachel Baxendale 6.46pm: Victoria’s aged care facilities worse hit than thought
The federal government has released COVID-19 statistics for Victoria’s aged care facilities which indicate the problem is even worse than today’s statistics from the state health department suggest.
Canberra is responsible for regulating private aged care facilities and evidently has more up-to-date information than the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services.
Today’s DHHS statement reported that there had been 383 current cases across 45 aged care settings in Victoria.
However, federal health department figures indicate there are in fact 393 cases across 68 services - with some infected staff having worked across multiple settings.
These include 197 infections in residents, 191 in staff, and five infections in elderly people receiving care in their homes.
The Victorian branch of the Health Workers’ Union has warned it expects a sharp increase in deaths.
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Rachel Baxendale 6.50pm: MAP: Where Victoria’s active cases are
Every one of the 32 local government areas across the Melbourne metropolitan and Mitchell Shire lockdown has at least 11 active cases of coronavirus, and one now has more than 400 active cases.
In a sign of how widespread and entrenched Victoria’s second wave of COVID-19 infections has become, there are now 12 LGAs with at least 100 active cases.
The sharpest increases are being seen in the outer suburbs, with little to no impact evident from lockdowns that were imposed on 10 hotspot postcodes in Melbourne’s north and west three weeks ago.
Key hotspot Brimbank, in Melbourne’s west, recorded a net increase of 69 active cases in the 24 hours to Wednesday, with a total of 358, despite much of the LGA having been in lockdown since July 2.
Hume in the outer north had a net increase of 21 active cases to 329, while Moreland in the north had a net increase of 16 to 207, and Maribyrnong in the inner west had a net increase of eight to 103.
The only LGAs with postcodes that were part of the first lockdown where the increase is not so sharp are the City of Melbourne, which had a net increase of three, and Moonee Valley, in the northwest, which had a net decrease of six.
The majority of the cases in the City of Melbourne and Moonee Ponds are in public housing towers in Carlton, North Melbourne and Flemington.
Wyndham, in Melbourne’s outer southwest, now has 412 active cases, including a net increase of 42 on Wednesday.
There have also been double digit increases in Whittlesea in the outer north, Melton in the outer southwest, Banyule in the outer northeast, and Greater Dandenong in the outer southeast.
Despite some new cases in regional areas, there was no net increase in cases outside the Melbourne Metropolitan and Mitchell Shire lockdown, with Tuesday’s tally of 103 remaining the same on Wednesday, due to the recovery of some cases.
It is the first time since the metropolitan lockdown was imposed that there has not been a net increase in cases in regional areas.
Active confirmed cases of COVID-19 by LGA as of Wednesday, with net increase since Tuesday in brackets:
Wyndham (outer southwest): 412 (+42)
#Hume (outer north): 329 (+21)
#Brimbank (outer west): 358 (+69)
#City of Melbourne: 275 (+3)
#Moonee Valley (northwest): 206 (-6)
#Moreland (north): 207 (+16)
Whittlesea (outer north): 190 (+24)
Melton (outer northwest): 147 (+12)
Banyule (northeast): 145 (+15)
Yarra (inner northeast): 127 (+8)
Casey (outer southeast): 106 (+3)
#Maribyrnong (inner west): 103 (+8)
Darebin (north): 85 (-3)
Hobsons Bay (inner southwest): 65
Greater Dandenong: (outer southeast): 54 (+10)
Whitehorse (east): 50 (+2)
Boroondara (east): 46 (+3)
Monash (southeast): 40 (+3)
Manningham (east): 39
Port Phillip (inner south): 35 (+1)
Stonnington (inner southeast): 35 (-3)
Kingston (southeast): 33 (+7)
*Colac-Otway (western regional Vic): 26 (-1)
Nillumbik (outer northeast): 21 (+10)
Glen Eira (east): 21 (+3)
Cardinia (outer southeast): 19 (+1)
Knox (outer east): 18 (+4)
*Greater Geelong (southwest regional Vic): 18
Bayside (southeast): 16 (+1)
Frankston (outer southeast): 13 (+1)
Mitchell (central regional Vic, north of Melb): 13 (-1)
Maroondah (outer east): 15 (+2)
Yarra Ranges (outer east) 11 (+3)
Mornington Peninsula (outer southeast): 11
*Ballarat (western regional Vic): 10 (+1)
*Golden Plains (western regional Vic): 8
*Moorabool (western regional Vic): 5
*Baw Baw (eastern regional Vic): 4 (+1)
*Latrobe (eastern regional Vic): 4 (+1)
*Horsham (western regional Vic): 4
*Greater Bendigo (central regional Vic): 4
*Macedon Ranges (central regional Vic): 4
*Glenelg (western regional Vic): 3
*South Gippsland (eastern regional Vic): 3
*Swan Hill (northwest regional Vic): 2 (+1)
*Greater Shepparton (northern regional Vic): 2
*Surf Coast (southwest regional Vic): 2 (-2)
*Mansfield (northeast regional Vic): 1
*Loddon (northwest central regional Vic): 1
*East Gippsland (east regional Vic): 1
*Bass Coast (southeast regional Vic): 1
Interstate: 6 (+1)
Unknown: 54 (+5)
TOTAL: 3408 (+261)
*Denotes LGAs outside the Melbourne metropolitan/Mitchell Shire lockdown
#Denotes LGAs with postcodes locked down from 11:59pm on July 1
Source: Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
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Remy Varga 6.30pm: Facebook removes ‘harmful’ virus conspiracy pages
Facebook has removed the pages of a conspiracy group that told followers the COVID-19 pandemic is a government hoax.
It follows a report in The Weekend Australian that detailed how 99% Unite was encouraging its tens of thousands of followers to refuse tests for the highly infectious disease as well as discouraging mask wearing and social distancing.
A Facebook spokeswoman said on Wednesday the page was removed for spreading “harmful misinformation”.
Rachel Baxendale 5.38pm: Just 97 of 484 new Vic cases linked to known clusters
Of Victoria’s 484 new cases on Wednesday, 97 have so far been linked to known clusters, with the remaining 387 under investigation.
Here’s what we know about the size of clusters with new cases on Wednesday:
Public housing towers:
- 291 cases are residents of previously locked down public housing towers in North Melbourne and Flemington, in Melbourne’s inner northwest, up from 289 on Tuesday.
- 57 cases are residents of public housing towers in Carlton, in Melbourne’s inner north, up from 55 on Tuesday;
Aged care:
There are now 383 current cases across 45 aged care settings in Victoria.
- 69 cases have been linked to St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner, in Melbourne’s north, up from 51 on Tuesday;
- 54 cases have been linked to Estia Health in Ardeer, in Melbourne’s west, up from 42 on Tuesday;
- 37 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care facility in Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer southwest, up from 31 on Tuesday. These cases include that of former Glendale resident, 90-year-old great-grandfather Alf Jordan, who died with COVID-19 in hospital on July 10;
- 18 cases have been linked to Embracia Aged Care Moonee Valley in Avondale Heights, in Melbourne’s northwest, up from 17 on Tuesday;
Outbreaks at the following aged care facilities have previously been undisclosed:
- 30 cases have been linked to Arcare Aged Care in Craigieburn, in Melbourne’s outer north;
- 26 cases have been linked to Estia Health in Heidelberg, in Melbourne’s northeast;
- 20 cases have been linked to Baptcare Wyndham Lodge in Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer southwest;
Abattoirs:
- 61 cases have been linked to Somerville Retail Services abattoir in Tottenham, in Melbourne’s west, up from 60 on Tuesday;
- 47 cases have been linked to JBS abattoir in Brooklyn, in Melbourne’s west, up from 38 on Tuesday;
- 17 cases have been linked to Australian Lamb Company in Colac, in southwest regional Victoria, up from 13 on Tuesday. However, there are 26 active cases in the Colac-Otway local government area, indicating the cluster has spread to the local community;
Other:
- 24 cases have been linked to LaManna Supermarket in Essendon Fields, in Melbourne’s northwest, up from 20 on Monday;
- There has also been a new outbreak identified in aged care at Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth, in Melbourne’s outer east, with two cases in staff and one case in a resident.
“As investigations are undertaken throughout the day, these outbreak totals are likely to change as the public health team identify links between cases and identified outbreaks,” Victoria’s health department said.
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Richard Ferguson 5.26pm: 200 jobs axed at the University of New England
More than 200 jobs are set to be axed at the University of New England, one of the nation’s largest rural higher education institutions, as it deals with a $25m COVID-included black hole.
Academics and professional staff at UNE will be offered a chance to put their hand up for voluntary redundancies, and are the latest in a long line of higher education workers facing job losses due to the pandemic’s hit on university finances.
The Australian revealed last week the Group of Eight is forecasting 7600 positions will be lost due to the loss of revenue from foreign students locked out by Australia’s global border closure. The wider university sector is expecting 21,000 jobs to go by the end of the year.
Geoff Chambers 5.00pm: Victoria lockdown to slash $3.3bn from GDP growth
Victoria’s coronavirus lockdown will slash $3.3bn from national GDP growth, shaving three-quarters of a percentage point from Australia’s economic output in the September quarter.
Josh Frydenberg will outline the full impact of the extended COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria, which accounts for a quarter of the nation’s GDP, in his economic and fiscal update on Thursday.
The Treasurer earlier this month warned a return to full lockdown measures in Victoria could have an economic impact of about $1bn a week.
A Deloitte Access Economics Business Outlook report said Victoria would be one of the hardest hit economies as it combats a second wave of coronavirus infections.
In the report, Deloitte Access Economics partner Chris Richardson said Victoria’s “dependence on migration and on foreign students in an age of lockdowns and closed borders” had left it more exposed than other jurisdictions.
“Victoria is likely to take the unwanted title of worst performing state through the COVID crisis. Population, once a key growth engine, has well and truly stalled,” Mr Richardson said.
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Rachel Baxendale 4.55pm: 15 Victorian cases with no identifiable source
Victoria has now had 815 cases since July 1 where contact tracers have been unable to identify a source of transmission, and 1116 since the pandemic began.
This number does not include hundreds of cases which remain under investigation as contact tracers battle with a backlog of close contacts.
Victoria’s caseload has risen so sharply, from 370 active cases on July 1, that there are now more active cases than recovered ones in the state.
Of Victoria’s 6739 cases since the pandemic began, 3184 people have recovered, 3408 cases are active, and there have been 44 deaths.
There have been 6204 cases are in metropolitan Melbourne and 384 are in regional Victoria, as well as 3432 cases in men and 3222 in women.
In deeply unsettling news, there are now 383 current cases across 45 aged care settings in Victoria.
There are also 187 current cases in healthcare workers, with a total of 469 healthcare workers infected since the pandemic began.
Rachel Baxendale 4.15pm: Harder lockdown may have ‘no material benefit’
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has warned that a harder lockdown may inflict pain on the economy for “no material benefit” as the state struggles to find strategies to reduce its coronavirus caseload.
Amid 3408 active cases, the majority of which have been detected after metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire went into a Stage Three stay-at-home lockdown almost a fortnight ago and hotspot postcodes a week before that, Professor Brett Sutton said all options were being considered.
However, Professor Sutton cautioned against a “New-Zealand-style” hard lockdown given the majority of cases are being transmitted by essential workers, whose movements would not be significantly restricted.
“To go to a particular model of lockdown that worked for one country at one point in time is not the solution,” Professor Sutton said.
“We have to understand what the dynamics of transmission are in Victoria at this point in time.
“It may well be that it’s an awful impost on the economy and on people’s lives, with no material benefit, if we go to a New Zealand-style lockdown.
“We have to understand where the transmission’s occurring and what measures will be most effective in reducing it.”
Professor Sutton said the current situation in Victoria was very different to that of New Zealand in March and April, when there was very little community transmission.
“They were identifying the close contacts of international travellers, and it was a much, much more straightforward contact-tracing process, as it was in Victoria through the first phase,” he said.
“So I wouldn’t make assumptions that harder, more constrained lockdown is necessarily the way to go. We have to be targeted in terms of seeing where the issues are and addressing them directly.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said restrictions were under “constant review” based on the data each day and trends each week.
“I’ll give you one example: if we were to move to a further stage of restrictions where other movement was limited … will that stop people going to work that are going to work now? No,” he said.
Mr Andrew said the key problem that needed to be addressed was people getting sick but not staying home and getting tested, and then not staying home while waiting for their test result.
READ MORE:
Imogen Reid 3.25pm: Largest single day of cases in Australia to date: DCMO
Australia has recorded the single largest number of new cases on COVID-19 since the pandemic began, with 502 additional cases confirmed today.
The previous highest reported number of new cases in a single day was 469, recorded almost four months ago on March 28.
Deputy chief medical officer Professor Michael Kidd said this was a stark reminder of how fast outbreaks of the virus can occur and spread.
“Clearly the figures released today are very significant and they provide a stark reminder that we must all be playing out part in stopping the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
“I know that many people will be alarmed and worried about the rise in numbers, but we all know what we must do.
“Each of us will make a difference by strict adherence to physical distancing and avoiding crowds, by washing or sanitising our hands every time we touch a surface or an object which may have been touched by someone else, by coughing or sneezing into our sleeve or handkerchief, by wearing a mask and covering our nose and mouth whenever we leave our homes in the lockdown areas or other areas where there is high community transmission.”
Of the 502 cases, 484 were from Victoria, while 16 of the cases were from New South Wales. One new infection was reported in Queensland today, and Professor Kidd said there is a case in South Australia currently under investigation.
Professor Kidd said 98.8 per cent of Australia’s new cases have been locally acquired.
Addressing the situation occurring in Victoria, particularly the alarming number of people breaking isolation rules between being tested for COVID-19 and receiving their results, Professor Kidd said it was “essential” for people to adhere to isolation requirements.
“It is absolutely essential that people do adhere to the messages which we have been reiterating again and again throughout the pandemic,” he said.
“Is not a time to be complacent and we need to be reinforcing this with each other and especially for those who are in the lockdown areas in Melbourne where we are seeing the very significant numbers occurring at this time.”
Mr Kidd added: “This does not mean going to the local pharmacy or to the supermarket on your way home.”
“We cannot afford to be complacent. We cannot afford not to follow the rules. We have to all play our part if we are going to bring the numbers back down in Victoria.”
Mr Kidd backed the general message of all state and territory governments, that people must get tested even if they are showing mild symptoms.
“Please, if you have symptoms of fever, flu or cold, no matter how mild, please get tested,” he said.
“If you have symptoms, you must stay at home. You must not go to work. You must not go to school, you must not go shopping.
“Very important when we’re dealing with testing that people who have symptoms are staying at home in isolation until we have a result of whether they are COVID positive or not.”
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Rachel Baxendale 3.25pm: Virus spread ‘a commentary on insecure work’: Andrews
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said authorities were doing further data analysis on the industries in which people who have been attending work despite developing COVID-19 symptoms.
“If you look at where outbreaks have occurred, whether it be in aged care … we’ve seen a number of meatworks, we’ve seen a number of significant supply-chain businesses, freight, logistics-type businesses,” he said.
“We’re doing some very heavy analysis now and right throughout the night and into tomorrow to try and get the clearest picture of exactly which workplaces we’re talking about.”
Mr Andrews described the phenomenon as “a commentary on insecure work”.
“It is a commentary on this as a feature of the Victorian economy and our national economy,” he said.
“That debate, though, can wait. We can have that debate — it’s a very important debate to have — but we can have that debate another time.
“In the meantime, though, trying to hone in on the problem, understand the problem, and then put in place specific measures to deal with it.”
Mr Andrews said masks would have an impact on transmission among insecure workers, but that they were not the same as a vaccine.
“If you’re sick, then whether you’ve got a mask on, or two masks, or any other PPE, you should not be out shopping, you should not be going to work,” he said.
“You should be doing the only thing that you can and must do, and that is going and getting tested.”
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Rachel Baxendale 3.25pm: $1500 for those forced to choose work over illness
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he realised a lack of sick leave for people working casual and insecure jobs had led to many of them going to work when they should stay home.
The Premier encouraged anyone in that position to call the Department of Health and Human Services hotline on 1800 675 398 and apply for a $1500 payment.
“It’s not about being critical of people for the circumstances they find themselves in, it’s about acknowledging the facts and being clear about those, but then also putting in place a strategy to try and deal with some of the drivers, some of the things that are pushing people to make decisions that they might make a judgment are best for their family — feeding their kids, paying their bills — but are not in any way consistent with the public health across our state or certainly, outcomes for those who will get this virus, a percentage of whom will die,” Mr Andrews said.
“If you haven’t got access to sick leave, if you haven’t got access to a payment — so, to not go to work would mean you are worse off financially — then you’ve got only one thing to do: call 1800 675 398.
“Hopefully, lots of people make that phone call — and it may take a little while for the phone to be answered and for someone to process your claim, but make that call, and if you are working, and for purposes of illness, waiting for a test result, or a positive result and therefore, having to quarantine at home for 14 days, you are eligible for a $1500 payment where you can’t fall back on sick leave.
“Ultimately, we want a situation where you’re no worse off, but every Victorian is much better off, because you’re not at work, you’re not making that very difficult choice between the health and welfare of your family, and the health and welfare of every Victorian family.”
Mr Andrews also hinted at expansions of the $1500 payment in coming days.
“We’re doing some further work about whether we may need to enhance that payment, and I’ll have more to say about that at the appropriate time,” he said.
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Rachel Baxendale 2.50pm: ’Very unhappy’ Andrews can’t rule out longer shutdown
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he was “very unhappy” that 89 per cent of recent Victorian COVID-19 cases had not isolated after experiencing symptoms, and 54 per cent had not done so after getting tested.
“The one and only thing that you can and must do when you feel sick, is to go and get tested. Nothing else is acceptable … and if people don’t do that, then we will continue to see numbers increase,” Mr Andrews said.
“I’m being as frank, as blunt, as clear as I can, because this message is central to the overall success or otherwise of the strategy and the restrictions that we have in place.
“In the intervening period, from when you get tested to when your results come through, every person who gets tested is provided with very clear instructions about staying at home and waiting until those results come through.
“Unless we drive down the time between first illness, first sense of symptoms — in other words how quickly people then get tested — unless we make that much faster than it is now, and people isolate in that intervening period, and unless we have people who get tested staying at home and isolating until they get their results, then we will not see these numbers come down.
“They will continue to go up and up, and a six week shutdown will not be for six weeks. It will run for much longer than that.”
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Geoff Chambers 2.10pm: Australian security agencies’ concern over hacks
Australia’s cyber security agencies have expressed concern over reports of “global malicious cyber intrusions”, following the unsealing of indictments by the US Department of Justice overnight.
A joint statement released by the Australian Signals Directorate, Australian Cyber Security Centre, DFAT and Department of Home Affairs on Wednesday called on state-based actors to “refrain from behaviour which violates” international commitments.
“The indictments note that these actors compromised networks across the world for commercial and personal gain. The actors targeted a range of industries, including manufacturing, medical device engineering, software, solar energy, pharmaceuticals, and defence,” the statement said.
“Of particular concern, these individuals also reportedly targeted COVID-19 research as well as political dissidents, religious minorities and human rights advocates.
“Australia reiterates our call to all countries to refrain from behaviour which violates their international commitments. We welcome actions designed to hold malicious cyber actors to account.”
The security agencies said under the Joint Statement on Advancing Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace, launched by Australia, the US and The Netherlands in September last year, it made clear “the importance of holding to account those countries that engage in malicious cyber activity”.
“To date, 28 countries have signed up to this Statement. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) is working closely with organisations across Australia to help build their resilience to cyber compromises and is engaging with victims of malicious cyber incidents to offer cyber security advice and assistance.”
The statement by the nation’s top cyber security agencies comes after the Cyber Security Strategy expert advisory panel, led by Telstra chief executive Andy Penn, this week urged the government to more actively call-out state-based actors and criminal groups maliciously targeting Australian companies, governments and critical infrastructure.
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Rachel Baxendale 1.29pm: Victorians spurn isolation despite symptoms, tests
The Andrews government has released health department statistics showing almost nine in 10 Victorians who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 did not isolate from the time they experienced symptoms.
The statistics relate to the 3810 cases recorded between July 7 and July 21, where there was an average of 3.1 days per person where others were exposed to their infection.
Of those people, 3400 or 89 per cent did not isolate between the onset of symptoms and getting tested.
More than half – 2056, or 54 per cent – did not isolate while waiting for their test result.
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Adeshola Ore 1.21pm: Three NSW outbreaks traced to Victoria
NSW Health says coronavirus cases from three outbreaks at hospitality venues have been traced to Victoria.
Genetic sequencing revealed the clusters at Crossroads Hotel, Thai Rock restaurant and Batemans Bay Soldiers Club were linked to virus strains in Victoria. But NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said authorities did not believe one person was the source of the separate outbreaks.
The Thai Rock coronavirus cluster has grown to 37 coronavirus cases, with 11 more infections announced today. There are now 53 cases of COVID-19 linked to the Crossroads Hotel outbreak, with a further three recorded today.
The Batemans Bay Soldiers Club outbreak remains at eight cases.
The source of the Crossroads Hotel cluster has been identified, but Dr Chant has conceded that the source of the other outbreaks may never be found.
NSW Health said “most cases” in the state had been linked to known clusters.
“However community transmission continues, and NSW Health is calling on people across the state to redouble their efforts to stop the virus spreading,” a statement read.
The health authority has also reissued advice for patrons who dined at Holy Duck restaurant in Central Park on July 10. Patrons who visited the venue on that date are now only required to isolate and test for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms of the virus.
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Rachel Baxendale 12.45pm: Victoria records 484 cases, two deaths
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the state’s grim new record of 484 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, and the death of two more people from the virus.
Two men in their 90s died in the 24 hours to Wednesday, both of them residents of aged care facilities, bringing Victoria’s death toll from the virus to 44.
There are now 3408 active cases, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 6739.
This represents an increase of 3038 active cases since July 1 – little more than three weeks ago, when there were 370 active cases in the state.
Of the 484 new cases, 97 have so far been linked to known outbreaks and the remaining 387 are under investigation.
There are now 205 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus, including 40 in intensive care.
This compares with 174 in hospital and 36 in ICU on Tuesday.
There were 24,726 tests processed on Tuesday, meaning the 484 new cases represent a positive test rate of 1.96 per cent.
This is the highest positive test rate on record.
The previous record was 1.75 per cent when 428 new cases were recorded last Friday, from 24,409 tests processed.
Of the 3408 active cases, 3305 are in metropolitan Melbourne.
There have now been 24 deaths from COVID-19 in Victoria since July 5.
READ MORE: Course correction for Andrews
Imogen Reid 12.30pm: ‘Don’t travel to border without right paperwork’
NSW Police have issued a reminder to residents that entry into NSW from Victoria is not permitted unless strict exemption criteria is met.
“The amendment to the Public Health (COVID-19 Border Control) Order 2020, under section 7 of the Public Health Act 2010, directs that as at 12.01am today (Wednesday 22 July 2020), entry into NSW from Victoria is not permitted unless strict exemption criteria can be met,” the statement read.
“All permits approved under the previous order have expired and anyone eligible to travel into NSW must apply for a new permit.”
A high-visibility operation remains in place, with police from across the state working with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to ensure crossings along the border are lawful.
Operation Border Closure Commander, Assistant Commissioner Scott Whyte, urged the community to avoid travelling during the morning and afternoon peaks.
“Since the commencement of this operation, we have been working with the community and industry to minimise delays at checkpoints, and our best advice is not to travel unless it’s essential,” he said.
“For those who must travel, they can help reduce overall delays by avoiding peak times, particularly at the major checkpoints.”
The major checkpoints are located at Albury/Wodonga, Moama/Echuca and Buronga/Mildura.
Assistant Commissioner Whyte said that having the right paperwork will reduce the delays at checkpoints.
“By having the paperwork ready to go, we can all save valuable time, which will add up if we can save a minute when facilitating each of the hundreds of crossings each hour,” he said.
“Finally, if you don’t have a permit, don’t come to the border. You will be turned around and if you don’t comply, we will take action.”
READ MORE: One way ‘useless’ for tourism
Ewin Hannan 12.10pm: Fair Work opens door to pandemic leave
The Fair Work Commission has announced “provisional” support for paid pandemic leave for aged care workers, citing “disturbing” developments in Victoria, including the emergence of COVID-19 cases in at least 40 of the state’s aged care homes.
The commission full bench said on Wednesday there had been a “significant change in circumstances” since it declined to grant the paid pandemic leave bid by unions on July 8.
It cited the recent growth in cases, the deaths of 40 aged care residents during the pandemic, and how 216 active cases in Victoria have been connected to aged care facilities, including 112 residents and 93 staff.
The full bench said its provisional view was the developments would justify the granting of a paid pandemic leave provision in the aged care award for three months.
The provision would entitle employees to up to two weeks’ paid leave on each occasion they are required to self-isolate because they display symptoms of COVID-19 or have come into contact with a person suspected of having contracted COVID-19.
“We consider that the ‘elevated risk’ that is discussed in our earlier decision has clearly manifested itself in the aged care industry, at least in Victoria,” it said.
The full bench also expressed the provisional view that the entitlement be extended to casual employees engaged on a regular and systematic basis given “the existence of a demonstrated threat to the aged care system in Victoria”.
However, before determining whether to grant the paid leave, the full bench will consider Victoria’s decision to provide a one-off $1500 payment to aged care workers who have been instructed to self-isolate or quarantine at home but cannot rely on sick leave while absent from work.
It said the $1500 payment might constitute an adequate substitute for paid pandemic leave.
The commission invited parties, including government ministers and authorities to file written submission by midday on July 24.
READ MORE: Return to the workplace? We’re evenly split
Imogen Reid 12.00pm: Berejiklian ‘appreciates frustration’ of border towns
Premier Gladys Berejiklian addressed concerns from local councils on the NSW-Victorian border, saying she is in contact with them on a daily basis and can “appreciate the frustration.”
She added more than 200,000 travel permits were granted to border-town residents since the border closed in July.
“Unfortunately, as you see with the situation in Victoria, we don’t have any assurance that there is no community transmission in regional Victoria. That puts all of New South Wales at risk,” she said.
She said the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews supported NSW’s position.
“It would have been far easier for us to do what Queensland did to us. Could have easily said, that is a hard border and that is it, like what Queensland did,” she said.
“Those communities on the NSW-Victoria border have lived as one for a century. We understand that, and that is why we were going to so much effort to support them and I appreciate there is always a fine line, it is never perfection.”
READ MORE: Course correction for Andrews
Imogen Reid 11.46am: NSW residents told to avoid non-essential travel
NSW residents have been asked to avoid non-essential travel over the next few weeks, with Dr Kerry Chant saying she and health authorities were trying to “put up fences and contain” the outbreaks in southwest Sydney.
“The risk of community transmission through undiagnosed chains of infection is highest in southwestern Sydney, in western Sydney, but, as the Premier said, we can’t be complacent,” she said.
“Clearly, we have got to be vigilant in other parts of the state where there may have been introductions into these communities, be it from Sydney or be it from Victoria.”
Hunter New England Health have also advised residents in Newcastle to avoid travelling to Sydney where possible.
Public Health Physician Professor David Durrheim said the Sydney outbreaks are concerning.
“We would strongly advise anybody from the Hunter New England region to rather stay at home than visiting Sydney at this stage unless absolutely necessary,” Professor Durrheim said.
READ MORE: NSW asked to reconsider weekend plans
Imogen Reid 11.40am: NSW Police to ‘throw the book’ at those breaking rules
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has given police the green light to “throw the book” at anyone in NSW who fails to follow COVID-19 restrictions over the weekend.
“My conversations with the police commissioner and with the regulator is: please make sure you throw the book at everybody who is not doing the right thing,” she said.
“Everyone has had ample notice, that includes patrons, as well as the business themselves.”
Ms Berejiklian said businesses and venues in NSW have had plenty of time to ensure they can operate safely to avoid being fined for breaching COVID rules.
“We have a policy in New South Wales where we want to of course manage the virus, but we also want to keep jobs going and that balance can only be met if everybody does the right thing, including individuals and including businesses and my expectation is if you don’t do the right thing from Friday, you will be found out,” she said.
“You will be fined. Worse than that, if you breach again, you will be shut down.”
Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant stressed that everybody in the state needs to continue to work together over the next three weeks to keep the number of daily cases low.
“If we can stop moving around, stop gatherings, modify any of those behaviours, it means if we are missing an infection – and when I say ‘missing’ this is not a failure on our behalf, it means this disease is pretty slippery when it comes to detecting all cases – even if we don’t detect or determine a person to have it, if they have not been to a social gathering … the opportunity for them to have spread it to too many people is not there,” she said.
“In that essence that chain of transmission effectively gets locked.”
READ MORE: Sporting clubs on brink of collapse
Patrick Commins 11.35am: State debt surges $50bn in six months: Moody’s
Australia’s state debt burden has surged $53bn in just six months, global ratings agency Moody’s has said, as state leaders joined the Commonwealth in committing to massive spending initiatives to soften the economic blow from the COVID-19 crisis.
As Josh Frydenberg braced the country for an “eye-watering” debt and deficit figures in tomorrow’s federal budget update, Moody’s analysts said they expect “a material deterioration in budgetary outcomes for all states in 2020 and 2021”.
The debt burden is rising for all states (except Western Australia thanks to booming commodity prices), with average debt as a percentage of state revenues increasing from 103 per cent in 2019-20 to 120 per cent in 2022-23.
NSW and Victoria are responsible for around 70 per cent of the increased debt in 2020.
The new report from Moody’s said that despite the surge in debt, “we expect states to maintain their resolve to contain spending and implement additional budgetary redress measures once the outbreak has been addressed”.
Nonetheless, heavier debt burdens, if left unchecked in coming years, will limit state authorities’ capacity to respond to the next crisis, the report said.
“Lower-for-longer interest rates will support debt affordability allowing states a window to adjust budgets to address, and over time reverse, rising debt burdens.”
Moody’s estimates that the COVID-19 recession has cost Australia more than $90bn in lost GDP in the 2019-20 financial year. They forecast the economy will shrink by 4.9 per cent in 2020, before bouncing back 3.7 per cent in 2021.
READ MORE: Pandemic pain paused in welfare boost
Rachel Baxendale 11.26am: Fines issued to 61 Victorians flouting rules
A person travelling more than 100km from Strathmore, in Melbourne’s coronavirus-infested northwest, to the Surf Coast southwest of Geelong, is among 61 people who have been issued with $1652 fines for breaching Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton’s directives in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
Of the 61 fines, 19 were issued at vehicle checkpoints around the Melbourne metropolitan and Mitchell Shire Stage Three lockdown zone.
There were 20,246 vehicles checked at these points in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
Police also conducted 4984 checks on people at homes, businesses and public places, with a total of 142,545 of these checks conducted since March 21.
Others issued with fines included multiple people attending a party in the Monash local government area, in Melbourne’s southeast, and a group of people sitting on a park bench drinking alcohol in Melbourne’s CBD.
READ MORE: Puzzle in postcodes hit with lockdown
Rachel Baxendale 11.16am: Andrews to address grim figures at 12.30pm
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Health Minister Jenny Mikakos will hold a press conference at 12:30 to announce the state’s grim new daily record of 484 COVID-19 cases.
At 11:59pm on Wednesday night it will be a fortnight since metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire went into Stage Three stay-at-home lockdown, and three weeks since 10 hotspot postcodes in Melbourne’s north and west went into lockdown.
While the exponential increase in Victoria’s case numbers prior to the lockdown has fortunately not continued, the sustained high numbers with a new record on Wednesday indicate the lockdown is having a limited impact.
This is to a large degree due to the fact that as many as 80 per cent of new transmissions are occurring in essential workers and their close contacts.
These are people such as aged care and healthcare, distribution centre, abattoir and food services workers who are required to continue to attend work and have close contact with one another and sometimes clients and customers despite the lockdown.
This is one of the key reasons the Andrews government is pinning its hopes on face masks mitigating transmission in these settings.
Masks will become mandatory outside people’s homes from 11:59pm on Wednesday.
READ MORE: ‘It’s one degree of separation: lock us down’
Imogen Reid 11.14am: NSW records 16 new cases, no new clusters
There have been 16 new COVID-19 cases recorded in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said one of those cases was in hotel quarantine and the others were from existing known clusters and contacts.
“The fact that is not a new stream of outbreak is reassuring at one level, but I still want to state that the state is on high alert,” she said.
Ms Berejiklian has urged NSW residents to consider what they do over the weekend, saying the next few weeks are the most critical in NSW since the lockdown in March and April.
“Avoid crowds. Make sure you are COVID safe at all times and make sure you are taking that extra level of caution,” she said.
16 new cases of #COVID19 have been diagnosed in NSW between 8pm on 20 July and 8pm on 21 July.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 22, 2020
For the latest list of COVID-19 locations, visit: https://t.co/6PUOQ3J3tO pic.twitter.com/hXBMSqnXKP
“If we can get on top of the community transmission at this stage, we have a much better chance of continuing to move forward in a positive way, but the next few weeks are critical.”
Three of today’s 16 new cases in NSW are associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster who are close contacts of an existing known contact.
The state’s chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant confirmed 11 people are associated with the Thai Rock cluster, including one man in his 60s from Hunter New England, while another case was from Western Sydney who is a close contact of a previously reported case that is not associated with any known cluster.
Dr Chant said there have been no additional cases associated with the Bateman’s Bay Soldiers Club cluster.
“Investigations are continuing, as we haven’t identified the source of that infection in that circumstance, but I would like to thank the Bateman’s Bay community for turning out in high numbers,” she said.
READ MORE: PVO: Ideology must not trump right response
Staff writers 10.50am: Berejiklian to give update at 11am
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard will provide an update on the situation in their state at 11am AEST. You can watch them live above.
Rachel Baxendale 10.35am: Grim record as Vic hits 484 new cases
Victoria has hit a dispiriting new record, with 484 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
The previous record was 428 cases last Friday.
Premier Daniel Andrews’s office is yet to send out an official notification for a press conference, breaking the habit of the past week and a half, when he has addressed the media at 11am every day.
The Australian has been told timing is still being finalised but to expect a press conference to be called “around lunchtime”.
Delayed press conferences in previous weeks have coincided with sharp increases in numbers.
The Australian understands the Andrews government is also discussing further restrictions, which would involve limiting movement to within 5km of Melburnians’ houses. However, this measure is not expected to be announced today.
There is also pressure to impose restrictions in regional Victoria, where 14 cases when Melbourne was locked down almost a fortnight ago had ballooned to 103 on Tuesday.
Richard Ferguson 10.10am: PM swaps pandemic notes with Trudeau
Scott Morrison and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau swapped notes on their responses to COVID-19 on Wednesday morning.
The Prime Minister and his Canadian counterpart discussed their health responses, their respective plans for economic recovery and the importance of trade over the telephone.
Government sources also said Mr Morrison and Mr Trudeau discussed the upcoming G7 summit – which US president Donald Trump has invited Australia to, with an eye to permanent membership – and the importance of global bodies like the World Trade Organization.
Mr Trudeau and Mr Morrison also discussed the importance of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership.
READ MORE: Debts, deficit ‘manageable’
Richard Ferguson 9.45am: PM slams ‘appalling’ Sydney BLM protest
Scott Morrison says a 400-strong Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney planned next week is “appalling”, and that no one has a ticket to disobey the laws on mass gatherings.
NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller told The Australian on Monday he is prepared to fine anyone who attends the BLM rally next Tuesday and will go to court to stop it, despite the state government’s failed attempts to stop protests last month.
The Prime Minister on Wednesday morning said the state government would have to make decisions on the protest but urged people not to attend them.
“I just think that’s appalling. Where the police and where the state government has said that there’s a mass gathering that can’t go ahead. Well, people should obey the law,” he told Sydney’s 2GB radio.
“I mean there’s no special rule for people to not obey the law. And this is what the state government, they’ll be making decisions about all of these things as they do every day.
“I mean, what gives people a ticket to not obey the law?”
READ MORE: Return to workplace? We’re evenly split
Adeshola Ore 8.40am: Fears of Qld outbreak as 185 visitors disappear
Queensland authorities are scrambling to locate almost 200 interstate and overseas visitors who disappeared after giving false information when they entered the state, the Courier Mail reports.
Dozens of others have not been found at their nominated addresses and are now wanted for questioning. Health authorities are hoping they can escape an outbreak, after a hotel quarantine bungle caused Victoria’s second wave of infections.
Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers has called for the offenders to be deported and banned from returning.
“And, while it is unfathomable to lie on your declaration form, I believe that when the long arm of the law catches up with these offenders, the government and the Chief Health Officer should immediately deport these liars to Tweed Heads in New South Wales and ban them from Queensland permanently,” he said.
Since April, police have investigated more than 2,000 people who Queensland Health could not reach at their listed phone number or address. A total of 185 people were revealed to have given fake contacts details when entering Queensland.
READ MORE: One way ‘useless’ for islands tourism
Adeshola Ore 8.05am: AMA calls for nationwide mask policy
The Australian Medical Association has called for the national cabinet to establish a nationwide mask policy.
From midnight tonight, Victoria will become the first state to make masks mandatory in its lockdown regions. The NSW government is encouraging people to wear masks when they cannot socially distance.
But The AMA’s president Dr Tony Bartone said a consistent approach should require people in areas with untraceable cases of community transmission to wear masks.
“The evidence is now really clear that if we do add another layer of protection in terms of wearing face masks, to the other measures of physical distancing, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, we will reduce the rate of COVID-19 spread in the community,” he told Channel 7 on Wednesday morning.
“We need to be vigilant about trying to reduce the spread.”
READ MORE: Masked crusaders hit the streets
Adeshola Ore 7.35am: Frydenberg warns of ‘eye-watering’ deficit
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has warned Australia’s deficit is “eye-watering,” with billions paid out on wage subsidies JobKeeper and JobSeeker and a loss of tax revenue hitting the budget bottom line.
Mr Frydenberg, who will present a detailed mini-budget update on Thursday, told Sky News:
“They are eye-watering numbers because the budget bottom line has really been hit by the coronavirus.”.
“They are very big numbers … the reality is on both the payment side we’ve had a big hit as more people have got this income support from the government.
“But also, on the revenue side, we’ve seen a big fall as businesses are not making the profits they were and people are not in jobs like they were and therefore not paying as much tax.”
Mr Frydenberg said the federal government had been “on track” to a budget surplus “even after the devastating bushfires.”
“We had brought spending under control, the economy was continuing to grow and then we were hit with this once in a century pandemic and that was one hit too much,” he said.
In a separate interview, Mr Frydenberg said the government’s reduced JobKeeper payments were still “demand driven” and would support businesses most in need of the support.
“We haven’t capped the program, what we have is a turnover test and that will obviously take into account what is happening with the spread of coronavirus,” he told Channel 9 on Wednesday morning.
Mr Frydenberg said struggling businesses would become “more viable” as more swathes of the economy reopened.
“It’s a gradual transition. Right now, we are spending $11 billion a month on JobKeeper. That is unsustainable if we kept that program going indefinitely,” he said.
“We are tapering it down, we are taking into account the circumstances across the country. And we are ensuring that people who need the money most get it.”
READ MORE: Part-timers enjoy $6bn windfall
Adeshola Ore 7.20am: ‘Self isolate even if you test negative’
Thousands of NSW residents who may have come into contact with coronavirus are being told to isolate for fourteen days, even if they return a negative COVID-19 test.
In a significant shift in advice, NSW Health says anyone who gets a negative test should continue to isolate for two-weeks because “it can take 14 days before you may show symptoms or test positive.”
The health authority has listed eight NSW venues linked to coronavirus cases. Anyone who visited at specific dates or times is required to self-isolate for fourteen days, even if they return a negative test. The list includes the Crossroads Hotel in Casula and the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club.
A further 20 venues attended by a COVID-19 case have been listed on the health authority’s website. Anyone who has visited these locations, on the dates and times listed by NSW Health, is advised to monitor themselves for potential symptoms and get tested if they present.
READ MORE: Town goes from host to ghost
Staff writers 7.15am: Teen security guard exposes Vic quarantine holes
A teenage security guard has revealed the lax practices around Victoria’s botched hotel quarantine, including that she was recruited on a WhatsApp group, received no training and was asked to provide her own protective equipment.
Shayla Shaksi, 19, said her colleagues at the Stamford Plaza in Melbourne repeatedly hugged and touched each other, treating COVID-19 as a “joke”.
The quarantine scandal has been blamed for the rocketing cases in Victoria, where there are currently 3147 active cases, including 22 deaths since July 1. On Tuesday, 374 new cases and three deaths were recorded, on the state’s second worst day since the pandemic began.
Ms Shaksi told the ABC’s 7.30 she was hired by Victorian government-contracted firm MSS Security via WhatsApp and instructed to supply her own mask and sanitiser.
“I just got told that you need to be here at this certain time and dress this certain way and this is your pay rate and that’s it,” Ms Shaksi said.
“I finished my first shift, we had a meeting in a room and they said ‘You’ve got to bring your own mask from tomorrow, bring your own gloves, your own sanitiser, we might run out because there’s so many guards on site’.
“It was my first and last shift — I didn’t want to go back.”
A guest at the hotel told the ABC security guards were too busy looking at their mobile phones to keep an eye on guests.
READ MORE: One degree of separation: lock us down
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Adeshola Ore 7.00am: NSW Labor call for mandatory masks
NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay is calling for face masks to be mandatory on public transport.
Currently, the state government is encouraging people to wear masks when they cannot socially distance, but has not enforced the wearing of face coverings. In lockdown regions in Melbourne, face masks will be mandatory from midnight tonight.
Ms McKay said masks should be compulsory because many people are required to catch public transport to attend work
“We know that those trains are crowded, those buses are crowded, and people should be wearing a mask,” she told 2GB radio on Wednesday morning.
“It’s what’s happening in other parts of the world and I don’t see why it shouldn’t happen here. You have to start encouraging people to wear masks and I think that should start on public transport.”
Over the weekend, NSW Transport Minister Andrews Constance has asked people to avoid catching public transport, particularly during peak times.
READ MORE: Masked crusaders hit streets
Adeshola Ore 6.45am: US governors at odds with mayors over lockdown
Governors in America’s southern states, where COVID-19 has surged, have clashed with local leaders who want to impose tighter restrictions to control the spread of the virus in their areas.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott overruled a county that wanted to impose a lockdown, saying masks and social distancing were enough to keep businesses open. In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp was at odds with the mayor of Atlanta regarding mandatory face coverings in public. A teaching union in Florida is suing Governor Ron DeSantis in an attempt to halt his order to reopen classrooms in a few weeks. In Florida, 19 per cent of COVID-19 tests come back positive, indicating widespread community transmission in the state.
On Tuesday, California became the second US state to surpass more than 400,000 COVID-19 cases. The most populous US state has now totalled 400,166, putting it on the verge of surpassing New York – the original US epicentre of the virus. New York reported its fewest hospitalisation numbers on Monday, Last week, California’s Governor rolled back some of the state’s plans for reopening, announcing the closure of some indoor venues. Restaurants, bars and movie theatres will be closed.
Spain will send €1.7 billion in aid to developing countries to help them deal with coronavirus. The country’s Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya says Spain wants to strengthen public health systems and also protect and restore rights and capacities.
Globally, more than 14.7 million people have been infected with the virus. There have been more than 610,000 COVID-19 deaths.
READ MORE: Biden wants VP who won’t outshine him
Jacquelin Magnay 6.00am: Xi ‘shows Communist Party’s true face’
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has called for an international coalition to counter “bullying’’ threats from the Chinese Community Party which he said has been exposed by disgraceful exploitation of the “preventable’’ COVID-19 disaster, its cover-ups and co-opting of the World Health Organisation.
In a hard-hitting attack on China after a day of talks with British leaders in London, Mr Pompeo said: ”The Chinese Communist Party’s exploitation of the (coronavirus) disaster to further its own interests has been disgraceful. Rather than helping the world, General Secretary Xi has shown the world the party’s true face.’’
He then appealed for an international response to counter China’s behaviour.
“We think the entire world needs to work together to ensure that every country, including China, behaves in the international system in ways that are appropriate and consistent with the international order”, Mr Pompeo said.
“You can’t go make claims for maritime regions that have no lawful claim to, you can’t threaten countries and bully them in the Himalayas, you can’t engage in cover ups and co-opt international institutions like the World Health Organisation.
“We want to see every nation who understands freedom and democracy and values that and knows that it is important to their own people, their own sovereign country to be successful, to understand this threat that the Chinese Communist Party.’’
Mr Pompeo congratulated the UK for banning Huawei from its 5G telecommunications network but said the decision was made for the British, not because the US had lobbied for it.
Both the US and Australia had urged the UK to reverse its earlier approval for Huawei to have a limited involvement in the 5G network.
Mr Pompeo said Huawei was a “national security issue’’ but warned that other Chinese companies that also impinged on ‘’high end national security information’’ or the ‘’average citizen’s private information’’ poses a threat.
In a message that may have been directed at the Chinese social media platform Tik Tok, Mr Pompeo said no American should have the risk that their data is in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.
He said: “We are determined to make sure that doesn’t happen.’’
READ MORE: Researchers more likely to partner with Chinese
Rachel Baxendale 5.45am: Six Vic prisons in lockdown
Six Victorian prisons were put into lockdown on Tuesday night, after a prison officer at Ravenhall Correctional Centre on Melbourne’s outer western fringe tested positive for coronavirus.
Ravenhall has been locked down, as have five other prisons as a precautionary measure.
Those prisons are the maximum security Barwon Prison near Geelong, Hopkins Correctional Centre and Langi Kal Kal Prison in western Victoria, Fullham Correctional Centre in Gippsland and Loddon Prison in central Victoria.
READ MORE: Puzzle in postcodes hit by lockdown
Stephen Lunn 5.30am: ‘Disbelief’ at single mum supplement cuts
Melbourne theatre nurse Lara Boyd’s life as a single mother became drastically more complex with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Boyd’s mother, who is immunocompromised, could no longer look after her five-year-old daughter Emberly, meaning that Ms Boyd was unable to work the hours she wanted.
She said the $550-a-fortnight Coronavirus Supplement she has been receiving alongside her Parenting Payment Single had been a financial lifeline.
But from September 25, that additional payment will be cut to $250 a fortnight under the federal government’s newly announced stimulus changes.
“That $300 difference is the grocery bill for two weeks,” Ms Boyd said. “I know $150 a week less doesn’t seem much to some people, but when you live in circumstances where you are getting practically no financial support from the other parent, it is very difficult to find money for the essentials.”
READ the full story here
Oasis announce Australian shows
The band will headline a stadium show in Melbourne on October 31, then Sydney on November 7.
Burke mulls cancelling visa of academic who called Oct 7 ‘a celebration’
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is considering the visa status of a US-based academic who attended Monday’s Hizb ut-Tahrir-associated rally in Sydney, praising the Houthi rebels and saying Hamas's attacks were a day of 'growth' for Palestinians.