Coronavirus Australia live news: Andrews ignored advice to suspend surgery; Greg Hunt sends medical SWAT team
Premier Daniel Andrews failed to act quickly on advice to suspend elective surgeries to allow the evacuation of eldery people from coronavirus-ridden aged-care facilities, deepening Victoria’s crisis.
- Hunt defends federal response to COVID aged care crisis
- Tensions rise a virArrests at BLM protest
- Victoria adds 384 cases, 6 deaths
- NSW records 14 new cases
- Today show backlash over anti-masker
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia’s medical SWAT team will head to Melbourne, as he defended the federal response to the city’s aged care COVID-19 crisis. After hitting a record 532 on Monday, Daniel Andrews announces that Victoria’s cases have dropped to 384 today , with six new deaths. NSW has recorded 14 new cases today. There have been multiple arrests at today’s Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney.
Angelica Snowden 11.20pm: Potts Point cluster linked to yacht club board member
The link between two Sydney coronavirus clusters connected with two restaurants in Potts Point has been revealed as a board member of the Cruising Yacht Club Australia.
Commodore Paul Billingham confirmed that vice-commodore Noel Cornish and his partner tested positive to coronavirus after they attended the Thai Rock restaurant on July 17 and the Apollo restaurant on July 22.
“As many of you know, Noel and Meg are popular members and frequent visitors to our club and their prudence in quickly seeking testing was justified when the positive result was received,” Mr Billingham said on Tuesday night.
“The good news is that Noel and Meg are fine but, of course, will be housebound for at least 14 days or until they are cleared.”
The news prompted the CYCA to have all staff directors tested and instructed them to self-isolate until they receive the results. The club will remain closed until Saturday.
READ MORE: Hospital breakthrough removes fear factor
Stephen Lunn 10.40pm: ‘SAS of medical world’ joins battle
Melbourne Under Lockdown As COVID-19 Cases Continue To Rise
Daniel Andrews says the level of care in his state is unacceptable, as 769 coronavirus cases are linked to nursing homes in the state.
Olivia Caisley 10pm: One in five up to date with training
Just one in five aged care workers across the nation had completed the government’s PPE training module prior to the VIC spike.
Philip Wen 9.15pm: Fresh waves hit nations that almost vanquished the virus
Australia reported only a handful of new coronavirus cases in early June, while Hong Kong went three weeks without a single locally transmitted infection that month. Japan had already lifted a state of emergency in May after the number of new cases dropped to a few dozen nationwide.
All three reported new high-water marks in daily infection numbers in the past week, showing how difficult it can be to keep the virus at bay, even in places lauded for taking early and decisive action.
AFP 8.40pm: Chinese cluster spreads
A new coronavirus cluster in a port city in northeastern China has spread to other provinces and prompted fresh restrictions,as Beijing scrambles to prevent a second wave of infections.
David Charter 8.10pm: Trump looks to vaccine as a booster
US President Donald Trump is focusing on the search for a coronavirus vaccine in an attempt to turn the crisis into a votewinner after months of bad poll figures.
Before the election in November his campaign advisers want to turn the national conversation towards the economic recoveryand US innovation behind therapeutics and vaccines, and away from the President’s much-criticised handling of the outbreak.
The first advanced US vaccine trials began on Tuesday (AEST), but Mr Trump faced another setback when National SecurityAdviser Robert O’Brien became the most senior administration figure to test positive.
Angelica Snowden 7.45pm: Sydney school closed
A public school in Sydney’s west will be closed for cleaning after a student contracted COVID-19.
Students at Bayanami Public School in Parramatta will be forced to learn remotely on Wednesday.
The school confirmed the closure and said advice on online learning would follow.
READ MORE: Andrews says he wouldn’t let his mum live in troubled nursing home
Rachel Baxendale 7.35pm: Sutton defends edict on testing medics’ families
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has defended the state Health Department’s edict that medical professionals should refuse to test family members and workmates of confirmed coronavirus cases without symptoms or a letter from the department, saying close contacts “don’t need testing necessarily”.
GPs have expressed frustration at the Department of Health and Human Services’ eligibility criteria for testing, which states that “people with letters from their employer, school or community group advising them to get tested” are “not eligible” for asymptomatic testing.
Those identified as close contacts of a positive case require a DHHS letter or text message to be tested.
Asked why this was the case, Professor Sutton said: “Close contacts don’t need testing, necessarily.”
“Close contacts are people who’ve been potentially exposed to the virus. What they mainly need to do is to do their 14 days of quarantine.
“That means isolating themselves in whatever setting. That means that they’re not putting other people at risk should they develop symptoms.
“You’re not tested during your quarantine period. It’s something that we do in particular outbreak settings. For the general community, being a close contact means you do 14 days of quarantine.
“They don’t need to be tested unless they develop symptoms, and we would prompt them, if they’re known to us as close contacts, to get tested when they develop symptoms.
“Going without symptoms could be a false reassurance. When you’re in a quarantine period you can develop illness at any point in that 14 days.”
Victoria has a backlog of more than 2500 coronavirus cases that have been under investigation for more than 48 hours, of which almost 900 have been under investigation for more than a week.
The delays have resulted in people waiting up to 10 days for the department to officially confirm them as close contacts, with some not knowing they were close contacts and should quarantine until they received this call.
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Angelica Snowden 7.20pm: Andrews ignored advice to suspend surgery
Premier Daniel Andrews failed to act quickly on advice to suspend elective surgeries to allow the evacuation of eldery people from coronavirus-ridden aged-care facilities, deepening Victoria’s crisis.
Mr Andrews was advised by Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, last week to make the move to free up nurses and hospital space but failed to act swiftly enough, prompting Scott Morrison to intervene, News.com.au reported.
The idea was discussed in the lead-up to Friday’s national cabinet meeting and an announcement was expected to be made over the weekend, the report added.
But no such move was made and the Prime Minister had to make two seperate phone calls on Monday night and Tuesday morning, urging Mr Andrews to take action.
Mr Andrews announced the suspension of elective surgery at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
More than 750 cases of coronavirus have been linked with aged care facilities in the state.
READ MORE: Virus denier rally has police on alert
Rachel Baxendale 6.48pm: Positive cases can leave homes to exercise: Sutton
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has revealed Victorians who are quarantining at home after testing positive for coronavirus are allowed to exercise in their local park, because of the state’s human rights charter.
Unlike those in every other state, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer’s coronavirus directions include an exemption from staying at home for exercise, with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services advising positive cases: “You are permitted to leave your property to exercise however (sic) you must keep a distance of 1.5 metres between yourself and any other people you encounter.”
Asked to confirm that these were the rules, Professor Sutton said: “Yeah they are, otherwise it’s detention, and we don’t have detention for cases in Victoria. They are entitled to exercise within their home and their garden, ideally.”
“If people have no garden and have no other option, then they have a right to exercise,” Professor Sutton said.
“The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities is pretty clear that if you aren’t giving people an option to exercise, then you’re effectively putting them in prison and that’s not something that can be done for a case of coronavirus or for anyone else for that matter.”
Asked whether this meant someone could head down to their local park, Professor Sutton said: “We provide guidance to individuals to absolutely limit potential interaction with others.”
“We ask that they stay 1.5m away from all other individuals at all times and we say wear a mask, obviously they have to now, in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire,” he said.
READ MORE: Virus denier rally has police on alert
Ewin Hannan 6.44pm: Aged care providers back union leave call
Aged care staff providers have joined unions in calling for the Morrison government to fully fund paid pandemic leave, warning a Fair Work ruling granting the entitlement “seriously threatened” the supply of staff to Victorian facilities already facing shortages.
Recruitment, Consulting and Staffing Association chief executive Charles Cameron said the paid leave was “unviable” for nursing agencies and they would have to stop supplying staff unless there was a commitment from facilities or the government to meet the “unfunded liability”.
Due to the demands on the Victorian system, Mr Cameron said agencies were already experiencing significant shortages and looking at bringing in workers from interstate.
A commission full bench backed paid pandemic leave for full-time and part-time workers in residential aged care facilities but said only casuals employed on a regular and systematic basis” should get up to two weeks’ paid leave if required to self-isolate.
The ACTU wants the government to fund pandemic leave for casuals working irregular shifts.
Mr Cameron said its members’ agencies, which employ nurses and carers, could not afford to pay for weeks and weeks of pandemic leave if not being paid by clients.
“Unless aged care facilities or the government are willing to pay the cost of this short-sighted ruling by the Fair Work Commission, I fear the supply of care in the aged care sector could be seriously threatened at a crucial time,” he said.
Under recently announced federal assistance, aged care providers in declared “hotspots” can apply for grants to support workers unable to work due to symptoms, self-isolation or travel restrictions.
But Mr Cameron said his members were concerned there would still be a funding shortfall and it would “make sense” for the government to address the uncertainty by committing to fully funding pandemic leave.
A spokesman for Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the government would consider the commission decision in detail “before responding further, noting the support measures already in place and announced”.
“Aged care providers were updated on Saturday via a statement from the Health Department (followed by a meeting on Sunday), with a clear commitment by the Commonwealth on how it would support workers relating to working at only one facility” he said.
“Draft guidelines were released to industry last night with the expectation of finalisation by the end of the week.”
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6.18pm: Potts Point coronavirus cluster grows in Sydney
NSW Health has expanded its public health warning related to the Potts Point virus cluster, which saw three new cases linked today.
Authorities believe they have now worked out the link between outbreaks at The Apollo and Thai Rock restaurants in the inner-city suburb.
“Two of the new cases visited The Apollo restaurant on Wednesday July 22, then the Cruising Yacht Club Australia in Rushcutters Bay on subsequent nights,” NSW Health said.
“The yacht club has closed for deep cleaning. The two cases dined at both the Thai Rock Potts Point restaurant and The Apollo restaurant and NSW Health now believes this links the two outbreaks.”
It comes as Fitness First in Kings Cross carried out a deep clean after authorities confirmed a COVID-19 case had attended a group workout session at the facility.
READ MORE: Andrews must wake up or stand down
Rachel Baxendale 5.00pm: LGA breakdown: cases now in 25 Victorian regional areas
Victoria has gone from having 163 coronavirus cases across 20 regional Victorian local government areas not including the Mitchell Shire on Monday, to having 184 across 25 of these LGAs on Tuesday, as the virus spreads to abattoirs, smallgoods factories and aged care facilities outside the city lockdown.
When the Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown was imposed on July 9, there were 14 active cases across six LGAs in regional Victoria.
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Rachel Baxendale 4.30pm: Breakdown of Victoria’s worrying COVID clusters
We’ve detailed the size of the largest aged care and abattoir clusters on Tuesday in previous posts, but here are some details of other clusters:
Logistics/warehouses:
– 29 cases have been linked to the Woolworths Distribution Centre in Mulgrave, in Melbourne’s southeast, up from 21 on Saturday;
– 14 cases have been linked to the Linfox warehouse in Truganina, in Melbourne’s outer west, up from 13 cases on Monday;
– Five cases have been linked to Laverton Cold Storage, also in Truganina. This is a previously unpublicised cluster;
Supermarkets:
– 27 cases have been linked to LaManna Supermarket in Essendon Fields, in Melbourne’s northwest, up from 26 on Monday;
Social services:
– 19 cases have been linked to Respite Services Australia in Moonee Ponds, in Melbourne’s northwest, up from 12 on Monday;
– 10 cases have been linked to Aruma Disability Services in Pascoe Vale. This is a previously unpublicised cluster;
Smallgoods:
– 10 cases have been linked to Don KR in Castlemaine, in central Victoria, up from six on Monday;
Aged care:
In addition to the large clusters previously detailed, single cases have been identified in staff members at the following facilities:
– BUPA Aged Care in Woodend, in central regional Victoria;
– Australian Unity Campbell Place in Glen Waverley, in Melbourne’s southeast;
– Opal South Valley in Geelong, in southwest regional Victoria;
– BUPA Aged Care in Greensborough, in Melbourne’s northeast.
Public Housing:
– 306 cases are residents of previously locked down public housing towers in North Melbourne and Flemington, in Melbourne’s inner northwest – up from 303 cases on Monday;
– 66 cases are residents of public housing towers in Carlton, in Melbourne’s inner north – the same number as Monday;
READ MORE: Virus denier rally has police on alert
Rachel Baxendale 4.05pm: 1363 cases with no identified source amid tracing backlog
Victoria has now had 1098 coronavirus cases where contact tracers have been unable to identify a source of transmission since June 28, exactly a month ago, and 1363 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, including 306 of Tuesday’s 384 new cases, with 78 of today’s cases so far linked to known outbreaks.
The state health department has released further details of the six deaths in the 24 hours to Tuesday, four of which have been linked to aged care facilities, taking the Victorian aged care death toll to 39 and the state’s death toll since the pandemic began to 83.
The six deaths include a man in his 70s, two women and a man in their 80s, and a man and a woman in their 90s.
As of Tuesday, there are 260 people in Victorian hospitals with COVID-19, up from 245 on Monday, and 42 in intensive care, down from 44 on Monday.
There are 4775 active cases of coronavirus in the state, and 3937 people have recovered.
There have been 8387 cases are from metropolitan Melbourne and while 485 from regional Victoria, as well as 4481 cases in men and 4471 in women.
READ MORE: Andrews must wake up or stand down
Rachel Baxendale 3.55pm: Some good news as tests clear babies
All of the babies at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital neonatal intensive care unit who have been tested for coronavirus over the past 24 hours after the facility was linked to four cases on Monday have returned negative results.
On Monday, Victoria’s health department revealed a baby, two parents and a healthcare worker at the NICU had tested positive for the virus, ordering any baby, parent or worker who had spent more than two hours in the unit since July 12 to get tested.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos on Tuesday announced test results had been processed for all but on baby, whose result is pending.
“They have all come through as negative so I think that is very good news, very positive news that I wanted to share with the community, because I know that this particular incident is one that would have caused a great deal of distress to many,” Ms Mikakos said.
READ MORE: Pressure mounts on private health
Rachel Baxendale 3.35pm: Four key Victorian clusters identified
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton also listed four other significant Victorian clusters at abattoirs and smallgoods factories, including:
– 99 cases have been linked to Somerville Retail Services abattoir in Tottenham, in Melbourne’s west, up from 95 on Monday;
– 76 cases have been linked to JBS abattoir in Brooklyn, in Melbourne’s west, up from 71 on Monday;
– 50 cases have been linked to Australian Lamb Company in Colac, in southwest regional Victoria, up from 47 on Monday;
– 89 cases have been linked to Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown, in Melbourne’s north, up from 69 on Monday;
READ MORE: Andrews condemns aged care
Rachel Baxendale 3.18pm: Aged care outbreaks ‘pretty volatile’: Sutton
The largest outbreaks on Tuesday among 769 active coronavirus cases relating to more than 80 Victorian aged care facilities include:
– 88 cases linked to Estia Health in Ardeer, in Melbourne’s west, up from 82 on Monday;
– 86 cases linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner, in Melbourne’s north, up from 84 on Monday;
– 82 cases linked to Heritage Care’s Epping Gardens facility in Melbourne’s north, up from 77 on Monday and 24 on Sunday;
– 76 cases linked to Kirkbrae Presbyrterian Homes in Kilsyth, in Melbourne’s outer east, up from 57 on Monday and 19 on Sunday;
– 62 cases linked to the Menarock Life Aged Care facility in Essendon, in Melbourne’s northwest – the same number as Monday;
– 53 cases linked to the Glendale Aged care facility in Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer southwest – the same number as Monday;
– 51 cases linked to Baptcare Wyndham Lodge, also in Werribee, up from 23 on Saturday;
– 50 cases linked to Estia Health in Heidelberg, in Melbourne’s northeast – the same number as Monday;
– 40 cases linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care in Dandenong North, in Melbourne’s southeast, up from 11 on Sunday;
– 39 cases linked to Arcare Aged Care in Craigieburn, in Melbourne’s outer north – the same number as Sunday.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said there was also a significant number of single cases in staff members at other aged care facilities.
“So today’s numbers are pretty volatile. They will really depend on whether outbreaks occur with large numbers of residents in some of these private aged care facilities,” Professor Sutton said.
“When there’s a single staff member it counts as one, obviously, but if an outbreak has all of a sudden been identified 30, 40, 50 new cases in a day, then they’re going to add to our daily tally of numbers.”
READ MORE: Surgery restrictions put pressure back on private health
Richard Ferguson 2.20pm: Hunt: ‘I won’t hear a word against them’
Health Minister Greg Hunt says he will “not hear a word against” aged care staff, after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he would not let his mother live in some of the homes hit by COVID-19.
The Premier earlier on Tuesday said he lacked confidence in the competency of private aged care homes in Melbourne.
“My mother is in her mid-70s, she has some underlying health issues but she lives at home,” he said.
“Some of the stories we’ve seen are unacceptable and I wouldn’t want my mum in some of those places, but that’s not a matter for me.”
“I can’t change that … I would not let my mum be in some of these places. I just wouldn’t. But that’s not a decision I have to make at the moment because she’s living at home.”
Mr Hunt — whose late father lived in a home — said aged care staff were “wonderful human beings” and said it was “dangerous” to suggest those carers are inadequate.
“My father lived in one, yes. It’s a difficult decision for any family and it’s a difficult time. My father lived in one and we knew that that meant he was in the latest stages of his life,” Mr Hunt said in Melbourne.
“I cannot imagine better care that my family and my father could have got and I speak, I think, for hundreds of thousands of families around the country.
“And the idea that our carers, that our nurses are not providing that care, I think, is a dangerous statement to make.
“They are wonderful human beings and I will not hear a word against them.”
READ MORE: Andrews: I wouldn’t let my mum live there
JARED LYNCH 2.15pm: Most elective surgery suspended in Melbourne
Most elective surgeries will again be suspended across metropolitan Melbourne as the city continues to record hundreds of COVID-19 infections each day, despite being thrust into a hard lockdown three weeks ago.
Premier Daniel Andrews reintroduced the ban in an effort to free up nurses to help protect the most vulnerable members of the community, aged care residents. The virus has ripped through the nursing homes, infecting hundreds of elderly residents and killing seven on Sunday.
The ban on elective surgeries, the main revenue driver of public hospitals, places further earnings pressure on the private health system. Despite securing a viability guarantee from the government, that funding only covers the cost of treating patients, leaving no cash to reinvest in equipment, training or servicing debt.
“We’re continuing to see high case numbers – particularly in our vulnerable elderly residents – and we need to ensure we have the beds and staff available if we need to transfer them out of aged care settings,” Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said.
“Our fantastic healthcare staff will make sure anyone who needs urgent surgery will still be seen throughout this time and we’ll resume our elective surgery blitz as soon as it’s safe to do so, to catch up on everyone else.”
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Richard Ferguson 1.45pm: Hunt sends medical SWAT team into Victoria
Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia’s medical SWAT team will head to Melbourne, as he defended the federal response to the city’s aged care COVID-19 crisis.
An AUSMAT team will join Australian Defence Force nurses and help co-ordinate the federal plan to stem the spread in Melbourne’s aged care homes.
Mr Hunt said the Commonwealth was not ill-prepared for the Victorian aged care outbreak and its response was seeing resources pour into the virus-hit state.
The comments follow the Victorian Premier saying he did not have confidence in the staff and management at several private sector facilities to “provide the care that is appropriate to keep their residents safe”.
“It’s precisely because of the experience we’ve had that we’re able to set up an aged care response centre,” Mr Hunt said.
“The fact that we’ve been able to set up the PPE to make sure that there is a national call for staff, that AUSMAT is available, because so many Victorian staff, whether aged care or hospital
or health worker have had to isolate is an indication of the preparation that goes into this.”
The federal government’s handling of Victoria’s escalating aged care COVID crisis, including its emergency response and plan to deal with the “cross infection” threat from carers working at more than one facility, is creating distress for residents and their families, leaving nursing home providers confused and making carers feel unsafe.
READ MORE: Gottliebsen — Andrews must wake up or stand down
Staff writers 1.01pm: Sydney yacht club closed after infection
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia at Sydney’s Rushcutters Bay has been closed for cleaning after “an active Member of the Club and their partner had tested positive for COVID-19.’’
“As a result of this news, the CYCA has closed its Clubhouse until further notice, for deep cleaning and for the testing of staff – with the health and safety of Members, guests, staff and the community the CYCA’s number one priority,’’ a statement on the club’s website says.
The exclusive CYCA is home to the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
READ MORE: Australia still a GDP pacesetter: Fitch
Adeshola Ore 12.26pm: Infected woman flew from Melbourne to Sydney
NSW Health is contacting passengers who were close contacts of a COVID-19 case on a Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Sydney that arrived on July 25.
A woman in her 30s who has tested positive to coronavirus was a passenger on flight JQ506. She is in isolation and contact tracing is underway.
Passengers who were close contacts are being placed into self-isolation for two-weeks.
Close contacts on the flight were seated in rows 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
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Richard Ferguson 12.11pm: Defence nurses aid Victoria aged care fight
Australian Defence Force nurses are being used to help fight Victoria’s aged care COVID-19 crisis, with one group of nurses heading to a retirement facility just before midnight.
Scott Morrison said ADF nurses were part of the federal response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has caused more than 600 coronavirus cases in aged care homes.
“Last night in particular we had ADF officers, nurses, being put into a night shift in a Melbourne facility, and we were able to arrange that quite late in the evening, about 11.00,” he said in Queensland.
“And so there is no effort being spared to ensure that we can get the people to the places they need to be.
“An important part of the process that we have been following has been to transfer those who have COVID, in particular, out of aged care facilities into both public and private hospitals.”
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Kieran Gair 11.55am: Three BLM protesters arrested
At least three Black Lives Matter protesters have been arrested by NSW police at The Domain.
Breaking: Arrests already at the Sydney #blm rally with organiser Pasdy Gibson bundled into a van. Several others dragged away. @newscomauHQ pic.twitter.com/MeRao2MuR9
— Benedict Brook (@BenedictBrook) July 28, 2020
Among the people arrested are protest organiser Paddy Gibson and two women who were pulled away by police as they tried to negotiate a space to hold their illegal rally.
One woman attempted to film police as they placed her under arrest, repeatedly yelling that police were breaching COVID-19 rules by not wearing masks.
Black Lives Matter rally over before it was even due to start. Organiser Paddy Gibson arrested along with at least one other. Crowd quickly left. Police out in force @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/Xev5wxF1c3
— Danica De Giorgio (@DanicaDeGiorgio) July 28, 2020
The trio was led away by police and is currently being detained in nearby vans.
Groups of Black Lives Matters activists are being ordered to disperse by riot squad officers who are moving in a line towards the few protesters who remain at The Domain.
READ the full story here
Rachel Baxendale 11.46am: Victoria records 384 new cases, 6 deaths
Victoria has confirmed 384 new cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to Tuesday.
While the number is significantly lower than Monday’s record 532 new cases, it has not been enough to reverse the upward trend in the seven-day average, which now sits at 417 new cases a day.
Another six people have died with coronavirus in Victoria, four of whom were aged care residents.
This brings Victoria’s death toll since the pandemic began to 83, with 63 deaths since July 5, just over three weeks ago.
The six most recent deaths include one person in their 70s, two in their 80s and three in their 90s.
Tuesday’s 384 new cases come from 18,521 tests processed on Monday, working out to a 2.07 per cent positive test rate — the second-highest ever after Monday’s 3.02 per cent positive test rate from 532 cases and 17,588 tests processed.
There are now 4775 active cases of coronavirus in Victoria, with 9049 cases since the pandemic began.
There are now 260 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus, including 45 in intensive care.
There are 414 active cases in healthcare workers, up from 400 on Monday, and 769 cases in aged care facilities, up from 683 on Monday.
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Richard Ferguson 11.40am: Aged Care royal commission to probe Victorian crisis
Scott Morrison says he expects the Royal Commission into Aged Care — established before the pandemic — will look into Victoria’s COVID-19 crisis in retirement homes.
A government-ordered intervention last week at the Melbourne nursing home at the centre of Victoria’s worst aged-care coronavirus outbreak, St Basil’s Homes for the Aged, resulted in some residents being left without food and lying in soiled sheets.
The Prime Minister defended the decision to only now mandate that aged care workers in Melbourne only work at one facility, saying the staffing issues were complex.
He also said he expected the aged care royal commission to look into the situation in Victoria, as it has done with COVID outbreaks in NSW homes.
“Managing the aged care workforce has been very difficult in Victoria. It’s not a simple issue. It would be nice to say that there are simple solutions to these complex problems, but there are no fail-safe or foolproof solutions that you can put in place,” Mr Morrison said in Queensland.
“All we can do is what we are doing, and that is working together and being very transparent and up-front with people.
“I established the Aged Care Royal Commission and the Aged Care Royal Commission is already looking at issues relating to COVID in terms of what occurred in New South Wales and I would expect them to look at what has occurred in Victoria as well. We’re open to that.
“You can expect me to be open with the Australian people about the challenges we face there and how we’re dealing with them.”
READ MORE: We were warned on aged care
Richard Ferguson 11.18am: PM to spearhead Victorian aged care intervention
Scott Morrison will cut short a planned three-day tour of Queensland to spearhead the federal government’s intervention into Victoria’s aged care COVID-19 crisis.
A new Victorian aged care response centre is working to prevent the spread of coronavirus at nursing homes. State and federal health and emergency agencies, defence and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission staff are now co-ordinating efforts in Melbourne.
The Prime Minister – who made the first leg of his Queensland trip – says he will go back to Canberra imminently to deal with workforce issues arising from the federal takeover.
“We had planned to be here over several days, but the escalation of the workforce challenges necessitates me to return,” he said on Monday.
“It is a shared responsibility with Victoria … For the regulation of aged care facilities, of course that’s a matter for the Federal Government.
“There are shared responsibilities there and that’s why the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre has been set up, bringing together all of those who work on these problems.”
The federal government’s handling of Victoria’s escalating aged care COVID crisis, including its emergency response and plan to deal with the “cross infection” threat from carers working at more than one facility, is creating distress for residents and their families, leaving nursing home providers confused and making carers feel unsafe.
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Adeshola Ore 11.10am: NSW records 14 new cases, funeral cluster grows
NSW has recorded fourteen new cases of COVID-19, including six linked to a funeral gatherings cluster at St Brendan’s Catholic Church in Bankstown.
Four cases are linked to the Thai Rock outbreak in Wetherill Park. One case is associated with the Thai Rock restaurant at Potts Point. Another case is a staff member at the Apollo restaurant in Potts Point.
One case is a returned traveller from Victoria who is currently in isolation. Another case was detected in hotel quarantine.
The outbreak at Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park has now risen to 75.
There are 56 cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster and eight with the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club. Three cases have been linked to Thai Rock Potts Point.
There are 101 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health, including five people in intensive care, with one being ventilated.
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Rachel Baxendale 11.04am: Cops fine Victorians found in regions
Two residents of the outer southeastern Melbourne suburb of Frankston who were found staying in western Victoria, were among 79 fined by Victoria Police in the 24 hours to Tuesday for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s coronavirus directions.
The pair were staying in Murtoa, northeast of Horsham, and were unable to provide a valid reason for having travelled from Frankston.
Others fined in the 24 hours to Tuesday include seven people staying in short-term rental accommodation in Melbourne’s CBD who told police they were planning to stay at the apartment for two nights so they could party, and three people in a car who lived at different addresses, who told police they had been gathering at someone’s house and were on their way to McDonald’s to buy food.
Of the 79 fines, 23 were issued to people for failing to wear a face covering while away from home.
Only five fines were issued at vehicle checkpoints, despite 21,481 checks at these points on main arterial roads around the Melbourne lockdown zone in the 24 hours to Tuesday.
There were 4.618 spot checks conducted on people at homes, businesses and public places in the 24 hours to Tuesday, with a total of 175,472 spot checks conducted since 21 March.
READ MORE: Prepare for a longer lockdown
EWIN HANNAN 11.00am: ACTU push for pandemic leave funding for casuals
The ACTU is urging the Morrison Government to fund pandemic leave for casual employees working irregular shifts in aged care, after the Fair Work Commission refused the union push.
A commission full bench backed paid pandemic leave for full-time and part-time workers in residential aged care facilities but said only casuals employed on a regular and systematic basis” should get up to two weeks’ paid leave if required to self-isolate.
About 10 per cent of 153000 workers involved in direct care are casuals, although the commission did not state how many were on irregular shifts.
The ACTU said it was not clear to unions why casuals not employed on a regular and systematic basis should miss out on the paid entitlement, given its identified purpose.
But the full bench said it did not consider the paid leave “can be justified in relation to employees who have no established connection to the relevant workplace, and we presume such employees will simply not be re-engaged if required to self-isolate”.
“We do not intend to place any minimum time period requirement on the “regular and systematic basis” criterion, and this criterion will not require a consistent pattern of engagement in the number of days worked each week, the days of the week worked or the duration of each shift,” it said.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said on Tuesday that paid pandemic leave should be available to all workers.
“We welcome this decision but it still does not remove the trap door for casual workers with irregular hours, or workers in other industries,” she said.
“Paid pandemic leave is a crucial public health measure that provides a circuit breaker to stem the rate of transmission by allowing those with symptoms to stay home without losing income.
She said no worker should be left considering if they should go to work with mild symptoms to pay the bills.
“The Government can fix this and should do so to stop the workplace transmission of the virus,” she said.
Rachel Baxendale 10.45am: Vic numbers fall below 400
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to announce the number of new coronavirus cases for Tuesday is below 400 when he addresses the media at 11:30am.
Mr Andrews will be joined by Health Minister Jenny Mikakos.
Tuesday’s number follows a record 532 cases on Monday.
Previous record peaks have often been followed by lower numbers on subsequent days.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said on Monday health department modelling showed Monday’s figure “should be the peak” of the current wave of infections.
“Now I’m not going to sit back and say today is the peak,” Professor Sutton warned, citing the volatility of clusters, particularly in aged care facilities.
Authorities are desperately hoping mandatory mask wearing, which came into force in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire last Thursday, will begin to bring Victoria’s caseload down in coming days.
If it does not, they are fast running out of options, as the virus spreads in facilities such as nursing homes, hospitals, abattoirs and distribution centres, the majority of which would remain open even in a harder lockdown.
READ MORE: Sleepless nights for frontline doctors
Anthony Piovesan 10.35am: Why virus is sweeping through meat industry
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has confirmed links between infections at abattoirs and small goods factories as coronavirus spreads across the state’s meat industry.
Somerville Retail Services abattoir in Tottenham is at the centre of one of Victoria’s largest outbreak at 95 COVID-19 cases, while the nearby JBS Australia facility in Brooklyn has 71 confirmed infections.
There is another major outbreak at an abattoir in Victoria’s southwest where 47 cases have been recorded at Colac’s Australian Lamb Company.
There are 47 cases at Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown, eight infections at Diamond Valley Pork in Laverton and six cases at Don KR Castlemaine.
Chief Health Officer professor Brett Sutton said health authorities were aware of links across the sites.
“We are aware of links and its because some of them are family members who work in both of those settings and so that’s the linkage,” he said.
Professor Brett Sutton had previously described abattoirs as “intrinsically difficult” to manage.
Adeshola Ore 10.03am: Today faces backlash over anti-masker
The Today show has been faced with controversy after inviting an anti-masker who filmed her confrontation with staff at a Melbourne Bunnings onto the program on Tuesday morning.
Footage widely circulated online shows Lizzie Rose refusing to wear a mask inside a Victorian Bunnings store.
Ms Rose, who has been widely condemned online, told the Today show that the move was “about personal choice” and that her “health comes first”. Asked whether she thinks wearing a mask is a breach of her human rights, she said: “I do. This is my voice. It is about an agenda. It is not only about a virus.” Ms Rose also disputed virus statistics, claiming the numbers “are not true” and that she believes the virus was “biochemically engineered intentionally”.
Many social media users questioned why Ms Rose was invited onto the program and given time to spout her conspiracy theories.
“It is unethical disgrace that you’re even treating this as a discussion to be had,” wrote one Twitter user.
"My health comes first." Anti-masker Lizzy believes COVID-19 is bio-chemically engineered and refuses to wear face masks. What are your thoughts on this? #9Today pic.twitter.com/Dgl4zuOjYh
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) July 27, 2020
READ MORE: Bunnings Karen ‘a neighbour from hell’
Ewin Hannan 8.59am: Paid pandemic leave for aged care workers
Workers in residential aged-care facilities have been awarded access to paid pandemic leave for three months after the Fair Work Commission found the low-paid workers would be exposed to “significant financial difficulty” if forced to self-isolate during the pandemic.
A commission full bench said workers in the residential aged-care sector were exposed to an “elevated risk” of having to self-isolate, given the outbreak of COVID-19 cases in Victoria.
The full bench said there was a real risk that employees who did not have access to leave entitlements “might not report COVID-19 symptoms which might require them to self-isolate, but rather seek to attend for work out of financial need”.
“This represents a significant risk to infection control measures,” it said. “These matters weigh significantly in favour of the introduction of a paid pandemic leave entitlement.”
The full bench said employees required to self-isolate may have exhausted their leave entitlement or if they were casuals, did not have an entitlement to paid leave.
“The requirement for self-isolation is primarily to prevent the spread of infection which in the aged-care sector is especially critical because of the vulnerability of aged persons,” it said.
“Thus, the requirement to self-isolate may be said to be in the public interest. However, absent a paid pandemic leave entitlement or access to other leave entitlements, the employee bears the cost of this. For low-paid employees, this is likely to place them in significant financial difficulty and even distress.”
READ the full story here
Adeshola Ore 8.49am: Hunt rejects call for Victorian royal commission
Health Minister Greg Hunt has dismissed calls for a royal commission into Victoria’s handling of coronavirus.
The Australian Medical Association says an inquiry needs to identify what went wrong, including in hotel quarantine, contact tracing and aged-care facilities. But Mr Hunt said there had already been a royal commission into aged care at a federal level. A judicial inquiry into Victoria’s botched hotel quarantine program began last week.
“Whether they wish to expand that in terms of the scope and status to royal commission, that will be a matter for them.” he told Channel 7.
“But for now our task is to focus on flattening that curve in Victoria and providing that support as we have done.”
READ MORE: Sheridan — Deniers of reality must get a grip
Adeshola Ore 8.21am: Berejiklian makes plea against BLM rally
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has pleaded with Black Lives Matter protesters to not go ahead with today’s rally in Sydney.
The event is scheduled to begin at midday in The Domain, despite the NSW Court of Appeal ruling it is an unauthorised public assembly, upholding a NSW Supreme Court decision on Sunday.
“If you are not worried about yourself, think about the loved ones you could be infecting and cause enormous harm to,” Ms Berejiklian told Channel 9.
“Think about a different way to express your views. It is a pandemic and it is not normal circumstances.
Ms Berejiklian said NSW was at a “very critical point” in managing the outbreak.
“It only takes a few cases for this thing to get out of control. We have seen that in Victoria. We don’t want it to happen in NSW.”
READ MORE: PM’s hands tied over state intervention
Adeshola Ore 8.02am: Hunt to BLM protesters: ‘Do not go’
Health Minister Greg Hunt has slammed today’s Black Lives Matter protest, labelling the decision to proceed with the rally as “very dangerous and irresponsible action.”
More than 1000 people have indicated on Facebook that they will attend the Sydney event, despite the organisers losing an appeal in court.
“No matter the absolute nobility of the cause, the means of meeting at this moment in our history, with a pandemic afoot, is inappropriate and dangerous,” Mr Hunt told the ABC.
“I could not be clearer. Please, do not go. Express your views on social media, a silent vigil outside your place of residence, whatever other means, but not gathering in large groups.”
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Hunt told BLM protesters: ‘’Don’t. You could be taking somebody’s life.”
READ MORE: No postcode spared: new cases top 500
Staff writers 7.55am: Shorten’s neighbour: ‘Family couldn’t say goodbye’
Bill Shorten says his neighbour practically vanished for five days before dying of the coronavirus and his family had no way of saying goodbye.
The 92-year-old called Theo, who was looking after his adult son with an impairment, lived two doors down from Mr Shorten.
Mr Shorten told Today Theo’s daughter called him and told him; “I’m just out of luck. I cannot find what has happened to my father for five days”.
Theo went into St Basil’s care home on July 7, one day before it was locked down.
But for the five days between Tuesday of last week to Saturday, his family heard nothing.
“They couldn’t tell them if he was alive or had passed away, where he was – hospital or in the aged care facility,” Mr Shorten said.
“Then Saturday afternoon, late afternoon, Rita finally got a call and it was the news that she didn’t want to hear, that he’d passed. It is wrong.”
READ MORE: Are the ambos here for mum?
Erin Lyons 7.48am: Covid cases close more Sydney venues
A restaurant in Sydney’s inner east and two pubs in the city’s southwest are the latest to close for deep cleaning after staff or patrons who attended the venues tested positive for COVID-19.
Two new cases of COVID-19 have been linked to The Apollo in Potts Point as well as two pubs in Mount Pritchard.
NSW Health released a statement saying everyone who attended The Apollo from July 23 to July 25 must quarantine for 14 days.
Any diners who develop symptoms should be tested.
The health department is also urging people who live in or have visited the Potts Point area in the past two weeks to get tested if they develop any symptoms.
The advice comes after confirmation a staff member at The Apollo had tested positive. The venue has been closed for cleaning.
Meanwhile, anyone who attended Mounties in Mount Pritchard on July 23 between midnight and 3am, on July 24 between 11am and 3pm or 8pm to midnight, and on July 25 between midnight and 3am must isolate for 14 days.
NSW Health is also urging anyone who attended the bistro area at Pritchard’s Hotel on July 23 between 7pm to 7.45pm to get tested if they have any symptoms of COVID-19.
“Anyone feeling unwell – even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat – is urged to self-isolate and seek testing. Do not go to work or catch public transport until you are cleared of COVID-19,” the health department says.
On Monday, another 17 new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in NSW, including one mystery case, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
Of those, eight were returned travellers in hotel quarantine and the other nine were from local transmission, including eight linked to known clusters.
However the Premier confirmed there was one new case, involving a man in his 40s from Sydney’s southwest, that was being investigated.
“We are holding the line and doing OK, but are still on high alert,” she said. “But we cannot let our guard down. That’s how the virus will take hold and spread.”
READ MORE: Corona deniers’ acts of defiance
Adeshola Ore 7.29am: BLM protesters to defy court ban on march
Black Lives Matter protesters are expected to defy a court ruling today and proceed with an event in Sydney.
The NSW Court of Appeal ruled that a Black Lives Matter rally, scheduled to commence at midday, is an unauthorised public assembly, upholding a NSW Supreme Court decision on Sunday.
The protest was due to take place outside Town Hall but has been moved to The Domain. Organisers say they will be spaced out in groups of 20 — the maximum number of people permitted for a public gathering under the current NSW restrictions.
City of Sydney Councillor Christine Forster said the judicial system had found “very good reasons why the protest should not go ahead.
“They’re putting everybody at risk. As we’ve seen in Victoria and Melbourne, this pandemic, this virus can get out of control really quickly,” she told 2GB radio.
“It only takes one small cluster and you can find yourself in a whole lot of trouble.”
She said she hoped the rain in Sydney today would discourage people from attending the protest.
READ MORE: Vow to march after BLM appeal fails
Adeshola Ore 7.10am: Trump national security adviser tests positive
Donald Trump’s national security adviser Robert O’Brien has tested positive to COVID-19 – the highest ranking White House official to contract the virus.
The White House said Mr O’Brien had mild symptoms of the virus and had been self-isolating and working offsite. An official said there was no risk of exposure to the president or vice president. In May, the vice president’s press secretary tested positive to the virus, which has now infected more than 4 million people across the US.
Pres Trump unable to say when he last saw his National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, now in quarantine, having tested positive for Coronavirus. "I haven't seen him lately," said the president, during brief Q&A before departing WH via Marine One. pic.twitter.com/NECh7vcVPq
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 27, 2020
Numerous Trump campaign staffers have also tested positive to the virus, including Kimberly Guilfoyle, the national finance chair, who is the girlfriend of Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
Senior White House staff and anyone who comes into close contact with the president and vice president are tested for the virus daily.
READ MORE: US wants Australia to step up on China
Adeshola Ore 7.01am: 30,000 Americans begin vaccine trial
More than 30,000 Americans have rolled up their sleeves to participate in the biggest test of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine. The final stage testing of the vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna, began on Monday. Volunteers around numerous US sites were given either a dose of the vaccine or a placebo.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says Britain’s decision to require people travelling from the country to quarantine on arrival is unfair. He is in touch with British authorities in a bid to get authorities to reverse the position. Mr Sanchez said the UK had made an “error” by considering the rate of COVID-19 in the whole of Spain, when most regions have a lower infection rate than the UK.
Google will allow its employees to work from home until July 2021. The decision makes Google the largest tech giant to commit to the duration during the coronavirus pandemic. Chief executive of parent company Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, made the decision after a debate among top executives at the organisation.
Globally, there have been more than 16.4 million recorded cases of coronavirus. The number of COVID-19 deaths has now surpassed 650,000.
READ MORE: Chris Bowen: Australia is not pulling its weight in seeking a vaccine
Natasha Robinson 6.15am: Heart infection fears for coronavirus sufferers
Scientists have raised a strong possibility of direct viral infection of the heart caused by COVID-19, saying ongoing cardiovascular disability could be the next wave of disease caused by the pandemic.
Two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Cardiology documented the presence of SARS-CoV-2 within the heart muscle and associated inflammation.
That led scientists to conclude that heart damage was not an secondary symptom of COVID-19 but may be as a result of direct viral infection of the heart muscle.
READ MORE: Heart infection fears for coronavirus sufferers
Jacquelin Magnay 5.15am: ‘Don’t be alarmed’: pet cat positive for virus
The British government has confirmed that a pet cat has been infected with coronavirus.
The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said the infection was confirmed following tests at the Animal and Plant Health Agency laboratory last Wednesday, but said people should not be alarmed.
“Don’t be alarmed that I’ve confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in a UK cat. Like other similar detections internationally the cat was in a COVID confirmed household, happily now are all well.”
Ms Middlemiss said the infection of the cat was a very rare event. Infected animals detected to date only showed mild clinical signs and recovered within days.
“There is no evidence to suggest that pets directly transmit the virus to humans. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will update our guidance to pet owners should the situation change.”
Don’t be alarmed that I’ve confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in a U.K. cat. Like other similar detections internationally the cat was in a COVID confirmed household, happily now are all well. Guidance available here: https://t.co/gNiOUbH2zW
— Christine Middlemiss (@ChiefVetUK) July 27, 2020
Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at Public Health England, said this was the first case of a domestic cat testing positive for COVID-19 in the UK.
“The investigation into this case suggest that the infection was spread from humans to animal, and not the other way round. At this time, there is no evidence that pets can transmit the disease to humans,” she said.
“In line with the general advice on fighting coronavirus, you should wash your hands regularly, including before and after contact with animals.”
The pet cat in question was initially diagnosed by a private vet with feline herpes virus, a common cat respiratory infection, but the sample was also tested for SARS-CoV-2 as part of a research program. Follow up testing confirmed the cat was also co-infected with SARS-CoV2 which is the virus known to cause COVID-19 in humans.
UK cat tests positive for coronavirus. The cat has made a full recovery.
— Harry Horton (@harry_horton) July 27, 2020
There is no evidence humans can catch coronavirus from their pets, but pets may be able to contract the virus from their owners.
https://t.co/O1qc489UpX
READ MORE: UK travellers forced into sudden quarantine
Stephen Lunn 5am: Victorian nursing home carers ‘feel unsafe’: survey
The federal government’s handling of Victoria’s escalating aged-care COVID crisis, including its emergency response and plan to deal with the “cross infection” threat from carers working at more than one facility, is creating distress for residents and their families, leaving nursing home providers confused and making carers feel unsafe.
A government-ordered intervention last week at the Melbourne nursing home at the centre of Victoria’s worst aged-care coronavirus outbreak, St Basil’s Homes for the Aged, resulted in some residents being left without food and lying in soiled sheets.
A survey of 1000 carers by their union found two-thirds felt unprepared to deal with a coronavirus outbreak and almost one-third said they had received no additional training in COVID-19 safety measures or how to use personal protective equipment.
Victoria’s aged-care system, virtually clear of coronavirus just three weeks ago, now has 683 active cases across 61 sites, up by more than 120 in a single day. Another five residents of aged-care homes died on Monday, bringing the total to 35 during the COVID second wave. Aged-care deaths have made up 60 per cent of all coronavirus-related deaths in Victoria since July 5.
Read the full story, by Stephen Lunn, Rachel Baxendale and Olivia Caisley, here.
John Ferguson 4.45am: How the young are fuelling coronavirus pandemic
Nearly 2000 young Victorians are the dominant group suffering soaring infection rates that are fuelling the pandemic and killing scores of people.
Those aged between 20 and 29 have dominated infection rates, sparking impassioned calls from government leaders for the young to follow the rules amid the boredom and stress of the second wave.
Analysis of state and federal government data shows that 1947 men and women in the 20 to 29 age group in Victoria have been infected during the pandemic, significantly outstripping other cohorts.
Read the full story here.
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