Coronavirus Australia live news: PM, Premiers to jumpstart border reopenings
Scott Morrison tells parliament that he, Daniel Andrews, and Gladys Berejiklian discussed the relaxation of borders on Monday night.
- NSW records 13 new cases
- Andrews wins emergency law backing
- Victoria records 70 cases, 5 deaths
- Relief brings more harm than good
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Scott Morrison has spoken with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to jumpstart a plan to re-open Melbourne and relax the NSW-Victorian border.
Victorian Greens will provide the Andrews government with the third crossbench vote it needs to pass its State of Emergency extension bill, as the state records 70 cases and five deaths. NSW records 13 new cases. Police have arrested a man who tested positive for the virus in Victoria but managed to travel to Queensland on a Jetstar flight.
Jacquelin Magnay 10.45pm: Opening borders is essential: Abbott
Tony Abbott has told British powerbrokers that Australia’s closed borders should be ‘liberated’ soon but warned that if the restrictions went on too long it would be a ‘massive problem’ for trade.
Courtney Walsh 10.15pm: AFL family heads north for historic day
The AFL’s most treasured prize, the premiership cup, left Melbourne bound for Queensland, in the surest sign this year’s decider will be held in Brisbane.
Adam Creighton, Simon Benson 9.45pm: RBA’s $110bn lifeline to banks
The RBA more than doubled its lending lifeline to banks a day before the release of the June quarter national accounts confirming the first recession in three decades.
Sarah Elks, Charlie Peel 9.15pm: Border closure prompts transplant contingency
One of Queensland’s biggest public hospitals has asked Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred to be prepared to perform kidney transplants on northern NSW patients.
Rachel Baxendale, Rosie Lewis 8.45pm: Greens help jag extra six months’ emergency
The Andrews government’s bid to extend its state of emergency powers for six months is set to pass Victoria’s upper house late on Tuesday night.
AFP 8.15pm: Germany ‘can and will’ avoid second lockdown
Germany can avoid imposing a second lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic, the Economy Minister said on Tuesday, voicing confidence that measures in place to limit transmission can keep case numbers under control.
“I am convinced that we can and will prevent a second general shutdown,” Peter Altmaier said.
Germany’s recession is expected to be weaker than earlier predicted amid a stronger-than-expected recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Altmaier added.
Recession is now forecast to reach -5.8 per cent for this year, compared with -6.3 per cent earlier projected, he said, in a sign of confidence that Europe’s biggest economy is emerging from the worst of the crisis.
READ MORE: Violence vs virus: how the US election will be decided
Rachel Baxendale 7.45pm: Active confirmed cases by LGA: Full list
Active confirmed cases of COVID-19 by LGA as of Tuesday, with net increase and percentage change since Monday in brackets:
Wyndham (outer southwest): 276 (-10)
Brimbank (outer west): 235 (-15)
Hume (outer north): 175 (-5)
Moreland (north): 171 (-12)
Whittlesea (outer north): 141 (-1)
Melton (outer northwest): 136 (-6)
Casey (outer southeast): 133 (-3)
Darebin (north): 131 (-8)
City of Melbourne: 99 (-2)
Greater Dandenong: (outer southeast): 97 (-4)
Hobsons Bay (inner southwest): 70 (-6)
Maribyrnong (inner west): 69 (-1)
Bayside (southeast): 65 (-1)
Kingston (southeast): 63
Moonee Valley (northwest): 62 (-4)
*Greater Geelong (southwest regional Vic): 50 (-8)
Monash (southeast): 47 (-1)
Yarra (inner northeast): 43 (-1)
Mornington Peninsula (outer southeast): 37 (-4)
Frankston (outer southeast): 36
Port Phillip (inner south): 34 (+1)
Cardinia (outer southeast): 28 (+2)
Banyule (northeast): 24 (-4)
Glen Eira (southeast): 20
Yarra Ranges (outer east) 20 (-2)
Manningham (east): 19 (-1)
Boroondara (east): 18 (-1)
Knox (outer east): 17 (-1)
Stonnington (inner southeast): 16
Whitehorse (east): 15 (-2)
*Latrobe (eastern regional Vic): 12 (-1)
Maroondah (outer east): 12 (-1)
*Mitchell (central regional Vic, north of Melb): 12 (-3)
*Colac-Otway (western regional Vic): 11
*Moorabool (western regional Vic): 11 (-3)
*Greater Bendigo (central regional Vic): 8 (-1)
Nillumbik (outer northeast): 8 (-3)
*Macedon Ranges (central regional Vic): 7 (-1)
*Ballarat (western regional Vic): 5 (-1)
*Greater Shepparton (northern regional Vic): 5 (-4)
*Surf Coast (southwest regional Vic): 3
*Campaspe (northern regional Vic): 2 (-1)
*East Gippsland (eastern regional Vic): 2
*Horsham (western regional Vic): 2
*Warrnambool (southwest regional Vic): 2
*Wellington (eastern regional Vic): 2
*Ararat (western regional Vic): 1
*Murrindindi (northeast regional Vic): 4
*Baw Baw (eastern regional Vic): 1
*Central Goldfields (central regional Vic): 1
*Mansfield (northeast regional Vic): 1
*Pyrenees (western regional Vic): 1
Interstate: 6
Unknown: 57 (+7)
Regional total: 139 (-15)
TOTAL: 2519 (-101)
*Denotes regional Victorian LGAs
Source: Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
Rachel Baxendale 7.25pm: Aged care linked to 45pc of active cases
A total of 1197 active cases of coronavirus have been linked to aged-care facilities in Victoria on Tuesday — representing 47.5 per cent of the state’s 2519 active cases.
The worse clusters include:
● 214 cases linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping, in Melbourne’s north;
● 203 cases linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner, in Melbourne’s north;
● 193 cases linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer southwest (an increase of four since Monday);
● 161 cases linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer, in Melbourne’s west;
● 139 cases linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth, in Melbourne’s outer east;
● 124 cases linked to Twin Parks Aged Care in Reservoir, in Melbourne’s north (and increase of one since Monday);
● 123 cases linked to Cumberland Manor Aged Care Facility in Sunshine North, in Melbourne’s west;
● 115 cases linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North, in Melbourne’s outer southeast;
● 115 cases linked to Japara Goonawarra Aged Care Facility in Sunbury, in Melbourne’s outer northwest;
● 114 cases linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg, in Melbourne’s northeast (an increase of one since Monday).
Other key outbreaks with new cases on Monday include:
● 71 cases linked to Peninsula Health Frankston, in Melbourne’s outer southeast (an increase of one since Monday);
● 44 cases have been linked to Vawdrey Australia Truck Manufacturer in Dandenong South, also in Melbourne’s outer southeast (an increase of one since Monday).
READ MORE: Building approvals back to pre-COVID levels
Rachel Baxendale 7.05pm: Victoria nears 20,000 cases
Victoria’s 70 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday come as 12 previous cases have been reclassified, resulting in a net increase in cases of 58 and a total since the pandemic began of 19,138.
Of the 70, 23 cases have been linked to outbreaks, while 47 remain under investigation.
A total of 15,967 people in Victoria have recovered from the virus — an increase of 153 since Monday.
Of the 2519 active cases in Victoria, 2317 are in residents of metropolitan Melbourne, 139 are in regional Victoria, 57 are either unknown or subject to further investigation, and six are interstate residents.
Of the total cases, 17,729 have been from metropolitan Melbourne and 1150 have been from regional Victoria, while 9153 have been in men (47.9 per cent) and 9968 have been in women (52.1 per cent).
The total number of cases in healthcare workers has increased by 31 since Monday, to 3138 on Tuesday, although the number of active cases fell by 26 to 352 as people recovered.
READ MORE: ‘Lying’ bikie forces 83 into Covid lockdown
Kellie Southan 6.40pm: Active Victorian cases by LGA: Full map
AFP 6.15pm: Wuhan reopens schools
Students in face masks returned to class on Tuesday in Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged last year, as schools and kindergartens opened for the first time in seven months.
Nearly 1.4 million students resumed classes at some 2800 kindergartens, primary and middle schools across the city, following the re-opening of high schools in May.
State media broadcast images of thousands of students hoisting the Chinese flag — a daily routine at all public schools — despite warnings to avoid mass gatherings.
Schools have drawn up plans to switch back to online teaching should new outbreaks emerge, city officials said last week.
Students were advised to wear masks to and from school and avoid public buses or trains if possible.
Schools were also ordered to conduct drills and training sessions to help prepare for new outbreaks.
Official figures show Wuhan accounted for 80 per cent of China’s more than 4600 coronavirus-related deaths and was under a strict lockdown for more than two months from late January.
The city also conducted a mass testing campaign targeting ll million residents in May.
China has now largely controlled the spread of the virus, and schools across the country — which were closed in late January — have gradually re-opened.
READ MORE: Virus vaccines: what’s coming and when?
Matthew Denholm 5.44pm: Tasmania in talks over its China deals
Tasmania is in talks with the Morrison government on what impact the proposed crackdown on states’ foreign deals may have on multiple agreements between the state and China.
The island state signed a raft of deals with China in the lead up to, and wake of, Xi Jinping’s visit to Hobart in 2014, although unlike Victoria never signed an official Belt and Road agreement.
The agreements, typically memoranda of understanding, cover everything from finance and Antarctic gateway support to education, energy projects and agriculture.
The state appears unsure whether any might be impacted by the federal legislation, which aims to ensure all deals by states, universities and local councils align with Australian foreign policy.
READ MORE: Bikie forces 83 into lockdown
Rachel Baxendale 5pm: Euthanasia laws used by 124 Victorians
More than 300 people have applied to end their lives in Victoria, and at least 124 have done so, since the state’s voluntary assisted dying laws came into effect in June last year.
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board’s inaugural annual report, tabled in state parliament on Tuesday, shows 231 permits to die were issued between June 19, 2019, and June 30, 2020.
During that period, 124 terminally ill Victorians legally ended their lives — swamping Premier Daniel Andrews’s June 2019 estimate of “around a dozen” people using the laws to die in their first year of existence.
There were 348 people who underwent a first assessment to obtain access to lethal medication, of whom seven were found ineligible.
There were also 301 people who underwent a consulting assessment, of whom 297 were found eligible.
Self-administration permits were issued to 201 applicants and practitioner administration permits were issued to 30, while 134 applications were withdrawn due to the death of the applicant.
Medication was dispensed to 154 people for self-administration, with 154 applicants dying by their own hand, and 20 having the lethal medication administered by a medical practitioner.
Read the full story here.
Max Maddison 4pm: Hope ‘on the horizon’, DCMO says
Hope is “on the horizon”, says deputy Chief Health Officer Michael Kidd, but warns the country can’t afford to become complacent.
With 85 new cases of coronavirus - the first time since early July the country has posted two consecutive days with sub 100 cases - Professor Kidd said there had been a “dramatic fall” in the number of infections, and attributed the decline to the draconian restrictions that had been enforced.
“I want to acknowledge the sacrifices which have been made and which continue to be made by people across Australia but especially by the people of Melbourne and across Victoria,” Professor Kidd told a daily briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
“There is hope on the horizon but we cannot afford to become complacent.”
Of the new cases, 70 were from Victoria, 13 in NSW and two in Queensland. The additional cases took the national total to 25,819. Five deaths have been recorded in the past 24 hours.
While still concerned about the aged care sector, Professor Kidd said it was pleasing to see the declining numbers of cases across staff and residents.
“We remain very concerned about any cases of COVID-19 in aged care services. It’s heartening to see the decline in the number of cases among staff and residents in aged care facilities in Victoria,” he said.
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Staff writers 3.29pm: Wong moves to censure aged care minister
In the Senate Labor has sought to censure Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck.
Senator Wong’s motion read:
Mr President
I give notice that on Thursday 3 September 2020 I shall move:
That the Senate:
(1) notes:
(a) the Australian government funds and regulates residential aged care;
(b) the Morrison government failed to protect aged care residents from Covid-19 by ignoring:
(i) the interim report of the aged care royal commission;
(ii) the warnings from experts and unions;
(iii) the warnings of Dorothy Henderson Lodge and Newmarch House;
(c) the Australian government has not produced a Covid-19 plan for aged care;
(d) more than 450 aged care residents have died from Covid-19; and
(e) the aged care royal commission has said if the Australian government had acted upon previous reviews of aged care the suffering of many people could have been avoided; and
(2) Censures the minister for aged care and senior Australians for:
(a) failing to recall the most basic and tragic facts about aged care residents;
(b) describing his management of aged care as a “high water mark”;
(c) dismissing deaths as a “function” of aged care; and
(d) failing to take responsibility for the devastating crisis in aged care sector which has caused death, grief and untold trauma for vulnerable Australians and their families.
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Rosie Lewis 3.07pm: PM to premiers: ‘Commit to normal by Christmas’
Scott Morrison will ask premiers to commit to making Australia “as normal as possible by Christmas” but it will be up to state leaders to decide if they will adopt his government’s rules on who should be allowed to travel.
The Prime Minister told the Coalition partyroom on Tuesday there would be a national definition of a COVID-19 hotspot by Friday, determining which Australians should be prevented from moving intrastate and across borders.
“Whether one or all of the states join us remain a matter for them,” Mr Morrison said, according to a party spokesman.
National cabinet’s roadmap to have all state borders opened by July was delayed by a second wave of coronavirus in Victoria but Mr Morrison told colleagues he hoped he could get a similar commitment for a new recovery plan.
Josh Frydenberg used the partyroom meeting to reference a speech by John Howard made 15 years ago, in which the former prime minister said he had little time for parochialism.
The federation was there to serve the lives of all Australians, Mr Howard said.
Five Coalition MPs voiced concerns about state borders in the meeting, noting hundreds of school children from remote communities were forced to quarantine when returning home for school holidays or before attending school.
After speaking with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Mr Morrison said he was confident those states would bring down their border as soon as it was safe to do so and hoped other premiers would follow to prevent “cruel” outcomes.
READ MORE: Maccas workers barred from toilet breaks
Hannah Moore 2.59pm: Sydney school evacuated over COVID case
A western Sydney primary school has been evacuated after a student tested positive to coronavirus.
Parents and carers were asked to collect their children from Girraween Public School, near Blacktown, on Tuesday afternoon after the case was confirmed.
A spokesman for the Department of Education said in a statement the school would be closed while contact tracing was underway.
“We request that parents and carers who have students attending Camp Australia OOSH this afternoon make arrangements to come and collect their children,” a message sent to parents read.
“Staff will remain at the school while students are being collected.”
The school will be closed on Wednesday as it undergoes a deep clean, and the contact tracing process is completed. The out of hours centre, or Camp Australia OOSH, will also be closed.
“While we recognise this will be disruptive and inconvenient for many families, it is important that we follow NSW Health advice and take all necessary precautions to minimise the risk of further transmission to support our community,” the message read.
While Wednesday’s closure is definite, parents have been advised more information on when the school would reopen will not be provided until tomorrow.
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Richard Ferguson 2.48pm: JobKeeper extension passes parliament
The extension of the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme and flexible workplace arrangements have passed parliament.
The bill passed after several Labor, Greens and independent amendments failed to get up.
Attorney-General Christian Porter said in question time that the extended workplace rules would help to save jobs and businesses.
“What the flexibilities that were built into JobKeeper No. 1, and now the JobKeeper No. 2 system did, was save jobs. Likely hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country. And we are now hearing from the businesses and the employers about those jobs that were saved,” he said.
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Adam Creighton 2.30pm: RBA leaves rates on hold as GDP looms
The Reserve Bank has left monetary policy unchanged at its September board meeting, as economists brace for the national accounts on Wednesday – expected to show the largest quarterly decline in GDP on record and confirm the economy has entered a recession.
READ the full story here
Richard Ferguson 2.15pm: PM, Premiers to jumpstart reopenings
Scott Morrison has spoken with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to jumpstart a plan to re-open Melbourne and relax the NSW-Victorian border.
The Prime Minister told question time he was still focused on developing a national approach to remove border restrictions by Christmas, after Mr Andrews revealed he would unveil a roadmap out of lockdown on Sunday.
Mr Morrison said he, Mr Andrews, and Ms Berejiklian discussed the relaxation of borders on Monday night, as Victorian border communities struggle under restriction despite little to no COVID-19 in their towns.
“Victoria has turned the corner, and we are planning together — with the Victorian government - to reopen Melbourne,” Mr Morrison told the House.
“ And I had discussions last night with the Premier of Victoria and the Premier of New South Wales — that is our commitment, to see Australia opened up again, to see the New South Wales/Victorian border opened up again as soon as it is safe to do so.
“And I welcome that cooperation from the New South Wales and Victorian governments. We must, though, return to the ambitions that we set out in May for that plan to open up Australia again.”
Mr Morrison also again pushed for other states to lift their internal borders.
“We cannot resign Australia to being a dislocated nation under COVID-19,” he said.
“What we must plan to do is, by Christmas ... we must work together to ensure we have the protections in place to protect the health and safety of Australians, and to open up our economies, and ensure the ambitions of our federation are returned to again.”
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Rachel Baxendale 1.57pm: Business, communities get glimpse of Victorian plan
Victorian Jobs and Industry Support Minister Martin Pakula has detailed the series of consultations he is holding with business and community groups in the lead-up to the Andrews government announcing a plan to ease coronavirus restrictions on Sunday.
On Monday night Mr Pakula and his departmental secretary Simon Phemister held a forum with approximately 150 business groups, companies and unions.
On Tuesday they are holding industry-specific consultations with sectors including construction, the creative, sport and tourism industries, manufacturing, community organisations, agriculture, retail, professional services, transport and freight, and food and groceries.
“At all those consultations, representatives of my department, my private office, will be meeting with organisations that represent those sectors to talk about their imperatives, to talk about some of the government’s thinking and to ensure that we have the best intelligence from industry to feed back into the discussions that we’re having with the Department of Health and Human Services and within the government more generally about the road out of restrictions,” Mr Pakula said.
“Over the last week there’s been discussions with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce, with the (Australian Industry Group), with the Master Builders and the Property Council and the Housing Industry Association and a range of other organisations so that we can get a deeper understanding of the issues confronting their members.
“I think it’s fair to say that the overwhelming view of those groups so far is the need for certainty and the need to ensure that as we ease restrictions we head in one direction, rather than out and back again, so there’s clear understanding, despite the pressure on their members that this needs to be done in a way that is safe, in a way that does not lead to another set of outbreaks, does not lead to another situation where there might be some need for restrictions to be reimposed.
“Our intention is to ensure that that thinking and all of that work is fed into the work that we’re doing more broadly as we prepare the announcement on Sunday about the road map out of restrictions.”
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Rachel Baxendale 1.47pm: Regions in Victoria to get their own roadmap
The Andrews government will unveil separate plans for regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne when it announces details of a timeline for lifting coronavirus restrictions on Sunday.
Of 2519 active cases in Victoria as of Tuesday, 139 are in regional areas.
Melbourne has been operating under Stage Four restrictions since August 2 while regional Victoria went into Stage Three on the same day.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the lower case numbers would allow regional Victoria to reopen more rapidly after September 13, when the current restrictions are due to expire.
“On Sunday we’ll speak about two road maps towards opening up, one for metropolitan Melbourne and a second road map that may have different component parts for regional Victoria,” Mr Andrews said.
“That will be based on case numbers. It will be based on the science, the evidence and the best of medical advice, but we believe that given the low case numbers it will be possible for us to have different settings in regional Victoria, and a different timeline and road map compared to what will be essential in metropolitan Melbourne.
“Given the different places in terms of the number of positive cases, the chains of transmission, the challenge is different in metropolitan Melbourne than it is in regional Victoria.
“With a full week’s additional data and the practical and really important input in a very contemporary sense from workers, from business, from community groups, we on Sunday will be able to give people a clearer sense of what the phases to come look like, what the weeks and months to come look like.”
More than 100,000 people have been tested for coronavirus in regional Victoria since August 2.
The state government has also established six new “COVID regional response units” based out of hospitals in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Shepparton, Albury-Wodonga and Traralgon.
The units are led by infectious disease and public health experts and work with DHHS Public Health staff to provide contact tracing, monitoring and support for people who test positive for coronavirus in the local areas.
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Shae McDonald 1.39pm: Outback pub probed over dancing on tables incident
A popular pub in outback Queensland is being investigated after video emerged of people dancing on tables and chairs.
Liquor licensing officers are looking into Saturday night’s incident at The Club Hotel and Motel at Roma.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk wasn’t aware of the footage, but said she would be happy to refer it to police.
“This is not the time to be dancing on tables,” she said.
“I’m sorry, everyone has to be seated.
“The owners of that hotel have a duty of care and an obligation to make sure the COVID-safe plans are being followed.”
The video shows patrons singing and cheering to the song Hey Baby, with some dancing on chairs and tables.
But pub licensee Felicity Waldron told the Courier Mail the complaint was “a whole lot of crap” and was confident CCTV footage would clear the venue of any wrongdoing.
Venues across the state have already been hit with hefty fines for breaching COVID-19 social distancing rules.
A kebab shop at Fortitude Valley in Brisbane’s nightlife precinct was last week stung with a $6772 fine after a TikTok video showed revellers crowded into the venue for an impromptu dance party.
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Imogen Reid 1.15pm: City Tattersalls CEO issues plea to members
The CEO of a venue at the centre of Sydney’s newest coronavirus cluster has issued a plea to its members to help control the outbreak which is now linked to 41 cases of COVID-19.
Marcelo A. Veloz from the City Tattersalls Club has urged members to immediately contact the Club’s management if they have tested positive for COVID-19.
“As the Club continues to work with NSW Health to “contact trace” positive visitors and how it got into our Fitness Centre, we are now reaching out to you for assistance,” Mr Veloz said in a letter to the Club’s members.
“Not having access to the person’s name from the start, makes it quite frustrating for us here at the Club for no other reason than the fact that we want to reach out to members to check how they are dealing with the virus and to respond to NSW Health as quickly as possible. In a few instances to date, we have not learnt the members details until many days after testing positive.
“We can anticipate, some members may want to keep this private, some may even feel embarrassed, but please don’t. We urge members that if you have tested positive to COVID-19 and have not already contacted the Club, then please do so as soon as you are diagnosed, so we can stay in touch with you and do our best to assist the government.”
It comes as seven additional cases were linked to the Sydney CBD cluster on Tuesday, including one that visited the City Tattersalls Club gym.
Thirteen new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in New South Wales.
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Jack Paynter 1.11pm: Melbourne coronavirus testing site torched
A coronavirus testing clinic has been torched in Melbourne’s outer northeast with police investigating the suspicious blaze.
Firefighters were called to the arson attack at Waterview Recreation Reserve in Mernda about 10.35pm on Monday night after a security guard noticed the fire.
Fire Rescue Victoria crews quickly extinguished the fire, which burnt about 1.5m up the side of a marquee.
Two security guards were on duty at the testing station at the time, with one treated by paramedics for minor smoke inhalation before he was cleared to resume work.
The guards were patrolling the site, which was closed overnight.
Police said the blaze caused minor damage and officers were investigating.
They want to question three men, aged in their 20s, who were spoken to by the security guards shortly before the fire started.
Workers at the clinic were on Tuesday morning inspecting the damage inside the marquee.
Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. —NCA Newswire
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McKenzie Scott 12.54pm: Lockdown causing Melbourne property shortfall
A shortfall of people willing to sell their property in Melbourne has caused the number of homes available to purchase nationally to fall to 6.3 per cent through August.
New data from SQM Research has shown that while all capital cities recorded a decrease last month, Melbourne recorded the most significant fall of 13.2 per cent as the result of stage four lockdowns essentially halting property industry operations. Sydney followed the same trend, with total listings down 4 per cent over the month.
The change in national numbers of 10 per cent year-on-year for August to just 293,053 available dwellings comes as the market would normally be gearing up for the start of the Spring Selling Season. Given the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the average asking prices in capital cities also fell for both houses and units by 0.3 per cent over the month. The average unit asking price is now $564,300, while houses command $980,500.
Outside the major cities, most regional areas also recorded declines in listings, however, SQM Research managing director Louis Christopher noted this may be driven by demand.
“There was quite a large drop in new listings for the month, predominantly driven by the shortfall in Melbourne. The Melbourne numbers are quite revealing actually. It is reflective of the near entire freeze-up of the Melbourne housing market,” Mr Christopher said.
“As the Victorian State Government is heavily reliant on property stamp duty revenues, there must be a significant State revenue collapse occurring. Elsewhere we continue to record falling supply in Australia’s regional areas. Our take on that phenomenon is that demand has boomed for regional real estate as more of our populations looks to remote living.”
Hobart recorded the second largest change, down 9.4 per cent, followed by Canberra (down 6.3 per cent), Brisbane (down 5.1 per cent), Darwin (down 3.7 per cent) and Perth (down 2 per cent).
READ MORE: Building approvals back to pre-COVID levels
Imogen Reid 12.27pm: No contact with Palaszczuk on borders: Berejiklian
Gladys Berejiklian says she has not been in contact with Queensland counterpart Annastacia Palaszczuk regarding border arrangements, saying the process taken with the Victorian government was the “best thing to do all round.”
“We’re all in this together and that’s why before my government made the decision to close the border, I consulted with the Victorian Premier, I consulted with the Prime Minister. We came to the mutual conclusion that this was the best thing to do all round and I have to say it’s a different approach to what I’ve experienced on our northern border when I’ve still not had a conversation on the northern border, but certainly, down here I’ve felt that even though it’s been difficult for many members of the community, that we have tried to make the process as easy as possible and I hope the decision from Friday will make a positive difference for people,” she said.
Ms Berejiklian said she was looking forward to re-establishing normality for border community residents, reminding them she appreciates “deeply that the state border doesn’t really exist here.”
“You are one community and I acknowledge that very important factor which I think is unique to all of Australia,” she said.
“If you look around Australia, I don’t think there’s a border where the communities feel as one as must as here.”
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Imogen Reid 11.55am: Confusing Victorian numbers ‘hindered NSW on borders’
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says her government had trouble getting information from Victoria regarding the state’s testing rates and level of community transmission, which halted the process of easing border restrictions.
Ms Berejiklian said it “led to our angst about how we can move forward.”
However, she later sympathised with Premier Daniel Andrews, saying Victoria’s decreasing daily coronavirus cases gave her renewed confidence in what was happening south of the border.
“Unlike our side of the border, we know that if we have any suspected cases or contact tracing or testing, we’re able to jump onto it straightaway,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We’ve also made sure that we’ve supported the Victorian Government in any way we can because the risk to New South Wales and to our border communities is greatly reduced when the number of cases in Victoria come down and we want that to be sustainable and we hope once the restrictions in Victoria are eased, they’re able to maintain that low level of cases because that will ensure we don’t need to leave the border open a single day more than we have to.”
Ms Berejiklian took the blame for the “angst” caused by the hard border closures and has apologised to the communities impacted by the tough restrictions.
She is in Albury announcing changes to the current permits and rules, including the establishment of a 50km buffer zone extending from each side of the border.
“I regret deeply the fact that the community wasn’t prepared for what we had to do at that time and I want to assure everybody that any frustration people feel should be against me and nobody else,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I’m the leader and the buck stops with me and I want people to appreciate that every decision we take is in the interests of our citizens.
“The alternative to what we did could have resulted in high rates of infection in rural and regional New South Wales, not just on the border communities, but throughout the state.
“We’ve had a few close calls in respect to the virus seeping into or seeding into regional communities and border communities, but our health officials have done an outstanding job in contact tracing.”
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Rachel Baxendale 11.44am: Victorian testing drops to lowest daily rate in months
There were only 10,153 coronavirus tests processed in Victoria in the 24 hours to Tuesday — the lowest daily number processed in the state since June 23, two and a half months ago, when 8,000 tests were processed.
There have now been 2,235,040 tests processed in Victoria since the pandemic began.
Tuesday’s 70 new cases from 10,153 tests processed work out to a positive test rate of 0.69 per cent, up from a low last Thursday of 0.44 per cent, but well down from the record of 3.73 per cent from 671 cases and 18,000 tests processed on August 2.
There have now been 4327 cases where contact tracers have been unable to identify a source of infection - a decrease of 11 since Monday.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said he did not know why the number had decreased but it may be due to a reclassification of cases.
There are now 2519 active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria - a decrease of 101 since Monday and down from a peak of 7880 on August 11.
This includes 139 active cases in regional Victoria - down from a peak of 512.
Within regional Victoria there are 50 active cases in Greater Geelong, including two new cases on Tuesday, eight active cases in Bendigo, and five in Ballarat.
Victoria’s 70 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday have brought the state’s total number of cases since the pandemic began to 19,138.
Of five deaths which brought the state’s toll to 570 on Tuesday, three occurred in the previous 24 hours, while the remaining two occurred previously.
The five deaths include those of two women in their 70s, two women in their 80s, and a woman in her 90s.
All were linked to aged care facilities.
There are now 421 Victorians in hospital with coronavirus, including 20 in intensive care, of whom seven are on ventilators.
This compares with 452 people in hospital on Monday, including 21 in intensive care, of whom 13 were on ventilators.
There are currently 1197 active cases of COVID-19 in aged care, down from 1225 on Monday — a decrease of 28.
There are 352 active cases in health workers, down from 378 on Monday — a decrease of 26.
There are 42 active cases linked to residential disability accommodation, including 27 in staff, and 15 in residents, down from a total of 44 cases on Monday.
READ MORE: No checks on almost 200 homecare providers
Richard Ferguson 11.24am: Labor’s Aly to fill spot on security committee
Counter-extremism expert Anne Aly is set to fill the empty Labor spot on parliament’s powerful security and intelligence committee.
Dr Aly — the MP for the outer-Perth seat of Cowan — will replace former Eden Monaro MP and Australian Army officer Mike Kelly, who left politics in April.
Labor sources said Anthony Albanese announced his pick of Dr Aly for the coveted place on the PJCIS in today’s party room meeting.
Dr Aly — the first woman of Muslim faith to sit in parliament — worked at Curtin University and focused on the deradicalisation of young people, including both Islamist extremists and white supremacists.
Labor’s party room focused on their push against the Coalition on both the aged care COVID crisis and the future of the rise in the superannuation guarantee. The government must sign off on the appointment.
READ MORE: Australians are not all good, says top spy
Imogen Reid 11.18am: NSW records 13 new coronavirus cases
Thirteen new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in New South Wales.
Of the new cases, two are returned travellers in hotel quarantine and the remainder are locally acquired and linked to a known case or cluster.
Seven new infections are associated with the Sydney CBD cluster, two of which work at the Reddam Early Learning Centre in Lindfield and one who visited City Tattersalls Club gym.
The CBD cluster is now linked to 41 cases of coronavirus.
NSW Health said three of the new cases attend St Paul’s Catholic College Greystanes in Western Sydney.
“All Year 10 Students at St Paul’s Greystanes have been identified as close contacts and directed to get tested and isolate for 14 days,” the health authority said.
“The school will remain closed for onsite learning while contact tracing is under way. The source of the original case at St Paul’s is still under investigation.”
NSW Health has added six new locations to its list of impacted venues along with several transport links.
Anyone who dined at It’s Time for Thai restaurant in Newtown on 28 August between 5pm and 8pm is considered a close contact and must immediately get tested for COVID-19 regardless of symptoms. Customers must isolate for a full 14 days since attending the restaurant, even if the test result is negative.
Health officials are directing anyone who attended the following venues or public transport trips to monitor their symptoms and to get tested immediately should they develop:
Kmart, Aldi, Coles and the food court at Warriewood Square shopping centre on 29 August between 12:30 - 2:30pm
Newtown Train Station, Kings Street Newtown 2042 on 28 August 2020 between 5.10pm - 5.20pm
BWS bottle shop, 123 King Street, Newtown on 28 August 2020 between 5.15pm – 5.40pm
Off Ya Tree clothing and body piercing store, 225 King Street, Newtown on 28 August 2020 between 7.15 - 7.55pm
Rydges Camperdown hotel, 9 Missenden Road, Camperdown 2050 on 29 August 2020 between 2.00-3.15pm
Blacktown to City train: 25 August departed Blacktown 6.58am, arrived Central 7.45am
Blacktown to City train: 26 August departed Blacktown 6.59am, arrived Central 7.41am
City to Blacktown train: 25 August departed Town hall 6:25pm, arrived Blacktown 7.18pm
City to Blacktown train: 26 August departed Wynyard 6:38pm, arrived Blacktown 7:35pm
440 bus: 25 August departed Central Station, Eddy Ave, Stand B 7.54am; arrived Oxford St at West St 8:05am
311 bus: 26 August departed Central Station, Eddy Ave, Stand B 7:48am; arrived Darlinghurst Rd at Burton St 7.58am
389 bus: 25 August departed St Vincent’s Hospital, Burton St, 4:12pm; arrived Town Hall Station, Park, St Stand J 4:23pm
389 bus: 26 August departed St Vincent’s Hospital, Burton St, 4.07pm; arrived Town Hall Station, Park St, Stand J, 4.23pm
NSW Health said transport for NSW has dedicated cleaning crews across the network, including deep cleans and real time cleaning for all services.
READ MORE: Working from home becomes flexible
Rachel Baxendale 10.56am: Andrews to front media at 11.30am
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and his Jobs, Industry Support and Trade Minister Martin Pakula are due to address the media at 11.30am.
The press conference follows a forum Mr Pakula held last night with business leaders.
It also comes as the Andrews government appears to have struck an agreement with upper house crossbenchers to pass its bill granting a six month extension of State of Emergency powers.
While the Legislative Council is sitting today and tomorrow, the Legislative Assembly will not sit until Thursday.
The Premier’s press conference is due to begin half an hour before Legislative Council question time — making it difficult for members of the public to watch both.
READ MORE: Positive Victorian who flew into Queensland a notorious bikie
Rosie Lewis 10.48am: Victoria to impose ‘traffic light’ restrictions on industry
The Victorian government and chief health officer Brett Sutton will impose “traffic light” restrictions on industry, depending on the risk of spreading the virus, as the state attempts to recover from the second wave of COVID-19.
Industries will either be closed (red traffic light), heavily restricted (orange), restricted (yellow) or open with a COVID-safe plan (green), according to a roadmap detailed by the Andrews government to stakeholders on Monday night.
The traffic light applied to each industry will be announced on Sunday. Ten working groups have been established to help design the traffic light restrictions.
There are also six things the Victorian government wants all businesses to do to keep COVID-safe, including physical distancing, wearing masks, practising good hygiene, acting quickly if staff become unwell, avoiding interactions in enclosed spaces and creating workforce bubbles.
That means Victorians will be asked to work from home if possible, there will be no carpooling, meetings will be held outside and the number of staff working across multiple sites should be reduced.
READ MORE: Rex says thanks for ‘saving’ regional aviation
Rachel Baxendale 10.36am: Greens to back Andrews on emergency law extension
Victorian Greens MP Samantha Ratnam will return to state parliament from maternity leave to provide the Andrews government with the third crossbench vote it needs to pass its State of Emergency extension bill.
Shortly before 10.30am on Tuesday, the Greens confirmed they had reached a last-minute agreement with Health Minister Jenny Mikakos.
Reason Party MP Fiona Patten and Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick have also indicated they will support a six month extension.
Dr Ratnam, who gave birth to daughter Malala less than two months ago, said the Greens had “always supported evidence-based public health advice”.
“Right now, all politicians need to be working together to defeat this virus and listening to the health experts,” she said.
“We know restrictions are really hurting people, but with over 2,000 active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria, we need the Chief Health Officer to be able to contain these cases so we can get back to seeing our family and friends and so that businesses can re-open.
“I wasn’t intending to attend parliament this week, but this is a really important piece of legislation that means the Chief Health Officer can continue to quarantine COVID-positive cases and keep us all safe.
“I am pleased that the government has listened to our concerns, and I will only vote for this bill on the condition that it is only for six months, and that the Health Minister is required to make health advice publicly available every four weeks to be transparent with the community.
“I fully understand the struggle people are having with the lock-down. We all want it over as soon as possible but for that to happen we need the Chief Health Officer to be able to act on the evidence to combat the pandemic.
“The Greens have had productive conversations with the Health Minister recently and along with other crossbenchers, have secured these important transparency and accountability conditions.”
Dr Ratnam’s lower house colleagues Ellen Sandell, Tim Read and Sam Hibbins said the Greens continued to be concerned about the impact of coronavirus restrictions on vulnerable groups in the community, “including people who are struggling to pay rent, healthcare workers who are contracting COVID-19, and people living alone.”
“The Greens will continue our conversations with the government about making these issues more of a priority,” the said.
“The Greens understand how difficult the current lock-down is for Victorians. We know people are really struggling and from the very beginning we have been advocating for better support for groups in the community hit hard by the restrictions including renters, international students, business owners, and for health workers to be better protected.”
Remy Varga 10.26am: ‘Selfish’ anti-lockdown protesters warned
Victoria Police has issued a stern warning to “selfish people” after a man, 21, was charged with incitement following an anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne’s north.
It comes after five-people were issued $1652 fines for breaching public health laws over the gathering, with more penalties to come as detectives continue investigating the prohibited gathering.
On Sunday afternoon, dozens of protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks gathered in the north Melbourne suburbs of Broadmeadows and Roxburgh Park to rally against the stage-four lockdown.
In a video posted to social media one of the protesters tells a Victoria Police officer: “You are in groups, who is the real criminal?”
A Guy Fawkes mask is worn by the protagonist V in the 2005 dystopian political film V for Vendetta, who uses terrorist tactics to fight an authoritarian regime.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers would continue to monitor the anti-lockdown movement.
“Rest assured we are well prepared to provide a swift and firm response if these selfish people continue to blatantly breach the restrictions,”
“We are urging these people for one moment to stop thinking about themselves and stop putting Victorians lives at risk.”
In the 24 hours to Tuesday, Victoria Police issued a total of 122 fines over public health breaches, including 11 for failing to wear a face covering and 45 for curfew breaches.
Among the fined are two women providing sexual services at an illegal brothel and the man who attended the brothel.
Rachel Baxendale 10.19am: Andrews in ‘massive grab for power’: Opposition
The Victorian opposition’s leader in the upper house has slammed the Andrews government’s bid to extend State of Emergency powers as a “massive grab for power” by Premier Daniel Andrews.
Both houses of state parliament are sitting on Tuesday for the first time since June, and for the first time since Victoria’s deadly second wave of coronavirus, which has so far claimed the lives of 551 people.
The government is seeking to pass legislation to extend State of Emergency powers beyond September 15 — two days after Stage Four restrictions are currently due to expire.
While Labor holds the balance of power in the Legislative Assembly, it has only 17 of 40 seats in the Legislative Council.
The Coalition holds 11 seats, while crossbenchers hold 12.
Debate over the bill is expected to run long into Tuesday night, after the government revised its original request for a 12 month extension down to six months.
“This is a grab for power by Daniel Andrews, a massive grab for power,” Opposition upper house leader David Davis said on his way in to parliament.
“Six months now. He started at 12, but he’s at six months now, in a huge grab for additional powers: more power for the Chief Health Officer, more power in the definition of the pandemic.
“Businesses are closing, communities are being damaged, individuals are suffering huge impacts, and Daniel Andrews refuses to provide basic information that has been sought by MPs and the community.
“The community is entitled to that information. If your business has been closed down by Daniel Andrews, I think you are entitled to an explanation for exactly why and how that is operating.”
Mr Davis said the opposition would move an amendment seeking to limit the extension of the State of Emergency powers to one month, conditional on parliament sitting and both houses agreeing to the extension each month.
“Our amendments seek to make sure that there’s proper information in the public domain, but they also put the checks and balances in place to make sure that Daniel Andrews’s power is checked,” he said.
Mr Davis said he had put the Coalition’s case to the crossbench.
“People will vote as they vote, but the Victorian community is watching the decisions of each and every upper house MP,” he said.
READ MORE: Victorians grounded as Andrews stalls roadmap
Mckenzie Scott 10.15am: ‘Worse to come’ for home prices
The residential housing market’s resilience against the impacts of coronavirus could weaken in the coming months, despite August numbers showing a mild easing in the rate of price falls.
After the fastest price recovery on record concluded in February, just as COVID-19 emerged, data from property researcher CoreLogic shows Sydney house prices have fallen just 2.5 per cent in the months since.
Prices in Melbourne, harder hit by lockdowns, have fallen just shy of 5 per cent over the same six month period.
Prices nationally were down 0.4 per cent through August - the fourth straight month of COVID-related falls.
READ the full story here
Charlie Peel 10.09am: Last-ditch appeal to bring AFL final to Queensland
Annastacia Palaszczuk has made a last ditch appeal to the AFL to bring the grand Final to Queensland ahead of a meeting of the league today.
The premier said the state’s pitch to the AFL had been “comprehensive” and called on the body to consider the fact that Queensland had effectively saved the football season by hosting sides and games in the state.
“Queensland made a very comprehensive pitch to the AFL and I understand that the AFL may be meeting today,” Ms Palaszczuk said at a press conference in Cairns.
“I hope they take onboard that Queensland has really been there for Victoria during these tough times.
“We know that when the AFL first floated the idea of and the concept of a hub that Queensland welcomed that idea and we worked with the chief health officer to make that happen. Since then we have hosted nearly the entire AFL competition. We also know that AFL is growing in Queensland.”
Part of Queensland’s sales pitch was to host the final at twilight at the Gabba in Brisbane to escape the daytime heat.
The premier said she was unsure when the AFL would make a decision on where the final would be held, but hoped to “get a call”.
“Hopefully they will give due consideration to Queensland and I’ve got my fingers crossed,” MS Palaszczuk said.
“We know that if Queensland is fortunate, we know that it is just this once and it is to look after the AFL while Victoria is going through a very difficult time.”
READ MORE: AFL set to reward Queensland
Charlie Peel 9.35am: Positive Victorian man flew into Queensland
Police have arrested a man who tested positive for the virus in Victoria but managed to travel to Queensland on a Jetstar flight on Monday and tried to “illegally” enter the state.
Health authorities will conduct contact tracing for the flight.
Victorian authorities had been attempting to locate the 48-year-old man before he turned up in Queensland.
“Just imagine if that person had got out into our community,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Health Minister Steven Miles said Victorian health officials advised that the man had previously tested positive to the virus.
“Authorities in Queensland and Victoria will now investigate whether he has committed an offence,” he said.
“He was intercepted at the airport as someone coming from a hotspot and put into quarantine.
“Victorian authorities, subsequent to that, advised that he was positive.”
The arrest came as a second student from a southeast Queensland high school tested positive for COVID-19.
The 18-year-old student from Staines Memorial College at Redbank Plains, west of Brisbane, was one of two new cases in the state overnight.
A 37-year-old male nurse from Ipswich Hospital, who has had contact with COVID-19 patients, tested positive to the virus after noticing he had abdominal pain.
Speaking in Cairns, where the government held a community cabinet meeting on Monday, Annastacia Palaszczuk said the fact that there were only two new cases was good news after a cluster linked to the Wacol Youth Detention Centre threatened to spiral out of control.
The premier said all students at the college would be tested for the virus.
“The college is closed at the moment and of course we are in the process of testing all of the students,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“There’s about 600 students that attend that college and we are working through with the parents and the staff to make sure that everyone out there is being tested.”
There are 28 active cases in Queensland, which has had a total of 1124 confirmed cases.
READ MORE: Creighton — Coronavirus less threatening than we think
Rachel Baxendale 9.08am: Victoria numbers stabilise with 70 new cases
Victoria has recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus cases since July 3 - almost two months ago - with 70 new cases in the 24 hours to Tuesday.
There have been five deaths recorded over the same period.
#COVID19VicData for 1 September, 2020:
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) August 31, 2020
There were 70 new cases and sadly 5 deaths reported in Victoria yesterday. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected.
We'll have more information for you later today in our media release. pic.twitter.com/by6mfDDWxx
The 70 new cases bring Victoria’s seven day daily average of coronavirus cases to 104 - the lowest seven day daily average since July 7, and down from the peak of a seven day daily average of 573 on August five when there were a record 725 new cases.
The five deaths bring the state’s death toll since the pandemic began to 570, all but 19 of which have occurred since June 23.
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Imogen Reid 8.42am: Grim new milestone as US passes 6m virus cases
The United States has reached a grim milestone, recording more than 6 million cases of COVID-19.
The US is the world’s worst-affected country, with more than 2 million more cases of coronavirus than Brazil.
According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Centre, more than 180,000 Americans have succumbed to the virus. The global death tally is 847,847.
France’s new infections surged by almost 50 per cent in August, which saw the highest monthly tally since the start of the outbreak earlier in the year.
It comes after French health authorities confirmed 3082 additional infections in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 281,025, despite only recording 187,919 at the end of July.
India’s former president has died after testing positive for coronavirus. Pranab Mukherjee was diagnosed with the virus after undergoing emergency surgery for a clot in his brain. He was 84.
A study conducted by the World Health Organisation has found that major advances in medical care could be wiped out as a result of the pandemic.
“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on essential health services is a source of great concern,” the WHO said in a report.
“Major health gains achieved over the past two decades can be wiped out in a short period of time.”
The global health body found the most affected services were routine immunisations, family planning and cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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Simon Benson 8.30am: Voters rate PM ‘visionary, decisive’
Scott Morrison is now regarded by voters as the most decisive and visionary leader in a decade, with his handling of the pandemic restoring the electorate’s confidence that the Prime Minister understood the major issues facing Australia.
An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows Mr Morrison was seen as the most experienced and caring prime minister since Kevin Rudd and the most in touch with the needs of Australians.
The special Newspoll conducted last week and at the weekend reveals a dramatic lift across the board in the attributes voters seek most in judging the calibre of national leaders since the same poll was last taken in early December 2019.
The strong rise in regard for Mr Morrison appears even more significant considering approval of his leadership fell to an all-time low following heavy criticism of his response and handling of the fire season.
In stark contrast to voter opinion before Christmas, support for Mr Morrison as having a vision for Australia rose 12 points to 72 per cent, which is the highest for a prime minister since immediately after Julia Gillard took the leadership from Mr Rudd in 2010.
READ the full story here
Imogen Reid 7.40am: NSW-Victoria border restrictions eased
Changes to the NSW-Victorian border restrictions are expected to be announced today amid growing pressure on the state’s leaders to give travel exemptions to border-town residents and workers.
A single region will be created 50 kilometres either side of the border and a new permit, called the border region resident permit, will allow residents from either state to cross into the region for reasons including obtaining necessary goods and services, to care for other compassionate reasons and to attend work.
People with the permit are not permitted to travel anywhere outside the 50 kilometre zone and must avoid entering any coronavirus hotspots.
The permit will come into effect at midnight Friday 4 September.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will provide further details on the new arrangement in Albury later today.
READ MORE: Hotel cleaning bungle revealed
Imogen Reid 7.30am: Victoria to debate emergency extension
The Victorian parliament will today debate an extension of emergency powers, after state government backed down on its push for a 12 month extension.
Updated legislation will seek a six month extension of State of Emergency powers but the government needs three upper house crossbench votes to push it through.
As it stands, Reason Party MP Fiona Patten and Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick are the only two parliamentarians to support the new six month plan.
Other proposed changes include a requirement that public health advice on an extension be tabled to parliament each month and a clarification of the Chief Health Officer’s powers under these rules, the Herald Sun reports.
The Herald Sun reports the rest of the crossbench has not signed up to this plan and are reluctant to endorse any proposal that goes beyond six months.
READ MORE: De Minaur dodges COVID risk
Imogen Reid 7.00am: Queensland school exposed to positive case
A school in Queensland’s south east has been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Parents of students at Edens Landing State School were advised late on Monday that a person within the school community had tested positive for coronavirus.
The school’s principal Clint Curren said the school would remain open to staff and pupils. The campus will be closed after school hours for deep cleaning.
“I have been asked to inform our community that a person associated with the school community has been diagnosed with COVID-19,” Mr Curren said in a letter to parents.
“This person visited the YMCA Outside School Hours Care service operating at our school on 27 August 2020.
“The Metro South Public Health Unit has assessed the risks to the school community and advised the Department of Education there is negligible risk to members of the school community and it is safe for students and staff to attend the school.”
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Imogen Reid 6.55am: Queensland shopping centre on high alert
Customers at a busy shopping centre in Queensland are on high alert after a person with COVID-19 visited the centre last week.
The positive case visited several shops, including Kmart and Footlocker, at the Hyperdome in Loganholme last Wednesday between 3.15pm and 5.45pm.
“On receiving this notification, our team acted swiftly, proactively and responsibly, with our actions guided by advice from Queensland Health,” the Hyperdome’s management said in a statement.
“We made the proactive decision to undertake a deep clean of the Centre’s common mall areas and amenities using high-grade disinfectant.”
Anyone who visited the following places is urged to monitor their health:
• 26th August 2020 – Madhouse Discount Variety, Waterford Plaza, Waterford West – 1.50pm – 2.15pm
• 26th August 2020 – Hyperdome Shopping Centre, Loganholme – 3.15pm – 5.45pm
• 26th August 2020 – Best & Less, Hyperdome Shopping Centre, Loganholme – 3.15pm – 4.05pm
• 26th August 2020 – Kmart, Hyperdome Shopping Centre, Loganholme – 4.05pm – 4.30pm
• 26th August 2020 – The Reject Shop, Hyperdome Shopping Centre, Loganholme – 4.35pm – 4.55pm
• 26th August 2020 – Footlocker, Hyperdome Shopping Centre, Loganholme – 5pm – 5.30pm
• 26th August 2020 – Platypus Shoes, Hyperdome Shopping Centre, Loganholme – 5pm – 5.30pm
• 27th August 2020 – Pizza Hut, Beenleigh – 4.30pm – 4.35pm
• 27th August 2020 – TSG Tobacconist, Eagleby – 4.50pm – 5pm.
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Imogen Reid 6.45am: Sydney restaurant closed for cleaning
A restaurant in Sydney’s Inner West has closed after it was visited by a diner with coronavirus on Friday.
It’s Time for Thai in Newtown said the person attended the venue between 6pm and 7.30pm on August 28.
“If you attended the restaurant between those times, please contact Public Health NSW and self isolate for 14 days,” the restaurant said in a post on Facebook.
“We will be closed for deep cleaning until further notice.”
It comes after ten new cases were recorded in NSW on Monday and a number of health alerts were issued for Sydney transport links and locations across the city.
READ MORE: Workng from home becomes flexible
Gerard Cockburn 6.00am: Relief measures doing more harm than good
A report issued by one of Australia’s leading credit agencies is warning COVID-19 insolvency relief measures will cause a domino effect of business shutdowns.
CreditorWatch says the safe harbour moratorium that is relaxing insolvency rules will dent business confidence and plunge the country into a deeper recession, as government assistance mechanisms are propping up businesses that will inevitably fail.
The moratorium, which is scheduled to end on September 25, enables companies that have become insolvent during the pandemic to continue trading. It also provides temporary relief from personal liability and debt obligations.
A white paper report published in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Credit Management (AICM) and the Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association (ARITA) has raised concern the measures are “artificially” distorting insolvency rates that follow an economic downtown and will likely result in a deluge of failing businesses come October.
A large number of businesses are trading insolvent due to relief measures implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ David Crosling
A large number of businesses are trading insolvent due to relief measures implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ David Crosling
CreditorWatch said the relief measures implemented in March would potentially further dent business confidence and derail Australia’s economic recovery.
READ the full story here
Stephen Lunn 5.45am: Victorians grounded for Christmas
Daniel Andrews has flagged continuing travel restrictions for Melburnians within Victoria for weeks to come, declaring he wants to “jealously guard” low virus numbers in regional areas.
Ahead of a national cabinet meeting on Friday that will discuss a hotspot plan pushed by Scott Morrison as a way to free up interstate movement, the Victorian Premier is also holding off until Sunday on detailing a road map out of stage-four lockdowns, saying daily coronavirus case numbers in the state remain too volatile.
Mr Andrews flagged continuing restrictions as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would not bend on her determination to keep her state’s borders closed despite the looming national cabinet discussion on the Prime Minister’s national “hotspot” system.
However, Ms Palaszczuk ordered the creation of a new border exemption unit to deal with “distressing” cases of northern NSW patients denied medical care in Queensland.
READ the full story here.
Patrick Commins 5.30am: Stimulus sparks surge in company profits
Company operating profits surged 15 per cent over the June quarter amid plunging sales as government stimulus alongside rent and loan relief handed Australian businesses a massive bottom-line boost through the worst of the COVID-19 crisis.
In the latest sign of how unprecedented government spending has distorted the economy, some industries most damaged by social restrictions enjoyed the largest lift in gross operating profits, seasonally adjusted Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.
Against a background of dire warnings from business groups and a record collapse in corporate confidence, economists had been tipping a 6 per cent fall in quarterly profits. Instead, the latest data “on average suggest businesses have done very well”, ANZ senior economist Felicity Emmett said.
“They are certainly doing well out of the stimulus — it’s an amazing result, really, given the situation,” Ms Emmett said.
The sharp 9.4 per cent collapse in sales through the quarter, alongside a 3.3 per cent slump in total wages paid by firms, revealed the dramatic drop-off in demand and activity as many businesses were forced to close or operate under restricted conditions as a result of social distancing measures.
READ the full story here
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