Coronavirus Australia live news: Doubt cast on Andrews’ new 25km rule; Melbourne’s reopening now set for November
Medical experts have called into question the decision to impose a new 25km rule on Victorians, saying there appears to be no justification for it.
- Business blasts Premier’s ‘inexplicable’ move
- Andrews puts brakes on reopening
- ‘I’m done with this’: Daniel Andrews erupts
- Pubs plea to reopen as debt mounts
- Daniel Andrews to hold press conference at 11:00am AEDT
Welcome to The Weekend Australian’s live coverage of the coronavirus crisis.
Premier Daniel Andrews has banned grand final gatherings and pushed back the reopening of the economy for weeks, despite a dramatic drop in cases.
Yoni Bashan 9.30pm: Ministers fear Berejiklian will hurt poll hopes
Senior Nationals believe Gladys Berejiklian should stand down as NSW Premier over the revelations emerging from the Daryl Maguire corruption inquiry, saying she erred in her professional judgment and stands to harm the government’s re-election prospects if she remains leader.
While Ms Berejiklian retains the crucial support of some voters and the Liberal MPs in her cabinet, Nationals MPs and some of her Liberal colleagues say the scandal surrounding her relationship with Mr Maguire will leave the government vulnerable to attack over the coming months.
The Australian understands that some Liberal ministers are also privately concerned about the prospect of adverse findings by the Independent Commission Against Corruption against Ms Berejiklian, and the proximity of those findings being publicised close to the next state election, due to be held in 2023.
Sharri Markson 9pm: Trump will be back for more, says Bannon
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon says if Donald Trump were to lose the presidential race to Joe Biden next month, he would announce he was running again in 2024.
“You’re not going to see the end of Donald Trump,’’ Mr Bannon told The Australian.
He said the November 3 election was “closer than is being reported” but “Mr Trump will win on election day”.
“I’ll make this prediction right now: if for any reason the election is stolen from or in some sort of way Joe Biden is declared the winner, Trump will announce he’s going to run for re-election in 2024,” he said.
Mr Bannon also predicted that the election result would go to the Supreme Court and may even be kicked into the House of Representatives in January, saying the result “won’t be settled anytime soon”.
Andrew Kidd Fraser 8.30pm: Rivals’ villains keep party faithful satisfied
It was the mention of politicians from the other side of politics that got the party faithful most worked up at the campaign launches of both major political parties in Brisbane on Sunday.
Former Labor deputy premier Jackie Trad was nowhere in sight at an industrial site hosting the ALP’s launch, but she did get a mention at the Liberal National Party’s launch at a classy inner-city hotel, which got the party faithful hissing.
Likewise at the ALP launch, where a video of former LNP premier Campbell Newman urging the Labor government to “stop being cowards and open the borders” brought on boos. Both are the political villains that have been front and centre of the campaigns against their own parties.
Sarah Elks, Charlie Peel 8pm: Palaszczuk puts euthanasia at centre of campaign
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has put euthanasia at the centre of her re-election pitch, in a surprise declaration Labor willlegalise voluntary assisted dying if it wins the October 31 Queensland election.
Off the back of strong Newspoll results published in The Australian on Saturday — showing she is on track to deliver Labor a third term in government — and nation-leading unemployment figures, Ms Palaszczuk officially launched her campaign on Sunday by taking the contentious issue off the political backburner and promising to introduce legislation in February.
At duelling campaign launches on the day before pre-poll voting starts, Ms Palaszczuk in working-class Beenleigh made big-spending education, health andtraining announcements and trumpeted her government’s border closures and COVID-19 response.
In inner Brisbane, Liberal National Party Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington had no new promises but focused on the economy,framing the election as a choice between “the LNP’s economic plan and Labor’s economic failure”.
Joe Kelly 7.30pm: Senator slams Andrews’ ‘smear’ on Victorians
Liberal Senator James Paterson has branded Daniel Andrews an “authoritarian leader” who had smeared his own citizens as “enemies of the state” after the Labor Premier lashed out at senior Victorians serving in the Morrison government.
Speaking on Saturday, Mr Andrews angrily rejected appeals from federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and federal Health Minister Greg Hunt for the economy to be reopened immediately after the state experienced a drop in new COVID-19 cases.
Mr Andrews also said there were members of the federal government “who are from Victoria, but I don’t think they are for Victoria” and argued they would inevitably attack his reopening strategy as part of a “political exercise.”
Senator Paterson hit back at the comments, saying a democratic leader should “never use appallingly divisive ‘you’re with us or against us’ rhetoric in response to entirely legitimate criticism of the failings of their government.”
“That’s the kind of rhetoric we would expect to hear from an authoritarian leader. Sadly it appears the power has gone to the Premier’s head and under pressure he is showing, increasingly, intolerance of reasonable examination of his many missteps,” Senator Paterson said.
“Thousands of Victorians, some more prominent than others, have been rightly critical of the shocking public policy failings of the Andrews government and the enormous cost it has inflicted on them.”
“None of these people are ‘against Victoria’. They want the best for Victoria and Victorians and they are entitled to expect better from their state government.”
“Daniel Andrews should be focused on finding safe ways to live with the virus, and open our economy and society up again as the NSW government has done, instead of smearing his own citizens as being enemies of the state.”
READ MORE: Greens look north after ACT win
AFP 7pm: Europe battles soaring caseload
Millions of Europeans faced tough new coronavirus restrictions on Sunday as governments stepped up efforts to slow the surge in infections, after the World Health Organisation reported a “very concerning” 44 per cent rise in European cases over one week.
From Saturday night, Paris and several other French cities went under a night-time curfew that will last at least a month. England is banning mixed household gatherings in the capital and other areas, and Italy’s most populous region is limiting bar openings and suspending sports events.
The need for action in France was underlined as the country recorded another record for new cases, with more than 32,000 registered in 24 hours.
Global cases of the disease, which has killed more than 1.1 million people around the world, have been soaring beyond levels seen in the first wave earlier this year, when many countries resorted to national lockdowns to get control of the crisis.
Josh Glancy 6.30pm: Can Trump really still win?
Donald Trump is nervous. Beneath the bombast and the boosterism, the US President worries about losing the election in two weeks’ time. It is starting to show.
“Could you imagine if I lose?” he told a rally in Macon, Georgia, on Saturday (AEDT). “I’m not going to feel so good. Maybe I’ll have to leave the country, I don’t know.”
His hope is for a 2016 redux, another “October surprise”. Just like last time, Trump’s subject is emails, laptops and the alleged corruption of his opponent.
In 2016 the focus was on Hillary Clinton’s deleted State Department email cache and the laptop of hapless sexter Anthony Weiner, which was seized as part of an FBI investigation. This time it is Biden’s son Hunter’s laptop and a cache of his emails that allegedly reveal corruption and his family’s “self-dealing” — taking advantage of their position.
The emails’ origin is somewhat dubious, emanating from a laptop that Hunter Biden apparently left at a Delaware repair shop last year. The shop’s owner, John Paul MacIsaac, appears to have passed a copy of the hard drive to Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani, who then passed it to the New York Post. According to the Associated Press, the FBI is investigating whether the leak is related to a Russian disinformation campaign.
The Economist 6pm: Ardern wins despite hazy post-pandemic plans
“Tonight’s result has been strong,” said Jacinda Ardern, with the kind of understatement of which only a New Zealander is capable.
The Prime Minister had just secured a second three-year term in government for Labour in a general election on Saturday with 49 per cent of the vote — the best result for any party since 1951.
This gives Ardern 64 seats in New Zealand’s 120-seat, single-chamber parliament, compared with 35 for the main opposition, the National Party. It is the first time any party has been in a position to govern alone since New Zealand adopted a system of proportional representation in 1996.
There is barely a corner of the country that has not been painted Labour’s signature red. New Zealanders choose both a party and an MP when they vote. Labour topped the party vote in 68 of the 72 constituencies. It prevailed in rich urban areas and conservative farming districts. It toppled old political stalwarts.
Joe Kelly 5.30pm: PM’s push to reopen Vic businesses
Scott Morrison has warned the lockdown for retail and hospitality businesses in Victoria will inflict a heavy toll on the economy, urging the state to “move safely and quickly towards the NSW model of strong contact tracing” so more enterprises can reopen.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Health Minister Greg Hunt said their information indicated it was possible to “safely reopen small business, retail stores and hospitality venues as long as we do it with COVIDSafe practices”.
“Whilst the Premier’s announcement of the Victorian government’s decisions today enable some businesses to return to a limited COVIDSafe operation, many remain closed,” the statement said.
“We understand and sympathise with the frustration and concern expressed by businesses about the ongoing cost and impact on their jobs and livelihoods of this second wave.”
Mr Morrison, Mr Frydenberg and Mr Hunt argued Victoria’s rolling three-day coronavirus case average was running at below two cases per day.
“Maintaining this result will make a strong case for the retail and hospitality sectors to re-open before the next review date in November,” they said. “This should remain under active consideration.”
Business and retail groups have blasted Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for delaying their reopening until next month despite his announcement that some social-distancing restrictions would be relaxed from Sunday night, including lifting the 5km limit for exercise to 25km, as well as the two hour time limit for socialising.
The statement said that for every day Victoria remained under restrictions there was a “heavy cost”.
“Throughout the lockdown more than 1000 jobs have been lost, on average, every day,” they said. “There has also been a 31 per cent increase in mental health services being accessed under Medicare for the same four-week period up to 11 October in Victoria, compared with last year, whilst it has been only an 8 per cent increase in NSW and seven per cent nationally.”
“The continued health, mental health and financial impacts of these restrictions will be profound on many Victorians. That is why we encourage Victoria to move safely and quickly towards the NSW model of strong contact tracing and a COVIDSafe but predominately open economy.”
READ MORE: ‘No logic’ in shops staying closed: Wesfarmers CEO
Ben Wilmot 4.50pm: Melbourne auctions recover, Sydney up
City auctions are continuing to recover as fears prompted by the coronavirus pandemic are replaced by a resurgence in the traditionally busy spring selling season and low interest rates spurring competition between lenders.
The combined capital city preliminary auction clearance rate improved last week and, although volumes are lower than normal, partly due to Melbourne’s strict lockdown, the clearance rate is approaching last year’s levels.
Melbourne could see a speedier recovery with a further opening of property inspections flagged by Victorian premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday.
Under changes private inspections for purchase or leasing of commercial properties can recommence from midnight Sunday. This aligns with existing residential property inspections which were permitted from last month. Outdoor auctions for commercial and residential property will also be permitted with up to 10 people in attendance.
Auction volumes rose with 1,134 homes going under the hammer, up from the 1,084 auctions held the previous week, according to CoreLogic.
Read the full story here.
Andrew Gregory 4.25pm: COVID-19 sparks new east-west divide
A new east-west divide has been created by the coronavirus. As western Europe suffers, east Asia feasts on the fruits of its ruthless but effective suppression of the pandemic.
Last week, France introduced curfews in big cities, Spain closed bars and restaurants, Italian doctors lamented the growing pressure on hospitals and the Czech Republic closed schools. Chancellor Angel Merkel warned of looming “disaster” in Germany while Britain lurched from chaos to crisis.
In eastern Asia and the Pacific Rim, it could scarcely be more different. In China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand, economic, cultural and sporting activity is resuming. There are still COVID-19 clusters in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, but the curve has flattened.
Even the Chinese city where the coronavirus first surfaced last December is enjoying a dramatic renaissance. Members of the Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra played last week at China’s first classical music festival since January. The Wuhan women’s football team won the national championships. A new international air cargo route links Wuhan with Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. A stadium commandeered as a hospital was restored to sporting use; 7,500 fans attended a basketball game.
Read the full story here.
Nick Evans 3.35pm: Wesfarmers CEO blasts Andrews’ call
One of Australia’s most powerful chief executives, Wesfarmers boss Rob Scott, has blasted the slow pace of lifting Melbourne’s lockdowns, saying it is difficult to see the rationale behind keeping the doors of businesses closed.
Mr Scott said on Sunday he was pleased to see Premier Daniel Andrews lifting restrictions on Melbourne households doing it tough through the extended lockdowns, but he was perplexed
“It’s still difficult to understand the rationale for some of the changes and ongoing business restrictions, from a public health and wellbeing perspective, for example, you can go to the hairdresser or a skatepark and have more freedom to travel, but you can’t go to your local Bunnings Warehouse,” he said.
Under the new rules Melbournians will be able to move within 25km from their homes from Monday and socialise more freely outdoors. Some small businesses will be allowed to reopen — including hairdressers, allied health centres, in-person real estate auctions and small businesses offering home maintenance and renovation services.
But the state government has pushed back plans for the reopening of the vast majority of retail and hospitality until November 1, triggering criticism from the Wesfarmers boss, whose Bunnings, Target, Kmart and Officeworks have been hit by the Melbourne lockdowns.
Mr Scott said there was significant “pent up” demand for the return of retail stores and that, while Wesfarmers had been able to keep paying its Melbourne staff through the shutdowns, smaller businesses have been hit hard by the enforced lockdowns.
“Re-opening will be an important step towards rebuilding a very damaged Victorian economy, and providing some hope and relief for people in the lead up to Christmas,” he said.
With Ben Wilmott
READ MORE: James Kirby — Will interest rates hit zero per cent?
Rebecca Urban 2.50pm: Melbourne’s new 25km rule raises questions
Infectious diseases expert Catherine Bennett has questioned the rationale behind a decision to restrict Melburnians from travelling more than 25 kilometres from their homes, arguing it would be better to monitor popular locations to ensure they did not become overcrowded.
Professor Bennett of Deakin University said she was surprised by the government’s decision to retain the restriction given the existing five kilometre limit was due to be scrapped when the state moved to its third stage for easing restrictions.
“I thought we were ready for step three,” she said.
“I’m not sure what 25 kilometres gives us and I don’t know how you’d police that.
“Frankly, if you’re worried about popular beaches or the Dandenongs getting flooded [with visitors] it would be a much more efficient use of police resources to manage those locations.”
Professor Bennett’s comments came after the Victorian Premier struggled to explain the scientific rationale for the decision to extend the limit from five kilometres to 25km.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the government wanted to prevent large numbers of people congregating in certain places but conceded that he could not attribute “a percentage dividend or percentage benefit” to the measure.
“It’s one of a series of different measures,” Mr Andrews said.
“It’s not an easy call to make. We think it’s the right thing to do; it will limit movement, will stop larger .. groups congregating in some of those more well- known … places of great beauty.”
Professor Bennett said the government appeared to be aiming to keep public movement down.
“Epidemiology is more complicated than that,” she said.
“What we really want is for people to understand whether what they are doing is safe.”
Professor Peter Collignon of the Australian National University also criticised the 25 kilometre restriction.
‘Fundamentally it doesn’t do much,” he said.
“Provided people are keeping to the rules when they go out, it doesn’t matter if they travel 25km or 50km or 100km as long as they stay within that defined boundary.
Professor Collignon said outdoor gatherings were not a significant risk for spreading the virus.
“Remember it’s people crowded in staff rooms, in workplaces, essential workers, that’s where the virus has spread,” he said.
“And the five kilometre limit hasn’t made any difference in regards to that.”
READ MORE: Businesses offered $3bn in extra support
Christine Kellett 1.45pm: Andrews’ actions ‘inexplicable, unacceptable’
The Business Council of Australia has condemned the Victorian Premier’s decision to delay the economic reopening of the state until November.
BCA chief Jennifer Westacott warned business faced a bleak Christmas, saying an easing of social restrictions and extending the 5km rule to 25km was pointless if nothing was allowed open.
“This is an inexplicable and unacceptable delay for Victorians and small businesses who are hanging on by a day, not a week,” Ms Westacott said.
“Adopting a wait-and-see approach to easing restrictions is not an answer for people who face a bleak Christmas and businesses that are trying to get back up and running.
“There is no sound reason to continue the restrictions on business, especially with case numbers clearly on a downward trajectory.
“People desperately need the ability now to get on with their lives and businesses.
“Simply being allowed to go for a haircut or outside a bit more when you have no job, no money and your business has failed is just not good enough.
“There’s no point having a 25km travel zone if nothing is open.
“For businesses, it is now a day to day proposition, not a week to week one, whether they remain viable or close their doors forever.
“We urge the Victorian government to end the trade-off between a health, social and economic recovery and put in place a robust strategy that delivers on all fronts to protect lives and livelihoods.
“Business, which is the lifeblood of the community, faces a bleak Christmas unless there is a clear, decisive and evidence-based plan that gets Victoria moving again. We did not see that today.’’
READ MORE: Business leaders unite to blast Andrews
Tim Shipman 1pm: UK preparing to introduce vaccine for new year
The British National Health Service (NHS) is preparing to introduce a coronavirus vaccine soon after Christmas. Trials have shown it will cut infections and save lives, Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer, has privately revealed.
He told MPs last week that stage three trials of the vaccine created at Oxford University and being manufactured by AstraZeneca mean a mass rollout is on the horizon as early as December. Thousands of NHS staff are to undergo training to administer a vaccine before the end of the year.
The government changed the law this weekend to expand the number of health professionals able to inoculate the public. The regulations will enable pharmacists, dentists, midwives and paramedics to administer jabs.
Van-Tam gave a briefing to MPs on Monday afternoon in which he said: “We aren’t light years away from it. It isn’t a totally unrealistic suggestion that we could deploy a vaccine soon after Christmas. That would have a significant impact on hospital admissions and deaths.”
The first vaccines will be given to the elderly and vulnerable and to vaccinate those most at risk will take several months. Most people will not be given the jab.
READ MORE: Vaccine may be less effective on the obese
Rebecca Urban 12.23pm: Retailers slam Andrew’s reopening delay
Melbourne retailers have slammed the state government’s decision to delay reopening until November.
Chapel Street Precinct general manager Chrissie Maus described it as “an unjust joke’”
“This is no longer acceptable or sustainable for our businesses,” said Ms Maus.
“I would have rather kept the 5km limit and the shops opened.”
Ms Maus said there was a discrepancy between advice from the World Health Organisation, which stated it no longer support widespread city lockdowns, and Victorias road map.
“WHO understands we must now live with the virus until a vaccine is ready, Daniel Andrews does not,” she said.”
“It seems the rest of the country is evolving in their policies but Dan continues on his draconian parade. We must learn to live with the virus and open our businesses up now.
“The mental health impact on our business owners and staff is now doing more damage than some realise.”
Under the initial road map for easing, retail was meant to reopen on October 26.
Australian Retailed Association chief Paul Zahra said the announcement of a timeline would come as huge relief for the sector.
“Whilst this date is many weeks later than we would have hoped, it is just in time for the official start of the Christmas shopping period and a very welcome news for retailers who have been desperately seeking clarity for months,” Mr Zahra said.
READ MORE: Reading wars erupt in lockdown
Sarah Elks 12.18pm: Premier ‘the reason Qld is COVID-safe’
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles says the state is only safe from COVID-19 because Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk withstood “ganging up” from the federal government over border closures.
Officially launching the Labor campaign at a plumbing training centre warehouse at Beenleigh, south of Brisbane, Mr Miles put a strong emphasis on the fight against the coronavirus, rather than Labor’s other policies.
“The Premier has put the health and jobs of Queenslanders first,” he said.
“Even when it felt like everyone was ganging up against us … we are safe here in Queensland, because Annastacia Palaszczuk kept us strong.”
Mr Miles said Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, and the LNP had “ganged up” on the Queensland government, but it had remained steadfast in its decision to close the borders.
After Mr Miles speech, four Queenslanders spoke: a small businessman, an apprentice, a woman who lives in a retirement village, and a senior nurse at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
A slickly made video was then played, featuring the international borders closing, the Ruby Princess, and a montage of LNP politicians calling for the borders to be open, including former LNP Premier Campbell Newman.
“Just stop playing silly games you bunch of cowards, and open the borders,” Mr Newman was recorded saying.
To a standing ovation from the party faithful, Ms Palaszczuk entered the warehouse.
Read the full story here.
Rebecca Urban 11.43am: Melburnians warned against AFL grand final parties
Melburnians have been warned against hosting get-togethers in their homes to mark the upcoming AFL grand final.
Premier Daniel Andrews said he understood the cultural significance of the day but urged people to continue to follow the rules. He said there were a multitude of case studies pointing to COVID-19 spreading as a result of people gathering in private homes.
“I’m appealing to people, as significant as the day is, it’s got to be different,” he said.
“The teams that are in that grand final have had arguably the most difficult season ever. They followed the rules. They’ve been in quarantine. They’ve had all sort of restrictions placed on them.
“We need to do the same. It’s not an ordinary grand final in every sense.
“No grand final barbecue with friends is worth it.”
READ MORE: That's just not footy
Rebecca Urban 11.38am: No plans to remove Melbourne’s ‘ring of steel’
There are no plans to remove the “ring of steel’ surrounding Melbourne that prevents residents from travelling to other parts of the state, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed.
He said retaining the border was about “preciously” guarding regional Victoria’s “low-virus status”.
“It’s fair to say we are strengthening that … there will be more check points, more cars will be pulled over,” Mr Andrews said.
“We are able to take these steps in regional victoria, because it is a lower virus community than Melbourne.
“We want people in Melbourne to stay in Melbourne.
From Monday, regional Victorians will be permitted to have two people, plus any dependants, visit their homes at a time.
Hospitality businesses will be permitted to host 70 patrons in an outdoor space, and 40 inside. Indoor pools will be permitted to reopen for some customers, as will libraries and toy libraries. Some sports and dance classes will also resume.
Mr Andrews said there was some hope that easings planned for Melbourne slated for November 2 could be brought forward.
“It’s on us... if we continue to follow the rules there is every chance we can bring that November deadline forward and take that next big step towards COVID Normal,” he said.
More to come...
Remy Varga 11.25am: More changes from midnight tonight
The Premier has released a statement, detailing the relaxation of social restrictions from midnight tonight, including:
- Groups of up to ten people from two households will also be able to gather in outdoor public places.
- Five-kilometre limit for exercise and shopping will be extended to 25 kilometres.
- The two-hour time limit for exercise and socialising will also fall away.
- Outdoor sports settings like tennis courts, golf courses and skateparks will be able to reopen.
- All allied health professionals currently operating will be able to resume routine face-to-face care.
- Outdoor real estate auctions will be able to take place with up to 10 people, plus the required staff.
- Hairdressers will be able to open, with strict safety protocols in place.
“I know some people will reasonably ask why it’s limited to two households – and not five or ten. But by limiting the number of households, we’re limiting any potential spread of the virus,” Mr Andrews said.
“We’re also able to get thousands more Victorians back to work – particularly those who work outside. That includes tradies undertaking outdoor maintenance and repair work, mobile pet groomers and photographers.
“These are the changes we can safely make from tonight.
“We need to wait just a bit longer – until 11:59pm on 1 November – to take the rest of the Third Step that will see retail, hospitality and personal care services open again.
“This is a timeline that is based on the current advice of our public health team.
“But if we continue to track well on the most important indicators – case averages, mystery cases, test numbers and the number of days people wait before they get tested – we may be in a position to move sooner.”
More to come...
Rebecca Urban 11.14am: Victorian economic reopening pushed back to November
Melburnians will have greater freedom to leave home for socialising from Monday, under Victoria’s latest easing of public health restrictions, but most businesses will have to wait several weeks until they are permitted to reopen.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Sunday that the five kilometre limit on leaving the home would be expanded to 25 kilometres and two-hour time limits for exercising or socialising would be scrapped. Outdoor gatherings have been expanded to allow 10 people from two households to meet.
Property auctions will be able to recommence as well as some outdoor sports, such as tennis and golf.
Hairdressers will be permitted to open from Monday, however retail stores and hospitality venues will not be able to open to the public until November 2, with staff permitted to return to work on site on October 28.
Beauty and personal services can also reopen from November 2.
Outdoor gatherings will increase to 10 people from two households.
More to come...
Christine Kellett 10.53am: Minister says Victoria was told about NZ arrivals
Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge has doubled down on his attack on Premier Daniel Andrews, claiming the Victorian government was told about NZ travel arrivals in plenty of time.
The Premier accused federal authorities of ignoring his demand that Victoria be left out of the NZ travel bubble arrangements which took effect on Friday. As a consequence, 17 NZ travellers flew into Melbourne in breach of Covid restrictions and were allowed out into the community.
Premier Andrews on Saturday said Victoria was the “last to know” the travellers were coming, but Mr Tudge today said Victorian government officials had in fact authorised the travellers to come into Victoria. He said Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton had also attended expert panel meetings last week where the matter was discussed.
“The Victorian government was present when it was discussed, they were made aware that this was going to occur, they raised no objections in the meetings, and furthermore, expressly authorised individuals who were arriving into Sydney from New Zealand to be able to travel on into Victoria,” Mr Tudge said, calling on Mr Andrews to release emails confirming the decision.
“Now, I would ask the Premier today to reveal those emails and any other correspondence which shows, clearly, and demonstrably, that they authorised the people to come into Victoria.
“At all times, the decisions in relations to the borders, the internal borders, are up to state governments.
“The fact that people cannot recall being in meetings, people cannot recall emails being sent, people cannot recall making decisions, it is just deja vu in relation to the Victorian government, that just seems to be a pattern now of not being able to recall what is going on.”
READ MORE: Andrews must go over hotel quarantine
Rebecca Urban 10.35am Vic police issue 89 fines for COVID breaches
Police in Victoria have issued 89 fines in the past 24 hours for breaches of COVID-19 health directions.
Among them, three women were fined for gathering at a residential property to do henna tattoos in Melbourne’s east, while six people were fined for attending a party in Moonee Valley.
A further 12 were fined for failing to wear masks in public and 22 fines were issued at vehicle checkpoints.
Victoria Police carried out 1201 spot checks on people at homes, businesses and public places across the state over the past 24 hours and a total of 503,651 since March 21.
READ MORE: TV star now Lord Mayor
Remy Varga 10.10am Daniel Andrews to speak at 11:00am
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is due to unveil restriction changes at 11am, as well as revisions to the state’s road map out of lockdown.
It comes after the state recorded two new cases of the coronavirus and no new deaths on Sunday.
READ MORE: Labor wins sixth term over Liberals
AFP 10.05am Tighter virus measures in Europe
German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged citizens to stay at home whenever possible after 7,830 cases emerged over 24 hours.
“What will determine winter and our Christmas will be decided in the weeks ahead” by how people react now, she said in her weekly podcast address.
But on Friday, a Berlin court overturned an order for restaurants and bars to close early, the latest legal setback for efforts by Germany’s national and local governments to restrict coronavirus transmission.
In Italy, the wealthy northern region of Lombardy worst hit by the first wave of the virus in February, has ordered all bars to shut at midnight.
Slovakia announced Saturday it would test everyone over 10 for the virus, as infections surged there.
Poland, the Czech Republic and Belgium have all announced daily record caseloads.
In the Czech Republic, with record numbers of cases recorded, the government has asked the army to set up a field hospital of 500 beds outside Prague.
Belgium will impose its own curfew, from midnight until 5:00 am, from Monday, and will also shut cafes and restaurants for four weeks.
And Poland has closed schools and colleges in major cities while restaurants will have to close from 9:00 pm.
Austria, Slovenia and Hungary have all announced a surge in cases -- in Slovenia, the compulsory wearing of masks in outdoor public spaces came into effect Saturday.
The death toll in Iran from the novel coronavirus pandemic has crossed the 30,000 mark, the health ministry announced Saturday.
By contrast, Israel is preparing to ease some lockdown restrictions from Sunday in the first phase of scaling back measures imposed last month to stem soaring novel coronavirus infection rates.
Austria’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes became the latest politicians to test positive for Covid-19. And the Vatican announced that a case had been recorded at Santa Marta residence, where Pope Francis lives.
READ MORE: ‘Intolerance just reached a new threshold’
AFP 10.am: Europe battles 44 per cent rise in cases
Millions of Europeans faced tough new coronavirus restrictions on Saturday as governments stepped up efforts to slow the surge in infections, after the World Health Organisation reported a “very concerning” 44-percent rise in European cases over one week.
From Saturday evening, Paris and several other French cities go under a nighttime curfew that will last at least a month. England is banning mixed household gatherings in the capital and other areas, and Italy’s most populous region is limiting bar openings and suspending sports events.
The need for action in France was underlined as the country recorded another record for new cases, with over 32,000 registered in 24 hours.
About 20 million people in the Paris region and eight other French cities were facing a 9 pm-6 am curfew from Saturday after cases surged in what has once again become one of Europe’s major hotpots.
Many restaurant owners are unhappy at the hit their businesses will take. “Closing at 9:00 pm will have no effect (on the epidemic),” said Gerard, the manager of a Toulouse restaurant. “They’re not attacking it in the right way.”
Global cases of the disease, which has killed more than 1.1 million people around the world, have been soaring beyond levels seen in the first wave earlier this year, when many countries resorted to national lockdowns to get control of the crisis.
As well as the death toll, the pandemic has wrought social and economic havoc across the world.
The United States, which has suffered the worst toll with more than 218,000 fatalities, on Friday revealed a record deficit of $3.1 trillion in the fiscal year ended September 30.
It also announced that the number of cases there had passed eight million, while global daily infections also hit a new record.
In a bid to stem the worrying rise in infections and in the hope of heading off a return to full lockdowns, many governments have tightened measures to control the spread of the pandemic -- even if some dissenters are fighting back in the courts.
Britain is the hardest-hit country in Europe, with over 43,000 deaths from almost 700,000 cases.
But as the government there ramped up restrictions, banning indoor meetings between members of different households in London and several other English cities, there was growing criticism from some quarters.
Under the new measures, about 28 million people -- half of England’s population -- are now subject to tight social restrictions.
Some officials in northwest England have objected to their cities being placed on the highest level of a new three-tier alert system.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acknowledged that local restriction policies cannot be “pain free”.
But the hope is that these measures will be enough to head off another full lockdown.
Northern Ireland meanwhile shut down pubs and restaurants on Friday for a month and extended the school holidays.
READ MORE: EU leaders want progress on Brexit deal
Richard Ferguson 9.40am: Lib’s attacks on Andrews’ lockdowns ‘gross’: Plibersek
Opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek says federal Liberal attacks against Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’s coronavirus lockdowns are “really gross.”
Mr Andrews has lashed out at Josh Frydenberg and Health Minister Greg Hunt over their push to get Victorian restrictions eased at a greater rate given the low number of COVID-19 cases, accusing them of playing politics.
Ms Plibersek defended Mr Andrews on Sunday and said the federal government should start focusing on the failures of it’s aged care response in Melbourne.
“I think it’s been an extraordinarily difficult time for Victorians. I would be going stir crazy if I was under the same lockdown as they’ve done. I think they ought to congratulate themselves,” she told ABC News.
“I think it’s actually really gross that federal Liberal MPs are trying to use this as an attack on Daniel Andrews.
“What he has done - he hasn’t done it for popularity, he has done because he has considered it the right thing to do.
“ The Federal Government ought to be looking at its own role in Victoria’s difficulties including aged care which is completely a Federal Government responsibility, where some of the largest failures are, and have a look at the contact tracing app.”
READ MORE: Lessons from lockdown for Melbourne CEOs
John Ferguson 9.25am: Point of no return and no excuses for Daniel Andrews
COMMENT | Australia’s second coronavirus wave has crashed and is rolling gently up the beach.
One new COVID-19 case and a 14-day average of 8.1 on Saturday points to a victory of sorts.
While Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is being relentlessly cautious, the only thing that can mess this up now is more government incompetence.
Or, perhaps, a Victorian community, once set free, that collectively runs amok, pants down and drinks in hand, gaily spreading the virus around the countryside.
While there are some mystery cases, we are reaching the point of no return and no excuses; the government is either ready to ease restrictions or it has failed manifestly in its preparations.
I’ve never been someone who has supported an uncontrolled, uncontained reopening of Victoria, given the overseas evidence.
Having made a mess of hotel quarantine and contact tracing, there was no option for the government but to cut off the virus and hit control, alt, delete.
While this has been at enormous cost to the national economy, it would be hard to justify the human toll of a European-style surge of the pandemic in our second-biggest city. This is not how Australians roll.
READ the full story here
Richard Ferguson 9am: Federal government keeps up pressure on Andrews
Industry Minister Karen Andrews has labelled Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews a “lockdown leader”, and called him to reopen his state rather than “take every single opportunity” to shut businesses,
Daniel Andrews lashed out at federal ministers like Josh Frydenberg and Health Minister Greg Hunt on Saturday, accusing them of playing politics for calling to ease restrictions at a faster pace.
Ms Andrews said on Sunday that the federal opportunity wanted a different approach to lockdowns in Victoria now coronavirus cases are at their lowest since June.
“Daniel Andrews has shown himself to be a lockdown leader. We want that to change,” she told Sky News.
“We want businesses to thrive, we want people back in jobs. Obviously that has to be done safely.
“But let’s look for opportunities to reopen, rather than take every single opportunity to shut things down.”
READ MORE: Nikki Gemmell — Boy oh boy, what a private school reckoning
Remy Varga 8.52am: Victoria records two new cases in 24 hours
Victoria has recorded two new cases of coronavirus and no new deaths.
That’s up from a single case on Saturday.
Melbourne’s 14-day rolling daily case average has now dropped below 8.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will today reveal what restrictions will be eased as well as revisions to the state’s road map out of lockdown.
Yesterday there were 2 new cases & no lost lives reported. Cases with unknown source and the rolling 14 day average in Metro Melb are down, average in Regional is stable. More info available later today. https://t.co/eTputEZdhs #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/Ke5ncaHKsH
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) October 17, 2020
READ MORE: Paul Kelly — Daniel Andrews is presiding over a cover-up
Christine Kellett 8.10am: ‘Restlessness, exasperation’ gripping empty Melbourne
Melbourne’s Lord Mayor say crippled traders have reached a “tipping point” and patience with the Victorian government’s ongoing lockdowns is fast running out.
Ahead of Daniel Andrews’ announcement of an easing of restrictions from midnight — unlikely to provide relief for shuttered businesses, however — Cr Sally Capp said more flexibility was needed and fast.
“There is a restlessness and exasperation,” Cr Capp told ABC News on Sunday.
“We have been trustworthy and have shown that we can be safe and steady as we adhere to the restrictions, and there is a sense now that it’s time to find that flexibility in reopening safely sooner.
“It has been weeks, months now where they have been forced to close, and it is just not sustainable to think that so many of those businesses that make up essential services, but also the character of our neighbourhoods and certainly our city, are asked to remain closed. We think there are safe and steady ways to open sooner.”
Head of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Paul Guerra said at the very least, the government needed to give business operators certainty that a reopening was on the horizon, so they could prepare for Christmas.
“We have to learn to live with this virus,” he told the ABC.
The City of Melbourne has come up with a 10-point plan to revive the city, including free coffee, public transport travel and kits that would help cafes and restaurants reopen and trade in a COVID-safe manner.
“It proposes 100 people outside, 50 people inside, and importantly we are proposing to have hundreds of our team members at the City of Melbourne available to ensure that venues are clean and COVID-safe, and also that they can continue to comply with those measures to give confidence to diners that they can come back and enjoy those venues, and really we need to get the cash registers ringing,” Cr Capp said.
READ MORE: Steve Waterson — We’re paying for an epidemic of stupidity
Christine Kellett 7.30am: Testing failure blamed for second wave
A testing failure centred around a known outbreak has been blamed for Victoria’s second wave by the state’s new head of testing strategy.
Nine Newspapers reports average daily testing rates dropped significantly in May, despite health authorities being aware of an outbreak at a hotel quarantine site.
Health authorities knew on May 26 about an outbreak in hotel quarantine, but over the next seven days, average daily testing rates reportedly dropped from 8047 to just 6295.
Deakin University’s chair of epidemiology Professor Catherine Bennett told the newspaper the failure left Victoria “flying blind.”
READ MORE: Hotel quarantine inquiry calls extraordinary sitting
Christine Kellett 7am: 5km rule set to be scrapped under revised road map
Melbourne’s 5km rule will reportedly be extended to 20km, daily time limits on exercise will be scrapped and limited outdoor gathering and dining will be allowed, when Daniel Andrews announces an easing of restrictions later today.
The Herald Sun reports there will be little relief for shuttered businesses, however, with most being asked to remain closed for a while longer as a cautious approach is taken to indoor activities.
The Premier yesterday foreshadowed a “significant” easing of lockdown restrictions — now in their 101st day in the Victorian capital — but said he would “not be pressured” into doing the popular thing.
“We have to be conservative and careful, we have to take safe and steady steps,” Mr Andrews said.
Melbourne reported just one new case of coronavirus on Saturday, but the Premier is likely to reveal a shift of his road map to reopening away from daily case numbers. Instead, the Herald Sun reports emphasis will be placed on the number of mystery cases in the community, of which there were 17 on Saturday.
READ MORE: Point of no return and no excuses for Andrews
Emily Ritchie 6am: Andrews promises mega budget as decision looms
Daniel Andrews has told Victorian business owners to ask for help instead of defying COVID restrictions by opening their doors, flagging that next month’s state budget would provide “unprecedented” support.
“I know businesses want to get back, not just for their profits but for their people, for their staff and customers, but you’ve got to do it safely,” Mr Andrews said when asked whether the government was concerned more businesses would resume trading in the face of ongoing lockdowns.
Pleading for patience, the Premier said that while the state’s severe lockdowns had been “challenging and painful”, his government would deliver a budget next month that would offer “healing” to the business community.
“There will be (healing) in a budget that will be unprecedented in the scale and the nature of the investments we will make,” Mr Andrews said on Saturday.
“The fact that we can have a debate about how we will open is a testament to the sacrifice and the hard work, the unique contribution that Victorians have made and the spirit and the strength that Victorians have shown.”
Continue reading here.
Agencies 12.30am: ‘I’m done with this’: Andrews erupts
Premier Daniel Andrews has lashed the federal Health Minister Greg Hunt for “insulting” the sacrifice of Victorians by calling for a COVID-safe reopening of hospitality.
After it was revealed the state reported just one new coronavirus case on Saturday, Mr Hunt said the number was “great news” and the rolling average of new cases was well below 10.
“The epidemiological conditions for a COVID-safe reopening of hospitality, movement and family reunions, among others, have now firmly been met,” he said.
“Victoria should now be able to move to the next step, in line with NSW.”
Mr Andrews fired back at the minister during his daily press conference, telling reporters Mr Hunt was not an epidemiologist and it was not for him to determine whether the conditions have been met.
Read more: Andrews lashes federal health minister
Agencies 12.15am: Pubs plea to reopen as debt mounts
Victorian pubs are reportedly being hit with costs of up to $25,000 a week while not being able to open because of pandemic restrictions.
An Australian Hotel Association survey of its members found larger pubs were being forced to fork out $25,000 just to keep their businesses alive, the Herald Sun reports.
Many pub owners fear they will be forced to close down before Christmas as mounting debt and little revenue causing havoc for the industry.
The Herald Sun also reports smaller watering holes are being hit with average weekly costs of $10,000 and some had reached debts of $250,000 since restrictions were enforced.
Australian Hotels Association Victorian president David Canny told the newspaper that pubs wanted people to be able to “safely celebrate” the Grand Final, Christmas and the New Year.
Read the full story here.
More Coverage
Marles pays US an AUKUS advance
Australia has made its first AUKUS down payment to the US as the Albanese government looks to lock-in Trump administration support for the submarine program.
Tragic teen trapped in culture chasm
A young girl is raised in two different cultures, by different parents. Then she dies. Who decides what happens next?