Coronavirus Australia live news: Victoria records 428 new cases; doctors push for stage four lockdown; NSW tightens restrictions
The Victorian AMA says the state’s record case spike of 428 is ‘catastrophic’, and hospitals risk being ‘overwhelmed’ if Stage Four restrictions are not fast-tracked.
- Stage Four lockdown ‘should have been yesterday’: AMA
- Virus creeps into Victorian regional areas
- Lockdowns may extend if numbers don’t plateau: Sutton
- Three more deaths in Victoria
- Victoria records 428 new cases
- New restrictions for NSW
- Victorians told: you stray, you pay
- US extends border closures
Hello and welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Victorian AMA says Victoria’s record case spike of 428 is ‘catastrophic’, and hospitals risk being ‘overwhelmed’ if Stage Four restrictions are not brought in . With tougher lockdowns possible if cases don’t plateau, coronavirus has crept into Victoria’s regional areas. Victoria has recorded 3 deaths and 428 new cases in the past 24 hours. NSW is putting in place new restrictions on indoor venues. Victorians in lockdown will be fined if they exercise outside their immediate neighbourhood if a facility is closer to home.
Angelica Snowden 9.20pm: Lorna Jane wears $40k ‘anti-virus activewear’ fine
Lorna Jane has been fined almost $40,000 over the “unlawful” advertising of it’s activewear as “anti-virus”.
The popular women’s activewear company had claimed that its “anti-virus activewear” line could prevent and protect against infectious diseases and implied it could prevent COVID-19 infection.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration issued three infringement notices totalling $39,960 to the Brisbane-based clothing company, alleging it represented its anti-virus clothing line for therapeutic use.
The false advertisement breached advertising regulations after it promoted “a therapeutic good as being safe, harmless or without side-effects”.
Department of Health Chief John Skerritt said the false advertising could lead members of the community to relax their attitude towards social distancing and other hygiene measures.
“This kind of advertising could have detrimental consequences for the Australian community, creating a false sense of security and leading people to be less vigilant about hygiene and social distancing,” Mr Skerritt said in a statement issued by the TGA.
Any item meant for therapeutic use falls under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. Under that act, any references in relation COVID-19 to promote products are restricted and must be approved by the TGA.
Therapeutic goods advertising is subject to the regulations administered by the TGA
The TGA said the “advertisements are of significant concern given the current pandemic”.
Angelica Snowden 7.55pm: NSW Health alerts rock Thai restaurant
NSW Health has issued a public alert urging anyone who visited Thai Rock restaurant in Sydney’s Wetherill Park to get tested and self-isolate after a third COVID-19 case was linked with the venue.
On Friday, the healthier authority confirmed that two customers who dined at the restaurant on 10 July have contracted the virus.
A female staff member from southwest Sydney in her 30s has contracted the virus after working a shift at the Stockland Mall eatery between July 9 and July 14.
“NSW Health is directing everyone who attended the Thai Rock restaurant in Stockland Mall Wetherill Park on July 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14 to immediately get tested and self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of symptoms,” NSW Health said in a statement.
“Anyone who develops COVID-19 symptoms should also be retested, even if they have had a negative result previously.
“Everyone must stay in isolation for a full 14 days even if their test is negative.”
Health authorities have confirmed that contact tracing is underway and investigations continue for all who visited the restaurant.
Thai Rock joins a number of venues in NSW linked with coronavirus cases including the Crossroads Hotel (42) and Planet Fitness Gym (3) in Casula, the Picton Hotel (1) and Plus Fitness Campbelltown (1).
Joe Kelly 7.30pm: Australia demands Russia cease virus vaccine ‘espionage’
Australia has demanded that Russia immediately cease any support for a cyber espionage campaign to steal the intellectual property of groups working on a coronavirus vaccine.
The nation’s leading cyber security agencies have united behind the US, UK and Canada in calling-out state-sponsored Russian hackers accused of targeting governments, think tanks, universities and private companies.
The Australian Signals Directorate, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Home Affairs issued a joint statement late on Friday warning the targeting of a COVID-19 vaccine was “completely unacceptable behaviour.”
“Australia declares its support for the release of the Joint Cyber Security Advisory by the US, UK and Canada, which details malicious cyber activity by Russian actors targeting organisations involved in COVID-19 vaccine development,” the statement said.
“The Advisory notes that the cyber actors almost certainly operate as part of Russian intelligence services.”
“The Australian Government calls on Russia to cease immediately any cyber activity, or support for such activity, which is inconsistent with their international commitments.”
READ MORE: UK vows to hit back over Russian bid to steal vaccine
Paige Taylor 7.10pm: Victorian mine worker fined after flying to Pilbara
A mine worker from Victoria who allegedly ignored a self quarantine notice from police and went directly to work in the remote Pilbara will face court in August.
Police will allege that on July 3, 2020, a 49-year-old man travelled to Western Australia from Victoria, and on arrival at the airport, was issued a self-quarantine direction, requiring him to isolate within his suitable address for 14 days.
It will be alleged the man ignored this and flew direct from Perth to a mine in the Pilbara district and commenced work without self-quarantining as required.
Police became aware of the breach and the man was subsequently charged.
The man from Moolap Victoria, has been charged with one count of Failed to comply with a direction.
About 30,000 people are employed in the Pilbara’s mine operation. The region has a high proportion of residents who are indigenous – about 14 per cent, or close to 8000 indigenous people – and they are considered particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 because of complicating health factors including rheumatic heart disease.
The man is due to appear in Newman Magistrates Court on Tuesday 4 August 2020.
READ MORE: COVID rosters take toll on miners
Paige Taylor 6.50pm: WA gets its first COVID case from Victoria
Western Australia has recorded its first case of coronavirus from Victoria since putting up its “hard border”.
The infected man is a 45-year-old West Australian technical worker who was allowed to return to his family in WA on a flight from Melbourne on Tuesday. He underwent a COVID test either at the airport or at a clinic and was in compulsory quarantine on the same property as his family home but not in the family home when he found out that his test was positive. The man has now been taken to hotel quarantine. WA Health Minister Roger Cook said the man’s wife and children are believed to have had no contact with him since he came home because he was self isolating separate to the family home, but they are now in self isolation too.
The McGowan government has responded by cancelling all home quarantine for anyone with an exemption to enter WA who has been in New South Wales and Victoria in the previous fortnight. Those people — already subject to strict criteria to enter WA — must now go to hotel quarantine for two weeks and pay for it.
WA’s hard border means only essential workers can enter unless the person is a West Australian who meets strict criteria. This month WA tightened its criteria for exemptions for West Australians in Victoria even further.
From Sunday, those tightened restrictions will also apply to any West Australian who has been in NSW.
WA recorded two new cases of coronavirus on Friday. One was an Australian who returned from overseas and went directly to hotel quarantine, as required by law.
The other case – the WA man who was self-isolating after returning from Victoria when he learned he was infected – is of particular concern to contract tracers. At least one person on the flight he took from Victoria has been identified as a close contact.
READ MORE: Premier Mark McGowan riding high – for now
Ewin Hannan 6.45pm: Sick employees are still going to work
More than 40 per cent of workers do not have access to paid leave, with one in ten of them prepared to work during the COVID-19 pandemic with mild symptoms such as a slight fever or infrequent cough.
These are among the findings of ACTU commissioned polling of 1100 workers which unions are using to press their case for paid pandemic leave during the COVID-19 crisis.
The polling found 44.5 per cent said they did not have access to any form of paid leave, including annual or sick leave.
Of these workers, seven per cent said they had been sacked previously for needing time off due to them or a family member being sick.
More than 12 per cent said they had their shifts cut in a similar circumstance, and 57 per cent said they knew of colleagues who had shifts cuts for calling in sick.
Of those workers who had no access to paid leave, 10.7 per cent said they would go to work with an infrequent cough or slight fever, while 89.3 per cent said they would not go to work.
Among the workers without access to paid leave who would go to work with the mild symptoms, 65 per cent said they either feared losing their jobs, having their hours cut or they could not afford unpaid time off work.
A combined 35 per cent of those workers without paid leave who claimed they would go to work with mild symptoms said it was because they either did not think COVID-19 was a “real risk” or it “might be an issue for some but not for me”.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said on Friday that paid leave was essential during the pandemic for workers who needed to get tested or had to be isolated.
READ MORE: Hardline advice to bosses over sick workers
Rachel Baxendale 6.30pm: ‘No evidence infected BLM protesters caught it there’
Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services says there is no evidence to suggest six people who tested positive to COVID-19 after attending Melbourne’s Black Lives Matter protest acquired the virus at the rally, but the department has refused to say whether a source of infection has been established for all six cases.
DHHS has also declined the opportunity to explain why it only revealed four of the cases in the weeks following the protest.
The department responded late on Friday afternoon to a series of questions put by The Australian on Wednesday.
The questions followed The Australian’s report on Wednesday of the department’s confirmation of a link between a family cluster of at least 30 cases including two of those protest attendees, and the outbreak of at least 280 cases in public housing towers in Melbourne’s inner northwest.
In response to questions prompted by that report, the department on Wednesday revealed six people, rather than the previously publicised four, had tested positive after attending the 10,000 strong rally in Melbourne’s CBD on June 6.
READ MORE: Frank Furedi — The violence of intolerance is damaging our children
Angelica Snowden 6.20pm: Stage Four restrictions ‘should have been yesterday’: AMA
The President of the Victoria branch of the Australian Medical Association has urged the government to move to stage four lockdown restrictions amid the state’s highest rise in COVID-19 cases.
Professor Julian Rait said stage four restrictions should have been introduced “yesterday” and major Victorian hospitals risk being “overwhelmed” by patients with COVID-19 if they are not enforced from Saturday.
“I don’t think we can afford to wait,” Professor Rait said.
“I think we should embrace harder measures and if we are wrong we can lift them earlier,” he said.
“But at least we would have acted in a proactive way to prevent a surge in the hospital system.”
Professor Rait said increased case numbers were having “flow on effects” and hospitals could be overwhelmed.
“If we were to see 1750 cases per day for 10 days that would overwhelm our hospital system and exceed our capacity,” he said.
Professor Rait said while some people described the spike in coronavirus cases on Friday — an increase of 428 — as “disappointing” but he said the AMA would describe them as “catastrophic”.
“I am already seeing stress on the Royal Melbourne hospital which is exposed to the northern as western corridors,” he said.
“There have been staff who have been removed … after dealing with outbreaks in aged care facilities in north Melbourne.”
Community transmission looks like it will “continue to steepen” and Friday’s numbers suggested the trend of rising daily cases would continue if drastic action is not taken, he said.
Currently in Victoria, all residents in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire must stay at home.
All ‘unessential’ businesses must close but retail such as clothing stores are allowed to stay open if social distancing measures can be followed.
Restaurants, pubs and cafes are restricted to takeaway trade only.
The AMA president also said the government should “mask up” everybody as another line of defence to prevent further spread of the virus.
“Mandatory face mask use was adopted in the Spanish flu,” he said.
“In the US states that had mandatory masks have had much reduced rates of infection, compared to states with looser rules,
“It’s utility has been demonstrated overseas.”
READ MORE: UK vows to counter Russian vaccine hack
Angelica Snowden 4.25pm: Kelly won’t be drawn on pub closures, ‘alcohol an issue’
Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly won’t take a position on whether pubs should be closed to help fight coronavirus, but said alcohol “is an issue”.
“The issue with alcohol is it decreases our inhibitions so may also decrease our ability to follow instructions,” he said.
“But I think the biggest issue in pubs is that some of them are very large, large numbers of people come and go from pubs, so that mixing within the pub, and then the mobility of people once they have visited the pub, has been absolutely demonstrated by this Crossroads Hotel situation.”
Antiviral drug ‘not a silver bullet’
Remdesivir — an experimental antiviral drug to treat coronavirus — has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use in Australia and Professor Kelly said Australia was “ahead of the game” compared to other countries.
“We do have a supply, it is being used,” he said.
“It is not a silver bullet, if you like, in terms of the treatment.
“It does assist in a very small group of people, particularly those in intensive care.”
He confirmed the drug is being used in Victoria.
Professor Kelly said Victoria may not have reached its “peak” after recording its highest number of cases since the pandemic started.
“It does take at least two weeks for anything we do today to change that transmission,” he said.
“It will be two weeks until we find whether that has worked on, and so we are still within that two week period of this particular situation in Melbourne.
“And so we will just have to wait and see.”
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Angelica Snowden 4pm: ‘A very dangerous time’ as Australian cases top 11,000
Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says the number of coronavirus cases in Australia has ticked over to 11,000, while noting the 60,000 coronavirus tests conducted overnight is “close to a record”.
Professor Kelly said amid a huge spike in cases in Victoria — 428 new COVID-19 cases were recorded overnight — his message was to “be patient”.
“It does take time because of the biology of the virus, before these types of restrictions, and the isolation of cases and contact will demonstrate that we are starting to get on top of the situation in Victoria,” Professor Kelly said.
“These are large numbers today, that is disturbing, but we do have good indications, that those mobility restrictions, and movement restrictions around Melbourne, in particular, are working and people are taking notice,” he said.
Professor Kelly also said the NSW government was doing “amazing” work to tackle the growing COVID-19 cluster in southwest Sydney.
“This is vital as I said for the situation in Victoria, and in New South Wales, those people are being found quickly, and it is one outbreak related to that Crossroads Hotel in south-western Sydney,” he said.
He said just because the latest restrictions announced by the NSW Government would not take effect until next Friday was not an excuse to “have a huge party” this weekend.
“This is a very dangerous time,” he said.
“The virus is circulating in Victoria, we have seen what happened in Melbourne, we do not want to see that happening in other parts of Australia, and in this case especially south-western Sydney.”
READ MORE: Dance ban at NSW weddings
Rachel Baxendale 3.55pm: Victoria coronavirus figures: latest numbers breakdown
Victoria’s increase in COVID-19 case numbers continues to be spread right across Melbourne, as shown by Friday’s local government area data.
All 32 of the LGAs in the metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown area have at least five active cases, and 20 of them have more than 20.
There are now nine local government areas with at least 100 active cases, and five with at least 200.
The LGAs with the biggest net increase in active cases on Friday were Brimbank, in the outer west, with 58, Banyule, in the northeast, with 44, the City of Melbourne with 39 and Wyndham, in the outer southwest, with 34.
The LGAs of Hume, the City of Melbourne, Brimbank, Moonee Valley, Moreland, and to a lesser extent Maribyrnong, continue to account for a high proportion of Victoria’s caseload, despite containing postcodes which went to a Stage Three lockdown a week before the rest of Melbourne.
Those six LGAs account for 1206 of Victoria’s 2462 active cases on Friday, or 49 per cent.
On July 1, the first day of the postcode lockdown, those LGAs accounted for 208 of 415 active cases, or 50 per cent – indicating the lockdown has had little impact on their caseload relative to areas that did not have locked down postcodes.
There are now 42 cases in regional areas outside the lockdown zone, up from 11 a week ago.
Richard Ferguson 3.35pm: Trump ‘complimentary’ of Australia virus fight PM
Scott Morrison says US President Donald Trump is “very complimentary” of Australia’s performance against COVID-19.
The Prime Minister and the US President spoke on Thursday in the midst of both countries facing a dangerous second wave of coronavirus, with the Victorian outbreak here and southern states in the US facing a spike in virus cases.
Mr Morrison said Mr Trump appreciated both Australia’s COVID record and its defence role in the Pacific, following the federal government’s $270bn military pivot in the face of a rising China.
“The world is dealing with this and outbreaks are not uncommon, we are dealing with these challenges better than many and better than most,” Mr Morrison said.
“ (Mr Trump) was very complimentary of the response and the responsibility we take in the region,” Mr Morrison said on the Gold Coast.
“The United States is a key partner in that stability working with many other like-minded countries in the region.
“You want to have a partner that carries their own weight, and Australia certainly does that. We are no passenger in any relationship we have, and that is greatly appreciated by our American friends.”
READ the full story here.
Tessa Akerman 3.10pm: Alarming virus creep into Victoria regional areas
The latest Victorian figures show 428 new cases of coronavirus and alarming small numbers creeping into regional areas.
There are now 42 cases in regional areas outside the lockdown zone, up from 11 a week ago.
Seventeen council areas now have five or fewer active cases of COVID-19, including remote regions such as East Gippsland (1), Swan Hill (1), South Gippsland (2) and Greater Bendigo (3).
Greater Geelong now has eight active cases and seven on the Mornington Peninsula which has been included as part of Metropolitan Melbourne and seen cases grow since being included in the latest lockdown.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said people included in the lockdown should only leave their homes for exercise, care and caregiving, shopping food and essential items, and work and study.
“These are tough measures, but this virus is not selective — it will impact anyone it encounters, and personal contact is the clear source of its transmission,” he said.
“We need everyone to do their part and ensure it is stopped in its tracks.”
Within Victoria, 57 of the new cases are linked to outbreaks and 370 are under investigation. There was one case in a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.
Three new deaths have been reported since yesterday: a woman in her 80s, a man in his 70s and a man in his 80s. All died in hospital. To date, 32 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.
In Victoria currently:
935 cases may indicate community transmission
2462 cases are currently active in Victoria
122 cases of coronavirus are in hospital, including 31 in intensive care
2669 people have recovered from the virus
Of the total cases, 4729 cases are from metropolitan Melbourne, while 313 are from regional Victoria. Total cases include 2698 men and 2441 women
More than 1,250,000 tests have been processed
Total number of healthcare workers: 394, active cases: 150 (of which the vast majority were acquired in the community)
Cases currently linked to key outbreaks are as follows:
160 cases have been linked to Al-Taqwa College
51 cases have been linked to Somerville Retail Services in Tottenham
38 cases have been linked to Menarock Life Aged Care facility in Essendon
36 cases have been linked to Estia Health aged care facility in Ardeer
32 cases have been linked to JBS abattoir in Brooklyn
23 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care facility in Werribee
19 cases have been linked to the Northern Hospital
16 cases have been linked to the Alfred Hospital
16 cases have been linked to Brunswick Private Hospital
16 cases have been linked to LaManna Supermarket Essendon
14 cases have been linked to St Vincent’s Hospital
12 cases have been linked to Western Health
8 cases have been linked to the Royal Melbourne Hospital
2 cases have been linked to the Mercy Hospital for Women in Heidelberg
2 cases have been linked to Kmart in Endeavour Hills
Five new nursing homes have reported cases: two cases have been linked to Aurrum Aged Care facility in Plenty. Single cases have been linked to Regis in Brighton; Grace Villa in Greensborough; Baptcare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee; and Bupa aged care facility in Sunshine.
Stephen Lunn 2.40pm: Victoria lockdowns could extend if numbers don’t plateau
Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton is hoping the coronavirus numbers will plateau in coming days, but said he was ready to recommend more stringent government intervention if he doesn’t see progress soon.
Professor Sutton said the most recent lockdown restrictions were imposed in some areas of Melbourne just short of two weeks ago, and it usually takes around a fortnight for their impact to reveal themselves in the numbers.
“So, of course, there is a hope that the numbers stabilise over the coming days, towards the end of this week. That is my hope,” Professor Sutton said.
“(But) we are not just banking on the idea that if we wait long enough those numbers will stabilise and drop, so we must bear in mind any additional measures that are important to help control the numbers.”
READ MORE: Melbourne tower lockdown probed
Debbie Schipp 2pm: Andrews asks regional Victorians to mask up
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has requested people living in regional Victoria to wear face masks “if they are out in public, in circumstances where they cannot guarantee physical distancing”.
He said that includes being on public transport, or in a crowded supermarket.
The recommendation was already in place for locked down areas of the state.
“Wearing a mask is a small thing but it can make a really big difference,” he said.
“That mask can be homemade. That mask can be one you purchased, it can take the form of simply wearing a scarf. All these things, they never eliminate risk but they reduce risk and that is something that all of us should be completely focused on.”
READ MORE: Save your jokes: Victoria no laughing matter
Joe Kelly 1.55pm: PM briefs Trump on defence strategy, pandemic
Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke to Donald Trump on Friday morning to update the US President on Australia’s decision to bolster its defence capabilities, harden its force posture and update its strategic outlook in the region.
The Prime Minister also compared notes with Mr Trump on how to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to reopen their economies safely.
READ the full story here.
Ewin Hannan 12.45pm: Business call for JobKeeper extension to end of year
Business has urged Scott Morrison to extend industrial relations exemptions to employers who will no longer use JobKeeper until at least the end of 2020.
The Prime Minister on Thursday flagged extending the exemptions which allow employers to cut employee hours and change their duties.
Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said on Friday that the short-term changes made to the Fair Work Act were playing a vital role in preserving jobs and the viability of businesses.
“It is in no-one’s interests for those measures to be discontinued at the end of September as that would be a certain way to extinguish the jobs of a very large number of employees,” Mr Willox said. “Clearly the COVID-19 crisis is continuing.
“If a business is currently eligible to access the measures in the Fair Work Act then they should continue to have access beyond the end of September, regardless of whether they lose access to JobKeeper payments. At the very least, the measures should be continued until the end of this year.”
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Remy Varga 12.30pm: Melbourne tower lockdown investigated
The ombudsman is investigating the treatment of residents in ‘hard lockdown’, and the human rights of citizens. Read more here
Stephen Lunn 12.15pm: Latest numbers ‘concerning, disappointing’
Victoria has recorded its worst day of the coronavirus crisis so far, with Premier Dan Andrews confirming 428 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, along with three deaths.
Two people in their 80s and one man in his 70s have died in the last day, bringing the state’s death count to 32.
The numbers in hospitals continue to rise, with 122 now hospitalised including 31 in intensive care.
Victoria’s chief medical officer Brett Sutton said the numbers were “disappointing and concerning” and new control measures were being considered if the numbers don’t stabilise soon.
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Stephen Lunn 12pm: Regional testing in Victoria beefed up
The Andrews government is stepping up efforts to contain coronavirus outbreaks in regional Victoria with a beefed up testing regime including new testing sites.
Over the past two weeks 40 cases have been recorded outside the current lockdown zones of Greater Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, with 5 new cases overnight.
New testing sites include sites at Echuca, Mildura and Bendigo.
“By putting a ring around metropolitan Melbourne, we’re protecting regional Victorians from this public health bushfire – but we need to be aware of emerging spot fires,” Premier Dan Andrews said.
READ MORE: NSW faces tighter restrictions
Adeshola Ore 11.40am: Premier Andrews reveals 3 more state deaths
Three Victorians have died from coronavirus, bringing the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 32 The deaths include a man in his 80s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s.
Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the state had recorded 428 new cases of the virus – Victoria’s highest single day increase since the beginning of the pandemic.
Mr Andrews said 122 people across the state were currently in hospital.
Of the 428 new cases recorded on Friday, 370 are under investigation.
READ MORE: Victoria is no laughing matter
Adeshola Ore 11.05am: New restrictions for NSW
All hospitality venues in NSW will be limited to group bookings of ten people from next Friday after 13 new cases were recorded.
The restriction, which was announced for pubs earlier this week, will now apply to clubs, cafes and restaurants.
“When you have smaller groups there is less chance of people mingling,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We don’t want any mingling.”
The new cases include six involving community transmission. Five new cases were reported after the reporting period yesterday.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there were more than 24,000 tests conducted across the state, with 3,000 in the south-western Sydney region.
Weddings and corporate venues will be restricted to 150 people, with the requirement that everyone is seated.
Funerals and places of worship will be capped at 100 people with distancing of one person per four square meters.
The limit of 20 visitors per household and 20 people for public gatherings still remains.
“We’re not going to change this at this stage, but in the next little while we ask people to be thoughtful about who they welcome, how they welcome and especially protect those most vulnerable,” Ms Berejiklian said.
READ MORE: Experts warn on NSW testing cuts
Adeshola Ore 10.55am: Berejiklian to deliver update
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will give an update on new cases in her state at 11.0am AEST. You can watch Ms Berejiklian live above.
Remy Varga 10.30am: 400+ new Victoria cases
Victoria has recorded 428 cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, The Australian understands.
Multiple sources have told The Australian of the record daily increase in case numbers of COVID-19.
Victoria’s Department of Premier and Cabinet declined to confirm the number.
READ MORE: No more jokes about Victoria please
Sarah Elks 10.25am: Qld reports tiny false positive rate
Queensland has experienced an extremely small false positive rate in COVID-19 testing.
In a document tabled to parliament, Health Minister Steven Miles said, as of June 1, 198,106 tests had been conducted for the virus.
Of those, only six were recorded as false positives: two from the Gold Coast, two from Metro North in Brisbane, one from Metro South in Brisbane and one from Central Queensland.
Queensland has since conducted many more COVID-19 tests. Now, 448,759 tests have been conducted.
QLD recorded zero new cases overnight, and there are just four active cases of COVID-19 in the state.
Adeshola Ore 9.55am: NSW mystery cases ‘disturbing’
NSW’s Health Minister says the state’s three new mystery cases of COVID-19 are “quite disturbing”, as authorities rush to locate their source.
On Thursday NSW Health announced 13 new cases of coronavirus, three of which remain under investigation.
“Three new cases that aren’t related to our now quite famous Crossroads Hotel cluster of 40 is quite disturbing,” Brad Hazzard told Channel 9.
“It worries me as Health Minister in NSW and all the Health Ministers across Australia that perhaps community members are feeling complacent.”
“Too much booze, too much proximity. It’s gold for this virus.”
READ MORE: Twitter users remain locked out
Adeshola Ore 9.40am: South-western Sydney gym closed
A south-western Sydney gym has been closed for cleaning after a patron tested positive to coronavirus.
On Facebook, Plus Fitness in Campbelltown said a gym member who attended last Saturday, July 11 had been infected with the virus.
“We were requested by the Department of Health to close the gym temporarily to allow for a deep clean of the gym,” the post read.
“We are pleased to announce that the deep clean of the gym has now been completed by our commercial cleaning company and we will be reopening at 10am, Friday 17th July.”
NSW Health has listed more than 15 venues in south-western Sydney that have been visited by a case linked to the Crossroads Hotel cluster.
The outbreak has been linked to 40 cases of COVID-19.
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Sarah Elks 9.10am: Another zero case day for Queensland
Queensland has recorded another zero-case day, with just four active coronavirus patients in the state.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there were 1071 total confirmed cases, and there had been 448,759 tests conducted.
1058 people have recovered.
Friday, 17 July – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 16, 2020
• 0 new confirmed cases
• 4 active cases
• 1,071 total confirmed cases
• 448,759 tests conducted
Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,058 patients have recovered.#covid19aus pic.twitter.com/TAUbFIC42c
Anthony Piovesan 9.05am: Stowaways escorted back across border
Four men who tried to sneak out of Victoria by stowing away on a freight train bound for Perth have been sent back across the border.
The four men faced $20,000 in fines for breaching COVID-19 restrictions, but walked away from court on Wednesday afternoon without penalty.
The men aged 22, 26, 29 and 29 tested negative to the virus and were escorted by police to Adelaide Airport on Thursday for extradition on a flight back to Melbourne.
In court, they claimed they did not know about South Australia’s border restrictions.
A magistrate chose not to convict the men who were released on $1000 bonds.
The group was escorted by police from Adelaide City Watch House to The Pullman Hotel to undergo mandatory quarantine in South Australia.
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Adeshola Ore 8.50am: ‘Newmarch lessons learned’ for aged care
Scott Morrison says the federal government is applying lessons learnt from the Newmarch House coronavirus outbreak in managing COVID in Victoria’s aged-care facilities.
There are at least 45 residents across eight Victorian aged-care facilities who are infected with the virus.
“Communication with families is much improved,” Mr Morrison said.
“People have been moved out of those most affected facilities and both into hospitals and also the private hospitals that we freed up through the agreement we had with the private hospitals to make that happen.”
Nineteen residents from Newmarch House in western Sydney died from the virus between March and May.
A class action against the facility is being considered, with lawyers saying relatives want to know why their loved ones were not immediately taken to hospital after testing positive to the virus.
READ MORE: GPs count cost of telehealth surge
Sarah Elks 8.45am: Don’t expect free-flowing traffic at border
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll says traffic across the state border will not be “free-flowing” as it has been in the past, as about 1200 police a day man the checkpoints.
Commissioner Carroll said she expected there to be fewer delays eventually.
“I expect the time getting through the borders to improve slightly, however it’s not going to be free-flowing (as it was) in the past,” she said.
She said 1000 to 1200 police officers a day were manning the border checkpoints, with the help of Army, SES and Department of Transport personnel.
Commissioner Carroll said the police deployment was within the capabilities of the Queensland Police Service.
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said police would focus on areas of concern this weekend, such as nightclubs, to ensure social distancing rules are being followed.
He warned the list of COVID-19 hot spots – currently including all of Victoria and Campbelltown and Liverpool in NSW – would change, as the virus situation changed.
Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski – the state’s disaster co-ordinator – revealed the number of visitors entering Queensland.
Since July 3, there have been 600,000 border declaration passes applied for.
Since July 10 – when the borders reopened to all but Victoria – there have been 379 flights into Queensland, including 17 from the hotspot of Victoria. Nearly 30,000 people have been processed through Queensland’s airports.
He said 486 people had been put into quarantine after arriving on flights. Queenslanders returning home from hot spots such as Victoria are placed into mandatory 14-day self-paid hotel quarantine.
As for cars across the road border, Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said police had intercepted more than 43,000 vehicles and had turned around 1150 vehicles.
READ MORE: PM praises NSW way of handling virus
Adeshola Ore 8.35am: Vic hotel breaches very significant: PM
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Victoria’s outbreaks are “very serious”, after the state recorded its highest number of cases on Thursday.
Mr Morrison said the breaches in hotel quarantine had been “very significant” in causing the spike in infections.
“For those who are proposing eradication strategy – if you get a breach in quarantine that doesn’t matter. It will seep out into the community,” he told Channel 9 on Friday morning.
“It’s a reminder of the need to keep on with social distancing. To keep on with those other protections.”
READ MORE: Human trials success boosts vaccine hopes
Staff writers 8.30am: Perth ‘streaker’ faces $50,000 fine
A Perth football fan is facing a $50,000 fine and two weeks in quarantine after running onto the field late in the clash between Geelong and Collingwood at Optus Stadium, the Herald Sun reports.
Just after a goal to Cat Cameron Guthrie with two minutes left in the game, the young man without a shirt on came from the southern wing and got about 30m onto the field before he was tackled by a number of security guards and dragged from the field.
Security guards had masks and gloves on as they restrained the invader.
Punters were not allowed within the first two rows near the oval because the players are still in a 14-day COVID-19 quarantine.
Given the strict quarantine measures in place, the normal fine for entering the field of play was increased, with the young man set to either face a fine of up to $50,000 or prison time.
READ MORE: Prudence seems a lost value
Sarah Elks 8.15am: Qld police press conference at 8.30am
Queensland police will give an update to the situation in their state and at the NSW order at 8.30am AEST.
Adeshola Ore 7.45am: Victorians told: you stray, you pay
Victorians in lockdown are unable to exercise outside their neighbourhood if a facility is closer to home, under a new state government directive. Those who breach the order could be fined $1652 under the public health order.
The state government has issued clarified advice stipulating where people can exercise and participate in outdoor recreational activities. Previously, Premier Daniel Andrews had reassured Victorians that they could travel freely within the lockdown zone to exercise.
A new government-issued update said “unreasonable travel” would now include exercise that “can be done closer to home.”
READ MORE: Victorians in fight of their lives
Adeshola Ore 7.30am: More than 150,000 cars cross NSW-Vic border
More than 150,000 cars have crossed the NSW-Victorian border since it was shut last week.
NSW Police say one person has been charged and one person fined $1,000 for breaching the public health directive.
Assistant Commissioner Scott Whyte said police would continue to work with local communities to ensure the safe flow of traffic between borders.
“We are dealing with a police operation that is dynamic and constantly evolving, and police are constantly assessing the operation with a view to being flexible with our resources on the ground,” Assistant Commissioner Whyte said in a statement.
Under the Public Health Act, anyone wanting to cross the border must meet the exemption criteria. More than 220,000 people have successfully applied for a border exemption pass, including more than 140,000 border-town residents.
READ MORE: Another fine mess you’ve got us into, Dan
Adeshola Ore 6.50am: US extends border closures, Florida in worst day
Florida has reported its largest one-day increase of coronavirus deaths and its second worst day of cases since the pandemic began. On Thursday, the state announced 13, 965 cases of the outbreak, bringing the total up to 315, 755. Deaths in the state rose by 156, bringing the total to 4,782. Its previous one-day record of deaths was 133 on July 12.
The US, Canada and Mexico border closure for non-essential traffic has been extended until late August due to COVID-19. On Thursday, the US Department of Homeland Security announced the extension that has been in place since March to help slow the spread of the virus.
Spain has recorded its steepest daily jump in COVID-19 infections in more than two months. The country recorded 580 new cases on Thursday after a rise of 390 the previous day. The regions of Aragon and Catalonia are leading the increase. Catalonian authorities have imposed restrictions to help curb the spike in cases.
Globally, more than 13.6 million people have been infected with the virus and more than 586,000 people have died from the virus.
READ MORE: Biden’s lead hits double digits
Angelica Snowden 6.30am: Queensland builds border wall to keep out southerners
Queensland police say they called for a 700m wall to be erected on the NSW Queensland border to stop the illegal passage of people between the two states.
The “robust barricading” was being constructed around Dixon and Florence Street in Coolangatta on the Gold Coast on Thursday to prevent people from NSW going into Queensland unlawfully.
Gold Coast Police chief superintendent Mark Wheeler said the wall was “their commitment to keeping COVID out of Queensland”.
“People were encroaching across the fencing that was there,” he said.
“They were coming into Queensland technically unlawfully so we strengthened that up.
“We saw a similar situation a couple of months ago in Miles Street.”
He said he understood that people were “frustrated” but it was not illegal to try and skirt the border checkpoints.
He said the wall was taking “considerable resources and time and effort” and is being constructed by the Gold Coast City Council.
READ the full story here.
Jacquelin Magnay 5.51am: Russians accused of trying to steal vaccines
A Russian cyber-hacking group, with close links to the Kremlin, has tried to steal vaccine information from targeted universities and organisations in three countries, the British government has claimed.
The hacking group known as APT29 — also known as Cozy Bear and The Dukes — has been attempting to steal information from British, American and Canadian institutions, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said on Thursday, adding that the hackers “almost certainly operate as part of Russian Intelligence Services”.
It is unclear if the Australian vaccine trials have also been targeted but Australia — as part of the Five Eyes security network — has access to the intelligence and will move to bolster security surrounding local companies.
These include the University of Queensland trial, which began phase one testing of people this week, and its drug partner CSL as well as the biotechnology company Vaxine, which also began phase one testing earlier this month.
READ the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale 5.45am: Two weeks of lockdown fail to stop spread
More than two weeks of lockdowns have failed to cut coronavirus rates in the six Melbourne local government areas at the centre of Victoria’s second wave of COVID-19 infections, which reached a statewide record of 317 new cases on Thursday.
The Andrews government has placed its health system on a war footing as it struggles to suppress the virus in the original six hotspot areas, despite them having been locked down for longer than the life cycle of the virus.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said on Thursday the 317 new cases indicated some “relative stability” to the numbers, a week after all of metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire went to Stage Three stay-at-home orders. Senior health officials concede the rate of new infections may move higher but hope it will peak within days.
The state has recorded seven COVID-19 deaths in six days and had 109 people in hospital with the virus on Thursday.
READ the full story here.
Kieran Gair 5.30am: Experts warn on testing cuts
NSW’s coronavirus containment strategy of sustaining “high rates” of COVID-19 testing in hot spots across southwestern Sydney could be undermined by a controversial move to prematurely close six pop-up clinics at the weekend.
The revelation comes after NSW recorded three mystery cases of COVID-19 in western and southwestern Sydney on Thursday, while the Crossroads Hotel outbreak grew to 40 cases.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant conceded contact tracers may have “missed a chain” after virus detectives were unable to connect three cases of “unknown origin” to the state’s reported total of 15 new cases on Thursday.
“This is a critical time as we try to mop up any community transmission,” Dr Chant said.
“The key message (is) we need to sustain high rates of testing in southwestern Sydney.”
The South Western Sydney Local Health District, however, is scheduled to close six pop-up and drive-through COVID-19 clinics over the weekend.
READ the full story here.
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