Coronavirus Australia live news: City of Sydney declared a hotspot; Victoria’s aged care danger laid bare
NSW Health has declared the City of Sydney a COVID-19 hotspot after outbreaks near the nightlife hub of Kings Cross and at a selective high school.
- Victoria’s aged care danger laid bare
- Case fall a sign peak has passed
- Victoria records highest toll
- NZ election postponed
- Builders pitch for $5.1bn
- Guards to front hotels inquiry
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. New data reveals there are now eight aged care facilities in Victoria with a cluster of over 100 cases. The number of active cases in Victoria has fallen by over 400 in two days, a sign the second wave peak has passed. The state has recorded 25 deaths, 282 new cases. New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has postponed the country’s general election by four weeks. Australia’s building industry is pushing for $5.1bn in additional stimulus packages to protect jobs and avoid a COVID-19 “bloodbath”
Natasha Robinson, Victoria Laurie 11pm: Grit and adaptability key to future work
Young Australians will need every bit of upskilling and gritty determination to get jobs after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, as they face a future of depressed wages and uncertain employment for years to come.
John Ferguson 10.30pm: Andrews to face blow torch in very big way
The Victorian government is about to face the coronavirus blow torch in a very big way.
Greg Brown 10pm: Border exemption for Mabel
The Marshall government has given a two-year old Victorian girl an exemption to cross the SA border for medical treatment.
Geoff Chambers, Rosie Lewis 9.30pm: Border closures trigger most business pain
Border closures are having the biggest impact on small and medium-sized businesses returning to normal trade.
Richard Ferguson 9pm: Unis fear cuts ‘by stealth’
Australia’s largest universities say Education Minister Dan Tehan’s radical overhaul of student fees gives him the power to cut their funding by stealth.
Chris Stein, Claire Savage 9pm: Pelosi recalls house to ‘save’ US Postal Service
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has recalled the US House of Representatives from its summer recess to vote this week on an act “to save” the US Postal Service.
AFP 8.30pm: Indian deaths hit 50,000
India’s official coronavirus death toll soared past 50,000 on Monday as the pandemic rages through smaller cities and rural areas where healthcare is feeble and stigmatisation rife.
Many experts say the real numbers may be far higher due to low testing rates and because deaths are often not properly recorded in the vast and impoverished nation of 1.3 billion people.
India last week overtook Britain with the world’s fourth-highest number of fatalities, behind the US, Brazil and Mexico, and as of Monday had recorded 50,921 deaths, according to the health ministry.
With some of the world’s biggest megacities and slums, India is already the third-most infected nation behind the US and Brazil with 2.65 million infections.
Despite the rising death toll, the health ministry said on Sunday that India’s virus mortality rate of 1.92 percent was “one of the lowest globally”.
READ MORE: Three sources to blame for 99pc of second wave
Peter Conradi 8pm: No cruise is good news for Venice tourists
A city that has long battled with the consequences of too much tourism has been finding that too little can be equally painful.
Adeshola Ore 7.30pm: City of Sydney declared a hotspot
NSW Health has declared the City of Sydney a COVID-19 hotspot in response to cases in the council’s east.
The local government area is home to more than 240,000 residents and stretches from Circular Quay on the harbour to East Lakes.
The area has been hit by an outbreak in Potts Point — which overlaps with the nightlife hub of Kings Cross — and a case at Sydney Girls High School, a selective school in Surry Hills.
Other LGA’s labelled as hotspots included Campbelltown, Canterbury Bankstown and Cumberland.
On Monday, NSW reported seven new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday night, with six locally acquired.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said health authorities were concerned about “potential undetected strains of coronavirus in southwest and western Sydney.”
“It means potentially the virus is continuing to spread… and that is a big concern,” she said.
READ MORE: Early super payout nearing government forecasts
Adeshola Ore 7pm: Two charged, 19 fined over health orders
NSW Police fined 19 people and charged two over the weekend for violating COVID-19 public health orders.
A 24-year-old man from West Wodonga in Victoria was found on the Albury-Wodonga railway bridge. The man, who was wanted on four outstanding warrants, had illegally crossed the border into NSW. police said.
A set of knuckledusters was found when he was searched, police added.
The man was charged with the outstanding warrants at Albury Police Station and was refused bail to appear in Albury Local Court.
He was also charged with going onto running lines, resisting police, possession of a prohibited weapon, and failure to comply with the Public Health Order.
On Friday afternoon, a 37-year-old man allegedly coughed at police officers at Eastwood Police Station while attending a meeting in northwest Sydney.
He was charged and granted bail to appear in Burwood Local Court tomorrow.
READ MORE: Three sources to blame for 99pc of second wave
AFP 6.30pm: Philippine minister tests positive for second time
A Philippine government minister has tested positive for coronavirus five months after an initial diagnosis, authorities said on Monday, as experts investigate whether he had been re-infected.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano, who is helping to spearhead the country’s virus response, said he returned a positive test on Saturday after experiencing flu-like symptoms last week.
He was first diagnosed with COVID-19 in March, but did not show any signs of the disease at the time.
People infected with coronavirus build up antibodies starting about a week after infection or the onset of symptoms, research has shown.
But scientists are still unsure whether the body systematically builds up enough immunity to ward off a new attack by the virus or, if it does, how long such immunity lasts.
Some studies have shown that patients who recover from coronavirus may lose their immunity within months, or even weeks.
READ MORE: Victoria’s aged care danger laid bare
Rachel Baxendale 5.50pm: Active confirmed cases by Vic LGA: Full list
The local government areas with the highest coronavirus caseloads in Melbourne’s north and west have recorded the most significant net decreases in case numbers in the 24 hours to Monday, while increases have been seen in southeastern suburbs with smaller caseloads.
All 31 Melbourne LGAs still have at least 41 active cases each, as do the regional LGAs of Greater Geelong (155 cases), Greater Bendigo (47 cases) and Colac-Otway (42 cases).
Brimbank, in Melbourne’s outer west, recorded the largest net decrease in active cases, down 47 to 784, followed by Melton in the outer northwest, with a net decrease of 26 to 480, Wyndham, in the outer southwest, with a net decrease of 24 to 864, and Whittlesea in the outer north with a net decrease of 22 to 507 active cases.
The semi-rural Mornington Peninsula, classified as the southeastern fringe of metropolitan Melbourne, recorded the highest net increase of any LGA, up nine to 64 active cases, while neighbouring Frankston increased by eight to 89, and Greater Dandenong increased by seven to 211 active cases.
The total number of active cases in Victoria fell by 197 in the 24 hours to Monday, to 7474.
There number of active cases in regional Victoria fell by 12 in the 24 hours to Monday, to 436.
Active confirmed cases of COVID-19 by LGA as of Thursday, with net increase since Wednesday in brackets:
Wyndham (outer southwest): 864 (-24)
Brimbank (outer west): 784 (-47)
Hume (outer north): 544 (-16)
Whittlesea (outer north): 507 (-22)
Melton (outer northwest): 480 (-26)
Moreland (north): 387
Casey (outer southeast): 346 (-10)
Darebin (north): 295 (-2)
City of Melbourne: 288 (-2)
Maribyrnong (inner west): 230 (-4)
Moonee Valley (northwest): 224 (-8)
Greater Dandenong: (outer southeast): 211 (+7)
Hobsons Bay (inner southwest): 172 (-4)
*Greater Geelong (southwest regional Vic): 155 (-3)
Yarra (inner northeast): 144 (-2)
Kingston (southeast): 132
Yarra Ranges (outer east) 116
Banyule (northeast): 117 (-5)
Bayside (southeast): 107 (-3)
Cardinia (outer southeast): 95 (-1)
Frankston (outer southeast): 89 (+8)
Boroondara (east): 83 (+7)
Port Phillip (inner south): 78 (-5)
Monash (southeast): 77 (+1)
Whitehorse (east): 68 (-6)
Glen Eira (east): 67 (+2)
Knox (outer east): 65 (+1)
Mornington Peninsula (outer southeast): 64 (+9)
Stonnington (inner southeast): 60 (-5)
Manningham (east): 57 (-1)
Nillumbik (outer northeast): 56
*Greater Bendigo (central regional Vic): 47 (-2)
*Colac-Otway (western regional Vic): 42 (-6)
Maroondah (outer east): 41 (-2)
*Mitchell (central regional Vic, north of Melb): 32 (-1)
*Macedon Ranges (central regional Vic): 29 (-3)
*Ballarat (western regional Vic): 28 (+1)
*Latrobe (eastern regional Vic): 25 (+2)
*Greater Shepparton (northern regional Vic): 20
*Moorabool (western regional Vic): 8
*Baw Baw (eastern regional Vic): 6
*Warrnambool (southwest regional Vic): 5 (+4)
*Surf Coast (southwest regional Vic): 5
*Glenelg (western regional Vic): 5 (-2)
*South Gippsland (eastern regional Vic): 4
*Golden Plains (western regional Vic): 4 (-3)
*Horsham (western regional Vic): 3
*Bass Coast (southeast regional Vic): 3
*Mansfield (northeast regional Vic): 3
*Campaspe (northern regional Vic): 2
*Murrindindi (northeast regional Vic): 2
*West Wimmera (western regional Vic): 2
*Mildura (northwest regional Vic): 1
*Central Goldfields (central regional Vic): 1
*Indigo (northeast regional Vic): 1
*Moyne (southwest regional Vic): 1
*East Gippsland (east regional Vic): 1
*Mount Alexander (central regional Vic): 1 (-1)
Interstate: 9 (-2)
Unknown: 181 (-5)
TOTAL: 7474 (-197)
*Denotes regional Victorian LGAs
Source: Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
Adeshola Ore 5.40pm: Warning for Sydney markets
NSW Health has issued a COVID-19 health warning for Sydney Markets in Flemington.
The health authority said an infectious employee worked at the markets in Western Sydney on August 9.
People who were at Sydney Market on this day from 8am to 4pm are considered casual contacts and advised to monitor for symptoms. The person’s close contacts have been identified and advised to isolate for two weeks and get tested for coronavirus.
“The areas of the market where the case worked have been thoroughly cleaned. There is no ongoing risk to the public,” a statement read.
NSW Health has also advised that people who attended these locations at the following dates and times should watch for symptoms and get tested if they appear:
● Parramatta Local Court last Tuesday and Wednesday between 8.30am and 12.30pm
● Woolworths Metro North Strathfield on Saturday, August 8, between 12.50pm and 1.15pm
● DFO Homebush on August 8 between 10:45am and 12pm
READ MORE: Berejiklian issues ‘unreserved apology’
Remy Varga 5.30pm: Three sources to blame for 99pc of second wave
Nearly all of the coronavirus cases in Victoria’s second wave can be linked to just three infection sources that emerged in June after most other cases disappeared.
The Doherty Institute’s infectious disease expert Ben Howden told the board of inquiry on Monday that based on available data, more than 99 per cent of current cases in Victoria could be linked to the sources known as cluster 45a and transmission networks two and three.
Professor Howden said the three sequences emerged in early June while most of the other clusters had “all essentially disappeared from the community in Victoria” by early May.
The inquiry is examining whether every coronavirus case can be linked to infection control breaches at hotel quarantine.
In his statement, Professor Howden said he was unable to link the cases to hotel quarantine because he didn’t have the necessary epidemiological data.
Rachel Baxendale 4.58pm: State of play for Victoria’s key clusters
Other key Victorian COVID-19 outbreaks on Monday include:
- 205 cases have been linked to Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown, in Melbourne’s north, up from 204 on Sunday;
- 191 cases have been linked to Islamic P-12 school Al-Taqwa College in Truganina, in Melbourne’s outer west, up from 190 on Sunday;
- 146 cases have been linked to Royal Melbourne Hospital Royal Park campus, in Melbourne’s inner north, up from 145 on Sunday;
- 145 cases have been linked to JBS abattoir in Brooklyn, in Melbourne’s west, up from 142 on Saturday;
- 62 cases have been linked to the Woolworths distribution centre in Mulgrave, in Melbourne’s southeast, up from 61 on Friday;
- 53 cases have been linked to Golden Farms Poultry in Breakwater, in central regional Victoria, up from 52 on Sunday;
- 33 cases have been linked to Ingham’s Chicken in Thomastown, in Melbourne’s north, up from 32 last Tuesday;
- 31 cases have been linked to Hazeldene’s Chicken Farm in Bendigo, in central regional Victoria, up from 30 on Sunday;
- 31 cases have been linked to the Northern Hospital Emergency Department in Melbourne’s north, up from 11 on July 9;
- 31 cases have been linked to Ausfresh food manufacturing in Broadmeadows, in Melbourne’s outer north, up from 29 on Thursday;
30 cases have been linked to Bingo Recycling in West Melbourne, up from 26 on August 9;
The health department is also investigating cases linked to the following locations:
- Frankston Hospital in Melbourne’s outer southeast;
- Warrina Aged Care in New Gisborne in central Victoria;
- The Poultry Palace in Laverton, in Melbourne’s west;
- Monash Health in Melbourne’s southeast;
- MSS Security Port Melbourne office;
- The TNT-FedEx facility at Melbourne Airport.
READ MORE: Fill up now: petrol price at two-month low
Rachel Baxendale 4.45pm: Almost 660 Victorians in hospital with COVID-19
The 657 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus on Monday include one person aged 10-19, 11 in their 20s, 13 in their 30s, 19 in their 40s and 48 in their 50s.
Of those, one person in their 20s is in intensive care, as are four people in their 30s, three in their 40s and 10 in their 50s.
There are 78 people in their 60s in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus, of whom 18 are in intensive care, as well as 125 in their 70s, of whom 10 are in ICU, 230 in their 80s of whom three are in ICU, and 132 aged more than 90s, none of whom are in ICU.
The total number in intensive care is 49, while the total in hospital but not in ICU is 608.
READ MORE: CSL in vaccine talks with AstraZeneca
Rachel Baxendale 4.34pm: Victorians in their 80s the most common group for deaths
People in their 80s represent Victoria’s most common age group for coronavirus deaths, accounting for 142 of the 334 deaths since the pandemic began, or 42.5 per cent.
Those aged 90 or above represent the next most common age group, with 102 deaths, or 30.5 per cent.
Those in their 70s account for 62 deaths, or 18.6 per cent of the state’s total.
There has been one death of a man in his 20s, two of men in their 30s and one of a man in his 40s.
Three women and eight men make up 11 deaths of people in their 50s, while three women and 10 men account for 13 deaths of people in their 60s.
A total of 161 women (48.2 per cent) and 173 men (51.8 per cent) have died.
READ MORE: Chetan Chauhan dies of coronavirus
Rachel Baxendale 4.25pm: Victoria’s aged care danger laid bare
There are now eight Victorian aged care facilities with at least 100 cases of COVID-19 linked to them, including one where the caseload exceeds 200.
As of Monday, there are 1999 active cases of coronavirus across 90 Victorian aged care facilities, down from 2041 cases across 112 facilities on Saturday.
The total number of Victorian cases linked to aged care facilities since the pandemic began is 3059, including 1436 in residents, 1217 in staff, and 406 in other contacts.
Of Victoria’s 25 coronavirus deaths in the 24 hours to Monday, 22 were linked to aged care facilities.
Of the 334 coronavirus deaths in the state since the pandemic began, 217 have been linked to aged care facilities.
The largest aged care clusters include:
– 205 cases linked to Heritage Care’s Epping Gardens facility in Melbourne’s north – the same as on Sunday. This includes 107 residents, 79 staff and 28 contacts;
– 190 cases linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner, in Melbourne’s north – the same as on Sunday. This includes 91 residents, 72 staff and 27 contacts;
– 157 cases linked to Estia Health in Ardeer, in Melbourne’s west – the same as on Sunday. This includes 50 residents, 76 staff and 31 contacts;
– 131 cases linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge in Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer southwest, up from 127 on Sunday. This includes 61 residents, 53 staff and 17 contacts;
– 130 cases linked to Kirkbrae Presbyrterian Homes in Kilsyth, in Melbourne’s outer east – the same as on Sunday. This includes 54 residents, 51 staff and 25 contacts;
– 107 cases linked to Outlook Gardens aged care facility in Dandenong North, in Melbourne’s outer southeast, down from 108 on Sunday – no explanation has been offered for the decrease. This includes 40 residents, 55 staff and 12 contacts;
– 107 cases linked to Estia Health in Heidelberg, in Melbourne’s northeast, up from 101 on Sunday. This includes 27 residents, 56 staff and 24 contacts;
– 100 cases linked to Twin Parks aged care in Reservoir, in Melbourne’s north – the same as on Sunday. This includes 64 residents, 33 staff and three contacts;
– 94 cases linked to the Arcare aged care facility in Craigieburn, in Melbourne’s outer north – the same as on Sunday. This includes 36 residents, 35 staff and 23 contacts;
– 93 cases linked to Cumberland Manor aged care facility in Sunshine, in Melbourne’s west – this comes after a single case was identified in a staff member on July 31, with no updates in the health department’s daily press release between that date and today. This includes 45 residents, 32 staff and 16 contacts.
READ MORE: Aged care needs its own senior minister
Rachel Baxendale 3.55pm: 453 additional Victorians recover from COVID-19
Of the 17,027 people in Victoria who have had coronavirus since the pandemic began, 9023 have recovered – an increase of 453 since Sunday.
Of Victoria’s 282 new cases on Monday, 59 have so far been linked to outbreaks, while the remaining 223 are under investigation.
There have been 15,648 cases in metropolitan Melbourne and 1021 in regional Victoria.
The cases include 8177 in men, and 8802 in women.
The Department of Health and Human Services media release says there are now 1999 active cases linked to aged care facilities – a correction of Premier Daniel Andrews’s earlier report of 2009.
This is a decrease of 76 active cases in aged care facilities since Sunday.
READ MORE: Hotel guards told masks did not reduce virus risk
Richard Ferguson 3.32pm: New ad-blitz targets young Australians
A new advertising blitz will warn young Australians they can catch COVID-19 and spread it to their loved ones, with devastating consequences.
People aged 20-29 have the highest rate of coronavirus infection, even though they often have the mildest symptoms.
The new federal government adverts will run across radio, TV, digital and social media from Monday. It shows a young man who caught COVID through his unsuspecting friends, and ends up giving to his mother who ends up in hospital.
“We all had COVID and I didn’t know it. We can’t change that but we can change what we do in the future,” the advert says.
“Be COVID-Safe. Save lives.”
READ MORE: Where Victoria’s virus cases have dropped
Rachel Baxendale 3.18pm: Dip in reports of family violence during second wave
Victoria’s Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence says reporting of the issue has followed a pattern of dipping during the state’s two COVID-19 lockdowns, before rising sharply as restrictions eased after the first lockdown.
Gabrielle Williams attributed the dip to a decrease in opportunities to report violence during the lockdown, rather than any decrease in the violence itself.
Ms Williams said Victoria Police had conducted 16,034 compliance checks through their Operation Ribbon task force, set up to prevent family violence during the pandemic.
This involved 11,291 interactions with victims/survivors, and 4742 with perpetrators, Ms Williams said.
The checks resulted in more than 558 people being charged and more than 470 arrested over 4436 offences including breaches of intervention orders and assaults.
Ms Williams said reporting of family violence was measured through interactions with police, child protection services, special family violence services and other health and community agencies.
“When we went into the first phase of lockdown, what we actually saw was a dip in reporting in that first phase, and then it started to correct, and we started to see an upward trajectory in reporting of family violence,” Ms Williams said.
“Then we come to our current period of time, that’s the second phase of a harder lockdown, we saw it dip again.
“Now that’s not to be unexpected, partly because there are more limited opportunities to reach out for help when you are confined to your home.
“That seems to have been the pattern in other jurisdictions as well, which just highlights to us that this recovery phase of the coronavirus, as we begin to open up, as life begins to return to normal, demand will increase for services.”
A recent Monash University survey found 86 per cent of family violence practitioners believed there had been an increase in the complexity of family violence matters because of the pandemic.
Victorian family violence response centre Safe Steps reported a 30 per cent decrease in calls in April due to the lockdown, while service provider the Orange Door reported a 12 per cent decrease in referrals in the month to August compared with February figures.
Given there has been an 11 per cent increase in calls to the Men’s Referral Service over the past month, Ms Williams has suggested the reduced rate of reporting may be more reflective of the difficulty those in violent situations face in making contact with service providers, rather than any decrease in violence.
In the year ending March 2020, family related incidents increased by 5.8 per cent to the highest on record, 85,923 incidents.
In the previous year ending March 2019, family related incidents also increased by 8 per cent from 75,257 to 81,252 incidents.
This follows an overall trend of increased reports of family violence over the past several years, and the Andrews government’s 2015-16 royal commission into family violence.
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2.20pm: Former cricketer Chetan Chauhan dies of Coronavirus
Former India Test opener Chetan Chauhan, who forged a prolific opening partnership with Sunil Gavaskar, has died aged 73 from coronavirus.
Chauhan, who tested positive last month, was put on ventilator support at a hospital in Gurgaon just outside the capital New Delhi, but his condition worsened after he suffered multiple organ failure.
He is one of the highest-profile figures to die from the disease in India, which is the world’s third-most infected nation with more than 2.5 million cases and almost 50,000 deaths.
READ the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale 1.30pm: $20m funds boost for family violence protection
The Andrews government has announced an extra $20m for family violence prevention, citing an increase in demand for “perpetrator services” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams cited an 11 per cent increase since last year in calls to the Men’s Referral Service.
The agency works to help men who have been abusive or violent towards family members, or feel they are at risk of doing so, to change their behaviour.
The $20m will pay for 1,500 perpetrators of family violence, or people who believe they are at risk of using violence, to leave their homes and move into short or long-term accommodation.
Ms Williams said it would also provide intervention and behaviour change programs for those who are using violence in the home – including a dedicated support for adolescents using violence and their families.
There will also be increased funding for family violence service providers to assist them in adapting their services under coronavirus restrictions.
Fleeing family violence is a legitimate reason to leave home under Victoria’s coronavirus restrictions, with support available through the “Safe Steps” hotline on 1800 015 188 or webchat safesteps.org.au/chat, 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday.
Men concerned about their own behaviour can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
“We know there’s an increased risk of family violence during the pandemic, which is why we want to ensure every single Victorian can access the services and support they need,” Ms Williams said.
“I also want to be clear: even with Stay at Home restrictions in place, if you need to leave a violent situation, you can – and you will not be fined.”
READ MORE: Stand in line unless you’re a student or a sport star
Rachel Baxendale 1.10pm: Active Victorian cases fall by more than 400
Victoria’s number of active coronavirus cases has fallen by more than 400 in the past two days, in the most certain sign yet that the peak of the deadly second wave has passed.
The number of active cases peaked at 7880 last Tuesday, falling by three on Wednesday, 11 on Thursday and 24 on Friday, rising by 33 on Saturday, and falling by 204 on Sunday and 197 on Monday.
The falls are the result of the combined number of recoveries and deaths exceeding the number of new cases each day.
There have now been 3626 cases of coronavirus where contact tracers have been unable to identify a source of infection – up 148 since Sunday.
This does not include 1,231 cases which were under investigation on Sunday, as well the majority of Monday’s 282 new cases which are yet to be linked to known outbreaks.
There are 1064 active cases in healthcare workers on Monday, down 100 since Sunday.
The number of active cases in aged care is 2009 across 119 facilities on Monday, down 66 since Sunday.
There have been 3149 coronavirus cases across 148 Victorian aged care facilities since the pandemic began.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said there had been 216 coronavirus deaths linked to aged care facilities on Monday, although he was unable to confirm whether this included the 22 most recent deaths linked to aged care in the 24 hours to Monday.
The total coronavirus death toll in Victoria is 334.
The number of active cases linked to disability services is 87 on Monday – an increase of six since Sunday.
The number of active cases in regional Victoria has fallen from a peak of about 500 last week to 436 on Monday, including 155 cases in Geelong, 47 in Bendigo, and 38 in Ballarat.
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Imogen Reid 1pm: ‘No normal’ until treatment or vaccine discovered
NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant has again reiterated life will not return to normal until a treatment or vaccine is available.
“Until we have a vaccine or an effective treatment, we can never go back to normal,” Dr Chant said.
“I think the information or the emergence of the disease in New Zealand highlights that case in point. So whilst COVID is in this world, and we don’t have an effective vaccine or an effective treatment, we have to be COVID-aware.”
Dr Chant said complacency around the virus will unravel the state’s progress and keep NSW from reaching a point where there are zero traces of community transmission.
“Our lives have to change,” she said.
“We have to maintain our social distancing, we have to maintain our border closures, we have to understand how we can prevent introductions.
“We can never be complacent about COVID and that’s the difference between elimination versus … community transmission.”
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Paul Garvey 12.50pm: Bali returnees may have to foot quarantine bill
The Western Australian government will move to push through legislation that will force individuals to foot the bill for their two weeks of hotel quarantine, ahead of a potential influx of Australians returning from Indonesia.
WA premier Mark McGowan said on Monday morning that the government wanted the legislation to pass parliament “urgently”.
“People have had months and months and months to come home. And if they haven’t come home, they need to pay for the hotel quarantine,” he said. “Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for it.”
The proposed legislation would apply to anyone who has been in quarantine since July 17. There will be hardship exemptions, which are expected to apply to around 10 per cent of people in quarantine.
Mr McGowan said he would also be following up with the Commonwealth government on reports that thousands of Australians are being ordered to leave Bali by Thursday or risk fines.
There is currently a cap of 525 people per week coming into Perth airport from overseas, and that could quickly be swamped if large numbers of expats are compelled to leave Indonesia.
He said the cap had been put in place to try to avoid the quarantine issues that had helped spark Victoria’s second wave of the virus.
“It’s really a numbers game, you have to be very careful about the numbers of people coming in internationally,” he said. “We will get some urgent advice.”
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Imogen Reid 12.35pm: Covid patients ‘thought they had the flu’
NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant has revealed that a number of people recently diagnosed with COVID-19 initially thought their symptoms were the flu.
She has warned those suffering from a cough, have a fever and a runny nose that they most likely have coronavirus.
“Some of the information that we have received recently is that people are tending to think their illness is influenza,” Dr Chant said.
“It is essential at the moment we have very low rates of influenza circulating. So if you have symptoms, respiratory symptoms of cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose, headache, aches and pains, it is most likely that you have COVID, not flu.
“And so it is essential that people don’t just think, ‘it’s influenza’ or it’s another respiratory virus and come forward for testing.”
Dr Chant said at least one case with an unknown source of infection is recorded every day in NSW and said she was concerned of the low level of transmission still occurring throughout the state, particularly in Western and south western Sydney.
“It is essentially that anyone with symptoms, particularly in those areas, come forward for testing to allow us to stop any further transmission,” she said.
“Everyday, we are identifying one or two cases of unknown source cases.”
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Remy Varga 12.25pm: Inquiry probes hotel quarantine failures
An inquiry will probe ‘overlapping areas of responsibility between departments’, with ‘accountability’ blurred. Read more here
Rachel Baxendale 12.10pm: Golfers, shoppers, holiday-maker break curfew
Two men who jumped a fence to play a round of golf, a man on his way to a holiday house, and another who broke curfew to buy doughnuts are among 216 people fined by Victoria Police for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s coronavirus directions in the 24 hours to Monday.
Among those fined were 27 who received a $200 fine for failing to wear a face covering outside their homes, and 89 who received $1652 fines for breaching curfew restrictions
Under the curfew rules, Melburnians are not permitted to leave their homes other than for permitted work or to receive medical care between 8pm and 5am.
The fines were issued as a result of 3,294 spot checks at homes, businesses and public places in the 24 hours to Monday. A total of 288,021 spot checks have been conducted since March 21.
Those fined included:
– Two men playing a round of golf at a closed golf course along the Mornington Peninsula, southeast of Melbourne. The men admitted to police they had climbed the fence to gain entry.
– A man stopped at the Little River checkpoint, southwest of Melbourne, who admitted to police he was driving to Rye, southeast of Melbourne, to stay overnight at his holiday house.
– Police intercepted a man and woman driving in the Knox area in Melbourne’s east, who stated they were returning from selling a mobile phone in Reservoir, in Melbourne’s north. A search of the vehicle located methyl amphetamine, ecstasy, cannabis, and GHB.
– A man and woman intercepted on Ferntree Gully Road in Melbourne’s outer east as their car did not have registration plates. The pair admitted they were on their way to the eastern suburb of Boronia (more than 20km from their home address) to pick up a pair of shoes they had purchased from an online marketplace.
– A man in the Wyndham area, in Melbourne’s southwest, who broke curfew to buy doughnuts.
READ MORE: Aged care needs its own senior minister
Imogen Reid 11.55am: Sydney RSL club linked to NSW infections
Of the seven new cases of coronavirus reported in NSW overnight, six were locally acquired and one is a traveller in hotel quarantine.
Three locally acquired infections are close contacts of cases linked to Chopstix Asian Cuisine at Smithfield RSL in Sydney’s west.
Two are close contacts of a case linked to the Our Lady of Mercy College, whose source is still under investigation.
One case attended Sydney Girls High School at Surry Hills while infectious on the 6, 7, 10 and 11 August.
Another case worked at Parramatta Local Court. The person last attended Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday, 12 August, and the positive result was received on Saturday, 15 August.
NSW Health have also added Woolworths Metro in North Strathfield and DFO Homebush to its list of locations associated with known cases of coronavirus.
A positive case visited the Woolworths Metro on Tuesday 11 August and Wednesday 12 August between 12.50pm and 1.15pm, while another attended the DFO on Saturday 8 August between 10.45am and 12pm. Members of the community who were at those locations during those times have been advised by NSW Health to monitor symptoms and immediately get tested and isolate should symptoms occur.
READ MORE: How Kogan is cashing in
Rachel Baxendale 11.20am: Positive test rate falls in Victoria
There have now been 17,027 cases of coronavirus in Victoria since the pandemic began.
Since then 1,975,030 tests have been processed in the state, including 15,728 in the 24 hours to Monday.
The 282 new cases on Monday result in a 1.79 per cent positive test rate, down from a peak of 3.63 per cent from 723 new cases and 19,921 tests processed on July 30, but up from an August low of 0.95 per cent from 394 cases and 41,416 tests processed on August 9.
READ MORE: ‘Victory’ over virus an illusion
Yoni Bashan 11.15am: Premier apologises for Ruby Princess fiasco
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has issued an “unreserved apology” to the victims of the Ruby Princess disaster, conceding that “horrible mistakes” were made by health officials and the department as a whole that should never be repeated.
The vessel arrived in Sydney on March 19, 2020, and as a result of what Mr Walker found were “serious” and “inexcusable” decisions, all passengers on board were permitted to disembark before COVID-19 test results on some passengers were known. This resulted in 2,647 people dispersing through Sydney and spreading the disease.
Read the full story here
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Rachel Baxendale 11.10am: Elderly make up most of latest Victoria deaths
Of the record 25 people who have died with coronavirus in Victoria in the 24 hours to Monday, 22 were aged care residents.
The 25 include a man in his 60s, four women and three men in their 70s, six women and four men in their 80s, and four women and three men in their 90s.
There are 657 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus on Monday, down from 662 on Sunday.
This includes 44 people in intensive care, up from 40 on Sunday. Of the 44, 32 are on ventilators.
READ MORE: Anger as Aussies stranded, students get priority
Yoni Bashan 11.05am: NSW records seven new coronavirus cases
NSW recorded seven new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday night, one of which was acquired overseas.
The remaining six cases were acquired locally, said NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
“We remain concerned about potential undetected strains of coronavirus in southwest and western Sydney,” Ms Berejiklian said. “It means potentially the virus is continuing to spread … and that is a big concern.”
Imogen Reid 10.40am: NSW cancels school formals, graduations
New COVID-safe measures introduced in schools across NSW will see formals scrapped and graduation ceremonies cancelled in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.
It follows the outbreak at Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook last week and the closing of Sydney Girls High School in Moore Park on Monday.
The rules introduced by the Department of Education will come into force from Wednesday and will keep students from mixing with other classes.
Formals, dances, graduations, singing, and the use of wind instruments in group settings will also be banned. Travel outside of a school’s local ‘zone’ will not be permitted and inter-school events will be limited to 100 people from the local area.
Parents and spectators are not allowed on school grounds and cannot attend events held during school hours.
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Imogen Reid 10.20am: Albanese: PM promised cruise ship ban
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has again criticised the Prime Minister’s response to the Ruby Princess fiasco, saying it was Scott Morrison who said cruise ships would not be allowed to dock in Australia.
“The fact is the federal government does have a responsibility for quarantine issues, and it was the Prime Minister himself who stood up at a press conference in March and said ships will not be allowed to dock in Australia,” Mr Albanese told 2GB.
“Those were his own words. He said the Border Force were in charge, and there were federal officials on the Ruby Princess on the very day that passengers were allowed to disembark.
“We know the consequences – dozens of deaths and a massive spread of infection as people went from the Sydney Harbour right around the country.”
It comes as the opposition calls on the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to apologise over the failure of NSW Health to contain the outbreak after a report accused the health authority of “serious, inexcusable and inexplicable mistakes”.
Twenty-two people linked to the ill-fated cruise ship lost their lives to COVID-19.
READ MORE: This is just not normal
Remy Varga 9.55am: Hotel quarantine probe to start public hearings
The hotel quarantine inquiry, which is examining if every single case of the coronavirus can be linked to the bungled program, begins at 10am AEST.
First to give evidence is Lindsay Grayson, who is the director of infectious diseases at Austin Health.
You can read more about the inquiry here.
Charlie Peel 9.30am: Zero cases but Qld borders to stay shut
Queensland’s borders are likely to remain closed to Victorian residents until at least Christmas and community transmission is eradicated, Annastacia Palaszczuk says.
NSW may face similar restrictions.
There have been no new cases of coronavirus in Queensland in the past 24 hours.
The premier said it had been 28 days since there was a confirmed case of community transmission in the state.
However, the borders will remain closed to NSW and Victorian residents while community transmission continues to occur there, Ms Palaszczuk said on Monday morning.
“I think we’re going to continue to see restrictions in Victoria, I think it’s up until around Christmas time,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“That’s very unfortunate for people living down there but it’s a serious situation. You only have to look at what’s happening around the world and we definitely don’t want to see that happen here.”
There are eight cases of the virus in Queensland, with three of the infected people in hospital.
The state has recorded a total of 1091 cases since the start of the pandemic.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the government’s focus was on ensuring that border controls were tight to prevent people potentially carrying the virus from other states from entering Queensland.
Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said police were continuing to turn back people at the border.
Over the long weekend, 132 flights came into Queensland carrying 7230 passengers, 19 of whom were refused entry and 740 placed into quarantine.
At the road borders 8861 vehicles were intercepted and 594 people turned around.
“We’re still seeing large numbers of people trying to get into the state that cannot lawfully do so at the moment so the message to everyone from interstate, as you’ve heard from the chief health officer, is that if you’re coming out of Victoria NSW or the ACT it is a hot spot unless you have an exemption you will not be allowed into the state,” Mr Gollschewski said.
READ MORE: Paying for a pandemic of stupidity
Rachel Baxendale 9.10am: Numbers point to steady decline in Victorian cases
Victoria’s 282 new cases continue a trend which has seen daily case numbers fall from a peak 13 days ago on August 5.
That day, there were 725 new cases, and the seven day daily average peaked at 573. The seven day average has consistently fallen since, to 467 a week ago, and 322 on Monday.
The number of active cases peaked at 7880 last Tuesday, and was 7671 on Sunday, reflecting a trend of more people recovering from the virus than there have been new cases in recent days.
READ MORE: Frontline failings set to be exposed
Rachel Baxendale 9.05am: State suffers spike in deaths since early July
The latest deaths bring Victoria’s coronavirus death toll to 334. All but 20 of these deaths have occurred since July 4. There have been 198 deaths in the past fortnight.
Rachel Baxendale 8.45am: Victoria records 25 deaths, 282 new cases
Victoria has yet again reached a grim new milestone, recording its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic so far with 25 deaths in the 24 hours to Monday.
The previous record was 21 deaths last Wednesday.
There were 282 new COVID-19 cases in Victoria in the 24 hours to Monday.
#Covid19VicData for 17 August 2020.
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) August 16, 2020
282 new cases of #coronavirus (#COVID19) detected in Victoria in the last 24 hours. Sadly, 25 deaths were reported. We send our condolences to their families.
More detail will be provided this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/YimNIhtGj5
READ MORE: PM pushes to fix border blocks
Imogen Reid 8.30am: Moving election date not extraordinary: Ardern
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the biggest risk of moving the election date will be ensuring the 25,000 election workers are protected as they work.
She said she considered moving the election by just two weeks but was advised by the election commission that would not leave them enough time to prepare for the new date.
However, Ms Ardern said the decision is by no means an “extraordinary move.”
“It’s not one that’s constitutionally challenging, it does sit within the time frame of when an election legally needs to be held in New Zealand,” she said.
Ms Ardern has proposed that parliament will reconvene on Tuesday. It will dissolve on 6 September, while advance voting will begin on Saturday 3 October.
“COVID is the world’s new normal,” she said.
“I know the uncertainty COVID has caused is incredibly difficult. I do not intend to change the election date again.”
READ MORE: Infections would have dropped without Stage 4 limits
Imogen Reid 8.10am: NZ election postponed until October 17
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has postponed the country’s general election by four weeks due to the new outbreak of coronavirus in Auckland. The election, which had been planned for September 19, will now be held on October 17.
Ms Ardern said she had discussed the election with opposition parties to get a broad consensus on the election date. She had also taken soundings from the electoral commission.
“Having weighed up all these factors and taking wide soundings, I have decided on balance to move the election by four weeks to the 17th of October,” she said.
“At the end of the last week I was advised this date is achievable and presents no greater risk had we retained the status quo.
“I’ve also been advised by moving to a 17 October election date, the (electoral) commission will be able to leverage and draw much of the work already undertaken to deliver the election. Beginning early voting during school holidays, while having the downside of some people moving around the country, would mean that some additional facilities will become available for the purpose of early voting.”
READ MORE: This is just not normal
Imogen Reid 7.45am: Almost 300,000 new cases worldwide
Almost 300,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 worldwide in the last 24 hours, the highest daily increase of the pandemic so far.
According to the World Health Organisation, more than 294,000 people tested positive for the virus on Sunday.
It comes as cases continue to rise steadily in many countries, including France where health authorities are investigating more than 200 clusters.
The French government confirmed 3,015 new cases of the virus on Sunday following the 3,310 new cases recorded on Saturday – its highest one-day rise in infections since May.
France has reported more than 30,400 deaths from the virus since the start of the pandemic earlier this year.
The French government has pushed for tighter protections and the use of face masks for migrant workers and in slaughterhouses.
Italy registered 629 new cases of the virus in the 24 hours to Saturday for the third consecutive day.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced he had signed an ordinance requiring holiday-makers from Spain, Croatia, Malta and Greece to be tested for the virus.
“We need to maintain the utmost caution in order to defend what we have achieved so far,” he said. “People returning from these countries will now be subject to swabs.”
Meanwhile, the Governor of Georgia in the United States has signed an executive order that allows local governments to enact the use of masks.
The new order allows local governments to enforce masks in counties that have recorded 100 or more cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people over a 14 day period. The mask requirements cannot be enforced on residential property, including businesses, if the owner consents to enforcement. The order also requires the wearing of masks on government-owned property.
“While I support local control, it must be properly balanced with property rights and personal freedoms,” Governor Brian Kemp said.
Jordan will shut off an entire city near the Syrian border following the largest daily rise in coronavirus cases in four months.
The health ministry said half of the 39 cases recorded on Sunday were from Ramtha city and that truck drivers and individuals entering the city from the Jaber border were spreading the virus.
Jordan has recorded just 1,378 cases and 11 COVID-19 related deaths.
Globally, there have been more than 21.5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, while the total number of COVID-19 deaths is 772,498.
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Adeshola Ore 6.55am: Fresh wave of alerts for NSW eateries
A fresh wave of health alerts have been issued for a number of eateries across Sydney after they were visited by customers who have since tested positive for COVID-19.
NSW Health added the venues from Rose Bay, Double Bay, Bowral and Concord to its list of locations associated with known cases of coronavirus on Sunday.
People who attended these venues during the following dates and times are considered ‘casual contacts’ and should monitor symptoms and get tested and isolate if they occur:
Den Sushi Rose Bay on Saturday 8 August between 7:15pm and 8:45pm
Café Perons Double Bay on Saturday 8 August between 1pm and 2pm.
Horderns Restaurant at Milton Park Country House Hotel and Spa, Bowral on Sunday 2 August between 7:45pm and 9:15pm.
Crust Pizza, Concord on Thursday 6 August between 4pm and 8pm or Friday 7 August between 5pm and 9pm.
READ MORE: Together we can tackle eating disorders
Imogen Reid 6.45am: Parramatta court cleaned after guard tests positive
A security guard at Parramatta Local Court has sparked cluster concerns after testing positive to COVID-19.
The Communities and Justice Department confirmed a security contractor who last worked at the George St court on August 12 has since tested positive for the virus.
“As a precaution, cleaning of the courthouse is taking place today (Sunday, 16 August),” the statement said.
“Contrary to news reports, the security guard is not a Sheriff’s Officer and was not undertaking temperature checks.
“All close contacts have been identified and are being contacted by NSW Health. As a precaution, anyone who was in attendance at Parramatta Local Court between 8.30am and 12.30pm on Tuesday 11 August and Wednesday, 12 August should watch for any symptoms. Should even mild symptoms develop, they must self-isolate and seek urgent testing for COVID-19.”
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Imogen Reid 6.30am: Sydney school closes after pupil tests positive
A major Sydney school has been forced to close its doors after a student tested positive for coronavirus.
Sydney Girls High School at Moore Park in the city’s south east announced it would be closed today and HSC trial examinations will be rescheduled.
“The Department has been advised by NSW Health this morning that a student has tested positive for COVID-19,” the school said in a statement on Sunday.
“The school will be non-operational tomorrow for the onsite attendance of staff and students to allow time for the school to complete contact tracing and have the school cleaned.
“The trial HSC examination planned for tomorrow will not take place”
It follows the Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook being cleared by authorities of breaking public health orders after it was linked to 21 cases.
NSW recorded five new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. Four of them are linked to known clusters, while one was being investigated.
READ MORE: PM pushes premiers to help border communities
Geoff Chambers 6.05am: Builders pitch for $5.1bn to avoid ‘bloodbath’
Australia’s building industry is pushing for $5.1bn in additional stimulus packages to protect jobs and avoid a COVID-19 “bloodbath”, as grim new forecasts predict a dramatic slump across the residential and commercial construction sectors.
The nation’s peak building lobby group will reveal dire outlooks for the sector on Monday, forecasting a 27 per cent drop in residential building activity and the largest dive in commercial building activity since 1976.
Master Builders Australia is pushing the Morrison government to back a new $3.8bn CommunityBuilder scheme, supporting the commercial construction sector through funding boosts for projects valued up to $5m, and a 12-month extension to the HomeBuilder program.
As the federal government closely monitors construction activity, made worse by the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Victoria, Josh Frydenberg on Monday will deliver a major boost for tradies across the country under a new national licensing framework.
READ the full story here.
Remy Varga 6.00am: Security guards to front hotel quarantine inquiry
Security guards will give evidence this week at the inquiry into the hotel quarantine program believed responsible for Victoria’s second wave of the coronavirus.
Public hearings begin on Monday, with evidence first up to be given by infectious disease experts at the board of inquiry being overseen by former judge Jennifer Coate.
First to give evidence is Lindsay Grayson, who is the director of infectious diseases at Austin Health, followed by Ben Howden, who is director of The Doherty Institute‘s microbiology diagnostic unit. Victorian Department of Health and Human Service epidemiologist Charles Alpren will give evidence on Tuesday.
From Thursday, returning international travellers who were detained in the program as well as staffers, including security guards, will give evidence.
Reports of poor infection control, including allegations guards had sex with returned travellers, will be examined.
The start of inquiry has been delayed by the introduction of stage-four lockdown restrictions to combat Victoria’s second wave of the coronavirus.
READ the full story here.
Yoni Bashan 5.45am: Tougher rules for cruise ship passengers
Every passenger and crew member aboard an incoming cruise ship will be required to declare they do not have symptoms for COVID-19 under a set of enhanced protocols being considered by federal officials in the aftermath of the Ruby Princess catastrophe.
Discussions between the federal government and state and territory jurisdictions, will involve strengthening mandatory pre-arrival reporting requirements to ensure anyone on board a cruise liner, and the vessel itself, is flagged with health officials if they are potentially infected with the pathogen.
Lying about these symptoms could incur a significant penalty, a government official said. Currently, breaches of the Biosecurity Act for false or misleading reporting can incur a $26,640 fine or up to two years in prison.
The updated measures have been driven largely by federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and came into effect on July 29 for commercial vessels, while the Ruby Princess inquiry was still being finalised. Discussions are continuing to extend the enhanced protocols to cruise ships once they are permitted to sail to Australia.
READ the full story here
Adeshola Ore 5.30am: Rick Stein restaurant outbreak raises rural fears
British TV chef Rick Stein’s coastal NSW restaurant was forced to close briefly at the weekend because of a coronavirus case, sparking concerns about the virus reaching rural areas.
The threat of the virus is ever present after the state recorded it’s 54th death at the weekend — a man in his 80s.
NSW south coast resident Antonia Becerra, 31, lives in Milton, which neighbours Mollymook where Rick Stein at Bannisters is located. “Last summer, we were absolutely consumed by a natural disaster and this summer we’re facing the possibility of an economic disaster if we can’t welcome tourists back to the area,” she said.
“My concern is if we keep having little outbreaks on the south coast, we will delay our return to normality. Our economy can’t survive that.”
Shoalhaven City councillor Andrew Guile said he shared locals’ concerns about the virus being brought into the region but would not support a ban on intrastate travel. “It is a matter of balancing priorities, though, because a lot of people who live and work on the south coast of NSW, particularly in Shoalhaven, owe their livelihoods to visitors, particularly from Sydney and Canberra,” he said. “But I’m not sure banning interstate travel would work at this point.”
READ the full story here.
Pesutto in last-ditch race to save role
Embattled Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto is facing a likely spill motion next week as foes mull how to engineer a bloodless coup.
Joy greets cardinal nod for Aussie-based Ukrainian
Bishop Mykola Bychok’s appointment to cardinal has come as ‘unexpected but wonderful news’.