Coronavirus Australia live news: PM ‘supported bonk ban to keep Christian vote’
Ahead of tonight’s Four Corners expose, Barnaby Joyce says he ‘did not think for a moment’ he was the only minister who had an affair with a staff member.
- Source of NSW cluster unknown
- State whole again as ring of steel rusts away
- Flu deaths plummet during pandemic
- CSL to mass-produce COVID-19 Vaccine before trials
Welcome to our live coverage as the federal Parliament begins sitting for another week amid the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Scott Morrison has welcomed the election of Joe Biden as the next US president. The PM has also said he was unaware of the content of an upcoming Four Corners episode set to investigate the alleged mingling of the professional and personal lives of two cabinet ministers.
Travellers may be stranded for three days before entering Queensland, police say, despite a modernised pass system. After 124 days, Victoria is whole again, with the ring of steel dividing Melbourne from the regions scrapped at midnight on Sunday as part of a wider relaxation of restrictions. The state has recorded its 10th day of zero cases.
AFP 10pm: Hungary to enter partial lockdown
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced a partial lockdown aimed at curbing a surge in coronavirus deaths and cases.
The measures, due to start on Wednesday, include an extension of an existing night-time curfew, a ban on gatherings, closures of restaurants and cultural venues, Mr Orban said in a Facebook video on Monday.
The restrictions, to last for at least 30 days, need parliamentary approval on Tuesday for a state of emergency that allows for government rule by decree, said Mr Orban
Stephen Lunn 9.30pm: Big joy in little things no longer denied
Melburnians spent the first day of their newest “new normal” basking in a perfect late spring day and finding renewed joy in small things denied them for more than three months.
With just four active COVID-19 cases across the entire state and 10 successive days of no new infections, the government’s latest relaxation of coronavirus restrictions is a fresh reminder of how constricted life in Melbourne had become.
The city had only just become used to sitting down for breakfast or a coffee rather than shuffling around outside waiting for a takeaway when some restrictions were eased two weeks ago.
Remy Varga 9pm: Masks part of our armour, Melbourne told
Victorians are set to wear masks into summer, with the state’s contact tracing chief Jeroen Weimar saying mandatory rules on wearing face coverings played a crucial role in preventing a third wave of coronavirus.
On Monday, Victoria recorded its 10th consecutive day of no new cases and deaths, with the state’s rolling 14-day average falling to just 0.4.
One case was detected last night but was determined upon review to be a false positive, with public health experts chalking up the test result to “viral shedding”.
Adam Creighton 8.30pm: Quarantine ‘could be cut to eight days’
The standard 14-day mandatory quarantine to stop the coronavirus from entering Australia could safely be cut to eight or nine days for international arrivals from lower-risk nations, boosting travel and adding about $86bn a year to national income.
Mandatory quarantine for travellers from very low-risk nations, such as New Zealand and Thailand, based on their coronavirus loads, could be slashed to zero, according to new research by Andrew Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation and the Burnet Institute of medical research.
“Australia could quickly, safely and sensibly manage the reopening of our interstate and international borders — turbocharging the nation’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 recession,” said Steve Burrnell, Minderoo’s chief researcher on the project.
Amanda Hodge 8pm: Suu Kyi’s party on course for victory
Myanmar voters defied predictions of lower turnout in Sunday’s elections amid a COVID-19 surge and disillusionment with Aung San Suu Kyi’s government, coming out in large numbers to support civilian rule in only the second democratic polls in the nation for half a century.
As voting continued on Monday, a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy said the party’s internal polling showed it had won enough seats to form the next government and was awaiting formal confirmation from the Union Election Commission.
“We have won almost every seat in the (Buddhist-majority) regions,” Myo Nyun told the Frontier Myanmar news site. “We are leading in all of the seats where we won in 2015. Based on the figures from our township offices, we can say that we will be able to form government.”
Anthony Loyd 7.30pm: COVID rules in war zones
Some Taliban do, most do not. PKK guerillas generally refrain. Jihadist brides might. The SAS never would. Covid rules in war zones are much simpler than the labyrinthine sets of restrictions imposed on societies at peace, and when it comes to wearing masks most of those in areas of conflict choose not to bother: war has more pressing concerns.
Nevertheless, despite priorities being very different, during pandemic-era travels through Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria I noticed there was often consensus between the scientists advising the British government and those embroiled in campaigns in far-flung corners of a troubled world.
Insurgent groups and western special forces, for example, have both observed the benefits of fighting away from built-up areas in minimising the likelihood of corona transmission. Indeed, small-unit warfare in mountainous conditions involves an especially low R number, and despite regular casualties from Turkish drones the PKK claim to have experienced not a single case of corona among their fighters in the valleys along the Iranian, Iraqi and Turkish frontiers.
AFP 6.50pm: Central bank sees French GDP down 9-10pc
France’s central bank expects the country’s economic activity to decline between 9 and 10 per cent in 2020, its chief Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Monday.
The Banque de France had forecast in September that economic activity, or GDP, would decline by 8.7 per cent this year.
But that was before the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in France last month, which led the government to impose a second lockdown.
The bank estimated that the new lockdown will cost the nation’s economy 12 per cent of GDP compared to a normal week in November.
Restaurants, non-food retail and recreation activities are being hit the worst, it estimated.
READ MORE: Christmas planning a numbers game
Greg Brown 6.20pm: PM ‘supported bonk ban to keep Christian vote’
Barnaby Joyce has accused Scott Morrison of supporting the “bonk ban” because he wanted to “keep the Christian vote” after the deputy prime minister’s affair with a former staffer became public.
Ahead of a Four Corners episode that is expected to outline details of a dalliance of a senior MP, Mr Joyce said he “did not think for a moment” he was the only minister who had an affair with a staff member.
Mr Joyce said he marched into Malcolm Turnbull’s office when the former prime minister announced a ban on ministers sleeping with their staff only to see Scott Morrison, the then treasurer, with him.
“I was led to believe that Mr Morrison thought it was important to keep the Christian vote,” Mr Joyce told The Australian.
“That’s why a strong position was taken against me. I disagree that the parliament has a role in deliberating against two consenting adults. I did not think and never did for a moment think that my position was unique.
“But what I can say, in regards to other people, it was none of my business.”
Mr Joyce said he was frustrated the personal issue was the reason he was forced to resign as deputy prime minister.
“I don’t believe that these people should be persecuted because of a personal issue, that is between them and their wife and their God,” Mr Joyce said.
“I’m still perplexed as to why the approach was so different for me? Or was it nothing about my personal life but a lot to do with my politics that they didn’t like?
“I have seen Gladys get a leave pass and good luck to her. No doubt that this will be a big issue for a couple of nights and then all move on. For me the pursuit was from both sides of the parliament and it was absolutely and utterly ferocious.”
The Prime Minister’s office has been contacted for comment.
Rosie Lewis 5.49pm: ABC boss quizzed on Four Corners report
ABC managing director David Anderson says he received about half a dozen emails from Liberal ministers’ offices questioning if tonight’s Four Corners program - which exposes a “toxic culture”, “women problem” and “power imbalance” between ministers and their staff - was in the public interest.
Mr Anderson said the program did look broadly at cultural issues in Parliament House but had a specific focus on Liberal ministers because they were subject to the ministerial code of conduct.
“This story started as something else. The genesis of this story was in regards to women during the pandemic. Four Corners were in touch with women who were in Parliament House,” Mr Anderson told a Senate estimates hearing.
“What people came to us with was concern over a culture and a culture was considered to be a toxic culture that was otherwise characterised as a women problem and allegations that are serious allegations that sat in there.”
It also looks at “what is otherwise a power imbalance or potential abuse of power” from some ministers towards their staff.
Mr Anderson said the correspondence from ministers’ offices suggested the ABC should retain the documentation they had obtained during the production of the story.
He had not been contacted by Scott Morrison’s office about the story and did not see any “direct threat” from the emails.
“What I saw was someone claiming that the questions needed to be more specific, but the questions were quite specific,” Mr Anderson said.
The report has gone through all relevant departments in the ABC, Mr Anderson said, including legal.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull introduced the so-called bonk ban in February 2018 after it emerged then Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was having an affair with his staffer Vikki Campion, who was pregnant at the time and is now the mother of his two sons.
Scott Morrison was one of the strongest supporters of the ban and included it in his ministerial standards when he became Prime Minister in August 2018.
The standards state: “Ministers must not engage in sexual relations with their staff. Doing so will constitute a breach of this code.”
Mr Morrison on Monday said he did not know what allegations were contained in the Four Corners report but his government expected the ABC “act in an independent and an unbiased, apartisan way”.
“If they’re going to make enquiries, I would think they’d want to do them across the political spectrum and it’s really for the ABC under their charter to remain true to that,” he said.
Mr Morrison said the bonk ban ensured federal parliament had the “right sort of a workplace”.
AFP 4.55pm: ‘Plantdemic’ hits Philippines
A gardening craze dubbed the “plantdemic” has spread across the Philippines after coronavirus restrictions fuelled demand for greenery, sending plant prices soaring and sparking a rise in poaching from public parks and protected forests.
Photos of delicate flowers and broad-leafed foliage cultivated in backyards and on balconies have flooded social media as housebound Filipinos turn to nature to relieve stress and boredom.
“It’s unbelievable. People are super interested in plants these days,” said landscape gardener Alvin Chingcuangco, who has seen prices for some varieties of monsteras reach 55,000 pesos ($1569) each, compared with 800 pesos before the pandemic.
Manila plant seller Arlene Gumera-Paz said her daily turnover tripled after she reopened her doors following months of lockdown.
Demand remained robust even as prices for the most popular varieties of indoor plants, such as alocasias, spider plants and peace lilies, doubled or even quadrupled.
“It’s hard to understand people. When plants were cheap, they were ignored,” said the 40-year-old, who buys her plants in bulk from growers in nearby provinces.
But as demand has grown, authorities have warned that many plants on the market may not have been legally obtained.
Rangers patrolling the forests of Zamboanga in the country’s south for illegal loggers and wildlife poachers were ordered to watch out for plant thieves, after officials noticed some species posted on social media could only be found in the region’s protected areas.
“Prior to the pandemic we hadn’t observed many plant poachers,” said Maria Christina Rodriguez, Zamboanga regional director for the Department of Energy and Natural Resources.
“This only became popular during lockdown.”
Long-time gardener Ivy Bautista, 30, said tending her plants helped to “kill boredom” and earn some money by selling cuttings from her extensive collection.
But she opposes the “insane” prices charged by other sellers, fearing it could drive plant poaching.
“It’s ridiculous, a plant that I purchased for 400 pesos is now selling for 5000 pesos,” she said.
In an editorial titled “Plantdemic” last month, the Philippine Daily Inquirer decried the high prices being charged and urged buyers to get their plants from sellers “with legitimate, lawful sources”.
READ MORE: Christmas planning a numbers game
James Hall 4.30pm Three-day delay for Queensland border entry
Travellers may be stranded for three days before entering Queensland, police say, despite a modernised pass system.
The border, which remains closed to Sydney and all of Victoria, reopened to regional NSW last week, after being cleared for residents of some other states.
But Aussies keen to enter the Sunshine State are causing headaches for police, who say they are arriving at the border with the wrong forms.
Police insist the new format will reduce confusion by auto-selecting passes for applicants based on the information provided.
The new, updated system will come into effect on Tuesday and will streamline processing individual cases through an online application form.
Those hoping to enter the Sunshine State will be required to upload supporting documents for validation, but it could take up to three business days.
“This is an automated system to remove confusion and assist in speeding up processing at the border,” Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said.
“The improvements to the system will further reduce the risk to Queenslanders by strengthening enforcement measures on those who seek to enter our state with false declarations.
“While most people coming into Queensland do the right thing, there have been a number of instances of people attempting to blatantly disobey the directions and make false declarations.
“The new improvements address concerns and give a very clear message that if you don’t have a valid border pass, you will not be granted access into Queensland.”
Newswire
READ MORE: How to lose lockdown weight
AFP 4pm: Algerian President’s health ‘improving’
The health of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who contracted COVID-19 , is “constantly improving”, the presidency says.
Mr Tebboune, who is 74 and a heavy smoker, has been treated in a specialised hospital in Germany since October 28.
The President “is in the process of completing his treatment... and his state of health is constantly improving”, the statement said.
Mr Tebboune was transferred from a hospital in the Algerian capital. Algiers. to Germany shortly after going into self-isolation following reports of novel coronavirus cases among his aides.
He was admitted to “one of the largest specialised hospitals in Germany” to undergo “in-depth medical examinations”, the presidency added.
The President’s illness meant he was out of the country for a November 1 referendum on a revised constitution seen as aimed at burying a mass protest movement and boosting Mr Tebboune, who was elected on a record low turnout last December.
The constitutional referendum, which passed with two-thirds of the vote, saw participation plunge to new lows with just 23.7 per cent of registered voters casting ballots, according to official data.
In a separate statement, Mr Tebboune conveyed his “sincere thanks to the people” for their interest in his condition, according to the presidency.
He also expressed thanks to leaders and governments of other countries for their messages of support, it said.
Algeria’s government on Sunday moved to strengthen measures to combat the spread of the virus in the country, extending a night-time curfew already in place in 20 of the country’s 48 regions to a further nine areas.
The curfew will start at 8pm, local time, three hours earlier than previous restrictions, but will still end each morning at 5am.
The new measures will come into effect from Tuesday for 15 days, authorities said.
READ MORE: Flu deaths plummet during restrictions
Agencies 3.26pm: Biden set to name virus team as global cases pass 50m
The global tally of people infected by the coronavirus shot past 50 million on Tuesday (AEDT), as United States President-elect Joe Biden geared up to name the scientists who will lead the country’s response to its disastrous outbreak.
The work ahead in the next 73 days will be the foundation for an administration that puts the health, safety, and character of our communities first.
— Biden-Harris Presidential Transition (@Transition46) November 8, 2020
Learn how the Biden-Harris transition will move forward at https://t.co/97NKAZksSLhttps://t.co/No1DQqI4gx
The incoming leader made the pledge in his first speech since being projected as the winner of the presidential election, signaling he plans to prioritize the pandemic from the outset.
Covid-19 has left more than 237,000 people dead in the US and is surging across the country, which last week voted out Donald Trump in a nailbiting poll.
“On Monday I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as transition advisers to help take the Biden-Harris plan and convert it into an actual blueprint that will start on January 20, 2021,” Mr Biden told supporters, referring to the day he will be sworn in as commander-in-chief and get the keys to the White House.
“The team being assembled will meet these challenges on Day One,” his new transition website said.
According to a Johns Hopkins University tracker, the number of cases in the US is nearing 10 million and shows no sign of slowing, despite Mr Trump’s claim the world’s biggest economy is “rounding the corner.” — AFP
READ MORE: Biden’s cabinet to transform US politics
Richard Ferguson 2.20pm: Albanese calls for every US vote to be counted
Anthony Albanese has called for every vote in the United States election to be counted, as defeated US president Donald Trump refuses to accept the results.
After Scott Morrison welcomed President-Elect Joe Biden’s victory in question time and called him a man of grit and integrity, the Opposition Leader said Australia had to stand for democracy abroad.
Congratulations to @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris on a victory delivered with record support with a progressive agenda based on decency, honest government, creating opportunity and dealing with the pandemic and the challenge of climate change
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 7, 2020
“I know Joe Biden. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him. I know firsthand that he is a great friend of Australia,” Mr Albanese told parliament.
“We must always speak up in favour of democracy, in favour of having every vote counted. One-person-one-vote, one value.
“And while we witness the strength of US democracy, we also see the dangerous circus of conspiracy theories casting shadows and doubt. They should be called out for the nonsense that they are ... We need top stand up for democratic values here and abroad.”
READ MORE: Bramston — Biden’s path to the presidency
Richard Ferguson 2.12pm: Morrison welcomes Biden’s grit, integrity
Scott Morrison says US President Joe Biden is a man of grit and integrity as he welcomes the Democrat’s election victory in the House of Representatives.
Before question time kicked off on Monday, the Prime Minister said the US-Australia relationship will go from strength to strength under Mr Biden’s leadership.
“President-elect Biden has been a good friend of Australia over many, many years. There is a shared affinity,” Mr Morrison said.
“President-elect Biden once said this about Australians: “In my view, Australians are defined by their character, by the grit, by their integrity, their unyielding resilience.”
“ Having witnessed the President-elect’s personal and public journey over many years, I believe we can say the same of him - a man of grit, character, integrity and unyielding resilience. Australia looks forward to working with him on the many challenges the world faces.”
Mr Morrison has written to Mr Biden and invited him and incoming First Lady Jill Biden to Australia next year to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS defence treaty.
In question time, Mr Morrison also thanked defeated Republican incumbent Donald Trump for his support for Australia and said they will continue to work together till his term ends next January.
READ MORE: Gottliebsen — JSF doomed under Biden
Angelica Snowden 1.43pm: Biden presidency to add pressure on PM over climate
A former US government official says a Biden presidency could put more pressure on Scott Morrison’s government to commit to clearer goals on preventing climate change.
Kim Hoggard — who worked with the Ronald Reagan and George H. W Bush administrations — said Mr Morrison’s government would be under pressure to respond to a change in global rhetoric after Joe Biden committed to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“Joe Biden has already said he will be rejoining the Paris Accord, he will be rejoining the World Health Organisation and those are the two most important things America needs to address the pandemic and climate change,” Ms Hoggard told 2GB.
“That will put some pressure on the Australian government to respond maybe on carbon emission targets and it’s an opportunity for the Australian government to rethink it’s position around that,” she said.
Mr Morrison’s government would welcome back a US that is “engaged with the world” and not an “America first isolationist policy”.
“(There will be) a little less of the high tension and the strong rhetoric towards China and a more diplomatic approach around the trade issues and the serious regional security issues,” she said.
“The government will welcome that stability that a Biden administration will bring back to the international community.”
READ MORE: Young support super funds on climate change
Greg Brown 1.26pm: Albanese: I didn’t suggest PM should phone Trump
Anthony Albanese has claimed he never asked Scott Morrison to phone Donald Trump and ask him to concede the election.
The Opposition Leader was privately ridiculed in Labor ranks for urging the Prime Minister on Friday to “contact” the US President and ask him to respect the democratic process.
“Scott Morrison has a close relationship with President Trump. We saw that when he attended the de facto campaign rally in Ohio with President Trump,” Mr Albanese said on Friday.
“He should be contacting President Trump and conveying Australia’s strong view that democratic processes must be respected.”
On Monday, Mr Albanese denied he urged Mr Morrison to call Mr Trump.
“I didn’t suggest that, ever. What I suggested was that Scott Morrison needed to show in some way, that was one way he could have done it, demonstrate support for our democratic principles at a time when members of the Australian government have been out there questioning the democratic process,” Mr Albanese said.
If you question the democratic process in one country, you question it everywhere. And the fact is that there is a very clear outcome in the United States, its institutions have worked well, and the Prime Minister acknowledged that yesterday in saying that the United States “President-elect Joe Biden was indeed the President-elect, prior to Donald Trump conceding.
The fact is that the Prime Minister has had a very close relationship with Donald Trump.”
READ MORE: Shanahan — If Albanese wants to be PM he should behave like one
Perry Williams 12.01pm: China’s coal imports fall 47pc
China’s coal imports for October fell by 47 per cent compared with a year earlier and declined 27 per cent on the September level reflecting the country’s strict import quotas, CBA said.
Policymakers are reportedly targeting total coal imports of ~270Mt in 2020, implying a 29 per cent fall in China’s coal imports is required in November and December.
“We knew policymakers were looking to curb imports after domestic thermal coal prices dropped below China’s target range of RMB 500‑570/t from mid‑April to mid‑May. However, prices are currently above RMB 600/t and have now been above the target range since mid‑September,” CBA commodity analyst Vivek Dhar said.
“While that would usually give pause to China’s coal import restrictions, we don’t think any policy relaxation is likely for the remainder of 2020.”
Australian coal miners could be forced to sell “distressed” cargoes at a discount as China looks to restrict imports of both thermal and coking coal, according to consulting major Wood Mackenzie.
China’s latest crackdown on Australian coal comes amid speculation ongoing trade tensions between Canberra and Beijing are to blame, after Chinese authorities slapped tariffs on Australian barley earlier this year.
Australia’s two other biggest commodity export earners remain in mixed shape with China’s iron ore imports rising by 15 per cent in October on the prior year and gas imports up 15 per cent on the prior year though down 13 per cent on September levels.
“China’s demand for iron ore has increased on the back of strong steel demand and positive steel mill margins,” Mr Dhar said.
Gas imports will also likely grow.
“China’s gas demand is expected to continue rising over the next few months due to a cold winter. That likely means there is room for China’s gas imports to grow alongside resilient Chinese production,” CBA said.
READ more at Trading Day
Angelica Snowden 11.41am: Source of latest NSW cluster still uknown
The source of a COVID outbreak in the southern highlands region has not yet been identified, NSW Health says.
“We are concerned that other people in the broader Southern Highlands area may have unrecognised infection,” NSW Health said in a statement.
NSW Health also called on people in Rouse Hill — a suburb to the north west of Sydney’s CBD — to get tested after a sewage surveillance program detected traces of the virus in the area.
The catchment takes sewage from approximately 120,000 people.
“The positive sewage result can be due to shedding of the virus by someone who may have previously had the illness, with the virus ‘shedding’ through their system for up to six to eight weeks later,” they said.
“The last locally acquired case who lives in this area was reported on Tuesday 8 September so there are concerns that other people living or working in the area may have the infection without knowing it.”
Seven coronavirus cases were reported in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine with 9499 tests reported to 8pm last night.
READ MORE: Melbourne Airbnb host suspended for rejecting black guest
Angelica Snowden 11.11am: NSW records another day of zero cases
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were in the state overnight.
Australian Elimination 🚌 may need to be dusted off, after NSW stretches to 3 🩠& VIC on a fabulous 10 🩠run. Even if has to be the “Zero Community Transmission†🚌 I’ll be happy to climb aboard. Brilliant work @NSWHealth, again. https://t.co/qBB16tWBf4
— Greg Dore (@GregDore2) November 9, 2020
Despite the result, Ms Berejiklian urged residents not to let their guard down ahead of borders opening with Victoria on November 23.
NSW Health Update and Alerts.#covid19nsw pic.twitter.com/Z3lZXXXm4M
— BigBadDenis ⚪💻💪 (@BigBadDenis) November 9, 2020
Ms Berejiklian said the hundreds of thousands of revellers who usually flock to Sydney’s streets and parks to watch New Years Eve fireworks will not be allowed to gather in public spaces in the CBD.
“We will have some designated areas but they will be dedicated to frontline workers as a thank you to them,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The vast majority of us will be enjoying the celebrations from home,” she said.
“But we are encouraging people if they can afford it to consider spending New Year’s Eve at a hospitality venue to support that industry.”
She said people will be able to book a table at a restaurant, pubs and clubs in Sydney and she expected the CBD to be full.
Ms Berejiklian also confirmed there would not be 9pm fireworks and the midnight display would only run for a few minutes.
READ MORE: Cheap mouthwash may be a Covid killer
Angelica Snowden 10.43am: China export stoppages ‘yet to materialise’
The federal government remains concerned about trade tensions with China but anticipated stoppages of some exports has not yet materialised, trade minister Simon Birmingham says.
Senator Birmingham said he would raise concerns with the World Trade Organisation if Australian exports were unfairly stopped from entering China.
“In terms of the actual practicalities of trade flows into China we have been monitoring, as you would expect, very closely over recent days the flow of certain goods,” Senator Birmingham told the ABC.
“And some of the predictions that have been made about complete blanket stoppages occurring at China’s borders have not materialised,” he said.
“There remain points of concern, particularly in relation to the length of time of testing regimes for certain goods, such as the lobsters entering the China market where because of the time sensitive nature of that product it needs to be sped up.”
Despite concerns major Australian exports would be halted over the weekend, Senator Birmingham said there were “positive signs” for some seafoods and wine.
“We’re seeing other categories in relation to seafood (getting through customs),” he said.
“We’re seeing some positive signs in relation to the wine sector which had been talked about as well.
“Chinese authorities publicly and privately have denied that sort of application of a blanket ban, and we would hope that they are true to their word in that regard, and thus far, as I say, we’re seeing that there is movement at the border, if you like, in terms of goods still progressing.”
READ MORE: Kohler — Why Trump’s vote spells danger for Labor
Remy Varga 10.36am: Victoria down to just four active cases
Victoria’s coronavirus testing commander Jeroen Weimar says there are only four cases active in the state, with two in hospital.
He said a positive case was detected last night but upon review the case was deemed to viral shedding.
“It was an old case that had previously quarantined out of the state,” he said.
Mr Weimar says the number of children undergoing coronavirus testing has increased with the resumption of classroom learning.
He told reporters on Monday that around a quarter of Victorians undergoing testing were under the age of 19.
“I’d like to in particular thank and give a big shout to all the parents and schools,” he said.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of children coming forward to get tested as children are going back to school.
Mr Weimar said common colds and flus were beginning to reappear as life returned to normal.
“As we’re seeing a bit more contact between people as colds and flus are starting to make a bit of a comeback and we are seeing more children with symptoms,” he said.
“It’s fantastic that schools and parents are being very vigilant in ensuring that any child who is showing any symptoms is getting tested.”
Mr Weimar said masks would stay for the foreseeable future, saying it was only around two weeks ago that stage-four restrictions, with further changes scheduled before the end of the month.
“It’s a low cost, easy thing to do that makes a material difference in reducing the risk of transmission,
“That continues to be our position and we think it’s a really important part of our armory to prevent the resurgence of the coronavirus, and until that changes will continue to encourage people to wear masks when they’re outdoors.”
READ MORE: Benson — Stability key as voters ride out the virus
David Swan 10.24am: Need for speed continues, says NBN
The company building the National Broadband Network says the bumper demand from the COVID-19 pandemic has not subsided, with 80 per cent of Australians selecting superfast plans of 50 megabits-per-second and above.
READ the full story here
John Durie 10.07am: It’s the virus, stupid
A return to normalcy is the most common refrain from the US since the Biden election and for stock markets that means trade based on COVID and the US Fed.
No more late night policy by Twitter.
It is fitting Joe Biden’s first policy announcement, due Monday night our time, is naming an eminent group to lead the attack on COVID which is wreaking havoc through the US.
Without controlling the virus other policies take second fiddle.
READ John Durie’s full analysis here
David Rogers 10.00am: ASX set to extend gains after Biden victory
Australia’s share market is set to extend last week’s strong rise amid early signs of a positive reaction to Joe Biden claiming a narrow win for Democrats in the US election.
Friday night futures relative to fair value suggested the S&P/ASX 200 would open up 0.4pc at 6215 but that gain could be extended if US index futures rise today.
AUD/USD and NZD/USD are up about 0.3pc this morning suggesting global risk assets may react positively to the weekend news.
On Friday, the risk appetite was encouraged by stronger than expected US jobs data and a further retreat in the VIX index to 25.4pc.
But Wall Street was flat, as Tech and Health Care outperformed while Energy and Financials fell.
Charts still give scope for a 7pc fall in the major US indexes from resistance lines of potential symmetrical triangle patterns, although negative catalysts seem lacking now.
FOLLOW live ASX updates at Trading Day
Angelica Snowden 9.54am: Mandatory masks for outdoors ‘should ease’
Mandatory use of masks should be eased outdoors in Victoria as the state recorded its tenth straight say of no new COVID-19 cases, epidemiologist Catherine Bennett says.
Deakin University’s chair of epidemiology made the comment after the Department of Health and Human Services revealed there were just four active cases in the state and two with an unknown source. No deaths were reported.
“We are pivoting towards prevention mode where we have really brought the second wave under control,” Professor Bennett told the Seven network.
“So with these extra restrictions being eased in Metro Melbourne and all of Victoria aligned and the ring of steel down I think we can now focus on prevention going ahead,” she said.
Professor Bennett said while face masks should still be part of the state’s COVID prevention strategy, health authorities could start to allow people to be outdoors without them.
“I think in the weeks ahead if we keep these numbers really low we can start to focus on indoors or places where you can’t keep a distance,” she said.
“We’re probably ready to ease off in the outdoors but at the same time we do want people to keep them indoors and in particular, on public transport,
“So I think that’s where we might track but at the moment the Premier still wants them there, and I think we are looking at a few weeks yet.”
READ MORE: Credit for success is due as is responsibility for all the failures
Remy Varga 9.47am: Victoria records 10th straight day of zero cases
Yesterday there were 0 new cases and 0 lives lost reported. 10,653 test results were received. There are 4 active cases. There are 2 cases with unknown source. More info: https://t.co/pcll7ySEgz#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/IQo6JcpPkL
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) November 8, 2020
Victoria’s contact tracing chief Jeroen Weimar is due to provide an update on the state’s coronavirus recovery at 10.30am.
It comes after Victoria recorded it’s 10th consecutive day of zero new cases and deaths.
Angelica Snowden 9.29am: Andrews lockdown went to far — maybe: Labor MP
Daniel Andrews “maybe” went too hard with a lockdown in Victoria to cope with the state’s second wave of COVID-19 but families will be able to reunite for Christmas as a result, Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon says.
“The success in Victoria has obviously come at the huge economic cost and Victorians can go into the Christmas period with the confidence now that there will be no third wave and the economy can get into some form of normality into the New Year,” Mr Fitzgibbon told the Seven network.
“Did Dan Andrews go too hard? Well maybe history will determine that,” he said.
“But I think that people will be reuniting with their loved ones over Christmas … and we can be pretty confident that when the place opens up it will remain open and that has always been the main goal.”
Mr Fitzgibbon also said the latest Newspoll figures — which showed Anthony Albanese’s approval ratings have inched closer to Scott Morrison — were a “good boost” for the Labor leader.
“Once we get beyond this, and hopefully we do sometime soon, we will open up the real contest of ideas about which party offers most in areas of equality and opportunity and aspiration for families, both economically and socially,” he said.
“That is where we will be focused after COVID-19 and then I think we will see different results coming out of the opinion polling.”
READ MORE: Creighton — A step into the unknown putting theory in practice
Angelica Snowden 9.08am: Biden needs to keep Trump voters on board: Joyce
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has congratulated Joe Biden as the new president but warned he will need to win over the “massive number” of people who voted for Donald Trump.
“Remember Biden had the largest popular vote in American history, but the second largest was Trump,” Mr Joyce told the Seven network.
“There was a massive number of people who voted for Trump and he needs to keep them on board,” he said.
Despite welcoming Mr Biden’s ascension to the presidency, he said the US needed to stay “strong” and warned the age of the president-elect could subdue its superpower status.
“It is in our interest, in our interest, that America (continues) to be a world superpower so they have to bring the show back together,” he said.
“Congratulations to Mr Biden, but 78 years old, Kamala Harris is 56, there is a very good chance she will become the president of the United States herself.”
READ MORE: Paul Kelly — America delivered a new chance
Richard Ferguson 8.49am: Morrison welcomes Biden’s commitment to Paris
Scott Morrison has welcomed US president-elect Joe Biden’s commitment to reenter the Paris climate action agreement, and says his government will stick with its current emissions policy.
Mr Biden ran on a pro-climate action platform and will commit the United States to a 2050 net zero carbon emissions target when he takes office next January.
Anthony Albanese has used Mr Biden’s victory to pressure the Prime Minister to adopt a bigger climate target, but Mr Morrison says his government is on track to beat the Paris emission targets.
“Australia will also set its policies on Australia’s national interests,” he said in Canberra.
“We would be welcoming the US back into the Paris Agreement, somewhere we’ve always been. We are committed to Paris, we were committed prior to that to Kyoto. We met and beat our Kyoto targets and we believe we’ll do the same to our Paris commitments.
“Our 2030 targets are set and we’ll meet them ... Labor have walked from every 2030 target, our commitment to Paris is even stronger than the Labor Party’s because we have a target and we’ll meet it and we have a plan.”
READ MORE: Asia-Pacific will have Democrats’ full attention
Angelica Snowden 8.44am: Biden shows ‘centre-left’ parties can unite on climate
Penny Wong says Joe Biden’s election as US president shows “centre-left” parties can unite people and champion an “ambitious climate platform”.
“As the Shadow Foreign Minister the US alliance is a cornerstone of our foreign policy regardless of who is in the White House,” Senator Wong told the ABC.
“And it demonstrates what centre-left parties can do when you bring people together, present a platform, including an ambitious climate platform,” she said.
“It’s a great moment for America and a great moment for the world to see a new administration elected with a very substantial climate agenda — one that really does isolate Scott Morrison.”
Senator Wong welcomed Mr Biden’s election and said the Trump administration failed to effectively manage Australia’s alliance with the US during the last four years.
“What the Trump Administration has done … is advocate on a range of issues, a position that we did not believe is in Australia’s interest,” she said.
“We did not believe that the erosion of multilateral institutions, whether the World Trade Organisation or the World Health Organisation, has been in Australia’s interests and we said so and we said that the Government should say so.”
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Angelica Snowden 8.38am: Wong ‘deeply concerned’ about China trade row
Penny Wong says Australia must act against China amid concerns it is “unreasonably” blocking exports including lobster, wine and coal.
The opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman said she was “deeply concerned” about the consequences of an escalating trade war.
“Whenever any country unreasonably blocks our exports, we do have to act,” Senator Wong told the ABC.
“We are deeply concerned about the consequences for our exporters and the consequences for Australia’s economy about the sorts of trade problems we are seeing with China,” she said.
“I have to say, you know, I think that the government’s go it alone advice to exporters is not helpful.”
Senator Wong said exporters should not be expected to find another market.
“We see reports that what exporters are being told is - find another market,” she said.
“Well, we can’t just leave our exporters to go it alone, and the Government really needs to ensure that it advocates and supports our export sectors.”
READ MORE: Simandou a mixed blessing
Richard Ferguson 8.27am: PM unaware of ABC ‘mingling’ allegations
Scott Morrison says he is unaware of the content of an upcoming Four Corners episode set to investigate the alleged mingling of the professional and personal lives of two cabinet ministers.
The Australian revealed on Monday that government figures have directly contacted ABC managing director David Anderson and members of the ABC board over the programme.
The Prime Minister said on Monday he expected the ABC to uphold its charter, and they should investigate the personal behaviour of MPs across the political spectrum.
“We would just expect the ABC always that they would act in an independent, unbiased and apolitical manner,” he said in Canberra.
“If they’re going to make inquiries you’d think they would want to do them across the political spectrum.”
Mr Morrison also defended the so-called “bonk ban” introduced by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull which prevents ministers from having relationships with their direct staff.
Mr Turnbull is set to appear in the Four Corners report on Monday and detail how he allegedly called in a minister after a function at Canberra’s Public Bar in Manuka in mid-2017, also attended by one of his staffers.
READ MORE: Media Diary — Government fury on ABC #MeToo story
Angelica Snowden 8.06am: China ‘throwing toys out of the cot’ over trade
Agriculture minister David Littleproud has accused China of throwing its “toys out of the cot” amid fears of a trade war with Australia.
“Obviously we continue to want to have our hand out to China to reach out to have dialogue with them and in fact restart it,” Mr Littleproud told the Nine network.
“We have taken a leadership role, we haven’t thrown our toys out of the cot,” he said.
“We are continuing to keep our phone on and the door open to Chinese officials...I wrote to my counterpart in the last couple of weeks to engage again.”
Mr Littleproud welcomed the election of Joe Biden as US president and said he hoped it could ease tensions.
“We will take whatever assistance,” he said.
“We don’t intend to compromise on our values and principles in the country as a good global citizen.
“Ultimately our job as a federal government is to keep Australians safe and we will trade under fair rules and we expect people to trade fairly with us.”
Bans on Australian wine, lobster, copper, sugar, timber and coal to China were said to start on Saturday, but there were no immediate signs of customs issues over the weekend.
Wine, lobsters and coal exports have been held up in recent weeks and all timber from Queensland has been banned.
READ MORE: Business networks can solve China trade impasse
Richard Ferguson 7.45am: PM appoints new chief scientist
Physicist Cathy Foley will be Australia’s next chief scientist in December, Scott Morrison reveals.
Dr Foley, currently the CSIRO’s chief scientist, will replace Alan Finkel in the nation’s top science post when his tenure ends this Christmas and will be the second woman to be chief scientist.
The Prime Minister said Dr Foley’s work as chief scientist would help to power the creation of science jobs in the post-COVID economic recovery.
As we recover from COVID-19 and look to rebuild a brighter future, the role of the Chief Scientist has never been more important,” Mr Morrison said in a statement.
“Dr Foley has a big task ahead to drive collaboration between industry and the science and research community, as we look to create jobs for the COVID-19 recovery and for the future.”
Dr Finkel will leave the Chief Scientist role after four years in which he is best known for his wide-ranging and controversial review of Australia’s energy sector. It suggested a clean energy target which the Turnbull government ultimately did not pursue.
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Angelica Snowden 6.45am: Worldwide infections top 50 million
More than 50 million people have now contracted COVID-19 across the globe, with a deadly second wave accounting for higher weekly infections compared with the first in the hardest hit parts of the world.
The latest grim milestone was recorded by Johns Hopkins University which also found 1,253,707 have now died from the virus after it emerged in China’s Hubei province in December last year.
Weekly infections recorded in Europe since October 12 have consistently accounted for more global COVID-19 cases compared with the Americas, south east Asia, the eastern mediterranean, africa and the pacific.
According to the latest WHO tally, 1,980,227 COVID-19 infections were recorded in Europe in the week to November compared with the second highest weekly total — 892,484 — recorded by the US in the same period.
It compared with weekly totals of about 180,000 in Europe in early May.
While Europe is currently the worst affected region the US has now recorded more than 10M cases since the start of the pandemic, the New York Times reported.
After the US shattered previous daily records amid the presidential campaign last week, there is now a seven-day average of 100,000 cases per day.
The US has accounted for about one-fifth of all reported coronavirus cases in the world.
After he secured a historic victory in the US president election, Joe Biden promised to establish a COVID-19 taskforce.
Georgetown professor of global health law Lawrence Mr Gostin said by the time Mr Biden takes office in January, “COVID counts are going to be extreme”.
“I don’t think you can test and trace your way out of this,” he told the ABC.
“The task force right now is pretty much defunct,” he said.
Mr Gostin said the president elect would base his response to COVID-19 on science and consult with experts.
READ MORE: Melburnians get a taste of freedom
Remy Varga 4.45am: State whole again as ring of steel rusts away
After 124 days, Victoria is whole again, with the ring of steel dividing Melbourne from the regions scrapped at midnight on Sunday as part of a wider relaxation of restrictions.
Melburnians are free to travel further than 25km from their homes, intrastate travel is not just allowed but encouraged and the number of guests a household can host a day increases to two adults — from two other houses — plus dependants.
With Victoria recording nine consecutive days of zero cases and zero deaths on Sunday and the number of active cases falling to four, the outlook towards Christmas looks hopeful.
Premier Daniel Andrews said details on this year’s festive season would be unveiled on November 22, when the next round of easing is scheduled to take place.
“What is still a little bit uncertain is what is the difference between a COVID normal Christmas and a normal Christmas,” he said.
“There will be some differences but we’re trying to get those as small [and] minimal as they possibly can be.”
The 10-person limit on outdoor gatherings remains but restaurants and bars are allowed to serve 40 people inside and the number of customers outside rising to 70.
In Melbourne, the number of people allowed at funerals and religious gatherings increases to 20 indoors with 50 allowed outdoors while a 10-person limit on wedding guests remains.
Read the full story here.
Imogen Reid 4.30am: Flu deaths plummet during pandemic
The number of flu-related deaths have plummeted amid the COVID-19 crisis, as Australia emerges from one of its mildest flu seasons on record.
Department of Health data showed just 36 influenza associated deaths were registered across the country to October, compared to the 943 in the same period last year.
The data also showed Australia had recorded a staggering drop in confirmed flu cases, with the annual figure falling from more than 300,000 cases last year to a meagre 21,215.
Australian Medical Association federal president Omar Khorshid said the lower number of flu cases was due to border closures, reduced social interactions, better hygiene and higher levels of influenza vaccination.
“We were on track for a normal flu season or potentially a severe season until the COVID restrictions were implemented,” Dr Khorshid said.
“I suspect that the international border closure would be the biggest single factor behind the decrease as this has limited the chance of new strains of virus to enter the country.”
Read the full story here.
Jared Lynch 4am: CSL to mass-produce COVID-19 vaccine before trials
Australia’s biggest health company, CSL, will on Monday start manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine as Melbourne’s iron curtain lifts, enabling the city’s residents to visit regional areas.
CSL will produce 30 million doses of the vaccine, which pharmaceutical multinational AstraZeneca developed with Oxford University, and is still undergoing phase three clinical trials.
It is hoped the first doses will be available in the first half of next year, with the elderly and vulnerable members of the community first in line for inoculation if the clinical trials are successful.
While Melbourne is experiencing the biggest easing of its four-month lockdown, with the removal of Premier Daniel Andrews’s “ring of steel”, the world is desperately awaiting the arrival of an effective vaccine for a full return to normality, including international travel.
CSL will manufacture the vaccine at its factory in Broadmeadows in Melbourne’s north. The company has revealed the steps involved in its production, including thawing vaccine cells and replicating them in bioreactors. It is expected Australians will need at least two doses of the vaccine to protect themselves from the highly infectious virus.
Read the full story here.
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