Coronavirus Australia live news: Scott Morrison takes responsibility for vaccine rollout problems
Scott Morrison says he takes responsibility for the slow Covid-19 vaccine rollout, while appealing for a wider take-up of AstraZeneca.
- PM takes responsibility for rollout problems
- NSW records 110 new cases
- Victoria records 22 cases
- Dozens more NSW exposure sites
- Centrelink glitch strands thousands
Welcome to rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Prime Minister has attempted to provide the nation with a vision of hope, but has resisted calls to reinstate JobKeeper as half the country stays home.
Gladys Berejiklianhas confirmed NSW has recorded 110 new cases, with 43 infectious in the community after a record 84,000 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to 8 o’clock last night.
Yoni Bashan 11.20pm:Tracers a week behind Delta
NSW health officials are taking a week or more to find a growing number of high-risk Covid-19 exposure sites across Sydney, stymieing efforts to slow the spread of the virus across the city.
Despite NSW on Wednesday recording the current outbreak’s highest number of cases infectious in the community, Premier Gladys Berejiklian denied authorities were losing control of the virus and said harsher restrictions needed more time to work.
“We have done well to stem the growth that other countries around the world have seen with the Delta strain,” she said. “We’ve stopped the thousands and thousands of cases around the world that other countries have had.”
Forty-three of the 110 cases recorded on Wednesday were infectious in the community, while another 17 had been in public for a briefer period, officials said. The source of 56 infections had not been determined.
But efforts to trace those infections and link them to the cluster are being undermined by a growing number of venues that are being discovered by tracers well after being visited by a case.
Of the high-risk venues listed on Monday and Tuesday, eight locations had been visited by a Covid-19 positive case more than seven days earlier. This meant that people potentially exposed at those venues had been in the community for more than a week.
Rhainnon Down 10.35pm:Pharmacists left out of vaccine rollout
Pharmacists in Sydney’s multicultural southwest who missed out on taking part in the vaccine rollout are demanding the government allow them to join, with many reporting they were barred from signing on despite being uniquely placed to reach isolated communities.
While 800 pharmacies across the nation are expected to receive their first doses in the next two weeks many practitioners in the most crucial Covid hotspot council areas of Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown have been forced to sit on the sidelines.
Pharmacist Angela Song, who has run Campsie Station Pharmacy for almost 30 years, criticised the government for closing the vaccine rollout to new participants who didn’t apply before a February 5 cut-off, saying her community was now in crisis.
Steve Jackson9.50pm:Removalists’ dad tests positive
The two Sydney removalists accused of potentially spreading the city’s worsening coronavirus outbreak through regional NSW have been devastated by confirmation their father has tested positive to the pathogen – less than a day after their mother died from the disease.
Adel Shawka confided in neighbours that he had been infected by the potentially fatal contagion and was now quarantining in the family’s Green Valley home, in Sydney’s southwest, along with his daughter and twin sons, Ramsin and Roni, who have also contracted the virus.
The revelation comes after Mr Shawka’s wife, Saeeda Akobi Jjou Stu, 57, was found dead in the family home about 9.15am on Monday, becoming the state’s fifth Covid-related fatality since the highly virulent Delta strain of the disease plunged the city into a month-long lockdown.
Joseph Lam 9.30pm: Testing push for aged-care and health workers
Aged-care and healthcare workers in southwest Sydney LGA Canterbury Bankstown will now have to get tested for Covid-19 every three days to continue work outside their LGA.
The new rules to be introduced from Friday are not limited to health specialists but all ancillary and support service workers including cleaners, cooks and security providers.
NSW Health said workers “must have proof of the COVID-19 test to show your employer or a police officer if they ask”.
From Friday 23 July, if you live in the Canterbury-Bankstown local government area (LGA) and work in health or aged care, you can only work outside the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA if you have been tested for COVID-19 in the previous 3 days (72 hours). pic.twitter.com/Tf2XHQb8rP
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 21, 2021
Paul Kelly9.05pm:PM jabs experts on vaccine prescription
Scott Morrison needs to rehabilitate AstraZeneca to boost the vaccine rollout. After weeks of frustration, Morrison broke the thin facade of unity on Wednesday. With the Delta variant running amok, he put the medical experts under public pressure to rethink their advice on AstraZeneca.
At the heart of this tension is the complete unaccountability of the medical experts and the complete frustration of the Prime Minister. The medical advice, given before the Delta eruption, largely destroyed confidence in AstraZeneca, the government’s vaccine workhorse.
Robyn Ironside 8.20pm: Private jet set ownership soars
The Covid crisis may have caused havoc for airlines but private jet ownership continues to climb in Australia.
Since the pandemic struck, at least seven executive jets have been delivered to Australian owners, including two Global Express jets to Andrew Forrest, a new $78m Gulfstream 600 for Gina Rinehart, and a Global 6000 for Kerry Stokes worth about $60m.
Joining the “jet set”, were Brisbane-based arms dealer Robert Nioa and mining industry supplier Sean Dyson, who both took delivery of Embraer Phenom 100s in the past year.
Spotlight Group owners Zac Fried and Morry Fraid picked up a new Gulfstream 650, in addition to their five-year-old Bombardier Global Express, and transport company owner Matthew Malec registered a second-hand Cessna Citation 650 in August.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority register showed James Packer maintained the largest private fleet in the country with three Global Express jets registered to Crown Melbourne.
Other executive jet operators ranged from business owners and accountants to doctors and property developers, some of whom had deals with charter companies to use their aircraft.
Patrick Commins7.35pm: PM backs a bounce back from heavy blow
Scott Morrison has assured Australians that the economy will bounce back from the “heavy blow” dealt by the latest round of restrictions, as he again fended off suggestions the government should reinstate JobKeeper.
John Edwards, a former Reserve Bank board member and now senior fellow at the Lowy Institute, told The Australian he also believed the economy would recover swiftly once restrictions were lifted.
“We had more difficult conditions last year and they proved no impediment to economic recovery,” he said.
“You only need to look at results from last year to conclude that we’ll continue the upswing when we’ve paid the temporary price of a necessary lockdown.”
Mr Edwards said if lockdowns extended for long enough, then bringing back JobKeeper would be “absolutely correct”, although it was too early to make that call.
“It’s not entirely clear whether people are being laid off,” he said.
“We need to be at this a little longer before a program of that size and universality becomes necessary.”
Rachel Baxendale 6.50pm:Just two exposure sites added to Vic list of 362
Only two new coronavirus exposure sites have been added to Victoria’s list of 362 on Wednesday afternoon, fuelling hopes that the vast majority of any new cases on Thursday will have been in quarantine.
The latest sites are a service station in Endeavour Hills and a supermarket in Narre Warren North, both in Melbourne’s outer southeast, for Thursday and Friday last week.
Ten new exposure sites were added earlier on Wednesday, in Brunswick, Collingwood and St Kilda in the inner city, St Andrews and Diamond Creek in the outer northeast, Sunshine West in the west, Balaclava and Glen Iris in the southeast and Dandenong in the outer southeast.
More information on Victoria’s exposure sites is available on the health department website.
Hugh Tomlinson6.17pm:India’s death toll 10 times higher at 4 million
India’s death toll during the pandemic topped four million, ten times the official count, according to a report.
The study published by the Centre for Global Development and Harvard University found that the pandemic was probably the worst human tragedy in India’s modern history.
India has recorded more than 414,000 Covid-19 deaths, according to official statistics, but experts have warned since the crisis began that the true caseload and death toll are likely to be many times higher. Those suspicions have increased since a second wave of infections devastated the country this year, with 400,000 new cases and fatalities exceeding 4,000 a day, triggering a collapse of the healthcare system.
Joseph Lam5.27pm:Child under five among SA’s six new cases
A child younger than five years old and a woman in her 80s are among the six new Covid-19 cases recorded in South Australia which prompted the state to hold a second virus update on Wednesday afternoon.
The state has now recorded a total of 12 cases linked to the Delta variant, which prompted Premier Steven Marshall to thrust his state into a snap seven-day lockdown on Tuesday.
“This is exactly and precisely why we needed to move South Australia into a lockdown situation,” Mr Marshall said.
“Most concerning is one of the new exposure sites which is the Gawler & District College B to 12 school and one of the teachers infected was at this site yesterday,” he said.
Of the new cases, five were linked to Tenafeate Creek Wines at Yattalunga, including a man and a woman in their 50s, a woman in her 60s, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 80s. The sixth case is a child less than five years old who is linked to The Greek on Halifax.
Chief health officer Nicola Spurrier said details were few but contact tracers were working hard to trace any potential spread of the virus.
“I can’t give you any further details about any of the clinical status of these people. We will be in the process of interviewing them but also transferring them into the Thomas Court Hotel facility,” she said.
“I would say that both the Greek on Halifax and this winery are examples of super-spreading events. Yes, it is very serious - I am concerned,” she said.
Ms Spurrier added: “I think people in South Australia do need to prepare themselves for more cases - that is certainly my expectation.”
Joseph Lam4.45pm:ACT clamps down on NSW visitors
The ACT has shut its borders to anyone who has visited the three regional NSW local government areas who were thrust into a seven-day lockdown overnight.
Anyone attempting to enter the ACT after midnight on Wednesday who has visited Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council or Cabonne Shire Council LGAs will be required to apply for a travel exemption.
“Exemptions will only be granted for extraordinary circumstances, and even if an exemption is approved, you will still be required to follow the stay-at-home order in the ACT,” a statement from ACT health read.
The decision follows an earlier stay-at-home order issued for residents entering the ACT from South Australia on Tuesday.
Both stay-at-home orders will remain in place until at least 11.59pm on Tuesday July 27.
Jacquelin Magnay4.30pm:Covid destroys another Olympics dream
There are now almost 80 Games-related Covid-19 cases in Tokyo with a taekwondo athlete has been forced to withdraw from the Olympics as a result. Read more here
Rachel Baxendale4.10pm:Sutton coy on spread between families
Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton says he “won’t give the details” of how a cluster of 12 coronavirus cases centred on an extended family in Melbourne’s north has spread across at least four households, despite the initial household having home quarantine obligations.
The case first emerged in a family of four who had recently returned from Sydney, and spread to a second household when a family member who was supposed to be quarantining visited his local Coles.
But authorities would not go into detail on Wednesday about exactly how the virus has now spread across at least another three households, with two new cases linked to the cluster over the past two days.
“It does relate to contact between households,” Professor Sutton said.
“Not everyone in their first interview can recall all of the places that they’d been or all of the people that they’ve been in touch with before or after the lockdown period for essential or other reasons, so we’ve found that case now, we’ve found that connection.”
Pressed on exactly what the connection was, Professor Sutton said: “I won’t give the details.”
“It’s really important that people are free with the information that they provide and important that we protect everyone’s privacy and that we get the fullest information possible.
“All I can say is that we’ve got that link and that we don’t always, with any of our cases, get every single piece of information recalled at the first interview.
“That’s why we go back and continuously try to find out.”
Health Minister Martin Foley later said he understood the cases were connected through “broader family connections”.
Rachel Baxendale3.55pm:Five in Victoria hospitals with Covid-19
Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton says there are five people in the state’s hospitals with coronavirus, one of whom is in intensive care.
He confirmed that the person in intensive care is in the Barwon Health region, centred on Geelong.
That person is understood to be a member of a Barwon Heads family.
The four Barwon Heads cases are in a single household in the Surf Coast town 110km southwest of Melbourne, near Geelong.
They became infected after one household member, a man in his 50s who is also a teacher at Bacchus Marsh Grammar, attended the Geelong vs Carlton AFL game at the MCG on July 10 with his friend, a man in his 60s, who is a resident of the Ariel Maribyrnong apartment complex in Melbourne’s west, linked to three Sydney removalists.
Rachel Baxendale3.45pm:Positive signs amid latest Victoria cases
Brett Sutton says Victoria’s 22 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday represent “a big number”, and speak to the infectiousness of the Delta variant.
The 22 cases represent Victoria’s highest daily case number since its second wave last year.
“Can you imagine what situation we could be in if we hadn’t locked down when we locked down, if those 22 individuals were all out in the community, not just for a day, but for their entire infectious period?” Victoria’s chief health officer said.
“If you do not lock down, that’s what happens and those individuals pass on to one or two and in some cases, 10 or 15 or more individuals.
“So even though it’s a big number, it is very encouraging to see people their entire infectious period at home, so you know, I’m confident that this is going in the right direction. I think we’re on track in terms of getting control of this.
“But the Delta variant has made us spike to 107 cases just within a nine-day period, whereas we took a month to reach that in our previous outbreak. You have to be so careful, precautionary and fast with this variant.”
Of Victoria’s 22 new cases on Wednesday, 16 were quarantined for all of their infectious period.
Max Maddison3.35pm:PM takes responsibility for rollout issues
Despite ATAGI advice continuing to recommend Pfizer for younger people, Scott Morrison has implored Australians to get the AstraZeneca jab, saying it’s in the country’s public health interests, as he takes responsibility for problems in the vaccination rollout.
Amid a widespread outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant and with supplies of Pfizer vaccines still limited, the Prime Minister asked Australians to have the conversation with GPs about getting the AstraZeneca jab.
“My message is that people should be getting vaccinated as soon as possible with the vaccines available for them to get vaccinated. That is my message. And that is what I think is in Australia’s public health interests,” Mr Morrison told a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
“If you’re vaccinated, you’re at less risk to yourself, to your family, to your community, and indeed, the nation.”
While the vaccination rate has ramped up recently, Mr Morrison said the rollout remained two months behind what was agreed on by National Cabinet late last year, and accepted he was ultimately responsible for the issues.
“Those delays are regrettable, we all know they’re the result of many factors,” he said. “Sure, there is going to be plenty of critics and hindsight. They will have various motivations for doing that.”
“I take responsibility for the problems that we have had, but I am also taking responsibility for the solutions we’re putting in place and the vaccination rates that we are now achieving.”
Richard Ferguson3.10pm:PM putting ‘unfair pressure’ on ATAGI
Australian Medical Association President Omar Khorshid has slammed Scott Morrison for putting “unfair pressure” on the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation over AstraZeneca.
Speaking in Canberra on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said his government was making “constant appeals” to ATAGI to reconsider its current advice that it prefers under 60s get Pfizer over AstraZeneca.
Dr Khorshid said on Wednesday that he understood Mr Morrison’s frustrations, but he and Health Minister Greg Hunt made the final calls on vaccinations.
“We are certainly concerned that the experts - who are doing their best - are under unfair pressure. At the end of the day, this is an advisory body. The government and the Minister for Health make the decisions, not ATAGI,” the AMA president told The Australian.
“We understand the Prime Minister’s frustration on AstraZeneca but these decisions are made based on science.
“Sure, ATAGI could make changes to the AZ advice based on no access to substantial access to Pfizer and worsening outbreaks. We will see if we can get on top of these outbreaks in coming weeks ... but ultimately, it’s the government that makes the decisions and they can change them.”
Rachel Baxendale2.59pm: Victoria declares SA a red zone
Victoria has declared South Australia a red zone, effective from 11.59pm on Wednesday night, in light of that state’s Delta coronavirus cluster.
Chief health officer Brett Sutton said he had also retrospectively declared SA an orange zone retrospectively to July 12.
Anyone who has returned to Victoria since that date must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative test result.
From midnight on Wednesday, Victorians returning from SA will need to apply for a red zone permit and quarantine for 14 days on arrival.
“We hope that South Australia emerges from this relatively quickly and that after their 7-day lockdown, that we can make changes in line with any changes that they might make,” Professor Sutton said.
READ MORE: Julie Bishop’s emails to remain secret
Max Maddison2.54pm:Morrison appeals to ATAGI to change AstraZeneca advice
Scott Morrison says he is in “constant appeal” with ATAGI to reconsider the advice to AstraZeneca, as he rejects claims from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian that the state isn’t receiving sufficient supplies of the vaccine.
The Morrison government has consistently deferred the health advice regarding the vaccine to the recommendation of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, which still prefers AstraZeneca be given to over 60-year-olds.
But Mr Morrison said he was lobbying the organisation to consider the changing risk profile.
“It’s a constant appeal. I can assure you. It’s a constant appeal. That the situation in Australia faces should be managed on the balance of risk, as ATAGI has said to me in the past,” Mr Morrison said.
“It’s for them to now constantly reconsider how that balance of risk applies and provide their advice accordingly.”
Mr Morrison slapped down accusations from the NSW Premier that there was insufficient supplies of AstraZeneca being provided to GPs, saying there was ample supply, before claiming he’d like to see NSW provide more jabs.
“I would like to see more AstraZeneca vaccines being distributed through the state-based clinics like Victoria has been able to achieve,” he said. “Because I know that with the vaccination rates, the Victorian experience has proved that.”
READ MORE: New ASX listings rebound from Covid slump
Rachel Baxendale2.47pm:Football crowds remain priority for Vic health
Victoria’s chief health officer says the MCG and AAMI Park remain a priority for contact tracers, after two more cases who had attended the Wallabies vs France Rugby match on Tuesday July 13 were picked up in Wednesday’s coronavirus case numbers.
There have now been 14 cases linked to the MCG, nine of whom attended the Carlton vs Geelong AFL game on July 10, as well as five cases in patrons who were at AAMI Park on July 13.
“In terms of priorities, we do still have some concerns obviously about AAMI Park and the MCG with the levels of transmission that have occurred there,” Chief health officer Brett Sutton said.
“So with the additional two cases today at AAMI Park, outdoor transmission, not seated absolutely adjacent to the index case but a couple of rows away - that’s not unheard of in indoor areas but to occur outdoors is of some concern.”
Professor Sutton said anyone who had been sitting in Zone Two, sections 22, 23 or 24 of AAMI Park on July 13 should be in quarantine.
“That’s quarantining for the 14-day period. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had a negative test initially. You’re quarantining for that full 14 days,” he said.
“The same goes if you entered through Gate 7 between 7:56pm and 8:13pm, and if you were in any other area of Zone 2, get tested.”
READ MORE: BHP weighs exit from oil and gas
Rachel Baxendale2.25pm:A breakdown of Victoria’s new cases
Of Victoria’s 22 new community-acquired cases on Wednesday:
• Five are linked to Trinity Grammar in Kew, in Melbourne’s east. This includes one staff member, two students and two household members. This brings the total number of transmissions linked to Trinity Grammar to 14, including six staff members, five Trinity students, a student from nearby Ruyton Girls’ School, and two household members. This cluster was sparked by a Trinity Grammar teacher who caught the virus at the MCG on July 10 and transmitted it to other people at the Crafty Squire Hotel in Melbourne’s CBD and Trinity Grammar on July 12, and Ms Frankie restaurant in Cremorne and nearby AAMI Park on July 13.
• Five are linked to the Ms Frankie restaurant in Cremorne, in Melbourne’s inner east. This includes two staff members, one patron who visited the restaurant on July 15, and two household contacts. This brings the total number of transmissions linked to Ms Frankie to 24, including eight staff members, 12 patrons and four household contacts.
• Three are linked to the Young & Jackson pub in Melbourne’s CBD. All three are workplace contacts of a positive case who caught the virus at Young & Jackson on July 10. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said it’s a small workplace and authorities are “comfortable we’ve got our arms around these cases”. This brings to seven the total number of transmissions linked to Young & Jackson. All are derived from a patron in his 60s who caught the virus from three Sydney removalists at the Ariele Maribyrnong apartments in Melbourne’s west. They include a man in his 50s who is friends with the index case, a student in her 20s who on Tuesday tested positive in Queensland, two other patrons, and Wednesday’s three workplace contact cases.
• Three are linked to St Patrick’s Primary School in Murumbeena, in Melbourne’s southeast. This includes two students and one household contact. The index case for this cluster was a nine-year-old child who caught the virus at the MCG. The cluster now consists of five cases including four students and the household contact.
• Two are linked to the Wallabies vs France rugby match at AAMI Park on July 13. Professor Sutton said both these cases were patrons “seated within two or three rows of the index case”. This brings to five the number of transmissions linked to patrons at AAMI Park.
• Two are linked to Bacchus Marsh Grammar, 60km west of Melbourne. Both are household contacts. This brings to nine the number of cases linked to the school. They include six teachers, a student, and two household contacts. The index case for this cluster was a teacher in his 50s who visited Young & Jackson and the MCG with his Ariele apartments resident friend.
• One is a worker from the West Gate Tunnel who was a close workplace contact of an existing case there. It’s not clear how this cluster is linked to the wider Maribyrnong cluster.
• One is a family member of a previously unlinked case in a woman in her 20s from the northern suburbs announced on Tuesday. “I can advise our epidemiologists have formally linked that case from yesterday to the Coolaroo cluster,” Professor Sutton said. The Coolaroo cluster now consists of 12 people, most of whom are part of the same extended family. It was sparked after a family member who had recently returned from Sydney breached home quarantine.
Max Maddison2.09pm:Morrison rejects Berejiklian’s AZ claim
Scott Morrison says he is in “constant appeal” with ATAGI to reconsider the advice to AstraZeneca, as he rejects claims from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian that the state isn’t receiving sufficient supplies of the vaccine.
The Morrison government has consistently deferred the health advice regarding the vaccine to the recommendation of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, which still prefers AstraZeneca be given to over 60-year-olds.
But Mr Morrison said he was lobbying the organisation to consider the changing risk profile.
“It’s a constant appeal. I can assure you. It’s a constant appeal. That the situation in Australia faces should be managed on the balance of risk, as ATAGI has said to me in the past,” Mr Morrison said.
“It’s for them to now constantly reconsider how that balance of risk applies and provide their advice accordingly.”
Mr Morrison slapped down accusations from the NSW Premier that there was insufficient supplies of AstraZeneca being provided to GPs, saying there was ample supply, before claiming he’d like to see NSW provide more jabs.
“I would like to see more AstraZeneca vaccines being distributed through the state-based clinics like Victoria has been able to achieve,” he said. “Because I know that with the vaccination rates, the Victorian experience has proved that.”
READ MORE: New ASX listings rebound from Covid slump
Rachel Baxendale 1.56pm: ‘Nothing’ in Andrews package for events industry
The Victorian events industry says there is “nothing” for them in today’s Andrews government business support announcement, as they struggle with what is effectively the ninth week of a shutdown of most of their businesses since the state’s fourth lockdown began in May.
“Few events were able to happen after lockdown 4 due to the restrictions and time it takes to get events happening again, so the financial impact on our industry is huge,” Save Victorian Events spokesman Simon Thewlis said.
“From what we know, with the Impacted Public Events Support Program it is just an extension of dates of the existing program - which is limited to public events with more than 1000 people. The vast majority of events have less than 1000 people so are not eligible.”
Mr Thewlis said grants of up to $7000 for businesses which had to cancel live performances was for theatre and performing arts enterprises.
“Under the current guidelines, the majority of the event industry is excluded from applying. Again, we understand this is just an extension of the dates,” he said.
“Our understanding is that this is not new money but just part of the funding announced for Lockdown Four. Few were eligible for the original funding so it has been extended to lockdown 5.
“So for the majority of the event Industry there is nothing here for them and we face many more weeks before events will be happening again and a dreadful financial situation.”
READ MORE: Jack the Insider – All eyes on UK as BoJo rolls vax dice
Max Maddison1.47pm: Lockdowns will hit economic growth: PM
Scott Morrison has flagged extended lockdowns are likely to hit the September quarter GDP figures and the unemployment rate, but has resisted pressure to reimplement JobKeeper wage subsidy payments.
While he offered a vision of hope for the country, the Prime Minister warned extensive lockdowns being endured by over half the population would impact on the country’s economic growth.
“The supply disruption, the impact there, the fall in job ads, which is to be expected. In the circumstances, we anticipate it will have an impact on the September quarter GDP and will have an impact on near-term employment,” Mr Morrison told a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
“It is impossible to avoid it when you have lockdowns running at the rate we’re seeing across three states right now.”
Mr Morrison said he had spoken to the Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe, who shared his outlook, but said he expected GDP to rebound by the December quarter.
When asked what the latest estimate he had from the Treasurer or the RBA on the hit to GDP this quarter, the Prime Minister said the impact would be significant.
“Clearly, it’s going to have a significant impact in this quarter and we’ll wait to see what that is and those numbers won’t come through until later.”
READ MORE:Why Delta is a reality test
Rachel Baxendale 12.35pm: Help for alpine area as snow falls on empty resorts
Victorian Industry Support & Recovery Minister Martin Pakula also announced extra support for alpine businesses.
“We recognise that the snow season is a relatively short period of time, and so any impacts during that season has a proportionately greater impact on businesses in the alpine regions because their earning capacity is not year-long,” Mr Pakula said.
Alpine businesses will receive an additional $3000, on top of the $7200 or $4800 they will have received through the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund or Business Cost Assistance Program.
Those which have had to cancel live performances will be eligible for additional grants of up to $7000.
There will also be grants of up to $2000 for eligible community sporting clubs to help them cover the cost of cancelled events.
“That means that the total support throughout the pandemic for business by (the Andrews) government is now in the vicinity of $7bn,” Mr Pakula said.
“I understand that for businesses that are doing it really tough, every bit of support is important but it also doesn’t cover all of their losses.
“That’s understood by the government, but we have provided $7 billion worth of support throughout this pandemic.”
READ MORE: No business for the snow business this winter
Rachel Baxendale 12.19pm:Extra $282m in cash for Victorian businesses
Victorian Industry Support & Recovery Minister Martin Pakula has announced an additional $282.5m in cash grants for businesses affected by the state’s seven day lockdown extension, bringing the total amount of state government support for the full 12 days to $484m.
Mr Pakula thanked the Victorian business community for their “incredibly sacrifice”.
“I know how difficult this is for businesses right across the state, and I know how important it is for us to get back to no community transmission so that those businesses can reopen and get back to trading, but the fact is we’ve seen transmission in the last week in pubs, in restaurants, at schools, at the footy, at the rugby, and that’s why it’s just so incredibly critical that we get this outbreak back under control,” Mr Pakula said.
He said the Andrews government will have provided almost $1bn in business support during Victoria’s fourth and fifth lockdowns combined.
“On Monday and Tuesday, 86,000 businesses received payments of $3000 through the Licensed Hospitality venue fund, or $2000 through the Business Cost Assistance Program. That went directly into bank accounts without any application process,” Mr Pakula said.
“The support that we’re announcing today will likewise be automatically paid as a top-up: $4200 in additional support through the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund and $2800 through the Business Cost Assistance Program.”
Tens of thousands of Victorian businesses have either not qualified or are yet to be granted state business support for last month’s lockdown, let alone for the current lockdown.
In some cases this is due to a previous requirement for them to be registered for GST, meaning those with turnover under $75,000 did not qualify.
Mr Pakula said businesses which either did not apply for May-June support or had been ineligible would still be able to apply for the latest round of support.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about micro-businesses - those not registered for GST and ... turning over $75,000,” Mr Pakula said.
“I should make the point that at any level, if you’re registered for GST, whether you turn over $75,000 or not, you’re eligible to apply for the business support payments.”
Mr Pakula said the “vast majority” of “micro-businesses” would qualify for Commonwealth support of up to $600 per week.
“In addition, we will create a concierge service through Business Victoria (for) any of the micro-businesses who are having difficulty accessing that Commonwealth support,” he said.
“We’ll be able to identify anyone who might slip through the cracks and we’ll be able to assess those on a case-by-case basis.”
READ MORE: Bosses push for Covid IR changes
Ellie Dudley12.11pm: SA has a chance to ‘nip it in the bud’
Premier Steven Marshall says South Australia has the opportunity to “nip (the outbreak) in the bud” and avoid the “deteriorating” situations in Victoria and NSW.
South Australia recorded one new case of Covid-19 overnight, making six cases in the total outbreak.
“We can see today the deteriorating situation both in Victoria and also in New South Wales,” Mr Marshall told reporters.
“110 new cases in New South Wales, worryingly, 43 of them still active in the community. Not all people that have been, if you like, in that directed quarantine.
“Of course, in Victoria today a jump to 22.
“In South Australia we have one. We have a chance to nip this in the bud. We have a chance to stop this dead in its tracks. We need every South Australia United, because we don’t want to have extended lockdown in our state going forward.”
Mr Marshall confirmed he called in the Australian Defence Force to assist with the latest outbreak of Covid-19.
While the ADF has not yet responded to the request, Mr Marshall was confident they would deliver support.
“If there was additional staff we would be grateful for that,” he siad.
“They were fantastic during the bushfires here in South Australia. They have been fantastic with the coronavirus. So we expect their cooperation and if they can divert... I am sure they will.”
READ MORE: Kirby – What’s spooking investment markets?
Rachel Baxendale 12.07pm: Call for more testing around Phillip Island
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley issued a coronavirus testing call-out to residents of Phillip Island and surrounds, 140km southeast of Melbourne.
Mr Foley said there had been a second detection of virus fragments in sewage from the Island, during a period when no known cases had been there.
A positive case who caught the virus at the MCG had travelled to the island as part of a group of six, with five members of that group since testing positive.
However, all had left the island days before the virus was detected in wastewater.
Dozens of exposure sites have been linked to the group.
“So a particular shoutout to the people of Phillip Island,” Mr Foley said.
“Please keep coming forward in the numbers that you have to get tested.
“A couple of days in a row of (wastewater detections) when the cases associated with Philip Island, to the best of our knowledge, have returned to Metropolitan Melbourne, makes us concerned that perhaps there is undetected cases in the Phillip Island and San Remo communities.”
READ MORE: Durie – Crown is now a problem for Andrews
Rachel Baxendale11.58am: Victoria breaks its own testing record
Health Minister Martin Foley congratulated Victorians on achieving a state record of 59,355 tests.
This compares with the previous Victorian record of 57,519 on June 2, and Wednesday’s new NSW record of 83,477.
Reported yesterday: 22 new local cases and 1 new case acquired overseas (currently in HQ).
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) July 20, 2021
- 18,099 vaccine doses were administered
- 59,355 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/MVGEX3CF2x
“Almost 60,000 people across the state braved some pretty inclement weather to see the highest day of tests we have seen in the 18 months of this pandemic, and 98.8% of those results are being turned around by the next day,” Mr Foley said.
“Can I thank our pathology team, our front-line testing teams who have been out there in some pretty grim weather supporting those some 60,000 people through that effort.
“It’s important because this variant moves faster than any other variant we have seen and it is now the dominant variant globally, and what we have to do is to use our testing until such time as we get enough vaccinations to get ahead of this as a country.
“Testing gives our public health team the certainty and the information they need as to how and where this variant is circulating.”
READ MORE: Albrechtsen – The five big issues we must be free to discuss
Rachel Baxendale11.53am: Six Victorians infectious in community
Of Victoria’s 22 new locally acquired cases on Wednesday, 16 were in isolation for the duration of their infectious period, Health Minister Martin Foley says.
Mr Foley said the fact that the total number of community cases in Victoria has reached 107 in the space of eight days is “really just a reminder of how fast this particular variant is moving right across our state”.
He said that of the six of Wednesday’s cases who did have community exposure, their exposure sites are “reasonably low” due to the lockdown imposed six days ago.
“That is also something that should give us all a degree of confidence and hope that this response that we’re now into is working,” Mr Foley said.
“Two days ago, only six per cent of our daily cases were fully isolating in quarantine. Today it is 73 per cent.”
Mr Foley thanked the 18,000 primary close contacts and a further 10,000 secondary close contacts who are currently isolating, saying half of today’s new cases had been household contacts of known cases.
“If Victoria wasn’t managing those secondary close contacts as tightly as we are now, the advice that we have is that this virus would have got beyond us already. It has not,” he said.
“Victorians are working so hard to stay up with and get ahead of this virus that we are confident that the work, particularly our primary close contacts and secondary close contacts are doing on all of our behalf is a critical part of our public health armoury in getting on top of this outbreak.”
Mr Foley said primary and secondary close contacts should refer to coronavirus.vic.gov.au for a list of “more nuanced arrangements” they are required to follow “as a result of so many different circumstances coming up over the last week.”
“There’s also advice and information for what you can do if you live with a primary close contact and how many different circumstances apply there,” he said.
READ MORE:Aussie Olympic showjumper stood down over cocaine
Ellie Dudley 11.49am: No guarantee for construction when lockdown will lift
Gladys Berejiklian cannot say whether the Greater Sydney lockdown will lift on July 30 as previously stipulated.
“We won’t know what 31st of July looks like across the state, across greater Sydney, until at least the weekend and early next week. That is a fact,” she said.
The Premier previously guaranteed construction would return on July 31, after she controversially banned it in Greater Sydney last week.
“That pause will allow, has allowed, every company and every workplace that has to conduct their business to be aware of the risks,” she said.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro has instructed tradesmen not to go into the regions.
“My message is for people if you don’t have to go to the regions, don’t,” he said.
“For those tradies, there is no point going to regional or rural New South Wales looking for work when there will be a pathway for construction on 31 July here in Sydney.”
READ MORE: Cancel the Olympics? Games boss’s shock call
Ellie Dudley 11.38am: ‘Plenty of AZ around but too many reluctant to have it’
Thousands of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine supplied to the NSW health authorities by the federal government in response to the latest outbreak have not been administered due to vaccine hesitancy surrounding the jab, Health Minister Brad Hazzard says.
Some 150,000 doses of the AstraZeneca jab were given to NSW Health authorities to administer to south-west Sydney.
“The big issue is there’s plenty of AstraZeneca around. That’s not the issue. It’s the Pfizer,” Mr Hazzard told reporters.
“If you’re taking AstraZeneca, because of some of the issues that have been raised by the federal government there has been a degree of reluctance in some communities but it’s fair to say that there is plenty of AstraZeneca around.”
While the NSW government has done “as much as humanly possible” to get jabs in arms, Mr Hazzard said the state “needs more Pfizer.”
READ MORE: PM – We haven’t got vaccines completely right
Rachel Baxendale11.29am: Ten new exposure sites added to Victoria’s list
Ten new coronavirus exposure sites across Melbourne have been added to Victoria’s list since 9am on Wednesday, offering some hints as to where the latest 22 cases may have been.
They bring the total number of Victorian exposure sites to 362.
The latest sites are in Brunswick, Collingwood and St Kilda in the inner city, St Andrews and Diamond Creek in the outer northeast, Sunshine West in the west, Balaclava and Glen Iris in the southeast and Dandenong in the outer southeast.
Two cafes in Richmond and Cremorne in the inner east were also listed overnight.
One other concerning exposure site was listed on Tuesday afternoon, in the form of a logistics business in Melbourne’s outer west.
BR International Logistics in Australis Drive, Derrimut has been listed as a Tier 1 coronavirus exposure site for seven full consecutive days between Tuesday July 13 and Monday July 19.
More information on Victoria’s exposure sites is available on the health department website.
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley, Business Support & Recovery Minister Martin Pakula and chief health officer Brett Sutton are due to address the media at 11.30am.
READ MORE: Netflix membership growth beats forecast
Ellie Dudley11.25am:Premier takes swipe over vaccine supply
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has taken a swipe at the federal government for not offering ample amounts of the Covid-19 vaccine.
While she said Sydney would see “freedom” from lockdown once health authorities gain control over the current infections, she added “we won’t live as freely as we need to or we would like until vaccination rates increase.”
“We’re doing everything we can to be ready when we get extra doses,” she said.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve spoken about a sense of urgency with vaccinations. I’ve gone blue in the face from ages ago on how important it is to get vaccines.”
“I can assure you as soon as we get the doses, they will go into arms.”
READ MORE: Covid curbs force record flight cancellations
Ellie Dudley11.18am:NSW regions dodge new Covid cases
No new cases of Covid-19 were detected in the NSW central-west, after three regions were plunged into a seven-day lockdown on Tuesday.
Residents of the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council must stay at home for the next seven days, unless leaving for an essential reason.
“The NSW government made a decision for the first time to act fast, hard and local and lock down three local government areas in regional and rural New South Wales,” Deputy Premier John Barilaro said.
“This decision was the right decision to make sure we don’t overwhelm the health system.”
Mr Barilaro urged anyone living in the areas to come forward for testing if symptoms arise.
“Those orders are that you can’t leave home except for work or education, for medical or care, of course for shopping for groceries, or for goods and services and for exercise. Hospitality will now close unless offering takeaway.”
READ MORE: Apple delays office return as Delta variant strikes
Rachel Baxendale11.16am: Andrews missing in Victoria’s update
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley, Business Support & Recovery Minister Martin Pakula and chief health officer Brett Sutton are due to address the media at 11.30am.
Mr Pakula is expected to announce extra business payments in light of Tuesday’s extension of the state’s lockdown from five days to at least 12.
The press conference comes as Victoria recorded 22 linked community cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to Wednesday, bringing the total since the latest clusters emerged to 107.
Elle Dudley11.10am: Berejiklian confirms 110 cases, 43 infected in community
Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed NSW has recorded 110 new cases, with 43 infectious in the community.
Almost 84,000 people were tested over the past 24 hours, which Ms Berejiklian said is a record that is reflected in the high case numbers.
“We did have 110 cases to 8.00pm yesterday,” she said. “That is a high number but a number which reflects the high amount of testing that we had.”
NSW recorded 110 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/chClsCVlcl
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 21, 2021
Of the new locally acquired cases, 54 were linked to a known case or cluster – 40 are household contacts and 14 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 56 cases is under investigation.
Thirty-seven cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 17 cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period.
Forty-three cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 13 cases remains under investigation.
NSW health authorities are concerned about the growing number of cases in western Sydney, NSW Health’s Jeremy McAnulty says.
“We’ve seen this focus of cases initially in south-east Sydney, then south-west Sydney and we’re now seeing cases in western Sydney increase,” he said.
Dr McAnulty listed the following areas of “of concern” where people should be particularly vigilant and come forward at the slightest symptom:
Cumberland, particularly Merrylands and Guildford
Belrose
Toongabbie
Seven Hills
Mount Druitt
Rooty Hill
Lakemba
Fairfield
Haymarket
Wollongong.
Rachel Baxendale 11.58am:Man from Barwon Heads in ICU with Covid
A Covid-positive man linked to Victoria’s Barwon Heads coronavirus cluster has been admitted to intensive care, the Herald Sun is reporting.
On Tuesday, three people in Victoria had been hospitalised with coronavirus, but none were in intensive care.
The four Barwon Heads cases are in a single household in the Surf Coast town 140km southwest of Melbourne, near Geelong.
They became infected after one household member, a man in his 50s who is also a teacher at Bacchus Marsh Grammar, attended the Geelong vs Carlton AFL game at the MCG on July 10 with his friend, a man in his 60s, who is a resident of the Ariel Maribyrnong apartment complex in Melbourne’s west, linked to three Sydney removalists.
Following confirmation of 22 new cases on Wednesday, Victoria’s Delta outbreak now consists of two clusters totalling 107 cases.
Max Maddison10.52am:‘Get off fantasy island’: Bowen urges more financial support
Opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen has called on the federal government to implement more robust financial support, saying they need to get off “fantasy island” and into the “real world”.
With NSW enduring through the most draconian social distancing restrictions since the beginning of the pandemic, Mr Bowen said people in lockdown were enduring harsher lockdowns with less economic support, and called for the return of the “simple and easy to understand” JobKeeper.
“I saw (Employment Minister) Stuart Robert on your colleague’s show this morning, saying it’s all consistent and it’s all in keeping. It’s not. This bloke is living on fantasy island, if he thinks it’s all consistent,” Mr Bowen told Sky News on Wednesday morning.
“Most of Australia’s under lockdown. If the government thinks that it’s working, get out and have a look at the Centrelink queues and get in the real world, because it’s not working.”
Mr Bowen also took aim at NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian for moving too slowly, saying if she’d locked down Greater Sydney more swifty, the population may have avoided the situation they were enduring currently.
“Because through no fault of anybody in my community, there was a quarantine breach through a limousine driver, and there was a decision not to move quickly,” he said.
“And I think premiers are seeing what’s happened in NSW, and know that perhaps they may need to move quickly so that they can avoid some of their communities going through what my community is going through as we speak.”
READ MORE:Thank you, China – your wine loss is our gain
Staff writers 10.32am: Reports point to soaring virus numbers in NSW
Unconfirmed reports are pointing to a sharp spike in NSW virus numbers after a promising fall on Tuesday.
The total number is believed to be 110, with 43 in the community while they were infectious.
WATCH Gladys Berejiklian provide the NSW update from 11 o’clock in the livestream above.
Ellie Dudley10.23am:Queensland breathes sigh of relief with no new cases
Queensland has recorded no new cases of Covid-19, despite Tuesday’s reports a positive case visiting multiple exposure sites on the Sunshine Coast while infectious.
Wednesday 21 July – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 21, 2021
0 new locally acquired cases recorded in Queensland overnight.
1 new overseas acquired case, detected in hotel quarantine.#COVID19pic.twitter.com/nYSQzgWk2K
One new case was reported in an overseas arrival, who is isolated in quarantine.
Some 12,276 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours.
READ MORE: Major airline dumps Aussie flights
Ellie Dudley 9.53am: NSW Premier, ministers to speak at 11am
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will address a media conference at 11am, after Sydney’s outbreak of Covid-19 spread into the regions.
She will front the press alongside NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant and Health Minister Brad Hazzard.
Customer Services Minister Victor Dominello will also be there, after technical failures with the government’s MyGov platform left people unable to access financial relief on Tuesday.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro and NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys are also expected to speak.
Ellie Dudley9.45am:Orange lockdown in ‘community’s best interests’
State MP for Orange Phil Donarto has said the decision to lock down three regions in central west NSW “wasn’t easy”, but was made in the “best interests” of the community.
Residents of the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council must stay at home for the next seven days, unless leaving for an essential reason.
“The issue was that this particular gentleman, male, who has tested positive, had visited a number of locations before he tested positive and went into isolation,” Mr Donarto, from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party told a press conference on Wednesday.
“Those premises and locations – North Orange Woolies, Pizza Hut, a tobacconist, Officeworks and areas where large volumes of people would have visited and attended, potential exposure contacts – were too significant.”
“The concerns were that if we didn’t get on top of this quickly, it had the potential to spread. It wasn’t an easy decision but it was a decision that we made unilaterally in the best interests of our community to try and keep our community safe.”
READ MORE: Gideon Haigh – Like a commercial My Lai, we’re destroying the village to save it
Hugh Tomlinson9.29am: India’s death toll 10 times higher at 4m
India’s death toll during the pandemic topped four million, ten times the official count, according to a report.
The study published by the Centre for Global Development and Harvard University found that the pandemic was probably the worst human tragedy in India’s modern history.
India has recorded more than 414,000 Covid-19 deaths, according to official statistics, but experts have warned since the crisis began that the true caseload and death toll are likely to be many times higher. Those suspicions have increased since a second wave of infections devastated the country this year, with 400,000 new cases and fatalities exceeding 4,000 a day, triggering a collapse of the healthcare system.
The government of Narendra Modi has dismissed the claims as exaggerated. States have been accused of covering up Covid-19 deaths to save face since the start of the crisis. This has exacerbated inaccurate record-keeping in the world’s second most populous nation, which has a population of 1.4 billion. Most Indians die at home, while at the peak of the second wave thousands of bodies were dumped in the Ganges or buried in shallow graves as wood for funeral pyres ran short.
READ the full story here
Ellie Dudley9.21am:SA Premier to provide update as state records 6th case
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall will front reporters at 11am local time (11.30am AEST), after his state recorded one new case of Covid-19 overnight.
The state is undergoing its first day of a seven-day lockdown period on Wednesday, due to increased concerns over the exposures of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in the community.
A series of new exposure sites have been associated with South Australia’s six new cases, including The Greek on Halifax in Adelaide where Wednesday’s case caught the virus.
READ MORE: Covid ‘to strand’ office assets
Max Maddison8.52am: We’re getting on top of the rollout: PM
The federal government is “getting on top of” the “great trials” of the vaccination rollout, according to Scott Morrison, as he reveals South Australians will gain access to Covid-19 disaster payments.
With over half the country enduring lockdown after a spate of breaches from hotel quarantine, including the latest man who returned from Argentina to Adelaide, the Morrison government’s lethargic vaccination program has come under intense scrutiny.
But the Prime Minister, while conceding the rollout had been plagued by issues, pointed to the almost one million jabs delivered in the last week, saying the program was “improving all the time”.
“We’ve had our problems. I’ve openly confessed that and some of those problems. Many of them have been outside our control, but the issue is you get on top of them and you fix them,” Mr Morrison told ABC Adelaide on Tuesday morning.
After “very positive discussions” with SA Premier Steven Marshall, Mr Morrison said the entire state would be able to access disaster payments as soon as July 28 if they’d lost hours this week.
In response to a question about vaccinations not “being a race”, Mr Morrison said it was “unfortunate” the comments “had been used in the way they have”.
“But look, I know how politics works, and I know how people use things out of context about what you say and that’s what’s happened and that’s unfortunate,” he said.
READ MORE: SA businesses in fear as state snapped shut
Rachel Baxendale8.49am:Victoria records 22 new virus cases
Victoria has recorded 22 new cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
All have been linked to known outbreaks.
Wednesday’s 22 new cases represent the highest daily case count in Victoria since the state’s second wave.
It is not yet clear what proportion of today’s cases were in isolation during their infectious period.
The latest cases follow 13 cases on each of Tuesday and Monday, 16 on Sunday, 19 on Saturday, 10 on each of Thursday and Friday, one last Wednesday and three including a NSW-acquired one last Tuesday, and bring the total number of community acquired cases since two incursions from NSW emerged just over a week ago to 107.
“Of the 22 locally-acquired cases reported, all are linked to the current outbreaks,” Victoria’s Health Department tweeted regarding Wednesday’s numbers.
There was also one overseas-acquired case detected in hotel quarantine in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases in Victoria to 118, including 11 acquired overseas.
The latest cases come after 59,355 tests were processed on Tuesday, beating Victoria’s previous June 2 record of 57,519 tests processed.
Testing numbers have been high for some days, with 49,454 tests processed on Monday, 54,839 on Sunday and 53,283 on Saturday.
Rachel Baxendale8.43am: The good news in today’s data from Victoria
As Victorians wait to learn the daily coronavirus case numbers on the sixth day of what’s currently set to be a 12-day fifth lockdown, there are several pieces of good news:
- Health authorities say they have managed to link Tuesday’s Roxburgh Park mystery case in a woman in her 20s in Melbourne’s northern suburbs to a known cluster. The theory yesterday was that she was linked to the 10 cases in an extended family who live across three households, who became infected after a family member who lives in the City of Hume returned from Sydney and breached hotel quarantine.
- In Mildura, 540km northwest of Melbourne, there are no new cases today. Thousands of locals have been tested since two members of the same household tested positive earlier this week after contracting the virus at the Geelong vs Carlton match at the MCG on July 10.
- We are expecting at least one new case in the Wellington shire, centred on Sale in Gippsland in Victoria’s east. However, the case is understood to have been isolating for the duration of their infectious period as a close contact of a known cluster.
- Only two new exposure sites have been listed since 8pm last night, and both are Tier 2, although both have been listed across multiple days. They are the Sloane Ranger cafe in Cremorne, in Melbourne’s inner east, during periods on Wednesday and Thursday last week, and Status Quo PopUp cafe in nearby Richmond, between 8am and 3pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday last week. Sloane Ranger is just down the street from the Ms Frankie restaurant, which has been linked to 19 cases, while Status Quo PopUp is almost next door to the locked down Isola apartment building on Burnley St.
- One other concerning exposure site was listed on Tuesday afternoon, in the form of a logistics business in Melbourne’s outer west. BR International Logistics in Australis Drive, Derrimut has been listed as a Tier 1 coronavirus exposure site for seven full consecutive days between Tuesday July 13 and Monday July 19.
READ MORE: Andrews playing his own zero-sum game
Ellie Dudley8.21am:Adelaide records 6th case in latest SA outbreak
A sixth case of Covid-19 has been recorded in Adelaide, as South Australians wake up to the first day of a week-long lockdown.
The new case is a close contact linked to a personal gathering at The Greek of Halifax restaurant.
Premier Steven Marshall is expected to front the media on Wednesday around 2pm local time with further details about the case.
READ MORE: Constant lockdowns hurt society’s most vulnerable
Ellie Dudley7.55am: Thousands seek repayment relief from bank
Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn has revealed “thousands” of Australians have reached out to seek assistance in paying off business and home loans during the country’s latest lockdowns.
With 14m Australians currently living under stay-at-home orders, Mr Comyn said thousands of customers had reached out to understand the options for paying off their home loans, with 500 in the past day asking for a deferral.
“What we’re saying is that you can put a temporary pause on your repayments, either on your home loan as a deferral or on your business facility,” he told ABC Radio National.
Commonwealth Bank has extended a pledge, initially made last year at the peak of the pandemic, to postpone foreclosures until February next year.
Mr Comyn said Australia will “almost certainly” see a negative impact to the economy in this quarter, but he hopes it will “bounce back” due to the vaccine roll out.
“There is less uncertainty than there was at the start of Covid last year, because clearly there’s a vaccine... and a clear path out,” he said.
“It’s going to take some time but there’s a lot of momentum now behind the vaccine rollout... so we would expect that the economy will bounce back quite strongly.”
READ MORE: Centrelink glitch strands thousands without funds
Ellie Dudley 7.42am: Sydney ‘lucky’ if restrictions lift by end of August
New modelling has shown Sydney will be “lucky” to lift stay-at-home orders at the end of August.
Clinical epidemiologist Nancy Baxter from the Melbourne School of Global Population and Health said three different models are consistent in showing the city-wide lockdown will last until the end of next month.
“This will last until the end of August, maybe even longer, depending on how things go,” she told ABC Breakfast.
“If we’re lucky, towards the end of August is when Sydney will be able to safely come out of lockdown.”
Professor Baxter called for Sydneysiders to “remain patient” and “focus on vaccination.”
“People need to start talking about being vaccinated, start being positive about it,” she said.
“We need to encourage people to think about getting vaccinated.”
READ MORE: Home builders construct case for getting tradies back on site
Ellie Dudley7.22am:Barilaro blasts vax rollout as NSW region locks down
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has lambasted the federal government’s handling of the Covid-19 vaccination rollout, as his state continues to fight a catastrophic outbreak.
Around 11 per cent of eligible Australians have received both doses of the vaccine, and Mr Barilaro said that is “not enough.”
“We need people to get vaxxed, and the federal government needs to increase supply,” he told ABC Breakfast.
“Demand is outstripping supply. It is a real issue for the federal government.”
Mr Barilaro said his state was “promised” more doses, and hopes by the end of the week the “promises will come through.”
His comments come as health authorities scramble to track Sydney’s outbreak as it spills into the regions.
Some 50,000 residents in central-west NSW were plunged into a seven-day lockdown on Tuesday, after an infected delivery driver from south-west Sydney went to a factory in Blayney and frequented a number of venues in the Orange LGA.
Residents of the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council must abide by new stay-at-home orders, unless leaving for an essential reason.
Mr Barilaro said he was not concerned about the outbreak leaking into other regional areas.
“This is the first time we have ever put in a stay-at-home order in regional and rural NSW, but what we have learned over the last three and a half weeks is how transmissible the Delta strain is,” he said.
“We are hoping that there are no other infections, but we don’t know and we won’t know and we don’t want to take that gamble.”
READ MORE: Reserve’s bond strategy in doubt
Ellie Dudley 7.13am: Mundine in second health order breach
Outspoken former boxer and rugby league legend Anthony Mundine has been fined for breaching NSW public health orders for the second time.
Mr Mundine, 46, allegedly entered a store in Kingsgrove without a mask on Tuesday, claiming he was exempt from the mandate.
He then refused to scan the store’s QR code.
The high-profile Sydney resident was previously handed a fine after flying to Ballina on July 7, despite Sydney’s citywide lockdown.
READ MORE: Used car prices through the roof
Ellie Dudley 7.01am: Woman faces charges after Marooychydoore escape from Melbourne
The woman who tested positive for Covid-19 in Queensland on Tuesday could face charges, after it was revealed that while she was aware she had visited an exposure site in Melbourne, she did not abide by stay-at-home rules.
The woman in her 20s, who was fully vaccinated, travelled from Melbourne to Maroochydore on July 13.
She had attended the Young and Jackson Hotel in Victoria on July 10, identified four days later as a Covid-19 exposure site.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the student travelled from Melbourne to Maroochydore, on the Sunshine Coast, transiting through Brisbane, on July 13.
She received a text from Victorian health authorities two days later “because she had been at the Young and Jackson pub” at the same time as a known case of Covid-19.
Although the woman “immediately” got tested for SARS-CoV-2 and returned a negative test the following day, she failed to follow Queensland’s public health directions which required her to quarantine as soon as she received the SMS, until health authorities released her.
She had been infectious in the community from July 15 to 17, with exposure venues popping up on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Queensland Police told the Courier Mail that if the woman’s case involved “any compliance issues … that is something police will look at, at the appropriate time”.
READ MORE:Escapee had the sheets with hotel quarantine
Ellie Dudley 6.35am: SA wakes up to first day of lockdown
As South Australia wakes up to the first day of a seven-day lockdown period, they join more than 13m other Australians in Victoria and New South Wales who are also restricted due to numerous outbreaks of Covid-19.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall on Tuesday announced the state would enter a snap lockdown as the state’s latest cluster reached five cases of the highly-infectious Delta strain.
A series of new exposure sites have been associated with the outbreak
The new rules, the toughest the state has seen, included a halt on in-person schooling, construction work and elective surgery, and there will be no intimate partner exemption for the duration of the stay-at-home period.
Victoria on Tuesday announced 13 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, as Premier Daniel Andrews announced the initial five-day lockdown would be extended for another seven days.
While Tuesday’s cases had been in isolation for the entirety of their infectious period, Mr Andrews said the state needed “more time” to get on top of the outbreak.
The outbreak in NSW leaked into the regions on Tuesday, as exposure sites appeared in the central-west of the state forcing a seven-day lockdown for three councils.
Residents of the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council must stay at home for the next week, unless leaving for an essential reason.
Schools will remain open in those areas, under Level 3 restrictions.
Some 78 cases of the virus were recorded in NSW on Tuesday, with more than 20 infectious while in the community.
Ellie Dudley 6.15am:Dozens more exposure sites across NSW
A series of new exposure sites have appeared in NSW, as health authorities scramble to trace new Covid-19 cases infectious in the community.
On Tuesday, 78 cases of the virus were recorded across the state, more than 20 of which left their homes while contagious.
âš ï¸PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – VENUES OF CONCERNâš ï¸
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 20, 2021
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new venues of concern associated with confirmed cases of COVID 19. pic.twitter.com/cbf38gjAsd
Anyone who visited the following venues at the stipulated times are classified as a close contact and directed to get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result:
Coffs Harbour, The Hoey Moey (whole venue), 90 Ocean Parade, Thursday 15 July 3.55pm to 4.20pm
Belrose, Taste Baguette Glenrose. 56-58 Glen Street, Tuesday 13 July 8.10am to 8.20am, Wednesday 14 July 10.30am to 11.00am
Belrose, Woolworths Glenrose Shopping Village, 56-58 Glen Street, Wednesday 14 July 10.30am to 11.00am
Belrose, Lawrence Dry Cleaners, 56-58 Glen Street, Wednesday 14 July 10.30am to 11.00am
Chester Hill, Woolworths, Chester Square Shopping Centre, 1-13 Leicester Street, Thursday 15 July 4.45pm to 5.05pm
Greenacre, Royal Carwash Greenacre, 19 Hume Highway, Saturday 10 July 9.00am to 5.30pm, Sunday 11 July 9.00am to 5.30pm, Monday 12 July 9.00am to 5.30pm, Tuesday 13 July 9.00am to 5.30pm, Wednesday 14 July 9.00am to 5.30pm, Friday 16 July 9.00am to 5.30pm
St Peters, MW Toolbox, 578 Princes Highway, Wednesday 14 July 2.15pm to 3.30pm
Merrylands, Agha Juice, 2 Memorial Avenue, Thursday 15 July 8.00pm to 9.00pm
Those who attended any of the following venues at the time listed is classified as a casual contact, and should get tested immediately and isolate until a negative result is received:
Green Valley, Valley Fresh, The Valley Plaza, 187 Wilson Road, Saturday 17 July 2.45pm to 3.20pm
Hoxton Park, Shell Coles Express, 650-652 Hoxton Park Road, Wednesday 14 July 11.00am to 11.20am
Belrose, Caltex Belrose, 60 Glen Street, Sunday 18 July 4.20pm to 4.40pm
Dapto, Priceline Dapto, 33-35 Princess Highway, Friday 16 July 2.15pm to 2.45pm
Belrose, Woolworths Glenrose Shopping Village, 56-58 Glen Street, Friday 16 July 5:55am to 4:30 PM, Saturday 17 July 5.55am to 3.10pm, Sunday 18 July 5.55am to 4.30pm
Jess Malcolm 6.00am: Centrelink glitch strands thousands without Covid funds
Technical failures with the government’s MyGov platform have left people unable to access urgently needed financial relief via the website, causing long queues outside Centrelink offices on Tuesday.
The system has come under increasing strain as the protracted Sydney lockdown and new restrictions on construction and retail in NSW leave hundreds of thousands without work.
A $600 payment is available from Services Australia for people who have lost more than 20 hours of work, and a $375 payment is available for those who have lost between eight and 20 hours.
But a series of online glitches left hundreds of people lining for hours outside several Sydney centres. In order to prove eligibility and submit a claim, a person must login to an existing MyGov account or create a new one. The person must also create a Centrelink account by showing three original documents for proof of identity, generating a unique customer reference number to link the two accounts.
The process of linking these two accounts has wreaked havoc for many who are now wholly reliant on government income support, with large numbers reporting that a glitch in the website has left them unable to generate the reference number.
Other users say the website is rejecting valid identity documents or randomly unlinking accounts which were linked.
A surge in phone calls has overwhelmed Centrelink lines, with many waiting for hours on hold and being disconnected.
READ the full story
Yoni Bashan 5.45am: Builders make case for getting tradies back on site
A coalition of home building companies is urging the NSW government to immediately restart residential construction across Greater Sydney under a plan that will significantly reduce mobility on worksites but allow homes to be built during the lockdown.
Devised by the Housing Industry Association, the plan seeks an immediate resumption of building activity across Greater Sydney by halving the number of trade teams allowable on work sites.
The plan would also limit those teams to a maximum of five people and restrict tradespeople to four jobs sites a week.
The plan was floated at a crisis meeting held with NSW government officials, industry representatives and other stakeholders on Tuesday afternoon, with further lobbying of government ministers to occur in coming days, The Australian understands.
The NSW government’s halt on construction, expected to continue until July 31, is believed to be preventing up to 12,000 new homes from being built across the state, according to David Bare, executive director of Housing Industry Association NSW.
An official who attended the meeting, headed by Infrastructure NSW chief executive Simon Draper, said progress had been made during the discussions and a plan to address residential construction appeared to be advancing.
The HIA proposal highlights that its Covid-safe practices and guidelines for building sites have been widely adopted during the pandemic and had earned an award from Safework NSW.
READ the full story
Rachel Baxendale5.35am: Third state in lockdown frenzy
More than 13.5 million Australians will spend the next week under stay-at-home orders after South Australia joined Victoria and NSW in a lockdown to prevent the spread of the Delta strain of Covid-19.
After Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews revealed the state’s lockdown would be extended for another week, his South Australian counterpart Steven Marshall ordered a seven-day lockdown as the number of Covid-19 cases in his state reached six.
In NSW, the government’s crisis cabinet sent parts of the state’s central west into a snap lockdown after infected removalists from Sydney were linked to a number of possible exposure sites. The Orange Woolworths, Officeworks, Pizza Hut and parts of the North Orange Shopping Centre were venues of significant concern, health officials said.
There were 78 new Covid-19 cases across NSW reported on Tuesday, 27 of whom spent time in the community while infectious.
READ the full story
Mackenzie Scott5.15am: Lockdown puts stress on housing market
Sydney’s housing market is showing signs of lockdown stress as normal property industry operations are halted in three capital cities because of restrictions.
The number of new properties advertised last month in locked-down Sydney fell by 13.3 per cent, according to new data from Realestate.com.au.
New listings fell in five out of the eight capital cities through June, with Melbourne down 11.1 per cent ahead of its lockdown declaration earlier this month. Total listings in the country’s two largest markets were also down.
REA Group executive manager of economic research Cameron Kusher said the fall in listings highlights the overall shortage of properties for sale, with insufficient new listings being added to meet market demand.
“Last month’s double-digit percentage fall in new listings for sale in Sydney and Melbourne can be partially attributed to Covid-19 lockdowns,” Mr Kusher said.
“While activity in Melbourne has since rebounded, Sydney remains in lockdown and market activity has subsided further.”
Data from My Housing Market suggests this trend of fewer new listings through Sydney and Melbourne has continued through July.
Lockdowns prohibit real estate agents in each of the three virus-restricted capitals – Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide – from hosting open homes and in-person auctions. An eviction moratorium is also in place in Sydney to protect rental tenants.
READ the full story
More Coverage
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’.