Coronavirus Australia live news: Covid deniers among 101 fined in Victoria
Victorian police have cracked down on those flouting strict restrictions as the state records seven deaths and 300 cases in 24 hours.
- Three NSW schools close, students test positive
- Seventh fatality on Victoria’s deadliest day
- 16 fined for not wearing masks
- SA introduces hard border with Victoria
- ADF to doorknock cases gone silent
- Six deaths, 300 new cases in Victoria
- No second lockdown for NSW’
- New NSW restrictions in force
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 101 people have been issued with fines for breaching the Victorian Chief Health Officers directives in the past 24 hours, including virus deniers. Police have fined 16 people for not wearing mandatory face masks and Victorians who have tested positive and fail to answer calls from contact tracers can expect to receive a visit from ADF personnel. It comes on Victoria’s deadliest day as Daniel Andrews confirms seven more deaths and 300 new cases in the state. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet vows there will be no second lockdown as new restrictions are put in place.
Angelica Snowden 9.40pm: Church goers on high alert
Mourners of a funeral in Sydney’s west are monitoring for flu-like symptoms after a woman in her 40s has tested positive for COVID-19.
The South Western Sydney Local Health District has urged anyone who may have come into contact with the Fairfield woman to self isolate and get tested immediately.
A statement from the health district has sternly warned “people must remain isolated until they receive their test result”.
The woman had attended the following church services:
July 16 St Brendan’s Catholic Church Bankstown for one hour from 6.30pm
July 17 Ausia Funeral Services at Fairfield East between 1pm and 8pm
July 18 Funeral service at St Brendan’s Catholic Church Bankstown for one hour from 10am
July 18 Burial service at St John of God Lawn at Rookwood between 11.30-1pm
July 19 Our Lady of Mt Carmel at Mt Pritchard for one hour from 7.30am
Contact tracing is underway.
Angelica Snowden 7.55pm: Sydney pub fined $5000
A northwest Sydney pub has been hit with a $5000 fine for breaching COVID-19 safety measures when authorities found the venue unable to produce a safety plan.
On Thursday afternoon, uniformed inspectors from Liquor & Gaming NSW entered the Royal Hotel in Ryde and were not required to sign in upon entry.
“The inspectors further observed groups of patrons milling about and standing drinking their beverages, and when asked, staff admitted that they were aware patrons had to be seated to consume food or drinks,” a statement from NSW Liquor & Gaming said.
When asked, staff from the hotel were unable to produce a safety plan, had no COVID safety marshal or licensee on duty and allowed patrons to stand while consuming alcohol.
Liquor & Gaming NSW Director of Compliance, Dimitri Argeres, said other elements of the business were not “COVID safe”, including gaming machines which were not spaced at an appropriate social distance.
“Overall there was little attempt to manage physical distancing inside the venue,” he said.
“Inspectors observed that customers could go in and out as they pleased, undermining the ability for authorities to conduct effective contact tracing.”
The venue was warned it would be shut down if strict safety protocols were not adhered to.
Rachel Baxendale 6.25pm: 101 people hit with virus-related fines in Victoria
A man who refused to wear a mask even after being given one by police, and a gym owner in a coronavirus hotspot who continued to operate his business despite Melbourne’s lockdown are among 101 people issued with fines for breaching the Victorian Chief Health Officers directives in the past 24 hours.
Victoria Police said 12 of the infringements had been issued as a result of 23,316 checks conducted at vehicle checkpoints on main arterial roads running in and out of the Melbourne and MItchell Shire lockdown zone.
A further 5,345 spot checks were conducted by police on homes, businesses and public places in the 24 hours to Friday, adding to the total of 153,910 Victoria Police COVID-19 spot checks since March 21.
Those fined included a man travelling from Laverton, in Melbourne’s west, to the southeastern bayside suburb of Mordialloc, who told police he was driving to buy cigarettes.
The owner of a gym in the outer northern Melbourne LGA of Hume, where there were 343 active cases of COVID-19 on Friday, was issued with a $9,913 fine for operating his business in breach of the CHO’s directions.
Of the 101 fines, 16 were issued to people who failed to wear a face covering outside their homes, after Victoria’s mandatory masks rule came into force on Thursday.
This included a man in the hotspot LGA of Wyndham, where there were 460 active cases on Friday, who was not wearing a mask and refused to wear one even after it was provided to him by police.
Police said excuses they were offered by people who had failed to wear a mask included a man who refused to wear a mask and said he wouldn’t be in the future as the rules “don’t apply to him” and a man who said he believed coronavirus was a “conspiracy theory”.
READ MORE: Riddle of the superspreaders who infect hundreds
Rachel Baxendale 6.23pm: Colac COVID-19 cases grow to 43 on Friday
Friday’s local government area data shows the most significant increases in Victorian COVID-19 active case numbers occurring in Melbourne’s outer suburbs and the southwest Victorian town of Colac.
Colac is home to a cluster linked to the Australian Lamb Company abattoir in the town, which rose from 27 cases on Thursday to 43 on Friday.
Outer suburban LGAs, many of them home to essential workers whose attendance at work is not limited by Melbourne’s Stage Three lockdown, accounted for the highest net increases in case numbers on Friday, along with Colac.
Brimbank, in Melbourne’s outer west, had the most significant net increase on Friday with 25 cases, adding up to a net increase of 147 in the past three days alone, and to a total of 436.
Wyndham, in the outer southwest, has had a net increase of 21, Colac-Otway 17, Whittlesea in the outer north 15, and Casey in the outer southeast 14.
All 31 metropolitan Melbourne LGAs have at least 13 active cases, while the Mitchell Shire, which is also part of the Stage Three lockdown, has 11.
Three other regional Victorian LGAs have now exceeded or equalled the Mitchell Shire’s tally, with a total of 43 active cases in Colac-Otway, 29 in Greater Geelong, and 11 in Ballarat.
There was a net increase of 23 active cases outside the metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown zone in the 24 hours to Friday.
There are now 136 active cases in regional Victoria outside the lockdown zone, across 20 LGAs.
When the Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown was imposed on July 9, there were 14 active cases across six LGAs.
Active confirmed cases of COVID-19 by LGA as of Friday, with net increase since Thursday in brackets:
Wyndham (outer southwest): 460 (+21)
#Brimbank (outer west): 436 (+25)
#Hume (outer north): 343 (+8)
#City of Melbourne: 263 (-13)
Whittlesea (outer north): 228 (+15)
#Moreland (north): 227 (+5)
#Moonee Valley (northwest): 207 (+1)
Melton (outer northwest): 169 (+4)
Banyule (northeast): 139 (-1)
Casey (outer southeast): 130 (+14)
Yarra (inner northeast): 123 (-1)
#Maribyrnong (inner west): 107
Darebin (north): 83 (-3)
Greater Dandenong: (outer southeast): 70 (+7)
Hobsons Bay (inner southwest): 64 (-3)
Boroondara (east): 50 (+1)
Whitehorse (east): 45 (-1)
*Colac-Otway (western regional Vic): 43 (+17)
Monash (southeast): 43 (+2)
Kingston (southeast): 38 (+5)
Stonnington (inner southeast): 36 (+1)
Manningham (east): 36 (-3)
Port Phillip (inner south): 35 (-2)
*Greater Geelong (southwest regional Vic): 29 (+6)
Glen Eira (east): 27 (+3)
Bayside (southeast): 23 (+5)
Cardinia (outer southeast): 23 (+2)
Knox (outer east): 22
Nillumbik (outer northeast): 22
Yarra Ranges (outer east) 20 (+4)
Frankston (outer southeast): 18 (+3)
Maroondah (outer east): 18 (+1)
Mornington Peninsula (outer southeast): 13 (+1)
*Ballarat (western regional Vic): 11
Mitchell (central regional Vic, north of Melb): 11
*Macedon Ranges (central regional Vic): 6 (+1)
*Moorabool (western regional Vic): 6
*Golden Plains (western regional Vic): 6 (-2)
*Horsham (western regional Vic): 5 (+1)
*South Gippsland (eastern regional Vic): 4 (+1)
*Surf Coast (southwest regional Vic): 4
*Latrobe (eastern regional Vic): 4
*Greater Bendigo (central regional Vic): 4
*Glenelg (western regional Vic): 3
*Baw Baw (eastern regional Vic): 3
*Swan Hill (northwest regional Vic): 2
*Mount Alexander (central regional Vic): 1 (+1)
*Corangamite (southwest regional Vic): 1
*Loddon (northwest central regional Vic): 1
*East Gippsland (east regional Vic): 1
*Bass Coast (southeast regional Vic): 1
*Greater Shepparton (northern regional Vic): 1 (-1)
Interstate: 7 (+1)
Unknown: 62 (-13)
TOTAL: 3734 (+104)
*Denotes LGAs outside the Melbourne metropolitan/Mitchell Shire lockdown
#Denotes LGAs with postcodes locked down from 11:59pm on July 1
Source: Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
Patrick Commins 5.50pm: Josh Frydenberg to adopt ‘fiscal discipline, not austerity’
Josh Frydenberg will adopt “fiscal discipline, not austerity” and prioritise growth in the October budget, as he said boosting the economic potential of the country was the best way to fix the country’s fiscal position which has been devastated in the battle against COVID-19.
“We are not a government of austerity. We are a government that will support the economy at a time that it needs it, but we will also be disciplined,” the Treasurer said.
Speaking at the National Press Club a day after delivering an extraordinary budget update in which he confirmed a record peacetime deficit approaching 10 per cent of GDP, Mr Frydenberg said the reforms of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were an “inspiration”.
Olivia Caisley 5.33pm: Early super access ‘ripping billions from vulnerable’: ACTU
The Australian Council of Trade Unions has accused the Morrison government of endangering the retirement prospects of ordinary Australians by extending the early access scheme to their super.
The union argues that the scheme had already “ripped billions” from the savings of the nation’s vulnerable including women and young people and would cost working people billions of dollars in retirement.
ACTU Assistant Secretary Scott Connolly on Friday accused the government of leading a generation of people into retirement poverty.
“This scheme will be causing financial hardship in retirement for decades to come, it will be the longest lasting legacy of this government,” he said.
“2.5 million workers have raided their super to pay the bills because the Morrison Government has not done enough to support them during this crisis. Almost 500,000 have emptied their accounts.
The criticism follows concerns raised by Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who questioned whether the decision to give Australians a further three months to access their super during the pandemic would create widespread issues.
Mr Albanese said while it was understandable that people might want to dip into their savings if they had lost their jobs, the consequences of such a decision needed to be more widely known.
“On superannuation, it seems the government is determined to never miss an opportunity to undermine it, and that’s a concern,” he said. “This is a concern for the individual, in terms of their future retirement savings, but it’s also a concern for the national economy.”
But Josh Frydenberg has defended the proposed three-month extension, declaring Australians had a right to spend their savings.
“If people want to spend that money through this crisis. That is a decision for them,” the Treasurer said.
“A lot of people have paid down their home loans, but more than 2.5 million Australians have seen fit to drawn down on their super, to do so tax-free, because the government has made that allowance.”
READ MORE: Sales’s sorry, not sorry performance
Rachel Baxendale 5.00pm: Victoria clusters breakdown: 51 new cases linked
Of Victoria’s 300 new cases on Friday, 51 have so far been linked to known clusters, with the remaining 249 under investigation.
Here’s what we know about the size of clusters with new cases on Friday, other than those linked to aged care which were detailed in a previous post:
Public housing towers:
– 296 cases are residents of previously locked down public housing towers in North Melbourne and Flemington, in Melbourne’s inner northwest, up from 293 on Thursday;
– 61 cases are residents of public housing towers in Carlton, in Melbourne’s inner north, up from 60 on Thursday;
Abattoirs:
– 74 cases have been linked to Somerville Retail Services abattoir in Tottenham, in Melbourne’s west, up from 72 on Thursday;
– 62 cases have been linked to JBS abattoir in Brooklyn, in Melbourne’s west, up from 58 on Thursday;
– 43 cases have been linked to Australian Lamb Company in Colac, in southwest regional Victoria, up from 29 on Thursday;
– Three cases have been linked Diamond Valley Pork in Laverton North, in Melbourne’s west. This is a previously unpublicised cluster;
Smallgoods:
– 57 cases have been linked to Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown, in Melbourne’s north. This is an increase on 10 cases on Thursday, when the cluster was first made public;
– Two cases have been linked to Don KR in Castlemaine, in central Victoria. This is a previously unpublicised cluster;
Social services/youth justice
– 11 cases have been linked to Respite Services Australia in Moonee Ponds, in Melbourne’s northwest. This is a previously unpublicised cluster;
– 9 cases have been linked to Australian Muslim Social Services Agency in North Melbourne. This is a previously unpublicised cluster;
– 6 cases have been linked to the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre in central Victoria. This follows a case in an education co-ordinator made public last Sunday;
Other:
– Three cases linked to Sims Metal Management in Brooklyn, in Melbourne’s west. This is a previously unpublicised cluster;
School/childcare:
Cases identified at three new sites including:
– Nino Early Learning in Bundoora, in Melbourne’s northeast;
– Impact English College in Melbourne’s CBD;
– Tarneit Senior College in Melbourne’s outer southwest.
Rachel Baxendale 4.50pm: Aged care clusters grow, five homes added
On Thursday, Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services said there had been 447 cases of COVID-19 linked to 35 aged care sites in the state.
They have not updated these figures on Friday, but they have issued updates for some facilities, and added five new facilities to the tally.
Victoria’s largest current aged care clusters include:
– 73 cases have been linked to St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner, in Melbourne’s north, the same figure as Thursday;
– 68 cases have been linked to Estia Health in Ardeer, in Melbourne’s west, up from 67 on Thursday;
– 37 cases have been linked to Arcare Aged Care in Craigieburn, in Melbourne’s outer north, up from 33 on Thursday;
– 35 cases have been linked to Estia Health in Heidelberg, in Melbourne’s northeast, up from 34 on Thursday;
– 44 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care facility in Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer southwest, up from 41 on Thursday. These cases include that of former Glendale resident, 90-year-old great-grandfather Alf Jordan, who died with COVID-19 in hospital on July 10;
– 20 cases have been linked to Regis Aged Care in Brighton, in southeast bayside Melbourne, up from 10 on Thursday;
Cases have also been linked to five new aged care facilities, including:
– Outlook Gardens aged care facility in Dandenong North, in Melbourne’s southeast;
– BlueCross Riverlea in Avondale Heights, in Melbourne’s northwest;
– Villa Maria Catholic Homes St Bernadette’s Aged Care Residence in Sunshine North, in Melbourne’s west;
– Fronditha Care in St Albans, in Melbourne’s west;
– Japara Yarra West in Yarraville, in Melbourne’s inner west.
Angelica Snowden 4.22pm: Three NSW schools closed, four students test positive
Three Catholic schools in Western Sydney will be closed after four students tested positive to COVID-19.
NSW Health said in a statement that all of the cases were originally linked with the Thai Rock cluster, two are connected with Our Lady of Lebanon Church.
Two of the cases attended Cerdon College in Merrylands — about 25km west of the CBD.
One of the cases attended Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School in Bossley Park.
One of the cases attended Freeman Catholic College at Bonnyrigg Heights School.
All three schools have been closed for cleaning and close contacts of the students are being alerted.
Close contacts of all the cases will be told to self-isolate for two weeks after their last contact with the case. They have been told to get tested if they develop symptoms.
All other children, staff, and families of those who attend or work at these schools have been encouraged to get tested.
NSW Health said in a statement “most cases have been linked to known clusters” but “community transmission continues”.
READ MORE: Are teens more at risk?
Rachel Baxendale 4.10pm: Victorian healthcare worker cases up 132 in two days
The number of Victorian healthcare workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 has increased by 132 in just two days.
There have been 601 cases of COVID-19 in healthcare workers in Victoria since the pandemic began, 300 of which remain active.
The total number of healthcare worker cases has increased from 469 cases on Wednesday.
Hundreds more healthcare workers are currently in isolation due to being close contacts.
Victoria has now had 880 cases of COVID-19 since July 1 where contact tracers have been unable to identify a source of transmission, and 1181 since the pandemic began.
This number does not include hundreds of cases which remain under investigation as contact tracers battle with a backlog of close contacts, including 249 of today’s 300 new cases.
There are currently 3734 active cases in Victoria, and 3450 people have recovered.
There have been 6825 cases in people from metropolitan Melbourne and 424 from regional Victoria since the pandemic began.
There have been 3737 cases in men and 3574 in women.
READ MORE: Lockdown fails to check virus surge
Rachel Baxendale 4.00pm: Victoria’s record daily death toll now seven
Victorian authorities have revised the coronavirus death toll for the 24 hours to Friday up to seven, after Premier Daniel Andrews earlier told reporters six people had died.
There have now been 12 deaths in two days, and 36 deaths since July 5.
Victoria’s death toll since the pandemic began now stands at 56.
The seven most recent deaths include those of two men and two women in their 80s, and two men and one woman in their 90s.
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services said five of the deaths had been linked to aged care facilities, contrary to the Premier’s comments earlier on Friday that six were nursing home residents.
READ MORE: What’s gone so horribly wrong in nursing homes?
Anthony Piovesan 3.45pm: Victorian police fine 16 for not wearing masks
Police fined 16 people for not wearing a face mask while out in public, with one man even refusing to don a mask when officers provided him with one.
It comes after the mandatory measure came into force overnight on Thursday.
Another man refused to wear a mask because he believed coronavirus was a conspiracy theory.
A gym in one of Melbourne’s virus hot spots – plagued with more than 300 active cases – was also slapped with a $10,000 fine after continuing to operate despite strict lockdown laws.
Police busted the gym in Hume as part of their daily spot-checks on residents and businesses — 101 fines were issued to people found in breach of the Chief Health Officer’s directions in the past 24 hours.
A man was also fined for travelling 50km from Laverton to Mordialloc to buy cigarettes.
Police have conducted 153,910 spot-check since March 21.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent slammed individuals who continued to disobey strict government orders.
“They say it’s they’re right not to wear a mask, in that instance they’ve been issued with fines,” he said.
“We are also patrolling supermarkets, shopping centres, other popular areas to ensure that people are complying.”
READ MORE: Masks putting off passengers: Qantas
Olivia Caisley 3.30pm: Albanese’s fears for extended superannuation access
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has raised concerns that the government’s decision to give Australians a further three months to access their super during the pandemic will create widespread issues.
Mr Albanese said while it was understandable that people might want to dip into their savings if they had lost their jobs, the consequences of such a decision needed to be more widely known.
“On superannuation, it seems the government is determined to never miss an opportunity to undermine it, and that’s a concern,” he said.
“This is a concern for the individual, in terms of their future retirement savings, but it’s also a concern for the
national economy.”
Josh Frydenberg on Friday defended the three-month infrastructure, declaring Australians had a right to spend their savings.
“If people want to spend that money through this crisis. That is a decision for them,” the Treasurer said. “A lot of people have paid down their home loans, but more than 2.5 million Australians have seen fit to drawn down on their super, to do so tax-free, because the government has made that allowance.”
Mr Frydenberg said the measure had existed prior to the coronavirus pandemic in terms of hardship.
“If you are going to lose your home or if you had difficult health circumstances you were able to access your super,” Mr Frydenberg said. “This is clearly a crisis for many Australians, so giving them access to their own money, I think, this a good thing.”
READ MORE: Jobs pain of nation facing generation debt
Matthew Denholm 3.10pm: Tasmania welcomes SA, WA and NT, but nobody else
Tasmania has created “safe travel bubbles” with South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, to operate from August 7.
Arrivals from other jurisdictions will continue to be either banned, in the case of Victorians, or subjected to mandatory 14 day hotel quarantine, which from July 31 will cost $2,800 per person.
“Tasmania is one of the safest places on the planet, and in Public Health’s view, so are SA, the NT and WA,” Premier Peter Gutwein said on Friday. “We intend to create safe travel bubbles with those three states in two weeks’ time.”
He did not expect his state’s borders to be open to Victoria “in the near future”, while all jurisdictions would need to be free of community transmission of COVID-19 before joining Tasmania’s quarantine-free “bubble”.
Those on arrival from bubble jurisdictions would undergo health checks on arrival and be required to submit to coronavirus testing if displaying symptoms.
If they refused testing, they would be forced into hotel quarantine at their own expense, he said.
Mr Gutwein conceded the SA, WA and the NT provided only 15% of the usual tourist traffic to Tasmania but said the bubble was a “first step” to reopening the state’s tourism industry.
Bubble jurisdictions, or suburbs or regions within them, could be removed from the quarantine-free travel arrangement should outbreaks occur there.
Mr Gutwein said Public Health could remove such an area from the bubble with as little as half an hour notice.
He hoped to add Queensland to the bubble arrangement soon but had delayed doing so because of the amount of “mixing” of people that occurred during that state’s recent school holidays.
No further bubbles would operate before August 13, he said, while also announcing mandatory COVID-19 tests for essential workers arriving in the state from July 31.
He conceded restrictions in Western Australia may prevent its residents from coming to Tasmania due to concern they may be forced to quarantine on their return home.
READ MORE: Riddle of COVID superspreaders
John Durie 2.55pm: Victoria tops fines over five years
Tasmania-based economist Saul Eslake has calculated in the five years ended June last year the Victorian government imposed traffic fines on its citizens averaging $121 per head per annum.
The national average was $90 a head which included, $93 in the ACT, $89 per head in Queensland, $80 in WA, $77 in NSW, $74 in South Australia, $67 in the Northern Territory and $38 in Tasmania.
COVID fines from March to the end of May this year in Victoria were $90 per 100,000 people compared with a national average of $38.
This included $40 in Queensland, $20 in the Northern Territory, $16 in NSW, $15 in South Australia, $4 in WA and Tasmania nil.
Victorians are now liable to $200 fines for not wearing masks, so its Covid total may sky rocket.
Eslake said it’s not a Premier Dan Andrews thing: Victoria has always imposed more fines than the rest of the country.
READ MORE: ‘We like boring, competent in a crisis’
Adeshola Ore 2.40pm: SA introduces hard border with Victoria
South Australia is tightening its border controls with Victoria, imposing a hard border with its eastern neighbour from midnight on Tuesday.
Residents from South Australia who have been in Victoria will also be barred from entering from next week. Currently, South Australians are allowed to return to their home state, but must quarantine for two weeks and undergo two coronavirus tests. Exemptions will remain for essential travellers.
The state will also reinstate capped numbers on large groups of people. From midnight on Tuesday, funerals and weddings will be capped at 100 people and home gatherings at 50 people.
Announcing the restrictions on Friday afternoon, Premier Steven Marshall said the “primary focus is keeping everyone in South Australia safe and secure”.
“We’ve got to do everything we can now to protect ourselves against seeding from Victoria coming across that border,” he said.
South Australia will remain open to other states and territories, but anyone entering from NSW and the ACT will need to quarantine for fourteen days and undergo mandatory testing.
There were three new COVID-19 cases recorded in the state this week.
READ MORE: Conspiracy theorist to expect police visit
Rachel Baxendale 2.27pm: Who has been admitted to Victorian hospitals?
A person in their 20s, four people in their 30s, four in their 40s and 10 in their 50s are among 41 people in intensive care in Victoria with COVID-19 on Friday.
There are also 13 people in their 60s, seven in their 70s and two in their 80s in ICU.
Two children are among those in hospital but not in ICU, alongside five people in their 20s, seven in their 30s, 11 in their 40s, 14 in their 50s, 19 in their 60s, 30 in their 70s, 55 in their 80s and 22 in their 90s.
A total of 206 are in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus on Friday, including 41 in intensive care.
READ MORE: Masks mandatory for hospital visitors
Adeshola Ore 2.22pm: Ruby Princess operators face class action
The operators of the ill-fated Ruby Princess, linked to more than 20 coronavirus deaths, are facing a class-action lawsuit.
The luxury cruiseliner caused widespread infection when more than 2600 people were given the green light to disembark the vessel in Sydney.
Shine Lawyers have filed the class action on behalf of more than 800 people. They will allege the operators of the cruise ship were negligent and failed their duty of care to their passengers.
The firm is seeking compensation through the federal court on behalf of passengers, their families and the estates of those killed as a result of the outbreak.
READ MORE: Ruby Princess inquiry labelled a ‘cover-up’
Rachel Baxendale 2.08pm: ADF to doorknock cases gone silent
Australian Defence Force personnel and authorised officers from Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services will knock on the doors of people who have tested positive for coronavirus if they do not answer phone calls from the department.
The Andrews government announced the measure on Friday, in a bid to address a contact tracing backlog which has seen some people wait more than a week to be told they are a close contact of a COVID-19 case, and others not called at all.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said earlier this week a key obstacle authorities had been facing was that as many as 25 per cent of positive cases had not been answering calls from contact tracers.
There are now 1400 ADF personnel assisting Victoria with its pandemic response, in roles which include patrolling the border around the Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown area, and enforcing mandatory mask wearing around the city.
Under new arrangements implemented this week, if a person cannot be contacted after two calls within a two-hour window, or if they refuse to participate in a contact tracing interview, ADF personnel accompanied by an authorised officer will visit their address on the same day.
If the person is not home when the ADF and the authorised officer attend the property, an investigation will be undertaken to determine the reason for absence and to ensure the home address is correct.
Those found violating the Chief Health Officer’s directions to isolate will be issued with a fine.
Mr Andrews said 65 properties had been visited by ADF and DHHS teams since Wednesday, with 23 such teams operating as of Friday.
Victoria Police have meanwhile undertaken 5345 spot checks in the 24 hours to Friday at homes, businesses and non-essential services, issuing 101 fines.
READ MORE: Victoria records 300 new cases, six more deaths
Olivia Caisley 1.45pm: IR changes ‘critical’ to keep people working: Treasurer
Josh Frydenberg has defended his proposal to extend emergency industrial relations changes for employers coming off JobKeeper from September, declaring the economic opportunities to respond to the coronavirus “will not be fully realised” unless the nation’s “inflexible IR system” is dealt with.
He says the temporary changes the government made in response to the crisis have been “absolutely critical” to keeping more people in work.
The extension, announced as part of the Morrison government’s special budget update on Thursday, ignited anger from unions and Labor, which accused the Coalition of using the pandemic to leave workers permanently worse off.
“We would like those temporary changes to continue. We are saying until the end of March because that is what we have announced,” he says. “The other key point I want to make is that there are lots of protections in there for the employees.
“You have to give notice, you have to consult, you have to have a reasonable request. It has to be a safe working environment, it has to be consistent with the business’s purpose and their usual operations.”
The Treasurer says these changes are “absolutely sensible” given the economic environment the nation is in.
Mr Frydenberg says the government is “rejecting austerity” as he warns the record-high debt burden from the pandemic will be felt by “you, me and our children for many years ahead.”
But the Treasurer cautioned that record-low interest rates was good news for borrowers and the money needed to be spent.
“We are not a government of austerity,” he says. “We are a government that will support the economy at a time that they need it, but we will also be disciplined.”
READ MORE: IR changes to halt investment ‘free fall’
Adeshola Ore 1.15pm: Golden Sheaf, Star among venues to cop fines
Liquor and Gaming NSW has fined three pubs for failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, as fresh measures are imposed on hospitality venues from today.
All indoor hospitality venues will now have group bookings capped at 10 people, down from the previous limit of 20.
NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said fines had been issued to the Golden Sheaf pub in Double Bay, the Star Casino in Pyrmont and the Auburn Hotel in western Sydney. Earlier this month, the Golden Sheaf made headlines after photos of large crowds queuing outside the venue were posted online.
From today, businesses are also required to register a COVID-Safe plan with the NSW government.
Mr Dominello said inspectors would be regularly checking in on venues.
“Any business found blatantly breaking the rules will have the book thrown at them.
We won’t be listening to any excuses,” he said.
READ MORE: Not OK: punters defy social distancing
Olivia Caisley 1.10pm: ‘Positive’ economic signs’, despite Vic outbreak
Josh Frydenberg says that despite the challenges associated with the Victorian outbreak there are positive signs the economy is starting to “get back to business.”
The Treasurer says that of the 1.3 million Australians who lost their jobs at the beginning of the crisis, close to 500,000 had again started some form of work by June.
“If secondary outbreaks are contained, Treasury expects that around half of those who lost their jobs or who were stood down on zero hours early in the crisis will be back in some form of work by the end of the year,” he says.
Mr Frydenberg says that while the initial phase of the government’s plan was focused on preparing our health system for this crisis, saving jobs and protecting the economy, the next phase will shift to enabling growth.
“Unlike the past recession, monetary policy is constrained and will do much less of the heavy lifting,” he says.
Mr Frydenberg says a key difference between the COVID-19 related downtown and the Global Financial Crisis is the loss of overseas migration in driving growth.
“Due to lower net overseas migration, annual population growth is assumed to slow to just 0.6 per cent in 2021 – the lowest rate since 1916-1917,” he says. “This time, while we will continue to provide fiscal support through the crisis, sustainable growth will only come from creating the most dynamic and the most flexible economy we possibly can.”
Asked if he will call on Australians to have more babies, the Treasurer says that the best thing the government can do to encourage more children being born is to create a strong economy for them to be born into.
“We have provided lots of incentives for families. We have provided much increased funding for child care, and, of course, we are very much supporting families across the board in terms of our policies,” he says.
“So I won’t go as far as to say, like Peter Costello, one for the mother, one for the father and one for the country, but what I can say is that people should feel encouraged about the future and the more children that we have across the country, together with our migration, we will build our population growth and that will be good for the economy.”
Olivia Caisley 12.47pm: Virus won’t bring us to knees: Frydenberg
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is addressing the National Press Club after handing down the government’s special budget update on Thursday.
The Treasurer says “two world wars and a depression didn’t bring Australia to its knees and COVID won’t either.”
Mr Frydenberg says it will be of little comfort to those Australians who have lost their jobs, but Australia is the only developed country to have its growth forecast upgraded for 2020 by the IMF in its June world economic outlook.
“This gives us confidence that we are better placed than most other nations to chart a path to recovery,” he says.
He says Australia got the “balance right” in taking a “middle path” by following a strategy of suppression and not elimination.
He says a strict elimination strategy would have crippled the Australian economy even further and required the government to shut down many more sectors.
Australians living overseas would have also been prevented from returning home.
“Treasury, using OECD estimates of the economic impact of full lockdowns, suggests a 6-week Australia-wide hard lockdown could reduce GDP by around $50 billion,” the Treasurer says. “This is what is at stake. In contrast, we’ve shown an aggressive suppression strategy targeting low or no community transmission can be effective when implemented well.”
He says that while the Victorian government has acknowledged that issues with their quarantine arrangements led to a spike in cases across the state, the nation can still get back to where it was before the outbreak.
READ MORE: Levelling with Australians about hard reforms
Olivia Caisley 12.30pm: States to share information to help contact tracing
Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says the states have been asked to share granular information to ensure contact tracing and testing is happening as it should.
The Morrison government has requested that state health department information about aged care cases and community transmission also be shared to help monitor the spread of coronavirus across the country.
“We will want that regularly from all of the states and territories to make sure that that testing regime is remaining as it should be,” he says, declaring they’re “really pushing hard and making sure that that information is available.”
Mr Kelly says the spike in coronavirus cases over the past week “really demonstrate how aggressively we need to chase down every case, every day, to ensure that they are isolated.”
Meanwhile, PM Scott Morrison reveals the draft Closing the Gap strategy, which has been signed off by the joint steering committee, appeared before national cabinet for the first time on Friday.
“It is all with the states and territories right now, so I would hope that they would be able to progress that as soon as possible,” the Prime Minister says. “Our Cabinet has signed off on it, and it is now with each every state and territory.”
READ MORE: Contact tracing teams swamped as count surges
Olivia Caisley 12.20pm: National code to help freight moving across borders
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that national cabinet has agreed to adopt a freight movement protocol to help manage the movement of freight across state borders amid restrictions and requirements to test drivers for COVID-19.
The Prime Minister flags that a national code on freight would be better and the states and territory leaders will work together to develop one.
“All states and territories and the Commonwealth agreed that that needed greater enforcement and it needed to move towards a code, and that’s where we’ll be moving in the days ahead to formalise that further,” he says. “And the enforcement of that will obviously be put in place by the states and territories who have those resources. Now, how they do that, whether that’s by legislation or public health order, that will be a matter for them.
“In Queensland, for example, they have public health orders that can attend to that.”
READ MORE: Premier threatens ‘swift action’ on border
Olivia Caisley 12.15pm: We’ll get on top of it: PM reaffirms suppression strategy
Scott Morrison says national cabinet on Friday moved to an “affirmation of the suppression strategy” as the nation moves to contain an outbreak in Victoria.
The Prime Minister says the primary goal has always been to ensure there’s no community transmission.
“There will always be cases that come because Australia has not completely shut itself off from the world. To do so would be reckless, but that no community transmission, when the vast majority of states and territories have been at now effectively for some time and that’s certainly where we want to get back to in Victoria and New South Wales, and that’s where our efforts are focused.”
Mr Morrison says that all the states and territories are committed to tackling the spike in cases together.
“We’re always in the fight in Australia and what it demonstrates is that you can deal with outbreaks, you can get on top of them. But you’ve got to be constant about it and you’ve got to throw everything at it,” he says. “We will get on top of it in Victoria, and because there is the determination and the co-operation to achieve that and that was reinforced today.”
He says he wants to stress that all other states and territories remain on alert.
READ MORE: At this moment PM is invincible
Olivia Caisley 12.08pm: PM updates on virus after national cabinet meets
Scott Morrison has kicked off a press conference in Canberra following a meeting of the national cabinet.
He reveals he has spoken to the leaders of Israel and France about each of the countries’ approach to tackling the spread of the coronavirus.
The Prime Minister says he spoke with Emmanuel Macron and Benjamin Netanyahu about the best way to run a testing and tracing regime.
They are also working together to achieve a vaccine and ensuring that Australians get access to a cure when it becomes available.
The PM reveals there are now 3105 members of the Australian Defence Force working across the nation to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Half of that number are in Victoria, which is currently tackling a surge in cases.
672 are in NSW and 550 are in Queensland.
There are 114 in South Australia, 57 in Western Australia and 102 up in the Northern Territory.
READ MORE: Masks the new black in plague city
Courtney Walsh 12.01pm: AFL Cairns hub boost for game and city
AFL fixture chief Travis Auld believes basing a hub in Cairns later this season will be beneficial for both the league and the city.
A rare silver lining in the coronavirus crisis that forced the AFL to abandon Victoria last month is the opportunity it has presented to consolidate on the significant investment it has made in New South Wales and also in Queensland over the past decade.
“Queensland is a big state. Cairns is a similar flight from the Gold Coast as it is from Melbourne,” Auld told The Australian.
“So to play games in Brisbane and the Gold Coast doesn’t necessarily serve North Queensland, so to be able to put some teams up there for all the footy supporters in Cairns, to have those players in the community, is a real boost. I think, as a code, we have the ability to make a difference in terms of the economic impact as well.
“We will invest a significant amount of money in terms of accommodation and the like through that period, which is a real boost for an economy that has had a difficult period over the last six months or so.”
Cairns-raised footballers Jack Bowes and Jarrod Harbrown have impressed for the Gold Coast this year and the AFL is hoping to inspire youngsters from the region during the period the code bases teams in Far North Queensland.
The AFL is yet to decide which clubs will be based in a hub in the northern tourist region but AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan is pleased to be able to play matches in Cairns.
“It’s a great football area. We have got a good venue up there. We’ve got an opportunity to promote football in the region and to take the game to the people up there,” McLachlan said on 3AW.
“We’ve played games up there before and there is surprisingly great depth and strength of AFL up there and it is a good thing for footy.”
READ MORE: Summer of white-knuckle anxiety
Adeshola Ore 11.50am: Queenslanders warned against travel to NSW
Queensland has recorded two new coronavirus cases overnight, as residents are warned to rethink travel plans to NSW.
The state’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said both cases were in hotel quarantine, but were discovered on day 11 of their stay. The state government has warned Queenslanders to rethink travel plans to NSW.
“I urge travellers to consider the risks of travelling to NSW at this time as outbreaks can rapidly spread and get out of control, as we’ve seen in NSW, Victoria and other countries,” Dr Young said.
Health Minister Steven Miles said authorities were closely monitoring the situation in NSW and Victoria. Travellers from the NSW cities of Campbelltown, Liverpool and Fairfield, as well as anyone from Victoria, are banned from entering Queensland.
Queensland has now reported 1,076 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
READ MORE: NZ eyes post COVID recovery
Rachel Baxendale 11.40am: Six deaths, 300 cases in Victoria
A record six people have died with coronavirus in Victoria in the 24 hours to Friday, bringing the state’s death toll from the virus to 55.
The new deaths follow five deaths in the 24 hours to Thursday, and there have now been 35 deaths since July 5.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said all six of those who died most recently had been residents of aged care facilities, three of whom were in their 80s, and three of whom were in their 90s.
Victoria has recorded 300 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to Friday, bringing the total number of active cases to 3734 — a more than tenfold increase since July 1, when there were 370 active cases.
There have now been 7405 COVID-19 cases in Victoria since the pandemic began.
Of the 300 new cases on Friday, 51 have so far been linked to known outbreaks, and the remaining 249 are under investigation.
There are now 206 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus, of whom 41 are in intensive care, up from 201 people in hospital on Thursday, of whom 40 were in ICU.
The 300 cases come after 24,118 tests were processed on Thursday, resulting in a 1.24 per cent positive test rate an improvement on rates in recent days which include a record 1.96 per cent on Wednesday.
The net increase in active cases of 104 is also lower than the last few days, compared with 234 on Tuesday, 261 on Wednesday, and 222 on Thursday.
READ MORE: What’s gone so wrong in nursing homes?
Olivia Caisley 11.30am: Burke slams Frydenberg over IR
Opposition industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke has attacked Josh Frydenberg’s decision to extend emergency IR changes for employers coming off JobKeeper from September, declaring Labor does not support the “attack on job security.”
The extension, announced as part of the Morrison government’s special budget update on Thursday, ignited anger from unions and Labor, which accused the Coalition of using the pandemic to leave workers permanently worse off.
Mr Burke said he welcomed the extension of JobKeeper but there was no justification for businesses that were doing well during the pandemic to be able to attack the job security of their workforce.
“What Josh Frydenberg announced yesterday is not fair,” Mr Burke said. “It is an attack on job security. It is the exact opposite of what should be happening at a time like the moment.”
“ … We won’t be a part of attacking job security during a pandemic.”
Business groups strongly backed allowing companies ineligible for JobKeeper 2.0 to continue using the workplace relations exemptions that permit businesses to cut employee hours and change their duties.
As the government has cancelled two sitting weeks of parliament, it will need to pass legislation extending JobKeeper and the industrial relations exemptions when MPs resume sitting for a fortnight from August 24.
Given Labor’s position, the government is likely to require Senate crossbench support to get the industrial relations exemptions extended before they expire at the end of September.
The Treasurer is expected to address the extension when he delivers a speech at the National Press Club on Friday.
READ MORE: Frydenberg backs extended IR rules
Remy Varga 11.28am: Newmarch team deployed to Vic aged care home
The federal government has called in the same medical company deployed at Sydney’s Newmarch House to contain a coronavirus outbreak at an aged care home in Melbourne’s north.
Aspen Medical first responders will be deployed to St Basil’s in Fawkner, which has had 73 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said Aspen staff would work onsite with Victorian government health workers.
“Aspen Clinical First Responders continue to work onsite, helping to ensure strict adherence to infection prevention and control protocols including the use of PPE, hand hygiene, and cleaning,” he said.
“Aspen Medical staff are highly professional with experience in urgent and complex health system response and retrieval arrangements.”
Senator Colbeck said a communications team had contacted more than half the members of the families with loved ones at St Basil’s.
Senator Colbeck said it was possible a number of St Basils residents would be relocated to hospital over the next few days.
“The decision on hospital transfers will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the resident’s medical needs and the clinical advice of the experts managing the outbreak,” he said.
READ MORE: Three layers the go for DIY masks
Adeshola Ore 11.25am: All patients, health workers to wear masks
All patients and health workers in NSW public hospitals are now required to wear masks in response to a rise of locally acquired COVID-19 cases.
In a statement, NSW Health said all health workers in hospital settings must wear a surgical mask if they are within 1.5 metres of a patient. Patients will also be required to wear a mask “where possible.”
“This advice applies to hospital and community health settings and comes into effect today,” it read.
NSW health authorities said most cases were linked to known clusters, but warned the public to be vigilant.
“NSW Health is calling on people across the state to redouble their efforts to stop the virus spreading”
READ MORE: Three layers the go for DIY face masks
Adeshola Ore 11.20am: NSW records just seven cases
NSW has recorded seven additional coronavirus cases, with six linked to the Thai Rock restaurant cluster.
7 new cases of #COVID19 have been diagnosed in NSW between 8pm on 22 July and 8pm on 23 July.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 24, 2020
For the latest list of COVID-19 locations, visit: https://t.co/6PUOQ40ESo pic.twitter.com/Ty1BxiEM83
NSW Health said of the six Thai Rock outbreak cases, three are linked to Our Lady of Lebanon church, and three are close contacts of other cases, including two at a workplace.
There are now 52 COVID-19 cases associated with the Wetherill Park restaurant.
The Crossroads Hotel outbreak remains at 56. There are eight cases associated with the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club.
One of today’s new cases is under investigation.
READ MORE: What’s next for economic recovery
Rachel Baxendale 11.05am: Andrews to announce record number of deaths
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to confirm a record number of COVID-19 deaths in the 24 hours to Friday when he addresses the media at 11:30am
The Australian understands the number is greater than the record five deaths in the 24 hours to Thursday.
The news comes after 447 coronavirus cases were yesterday linked to 35 aged care facilities in the state.
Today’s number of new cases is expected to be about 300.
READ MORE: Masks mandatory for hospital visitors
Staff writers 10.50am: Mel Gibson hospitalised after testing positive
Mel Gibson has spent a week in hospital being treated for COVID-19.
The controversial Australian Hollywood star was admitted to hospital in the United States after testing positive to the illness in April, The Daily Telegraph reports.
American representatives for the 64-year-old Lethal Weapon actor confirmed the diagnosis.
“He tested positive in April and spent a week in the hospital,” Gibson’s representative said.
“He was treated with the drug Remdesivir, while in the hospital, and has tested negative numerous times since then as well as positive for the antibodies.”
Gibson dealt with the illness in private. He has been in the headlines after actor Winona Ryder claimed in a recent interview that the Australian had asked if she was an “oven dodger” at a party in the mid-’90s.
READ MORE: The show must go on for Tex Perkins
Jack Paynter 10.35am: Conspiracy theorist breaches Vic checkpoint
A conspiracy theorist has shared footage of herself easily driving through a coronavirus checkpoint in Melbourne after refusing to give her details to police.
Melbourne woman Eve Black deliberately set out to try to breach the police roadblock to “stand up for not only (her) own rights but the rights (of her) brothers and sisters here on earth”.
When Ms Black approached the checkpoint she told her friend in the car “let’s do it, let’s take them down” before refusing to put her window down for the policeman.
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When the officer asked her where she was going and why she was attempting to leave the locked-down area, Ms Black said she didn’t need to tell him.
“Have I disturbed the peace today,” she said.
“No, I just asked what your reason for leaving is,” the policeman said in the video.
“I don’t need to tell you that, I don’t know you,” Ms Black said.
READ MORE: We can help, says virus tracker
Adeshola Ore 10.10am: Low interest rates means less flexibility: Frydenberg
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says less flexibility in monetary policy due to historically low interest rates has resulted in fiscal support doing “more heavy lifting” during the pandemic.
Mr Frydenberg will today give a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra, where he will outline how the government will use the October budget to implement its recovery plan.
He is expected to say that the country does not have the same lever of interest rates to raise capital, compared to during the global financial crisis.
“The $289 billion of economic support, $164 billion of which has been direct financial support … The government will continue to do everything to assist the community in this very difficult and turbulent time, Mr Frydenberg told Sky News
He acknowledged that Victoria’s lockdown had “diminished confidence”, but said Australia was in a “better place” than most countries on the health and economic front.
“If you look at the active cases per one million people, in Australia it’s 156, in the United Kingdom, it’s 3,700, in the United States, it’s 7,000. We have effectively deployed a suppression strategy.”
READ MORE: Tougher rules ‘death knell for industry’
Courtney Walsh 9.40am: Cairns to be AFL COVID safe spot
At least three AFL matches will be held in Cairns later this year in what will be an economic boost for the tourist region, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Friday.
The region was overlooked in the next phase of the fixture, which was unveiled on Wednesday, but football will return to Cazaly’s Stadium by September.
Two clubs will be based in the region, which has suffered a significant financial hit as a result of COVID-19, in a mini-hub, with rivals to flu to the city.
“Three AFL premiership games will be played at Cazaly’s Stadium and two clubs will relocate to Cairns temporarily with strict quarantine protocols and the COVID Safe Industry Plan in place,” the premier announced on social media.
“It will inject millions of dollars into the local economy and support jobs.
“The details of which two teams will be based in Cairns is yet to be finalised.”
The Gold Coast Suns have played games in Far North Queensland in recent years, so too the Western Bulldogs and Richmond.
READ MORE: Abattoir bungled outbreak, worker claims
Adeshola Ore 9.30am: Perrottet vows: No second lockdown
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has vowed the state will not head into a second lockdown, as new restrictions come into force today.
Mr Perrottet said the state could not afford to return to a lockdown scenario similar to Victoria.
“I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that [a second lockdown] doesn’t happen,” he told 2GB radio on Friday morning.
“We can’t afford the cure to be worse than the disease. There’s a lot of businesses out there who are doing it tough.”
“We can’t afford the cure to be worse than the disease."https://t.co/ZDfPEaiR9r
— 2GB 873 (@2GB873) July 23, 2020
From today, all NSW indoor hospitality venues will be subject to a maximum of 10 people per group bookings. Funerals and places of worship will be capped at 100, while weddings and corporate events will be capped at 150.
NSW reported 19 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, including three under investigation.
READ MORE: Levelling with Australians about hard reforms
Adeshola Ore 9.00am: Mixed messaging blamed for Victoria surge
Victoria’s opposition leader Michael O’Brien says the government’s “mixed messaging” is to blame for the state’s recent spike in infections.
Mr O’Brien said the state government’s advice on when people needed to self-isolate was not consistent.
“You were told if you didn’t have symptoms and got tested, you didn’t have to self isolate. The advice may have changed but Victorians weren’t told that, he told Channel 7.
“We have a problem with mixed messaging and at the end of the day, we have a problem with hotel quarantine which got us in this mess in the first place.”
READ MORE: Brace for COVID impact on property markets
Adeshola Ore 8.30am: Paid pandemic leave ‘will remove punishment’
The Australian Council of Trades Union says paid pandemic leave will “take away the punishment” for workers who must stay at home because of a COVID-19 risk.
Earlier this week, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said 90 per cent of people failed to immediately isolate after feeling unwell, but before being tested.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said employees were still attending their work while unwell or awaiting coronavirus test results.
“We’ve got to plug the leaks. We know that they’re there and the way to do it is to take away the punishment that people have when they stay at home and isolate, which is sometimes losing their job,” she told the ABC on Friday morning.
“So if we could take that away, that is one way of controlling the virus, because people know that they can safely isolate and they’re going to be supported.”
Ms McManus said the pandemic had shed light on “how vulnerable insecure workers are.”
“One in three workers in our country don’t have paid leave. We’re in the middle of a pandemic. Some of them lost their jobs way back in March and April when the virus first hit.”
READ MORE: Amazon up there with Bunnings and booze
Adeshola Ore 7.55am: Jobless rate could go beyond 9pc: Cormann
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has flagged that Australia’s unemployment could peak beyond 9 per cent, as forecasted in yesterday’s economic statement.
On Thursday, the federal government unveiled the largest budget deficit since World War II. Almost one in 10 Australians are anticipated to be unemployed by Christmas according to the update. But Senator Cormann conceded that there is a “high level of uncertainty” in the global economic outlook.
“This is a fluid situation, it continues to evolve and there’s likely to be movement in both directions for some time,” he told the ABC on Friday morning.
“There’s high levels of uncertainty. So, yes estimates and forecasts are even more challenging to make at this point in time than normal.”
He said the outbreaks in Victoria and NSW present an ongoing risk to the country’s economic progress.
“We want to ensure that we can get back to as close to normal position as possible.”
READ MORE: Jobs pain of nation facing Generation Debt
Cameron Stewart 7.35am: Trump cancels Republican Convention
Donald Trump has cancelled plans to hold the Republican Convention in Jacksonville Florida next month because of the surge in the coronavirus.
The move is a blow to Mr Trump’s hopes of a gala celebration of his nomination for a second term in office, but he said the health concerns were paramount.
“The timing for this event is not right (given) the flare up in Florida,’ Mr Trump said. “There is nothing more important in our country than keeping our people safe.”
BREAKING: Pres. Trump says he is cancelling Jacksonville, FL, portion of Republican National Convention, citing state's surge in COVID-19 cases.
— ABC News (@ABC) July 23, 2020
"I'll still do a convention speech, in a different form. But we won't do a big crowded convention, per se."https://t.co/JsAo4rBy2e pic.twitter.com/e90nNXMoOL
“I just felt it was wrong to have people going to what turned out to be a hotspot.’
Instead, Mr Trump will be nominated in a low key manner by Republican delegates in Charlotte, North Carolina in late August but Mr Trump will not attend or give a nomination speech in either Charlotte or Jacksonville.
The move will make the Republican Convention, scheduled for August 24 to 27, a largely virtual event in the same manner as the Democrat Convention will be in Milwaukee between 17 and 20 August.
Mr Trump said the convention will now be ‘on line in some form’ but he said plans were still being formulated.
READ the full story here
Adeshola Ore 7.20am: Sydney hot spot ban ‘political ploy’
The mayor of the latest NSW region to be declared a COVID hotspot by Queensland has questioned how the travel ban will be enforced.
On Thursday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that residents within the City of Fairfield council area would be barred from entering the state from 1am Monday, July 27. It comes after the cluster of cases at Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park rose to 46 on Thursday.
Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone said the decision by Queensland was “unfortunate.”
“I don’t think it’s good for anybody to be playing politics with this issue. And I don’t know how Annastacia Palaszczuk will control this, he told 2GB radio on Friday morning.
He described the move as a “political ploy to bully the Premier of NSW to move the border a bit further down.”
“This will impact one million people. I think there’s a political push here by the premier towards New South Wales.”
Travel bans are already in place for the NSW local government areas of Campbelltown and Liverpool and the entire state of Victoria.
READ MORE: Lockdown lifted at 4 Victorian prisons
Adeshola Ore 7.10am: US cases rise at 2600 an hour
US cases of COVID-19 have surpassed four million, according to the John Hopkins University’s tally. The average number of new US cases is now rising by more than 2,600 an hour. While face masks have been common practice around the world, some Republican governors in the US are resistant to enforcing them. On Thursday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said measures such as wearing masks were improving infection numbers in his state, once the second-hardest hit.
Florida reported 173 lives lost on Thursday, as a battle regarding the reopening of schools plays out. The state has been sued by a teachers union to stop schools reopening for face-to-face learning. In June, Florida’s commissioner said schools must reopen, but on Thursday Governor Ron DeSantis said parents and teachers had a choice.
In South Africa, public schools will close for four weeks, as the country’s COVID-19 cases rose over 400,000 on Thursday. President Cyril Ramaphosa said it was vital schools did not become sites of transmission in a country where the virus is spreading at one of the fastest rates worldwide. South Africa closed schools when it entered a hard lockdown in late March, but it allowed classes to resume for some grades from early June.
Hong Kong reported 118 new coronavirus cases on Thursday a new daily high. Of the new cases, 111 were from community transmission. On Wednesday, the region extended its strict social distancing measures to contain the spike in virus numbers. Since the pandemic began in late January, the financial hub has recorded more than 2,000 infections. Health authorities are warning that the city faces a critical period in the next few weeks to contain the virus.
Globally, more than 15 million people have been infected with COVID-19. Worldwide deaths have now surpassed 625,000.
READ MORE: Lockdown fails to stem surge
Staff writers 7.00am: New NSW restrictions come into force
New restrictions for cafes, restaurants and clubs, and weddings and funerals come into force across NSW from today.
The changes will mirror the tightened restrictions placed on pubs last week.
All indoor hospitality venues will be subject to a cap of 10 people per group booking and all patrons must be seated.
The one person/4 sqm capacity restrictions will also continue to apply alongside the new booking cap.
All venues will also be forced to have a COVID-safe plan, register all patrons and log their contact details digitally within 24 hours.
READ MORE: We can help says virus tracker
Angelica Snowden 6.25am: Sydney Costco shopper tests positive
A Costco shopper who visited a store in Sydney’s southwest has tested positive to COVID-19.
In a statement from NSW Health posted to their website, “a person with COVID-19 visited Costco, Marsden Park on Sunday 19 July”.
#COVID19 can spread within 24 hours of being infected. If you have any symptoms, get tested immediately.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 23, 2020
Find a testing clinic near you: https://t.co/LmeATIQK4Z pic.twitter.com/Nk6zz2nPue
The statement said any one who visited the store between 11am and 2pm should monitor for COVID-19 symptoms.
“If symptoms occur, self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19 immediately,” the statement read.
READ MORE: 27 Sydney suburbs not welcome in Queensland
Patrick Commons 6.00am: Treasury bets on ‘relatively fast’ recovery
Treasury is betting on a “relatively fast” economic recovery based on best-case assumptions the Victorian lockdown does not extend beyond six weeks, the international border opens from January 1 and there are no delays to the staged reopening of other states and territories
The economic and fiscal update forecasts the COVID-19 crisis will deal Australia’s economy its heaviest blow on record.
Real GDP is projected to plunge 3.75 per cent in this calendar year, before bouncing back by 2.5 per cent in 2021.
The jobless rate, however, will climb from 7.4 per cent in June to 9.25 per cent by the December quarter, and remain high at 8.75 per cent by the middle of next year.
Wages growth will slow from 2.3 per cent in 2018-19, to 1.75 per cent in 2019-20, and again to 1.25 per cent in 2020-21.
“The economic recovery is forecast to be relatively fast by historical standards,” the report says.
READ the full story here
Patrick Commons 5.45am: Record debt ‘price of saving economy’
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has said a legacy of massive debt that could take decades to pay back is the necessary cost of saving 700,000 jobs and the economy tens of billions of dollars through the COVID-19 crisis.
Thursday’s Economic and Fiscal Update confirmed that commonwealth debt would surge from $540bn as at June 2019 to a post-war record of $852bn — or 45 per cent of GDP — by the middle of next year.
Following the update, modelling from PwC suggested the budget would not be balanced until 2040, and net debt would not be reduced to zero until 2060.
Senator Cormann batted away repeated questions around how long it would take to pay down the debt accrued to pay for COVID-related deficits.
“In the circumstances, what was the alternative?” he said. “Are you suggesting that we shouldn’t have provided the support we did to boost our health system, to protect jobs, to protect livelihoods?”
Treasury estimates that the government’s economic support measures in response to the health crisis — including $164bn in direct stimulus spending — has lifted the level of real GDP by about 0.75 per cent in 2019-20, and will add another 4.5 per cent in 2020-21.
Its analysis suggests that without this support the economy would have contracted by 7 per cent in this financial year, versus the forecast 2.5 per cent decline.
READ the full story here
Rosie Lewis 5.30am: Job loss warnings over JobKeeper 2.0
Business leaders are calling for changes to JobKeeper 2.0 and warning thousands of struggling firms will not meet tougher eligibility requirements for the wage subsidy, triggering large-scale job losses.
More than two million workers are expected to be removed from JobKeeper by January, with the government tightening eligibility criteria so that from September 28 a business must show its turnover has fallen 30 per cent or more in the June and September quarters.
For large businesses earning more than $1bn, their turnover must have reduced 50 per cent.
Restaurant and Catering Australia chief executive Wes Lambert, whose organisation represents 45,000 cafes, restaurants and catering businesses, said the hospitality industry had “woken up from the hangover of JobKeeper 2.0” and realised many businesses would not qualify for an extension, including those going through the second shutdown in Victoria.
READ the full story here
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