Coronavirus Australia live news: Victoria state of emergency extended, cops to crack down
Victoria extends state of emergency by four weeks, with police enforcing tightened restrictions on gatherings as more schools close.
- 25 new cases nationally, community ‘not immune’
- Queensland may extend border closures
- Vic extends state of emergency
- Essendon players advised to quarantine
- Pitt lashes Victoria over families lockdown
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. Victoria has extended its state of emergency by four weeks amid a new spike as Daniel Andrews is criticised for cracking down on families. And the AFL has been rocked by a positive test for Bombers star Conor McKenna.
John Ferguson 8.36pm: Anti-Covid drug may be ready by year’s end
A global breakthrough on a new antiviral drug that scientists believe could block the coronavirus has been made in Australia.
Monash University researchers have conducted extensive modelling of a new antiviral drug to show it has significant blocking ability against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Researchers hope the drug, which could be administered by an inhaler, might be available as early as the end of the year.
Agencies 6.43pm: Cinemas set to reopen in Victoria
Victorians can finally indulge in some movie magic with a choc-top and bucket of popcorn as cinemas reopen across the state.
Movie theatres were to be allowed to seat up to 50 patrons from Monday, but due to a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, are limited to 20 people per theatre with social distancing measures in place.
In Melbourne, Cinema Nova is reopening its doors after closing them three months ago on March 23.
The Carlton icon will welcome back film fans with a full slate of films including classics like The Big Lebowski and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as more recent movies and new releases.
Cinema Nova CEO Kristian Connelly said while it was disappointing to have the number of people allowed at the movies reduce from 50, reopening with 20 patrons was still something to be excited about.
READ MORE: COVID-free Fiji left crippled
Agencies 4.50pm: Another Melbourne school closes, staff member positive
Another Melbourne school has been be forced to close after a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus.
Victoria’s department of health confirmed on Sunday that a staff member from St Monica’s College in Epping had tested positive to the virus.
The school will now be closed from Monday until the end of term.
Another Melbourne school has been be forced to close after a coronavirus case was confirmed in a staff member. #7NEWS https://t.co/xfacPmD8ku
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) June 21, 2020
“This closure will allow time for the school and DHHS to undertake a full risk assessment and appropriate cleaning of the college sites,” a statement to parents and carers said.
It comes after Keilor Downs Secondary College announced it was also closing for a second time after a student, believed to be in Year 10, tested positive.
READ MORE: Latest snapshot of virus impact
Anne Barrowclough 3.50pm: Vic spike ‘doesn’t justify border closures’
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has said localised spikes don’t justify border closures and don’t mean the virus will spread..
Mr Cormann told reporters on Sunday the government would bring down the borders “as soon as possible”.
“There’s no state border closure between Victoria and NSW today, and there has never been,” he said.
“You don’t see that there is any issue in NSW as a result of localised outbreaks in Victoria.
“We are one Commonwealth.”
Deputy CMO Nick Coatsworth said health officials would continue to leave eaach state’s public health body to advice their own state governments on how to manage lockdowns and restrictions.
READ MORE: Car buying tipped to stay online
Emily Ritchie 3.10pm: ‘Value of face masks limited’
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth said the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee met on Sunday and discussed the policy around face masks, especially in Victoria as the case numbers increase.
“Even though there has been an increase in the absolute number of cases associated with those outbreaks, the overall numbers remain low,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“The AHPPC’s view on face masks remains the same in this circumstance where we only have very low levels of community transmission then the value of face masks in the community is limited and that recommendation hasn’t changed.”
Emily Ritchie 3.05pm: 25 new cases nationally, community ‘not immune’
There have been 25 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed nationally in the 24 hours to midday on Sunday, bringing the total number of Australian cases to 7461, according to Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth.
There are 15 people being treated in hospital for the virus across the country, two of them in intensive care units.
Five of the new cases are in NSW, all of whom acquired the virus overseas and are in quarantine hotels.
One new case is in Western Australia, also a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.
The remaining 19 cases are in Victoria - three are returned travellers, four were acquired locally and linked to a known outbreak but 10 were acquired locally with no known source.
This has prompted the Victorian government to extend their state of emergency and reinstate tighter restrictions, including reducing the limit of people in household gatherings to five and outside gatherings to 10.
Dr Coatsworth said the increase of Victorian cases - 35 last week to 160 new cases this past week - was a “timely reminder” that the community is “not immune” to the virus.
“This is a timely reminder that, as all Australians, there are restrictions on how we live that we have really done well in pursuing, but those will continue while we remain not immune to COVID-19, while there is not a vaccine or an effective treatment and while cases continue to increase around the world,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“And that those restrictions have and will be critically important to the control of the virus. Importantly as well, for those states where restrictions are lifting, that doesn’t imply a lifting of our personal behaviour standards that we have become so used to.”
He said state governments should not follow Victoria’s lead in tightening restrictions and rather make decisions based on their own state’s situation and “local epidemiology” - whether there are clusters or outbreaks of the virus that would warrant tighter restrictions.
READ MORE: After catastrophe, opportunity knocks
Agencies 2.50pm: Queensland may extend border closures over Vic spike
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles has suggested the state’s borders could remain shut well into next month because of a feared second wave of coronavirus in Victoria.
Mr Miles said the state will be closed until at least July 10, when the next easing of restrictions is triggered, although the reopening date may even stretch beyond that if Victoria cannot get on top of outbreaks. Queensland’s borders have been effectively shut since late March to stymie the spread of COVID-19.
“The last thing we want to do is lift the borders, have lots of people come here for school holidays, spread coronavirus in our state, and then force us to go backwards on restrictions,” Mr Miles said.
“Clearly what’s happening in Victoria will be a matter we will need to take into account in those considerations.” On Sunday, Victoria recorded another day of double-digit cases while Queensland again had no new positive test with just three active across the state. The spike in COVID-19 cases in Melbourne has prompted Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young to include all 31 Local Government Areas in Greater Melbourne as well as bordering areas of Murrindindi, Mitchell, Moorabool, Macedon Ranges and Greater Geelong.
It means Victorians can expect to spend two weeks in confinement if they do step foot in Queensland even as the state government next weekend welcomes crowds of 10,000 at major sporting venues.
However, opening up stadiums has been a much easier proposition for the Labor government.
Mr Miles announced major sporting venues can have 25 per cent capacity, up to 10,000 spectators, which includes the Broncos NRL clash with the Titans at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.
The decision to throw open the gates to thousands of fans comes after almost 2000 spectators watched the Lions defeat West Coast in an AFL clash at the Gabba on Saturday night and the Dragons beat the Titans at Suncorp Stadium. “That trial of a small number of spectators has been very successful,” Mr Miles said.
The increased capacity will also see an increase in employment, with up to 800 jobs opening up at Suncorp alone for the Broncos-Titans clash. The Brisbane Lions host Adelaide at the Gabba next Sunday.
LNP opposition leader Deb Frecklington said Queensland businesses have suffered enough and state borders should be opened from July 1 to spare further pain. She said there is no medical advice calling for border closures and the economy can no longer be suppressed when there are just three active cases across Queensland.
“I’m deeply concerned about people’s health and wellbeing...people are losing their jobs. The figures are terrifying,” Ms Frecklington said on Sunday. “We have flattened the curve. Now it’s time to reopen the economy.”
READ MORE: New Vic COVID cases delay easing
Agencies 2.35pm: China reports 26 new cases in new wave
Mainland China reported on Sunday 26 new confirmed coronavirus cases for June 20, down from 27 a day earlier, driven largely by the latest outbreak of COVID-19 in the Chinese capital.
Of the new infections, 22 were in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in a statement, the same as a day earlier.
Mainland China reports 26 new COVID-19 cases including 22 in Beijing https://t.co/o6y4sDQCW1 pic.twitter.com/4oRD02TyIW
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 21, 2020
The city of more than 20 million people reported its first case in the latest wave on June 11. The resurgence has been linked to a wholesale food center in the southwest of Beijing. So far, 227 people in the city have been infected in the latest outbreak.
Mainland China reported six new asymptomatic cases, those who are infected with the coronavirus but show no symptoms, down from seven a day earlier. Beijing accounted for three of the new cases.
READ MORE: Outbreak dents confidence in China approach
Victoria Laurie 2.30pm: WA records one new case
Western Australia has recorded one new COVID-19 case overnight, bringing the state’s total to 605.
The new case is a woman in her 20s who travelled overseas and is in hotel quarantine. There are three active cases and a total of 593 individuals who have recovered from the virus.
Premier Mark McGowan used the latest spike in cases in Victoria to reinforce the importance of keeping the state’s borders closed.
He refused to give a date when state borders, which closed on April 5, will be reopened.
“We are the safest place in Australia, maybe in the world….Obviously what’s happened in Victoria has made us consider carefully what we do. I don’t want to get into the situation Victoria is in.”
Liberal leader Liza Harvey says the McGowan government is using Victoria as an excuse to keep state borders closed to even tourism visitation from South Australia and the Northern Territory where there is no community spread of the virus.
The Liberals have called for a ‘travel bubble’ to be established between the two states and territory to give a lifeline to businesses reliant on travel.
“Until a vaccine is found or medication to treat the virus there will be outbreaks,” Ms Harvey said. “This could be the new normal for years to come. We need to learn to live with it. We can’t stay shut down from the rest of the nation forever.”
Federal Liberal Minister Mathias Cormann says Western Australia should not maintain its hard border.
“We are one Commonwealth and there is no border between Victoria and New South Wales…There never has been a case for state borders, although where there are localised outbreaks there should be appropriate testing and tracing.”
He says it is premature to call the outbreak in Victoria a second wave of Covid-19 infection.
READ MORE: Vaccine starts human trials
Courtney Walsh 2.20pm: Essendon ‘expected to play despite outbreak’
The AFL’s chief lawyer said Essendon would be expected to play against Carlton on Friday even if a quarter of their squad is compromised by a coronavirus outbreak.
The group considered most at risk to contracting the virus from Bomber Conor McKenna are the eight players who completed a weight session on Friday afternoon. It may be days before the health authorities are satisfied as to whether those players are free of COVID-19.
But even if this group is stood down, the AFL rules dictate that if a side has enough players to field a 22 man team and three emergencies, the match will progress according to the AFL’s general counsel Andrew Dillon.
“I think what we will do is work with the DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) and then we will look at how many players, if any, who are required to isolate,” he told Triple M on Sunday.
“As long as Essendon has got 22 players and four emergencies who are available, they will be playing. We have had scenarios like that at the back end of seasons where players have gone into surgery … and that is what we will be doing.”
The Bombers are scheduled to play Carlton on Saturday night at the MCG and Collingwood the following Friday night at the same ground.
Carlton ruckman Marc Pittonet said the Blues had been advised to prepare for Saturday night’s match as though it will occur.
Former St Kilda and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said should a group of players be prevented from playing - it has been reported some of Essendon’s leading defenders were involved in the weight training session - there are clear integrity concerns for the competition.
READ the full story here
Agencies 2.00pm: Victoria extends state of emergency by four weeks
Victoria’s increase of coronavirus cases has led to an extension of the state of emergency after a tightening of restrictions was announced.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos on Sunday said Victoria had recorded 19 new positive cases, which bring the state’s infectious total to 1836. Up to 121 coronavirus cases remain active after a concerning rise in the last four days, which has led to a state of emergency extension of four weeks until July 19.
Two cases announced on Sunday were linked to separate outbreaks in extended families’ households across Melbourne that have seen more than 10 people infected in each cluster.
Victoria’s case numbers are the highest they have been in more than two months. More than half of the new cases since the end of April have come from family members spreading it to their relatives.
“It is still a very serious situation,” Minister Mikakos said on Sunday. “We have had particularly some concerns around family gatherings, extended family members across many households visiting each other even when they have been exhibiting mild symptoms.”
Police Minister Lisa Neville said enforcement of the law would also be strengthened. She said that Victoria Police had moved into a checking and reassurance strategy from June 1, following Victoria’s downward trend in coronavirus positive tests. While many Victorians are doing the right thing - there are still some who are ignoring the restrictions,” Minister Neville said.
“Victoria Police will continue to be out in force, using their powers to help slow the spread.”
READ MORE: Probe launched over infected Bomber
Agencies 1.25pm: NSW welfare recipients could have fines slashed
NSW welfare recipients could have their fines slashed in half under a new state government plan designed to ease the financial burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Berejiklian government on Sunday announced that anyone on government benefit payments could apply to have fines collected by Revenue NSW reduced.
The scheme, which will come into force on July 1, will cover traffic, speeding and parking fines as well as some police-issued fines.
However it does not cover penalties issued by a court or jury duty and voting- related fines and fines issued to a body corporate.
“These reforms will strike the right balance, ensuring we hold people to account for breaking the rules and endangering our roads, but without placing undue burdens on disadvantaged members of our community,” Attorney-General Mark Speakman said.
READ MORE: Boomers, pay up for virus
Agencies 12.45pm: S Korea struggles with resurgence
South Korea has reported 48 new cases of COVID-19 as health authorities struggle to contain a resurgence that’s erasing some of the country’s hard-won gains against the virus.
Figures released by the Korea centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday brought the national caseload to 12,421 confirmed infections including 280 deaths.
It said 24 of the new cases came from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, which have been the centre of the country’s outbreak since late May. Ten others were reported from the central city of Daejeon, indicating that the virus was beginning to spread more broadly, apparently as a result of increased public activity and complacency in social distancing.
The KCDC said nearly 200 infections so far have been linked to employees at a door-to-door sales company in Seoul, which mostly hired people over 60. Seventy other cases were linked to a table tennis club in another part of Seoul, where members also passed the virus at a church.
READ MORE: Brazil passes 1 million COVID cases
John Ferguson 12.35pm: Victoria at tipping point now
Victoria has absolutely reached a tipping point on the virus.
We will know in three to four weeks where this will land.
This is the clear message of health, government and police in the daily briefing, where it was revealed there is a continued spike in transmissions and cases.
The core problem seems to be inter-family transmissions but also growing community fatigue over the virus response.
READ the full article here.
Courtney Walsh 11.45am: Essendon players advised to quarantine
The Essendon footballers and others who came into contact with Conor McKenna prior to his positive COVID-19 test have been advised to quarantine for 14 days.
As the AFL and government authorities investigate how the Bomber contracted the virus, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said close contacts of McKenna would need to isolate for a fortnight from the time of exposure.
Essendon’s clash against Melbourne, which was scheduled for Sunday at the MCG, has been postponed until later in the season.
The Bombers are due to play Carlton at the MCG on Saturday night and Collingwood the following Friday but those matches may also need to be postponed.
Dr Sutton said it would be a matter for Essendon as to whether they have enough players to field a side in those two matches.
READ MORE: Probe launched over infected Bomber
Anne Barrowclough 11.40am: Trump orders testing slowdown
Donald Trump has told his campaign rally in Tulsa that he wanted to slow down testing for COVID-19, despite six of his staffers testing positive shortly before the rally.
Mr Trump told supporters a rise in testing led to a rise in cases, many of them trivial, so he aimed to curtail it.
President Trump, at his Oklahoma rally, says he asked to "slow the testing down" because an increase in testing leads to an increase in coronavirus cases https://t.co/wwD49yR24K pic.twitter.com/h3r7nQzsqA
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) June 21, 2020
“So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down,’” he said, as the audience cheered.
Mr Trump also downplayed the severity of the virus, mentioning the number of names used for it “Many call it a virus, which it is,” he said. “Many call it a flu, what difference?”
READ MORE: Trump unloads on rally protesters
Rachel Baxendale 11.20am: Lockdown at 2 Melbourne aged care homes
Lockdowns, deep cleans and contact tracing are underway at two Melbourne aged care facilities where cases were confirmed yesterday.
Those facilities are Lifeview Willow Wood in Cranbourne, in Melbourne’s outer southeast, and Royal Freemasons Springtime in Sydenham, in Melbourne’s west.
Three schools where cases were confirmed yesterday will also remain closed until Wednesday to allow for cleaning.
Those schools are Albanvale Primary School and Springside Primary School Caroline Springs in Melbourne’s west, and Camberwell Grammar in the eastern suburbs.
RE AD MORE: Outbreak dents confidence in China approach
Angelica Snowden 11.15am: NSW records five new cases
NSW has recorded five new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.
Dr Jeremy McAnulty said the five new cases were all returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the state is 3,149.
As at 8pm Saturday 20 June 2020, there have been 5 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,149.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 21, 2020
All five new confirmed cases are returned travellers in hotel quarantine. pic.twitter.com/dnJvZabVtb
Dr McAnulty said there were 54 people being treated with COVID-19 and that no one was being treated in intensive care.
He said as restrictions are eased due to dwindling case numbers, it was important that everyone continued to practice physical distancing because the virus “may still be circulating”.
READ MORE: Traveller sole new virus case
Rachel Baxendale 11.05am: Three new cases in Vic quarantine hotel cluster
As of Sunday, three new cases have been linked to an outbreak in contractors at Melbourne’s Stamford Plaza quarantine hotel, taking the total number of cases in that cluster to 13.
A Grade Three student at St Mary’s Primary School in the bayside suburb of Hampton has been diagnosed with COVID-19 as a result of routine community testing.
Parents and other members of the school were notified late yesterday that the student had been infectious while at school, which will now be closed for cleaning as contact tracing continues.
Essendon AFL footballer Conor McKenna’s case, confirmed late on Saturday, is also being counted among Sunday’s new figures.
The club has been closed for a deep clean and McKenna and other players quarantined for 14 days
READ MORE: WHO warns pandemic ‘accelerating’
Rachel Baxendale 10.55am: Vic total includes 210 community transmissions
The 19 new cases in Victoria follow Saturday’s rise of 25 cases, which prompted the Andrews government’s decision to reimpose social distancing measures.
Businesses which had been preparing to open to up to 50 patrons from Monday will now only open to up to 20, and household gatherings will be restricted to no more than five visitors.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announced on Sunday she was extending Victoria’s state of emergency to 11:59pm on July 19.
There have now been 1836 cases recorded in Victoria with 210 community transmission cases, with no known link to other known cases or overseas travel - an increase of 10 since Saturday.
There are currently 121 active COVID-19 cases in Victoria.
The state’s death toll remains 19, with no recent deaths.
Seven patients are in hospital, including two in intensive care, while 1694 people have recovered.
Victoria has now conducted more than 660,000 tests, including 15,400 since yesterday.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said Victoria’s testing rate since June was 9968 tests per 100,000 people, with an average turnaround time of two days.
“I want to take this opportunity to remind the community that it is important to continue to take this pandemic seriously, and to be tested,” Ms Mikakos said.
READ MORE: Test finds virus spread in Italy last year
Angelica Snowden 10.45am: Victoria records 19 new cases
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has confirmed 19 new COVID-19 cases in the state over the last 24 hours.
“Today we have a total number of confirmed cases of 1836,” Ms Mikakos said.
“This is an increase of 19 since yesterday,” she said.
Victoria has reported a further 19 cases of coronavirus from 15,400 tests. #7NEWS https://t.co/5aO9NhEHsX
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) June 21, 2020
Of the 19 new cases, she said four were linked to known outbreaks and four were detected in hotel quarantine.
Another three were caught via routine testing and another eight cases are under investigation.
There are now 210 cases believed to be related to community transmission, with a total of 121 active cases.
The latest tally comes after Premier Daniel Andrews announced 25 new cases on Saturday - the highest in two months.
READ MORE: Sharp Victoria rise brings crackdown
Richard Ferguson 10.20am: ‘Irresponsible to open too quickly’
Opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen has warned against opening up Australia’s economy too quickly, as Victoria’s COVID-19 spike risks the lifting of state border restrictions.
Mr Bowen said on Thursday that he was “disappointed” with Liberal attacks on premiers including Queensland’s Annastacia Palaszczuk and Victoria’s Daniel Andrews over their tough lockdown rules.
“We all want to see the economy opened up. We all want to see borders open. We all want to see it being back to normal. But it would be irresponsible to do it too quickly,” Mr Bowen told ABC News.
The Morrison Government is still pushing for state borders to be opened by July, despite the Victorian spike.
READ MORE: Border closures cost 5,000 jobs a week
Richard Ferguson 10.00am: Pitt blasts Andrews for punishing families
Resources Minister Keith Pitt has blasted the Victorian Labor Government for tightening lockdown rules of family gatherings, while allowing large Black Lives Matter protests two weeks ago.
While three BLM marchers later tested positive for COVID-19, none of the 24 community transmission cases reported by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews were identified as protesters.
Mr Pitt said Mr Andrews was telling families they couldn’t get together, while allowing 30,000 people to march without consequences.
“I note that Daniel Andrews has gone back out and walked back from some of his commitments, but none of those include changing the cap on protests from 30,000,” he told Sky News.
“Those facts will be established through contact tracing and other means.
“You’re out telling people that can’t get together with family and friends, but you’re letting 30,000 people - many of them in high risk categories - get together for a protest.
“Your viewers know very well what the cause of these outbreaks will be.”
Mr Andrews told people not to go to BLM protests a fortnight ago, but Victoria Police said they did not have the capacity to charge thousands of protesters flouting coronavirus restrictions.
READ MORE: Blaming families new low for Andrews
Angelica Snowden 9.50am: Queensland declares Greater Melbourne ‘hotspot’
All Greater Melbourne Local Government Areas have been declared COVID-19 “hotspots” by Queensland Health, after Victoria recorded its highest number of daily cases in two months on Saturday.
25 new cases of #COVID19 detected in Victoria in the last 24 hours. More information: https://t.co/sgb5EWQYMq pic.twitter.com/0OzK62O5Es
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) June 20, 2020
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young announced that 36 Victorian LGAs, including Melbourne City, were “hotspots”.
It means that anyone who lived in those areas within two-weeks of travel to Queensland must quarantine for 14-days.
A Queensland Health spokesperson said the decision to update the number of declared hotspots was due to the spike in coronavirus cases in Victoria.
“The update to declared hotspots follows the recent increase in new COVID-19 cases in Greater Melbourne, along with several active outbreaks demonstrating community transmission and risk of community transmission within the Greater Melbourne region,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday announced 25 new cases and confirmed that some COVID-19 restrictions would be reinstated, including indoor household gatherings that would be restricted to no more than five.
READ MORE: Vaccine starts human trials
Angerlica Snoweden 9.25am: Trump cancels ‘overflow’ speech, crowds a no-show
Donald Trump’s first campaign rally has been met with far fewer attendees than expected, with the president’s ‘overflow’ speech cancelled due to dwindling crowds.
.@ryanobles confirms that President Trump and VP Pence will no longer speak at the “Outdoor Experience.†As of right now there are only a few dozen people there. https://t.co/CD6oQPypTG
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 20, 2020
The president had claimed that a million supporters had requested tickets for the rally but in the event, only around 20,000 people showed at the event that health officials feared could be a “super-spreader” COVID-19 event, especially after six Trump staffers teted positive for the virus.
Almost One Million people request tickets for the Saturday Night Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2020
There are reports that only a few dozen people were near the outdoor stage where Mr Trump was expected to speak.
Small crowds of Mr Trump’s supporters did gather in Tulsa at the indoor arena - the Bank of Oklahoma centre - that seats about 20,000 people.
Air Force one just flew low over the BOK Center a few minutes ago. The (few) people who are out here cheered. pic.twitter.com/7zHVREl28W
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 20, 2020
The campaign blamed protesters, with spokesman Tim Murtagh saying: “Sadly, protestors interfered with supporters, even blocking access to the metal detectors, which prevented people from entering the rally. Radical protestors, coupled with a relentless onslaught from the media, attempted to frighten off the President’s supporters. We are proud of the thousands who stuck it out.”
R EAD MORE: Trump rally goes ahead despite infected staffers
Richard Ferguson 8.35am: Queensland pushed to open border despite spike
Resource Minister Keith Pitt has called Queensland to push through with opening its borders in July, despite a coronavirus spike in Victoria.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was due to review her state’s border closure on July 10, but a jump in community transmission in Melbourne’s northern suburbs has put other states with border clampdowns on alert.
Mr Pitt said the Commonwealth would review its medical advice following the Victorian revelations, but borders still needed to open to boost the national economy.
“It always going to be the case that were localised lockdowns and small outbreaks,” he told Sky News.
“We do need to get ahead with getting the economy open.
“The federal governnent’s advice has never been to close borders ... I do think they have to get on with it.”
READ MORE: Alan Kohler — Restaurant crippling is food for thought
Agencies 8am: Trump rally fuels fears of COVID spikes
Thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump are expected to pack an indoor arena Saturday night for a rally that some fear could help fuel nascent spikes of coronavirus cases in some places, concerns that were amplified after six staffers helping to set up the event tested positive for the virus.
State and city health department officials were already bracing for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases from large outdoor demonstrations against police brutality held across the country.
Now the Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma - at an arena that can hold 19,000 people and is expected to be at capacity - is shaping up to be the first indoor event of such a massive scale since the coronavirus pandemic took hold and many states issued stay-at-home orders. Around 100,000 people from many states are expected in Tulsa for the rally and other events, and supporters - most without masks - were already beginning to fill streets Saturday around the stadium.
The Trump campaign’s communications director, Tim Murtaugh, said in a statement that “quarantine procedures” were immediately initiated and no staff member who tested positive would attend the event. Those who had immediate contact with them would also abstain.
READ MORE: Six Trump campaign staff test positive before rally
Alex Ralph 7.15am: Big pharma begins human trials of COVID vaccine
A coronavirus vaccine being developed in partnership with the British pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline has begun human clinical trials in Western Australia.
The public drugs company is providing its adjuvant technology as part of a collaboration with Clover Biopharmaceuticals, of China.
After promising pre-clinical results in animals, the vaccine has begun a phase-one study in Perth.
Glaxo and Clover are planning a more in-depth phase-two trial, which it is hoped will start later in the year.
Read the full story here.
Agencies 7am: ADF member tests positive in Papua New Guinea
A member of the Australian Defence Force has tested positive while posted to Papua New Guinea, the ABC reports.
The 44-year-old man has been in quarantine since June 5.
He is recovering and will be repatriated, an ADF spokeperson was quoted as saying.
READ MORE: Infected AFL player had been overseas
Tom Kingston: 6.30am: Italy sewer tests throw up virus ‘eye-opener’
Coronavirus was present in Italy in mid-December, two months before the country’s first case was diagnosed, a study of sewage water has found.
Samples taken in Milan and Turin on December 18 contained traces of the virus, Italy’s national health institute, which regularly monitors the water supply for viruses, said.
“If we had found this out sooner it would have been a real eye-opener,” Luca Lucentini, a researcher at the institute, said.
The finding backs up discoveries around the world that the coronavirus was well established before it was identified, helping to explain how it become so widespread.
Read the full story here.
Agencies 5.45am: Quarantine initiated as Trump staffers test positive
Thousands of supporters of US President Donald Trump are expected to pack an indoor arena this morning (AEST) for a rally that some fear could help fuel nascent spikes of coronavirus cases in some places — concerns that were amplified after six staffers helping to set up the event tested positive for the virus.
The Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma — scheduled for 9am AEST at an arena that can hold 19,000 people — is shaping up to be the first indoor event of such a massive scale since the coronavirus pandemic took hold and many states issued stay-at-home orders.
The Trump campaign’s communications director, Tim Murtaugh, said in a statement that “quarantine procedures” were immediately initiated and no staff member who tested positive would attend the event.
Those who had immediate contact with them would also abstain. — AP
Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2020
READ MORE: Six Trump staffers in Tulsa test positive for COVID-19
Rachel Baxendale 5.15am: Victoria may be forced to lock down suburbs
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has left open the possibility of locking down suburbs or local-government areas with high levels of community transmission.
Confirming 25 new cases on Saturday, Mr Andrews announced indoor household gatherings would be restricted to no more than five.
The Premier said while he took no pleasure in the decision, too many Victorians were putting each other at risk by failing to keep home gatherings to a minimum.
“The experts tell us that, largely, the numbers are being driven by families — families having big get-togethers and not following the advice around distancing and hygiene,” Mr Andrews said.
“In fact, half of our cases since the end of April have come from transmission inside someone’s home.”
Outdoor gatherings of families and friends will be reduced from 20 to 10. Plans to relax restrictions to allow up to 50 people in restaurants, pubs, auction halls, community halls, libraries, museums and places of worship from today are now being postponed, with the maximum number allowed in those venues to remain at 20 until at least July 12.
Statement from the Premier on changes to restrictions in Victoria: pic.twitter.com/AcQxG4clmY
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) June 20, 2020
At the height of the lockdown Victorians were only allowed to leave the house for four reasons: to shop for essentials, attend work or education, exercise or seek medical treatment.
“We all remember that time, it was deeply frustrating, but it was very effective, and we may need to go back to that setting in given geographical areas,” Mr Andrews said.
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Courtney Walsh 5am: AFL postpones match as Bomber tests positive
The AFL has postponed Sunday’s clash between Essendon and Melbourne at the MCG after Bomber Conor McKenna tested positive to coronavirus.
In a significant concern for a competition that resumed last week, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan confirmed the Irishman recorded a positive test on Saturday.
Footage emerged of McKenna snorting and blowing his nose during a training session on Friday.
Although McKenna did not play last weekend, he has been training.
The Bombers shared a plane to and from Sydney last Sunday with North Melbourne and hung on to defeat the Swans in a draw.
The AFL has taken a big hit from the new wave of COVID cases, forced to scrap tomorrow's Essendon-Melbourne fixture after Bomber star Conor McKenna tested positive to the virus. https://t.co/5zYfOfohG3 @_AMcCormack7 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/4JcRC7C8C9
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) June 20, 2020
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Michael Ramsey 4.45am: Victorian spike may keep WA, SA borders closed
Victoria’s spike in coronavirus cases could delay the return of full interstate travel, with other states wary of reopening their borders.
Western Australia’s government has maintained its hard line border closure will remain for as long as there is sustained community spread of the virus in the eastern states.
Premier Mark McGowan has refused to put a date on welcoming interstate visitors and is likely to further ease restrictions within WA before opening the border.
South Australia is due to reopen on July 20 but its government is closely monitoring the situation in Victoria and has not ruled out staying closed.
“We will not open our borders to Victoria unless it is safe to do so,” Health Minister Stephen Wade said on Saturday.
“Our number one priority is the health of South Australians.” — AAP
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