Coronavirus Australia live news: Sydney CBD cluster grows but Victorian cases dip below 100
World death toll nears 840,000 as Britain is warned of local lockdowns and Australian data suggests the government’s income support has virtually eliminated poverty.
- Victoria records 94 new cases, 18 deaths
- Lockdown protest ‘crazy’: top cop
- Deadly border games must stop: PM
- Who will fill the Schoolies void?
Welcome to our rolling coverage of the continuing coronavirus pandemic. Just days after a deadly storm wreaked havoc and killed three people across Melbourne, wild winds are again expected to hit Victoria. The state’s daily cases dropped below 100 for the first time in weeks, and police assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius says a planned anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne’s CBD is “batshit crazy nonsense”.
Sunday Telegraph 12am: Nation passes grim milestone but fewer in hospital
Australia has passed a grim new milestone with more than 600 deaths from Covid-19.
Despite the rising death toll, the nation’s chief nursing and midwifery officer Alison McMillan said more than 500 people were battling the deadly virus in hospital and that represented a “significant” drop in the past week.
With higher-than-average temperatures across Australia, Ms McMillan warned Australians not to be complacent as we approach spring.
“As we see the sun come out, it’s still really important to stay 1.5m away and hygiene your hands with soap and water,” Ms McMillan said.
“We are seeing some signs of community transmission in both NSW and Queensland, and we’ve got additional restrictions in place today from 8am from the chief health officer for the Gold Coast so we all need to remain extremely vigilant and make sure that we’re all doing the right thing.”
Ms McMillan said some people were delaying getting tested for Covid-19 to see whether symptoms worsened. She said it was important to get tested “immediately”.
READ MORE: Grim milestone as Sydney CBD cluster grows
Agencies 12am: Toll nears 840,000 deaths and 25m cases
Here are some of the latest global developments in the coronavirus crisis at midnight:
More than 838,000 dead: The pandemic has killed at least 838,271 people worldwide since surfacing in China late last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT (2100 AEST) on Saturday.
More than 24.7 million cases have been registered.
The US has recorded the highest number of deaths with 181,779, followed by Brazil with 119,504, Mexico with 63,164, India with 62,550 and Britain with 41,486 fatalities.
Berlin “anti-corona’’ protest: Berlin police call for the dispersal of a mass demonstration against pandemic restrictions and mask wearing because participants are not respecting social distancing measures.
Thousands of coronavirus sceptics have descended on Berlin for the protest that has been allowed to go ahead after a bitter legal battle.
Canada extends travel ban: The government announces it will extend a ban on most travellers entering Canada until the end of September. Canadian citizens and permanent residents returning from abroad will still be subject to strict quarantine measures -- a restriction in force since mid-March.
Gold mine dispute: Operations resume at the world’s biggest gold mine in Indonesia after more than 1000 workers had blocked access to the site in protest at being stopped from visiting their families over virus concerns.
The miners reached an agreement with US-based operator Freeport, which says it will restart bus services for workers to return home. These services had been cancelled over fears about the spread of infections, leaving many workers unable to leave the site for six months.
Domestic travel lifts China aviation: China’s biggest airline reports less severe losses in the second quarter as domestic travel picks up with the outbreak in the country brought largely under control.
China Southern Airlines, the nation’s largest carrier in terms of passenger numbers, posts losses of 2.9 billion yuan ($570m) in April-June, compared with 5.3 billion yuan in the first quarter from January to March.
Tour on tenterhooks: As the world’s greatest bike race the Tour de France gets under way after two-months delay, the Tour’s director Christian Prudhomme says teams will be expelled if at least two members from the whole entourage, staff as well as riders, test positive for the virus.
The announcement reinforces a growing sense of doom for the 2020 Tour with positive test numbers growing by the day in France and worries over the race making it to the Paris finish line in three weeks.
ALSO READ: Jakarta doctors losing battle
The Times 11.14pm: Fauci predicts vaccine results this year
Trials under way in the US are expected to show before the end of the year whether a Covid vaccine is effective and safe, the country’s leading infectious diseases expert has told The Times.
Anthony Fauci, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, said that high infection rates across the US were boosting the chances of conclusive safety and efficacy data being available for at least one jab before Christmas.
Three vaccines have been lined up for testing under the White House’s “Operation Warp Speed” plan to deliver 300 doses by January. Having results by November or December was “a safe bet”, Dr Fauci said. “It is conceivable that we would get an answer before that.”
He added that he would oppose any attempt to rush through a vaccine for political purposes. It was alleged this week that the White House had considered skirting normal regulatory procedures, in order to make an announcement before the presidential election on November 3.
“I would not be satisfied until a vaccine was proven to be safe and effective, before it was actually approved for general use,” Dr Fauci, who leads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said.
FULL STORY: Vaccine tested for safety this year: Fauci
Paul Garvey 10.20pm: ‘Roll back’ commercial tenancy protection
More than four months since the last case of community transmission of coronavirus was detected in WA, commercial landlords are still restricted in their ability to negotiate with or evict tenants due to emergency measures introduced in the early days of the crisis.
Speaking at a Property Council of WA event in Perth on Friday, Mr McGowan said the government would consider whether to extend, abolish or tweak the commercial tenancies code ahead of its expiry on September 29. He noted that the code was a six-month initiative introduced by each state and the commonwealth, with each state now “struggling” to decide what to do beyond September.
“I accept the people in this room have shared the pain of this process,” he said.
FULL STORY: WA Premier on commercial rental relief
Jack Paynter 8.10pm: Victoria braces for more wild winds
Just days after a deadly storm wreaked havoc and killed three people across Melbourne, wild winds are again expected to hit Victoria.
State Emergency Service volunteers are bracing for further call-outs on Sunday with winds gusts of up to 100km/h expected from early morning.
The weather bureau has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds for most of southern Victoria with a cold front forecast to move swiftly across the state from the west.
The bureau said winds would average about 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of up to 100km/h likely in alpine areas, the Grampians and the southwest coast early on Sunday morning.
By late morning the damaging winds are expected to hit Melbourne and central Victoria before moving across southwest Gippsland in the early afternoon and easing by late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
Regions likely to be affected include Warrnambool, Ballarat, Geelong, Melbourne, Wonthaggi and Bacchus Marsh.
An SES spokesperson urged Victorians to be mindful of the potential for further tree falls.
“Loose branches that may have been dislodged on Thursday may come down with further strong winds, while wet ground with weakened trees only increases the risk,” they said.
“The safest place to be during a storm is indoors. If exercising, do so either before the storm impacts or once it has passed your local area.”
READ EARLIER: Thousands of homes without power in Melbourne
Dennis Shanahan 7pm: Crackdown on industry super fund spending
The Morrison government is considering new laws to stop industry super funds giving up to $40m to unions and spending more than $400m on advertising and marketing, which the Coalition considers a “misuse” of members’ money.
Cabinet discussed plans to limit industry superannuation funds’ payments to unions and employer groups as “sponsored organisations” before the coronavirus outbreak in January but has renewed momentum after securing huge changes to the super system during the pandemic.
The Coalition wants to drastically shake up the super system on the back of its emergency Covid-19 changes, which have included providing early access to retirement savings and increasing choice for workers on their investments.
The move would spark a fierce political contest over the rules governing the $3 trillion sector, with Greg Combet — the chair of Industry Super Australia and a former Rudd and Gillard government minister — rejecting the proposal.
FULL REPORT: Unions’ super windfall on the chopping block
Agencies 6.45pm: Britain may face ‘extensive local lockdowns’
Britain could face “national action” and “very extensive local lockdowns” in the event of a winter coronavirus wave, the government said Saturday, with a “worst-case scenario” of 80,000 deaths.
“A second wave is clearly visible in other parts of the world,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Saturday’s Times newspaper.
“Cases go up again, and we have to use very extensive local lockdowns or take further national action. We don’t rule that out but we don’t want to see it.”
Britain has been one of the countries hardest-hit by the disease, with more than 41,000 dead, but has eased lockdown restrictions recently as hospitalisations and deaths dropped.
But cases have ticked up in recent weeks and the government is worried about another wave of the virus arriving during flu season.
Although more restrictions could be re-introduced, schools would likely remain open, according to a report prepared for the government by the Sage scientific advisory group and aired on BBC’s Newsnight late on Friday.
By November “policy measures would be put in place to reduce non-household contacts to half of their normal pre-March 2020 levels”, it said.
The report found 85,000 more people could die across Britain, with more than 80,000 in England alone, in a “reasonable worst-case scenario”, although stressed that this figure was not “a prediction” and the data are subject to “significant uncertainty”.
The estimate assumes that schools would remain open and that the government’s tracing and quarantine measures will be around 40 per cent effective.
Carl Heneghan, from Oxford University, told the BBC that the model was “implausible” and that it assumed that “we’ve learnt nothing from the first wave of this disease”.
The government told the broadcaster that its plans were under constant review, and were driven by the latest scientific advice.
AFP
ALSO READ: Europe tightens restrictions as virus cases surge
Angelica Snowden 6pm: Police cell inmates isolated after nurse tests positive
Fourteen inmates at a Sydney police cell complex have been sent into isolation after a nurse contracted COVID-19.
The nurse who worked at the complex in Surry Hills is also in quarantine after she worked at the complex on August 25.
“There were no close contacts identified among correctional staff or those in custody, however 14 inmates have been placed in isolation as a precaution and will be monitored for any symptoms,” a Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network spokeswoman said.
“Contact tracing has been undertaken with health and correctional staff and inmates.”
It is understood she wore a surgical mask for the entire shift and followed “other infection control protocols”.
READ MORE: Premier urged to wind back rent relief
Oliver Moody 5.30pm Border closures blamed on foreign threat
Hungary is to close its borders to virtually all foreigners from Tuesday, becoming the first state in the EU to revive strict travel controls that were imposed across much of the continent in the spring.
Viktor Orban, the nationalist prime minister, will determine which overseas citizens qualify for exemptions today (Saturday) after his government abruptly classified all European countries as risk zones. From September 1, Hungarians returning from abroad must quarantine for 14 days unless they can supply two negative coronavirus tests at their own expense.
Sudden border closures may disrupt the Uefa Super Cup final between Bayern Munich and Seville in Budapest on September 24.
READ MORE: James Kirby — Why investing will never be the same
Jack Paynter 5pm: Thousands of homes still without power in Melbourne
After a second wave of panic buying ahead of stage four lockdown, some supermarket shelves in Melbourne are being stripped again — this time of bottled water.
At least 13,000 homes and businesses are still without power after a deadly storm swept across Melbourne, rendering drinking water unsafe in 101 suburbs.
Three people were killed by falling trees, including four-year-old Ayan Kapoor, when winds up to 158km/h hit the state on Thursday night.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said on Saturday morning power had been restored to more than 180,000 homes and businesses since the storm, with about 13,000 still without electricity.
He said the majority of those were AusNet customers in the city’s outer east, with the provider working as quickly as possible to repair the extensive damage to the network.
Read the full story here.
Angelica Snowden 4.20pm: Warmer weather ‘no excuse to take risks'
Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan has warned Australians to remain extremely vigilant as warmer weather entices more people to get out and about.
“We are seeing perhaps the first signs of spring, so I need to ask everyone to remember that now is not the time to be complacent as we see the sun come out,” Ms McMillan said.
As community transmission increased in NSW and Queenlsand, Ms McMillan urged people to get a COVID test no matter how minor their symptoms.
After an outbreak in Sydney’s CBD grew to 23 cases on Saturday, Ms McMillan said she was “concerned” about the cluster but the virus would continue to spread.
“Yes the transmission in the Sydney CBD is of concern and the chief health officer of NSW is reminding everyone of the importance of getting tested,” she said.
“She is also recommending you may choose to wear a mask, particularly in the CBD, if you are unable to maintain 1.5 metres physical distancing or if you are in places such as public transport.”
Ms McMillan confirmed 112 new cases of COVID-19 across the country were reported on Saturday.
Ninety-four of those were recorded in Victoria and 14 were recorded in NSW.
READ MORE: How we know how vaccines are safe
Christine Kellett, Emily Cosenza 4pm: Man under police guard after going to WA pub
A 53-year-old man who spent 20 minutes in a Perth pub after returning to the state from Queensland breached quarantine rules and is now under police guard in hospital.
Officers attended the Hotel Northbridge on Friday night and immediately shut down the venue, however, police on Saturday afternoon said there was no need for patrons to self isolate, as the man was a “very low risk” of having COVID-19.
The man arrived in Perth on August 28 without having applied to re-enter the state.
“On arrival, he complained of non-COVID related symptoms. He was permitted entry to the state and was issued a hospital direction and conveyed by ambulance,” WA police said in a statement.
“After receiving treatment at a medical facility, he was instructed to wait for transport to hotel quarantine.”
However, the man left prior to the transport arriving and was later found at the hotel after checking into a nearby hostel.
“Police spoke with the hotel management who elected to close the hotel and undertake cleaning.”
He will now isolate in hotel quarantine and will be summoned to appear in Perth Magistrates Court at a later date.
Read the full story here.
Patrick Commins 3.30pm: Data reveals devastating impact without JobKeeper
The government’s extraordinary income support measures have virtually eliminated poverty in Australia, according to new research from the ANU’s Centre for Social Research — which also sets out the devastating societal impact had JobKeeper and JobSeeker not been implemented.
The paper finds that without intervention, COVID-19 would have thrown 2.2 million Australians into poverty, lifting the number from 1.6 million before the crisis to 3.8 million — or about 15 per cent of the population.
Alarmingly, the blow from shutting down large parts of the economy without counterbalancing support would have left more than one in 10 middle-class households below the poverty line, which is defined as a weekly disposable income of $416.
The research highlights what little choice the Morrison government had but to spend at an unprecedented scale through the crisis.
Read the full story here.
Rebecca Urban 2.50pm: Salon seeks compensation for ‘catastrophic’ loss
The owner of an iconic Melbourne hair salon is seeking financial compensation over the Victorian government’s bungled hotel quarantine program, claiming the fallout for his business has been “catastrophic”.
Over the past 30 years, Wentworth Hair, situated at the so-called “Paris-end” of Collins Street, has built a loyal following of socialites, top silks, industry captains and politicians.
Yet a decision in late March by the government to use the Stamford Plaza, where the salon is based, to quarantine returned travellers in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus has seen them desert it in droves.
Remarkably, the salon, which is only accessible through the hotel lobby, was able to continue trading until the recent stage four restrictions.
“We had clients having to walk straight past where the guests were exercising,” said owner Michael Aktunch.
“The guards weren’t social distancing, they would huddle together, share lifts and were using the hotel and salon staff bathroom until I put a stop to it.
“People started cancelling appointments and I don‘t blame them. Longstanding clients are informing us that they will no longer return while we are operating within the hotel.”
Read the full story here.
Alan Kohler 2.20pm: Retailers, landlords in a fight to the death
Something has to give with retail tenancy. The way they’re going there will be a catastrophe, with receivership on both sides.
The war between landlords and retail tenants is currently being fought as a sort of duel between two “champions”, like the war between the kings of Mycenae and Thessaly in the movie Troy.
In this case the champions are Peter Allen of Scentre (Boagrius) and Scott Evans of Mosaic Brands (Achilles), with Solomon Lew holding his spare spear. Allen locked Evans out of 129 of his stores (biff!); Evans said he’ll close 500 stores (whack!).
Unlike the one between King Agamemnon and King Triopas, this proxy battle is likely to develop into something bigger and bloodier, and the problem is that both sides are fighting yesterday’s battle, using yesterday’s ideas.
Read Alan Kohler’s full analysis here.
Frances Vinall 1.45pm: Covidiot ‘caught hiding in bushes’
A man caught hiding in the bushes from police after going to a mate’s place to watch the footy was among the Melburnians fined for breaking virus restrictions on Friday.
A total of 195 people were fined in the 24 hours to 8am on Saturday for breaking the state’s stage four lockdown orders.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said two men and a woman were found at a home in Boroondara having drinks and watching the football.
“The resident attempted to hide the visitors letting them try and flee over a back fence,” police said in a statement.
“One of the men was found hiding in bushes.”
Another man was found in his car at the beach at Shoreham despite living more than 300km away, and multiple people were caught out and about during curfew hours buying food and cigarettes.
READ MORE: Forget Covid — this show is going on
Frances Vinall 1.07pm: Queensland Deputy Premier’s border swipe at PM
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles took a swipe at Scott Morrison on Saturday, when asked about the tragic death of an unborn baby.
A northern NSW woman lost one of her unborn twins this week after waiting 16 hours for a flight to Sydney for treatment rather than going to the Mater Hospital in Brisbane.
Brisbane was closer to her Ballina home and was able to provide the specialised treatment she required for her unborn babies. But the woman, and doctors at Lismore Base Hospital, believed she would have to apply for a permit to cross the border for care.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has demanded an explanation from Queensland as to how the “terribly distressing” incident could happen. But Mr Miles told him to stick to his own responsibilities.
“Scott Morrison should spend a bit more time on the things he’s responsible for, like international borders, like aged care,” he said.
Mr Miles said the border restrictions were “clear” that those requiring medical care, or support people for those requiring medical care, were allowed to cross the border.
He said there was “no border” that would prevent health care workers from “saving lives”.
He said he would write to the NSW Health Minister to ensure NSW hospitals were aware of the rule.
Queensland opposition leader Deb Frecklington also criticised the government over the tragedy, but Mr Miles said it was a “private matter”.
“I want to say a few things about this case because a lot has been said about it,” he said.
“This last 24 hours, watching politicians use this tragic event to further their political arguments … it makes me sick.
“I can assure you we are doing everything we can to ensure these border restrictions do not limit patients (requiring care).
READ MORE: Plan to lift lockdowns in Victoria on hold
Angelica Snowden 12.40pm: Four new cases recorded in Queensland
Four new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Queensland overnight.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles confirmed all four cases were linked to the outbreak at the Wacol correctional training academy, southwest of Brisbane.
The four new cases include:
– A man from Greenbank, a trainee at the correctional facility
– A woman in her 30s from Forest Lake, wife of a COVID positive trainee previously reported
– A woman in her 30s, spouse of a Pimpama case which was also previously reported
– A woman in her 60s from Forest Lake, wife of a previously reported case
There are now 24 active cases in the state.
The highest number of COVID cases are concentrated in the metro south and west Moreton.
Saturday 29 August – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) August 29, 2020
• 4 new confirmed cases - all close contacts of previously confirmed cases
• 24 active cases
• 1,117 total confirmed cases
• 878,366 tests conducted#COVID19au pic.twitter.com/jdV93s2nHl
READ MORE: Road to recovery — a working guide
Angela Snowden 12.05pm: Cases down, but ‘life won’t go back to normal’
Daniel Andrews has warned Victoria risks “plunging into a third wave” if COVID restrictions are eased too quickly on the back of the state’s lowest daily case count in more than a month.
Asked about potential “household bubbles” and allowances for people living alone to visit immediate family, the Victorian Premier said plans were being considered but health restrictions and greater freedoms were a “difficult balancing task”.
“We are so close to driving this down to very low numbers, and we have all just got to find a way to stay the course,” Mr Andrews said.
“There will be a plan, it will be detailed, it will be based on science and data and evidence in the very best of medical advice” he said.
He said the stage three plan would not be available until the authorities had the confidence eased restrictions would not lead to further outbreaks.
“We still have so many days to go, so many tests to be done in order to have the clearest picture and the maximum confidence that … the program of opening up will not see us simply plunge into a third wave with many hundreds of cases a day and back to, you know, the health system being overwhelmed,” he said.
Mr Andrews begged Victorians not to attend daily lockdown protests, which threatened to undermine the lockdown strategy.
“You don’t have the right to make that choice,” he said.
Stage four restrictions are due to end on September 14, but the Premier warned life would not snap back to normal despite “fatigue”.
“I think most Victorians know and understand while they would like to flick a switch on the 14 September and simply go back to absolute normal,” he said.
“That is not going to be possible. We are going to have to ease back into that COVID normal.”
READ MORE: Is this the moment to shift gears
Angelica Snowden 11.40am: Cases in regional areas ‘falling steadily’
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says daily COVID cases in regional government areas are “falling steadily” with just 177 active cases in a sign the tough lockdown measures are working.
“We want to keep them low and drive them down even further,” Mr Andrews said.
“Thank you to everybody in regional Victoria, from regional cities to the smallest of country towns, doing an absolutely magnificent job in following the rules.
He said the lockdown strategy was “absolutely working” and case numbers in Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat were “falling steadily”.
“Three communities we had been concerned about, Greater Geelong, there are 59 active cases, there were no new cases overnight,” he said.
“Greater Bendigo, 16 active cases, just one new case. And Ballarat has six active cases and no new cases overnight.
“So in those communities and indeed right across regional Victoria we are seeing numbers falling steadily, and that is critically important.
The state recorded 94 new cases in the 24 hours to Saturday.
Daily deaths remain in double figures, with 18 fatalities overnight, taking Victoria’s coronavirus death toll to 514.
Mr Andrews confirmed that of the 18 Victorians who died overnight, one was a female in her 60s, another female and two males were in their 70s, four females and five males were in their 80s, two males and three females were in their 90s.
Sixteen of those 18 deaths were linked to aged care outbreaks.
There are 4223 cases of unknown origin.
441 healthcare workers have active cases of COVID-19.
There are 2983 active cases across Victoria.
READ MORE: Victoria reaches grim pandemic milestone
Angelica Snowden 11.30am: NSW records 14 cases, community transmission up
NSW has recorded 14 cases of COVID-19 overnight as community transmission increases and the Sydney CBD outbreak continues to grow.
Eight of the new cases are linked with the Sydney CBD outbreak, bringing the total associated with the cluster to 23.
The City Tattersalls Clubs was being investigated as the origin of the CBD outbreak, NSW Health said in a statement.
“NSW Health is investigating whether the CBD cluster originated in the City Tattersalls Club and then spread to workplaces in the city and to households across Sydney and the Central Coast,” the statement read.
“To assist in identifying earlier and possible undiagnosed cases, NSW Health is asking anyone who attended the Club between 4 August 2020 – 18 August 2020 to get tested for COVID-19 and isolate until a negative test result is received.”
Fourteen new cases of #COVID19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,844.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 29, 2020
Locations linked to known cases and areas identified for increased testing can be found here: https://t.co/EVlm25boYj pic.twitter.com/XiseHy7DH5
The authority confirmed genomic sequencing of the virus from cases linked with the cluster were related to other “recent clusters in NSW”.
“This virus is genetically different to that of the Marriott Hotel security guard, who had a strain that had come from overseas,” the statement read.
Another two were linked to a known cluster. They were household contacts of cases linked to Liverpool Hospital.
Three were locally acquired and with their source still under investigation.
Just one case is a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.
NSW Health said new COVID-19 cases visited the following locations in Mosman, St Ives and Rosebery:
– Archie Bear cafe, Mosman Rowers – 24 August 11am to 12 noon and Tuesday 25 August 9:00am to 9.30am
– Rosebery Post Shop, 371 Gardeners Rd, Rosebery – 26 August 1:30pm-1:40pm
– St Ives Shopping Centre, 166 Mona Vale Rd, St Ives – 24 August 2:30pm-3:30pm
READ MORE: Risk and reward in the age of COVID-19
Christine Kellett 11.18am: Watch Daniel Andrews give his daily briefing
The Victorian Premier is due to update the public on the state’s 94 new infections and 18 deaths overnight.
With case numbers dropping, he is expected to face questions over when Victorians can expect strict stage four restrictions to be eased.
READ MORE: Infection shield ‘increases infection risk by 500pc’
Angelica Snowden 10.51am: NSW residents urged to stay away from aged care
Greater Sydney metro area and Central Coast residents are being “strongly advised” not to visit aged care homes amid a growing COVID outbreak in the CBD.
An outbreak in the Sydney CBD grew by six on Friday after patrons at the City Tattersalls Club gym contracted the virus. The total number of cases linked with the cluster is now 14.
NSW Health said anyone living in those areas should refrain from visiting aged care facilities until September 12.
Despite the warning, the authority said there was no evidence of any coronavirus cases in aged care residents or staff in aged care facilities across NSW.
“These are precautionary steps to prevent the entry of COVID-19 into this vulnerable setting,” a statement by NSW Health read.
Thirteen cases of COVID were reported in the state on Friday.
READ MORE: Paul Kelly — Sovereignty rules as PM draws line
Angelica Snowden 10.30am: Quarantine guards fired over TikTok videos, naps
NSW police are cracking down on Sydney’s hotel quarantine program after 12 security guards were fired for sleeping on the job and making TikTok videos.
Nearly 400 returned travellers were evacuated from the Travelodge in Surry Hills on Tuesday, prompting NSW Police to set up a committee to conduct audits of quarantine hotels and security guards.
The returned Australians had to be moved after “days of complaints” about unclean rooms and guards not wearing masks.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told reporters on Thursday the decision was made after “an unusual volume of complaints” from guests.
“We have had around 2000 Australians return and go into the Travelodge,” he said of the Surry Hills hotel.
“However, the complaints over the past two weeks increased … certainly last week the volume of complaints was unusual … to a point where the commander, based on photographs and other evidence, decided to shut it down,” he said.
Mr Fuller told the Daily Telegraph 12 security guards had been taken off the program since its inception in April — three of them found asleep this month and two who were filming TikTok videos.
Another was removed for attempting to work for two separate security companies within 24 hours, which breaches the code of conduct.
“I have set up a new committee that will audit not just the security guards, but they will also audit the hotels in terms of the cleanliness and the cleaning, and the sorts of briefings that hotel staff are getting,” he said.
READ MORE: Katrina Grace Kelly — After all this time, politicians still don’t have a plan
Angelica Snowden 10.22am: MPs call for lift on quarantine caps
States and territories should raise incoming overseas arrival caps to ease pressure on the hotel quarantine “bottle neck”, says Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman.
“My view is that there are lots of Australians overseas that want to return home, often in extreme anguish and, in some cases, really suffering because they can’t get on a flight back home,” Mr Zimmerman said.
“So my view is that the states should start looking at increasing the caps on quarantine where they can,” he said.
Labor MP Ed Husic said Australians were “stuck” overseas because of “exorbitant fees” they are being charged to return.
“I think it is really important we find a way to co-operate between all levels of government to sort this out because it is causing great difficulty for average Australians,” Mr Husic said.
“I think where the federal and state governments can work together on this and find lateral positions on how to overcome this will mean the world to a lot of people … they’re average Australians, they haven’t been going over doing touristy things,” he said.
READ MORE: Peter van Onselen — There’ll be no progress when our cabinet is this bare
Angelica Snowden 9.58am: Pressure mounts on premiers over borders
A consistent COVID-19 hotspot approach to border closures would be “massively useful” amid warnings of economic ruin and the death of an unborn baby in NSW, says Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman.
“I think it would help alleviate some of the concerns about whether states are making rigorous health decisions or whether they’re making decisions for political (reasons),” Mr Zimmerman told the ABC.
“I’m in Canberra, Canberrans can’t travel to Queensland because it’s designated a hot spot despite the fact there haven’t been cases here for weeks and weeks,” he said.
A pregnant woman in Ballina in northern NSW had to travel 750km south to Sydney for medical care after her twin babies needed urgent surgery.
Instead of obtaining an exemption to cross the border for treatment in Brisbane in mid August, NSW doctors said senior clinicians at Queensland’s Mater Hospital told them “given the political situation” of border closures the mother should be transported south to Sydney.
Mr Zimmerman said it was a “tragic case” which made a lot of Australians angry.
“That family in Ballina has also highlighted it because there is not an active coronavirus case north of Newcastle in New South Wales,” he said.
“Yet according to reports you had this family denied access to Queensland’s hospital … with very tragic consequences.
“That’s the type of thing which I think Australians are rightly concerned about.”
Labor MP Ed Husic said a hot spot “common definition” should be agreed on, but described federal pressure to lift border closures as “hectoring and politicking”.
“I understand that the state border decisions are made on medical advice within the states and territories and that should be respected,” Mr Husic said.
“I think there is something to be said too about how hot spots get defined as part of a broader process of bringing the community together and lifting community understanding about how certain things will or won’t occur,” he said.
READ MORE: Ballina mum loses baby after being told to head south for surgery
James Law 9.35am: Cases below 100 for first time in 55 days
Four weeks into stage four lockdowns, Victoria’s daily case numbers are heading in the right direction.
The last time the state recorded fewer than 100 cases was 55 days ago on July 5.
While the case numbers are heading in the right direction, the new fatalities bring Victoria to a morbid milestone: more than 500 lives lost in the state due to the virus.
The double-digit case number follows 113 cases announced on Friday, continuing a daily infection numbers trend below 150 all week.
The new deaths bring the state’s total fatalities to 514.
The state’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, was asked yesterday whether the shrinking case numbers meant Victoria could lift stage-four restrictions after September 13.
Professor Sutton said falling below 100 new cases per day would be positive from a psychological perspective but he could not predict when the orders would be lifted, with thousands of mystery cases still a major concern.
“I don’t know; the tail of an epidemic has lots of complexity to it,” he said.
“We do need to hold the course.”
READ MORE: Stage four — What Victorians can and can’t do
David Rogers 9am: Pandemic shaves $7bn off dividends
The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a near-$7bn hammer blow to dividends across the nation’s most widely held companies, as the earnings season nears completion.
Australian shareholders are set to receive more than $21.45bn in dividends in the June 2020 period from the top 50 ASX-listed companies, down sharply on the $28bn paid out in the same period last year.
Many companies paid no dividend at all or slashed their distributions in the face of a viral pandemic not witnessed in more than 100 years.
The result looks set to be much worse when Westpac, NAB and ANZ report later in the year, given the hit to bank earnings from provisions made to cope with the expected rush of mortgage delinquencies and the cost of covering loan deferments.
The result also reflects record profits from the iron ore industry, which buoyed overall results from the big earners — BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals.
With David Ross
Read the full story here.
Christine Kellett 8.33am: Victoria records 94 new cases, 18 deaths
Daily coronavirus infections in Victoria have dipped below 100 for the first time in weeks.
The state has recorded 94 new cases in the 24 hours to Saturday. However, daily deaths remain in double figures, with 18 fatalities overnight, taking Victoria’s coronavirus death toll to 514.
It is the first time daily case numbers have dropped below 100 since early July.
Despite the flattening curve in Victoria, Melburnians have been warned not to expect a lifting of restrictions any time soon.
#COVID19VicData for 29 August, 2020. There were 94 new cases detected in Victoria yesterday, and we are sad to report 18 lives lost. More information will be available later today via our media release. pic.twitter.com/VqT7Ow6FJW
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) August 28, 2020
More to come …
Amanda Hodge 8.20am: Doctors losing the battle and their lives
Live music is back on in Jakarta, the cinemas are soon to reopen and shoppers are trickling back to its ubiquitous malls, but nowhere in the Indonesian capital is it as crowded as in its hospitals, which are reaching capacity as infection rates soar to record numbers.
“It feels like my brain is going to break,” Debryna Dewi Lumanauw, a 28-year-old doctor told The Weekend Australian between shifts at Pertamina Hospital, one of the city’s COVID- 19 referral hospitals.
“It’s been crazy for the last month. We’re severely understaffed and more doctors and nurses are resigning or getting infected and having to go into isolation, which is making us more understaffed.”
Jakarta and Indonesia have posted two consecutive record days of infections, with 869 new cases in the capital and 3003 nationwide on Friday, bringing the total to 165,887.
Read the full story here.
Agencies 7.53am: Robot ‘doctor’ provides lifeline for virus patients
A robot at a hospital in the Mexican capital is providing a lifeline for coronavirus patients separated from their relatives and reducing the risk of infection for medical workers.
“Hi, I’m LaLuchy Robotina! What’s your name?” the 1.4-metre-tall robot asks patients as it goes from room to room.
It moves around on wheels and has a camera and display screen enabling relatives and doctors to chat with patients or staff in full protective gear in the coronavirus ward.
“It allows us to have a physical presence … but with zero exposure to aerosols within the Covid-19 area,” said Lucia Ledesma, a neuropsychologist at the November 20 National Medical Center.
The hospital robot, part of a global trend aimed at reducing the risk of infection during the pandemic, was even designated as a “co-therapist” for coronavirus patients in July.
Since then, it has carried out around 160 missions with infected patients, their relatives and the mental health team.
It can even make soothing sounds to reduce the stress caused by isolation.
The bot has computer vision enabling it to recognise people and sensors to help it to move around. — AFP
READ MORE: Bernard Salt — Reward and risk in the age of COVID-19
Agencies 7.30am: Europe tightens restrictions as virus cases surge
Europe tightened restrictions overnight (AEDT) as it battled a surge in coronavirus cases, with masks becoming obligatory in Paris and Hungary shutting its borders once again.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the crisis would be “more difficult” in the autumn and winter.
The total number of declared cases has now topped 24.5 million globally since the virus first emerged in China almost nine months ago, with more than 832,000 deaths.
Governments hope tighter mask rules will offset the need for a return to economically-devastating lockdowns, though the French government said it could not rule out new stay-at-home orders.
Masks were already obligatory in Paris on public transport and in congested areas, but will now be needed throughout the city.
Overnight, health authorities said almost 7,400 new infections were registered in mainland France in 24 hours, calling growth in new cases “exponential”.
Hungary said foreigners would be barred from entry from September 1, while returning citizens would need two negative tests to avoid a 14-day quarantine.
Greece said it was extending a lockdown on migrant camps to at least September 15, amid ongoing concerns over the spread of the virus in hugely overcrowded camps on five Aegean islands. — AFP
READ MORE: Jeff Rubin — How the expendables fought back
Agencies 7.15am: Canada extends border closure for another month
Canada is extending the closure of its border to non-essential travel until the end of September, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair has announced.
“Our government is extending the existing restrictions on international travel to Canada by one month — until September 30, 2020 — to limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” the minister announced on Twitter.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents returning to Canada will continue to be subject to strict quarantine measures. Exemptions and other details can be found here: https://t.co/zESXaTXBNj (2/2)
— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) August 28, 2020
The border has been closed to all non-essential travelers since mid-March. Shipments of goods, however, continue. — AFP
READ MORE: James Kirby — Why investing will never be the same
Stephen Lunn 7am: ‘No quick return to life as we knew it’: Andrews
Victorians entering their fifth week of a six-week lockdown were offered a tantalising glimpse of Daniel Andrews’ version of “COVID-normal” on Friday, but the Premier offered no firm detail on his immediate plans to bring the state’s economy out of its induced coma.
The state’s second consecutive day of 113 new coronavirus cases, the lowest since early July, left Victorians hoping for news of an easing of restrictions that include an 8pm curfew.
Mr Andrews described what the lives of Victorians might look like in coming months.
“There will be some cases, there will be some outbreaks, but we will have pubs, restaurants, cafes and other workplaces open,” he said.
“We will have people being able to move about freely. We may have masks still, in some settings. We will have physical distance, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, all those things.
“We will have people back at work, we will have economic activity. We will have a massive plan of investment and support to repair the damage that this pandemic has done.”
Read the full story here.
John Stensholt 6.30am: No crowds means financial hit for Spring Carnival
The way today’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes is being promoted perfectly encapsulates how this year’s Spring Racing Carnival will be the most challenging and most different ever.
With Victoria locked down thanks to COVID-19, there will be no spectators at Caulfield and Melbourne Racing Club members have instead been offered home-delivered “super boxes” including gourmet sandwiches and tasting items washed down with Moet & Chandon in an attempt to replicate the race day experience.
The food and drink is being prepared by MRC’s pub and catering staff who have been kept on with money from the federal government’s JobKeeper program.
But with racing featured on two Seven Network free-to-air channels, more eyeballs than ever could tune in to the meet, and digital wagering numbers have been through the roof as punters bet only from home.
Yet the Memsie is one of 12 upcoming races — albeit out of 114 — that has had its prizemoney cut, from $1m last year down to $750,000. It sets the scene for a spring carnival like no other.
Read the full story here.
Stephen Lunn 5.10am: Lockdown protest is crazy, top cop says
Victoria Police assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius says a planned anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne’s CBD next weekend is “batshit crazy nonsense”.
Mr Cornelius said one of the protest organisers, a 76-year-old man from inner-city Windsor, had already been charged with incitement, and warned the “small and selfish minority of foolish people” to cancel the protest or risk certain arrest.
“The tinfoil-hat-wearing brigade are alive and well out there in our community,” Mr Cornelius said.
“They are taking every opportunity to leverage the current situation to serve their own ridiculous notions about so-called ‘sovereign citizens’, about constitutional issues and about how 5G is going to kill your grandkids.
“It is batshit crazy nonsense. People need to wake up to themselves.”
Mr Cornelius said the planned gathering “has the potential to send us backwards” in terms of controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Victoria.
“Participating in this protest also carries with it a serious risk that the very hard work of the vast majority of Victorians who have been complying will be undone by a small and selfish minority of foolish people.
“We will be arresting them. Their feet won’t touch the ground.”
READ MORE: Owner of iconic Melbourne hair salon seeks compensation
Olivia Caisley 5am: Deadly political border games must stop, PM says
Locked-border premiers are being shamed into opening their largely COVID-19 free states after the death of an unborn twin provoked new warnings from Scott Morrison that the nation faced “economic ruin” and a damaging “retreat into provincialism” from continuing closures.
The Prime Minister on Friday demanded answers from Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk about why a pregnant woman in Ballina in northern NSW had to travel 750km to Sydney for medical care instead of obtaining an exemption to cross the border for treatment in Brisbane.
Mr Morrison described the case as “terribly distressing” and “heartbreaking”, arguing it was “unthinkable” that a family was dealing with border permits when they were concerned for the health of their unborn child.
Read the full story, by Olivia Caisley and Kieran Gair, here.
Angelica Snowden 4.45am: Rivals to fill void left by Schoolies cancellation
The age of corona has got worse for Year 12 students, with Schoolies on the Gold Coast cancelled, but rival destinations are sensing an opportunity.
Accommodation Association of Australia chief Dean Long said the announcement by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk would be a blow to jobs and tourism on the Gold Coast, but students would seek out alternatives.
He said NSW towns such as Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour and Batemans Bay would likely be popular. “Those styles of places are all experiencing a higher level of interest around Schoolies time,” he said. “There was a significant spike in those looking for destinations outside of the Gold Coast.”
Destination Byron president David Jones said Byron Bay would welcome school leavers who wanted an experience that was “more spacious”, “warmer” and “less dense” than the Gold Coast model.
Read the full story here.
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