Coronavirus Australia live updates: Scott Morrison’s Easter message: stay at home
The PM has implored Australians to stay home this Easter to halt the coronavirus spread, saying it’s the Christian thing to do.
- PM’s Easter message: Stay home
- No evictions, no land tax for Qld landlords
- $5,000 for spitting attacks
- Independent schools told to reopen
- Dutton warns JobKeeper fraudsters will be caught
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has warned businesses who try to rort the JobKeeper wage subsidies that they will face the full force of the law with a special Australian Federal Police taskforce set up to investigate any cases of fraud. New virus cases in NSW have dropped to their lowest level since March 16.
10.26pm: Wuhan celebrates as city reopens
The epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic has celebrated the reopening of the Chinese city.
Paige Taylor 9.15pm: AFL star cleared over WA surf stop
Dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe will not be fined for surfing far from home during Western Australia’s regional border lockdowns.
Police have reviewed the circumstances surrounding Fyfe’s presence in the south west region where he was photographed going for a surf, some 270km from his Perth home and 390km from Lake Grace, the wheatbelt town where he grew up and where his parents still live.
The Australian understands Fyfe was doing work for his family’s trucking business when he entered the south west.
“It has been confirmed that Mr Fyfe entered the (south west) region in order to provide transport services and was waiting for a truck to be loaded when he went surfing,” police said in a media release.
READ MORE: 600,000 swamp ATO super drawdown
6.49pm: Where you can and can’t go this long weekend
Leaders have issued Australians with a blunt message before the Easter weekend that could prove make-or-break in the virus fight | WATCH
Paige Taylor 6.30pm: Investigation over AFL star’s surf stop
West Australian police commissioner Chris Dawson says his officers will investigate Fremantle Dockers captain Nat Fyfe for apparently surfing 270km from his Perth home in the southwest town of Margaret River while regional boundaries are in place.
Perth residents are banned from travelling to the southwest and police and the Australian Army have been manning road blocks.
Fyfe grew up in the farming community of Lake Grace, 393km inland from Margaret River in the region called Wheatbelt. His parents still live there.
Richard Ferguson 5pm: PM’s Easter message: Live your faith by staying home
Scott Morrison has implored Australians to stay home this Easter to halt the spread of coronavirus, saying it is the Christian thing to do.
The Prime Minister has spoken of the personal pain his family are feeling from not being able to publicly celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
But Mr Morrison said Christians across Australias can still live their faith by staying at home and protecting others from COVID-19.
“It’s still true that we’ll be able to gather together in our immediate family, but there won’t be the opportunity for that extended family gathering, special times I know, as well as going off to church and our religious services where we can remember the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” he says.
“The coronavirus means this Easter will be different and we will be staying at home.
“And it’s important because we cannot undo the tremendous progress we have made together in recent times.
“So this Easter we are staying at home. Don’t travel. Don’t go away.
“For Christians, not being able to gather does not diminish the hope that we have through this important Easter period. This year, we will live out our faith by doing the right thing.
READ MORE: Niki Savva writes: After flying blind, PM finds his way
Richard Ferguson 4.55pm: Relief on utility, council bills for JobKeeper businesses
Businesses receiving JobKeeper payments will be given relief on their water, electricity and council bills.
Scott Morrison and the national cabinet agreed today to support struggling businesses by offering flexible payment options on a range of rates that state governments set.
The Prime Minister, state premiers and territory chief ministers also agreed to exempt non-cruise maritime ship crews from quarantine.
International air crews will also be allowed to quarantine at home, rather than go into government-mandated hotels.
The relief to businesses on their bills will only affect companies receiving wage subsidies.
The principles will also ensure accessing support for essential services is as simple and easy as possible. They specify that businesses eligible for the JobKeeper payment will automatically be considered to be under ‘financial stress’ for the purposes of accessing hardship arrangements.
“These principles, modelled on the Government’s recently released Statement of Expectations for the energy sector, include: Offering flexible payment options to all households and small businesses in financial stress – including small businesses eligible for the JobKeeper Payment,” he said.
“Not disconnecting restricting supply/services to those in financial stress.
“Deferring debt recovery proceedings and credit default listing; Waiving late fees and interest charges on debt.
“And minimising planned outages for critical works, and provide as much notice as possible to assist households and businesses during any outage.”
Premiers also signed up to the Prime Minister’s pans to allow Pacific workers and backpackers to continue working in the agricultural sector, with 14-day self quarantine measures to ensure coronavirus does not break out in regional and rural areas.
READ MORE: MPs turn tap on JobKeeper cash splash
Amos Aikman 4.50pm: Indigenous group: government ‘panic buying’ food
An Aboriginal organisation running remote community stores has accused the federal government of “panic buying” groceries through a proprietary retail network, draining suppliers and imposing shortages on people who rely on independent shops.
The organisation, Aboriginal Investment Group, has also told the National Indigenous Australians Agency that its preference for remote retail chains breaches competition policy and forces poor consumers to pay higher prices than those AIG can offer.
The federal government licenses remote stores in the Northern Territory — a legacy of the Howard government’s NT Emergency Response — and operates shops in 40 communities around the country through its Outback Stores network with the aim of ensuring people have access to reliable, healthy and affordable food.
Steve Smith, AIG’s chief executive, wrote in emails to NIAA obtained by The Australian that independent operators were being excluded from food security discussions and that support given to OBS and similar organisations was anti-competitive.
“This approach is what has led to price-gouging in our region,” he wrote.
“Our latest survey still puts our pricing eight per cent lower.”
The powerful Central Land Council last week led the way in warning that food security issues pose a major health risk to Aboriginal people during the coronavirus pandemic. Besides supply constraints stopping remote residents from maintaining healthy diets, price gouging was encouraging them to risk infection by heading to towns to shop.
Central Land Council chief executive Joe Martin-Jard claimed some remote stores were charging as much as $10 for a lettuce but declined to reveal which ones.
OBS chief executive Michael Borg issued a statement soon after acknowledging some cost and supply issues with fresh produce but stressing that his organisation was investing close to $2m in building up stock. “We want to assure people that while some items may sell out, there is enough food, supplies and goods for everyone,” he said.
“There has been an increase in the cost price of fresh produce, but we have held the sell price of key items and where possible have been trying to keep pricing close to that of major supermarkets.”
Mr Smith said Outback Stores’ stock-build was very likely the reason AIG could not obtain up to half of the items it wanted from suppliers. “I could not understand why suppliers had been wiped out so quickly,” he said.
“Reviewing recent press releases from the wholly-owned Commonwealth Entity Outback Stores provides some explanation as to why there is no food left for Indigenous Owned and Operated Community Stores.
“Seemingly panic buying does not apply to the commonwealth … the other community-owned and operated stores will now have to go without.”
Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt on Wednesday convened a meeting between representatives of three remote retail networks, supermarkets Coles and Woolworths and the distributor Metcash — but not AIG.
An NIAA spokesman said OBS had been “placing orders in line with the current sales trends for each community store and is facing challenges similar to other distributors.”
“The NIAA has been, and will continue to be, in regular contact with stores and suppliers to identify issues impacting Indigenous Australians and escalate them to the appropriate state, territory or national forums as required to limit the impacts of COVID-19,” the spokesman said.
A spokesman for OBS did not respond to questions on Thursday.
Craig Johnstone 4.30pm: No evictions, no land tax for Queensland landlords
Landlords will receive land tax relief in return for protecting commercial and retail tenants from eviction as part of the Queensland government’s latest moves to shield businesses from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said property owners would be able to access $400 million in land tax relief provided they did not evict their tenants.
The move brings the size of the state government’s rescue package to soften the blow the virus has had on the Queensland economy and businesses to $3 billion.
“We’ve heard loud and clear the concerns of people worried about losing their home or business premises through no fault of their own, so we’ve been working hard to put protections in place to stop that happening,” Ms Trad said.
“Whether they’ve been required to close their doors or not, many businesses have seen their cash flow dry up, making it harder to pay the rent.
“To ensure commercial or residential property owners don’t face undue hardship on their own, we will be offering a three-month rebate of land tax for 2019-20, followed by a three month deferral of land tax 2020-21 for property owners who agree to provide rent relief for tenants affected by the coronavirus downturn.”
The eviction ban will be underpinned by new legislation likely to be introduced when state parliament sits next week.
READ MORE: Without lockdown 90,000 Queenslanders ‘would have died’
Robyn Ironside 4.05pm: Qantas Easter bookings 95 per cent down
Qantas has revealed how many passengers are booked to fly this Easter compared to last year, to highlight the devastating toll of the coronavirus crisis on the travel industry.
Forward bookings and load factors are normally a closely guarded secret for airlines due to commercial considerations and Virgin Australia declined to share the same data for that reason.
But Qantas has revealed 705,000 passengers were carried across the group last Easter, from Thursday to Easter Monday inclusive.
This Easter, the airline will fly about 32,000 people, a 95 per cent reduction.
READ the full article here.
Steve Jackson 4.00pm: Harwin hosted former Lib candidate at retreat
Under-fire NSW minister Don Harwin has been hosting a young former Liberal Party candidate – who recently returned on a flight from the UK – at his Central Coast holiday home for the past three weeks in spite of strict social distancing and isolation restrictions.
The startling revelation comes as the state’s premier, Gladys Berejiklian, conceded she had been aware her Special Minister of State had left Sydney for his coastal retreat but had failed to address the situation – before finally demanding he return to the capital on Thursday.
It is understood that lawyer Geoffrey Winters, who contested the seat of Sydney at the 2016 election, made a beeline for Harwin’s $1.3m Pearl Beach pad after returning on a flight from London on March 17.
All returning Australian travellers were required to self-isolate at their own home for 14 days at the time Mr Winters arrived back in the country – little more than a week before the government issued an edict making it mandatory for all newly returned Australians to undergo a two-week quarantine at a hotel.
READ the full story here
Rosie Lewis 3.55pm: The virus does not take a holiday: Hunt
Australia has had its lowest daily rate of coronavirus infections in more than three weeks, as Health Minister Greg Hunt declares this Easter will in many ways be “the most important” weekend we face in combating the disease.
There are now 6068 Australians who have contracted the coronavirus and 51 people who have died.
Mr Hunt said there had been a “genuine consolidation” of the virus, with just 96 new cases in 24 hours.
“This is the first time in over three weeks that fewer than 100 people have been added to the list of those with coronavirus. That’s an exceptionally important development for Australia. Fewer cases, fewer risks, fewer lives at risk. But we’ve got a long way to go,” he said.
READ MORE: ‘Flatten curve or run out of ICU beds’
Victoria Laurie 3.45pm: More cases in Kimberley health workers
An ongoing outbreak of positive coronavirus cases among health workers in the Kimberley region is causing concern to WA health authorities.
West Australia has experienced 14 new cases of Covid-19 overnight, bringing the state total up to 495.
The figure includes two more cases from the remote east Kimberley town of Halls Creek involving health care workers, adding to two who have already tested positive.
One is identified as a close contact of a healthworker who previously tested positive, and the other is under investigation.
It brings to nine the number of healthworkers testing positive in the Kimberley, which now has a total of 17 Covid-19 confirmed cases.
Health minister Roger Cook says it is concerning that healthcare workers are becoming infected.
He says his department is confident that the new Halls Creek cases were not in contact with Aboriginal people or members of community.
Halls Creek services dozens of outlying Aboriginal communities, which are considered to have some of the nation’s most vulnerable cohorts of elederly, sick or immune-compromised residents.
The Australian reported on Wednesday that a doctor in Halls Creek, one of the two health workers already diagnosed with the virus in the town, was at work during the infectious period, including the 24 hours before symptoms showed.
But the WA Country Health Service said no Aboriginal patient had been in close contact with the doctor at the time, and two non-indigenous patients considered close contacts were in self-isolation and well.
A medical team has been flown up to Broome to increase manpower, and a Broome Covid clinic was opened yesterday.
READ MORE: Virus doesn’t take a holiday
Angelica Snowden 3.35pm: $5000 fines for spitting attacks
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced tough new measures, including on-the-spot fines of $5000, for anyone who spits or coughs on healthcare workers and police.
“If you cough or spit on any of our public health officials you can get an on the spot $5000 fine,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Take it seriously,” he said.
RECORD $5,000 ON-THE-SPOT FINE FOR SPITTERS.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) April 9, 2020
People who cough or spit on health workers, police, pharmacists, paramedics or other public officials during the #COVID19 health crisis, now risk a $5,000 on-the-spot fine.
Read the full media release: https://t.co/KwxdwrTAOl pic.twitter.com/6byZyb1Wvg
Members of the public can also get six months jail for abusing frontline workers.
“I get so disappointed that a small group of people… think it’s ok to spit or cough on frontline workers.”
READ MORE: Herd immunity will kill
Paige Taylor 3.30pm: WA told ‘stay positive, keep talking’
West Australians are being encouraged to stay positive, to keep talking with others and to be active during the pandemic in a mental health campaign launched on Thursday.
“My hope is that everyone can find a way to be positive, connected and active,” WA Health Minister Roger Cook said. “There is so much out of our control.”
The campaign aims to help people cope with increased feelings of anxiety as a result of coronavirus.
Mr Cook announced the mental health initiative on Thursday as he revealed four more European passengers from the cruise ship Artania had tested positive to coronavirus.
The Artania carried no Australian passengers when it docked south of Perth with sick passengers and crew in March. Since then more than 50 people have been taken from the ship for isolation and treatment and two of them have died.
Most passengers flew home on hastily-arranged charter flights to Frankfurt on March 29, but more than 400 crew remain on the ship at Fremantle and sick people are being removed to go to hospital and isolation almost daily.
The Artania is due to set sail on Wednesday next week though there are increasing doubts about whether it is safe for the crew to undertake the journey on a ship known to have been
infected with coronavirus.
A total of 14 new cases were detected in WA overnight on Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 495. Of those, seven were from cruise ships including the Costa Victoria.
Mr Cook revealed the spread of coronavirus among healthcare workers in the community continued. There are now 10 healthcare workers with COVID-19 in the remote region, where half of all residents are indigenous. The virus is not known to have reached an indigenous
community.
READ MORE: Toll hits 50, nearly half from liners
Angelica Snowden 3.20pm: Frontline workers target of spitting, coughing attacks
Nurses & Midwives Association General Secretary Brett Holmes has said he has received “dozens” of complaints that frontline workers are being spat and coughed on, but expected there to be many more cases that have not been reported.
“People are being abused, being in the shopping line and having their trolley viciously kicked,” Mr Holmes said.
“There is a great deal of aggression towards our members,” he said.
My Holmes said the people who spit and cough on frontline workers are “threatening and intimidating”.
“It’s abuse, it’s assault and we need to stop it,” he said.
“We just need the few people who are breaking the law to understand how serious this is.”
He said members of the public who take their “fear and anger” out on healthcare workers or police need to stop.
“It’s hard enough to go to work and know that you could be exposed,” he said
“It’s hard to then know that you could be taking that to your family,
“But to have on top of that people intentionally trying to intimidate and scare by catching them off guard, is completely unacceptable.”
READ MORE: All hospitals in public system
Ben Packham 3.00pm: PNG lashes Oz for loss of transparent engagement’
Australia’s biggest aid recipient, Papua New Guinea, has blasted the federal government’s administration of $580m-a-year in development assistance, ahead of an anticipated humanitarian crisis as COVID-19 hits vulnerable Pacific communities.
Days after Scott Morrison declared his Pacific Step-up more important than ever, PNG’s High Commissioner to Australia John Kali warned a lack of engagement with local officials was threatening the effectiveness of Australian support.
In a blogpost for the ANU’s Development Policy Centre, Mr Kali said he was “saddened” that previously good co-operation between Australian and PNG officials had given way to “frustration, confusion and a loss of effective and transparent engagement”.
“A significant degree of strategic planning and programming and decision making for resourcing is taking place outside of our government circles, sadly without justification for the expenditure,” the High Commissioner said.
“PNG managers and leaders have been left out. There has been a significant decrease in the use of PNG government systems, procedures and processes.”
Mr Kali said Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had failed to take account of PNG priorities, branding a key governance program as “mere window dressing”.
He said fixing the program would require Australia and PNG to work together as “equal partners” in designing and delivering support.
READ MORE: Australia vows to beef up Pacific aid
Richard Ferguson 2.30pm: Independent schools told: reopen or lose funding
Education Minister Dan Tehan is ordering independent schools to re-open in Term 2 or face losing their funding.
A range of private schools across the country have either closed early or refused certain students since the coronavirus pandemic struck Australia, often in conflict with medical advice.
Mr Tehan told Sky News on Thursday that independent schools which refused to open after the Easter school break face losing their federal funding.
“It’s safe for schools to be open. We want to ensure all parents have that choice - if they’re working, we don’t have them to make that decision between going to work and staying at home,” he said.
“We have made it a condition (for funding) that they are open to provide that environment for students to learn who can’t safely learn at home.”
The national cabinet is meeting now to discuss how different states will handle the return of Term 2. It is expected decisions over schools will be left to state premiers.
READ MORE: Extra leave bid for frontline staff
Staff writers 1.40am: Virus infection rates: check your suburb
What began as a minor flu-like outbreak in Wuhan city has morphed into a full-blown international health crisis that has roiled financial markets, raised the spectre of an economic recession, disrupted global supply chains and adversely affected the lives of hundreds of millions of people.
Check the rates and how your suburb is looking here.
Richard Ferguson 1.20pm: Suppression strategy to stay ‘in medium term’
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth says Australia’s coronavirus suppression strategy will need to stay in place for the “medium term” before restrictions are lifted.
Business leaders - including AFL chairman Richard Goyder - want social distancing rules lifted before Scott Morrison and the national cabinet’s six-month end-date.
Dr Coatsworth said the suppression strategy - by keeping people apart - would need to continue while research is done on vaccines and other measures to fight the virus.
“The suppression strategy needs to be sustainable in the medium term while we look at things like when a vaccine becomes available, while we bring new molecules online to treat the virus,” he said in Canberra.
“We’ve been clear about the timeline. That strategy needs to be very, very nuanced and carefully thought out.
“Part of that is informed by 6000 patients’ worth of data we have at the moment ... Once we feed that into our tracking, which as we stated will be fed back - and when it’s ready, that is one of the contextual elements that allows us to determine what restrictions to lift and in what order to do so.”
READ MORE: Social distancing lift almost on horizon
Joe Kelly 1.10pm: Heavyweights push for let-up on hibernation
Corporate heavyweight Richard Goyder has questioned the government’s six-month business hibernation strategy and made the economic case for a swifter relaxing of tough COVID-19 restrictions.
Mr Goyder — chairman of Qantas, Woodside Petroleum and the AFL Commission — warned that the balance between managing the health and economic crises would become harder over time as the virus stretched Australia’s capacity to invest and repay debt.
He was supported by Tony Shepherd, chairman of the Abbott government’s 2015 Commission of Audit, who said the longer the shutdown lasted, “the longer it takes to get the economic flywheel moving again”.
READ the full article here.
Richard Ferguson 1.05pm: ‘If flights are available, take them’
Foreign Minister Marise Payne has told Australians stranded overseas to take any flights available and not wait for Qantas chartered services.
The national airliner will charter three flights next week to Peru, Argentina and South Africa.
But there are concerns for hundreds of Australians stuck in India, where Indian Prime Minister Nareendra Modi is extending tough lockdowns to Mumbai.
“If flights are available, take them, absolutely,” Senator Payne said in Canberra.
“There are tens of thousands of Australians in India at any one time.
“We are actively trying to identify options for a commercial charter flight ... We thought we had made some headway earlier in the week, but that did not progress, so we are continuing to do that.
“But I would absolutely encourage Australians, whatever they are, if there are flights available, they should take them.”
READ MORE: Latin rich kids party on
Richard Ferguson 12.50pm: Fewer than 100 new cases in past 24 hours
Fewer than a hundred people have officially contracted coronavirus over the past 24 hours, the lowest number of new infections in three weeks.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said that people need to stay home during Easter to ensure Australia continues to flatten the curve ahead of many other Western countries.
“What we’re seeing now is a genuine consolidation in the 24 hours to this morning’s report, there was an increase of 96 cases,” Mr Hunt said in Canberra.
“That’s an exceptionally important development for Australia. Fewer cases, fewer risks, fewer lives at risk.
“The virus does not take a holiday - therefore none of us can relax and what we do. This in many ways is the most important weekend we may face in the whole course of the virus.”
READ MORE: How much longer will this last?
Richard Ferguson 12.45pm: Qantas charters flights to rescue stranded Aussies
National airliner Qantas will charter three flights to rescue Australians stranded in Peru, Argentina and South Africa.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the flights will go out next week and she is looking at setting more flights for Australians stuck around the world during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Those planned Qantas flights are anticipated to take place over the next week, and follows on from another successful facilitated flight that occurred today - carrying about 280 Australians from Peru, who are now on their way to Australia,” Senator Payne said in Canberra.
“We are exploring similar options to facilitate flights from other destinations in coming weeks and they will include, I hope, subject to permissions in those countries, India and the Philippines.”
READ MORE: No country safe until we all are
Rosie Lewis 12.15pm: Epidemiologists back easing of social distancing
Epidemiologists have backed the easing of social distancing restrictions in states more advanced in their coronavirus recovery, after Scott Morrison flagged Queensland, Victoria and NSW could watch trials in other states before lifting their own laws. Archie Clements, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at Curtin University, said each state had already tailored their response to the pandemic so it made sense to have a tailored approach as restrictions were relaxed.
“All states have got little pockets of community transmission. In states like WA and Tasmania and the NT and even SA, we know where those pockets are. Those would be the places that would go first (in easing restrictions), probably followed by Queensland and NSW would come last I would think given there’s still evidence of emerging transmission, particularly in parts of Sydney,” Professor Clements said. “It may even be in NSW and Victoria that social distancing measures are relaxed in the regions before they’re relaxed in the cities where community transmission is occurring.
“I would expect in jurisdictions where there has been limited or no evidence of community transmission, social distancing measures like pupil-free schools, uni students being taught online rather than face-to-face, restrictions on businesses might start to be lifted before states where there is evidence of community transmission.”
Professor Clements said states could begin to start lifting restrictions in some areas a month after any new cases were recorded, though conceded modellers would have varying opinions as to what was a safe benchmark.
The federal and state governments have not said when they believed it would be safe to begin lifting restrictions — and are not considering doing so yet — but Health Minister Greg Hunt on Wednesday vowed to remove social distancing measures “wherever we can” over the next six months.
Professor Clements expected international travel restrictions to remain in place “for quite some time” while travel restrictions between states should also continue beyond the lifting of social distancing measures.
La Trobe University epidemiologist Hassan Vally said because of Australia’s size the states were effectively like their own countries and it was “reasonable” they made decisions about their restrictions based on what stage of the epidemic they were at.
“Realistically no one should be easing restrictions for quite a long time from now. We’re talking several months,” Dr Vally said.
“If we look ahead to the next few weeks, the next month, we’ll get a much clearer idea of how the strict social distancing (measures) we’ve implemented over the last few weeks is impacting on the number of cases.”
READ MORE: How much longer will this last?
Rosie Lewis 12pm: Public servants to have their pay frozen
Australia’s public servants will have their salaries frozen to “help share the economic burden” from the coronavirus pandemic, after the Morrison government announced pay rises would be deferred for six months. The deferral of wage increases will begin on April 14 and remain in effect for a year, meaning any public servant whose pay rise is due within that time frame will have it delayed by six months from the due date.
“The Australian Public Service remains a critical part of our efforts to minimise the impacts on COVID-19 on the Australian economy for workers and their families. Everyone from the Prime Minister down appreciates the outstanding work the APS is doing,” Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ben Morton said.
“Every APS employee will have someone in their families, or know someone, affected by the current economic circumstances. While communities are doing it tough, it’s important the APS helps share the economic burden.”
READ MORE: Pay freeze for public servants
DAVID PENBERTHY 11.50am: Wife forced to farewell ailing husband in Skype call
An Adelaide couple has endured the cruellest goodbye with a grief-stricken wife forced to farewell her ailing husband via a Skype call Wednesday night as the 76-year-old succumbed to the coronavirus. The woman was unable to visit her husband to say goodbye in person as she also has the virus and tested positive a second time yesterday.
Staff at the Royal Adelaide Hospital knew her husband was close to the end and arranged for the Skype call to be made before he passed away late Wednesday.
His death was confirmed this morning by SA Health with a grim Premier Steven Marshall extending his sympathy to the man’s widow, her family and friends. “It’s extraordinarily sad news,” Mr Marshall said.
The Riverland man’s death takes the death toll in SA to three. The husband and wife were part of the Barossa Valley cluster which was caused by two groups of tourists, one Swiss and one American, who were infected with the virus and travelled through the wine region three weeks ago.
It is believed the couple had visited the Lyndoch Hill Winery and function centre, the same venue attended by the group of Americans. “It probably was from this group that came in and this is the problem, people just going about their ordinary lives, innocent activity and they’ve lost their life because of this disease,” Premier Marshall said. “This is the first example in South Australia where it’s not overseas-acquired or interstate-acquired – it’s been acquired here in South Australia. It really just says to all of us...we can’t take our foot off the brake. It really does massively underscore why we are putting these restrictions in place. This is a terrible, deadly insidious disease.”
Mr Marshall also lamented the fact that 86 of SA’s 420 cases had come from the Ruby Princess cruise ship, saying the ship had “caused havoc” across SA and the nation.
He said the deaths in SA so far were a clear reminder to all South Australians to obey the Government’s call to stay home over Easter and not go holidaying in regional centres.
READ MORE: No country is safe until we all are
Rob Dooley 11.40am: Six ways to protect your ‘cyber health’ against hackers
For Australians being instructed to work from home amid the COVID-19 outbreak, doing jobs remotely can be a major adjustment.
For hackers, it can be an opportunity. We’ve seen a sharp increase in coronavirus related email scams from cybercriminals pretending to be the “World Health Organisation’’ and text messages appearing from sender “GOV’’ inviting recipients to click through to a website to view information about COVID-19 testing in their area.
With COVID-19’s spread, there have been numerous recommendations from health authorities and experts that one of the best, first-level measures to help spread infection is to wash hands with soap and water thoroughly for 20 seconds.
Many organisations are asking “How can we improve our Cyber Hygiene” and while that answer often depends on individual circumstances (recommendations for consumers, SMBs and large enterprises may differ), there are some quick wins that everyone can be doing right now to make sure we are all “washing our cyber hands’’.
READ MORE: Six ways to improve your cyber hygiene
Remy Varga 11.35am: More good news in latest Victorian figures
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Victoria has increased by 16, bringing the total to 1228. There are no new deaths with the state’s toll remaining at 12. There are currently 50 people in hospital with 13 patients in intensive care.
READ MORE: Coronavirus by the numbers
Remy Varga 11.25am: Victoria Police to blitz Easter long weekend hotspots
Victoria Police will be out in droves this Easter long weekend, targeting tourist hotspots to enforce social distancing ahead of an anticipated “influx from Melbourne”. State Police Minister Lisa Neville said on Thursday police officers would blitz the coast and regions and would be issuing fines for violations of the public health directive.
“I know a lot of communities are very concerned about an influx from Melbourne,” she said.
“Victoria Police will follow the rules that are set by the Chief Health Officer in relation to who can and can’t go into those communities.” It comes as police officers issued 78 fines for violations of the public health directive, including busting Victorians for holding dinner parties and drinking in parks as well as two men who were watching a movie in a car in a public place.
Ms Neville said the police assistance line was everyday receiving “significant calls” from people dobbing in those violating social distancing. “So you’re going to have police out there but you’re also got other community members who are reporting people doing the wrong thing,” she said.
Under the public health directive, Victorians are only allowed to leave their homes to exercise, to buy essential items such as food and medicine, for medical care and for work and education that can’t be done at home. Victorians are allowed to travel to their holiday homes, if they own them, this Easter long weekend but are prohibited from travelling to Airbnbs, hotels or other residences.
Ms Neville clarified that Victorians are allowed to visit their local beach if it was open for exercise such as swimming, surfing and running. But the power to close a beach rests with the local council and if there is a beach closed sign no one is allowed on the beach, Ms Neville said. Victoria Police have conducted 1065 spotchecks in the past 24 hours with a total of 17,104 spotchecks conducted since March 21.
READ MORE: New virus of complacency will leave Australians idle
Richard Ferguson 11.15am: Local manufacturers to rush 2000 ventilators
A group of Australian manufacturers will band together to make 2000 ventilators for COVID-19 patients under a $31.3m deal with the Morrison Government. Manufacturers Grey Innovation will lead the project with a cohort of industry partners to produce the much-needed medical equipment. The ventilator project will begin in June, with machines going out to hospitals and care homes by the end of July.
Industry Minister Karen Andrews said the deal showed that companies used to competing against each other could put old rivalries aside to help fight the pandemic.
“This is another great example of Australian industry and the private sector working with our Government to ensure critical supply of medical equipment during the outbreak of this virus,” she said.
“This deal demonstrates the power of bringing Aussie manufacturers and clinicians together and is also a reflection of the highly advanced manufacturing capability that exists in our country. It also shows the incredible collaborative spirit that’s been on display as we respond to this unprecedented pandemic. Companies which are normally in competition are working together for the greater good.”
READ MORE: Beer to sanitiser: industry retools in virus war
Angelica Snowden 11am: Aussies urged to clap, cheer for frontline workers tonight
Australians are being urged to show their support for medical staff and other authorities on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis by clapping and cheering from their homes. The campaign, starting at 8pm tonight, was inspired by the Clap for the NHS campaign in the UK.
It is being organised by a social enterprise called Frontliners, that has contributed $2 million worth of products including care packages to workers on the frontline.
Frontliners is encouraging Australians to share the #cheer4frontliners hashtag on social media to demonstrate their support. The organisation said the campaign will also make up for some of the “disgusting abuse” some health care workers and police officers have endured throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: Doctors warn herd immunity will lead to surge in deaths
Angelica Snowden 10.50am: Cruise ships continue to be leading source of cases
Cruise ships continue to be a leading source of COVID-19 in NSW, accounting for 509 of the state’s 2773 cases. The virus stricken Ruby Princess cruise ship has now caused 363 passengers to fall sick with the virus and 21 crew members. The luxury liner is the source of six deaths out of 21 in NSW.
Other cruises including the Ovation of the Seas, the Voyager of the Seas and the Celebrity Solstice account for the remaining 146 cases.
NSW detectives executed a night-time raid on the Ruby Princess cruise ship on Wednesday night, questioning the luxury liner’s captain and crew, while also searching for key documents, in a dramatic escalation of the police investigation. A core group of police officers dressed in personal protective gear boarded the vessel, docked at Port Kembla, south of Wollongong, about 7pm on Wednesday.
A cluster of 12 COVID-19 cases was also reported at Gosford Hospital on the central coast of NSW. NSW Health said the cases include six staff members, four family and friends and two patients. The ward was closed yesterday.
NSW Health also reported that of the 161 symptomatic travellers quarantined in hotels after they from overseas travel, 36 have tested positive to COVID-19.
READ MORE: Officers board to question Ruby Princess crew
Richard Ferguson 10.35am: AFP taskforce to catch JobKeeper fraudsters
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has warned businesses who try to rort the JobKeeper wage subsidies that they will face the full force of the law.
Mr Dutton said an Australian Federal Police taskforce has been set up to investigate any cases of fraud related to JobKeeper and freeze the assets of businesses.
“There will be an element of fraud,” Mr Dutton told Sydney’s 2GB radio. “Those people need to hear a very clear message: now more than ever, you will be caught.
“If people do the wrong thing, they can expect a search warrant to be executed by the AFP and they can expect their assets to be frozen ... they will move very quickly to charge people who deliberately do the wrong thing. They should think twice about what they’re doing.”
READ MORE: MPs turn tap on JobKeeper cash splash
MATTHEW DENHOLM 10.25am: Tasmanian Premier: ‘Today the gloves come off’
Tasmania’s Premier has deployed a helicopter and ordered a police blitz to catch Tasmanians trying to sneak to their shacks for Easter. Peter Gutwein on Thursday said “the gloves were off” for those flouting the stay-at-home lockdown, as authorities plead with would-be holidaymakers not to risk spreading coronavirus to elderly coastal communities.
Mr Gutwein said the Westpac Rescue helicopter would be “eyes in sky” and anyone driving caravans or trailers to coastal areas could expect to be tracked and confronted by police.
“We still have Tasmanians who are flaunting the rules,” he said. “I have been fair. I have been reasonable and taken every step and precaution that is reasonable to save lives.
“But we will only save lives if Tasmanians follow the rules. And to be frank, today the gloves come off.”
Police said people on the roads should expect to be stopped and those in shacks could be approached to explain themselves. “Don’t go to your shacks — you will be bringing unnecessary risk to those small communities such as the East Coast, Bridport, Tasman Peninsula, the Central Highlands, West Coast and Bruny Island,” said acting assistant commissioner Jo Stolp. “This Easter, if you are away from your primary residence and try to catch the Bruny Island ferry or go to your shack and you don’t have a valid excuse, you will not only be turned around, but you could be charged and face a substantial fine.”
Mr Gutwein warned the extra police presence would be strongest in the northwest, where there was effectively a lockdown due to a significant outbreak of COVID-19 across two hospitals in the Burnie area.
There are now 23 cases associated with this outbreak, including 15 health care workers and five current patients across the North West Regional Hospital and the North West Private Hospital. About 60 hospital staff have been stood down, as action was taken to ensure the private hospital’s maternity ward was not compromised. A statewide call for current and recently retired health care workers has been issued to help ensure continuity of services.
Chief Medical Officer Tony Lawler said the NWRH emergency department remained open as “normal” and people needing emergency care should not hesitate to call 000. “I would be happy to be a patient in the NWRH,” he said. An outbreak management team has been bolstered as it attempted to track and trace all cases and identify sources of the outbreak.
As of Thursday morning, Tasmania had 107 confirmed cases of coronavirus and three deaths.
READ MORE: Daniel Andrews cites Donald Trump in call to maintain caution
Angelica Snowden 10.15am: Dutton frustrated people still defying isolation orders
Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said it was “frustrating” that members of the community continue to defy COVID-19 social isolation orders, including politicians.
“This is a much more serious disease than people realise,” Mr Dutton said on 2GB.
“In my own case I had flu-like symptoms to start with, I had shortness of breath and fever and what not,” he said. “I felt on top of the world within four or five days but in the second week...I think it lingers and it comes back and it can come back in force.”
He said the aircraft carrying 90 tonnes of medical supplies from Wuhan carried the same biosecurity concern as other flights from parts of Europe of the US. “We’ve got to be realistic about the threats as they present,” he said. “We can’t stop, we don’t want to stop medical supplies coming into our country. We are desperate for masks and other PPE equipment.”
READ MORE: Wuhan care flight lands in Sydney with essential medical supplies
David Rogers 9.45am: US bear market lasts just 19 days
The US sharemarket has entered a bull market after its second-shortest bear market in history.
The benchmark S&P 500 rose 3.4 per cent on Thursday (AEST) to 2749.98 to be 22.9 per cent above its bear-market low close of 2237.4 points 13 days ago, exceeding a 20 per cent rise needed to end a bear market.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 share index will enter a bull market if it closes at or above 5455.24 points, which is 248.3 points or 4.8 per cent above Wednesday’s close at 5206.9 points.
The S&P/ASX 200 was on Thursday expected to open up 1.3 per cent at 5275 points, based on overnight futures.
The latest bear market in the S&P 500, which was established on March 11, lasted just 19 days, the shortest since a 15-day bear market ended in November 1929, according to data compiled by Dow Jones.
It took just 12 trading days to recover from the bear-market low close of 2237.4 points, which was reached on March 23. That was the quickest move from bear to bull since the last bear market, when it took 10 trading days ending March 23, 2009.
To recap on the recent bear market, it took 23 trading days from the recent high to the bear market low, which was the quickest recent high-to-bear-market low on record.
READ MORE: Follow our TradingDay blog
Craig Johnstone 9.30am: Palaszczuk gets even tougher on border controls
Queensland will introduce even stricter border controls from tomorrow, forcing everyone including state residents to apply for a pass before they can enter the state and sending people who have travelled through a COVID-19 hotspot into 14 days quarantine.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that from midnight Friday, Queenslanders wanting to cross back into the state, regardless of their reason for travel, would need a border pass.
Those who have travelled through known hotspots for the coronavirus would also be told to quarantine themselves for two weeks.
She said the tighter controls should discourage Queenslanders thinking of travelling into NSW over the Easter break for a holiday. “Queenslanders, let’s do the right thing and stay in Queensland,” she said.
READ MORE: Tension over Queenslanders exploiting open NSW border
Angelica Snowden 9.10am: Berejiklian won’t sack MP hiding in holiday home
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was “deeply disappointed” but would not sack the senior NSW minister Don Harwin for flouting social isolation rules and working from his Pearl Beach holiday home.
“I was advised a few days ago that he decided to make that his principal place to live some three weeks ago,” the Premier said. “But obviously given what we have asked the rest of the Sydney community to do I think it’s entirely appropriate he come back to Sydney,” she said.
However, the Premier defended the senior minister, stating that he had decided to relocate before restrictions were in place. “I completely agree that we cannot have a perceived rule for everybody else and a perceived rule for others,” she said. “I feel very passionately about protecting the wellbeing of 8 million citizens but I can’t be responsible for every person’s actions.”
READ MORE: NSW minister Don Harwin caught out on coastal getaway
Richard Ferguson 9am: Frydenberg: ‘Look to parts of economy still strong’
Josh Frydenberg has told worried business leaders that the government will only lift social distancing restrictions if the medical advice allows it, as some fear a six-month shutdown is too long. Corporate heavyweight Richard Goyder has questioned the government’s six-month business hibernation strategy in The Australian on Thursday, and made the economic case for a swifter relaxing of tough COVID-19 restrictions.
The Treasurer on Thursday told business leaders to look at the parts of the Australian economy that were still going strong despite the restrictions. “We’ve got to be guided by the medical advice ... the advice has served us well and we need to continue to take that advice,” Mr Frydenberg told Melbourne’s 3AW radio. “Not all aspects of the economy have been equally hit. Mining continues to go well, parts of the manufacturing sector are strong, we’ve obviously seen construction continue, and the supermarkets and pharmacies have never had it so good.”
Mr Goyder — chairman of Qantas, Woodside Petroleum and the AFL Commission — warned that the balance between managing the health and economic crises would become harder over time as the virus stretched Australia’s capacity to invest and repay debt. He was supported by Tony Shepherd, chairman of the Abbott government’s 2015 Commission of Audit, who said the longer the shutdown lasted, “the longer it takes to get the economic flywheel moving again”.
READ MORE: Heavyweights push for let-up on six-month hibernation plan
Angelica Snowden 8.50am: SA man dies, taking national toll to 51
An eldery man became the third person to die from COVID-19 in South Australia overnight, taking the national toll to 51. A 76-year-old man from regional South Australia contracted coronavirus in the Barossa Valley, South Australia Health said. The man died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 9 April 2020: Sadly, a 76-year-old man from regional South Australia passed away last night from COVID-19 in the RAH. The man acquired COVID-19 in the Barossa Valley. His passing is the 3rd death in SA from COVID-19. Our thoughts are with his family & friends. pic.twitter.com/y986bkXUIy
— SA Health (@SAHealth) April 8, 2020
READ MORE: Nearly half of death toll from liners
Angelica Snowden 8.35am: Ruby Princess captain ‘very helpful’: NSW Police
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller confirmed officers boarded the Ruby Princess last night to collect evidence for the investigation into the debacle.
“We spoke to the captain who was very helpful,” Mr Fuller said.
The Police commissioner confirmed the ship’s black box was seized.
More than 1000 crew members remain on the ship, with three quarters saying they want to stay onboard. Members of the local community also dropped off care packages to the crew.
NSW detectives have executed a night-time raid on the Ruby Princess cruise ship, questioning the luxury liner’s captain and crew, while also searching for key documents, in a dramatic escalation of the police investigation.https://t.co/aNyLrwvmK3
— The Australian (@australian) April 8, 2020
READ MORE: Corona cops board Ruby Princess to question crew
Angelica Snowden 8.25am: NSW to review isolation measures on monthly basis
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there were “positive” early signs that social isolation measures are working in the state.
With NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Grant confirming 39 new cases of COVID-19 overnight — the state’s lowest count since March 16 — Ms Berejiklian said isolation measures would be reviewed on a monthly basis.
“Thank you for stepping up and meeting all the restrictions we have asked you to do,” The Premier said.
“It is too soon to say whether or not the impact is sufficient for us to relax the restrictions.
“I will say publicly at the end of every month what we are likely to do the following month.”
Download the Service NSW app and get up to date info on COVID-19. Thank you to the 1.6 million of you in NSW who have already done so! pic.twitter.com/Ys7KA9wMMh
— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) April 8, 2020
Ms Berejiklian also announced that preschool would be free for parents over the next six months. The $50 million plan will ensure free childcare for preschool age children in the state.
The Premier also said her government would spend $82 million to subsidise local government-operated childcare, supplementing federal funding.
READ MORE: NSW minister caught at beach getaway
Angelica Snowden 8am: Govt spending not ‘set and forget’: Frydenberg
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the government is working on a plan to slowly re-open parts of the economy.
Speaking to Channel 9’s Today Show the morning after the government’s $130bn JobKeeper package was passed by parliament, Mr Frydenberg coronavirus measures were not “set and forget”.
“We don’t want these spending initiatives to go one day longer than they have to,” he said.
Going live with @karlstefanovic & @AllisonLangdon on @TheTodayShow pic.twitter.com/9f4h7j4q11
— Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg) April 8, 2020
“Having temporary, targeted, proportionate measures that have been put in place that have used the existing tax and transfer systems, so we’ll continue to monitor our initiatives.”
Mr Frydenberg said debt caused by COVID-19 economic measures would be paid back in years to come “with responsible economic management”.
“Here in Australia, we’re a lot better positioned to get through this economic crisis and have the financial firepower to spend what is necessary,” he said.
You’re right, it will be a debt burden. It will be paid back in the years to come but with responsible economic management.”
JobKeeper - the biggest financial package in Aussie history - passes the House of Reps - follow the latest corona new from parliament @australian https://t.co/wXGraK6idd
— Richard Ferguson (@RichAFerguson) April 8, 2020
READ MORE: Business’ plea to PM — snap us back soon
Angelica Snowden 7.40am: NSW Premier to give coronavirus update at 8am
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will hold a press conference on the coronavirus pandemic in her state at 8am AEST.
Ms Berejiklian is expected to update the public on the number of cases in the state, and will be joined by the Police Commissioner and Minister for Education.
Watch the press conference in the video at the top of this article.
Dear Ollie,
— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) April 8, 2020
Thank you for your lovely letter. I can confirm the Easter Bunny will definitely be visiting this weekend!
Happy birthday for Sunday,
Premier Gladys pic.twitter.com/oaxyT74Cni
READ MORE: Officers board to question Ruby Princess crew
Angelica Snowden 7.25am: ‘We didn’t mismanage coronavirus crisis’: WHO
WHO Collaborating Centre for National and Global Health Law director Lawrence Gostin said the WHO did not mismanage the coronavirus crisis, after Donald Trump publicly berated the organisation for “calling it wrong”.
“I am outraged and embarrassed that the President of the United States would blame the World Health Organisation,” Mr Gostin said.
I'm outraged @realDonaldTrump attacked @WHO: It "very much" sided w/ China on #COVID19. There are no "sides" in a crisis. @DrTedros replied bravely: For God sakes, w/ deaths everywhere we can't resort to big-power disputes. Thread refutes criticism argues empowering @WHO 1x pic.twitter.com/jMXOBNIWa2
— Lawrence Gostin (@LawrenceGostin) April 8, 2020
“Just shifting blame onto China and the WHO when it is our (the world’s) lack of preparedness that caused the crisis in the United States,” he said.
Although the WHO noted an unknown pneumonia in Wuhan, China in late December, it didn’t declare a pandemic until March 11. But Mr Gostin said he did not accept criticism that the WHO was too slow to act.
“The WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern to public health regulators very early on (January 30),” he said.
“At maximum it delayed days and to suggest that had any impact on the pandemic is ludicrous.”
Bottom line. #COVID19 #Pandemic has unraveled global solidarity. Let's start by pulling together & use this crisis for something good. From now on, generously fund @WHO, give it political backing, stop blaming "the other", & invest in robust health systems under the IHR. 9x
— Lawrence Gostin (@LawrenceGostin) April 8, 2020
READ MORE: ‘Monster’ slashes USA’s city of death
Angelica Snowden 6.55am: European nations mull easing of virus lockdowns
Restrictions on travel, work and schooling remain in China, but the green shoots of recovery from the coronavirus pandemic are beginning to register in Europe.
In China, the National Health Commission reported 62 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. It reported two more deaths, to a total of 3,333, with 82,809 cases.
On Wednesday, Europe passed 60,000 recorded coronavirus deaths, more than 70 per cent of the global total.
Despite the death toll, European countries are considering relaxing COVID-19 restrictions.
Italy is considering scaling back its lockdown on May 4, eight weeks after it imposed draconian quarantine measures, a senior government source has told The Times.
Italy recorded its biggest one-day jump yet in people who recovered and its smallest one-day increase in deaths in more than a month. Nearly 18,000 have died there.
Spain, where 14,000 have died, hopes some businesses will return to work after the Easter break, despite extending the lockdown for most families to April 26.
French authorities have likewise begun to speak openly of ending the country’s confinement period, which is set to expire April 15 but will be extended, according to the president’s office. The virus has claimed more than 10,000 lives in France.
COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc in the US, as New York endured one of its darkest days so far. There were 731 new coronavirus deaths, its biggest one-day jump yet, for a statewide toll of nearly 5,500.
New York state has 149,316 reported cases compared to Spain’s 146,690. In total, the United States has recorded more than 417,000 coronavirus cases and 14,100 deaths.
The US is seeing hot spots in such places as Washington DC, Louisiana, Chicago, Detroit, Colorado and Pennsylvania. The New York metropolitan area, which includes northern New Jersey, Long Island and lower Connecticut, accounts for about half of all virus deaths in the US.
Worldwide, more than 1.4 million people have been confirmed infected and 80,000-plus have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The true numbers are almost certainly much higher, because of limited testing and different rules for counting the dead.
"We know that #COVID19 means billions of believers are not able to celebrate in the way they usually would.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 8, 2020
We wish everyone a safe and joyful Easter, Passover and Ramadan"-@DrTedros #coronavirus
READ MORE: Latin rich kids party on, despite virus
Jacquelin Magnay 5.10am: Boris Johnson ‘engaging positively’ with hospital carers
Boris Johnson is sitting up in his intensive care hospital bed and his condition is improving, UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has revealed.
Mr Sunak said the prime minister was receiving excellent care and was “engaging positively” with his medical carers.
It is also understood that while Mr Johnson, 55, has received oxygen over the course of the past few days since his hospital admission on Sunday night, his condition had not deteriorated to the point of requiring intubation and heavy sedation.
The next few days are critical for Mr Johnson’s long term health as the coronavirus infection has been shown to suddenly result in the body’s immune system overreacting and swamping the lungs in serious cases.
While Mr Johnson battles the virus, the UK government appears in a paralysis deciding whether to conduct a three week review as promised, after initiating the country’s lockdown measures on March 13. While the expanded National Heath Service is coping with the rate of admissions at the moment, advisers insisted that any relaxation could see a sudden spike in infections.
The public, however, is getting frustrated about how long the lockdown will remain, given its unprecedented economic impact, loss of jobs and effect on others who may have other non-virus health conditions but can’t get treated.
While Mr Sunak announced yet more government spending, this time a £750m bailout of the charity sector, he said a review of the lockdown would begin to be considered.
4/5 - COVID-19 patients in critical care pic.twitter.com/ecw3yANGm7
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 8, 2020
Mr Sunak said an emergency Cobra meeting tomorrow, to be chaired by caretaker leader Dominic Raab, would “talk about the approach to the review”.
He added: “We committed there would be a review in and around three weeks, that review will be based on the evidence and data provided by (the government’s scientific advisory group) Sage, which will only be available next week.’’
On Wednesday there were 938 deaths announced in the UK, bringing the overall death toll to 7,097. The death toll is expected to remain at this level for at least a week, after which it is tipped to drop because the current rate of infection has fallen.
Anyone can get #coronavirus.
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 8, 2020
#StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/crPBlk3Uzy
READ MORE: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala — ‘No country safe until we all are’
Robyn Ironside 5am: Wuhan flight with medical supplies lands in Sydney
A cargo flight from the world’s coronavirus capital of Wuhan landed in Sydney on Wednesday night carrying 90 tonnes of medical supplies, just a day after the Chinese city reopened its borders for outbound travel.
The Boeing 747 freighter jet, operated by China’s Suparna Airlines, arrived shortly after 9pm, under a veil of secrecy.
There was no record of flight (Y8) 7447 in Sydney’s arrivals schedule, and flight radar tracking company flightradar24 recorded the destination as “not available”. The Australian Border Force confirmed it was “aware of the cargo flight arriving into Sydney from Wuhan”.
Read the full story here.
Geoff Chambers 4.45am: $130bn JobKeeper package passed by parliament
Fortnightly payments of $1500 will begin flowing to six million Australians from the first week of May after the $130bn JobKeeper scheme — the biggest economic rescue package in the nation’s history — was passed by parliament late on Wednesday night.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the unprecedented JobKeeper package, subsidising workers’ wages through their employers, would “keep Australians in jobs and keep the businesses that employ them in business”.
Labor backed the government in blocking Green and Centre Alliance amendments after failing to win support for its own moves to include casuals who had not been with the same employer for 12 months and foreign workers who fell outside the scheme’s eligibility criteria. The plan passed the Senate unamended with the full support of the upper house.
Tonight the Australian Parliament delivered for the Australian people passing the $130 billion #JobKeeper payment with around 6 million Australians expected to receive $1,500 a fortnight.
— Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg) April 8, 2020
We are doing all that we can to keep Australians in jobs & businesses in business. pic.twitter.com/wJBKxVHemH
Read the full story here.
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