Coronavirus Australia live updates: We’re in this new normal for some time: PM
The PM says he can’t shield Australians from the uncertainty of the timeline of the coronavirus crisis.
- This is new normal for some time: PM
- National death toll rises to 25
- Free childcare to essential workers
- Cruise ships ‘lying’ about virus
- NSW restrictions to last 90 days
- New York coronavirus deaths double
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. The PM has announced free childcare for essential workers. New social distancing rules in NSW are to last at least 90 days. A NSW grandmother has died after a cruise on the now infamous Ruby Princess. Scott Morrison has urged people to bunker down for a ‘new normal’ way of life.
Imogen Reid 8.11pm: 13 caught breaking isolation rules in NSW
Police in NSW issued over a dozen Penalty Infringement Notices yesterday in response to alleged breaches of the Public Health Act.
A total of 13 people were caught breaking isolation rules in the past 24 hours and smacked with a notice after failing to provide police a valid excuse for being outside.
Police patrolling Artarmon spotted two men standing together on the Princess Highway just after midnight. It’s alleged that as officers approached the pair, one of the men ran but was eventually stopped by officers after being chased down.
In another instance, officers flagged down a vehicle in Moree for a roadside breath test. When the driver, a 34-year-old woman, could not provide a reasonable excuse for leaving her home, she was issued with a penalty infringement notice.
At about 3.15am, officers fined a 23-year-old man for failing to comply with a noticed direction.
“This man was given a warning by police the previous evening, before being caught leaving his home a second time without a reasonable excuse,” police said.
On Friday morning, a 28-year-old man who arrived in Australia from New Zealand last week was also issued with a Penalty Infringement Notice after officers turned up to his home in Gundagai to check he was self-isolating to find he wasn’t there.
Later the same afternoon, police say two men were drinking together at Caseys Beach Reserve, Batehaven.
“When officers spoke with the pair, it’s alleged they became abusive and claimed they were exercising,” police said.
“One of the men, aged 41, was charged with an unrelated offence and issued an infringement notice in relation to breaching a Public Health Order. The other 44-year-old was issued an infringement notice, searched and moved on from the area.”
Around 6pm, a 51-year-old man was arrested, charged with multiple offences and handed an infringement notice after crashing his car in Lavington.
“The man was not injured, but allegedly told police he had left his home in order to visit his drug dealer.”
Two further notices were issued after two women were spotted sitting in a car and failing to give police an excuses for leaving their houses.
A 21-year-old man was fined $1000 for ignoring two warnings from police.
The operator of a remedial massage business on Harrison Street in Cardiff was issued a $5000 Penalty Infringement Notice after police discovered it was still operating.
All non-essential activities and gatherings of more than two people, except for immediate family, are banned in NSW. People breaching isolating-rules can expect to be hit with an infringement notices for the next 90 days.
David Murray 8.05pm: Latest Queensland victim identified
The latest Queensland victim of a coronavirus outbreak on the now-infamous Ruby Princess cruise ship was a “fit and healthy” grandfather.
Des Williams, 85, who died at Toowoomba Hospital on Wednesday, has been remembered by his family as a gentle giant.
“Des was a beautiful man who saw the best in every person and gave so much of his time to each and every one of us,” relative Jacqui Blackburn wrote on Facebook.
Mr Williams and wife Bev were among more than 2700 passengers controversially allowed to disembark the Ruby Princess this month while coronavirus tests were pending.
At least 440 passengers have since tested positive. At least seven passengers have died: two in Tasmania; two in NSW; one in the ACT; and two in Queensland.
Greg Brown 8.04pm: ‘We are in this new normal for some time’
Scott Morrison says he can’t shield Australians from the uncertainty of the timeline of the coronavirus crisis as he urges people to bunker down for a “new normal” way of life.
The Prime Minister said he understood there was a lot of anxiety in the community about the impacts of COVID-19 but he could “not shield people from uncertainties when they are genuine”.
He used the uncertainty around the timeframe of the crisis to push back against calls for a near total shutdown of society.
“Those who think this can all be done in a couple of weeks with a lockdown, as they call it, that is not true,” Mr Morrison told Nine Network’s A Current Affair.
“I am the only leader in the world at the moment talking about a much longer timeframe. I am trying to get Australians to understand there is no quick fix.
“What I am trying to get across to Australians: we are in this new normal for some time. So we have to do things that we can keep doing and when we are doing it, stay positive.
“We have got to stay connected. Even if we are isolated we have to stay strong and support each other.
“If I told you it was all going to be over in two weeks then people might be happy about that but that wouldn’t be true. So I am preparing the country to continue to do this for some time to come.”
Mr Morrison declared “it could be longer” than six months before travel bans were lifted and regular economic activity resumed, which is why he wanted the restrictions to be sustainable.
“Our hope is, of course, over that period of six months we will be in a different position in terms of the way that the virus is moving through the community,” he said.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean that everything else can change, and we will have to assess that at the time based on the best medical advice.
“There is a lot of uncertainty around this and I can’t shield people from uncertainties when they are genuine.
“What we can do is ensure we put in place the most sustainable set of restrictions, the most generous set of supports that we can, that can help people get through day by day by day.
“And day by day we will get through this together.”
Greg Brown 7.41pm: PM’s warning over online predators
Scott Morrison has warned parents to watch out for online “grubs” as children spend more time on the internet during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Prime Minister said he was concerned about online predators who could take advantage of kids learning online.
“One of the things I’m a little concerned about, because our kids are now doing a lot of schooling online, that means as parents, we have got to be very mindful that they are now in an online environment,” Mr Morrison told Nine Network's A Current Affair.
“That means that the e-safety that we need to ensure that our kids are getting at home when they are on their computers — as parents and carers and others — we’ve got to lift up our eyes on that very real risk.
“esafety.gov.au is a great tool for parents in terms of the things they need to know to keep their children safe online.
“There will be some grubs out there who want to do the wrong thing and we need to protect our families from them.”
Mr Morrison, whose wife and children are living with him in Canberra during the crisis, said he was trying to keep his daughters’ focus on the “here and now”.
“What is going to happen tomorrow and the day after that, and what’s happening at school, talking to their friends, and trying to keep their lives as normal as possible. That’s a big focus for us,” Mr Morrison said.
“I became a bit emotional today because I was thinking about a conversation I had with my grandmother. She lived through the Depression out in rural NSW, and she used to tell me stories about what it was like.
“I honestly hoped my kids would never have to grow up in a situation that she faced, it is very upsetting that as a nation we face this. Not through any fault of ours in Australia, these events have happened to us.
“But we will respond in the same way my grandmother’s generation did. I have great confidence about that. I know my girls will show as much character as she did when she was growing up at that time.”
Angelica Snowden 6.31pm: NSW grandmother’s death linked to Ruby Princess
A grandmother from the NSW central west, Janet Lieben, has been identified as one of the latest casualties from the COVID-19 stricken Ruby Princess.
One of her granddaughters, Jessika Leiben, posted on Facebook that she was “absolutely shattered” and said “what a cruel world we live in”.
Mrs Lieben, 67, was a retired factory worker from Blayney and went on the 11-day Ruby Princess cruise to New Zealand with her husband, Jerry.
The couple are reported to have both contracted COVID-19 on the cruise with Mr Lieben still battling the virus at the Orange Base Hospital, The Daily Telegraph reported.
“He was absolutely distraught, he’s inconsolable,” an Orange Base Hospital source said.
“He couldn’t comfort her, he’s sick himself with the virus, there was nothing he could do but let her go, it’s broken his heart.”
The couple were attending an international reunion on the cruise with Mr Lieben’s former work colleagues organised by the Air Dispatch Association Australia (ADAA).
ADAA President Nick Nicolai, who was on board the Ruby Princess said that “Jerry was still fighting” in a Facebook post.
“It is with great sadness, I must inform everybody of the passing of Janet (Kiwi) Lieben,” Mr Nicolai said.
“Her passing was as a result of Covid 19 after travelling with our International Reunion group, on board the Ruby Princess,” he said.
Mr Nickolai told the Daily Telegraph he spoke with Mr Lieben two days ago who said he was concerned about Janet and “couldn’t wait to get rid of the virus” and visit her.
“Jerry is an ex Vietnam veteran and Janet was a vibrant, wonderful woman and was very healthy,” he said.
“We’re a very tight knit community; Janet’s death has affected us all.”
Paige Taylor 6.27pm: Hard border closure for WA
Western Australia will be the first state to introduce hard borders, promising to turn away even its own residents at border checkpoints if they try to come home but do not meet strict criteria.
From midnight Sunday, only essential workers will be allowed to cross into WA from the Northern Territory or South Australia unless they apply for and are granted an exemption on compassionate grounds.
“In effect we will be turning Western Australia into an island within an island,” Mr McGowan said.
Mr McGowan said the steps were drastic but also sensible. He said the decision was made on medical advice and he believed a hard border closure would give WA the best chance of minimising the spread of coronavirus.
“I have already flagged that we would move to a harder border closure. We currently have restrictions in place for people coming into Western Australia and requiring 14 days of isolation,” he said.
“Those restrictions are working well but it makes sense that we go further now and close the border. It won’t be forever, it’s a temporary closure to make sure we limit the spread of the virus in WA.
“Some might think it is over the top and unnecessary. I can assure them that it is not.”
The McGowan government took legal advice that it could not turn away Australian citizens who arrived in Perth on flights from overseas. Those people would continue to be accepted after 14 days of compulsory isolation in a city hotel.
However Australians who landed in Perth from interstate could be put back on a plane, Mr McGowan said.
There are 400 known cases of COVID-19 in WA. Of serious concern is a cluster of positive tests in the remote far north Kimberley where six healthworkers have been found to have coronavirus since Monday. One is a doctor in Halls Creek, a hub for Aboriginal settlements. About 17,000 of the Kimberley’s approximately 34,000 residents are indigenous and considered especially vulnerable to coronavirus because of compromised immunity.
Contact tracing was underway for all of the health care workers.
Mr McGowan has now banned travel between the four districts of the Kimberley, effectively locking down each of the region’s four local government areas.
Rachel Baxendale 5.56pm: Vic ministers to keep half their pay rise
The Victorian Premier and ministers have already received 7 per cent of the 11.8 per cent pay rise they were awarded by the state’s remuneration tribunal in September.
This means they will be foregoing 4.8 per cent of their salary prior to September when they make their donation to charity.
In other words, they still get to keep almost 60 per cent of their pay rise.
The September pay rise was the second pay rise in less than three months for Victorian politicians, after their wages automatically increased by 2.92 per cent based on wage inflation on July 1, 2019.
Rachel Baxendale 5.29pm: Something fishy about fishing ban
Victoria’s mixed messaging on physical distancing rules has extended to the legality or otherwise of recreational fishing, with the state’s Minister for Fishing and Boating and Chief Health Officer declaring it is not permitted, despite the government’s forest management agency saying it is allowed.
The prohibition on recreational fishing in Victoria also conflicts with the rules in NSW, where solo fishing is considered a permissible form of passive exercise.
Minister for Fishing and Boating Jaala Pulford on Wednesday night posted on Facebook: “On fishing: The advice is clear, you need to stay home. There are a lot of sacrifices we need to make - and fishing is one of them.”
But Forest Fire Management Victoria’s list of frequently asked questions about closures to caravan parks and camping grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic said it was still OK to go fishing recreationally.
“Forest closures are for campgrounds, not for other uses like firewood collection, hunting, fishing and bushwalking,” the website said on Thursday afternoon.
“Physical distancing and mass gathering directions apply.”
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos backed the recreational fishing ban on Thursday morning, as did Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien called for clarity over the messages, while Liberal Democrat MP Tim Quilty called for bans on fishing and hunting to be lifted, saying both fell under the categories of getting food and exercising.
Remy Varga 5.20pm: Victorian death revealed as cancer patient
The sixth death in the state was a third cancer patient from Melbourne’s The Alfred Hospital.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton confirmed the woman’s, aged in her 60s, death on Twitter on Thursday afternoon but did not reveal her status as a cancer patient.
The two other patients, both men in their 70s, in the hospital’s haematology and oncology ward died from the coronavirus last Friday.
Alfred Health chief executive Andrew Way said the ward had been closed to new admissions since last week and infection control measures such as visitor temperature checking had been introduced this week.
There are two other cancer patients from The Alfred who have tested positive for COVID-19 who are in a stable condition, while 10 ward staffers are recovering at home.
READ MORE: Virus shutdown results in power demand drop
Rachel Baxendale 5.05pm: Premier Andrews confirms move to back charities
A spokeswoman for Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said all government MPs would “make donations to COVID-19 related causes equivalent to the uplift in their take home pay from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.”
The Australian understands the government has suggested other parties do likewise.
Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien earlier called for the pay of politicians and senior public servants in Victoria to be frozen, in line with the federal government’s recent decision to freeze the wages of federal parliamentarians and public sector workers.
The move to freeze the wages of thousands of public servants would make a far greater difference to the state budget’s bottom line than simply freezing the pay of 128 MPs, let alone having them donate the increase to charity.
Victoria’s public sector wages bill reached $26.6bn in 2018-19 - a 40 per cent increase since the Andrews government came to power.
Prior to the government announcing the charity donations, Mr O’Brien said it was “not appropriate” for politicians to be accepting a pay increase amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: Dentists, paitients feel the pain
Rachel Baxendale 4.50pm: Labor MPs donate pay rises to charity
Andrews government MPs will donate the pay rises of up to 11.8 per cent they are due to receive on July 1 to charity, the Premier’s office says.
The pledge comes after Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos this morning confirmed Premier Daniel Andrews and his ministers were still on track to receive the pay increase, at a time when millions of Australians are losing their jobs or taking significant pay cuts.
The state’s independent remuneration tribunal last year deemed Premier Daniel Andrews worthy of a $46,522 pay rise from July 1, 2020, bringing his total salary to $441,439, while backbenchers’ base salaries are set to rise from $163,189 to $182,413.
Ministers and Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien - who has called for politicians’ pay to be frozen - are set to have their salaries rise 11.8 per cent to $352,057.
Taking questions from The Australian on Thursday morning, Ms Mikakos said the pay rise had been an independent decision of the remuneration tribunal and politicians had been working “incredibly hard” to support their constituents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opposition treasury spokeswoman Louise Staley said the Victorian parliament should have rejected the ongoing pay rise, rather than merely donating the coming financial year’s increase.
“How about Labor accepts our challenge to not get the pay rise in the first place?” Ms Staley tweeted.
How about Labor accepts our challenge to not get the pay rise in the first place? https://t.co/ABQa9SlBJ1
— Louise Staley MP (@LouiseStaley) April 2, 2020
READ MORE: Qld politicians dump pay rise plan
Rosie Lewis 4.40pm: How the free childcare system works
Australia’s childcare system overhaul will offer children and their parents free care during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here
Ewin Hannan 4.30pm: Businesses pitch freeze on unfair dismissal claims
EXCLUSIVE
Small business has called for workers to lose the right to make unfair dismissal claims for six months and recent award changes to be made permanent rather than operating for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia chief executive Peter Strong told The Australian that Scott Morrison should convene a national summit of employers and unions once the crisis was over to review the operation of the workplace relation system.
“The entire system needs to be reviewed because it is too complicated,” he said.
Mr Strong said employers should not be subject to unfair dismissal claims between now and September. He said business was concerned that lawyers would exploit the crisis by making opportunistic claims against employers.
He welcomed changes to awards affecting the hospitality and restaurant sectors as well as workers covered by the clerical award.
But he said the changes showed the flaws in the current system and why there need to be a wider review.
READ MORE: How the new childare system works
Matthew Denholm 4.10pm: Tasmania announces new service restrictions
Another round of lockdown measures will see Tasmanians deprived of horse and greyhound racing, recreational scallop fishing, sex services, betting at TABs and garage sales.
Premier Peter Gutwein announced the latest restrictions on Thursday afternoon, saying Tasmanians were “in the battle of our lives” against coronavirus.
Mr Gutwein also flagged further measures, confirming national cabinet would on Friday consider greater curbs on retail stores.
He also wanted to address the issue of school children reportedly “congregating” in shopping centres. While farmers’ markets would continue to operate, only stalls selling fresh food and produce to be taken home would be allowed, with no food or coffee vans permitted.
READ MORE: Network 10 announces shutdown
Michael McKenna 4pm: PNG villagers try to land in Torres Strait islands
Australian Border Force have confirmed that PNG villagers are continuing to arrive in the locked down Torres Strait islands despite a travel ban.
An ABF official confirmed on Thursday that there had been a “reduced” number of arrivals into the archipelago after The Australian reported of widespread concern across the Torres Strait about PNG villagers bringing the virus into the vulnerable communities.
The first case of coronavirus in PNG was confirmed on March 20, and the nation’s 4000 nurses this week announced a planned strike to protest a purported lack of medical supplies and preparation to handle a potential outbreak.
In a statement, the ABF said it had “increased its presence in the Torres Strait to further support its ongoing monitoring of border compliance’’ with it sea and air patrols.
“In the past fortnight, there has been a reduction in arrivals coming to Saibai Island from PNG, and there have been no arrivals at nearby Boigu Island,’’ the statement said.
“The ABF continues to monitor the situation and work with relevant agencies and stakeholders to ensure the integrity of the border and the safety of Australian citizens.’’
READ MORE: Pacific islands face virus fallout
Gerard Cockburn 3.55pm: Childcare announcement boosts sector’s shares
ASX-listed early child care providers have had an afternoon share price surge, following the federal government’s decision to make childcare free for essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Stocks in both Think Childcare (TNK) and Mayfield (MFD) have soared by more then 30 per cent, while the prime minister’s pledge has prompted G8 Education (GEM) to request a trading halt on its shares.
At 3.09pm, TNK shares were up 33.3 per cent to $1.00 each. While MFD stood at 82 cents per share, a rise in stock value of 31.7 per cent.
Rachel Baxendale 3.50pm: National COVID-19 death toll rises to 24
A woman in her 60s has died in a Melbourne hospital overnight, bringing Victoria’s coronavirus death toll to six and the national toll to 24.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton confirmed the death on Thursday afternoon.
Sadly, since this morning, we have been advised of a 6th COVID-19 death - a woman in her 60s who died in a Melbourne hospital last night. A fifth death was a woman in her 70s, which was announced earlier. Our thoughts are with their families.
— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) April 2, 2020
Earlier on Thursday, Professor Sutton confirmed a woman in her 70s had died in a Melbourne hospital on Wednesday.
The women’s deaths follow those of three men in their 70s and a man in his 80s.
Two of the men in their 70s were inpatients at The Alfred Hospital’s haematology and oncology ward, while the other two men died in hospitals which have not been publicly identified.
READ MORE: Police, medics board stricken ship
Remy Varga 3.45pm: Young men in a high-risk coronavirus category
Young men aged between 20-24 have emerged as the most infected cohort in Victoria, with 64 confirmed cases in the state.
They’re followed by women aged between 25-29, with 63 confirmed cases, and men aged between 25-29, with 62 cases, according to Victoria’s DHHS.
But the median age of infection is 45.5 years, with 551 confirmed cases in men and 480 confirmed cases in women.
More than half of the state’s 1036 cases have been linked to overseas travel. There are 154 cases acquired through community transmission with 30 people contracting the disease from an unknown source in Australia.
A further 15 cases are under investigation.
READ MORE: Public servants’ pay claim on hold
Rachel Baxendale 3.40pm: Health workers make up 10pc of Victorian cases
More than 100 healthcare workers in Victoria have now been infected with coronavirus, the state’s Chief Medical Officer has confirmed.
The 135 infections represent approximately 13 per cent of the state’s 1036 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Chief Medical Officer Brett Sutton said “the majority” of workers had not picked the virus up at work, but rather through overseas travel or close contact with other cases.
Victoria’s Peter MacCallum Cancer centre yesterday confirmed a staff member had contracted the virus, while six staff at a Frankston radiography clinic in Melbourne’s southeast have also tested positive.
Professor Sutton said it was not always clear where healthcare workers had picked up the virus, and that it “a risk” in any healthcare setting.
READ MORE: Property outlook appears grim
Remy Varga 3.30pm: Melbourne’s rich suburbs still a hot spot
Melbourne’s affluent eastern suburbs remain the worst hit by the coronavirus, new data reveals.
The number of confirmed cases in the region of Stonnington, which includes Toorak and South Yarra, has increased to 82, according to a breakdown released by Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services.
The region of Banyule in Melbourne’s northeast has the second highest number of confirmed cases in Victoria, with 53.
Booroondara, which covers Kew and Hawthorn, has the third highest rate of infection with 53 confirmed cases. The greater Geelong region has 50 confirmed cases while the Mornington Peninsula has 49.
READ MORE: COVID-19 provides an unexpected lift
Rachel Baxendale 3.25pm: Victoria won’t declare 90-day distancing plan
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said her state would not follow NSW in declaring that the current COVID-19 physical distancing measures will be in place for at least 90 days, saying measures need to be reviewed “day to day”.
We've stopped the recreational sale of firearms and ammunition.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) April 1, 2020
Because no one needs to stockpile anything during a crisis – especially not these.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller earlier on Thursday said his state’s social distancing measures enforced under the Public Health Act would not be lifted for at least 90 days.
Ms Mikakos said she understood people wanted certainty.
“We can’t provide that guidance to you today, but ... we know that we’re in here for the long haul,” she said.
Ms Mikakos said it may still be necessary to bolster the current restrictions.
READ MORE: Will virus wax and wane with the weather?
Rosie Lewis 3.15pm: Leading childcare group warns of closures
Goodstart Early Learning, the country’s largest childcare provider, declared it was still concerned about the future of its more than 600 centres and 16,000 staff after the Morrison government announced its coronavirus pandemic childcare overhaul.
The not-for-profit organisation, which has a turnover of more than $1bn and made an $11m profit last year, said unless its educators received the new $1500 fortnightly JobKeeper payments it would have to close its centres.
To be eligible for the JobKeeper payment, businesses with an annual turnover of more than $1bn must show their turnover has been reduced by 50 per cent over a month compared to the same month last year.
“We are the only ECEC (early childhood education and care) provider in the sector that will need to show a 50 per cent reduction rather than a 30 per cent reduction,” Goodstart Early Learning said.
“While the 50 per cent of fees offer (from the government) is of course welcome, we don’t yet have sufficient detail to understand how this will operate. We have repeatedly explained to the federal government, as recently as this morning, that unless Goodstart is given access to the JobKeeper scheme we will not be able to keep our centres open – not for essential workers and vulnerable children now and not when the rebuild begins.
“We are seeking an urgent commitment from the government that Goodstart can access the JobKeeper payment at the 30 per cent benchmark for our people – only with that commitment can keep our services open for 60,000 families.”
READ MORE: Retailers want low paid to cop wage freeze
Elias Visontay 3pm: ‘Cautious sign’ of virus curve flattening
Health Minister Greg Hunt is welcoming “early, cautious but verifiable signs of flattening the curve” of Australia’s COVID-19 infection rate, but warns the numbers aren’t sustained and that measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus must continue.
Mr Hunt made the comments when announcing a $4.1 million online training course for up to 20,000 nurses to be upskilled to work in a higher level of care as Australia seeks to double its intensive care bed capacity in anticipation of COVID-19 demand.
The policy will also offer refresher courses for former nurses not currently working in the sector to allow them to bolster the 276,000 nurses in Australia.
“In terms of the latest available data, what we see is two weeks ago we were having between 25 and 30 per cent daily increases. Then it had dropped to the low teens over the last week and now we have seen a number of days which have allowed us to say that we have dropped below the 10 per cent daily figure to single figures with regards to our daily increase in infections,” Mr Hunt said at a press conference in Melbourne.
“That means we are beginning to see early, cautious but verifiable signs of flattening the curve. The curve is beginning to flatten. It’s not sustained yet, it hasn’t been consolidated. But those early important signs are absolutely critical and they are a reflection of the four major measures that we are taking as a country.
Mr Hunt highlighted the “ring of steel around Australia” created by border closures as well citizens’ adherence to social distancing restrictions.
Mr Hunt said more than 261,000 COVID-19 tests had been conducted in Australia, and that 1.25 million telehealth consultations had taken place since the government included the service as part of medicare.
Mr Hunt also denied that Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly had backtracked on comments he made on Tuesday that the government would release updated COVID-19 modelling to the public.
“Professor Kelly is leading an epidemiology workshop in the coming days where we are getting input, particularly off the back of the data, the cases, everything we are seeing, from experts around the country which will allow for the next round of modelling to be done, and when that is complete that will be provided.
“What is happening now is that we’re getting modelling input which will come from experts around the country, the workshop that Professor Kelly is leading, and as we’ve done with the first round, that will be provided once it has been assessed and completed.”
READ MORE: Credit rating set for downgrade
Rachel Baxendale 2.55pm: Retired medics rush to register
More than 4000 retired Victorian healthcare workers have registered their interest in coming back to work during the coronavirus pandemic since unions and the health department issued the call last week.
Following campaigns from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Ambulance Union and Australian Medical Association, Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services last week launched a dedicated portal on its website to receive expressions of interest from clinical staff and other wishing to help fight COVID-19.
“I’m very pleased that just in a matter of days we’ve had over 4000 people who have registered their interests to step up and come back to work and to assist us during what will be a very challenging period,” Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of those individuals for putting their hand up.”
Ms Mikakos said the department was working closely with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to fast-track the re-registration of retired workers.
“We’ll then be looking to match up (the healthcare workers’) skills with health services across the state,” Ms Mikakos said.
READ MORE: Bureaucrats man phones to reduce Centrelink waits
Rachel Baxendale 2.40pm: Victoria extends flu jab access
Victoria has changed regulations surrounding flu vaccinations to allow pharmacists to administer the shots outside their normal locations, through mobile and outreach services visiting locations such as hospitals, aged care homes and workplaces.
The Andrews government will also reduce the age at which children can be vaccinated at their local pharmacy from 16 to 10.
In addition, pharmacists will be able to administer the measles-mumps-rubella, meningococcal ACWY and whooping cough vaccines to people 15 years of age and older.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said that given 87 per cent of Victorians lived within 2.5km of a pharmacy, getting vaccinated at the local pharmacy was often more convenient than a trip to the GP.
“Attending a pharmacy or a GP to get a flu shot is a valid reason to leave the house under the Chief Health Officer’s Stage Three directions, providing social distancing is practised,” Ms Mikakos said.
She said it was particularly important for people to get their flu jabs this year, amid the threat of coronavirus: “the last thing people want is the double whammy”.
She urged workplaces which had cancelled or were considering cancelling their flu immunisation programs due to staff working from home this year not to do so.
READ MORE: Do you really need a face mask?
Matthew Denholm 2.30pm: Police crackdown on lockdowns
Criminals across the country have more than the usual reasons to fear police, who appear to have begun routinely adding lockdown breaches to the charge sheets of those nabbed committing other offences.
Tasmania Police is leading the way in throwing the coronavirus book at alleged offenders.
On Thursday, it announced it had charged an alleged car-breaker with breaching COVID-19 restrictions, after doing the same earlier in the week to a man who allegedly breached a family violence order.
The 23-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday night near the Launceston General Hospital for allegedly possessing a “dangerous article” in a public place and intending to use it to break into a car.
Along with those charges, she was pinged for “failing to comply with a direction of the Director of Public Health” who has compelled Tasmanians to stay home unless they need to go out for work, exercise or health or compassionate reasons.
“The latter charge in relates to her not having a reasonable excuse to be away from her residence,” police said. “Police would like to remind the public to only be absent from their primary residences with a lawful reason.”
Meanwhile police in Melbourne and security guards in cars with flashing lights and CCTV are on patrol in City of Melbourne parks, as the local council tries to enforce physical distancing rules, Rachel Baxendale reports.
Law-abiding locals, including the elderly, exercised individually and in groups of two in ritzy South Yarra’s Fawkner Park, in Melbourne’s inner southeast, as a vehicle slowly moved down the main thoroughfare.
The park adjoins key emergency hospital The Alfred, where the haematology and oncology ward was last week linked to the infection with COVID-19 of four patients, two of whom died, and three staff members.
It is also next door to the Stonnington local government area, which is home to Victoria’s highest number of coronavirus cases.
READ MORE: Retailers demand low paid cop wage freeze
Sarah Elks 2.20pm: Queensland fatality was on Ruby Princess
Queensland’s latest coronavirus fatality was a passenger on the stricken Ruby Princess cruise ship, health authorities have confirmed.
An 85-year-old man died in hospital at Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, overnight. He was a passenger on the cruise ship, Queensland Health director-general John Wakefield said.
Dr Wakefield said cruise ships were hot spots for coronavirus spreading.
“This virus loves these environments,” Dr Wakefield said.
Of the 838 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Queensland, 71 cases have come from the Ruby Princess, and 25 more were passengers on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship.
Four Queenslanders have died; three of those were cruise ship passengers, including two from the Ruby Princess.
READ MORE: Military mission to end cruise standoff
Sarah Elks 2.16pm: Queensland relaxes 2-person rule
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a relaxation of the “two-person” rule for inside homes, after authorities had difficulty implementing the ruling of national Cabinet.
Ms Palaszczuk said while there should not be any more than two people gathering together outside – unless they live together – inside homes, it would be a more relaxed situation and people would need to use their common sense.
“No house parties, no large dinner parties, no mass barbecues, the people in your house should be the people in your house,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“But if there are one or two extra people who come into your house, that’s not going to be breaching the law.”
“(If you have) two adult children who want to come and visit you, we think we should be flexible.”
Queensland’s border closure with NSW will also be tightened tonight, with interstate holidaymakers turned back by police at the road border, rather than placed into quarantine.
Popular national parks across the state will also be closed, including 4WD access to Teewah and Bribie Island beaches in south-east Queensland and parts of Noosa National Park.
Read more: Premier left blushing over ban on lovers
Richard Ferguson 2.11pm: MPs needed in electorates, not Canberra
Scott Morrison says local MPs are most needed in their electorates and not parliament.
The House of Representatives and the Senate will be recalled next Wednesday to pass the JobKeeper wage subsidy bill, but will not meet again till August.
The Prime Minister is resisting Labor’s calls to recall parliament and said that there were significant logistical issues in bringing back MPs to Canberra.
“The Parliament will continue to do it job, as it is called on to do, in terms of passing legislation,” he said in Canberra.
“We already have had discussions with the Opposition through what will now be
our weekly meeting for them to raise issues.
“The difficulty in calling the Parliament together is a practical one ... We have got people coming to Canberra and moving to other parts of the country.
“Frankly, they (MPs) have got a bigger job to do out there in their communities at the moment than they would have here because their community needs them.”
Read more: Parliament to be scaled back
Richard Ferguson 2.08pm: No changes to franking credits
Scott Morrison has ruled out making changes to franking credits to pay for the government’s $200bn coronavirus rescue packages.
“No, we’re not reconsidering franking credits and these sort of things,” he said in Canberra.
“We will have to address the many challenges that we have taken on.
“One of the important principles, though, Shane, that we have put in place is to ensure that the measures are temporary and they do not provide long tails of expenditure.”
The Prime Minister won the last election partly due to his support to keeping current franking credits arrangement. Senior ministers have also promised that income tax cuts will still be delivered in 2022 and 2024.
Read more: Hands off franking credits
Richard Ferguson 1.50pm: Backpackers could bolster services: PM
Scott Morrison says he is looking at how backpackers can help bolster essential services like nursing, but working to ensure they do not spread the virus from cities to the regions.
Labor is calling for backpackers with nursing qualifications to be absorbed into the Australian health system. The government has already relaxed visa restrictions for international student nurses.
The Prime Minister said backpackers could help in both healthcare and agriculture.
“I know in the Ag sector ... they are looking to get a crop in and there is a bit of work going on out there and they need people,” he said.
“We have to be careful how they access those workers so that we basically don’t pick up the virus from the cities and transfer it to the regional parts of our country which are, for now, less affected and we are working on that issue right new.
“There are backpackers — they also work in areas of not just healthcare, but in disability care and aged care and a range of different care settings — and they are an important part of that service. So we are looking at how we can ensure that they are better utilised during the course of this current crisis.”
READ MORE: Backpackers bristle over targeted tests
Rachel Baxendale 1.45pm: Scant detail on fifth Victorian death
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has refused to say which hospital the state’s fifth COVID-19 victim died in, citing privacy reasons.
Ms Mikakos confirmed on Thursday that a woman in her 70s had died in a Victorian hospital on Wednesday.
The woman’s death follows those of three men in their 70s and a man in his 80s.
Two of the men in their 70s were inpatients at The Alfred Hospital’s haematology and oncology ward, while the other two men died in hospitals which have not been publicly identified.
“I don’t have a lot of details at this point in relation to this elderly woman,” Ms Mikakos said of Wednesday’s death.
“My understanding is that she was in hospital for a number of days, but I’m seeking to get some confirmation around further details.”
Ms Mikakos said authorities would not say which hospital the woman had died in.
“I think we’ve made it very clear that we won’t engage in that practice,” she said.
“We want to try and respect the privacy of the families in these very challenging circumstances.
“Losing a fifth Victorian, my thoughts are with this elderly woman’s family.
“It is a very stressful time for family members who have an unwell member of their family in a hospital then to be worrying about COVID-19 as well.”
Asked whether she could rule out any link between the 70-year-old woman’s death and The Alfred Hospital haematology and oncology ward cluster, which saw two inpatients and three staff infected in addition to the men who died, Ms Mikakos said she did not believe the death was related to The Alfred.
“I believe it in fact is another hospital,” Ms Mikakos said.
READ MORE: CSIRO at forefront of vaccine scramble
Richard Ferguson 1.30pm: Government backs pandemic leave
The Morrison government will support the Fair Work Commission’s calls for workers to be granted two weeks’ unpaid pandemic leave and double their usual annual leave at half-pay.
A commission full bench headed by president Iain Ross on Wednesday proposed changes to 103 awards, including a new temporary workplace right giving workers, including casuals, access to unpaid pandemic leave when they needed to enter self-isolation.
Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter says the two changes to workers’ leave may save tens of thousands of jobs.
“You can see how those common-sense changes would allow the flexibility in a number of businesses,” he said.
“Flexibility which could well make the difference between survival of the business and preservation of the jobs or the failure of the business and the loss of the jobs,
“So these are incredibly important changes.”
READ MORE: Unions, mining companies unite
Rosie Lewis 1.20pm: Free childcare for essential workers
Scott Morrison has announced the government will make childcare free for Australia’s essentials workers who must put their children into care in order to do their job.
Australia’s childcare system will be overhauled from Sunday night so all parents who require their children in care can receive it free, with a $2.6bn funding promise for the sector.
Childcare centres will be paid a new fortnightly amount to cover the costs of families’ childcare, while workers will receive the $1500 fortnightly JobKeeper payment to a tune of $1bn so facilities can remain open.
In order to qualify for the funding, centres must remain open and provide care for parents who need their children cared for.
They must also seek to re-enrol parents who might have already withdrawn children from the facility.
The gap fee parents are required to pay (the difference between the government-funded childcare subsidy and what the childcare facility charges) will also from 23 March be waived.
Education Minister Dan Tehan said the existing childcare system was drafted for a “pre-pandemic time” but under the new plan it would be adjusted to the extraordinary circumstances Australians will find themselves in for at least six months.
The government is in talks with Goodstart Early Learning, which has 665 centres and an annual turnover of more than $1bn, as to how its workers can access the JobKeeper payment.
Mr Tehan said Thursday’s announcement would put a “baseline” into their funding.
The new childcare arrangements are due to be in place for at least six months – or until September – with priority given to parents who can’t care for their children at home.
READ MORE: Back off singles: we need each other
AMOS AIKMAN 1.05pm: NT to reopen makeshift field hospital
The Northern Territory will today reopen the quarantine facility used to house evacuees from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess cruise ship as a makeshift field hospital for coronavirus patients with relatively mild symptoms. Health Minister Natasha Fyles made the announcement as she confirmed that the Territory had detected two more positive cases, bringing the total to 21, out of more than 2300 tests so far conducted.
“That facility, as well as having the drive-thru pandemic clinic, will have individuals who need to be isolated from the community, diagnosed positive with COVID-19, but do not need hospital care,” she said. “We will allow the clinicians to make a decision where someone can be cared for.”
She also revealed that police have sent extra resources to the border with Western Australia after five health workers tested positive in the north of that state. There have been fears that travellers sneaking across on back roads could bring in coronavirus. Ms Fyles said the Territory had strong plans to deal with any community transmission.
RACHEL BAXENDALE 1pm: Vic jump in community transmissions ‘a concern’
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says the state’s jump in COVID-19 community transmissions is “obviously a concern”. Community transmissions occur where patients have contracted the virus from a source other than overseas travel or a known close contact.
The number in Victoria has risen sharply in recent days to 57 on Thursday, up from 39 on Wednesday and just nine a week ago.
“I think the jump in community transmission is obviously a concern, but we have to remember that the stay-at-home directions, the measures that are now in place, really won’t be seen in terms of their effect for 10-12 days after they come into effect because of that incubation period for the illness, and then the reporting period, the time between someone developing symptoms, getting a test, getting a test result,” Professor Sutton said.
“It’s still one to watch, and it’s also important to recognise that there will be more community transmission out there that hasn’t yet been detected.
“As we expand the testing capacity, as well as we expand the testing criteria that have been agreed nationally, we’ll have greater opportunity to find community transmission.’’
Professor Sutton said the timing of the expected peak in COVID-19 cases in Victoria continued to change, subject to the success or otherwise of physical distancing, but was on track for May to June. Professor Sutton said just one of more than 1000 return overseas travellers in hotel quarantine had so far tested positive to COVID-19.
RACHEL BAXENDALE 12.56pm: Victorian Premier, ministers to get 11.8 per cent pay rise
Victoria’s Premier and ministers are still on track to receive an 11.8 per cent pay rise at a time when hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs or taking significant pay cuts, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has confirmed. The state’s independent remuneration tribunal last year deemed Premier Daniel Andrews worthy of a $46,522 pay rise from July 1, 2020, bringing his total salary to $441,439, while backbenchers’ base salaries are set to rise from $163,189 to $182,413.
Ministers and Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien — who has called for politicians’ pay to be frozen — are set to have their salaries rise 11.8 per cent to $352,057.
Asked whether it was reasonable to still accept the pay rise in light of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Mikakos said the decision had been made by the independent tribunal. “But I’ve got nothing to add on that issue,” Ms Mikakos said. “I know (politicians) are working incredibly hard at the moment to support their constituents in terms of COVID-19 response, and that’s not just a personal reflection, but I just wanted to say that I know that many in our community are doing it tough.”
Asked whether the government could request that the remuneration tribunal reconsider the pay rise in light of changed economic circumstances, Ms Mikakos said the decision was not part of her portfolio responsibility.
READ MORE: Palaszczuk puts 2.5 per cent pay rise for state public servants ‘on hold’
RACHEL BAXENDALE 12.50pm: Victoria expands criteria for COVID-19 testing
Victoria has expanded its criteria for COVID-19 testing to include a range of workers who interact with the public, as well as boosting testing capacity, as community transmissions rise.
The state has now tested more than 49,000 patients, compared with more than 26,900 a week ago. Community transmissions — where patients have contracted the disease from a source other than overseas travel or a known close contact — have soared in recent days to 57 on Thursday, up from 39 on Wednesday and just nine a week ago.
State Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the Andrews government was now expanding testing beyond healthcare workers, return travellers and close contacts of COVID-19 cases, to include “key public-facing workers”. The workers who will be tested under the new criteria include police officers, child protection workers, homelessness support workers, paid or unpaid workers in health care, residential care and disability settings, as well as immunocompromised or immunosuppressed patients admitted to hospital and patients in high-risk settings, such as military operation settings, boarding schools, prisons and correctional settings.
“This is a significant expansion of testing, and we also have expanded our testing capacity as of yesterday, with Melbourne pathology being now the third private testing laboratory in Victoria able to undertake testing,” Ms Mikakos said.
ANGELICA SNOWDEN 12.45pm: Infections from cruise ships jump to 456
NSW Health says COVID-19 infections originating from cruise ships have jumped to 456 passengers cases, up by 132 since Tuesday. The authority says it has completed a “thorough” review of cases linked with cruise ships and revised the number of passengers who contracted coronavirus on the luxury vessels.
The Ruby Princess is the source of the highest number of cases with 337 passengers who tested positive to COVID-19, plus three crew members. The ship, that saw 2647 passengers disembark without being tested, docked in NSW on March 19.
There are 74 cases linked with the Ovation of the Seas and 34 cases from the Voyager of the Seas, plus five crew members. Both ships docked March 18. There are 11 cases linked with the Celebrity Solstice that docked on March 19.
The two week isolation period for passengers from these cruise ships is almost complete.
It was also revealed that the pop-up COVID-19 clinic in Bondi recorded 119 visits in the first few hours of operation yesterday. NSW Health also confirmed that three schools in NSW are closed today after two teachers and a student tested positive to coronavirus. The schools include Kambala School in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Wylie Park Girls High School in Sydney’s south west and St Mary’s Senior High School the western suburbs.
READ MORE: Revealed: 15 coronavirus deaths from three sources
AMOS AIKMAN 12.40pm: Police, soldiers guard NT-Queensland border
Pictures posted to social media show police and soldiers camped out guarding the remote border between Queensland and the Northern Territory. Governments on both sides have imposed strict rules requiring anyone not deemed to be providing an essential service to isolate for 14 days after crossing. From last night, the Territory strengthened its rules to force travellers to spend that time in a government facility. From Friday night, they will also have to foot the bill, which could be as much as $2500 per person.
NT/QLD border pic.twitter.com/19Jat2laAH
— BoutaNT (@bouta_nt) April 2, 2020
AMOS AIKMAN 12.30pm: Remote community stores accused of price gouging
The head of one of Central Australia’s largest Aboriginal organisations has accused some remote community stores of price gouging during the deadly coronavirus pandemic, claiming one has been charging as much as $10 for a single lettuce. Central Land Council chief executive Joe Martin-Jard warned that Aboriginal people would ignore health advice and move into major towns if governments and major supermarkets did not do more to improve access to affordable food.
“They must monitor the price of key food items in remote community stores and come down hard on any price gouging,” he said. “We need immediate freight subsidies and supply guarantees for these stores so they can reduce their prices and don’t run out of essential supplies.”
“In one community story a lettuce costs $10. People pay $5.50 for tinned steak when they could buy it at a major supermarket for $1.70. Some tins of food at that store go for $10.”
Mr Martin-Jard said governments had “assured our constituents that they will have everything they need in their communities to stay safe and well”.
Even before the pandemic hit, remote community residents had been paying on average 60 per cent more in their stores for a healthy food basket and many had become used to travelling to regional towns to buy cheaper groceries. With that option now gone, they were being forced to rely on community stores where food and other essentials were becoming increasingly unaffordable and scarce.
Mr Martin-Jard called for a boost to emergency food relief programs and for co-operation from Coles and Woolworths to set up a separate online ordering system for remote aged care, nutrition and other services affected by the supermarkets’ limitations on bulk purchases of food and hygiene products.
ELIAS VISONTAY 12.20pm: Keneally accuses Dutton of ‘border security failure’
Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally is accusing the government of “handballing’’ responsibility over cruise ship arrivals to the states, calling on Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to explain the “border security failure” that allowed the Ruby Princess cruise ship to disembark passengers in Sydney. Senator Keneally said the government was responsible for four cruise ships that had disembarked passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that “we are starting to see those calamitous results unfold”.
“A third of all the deaths that have occurred in relation to coronavirus in Australia can be attributed to those cruise ships,” she said on Thursday. “We know that the Ruby Princess now accounts for more cases of coronavirus outside NSW than in NSW. It accounts for about 10 per cent of all cases across Australia.
“On March 15 the Prime Minister stood before the nation and said that the Federal Government would not allow cruise ships to arrive. Four days later the Ruby Princess arrived.
“More astoundingly the Commonwealth government, which is responsible for our borders, at the ports and at the airports, has handballed the responsibility for quarantine measures to state governments... After trying to blame NSW for the Ruby Princess, the Federal Government has now given NSW and Victoria, as well as all other states, the responsibility for implementing quarantine measures at our ports, our airports and our seaports.
“Why has there been deafening silence from Peter Dutton? I mean for heaven’s sake, where is Peter Dutton? We have a border security crisis on our hands and we have heard nothing from the Home Affairs Minister. When he was diagnosed with coronavirus I was one of the first to wish him well, I have wished him well in letters since then.
“But the Minister for Home Affairs has turned up on 2GB radio, he has said that he is feeling well, he is capable of working from home. It is incumbent that he stand up and explain to the nation how this border security failure occurred and what steps he is going to take to ensure that those responsibilities that have now been handed to the state governments are being implemented in a way that ensures that Australians stay as safe as possible, when it comes to the spread of the coronavirus. If he’s not capable of doing it then perhaps the Prime Minister needs to look at appointing an acting Home Affairs Minister because we are talking about nothing less than the security of our Australian borders.”
READ MORE: Revealed: 15 coronavirus deaths from three sources
Rosie Lewis 12.09pm: PM, Tehan to announce childcare package
Scott Morrison and Education Minister Dan Tehan are set to announcement the government’s childcare rescue package to help the critical sector throughout the coronavirus pandemic at 12.45pm.
National cabinet was due to sign off on the measures on Friday.
The childcare sector has called on the government to commit to paying the childcare subsidy (about $9bn annually) throughout the coronavirus crisis as parents withdraw their children from centres and facilities begin closing their doors.
Centres want to remain open, especially for parents who have essential work and cannot look after their young children, but once a family withdraws their child the facility no longer receives the government subsidy – which accounts for about 60 per cent of their yearly income.
There are also pleas for all childcare centres to be able to access the new $1500 JobKeeper payments, regardless of their turnover and turnover downturn.
“If we can access the scheme we will also require ongoing payment of the childcare subsidy to ensure our 665 centres remain open, employing 16,000 people in community in Australia,” Goodstart Early Learning CEO Julia Davison said.
“Staying open during the crisis for the children of essential services workers and families in vulnerable circumstances is vital. When the COVID-19 crisis is past we will be an integral part of the rebuilding of the nation.
“Goodstart Early Learning urgently requires access to the JobKeeper scheme and a viability package to keep our centres open and retain our dedicated highly trained educators and teachers through the next six months in order to continue the essential support we provide for vulnerable children and essential services workers.”
READ MORE: Do you need a face mask?
Elias Visontay 12.03pm: Let nurses on holiday visas work: Labor
The opposition is calling for qualified nurses who are in Australia on working holiday visas to be allowed to work in hospitals as part of the expanded medical system responding to COVID-19.
Chris Bowen, opposition health spokesman, called on the government to lift the requirement that often forces travellers to work in rural fruit picking industries for the 1000 qualified nurses Labor believes are currently in Australia on working holiday visas.
Labor’s push comes as the government announced it will spend $4.1 million in online training courses for up to 20,000 registered nurses, giving them higher care qualifications, in an effort to double the amount of intensive care beds available in Australia.
“It’s a sensible move to our way of thinking,” Mr Bowen said.
“Let’s be very clear, the horticultural industry is very important and these visa arrangements make perfect sense in normal times. But in this crisis it makes no sense to have qualified nurses picking fruit.
Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally said the government could initiate the change “quite quickly”.
“They could, with a stroke of the pen, make this change this afternoon. They’ve done it before, after bushfires,” Senator Keneally said.
Senator Keneally also said she had heard of registered nurses in Australia on a working holiday visa, who had jobs in hospitals, who had been sent for a three month stint of fruit picking in order to maintain their visa.
RACHEL BAXENDALE 11.50am: ‘If you can stay at home, you must stay at home’
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer says he hopes the state’s rules around social distancing are “abundantly clear”, despite reversing his directives regarding couples on Wednesday, contradicting his own public statements and those of the Premier and Police Minister.
“I hope the message is abundantly clear,” Professor Brett Sutton said on Thursday. “The core message here is if you can stay at home, you must stay at home. I understand that people are looking for particular outs, for exceptions that relate to their individual circumstances, but it’s really definitive advice: if you can stay at home, you must stay at home.
“I made a clarification because I understand it’s important for people to see their partners, especially if they’re long-term partners and they’ve been living in separate arrangements.
“The policy intent wasn’t to have those individuals separated, and I provided that clarification.
“I think we’ll see that as we write policy very quickly, that’s never been written before in Australia, and that might have unintended consequences, or that we might get feedback around how it’s affecting people.
“We should be agile and be able to respond to that, and I’m happy to do so.”
Professor Sutton said there were also medical care exemptions for people who may need to visit ill relatives, but strongly advised people only to do so if it was absolutely necessary.
“There is a medical and care exemption, so if you’re providing care to someone who’s elderly, then that’s allowed,” he said. “What we don’t want is for those elderly individuals who are genuinely very susceptible and vulnerable to very severe disease, to have visits that are not necessary. If it’s a care arrangement where someone needs to provide care for someone who’s elderly, then that’s OK, but other than that, we are genuinely encouraging and directing people to stay away from those settings, because of the vulnerability of the elderly in particular.”
Regarding ‘Stay at Home’ rules: We have no desire to penalise individuals who are staying with or meeting their partners if they don’t usually reside together. We’ll be making an exemption. Hope that helps.
— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) April 1, 2020
Asked whether laws prohibiting people visiting family members would be enforced by the police, Professor Sutton said that was possible. “I would hope that everyone does the right thing, understanding that elderly people, their loved ones, are at risk of dying if illness is introduced into those households, (but) if police need to reinforce those messages then so be it,” he said.
REMY VARGA 11.40am: Police called to brothel breaching distancing laws
Victoria Police were called to a Geelong brothel operating in violation of social distancing laws after customers queuing for services caused a traffic jam. There have been 13 fines issued in the last 24 hours over infringements of measures introduced to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the breaches included the busy brothel in the Geelong area, groups drinking on the street and motorists caught driving without a valid reason for leaving their homes.
“It astounds me, we were called to this brothel because it was that busy it became a traffic jam,” he told reporters on Thursday. “That is absolutely insane in this current environment where we are saying restrict access.”
Mr Patton said the brothel owner and an escort were fined with the former saying they weren’t aware their business was unable to legally operate in shut down. “Even if they weren’t aware they weren’t an essential service, the reality is to have that contact with people where you’ve got a traffic jam of people queuing up when we shouldn’t be having contact with anyone... It’s just so reckless it’s just ridiculous.
Under social distancing laws introduced to combat the coronavirus, individuals can be fined up-to $1652 while the penalty for businesses is $9913.
Mr Patton said Operation Sentinel, the 500-strong Victoria Police COVID-19 Taskforce, had conducted 1084 spot checks, bringing the total since March 21 to 10,292.
He said Victoria Police would close around 40 per cent of their reception counters as well as cease community engagement programs to prevent exposure to the disease.
AMOS AIKMAN 11.30am: Northern Territory records two new COVID-19 cases
The Northern Territory has recorded two new cases of coronavirus overnight. A Darwin woman in her 20s tested positive for the disease after returning from Bali on flight JQ82 on Friday 20 March. Health authorities said she had been in self-quarantine since that time and was now in Royal Darwin Hospital. “Passengers on flight JQ82 should be in self-quarantine until Friday 3 April,” a government statement said. “If they feel unwell they are urged to contact their doctor or the Centre for Disease Control to arrange testing for COVID-19.”
An Alice Springs woman who recently returned from the Gold Coast has also been diagnosed with COVID-19. Authorities said she was in the care of Alice Springs Hospital after being in self-quarantine since her return. Under national medical guidelines, contact tracing on her flights is not required due to the delay between her return and becoming unwell.
There have now been 21 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in the Northern Territory, all acquired interstate or overseas.
Lachlan Moffet Gray 11am: Judith Neilson pledges package to support journalists
Billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilson has announced a short-term package to support journalists during the coronavirus crisis through her private foundation, earmarking funding for a free news service for community radio stations, increased pay for freelancers and casual contributors and a social media campaign to tackle COVID-19 misinformation. The economic havoc wrecked by the coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted advertising markets, forcing media companies like News Corporation and Nine to announce cost-cutting measures including pay cuts, redundancies and the suspension of some print publications like the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide and News Corporation’s stable of local community papers.
On Wednesday the Judith Neilson Institute announced it would attempt to alleviate the economic disruption on journalists. “All sectors of the economy are affected and the impact on journalism is profound,” said JNI chairman Mark Ryan. “While more people are reading, watching and listening to news, media organisations are struggling with the financial implications of the crisis.”
A fund for freelancers and casual contributors to media outlets will be established, which will pay publications to engage casual writers for articles and features. Australia’s 450 community radio station will also benefit, with the JNI agreeing to fund the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia’s National Radio News service over the next six months.
The 80 community stations that currently pay for the service will no longer have to pay subscription fees and another 370 stations will be able to access it free of charge, expanding its potential audience to over 5 million people.
JNI will also help news consumers make sense of the coronavirus crisis by providing support to RMIT University for RMIT ABC Fact Check, enabling it to commit additional resources to its efforts to tackle misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Angelica Snowden 10.45am: Queensland records third death, national toll hits 23
Queensland has recorded its third death overnight with authorities announcing that an 85-year-old man passed away in the Darling Downs Health Service Hospital in Toowoomba. His death brings the state’s death toll to three, with 23 deaths recorded across the nation.
Queensland recorded 57 new coronavirus cases overnight, taking the state’s total to 838.
Health Minister Steven Miles said the 57 new cases overnight represented an “ongoing stabilisation” in the number of new cases in Queensland. The total number of cases is now 835.
Currently, there are 60 patients being treated in hospital, of which nine are in ICU. Eight of those are on ventilators.
More than 45,000 Queenslanders have been subject to quarantine orders, and more than 50,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Queensland.
Mr Miles was in Cairns, where 24 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus and a fever clinic has been set up.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is ramping up Queensland’s coronavirus crackdown as people continue to ignore the ban on non-essential travel. Hundreds of people are still trying to get into Queensland despite the state shutting down its border with NSW.
From Friday, anyone who does not have a state government permit proving they have a legitimate reason for cross-border travel will be denied entry. Freight trucks are exempt, along with travel for work and medical reasons.
Angelica Snowden 10.30am: Australia’s Montaigne set for Eurovision 2021
Sydney based indie singer Montaigne will represent Australia at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest, SBS confirmed.
In a video posted to Twitter, the singer, whose real name is Jessica Cerro, said it was “extremely exciting” to have the decision locked in but that she would need to write a new song as ‘Don’t Break Me’ will not qualify for next year.
Very grateful to announce that I’ll still be representing Australia at Eurovision 2021 ^____^ thank you to @SBS & to you all for the support, it’s been super nice during wack as hell times. keep streaming Don’t Break Me so it gets its dues before it’s superseded by a new banger!! https://t.co/qy0BzHEXSQ
— Montaigne (@actualmontaigne) April 1, 2020
“I’m very grateful. I’m very keen to make new music, to produce a new song and figure out a new performance for next year,” Ms Cerro said.
“I’m sad that I couldn’t do this year’s song because I thought it was going to be really cool but I am really happy to get another chance at it.”
Organisers announced earlier this month “with deep regret” that the annual song contest would not go ahead in May, two months ahead of the semi-finals set to begin in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.
“We are very proud that the Eurovision Song Contest has united audiences every year, without interruption, for the past 64 years and we, like the millions of fans around the world, are extremely saddened that it cannot take place in May,” said organisers in a statement, noting that the decision rested on uncertainty created by the spread of COVID-19 throughout Europe.
Organisers said the contest will “most likely” go ahead in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in May 2021.
READ MORE: Montaigne in tears as Eurovision called off
Matthew Denholm 10.20am: Tasmania faces tighter restrictions
Tasmanians face more lockdown restrictions and “inevitable” community transmission of coronavirus, after it was revealed two interstate tourists with the virus spent several weeks travelling the state while infected.
Premier Peter Gutwein on Thursday morning said he would announce further restrictions within hours, as Tasmanians were urged to consult a list of venues the two travellers visited between March 12 and 23.
Those who visited the same sites, which include popular attractions such as the Port Arthur convict ruins and Hobart’s Cascade Gardens, at the same time as the pair are urged to seek advice if they have symptoms.
Public Health Director Mark Veitch also confirmed authorities had failed to trace the source of infection for two cases in the Devonport area.
“I think some community transmission is inevitable in the medium to long term,” Dr Veitch said, also announcing a further case this morning, bringing the state total to 72, with two deaths.
Mr Gutwein reassured Tasmanians that 40 soldiers helping police to enforce strict social distancing laws would not carry arms and would not have powers of arrest.
He said the laws, restricting most public gatherings to two people and keeping people at home unless they needed to travel to work or for medical or compassionate reasons, were likely to be in place for “some months”.
The list of places visited by the two interstate travelers who tested positive on return to their home state, and the days of those visits, can be found at: https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/media-releases/coronavirus-alert .
Dr Veitch said anyone with symptoms within 14 days of being at the same place at the same time as those listed should contact their GP or a covid19 hotline on 1800 671 738.
READ MORE: Most Aussie deaths from just three sources
Rachel Baxendale 10.15am: Victoria private hospitals to help with virus care
The Andrews government has finalised a deal with Victoria’s major private hospitals to assist with providing medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos on Thursday finalised the agreement with hospitals including St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Epworth HealthCare, Cabrini Health, Ramsay Health Care, St John of God Health Care, Healthscope and Healthe Care Australia.
Ms Mikakos said the deal would see Victoria’s public and private hospitals work together to relieve pressure on public hospitals and ensure the entire health system is operating at full capacity.
“Victoria’s healthcare professionals are on the frontline of this deadly virus and this agreement will ensure our private hospital medical workforce and hospital staff, including porters, cleaners, cooks and security guards keep their jobs and remain in the healthcare system for the duration of the pandemic – when we need them most,” Ms Mikakos said.
The deal follows a guarantee from the Commonwealth to ensure the viability of all private hospitals after the suspension of all non-urgent surgery on Friday.
The announcement follows the pledge of $1.3bn on Wednesday to boost Victoria’s number of ICU beds by 4,000, and the Andrews government’s recent decision to hire 200 nurses from the Epworth and Cabrini hospitals to undertake COVID-19 case contact tracing work.
READ MORE: Do people other than health workers need to wear face masks?
Rachel Baxendale 10.05am: Victoria toll five, cases pass 1,000
The number of coronavirus cases in Victoria has passed 1000, with 68 cases confirmed on Thursday, bringing the state’s total to 1,036.
A woman in her 70s died in hospital yesterday, bringing Victoria’s death toll to five. The total number of cases includes 551 men and 480 women, with cases ranging in age from babies to people in their early 90s.
The number of cases acquired through community transmission has risen sharply, from 39 on Wednesday to 57 on Thursday, with more than 49,000 tests conducted so far.
Currently 36 people are in hospital, including six patients in intensive care.
There are 422 people who have recovered from the virus.
Of the 1,036 cases there have been 828 in Melbourne and 193 in regional Victoria, with the location of some others yet to be determined.
READ MORE: Concerns over Victoria’s testing rates
Richard Ferguson 9.50am: Some cruise ships ‘lying’ about virus on board
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says some cruise ships have been lying about the COVID-19 situations on board, as he prepares to work with state authorities to rescue crews.
The Australian revealed on Thursday that a military-style operation is being planned to helicopter doctors on to eight cruise ships stranded off the NSW coast to test more than 8000 people in a bid to end a standoff that police fear could overwhelm Sydney’s intensive care units.
The Home Affairs Minister told Sydney’s 2GB radio that he would also get several state health bodies to do a proper assessment of the ships due to cruise companies “lying.”
“Some of these ships will move off and go back to their point of origin. Some of them we might able to extract crew and fly them back to their country of origin,” he said.
“It’s clear that some of the companies have been lying about the situation of the health of passengers and crew onboard.
“I need to get an honest picture of what’s happening. We are going to have a health company by the name of Aspen - as well as NSW Health, Queensland Health and WA Health - do a proper assessment of what’s happening onboard.”
Mr Dutton warned against moving cruise ships out of Australian waters too quickly, as those same vessels might simply return if people get sick or die onboard.
READ MORE: Military mission to end cruise drama
Angelica Snowden 9.35am: 100 extra police to enforce remote NT checkpoints
The Australian Federal Police will send over 100 police and Protective Service Officers to the Northern Territory to help enforce border control and biosecurity checkpoints.
The officers will be deployed to Tennant Creek and Katherine first to help the NT police “protect vulnerable and remote communities” and in particular Indigenous communities.
NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker requested the support of the AFP.
Officers will eventually be sent to help enforce biosecurity checkpoints throughout the NT and border control at Darwin and Alice Springs Airports.
The officer-in-charge of the AFP deployment Commander Jamie Strauss said the officers volunteered to assist in the regions.
“We are ready to assist our colleagues in the Northern Territory to keep Australians safe and play our part in nationally coordinated fight against this pandemic,” Mr Strauss said in a statement.
READ MORE: Remote health workers test positive
Rosie Lewis 9.30am: Payne: listen to advice, don’t add to crisis
Foreign Minister Marise Payne has appealed to Australians to “listen carefully” to government advice rather than adding to the coronavirus crisis, after it was revealed 16,000 citizens flew out of the country within a week of Scott Morrison instructing everyone not to go overseas.
Seizing on the international traveller numbers, reported in The Australian, Senator Payne urged people to remember there were many Australians at home and abroad who needed help and the government was making difficult decisions on how to prioritise national resources.
Approximately 16,000 Australian citizens went overseas by plane between 19-30 March even though the Prime Minister gave very clear advice to “not travel abroad” on 18 March.
And 3800 Australians flew out between 25-30 March, after an official ban on all overseas travel came into force on 24 March.
“These numbers underline the need for Australians to listen carefully to the advice their government is giving them. The challenge is great enough, without adding to it,” Senator Payne told The Australian.
“We’ve said repeatedly that the government will not be able to help every Australian travelling overseas to get home. Many countries are changing their border restrictions, sometimes with little notice. Commercial airline services are reducing fast.
“If you are travelling overseas and you see a commercial option to get home, do not hesitate, take it. There is no certainty that alternatives will be there in the future.”
READ MORE: 16,000 Aussies fly out after PM’s call to stay
Elias Visontay 9.00am: High supermarket prices ‘due to drought, not gouging’
Consumer watchdog chief Rod Sims doesn’t think major supermarkets are price gouging to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining higher prices for fresh produce have been triggered by drought and bushfires.
Rod Sims, Australian Competition and Consumer Commision chair, also called on the government to do whatever it takes to keep Virgin Australia afloat, saying “whatever the government does, by me, is fine”.
Speaking to ABC Radio National, Mr Sims said he had been personally working on the ACCC team that is investigating supermarket prices.
“We’re watching out for gouging and where we see it we’re going to call it out,” Mr Sims said.
“In the case of the supermarkets the national agriculture researcher...predicted in January because of the drought and bushfires you are going to see significant price increases for broccoli, cauliflower, all sorts of fresh produce. And in March that’s what we’re seeing.
“We’re talking to the supermarkets about their cost pressures, about their margins...We are trying to look to see whether there’s any middle men making money, but so far the pressures seem to be drought and bushfire related.
“So yes you’re seeing prices go up a lot but it doesn’t seem to be price gouging by the supermarkets.
On Virgin Australia, Mr Sims said “it an issue the government needs to deal with”.
“We desperately need two full service airlines, not half service, full service airlines when this is over and this is unusual times.
“I don’t think there’s any rules. Whatever the government does, by me, is fine. It’s their decision to make.”
READ MORE: House prices up, but brace for tumble
Yoni Bashan 8.40am: Social distancing in place for at least 3 months
NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller has said the social distancing measures enforced under the Public Health Act would remain in place for at least 90 days.
However Mr Fuller said hopefully the new restrictions would not last past June.
Gatherings of more than two people, apart from immediate family, are banned in NSW as are all non-essential activities
“It is 90 days. People will have gotten the message by then, hopefully,” he said on Thursday.
“We won’t be talking about the powers, we’ll be talking about what does it look like coming out of this.”
However NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian deflected questions about whether NSW is in “lockdown”, saying she believes the state is well-placed under its currently circumstances to control the spread of COVID-19.
But further restrictions could be put into force if the situation deteriorates.
“I don’t like to use that term,” she said, adding that the restrictions in place “are what they are”.
“If we manage to control the spread, if we manage to build up capacity in our hospitals during this time, that would be the ultimate to me not to have to do anything further.”
READ MORE: Cops in the park, now diggers at the door
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.30am: Qld public servants pay rise on hold
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced that a planned 2.5 per cent pay increase for state public servants has been put “on hold” amid widespread anger over the planned pay raise at a time when so many are out of work.
“Well, let me make it very clear. All of that is on hold,” she told Sunrise on Thursday.
“It’s on hold. We’ve got people out there who have lost their jobs. They’re hurting. And you know, we’ve got front line services out there, our nurses, our doctors, our firefighters, our police. They’re doing a great job for Queenslanders. But in this climate at the moment, everything must be put on hold.”
The Premier also gave a “final warning” to people ignoring social distancing rules and said she supported a crackdown on people openly disregarding social distancing rules in a manner similar to harsh measures taken in NSW and Victoria.
“I said very clearly to the mayors when I spoke to them the other day that if people
weren’t complying with social distancing, we are going to have to crackdown because social distancing means 90 per cent of people have to be doing the right thing and going to the beach with all of your friends and mates is not on,” she said.
“So we’ve seen strong action about this in Victoria and in NSW. And I will tell you what. The mayors will not hesitate to take that strong action here in Queensland as well. So
final warning everyone.”
READ MORE: Queensland public servants get pay rise as others do it tough
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.25am: UN climate conference in Glasgow postponed
UN Climate talks due to be held in Scotland later this year have been postponed due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Cop26 conference, billed as the most important climate summit since the 2015 Paris talks, was to take place in Glasgow with support from Italy from November 9 to 20 but will now be moved to a yet to be determined date next year.
““The world is currently facing an unprecedented global challenge and countries are rightly focusing their efforts on saving lives and fighting Covid-19,” UK president-designate of Cop26 Alok Sharma, said in a statement.
“That is why we have decided to reschedule Cop26.”
The world is facing an unprecedented global challenge & countries are rightly focusing on fighting #COVID19.
— Alok Sharma (@AlokSharma_RDG) April 1, 2020
Due to this, #COP26 has been postponed.
We will continue working with partners to deliver the ambition needed to tackle the climate crisis & agree a new date ðŸŒ
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said that the cancellation of the event does not erase the fact “that climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity over the long term.
“COVID-19 is the most urgent threat facing humanity today, but we cannot forget that climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity over the long term.
“Soon, economies will restart. This is a chance for nations to recover better, to include the most vulnerable in those plans, and a chance to shape the 21st century economy in ways that are clean, green, healthy, just, safe and more resilient.
“In the meantime, we continue to support and to urge nations to significantly boost climate ambition in line with the Paris Agreement.”
The summit was expected to attract up to 30,000 attendees, making it one of the largest diplomatic events ever held in the UK.
READ MORE: How virus has changed climate war
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.20am: Cruise ship operation to start in two days
A military-style operation to test thousands on board cruise ships moored off the coast of NSW will take place “in the next couple of days,” according to NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller.
On Wednesday The Australian revealed that health professionals are to be airlifted aboard eight cruise ships containing more than 8000 people and refusing to leave Australian waters in order to test for the extent of the coronavirus outbreak on each ship.
Speaking to ABC News on Thursday, Commissioner Fuller said “a number of Australians” have been repatriated, alongside 14 others, with the airlifting operation to begin shortly.
“We have repatriated a number of Australians. And we have taken off around 14 people for either medical reasons or compassionate reasons,” he said.
“There were three ladies who were pregnant. So, we are continuing to work with owners of these ships and we’re in constant dialogue, making sure that anyone who needs medical attention, urgent medical attention is getting it.”
Commissioner Fuller said any other individual on board a ship in a critical condition will receive medical attention in the Australian hospital system, but the purpose of the scheme is to ensure NSW’s health system isn’t overloaded by a tranche of new cases.
“Yes, certainly. I mean, anyone who requires urgent medical attention, we bring off and put into our hospital system,” he said.
“We expect in the next couple of days that we will start. You could imagine, you know, dropping doctors, specialists across eight ships, 9,000 people, you know, it’s a big task in itself.
“But just from my perspective, if someone needs to come off because of urgent medical reasons, they are being extracted quickly through operations, our Marine Area Command.”
READ MORE: Military mission to end cruise ship drama
Yoni Bashan 8.20am: 116 new cases bring NSW total to 2,298
Dr Jeremy McAnulty, Director of Health Prevention at NSW Health, has told a press conference that 116 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across the state overnight, taking total numbers to 2,298 infections.
He said 43 patients are currently in intensive care, 20 of whom require ventilators. There have been 10 deaths in NSW from COVID-19, the latest a 67-year-old woman in the town of Orange.
Of the total cases, 1,419 have been acquired overseas, 467 acquired locally, and 307 were acquired without a known link, Dr McAnulty said. A further 105 remain under investigation.
NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller told the same press conference that there are currently 3,557 people being self-isolated in hotels. He said as the quarantine measures evolve people will be moved out, citing the cases of seven families who have since been moved into apartments.
“We’re doing our best to make sensible decisions that won’t have an impact on the health of the rest of the people of NSW,” he said.
READ MORE: Most coronavirus deaths from three sources
Elias Visontay 7.55am: ‘This must not be another Ruby Princess’
Opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles has thrown his support behind a military-style operation floated by the NSW government to deal with the “diabolical” problem posed by eight cruise ships stranded off the state’s coast, pleading the situation “must not be another Ruby Princess”.
The deputy opposition leader was responding to a report an operation is being planned to helicopter doctors on to the cruise ships to test more than 8000 people in a bid to end a standoff that police fear could overwhelm Sydney’s intensive care units.
He called on the federal government to reach an agreement with the NSW government about deploying Defence personnel for the mission.
“This is a diabolical situation for all governments to try and work through. No one is saying this is an easy issue,” Mr Marles told ABC Radio National.
“We’ve all seen what happened with the Ruby princess and what happened there. That was a disaster, and Australians’ lives were put at risk. I think getting an accurate assessment of exactly what the situation is on board in terms of the spread of the virus does make a lot of sense to me.
“There are a whole lot of very difficult questions to resolve about exactly what happens with the people who are on board.
Mr Marles said a “very clear and granular assessment” of the ships’ passengers and crews was needed before a decision could be made about bringing them onto Australian soil.
“There needs to be a resolution to that conversation between the New South Wales government and the Commonwealth around this... if the New South Wales Government are requesting Defence support I absolutely would understand that request and that’s the basis upon which Defence is being requested to engage in the coronavirus more generally, through the emergency centers in each state.”
“Ultimately the buck stops with the federal government and we need to hear a plan from them in the context of what are the legal obligations, for how this impasse is resolved. It must not be another Ruby Princess.”
He said the handling of the situation was in contrast to the Western Australian government’s hardline approach to the Artania cruise ship stranded off Fremantle, where the “circumstances are a bit clearer”.
READ MORE: Military mission to end cruise drama
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.50am: Worker at Melbourne cancer centre tests positive
An employee at the Peter Mac Cancer Centre in Melbourne has tested positive for coronavirus, forcing the institution to send the worker and several other employees identified as close contacts home to self-isolate.
The Australian understands the employee is in good condition.
A spokesman said the Centre remains open and will take all measures to reduce the risk of infection.
“Our primary focus is on the health and wellbeing of our patients and staff and we are working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services to rigorously follow all the relevant protocols to reduce any possible risk of further infection,” he said.
“These protocols require people who have been in close contact with a person who tests positive to COVID-19 to self-isolate for 14 days.
“All of the relevant cleaning and sanitisation procedures continue to be followed, according to DHHS guidelines.”
A number of Victoria’s 968 confirmed cases have been healthcare workers, with Chief health officer Brett Sutton on Wednesday saying 80 have contracted the disease.
READ MORE: Fears grow over Victoria’s testing rate
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.40am: Government to return to pass jobkeeper scheme
A slimmed down federal parliament will convene in Canberra next Wednesday to finalise the passage of the government’s $130 billion jobkeeper scheme, employment minister Michaelia Cash said.
The scheme, which will subsidise businesses in “hibernation” due to the coronavirus pandemic to the tune of $1500 a fortnight for each employee they keep on the books from May 1, with the purpose of avoiding mass unemployment.
Senator Cash, speaking to 2GB’s Alan Jones on Thursday, defended the cost of the scheme and said the government would work hard to get it passed soon so that the payment “can go as far as possible.”
“It was decided yesterday that we will return in a very limited form next Wednesday (to parliament) to deal with this as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” she said.
“We want to keep people in their jobs - even if the business may go into hibernation, it may close down for six months.”
Senator Cash said: “We don’t want to be ruling people out, we want to be ruling people in,” adding that sole traders are eligible for subsidy under the scheme, and that businesses experiencing cash flow problems should seek out loans to make it to the scheme’s May start date.
“What I saw is so many find themselves in this position, many have said they are happy to go speak to their bank to get the loan to tie them over for the next four weeks, knowing that on the 1st of May they will be getting that money back from the ATO,” she said.
Addressing the issue of individuals who do not qualify for the jobkeeper payment, Senator Cash said they could apply for the $1100 a fortnight jobseeker program, or look for a job through the government’s new Jobs Hub website, which launched on Thursday.
The Jobs Hub website currently has 26,000 positions available across the country.
“These are critical jobs that will contribute to keeping the economy going and keeping as many Australians in work as possible,” Senator Cash said on Wednesday.
“Every Australian with a job is an essential worker. I continue to work with employers, industry peak organisations, employment services providers and others in the labour market to identify where the jobs are and help move people looking for work into these jobs quickly.
“Our Employer Response Unit can work with you to identify the best option to source suitable candidates, and help you with your recruitment to make it as smooth as possible so you can get on with delivering essential services in this difficult time.”
READ MORE: Niki Savva writes: PM pivots at crisis speed
Elias Visontay 7.35am: 20,000 nurses to bolster intensive care units
Up to 20,000 nurses will undertake specific training for a higher level of care to help double Australia’s intensive care bed capacity.
The government will spend $4.1 million on the online training for registered nurses, as it seeks to bolster the number of high dependency units across Australia to meet projected demand caused by COVID-19.
Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the training initiative on Thursday morning, which will offer up to 20,000 free online education places to Australia’s roughly 276,000 registered nurses.
The courses, run by e-learning provider Medcast, will aim to develop knowledge enabling nurses to assist in the delivery of care anticipated to be in demand as a result of COVID-19.
“Despite swift action by Australian governments, the number of COVID-19 cases will continue to grow,” Mr Hunt said in a statement.
“It is likely that unprecedented demand for hospital care will strain our health system and health workers, who every day are saving and improving lives.”
Registered nurses interested in undertaking the training should visit medcast.com or contact Medcast by phone on 1300 652 046.
Another online refresher course is also available to registered nurses who have been out of the industry and need to update their knowledge before rejoining the healthcare sector.
READ MORE: Five remote health workers test positive
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.05am: Sydney high school pupil tests positive
A high school in Sydney’s west will close on Thursday after a student tested positive for coronavirus.
On Wednesday night St Mary’s Senior High School advised the school community of the closure and said contact tracing of close contacts was underway.
“The school is working closely with NSW Health to assist them to conduct their contact tracing process,” the school said on its Facebook page.
“In accordance with advice from NSW Health all staff and students are asked to self-isolate until the contact tracing process has been completed.
“Staff and students who are identified as a Close Contact of the person who returned a positive test will be advised tomorrow 2 April 2020 and will be asked to self-isolate for the required period of time.”
The school said it had the capability for students to learn from home if they so choose.
According to NSW Health, there are 191 cases of coronavirus in the Western Sydney region and 2182 in NSW.
READ MORE: 15 coronavirus deaths from three sources
Lachlan Moffet Gray 6.55am: Nursing home residents forced to flee fire
Almost 100 elderly residents of a Melbourne nursing home have been forced to violate social distancing regulations when they were evacuated from their facility after a fire broke out on the roof last night.
The Victorian Country Fire Authority said more than 50 firefighting personnel attended the Newmans on the Park Aged Care Centre on Newmans Road in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Templestowe at 5 pm on Wednesday night.
Newmans on the Park Aged Care, McKenzie Aged Care Group’s purpose-built assisted living residence in the leafy suburb of Templestowe has exploded into flames. 8 @MFB_NEWS trucks on scene with more on the way. 33 Newmans Rd, Templestowe 3106 pic.twitter.com/VOHJgSEctG
— Peak Hour Images (@PeakHourImages) April 1, 2020
The fire is believed to have originated in a chimney at the facility and subsequently spread to other floors, forcing 97 residents - some frail and confined to wheelchairs - to be evacuated and forced to come into close contact with one another and personnel in attendance.
No one was injured and the CFA said all involved were accounted for, with most residents returning to bed after the fire was contained and 25 seeking alternative accommodation.
A CFA spokesman said they took social distancing seriously, but it was difficult to enforce in emergency situations.
READ MORE: CSIRO at forefront of vaccine scramble
Lachlan Moffet Gray 6.30am: ‘Exponential growth’ in new virus cases, WHO warns
The Director of the World Health Organisation has described his deep concern “about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection” of the coronavirus, noting the number of deaths attributable to the disease doubled in the past week.
“Over the past five weeks, we have witnessed a near exponential growth in the number of new cases reaching almost every country, territory and area,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“The number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week. In the next few days, we will reach one million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths.”
"While relatively lower numbers of confirmed #COVID19 cases have been reported from Africa, and from Central and South America, we realize that COVID-19 could have serious social, economic and political consequences for these regions"-@DrTedros #coronavirus
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 1, 2020
According to Johns Hopkins University, there are currently 911,308 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 45,497 deaths across the globe.
Italy, the epicentre of the crisis in Europe, has registered a further 727 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total toll on Thursday to 13,155 — the highest of any country in the world.
The one-day increase in deaths, unthinkably large only a few weeks ago, is actually a good sign — it’s the lowest increase the country has seen in the daily death toll since March 26. In an effort to drive that number lower, the Italian government on Wednesday extended the nationwide lockdown to April 13.
Other European countries cannot record declining daily death tolls with Spain and the UK recording their second consecutive day of record-breaking death tolls.
The number of deaths in Spain increased by 864 on Wednesday and has crossed the threshold of 100,000 confirmed cases. In the UK, 562 people died, bringing the total to 2352.
In France, 509 new deaths from the coronavirus taking the total to 4032, making the country the fourth to pass the 4000-fatalities threshold after Italy, Spain and the United States.
After speeding up the previous two days, the rate of increase of deaths decelerated on Wednesday in France, which is now in its third week of lockdown.
However, the government said it would soon be able to compile data on those who died in aged care facilities, which would likely increase the daily fatalities.
The numbers in China remain near static, with 82,361 confirmed cases and 3193 deaths.
Little movement in the number of deaths and cases in the country of COVID-19’s origin before the development of the vaccine has raised eyebrows, with Bloomberg reporting that the US Intelligence Community has briefed the White House on their belief that Chinese government is concealing the true extent of the virus’s presence in its country.
China is not the only country with suspect public reporting on coronavirus.
— Bloomberg (@business) April 1, 2020
Western officials have pointed to Iran, Russia, Indonesia and especially North Korea, which has not reported a single case of the disease, as probable under-counts https://t.co/stZ356l9jw
READ MORE: CSIRO at forefront of coronavirus vaccine scramble
Agencies 6.10am: Rowling gives away Harry Potter for free in April
British author JK Rowling is hoping her much-loved Harry Potter series will work its magic on bored children stuck at home during the coronavirus lockdown.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first book in the series about the boy wizard, will be available for free worldwide as an ebook and audiobook throughout April as part of an initiative to help parents, carers and teachers entertain housebound children, Rowling said.
Parents, teachers and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we’re on lockdown might need a bit of magic, so I’m delighted to launch https://t.co/cPg0dZpexB pic.twitter.com/i0ZjTplVoU
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2020
The audiobook will be available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Japanese, with the version performed by British actor Stephen Fry accessible in North America for the first time.
A new online hub, Harry Potter At Home, will be aimed at younger children and launched on WizardingWorld.com, the official website for fans of Harry Potter and the spin-off film series Fantastic Beasts.
Each week “Wizarding Wednesdays” and an email newsletter will provide creative activities, quizzes and ideas.
Find out what #HarryPotterAtHome is all about. https://t.co/n9mZR4hwSJ
— Wizarding World (@wizardingworld) April 1, 2020
Britain is in its second week of lockdown after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on March 23 that people would only be allowed to leave the house when absolutely necessary, such as to buy food.
“I hope these initiatives will give children and even adults a happy distraction during their enforced stay-at-home time,” Ms Rowling said.
The Harry Potter series was an unprecedented worldwide phenomenon in children’s literature, enthralling a generation of readers around the world. It sold more than 500 million copies in 80 languages and sparked a $US7 billion ($A12 billion) movie franchise. — REUTERS
READ MORE: Everything you need for life in isolation
Jacquelin Magnay 5.45am: Prince Charles sends message of hope to Britons
Prince Charles has sent a reassuring message to Britons, describing the coronavirus pandemic as a “strange, frustrating and often distressing experience” but that it will indeed end.
Charles, 71, has recovered from coronavirus and emerged from isolation, saying in his first address overnight (AEDT): “As a nation, we are faced by a profoundly challenging situation, which we are only too aware threatens the livelihoods, businesses and welfare of millions of our fellow citizens. None of us can say when this will end, but end it will. Until it does, let us all try and live with hope and, with faith in ourselves and each other, look forward to better times to come.”
As Patron of @age_uk, The Prince of Wales shares a message on the Coronavirus pandemic and its effect on the older members of the community. pic.twitter.com/a6NEFPOtvQ
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) April 1, 2020
Charles’ short isolation of seven days, after coming down with fever and a cough when tested in Aberdeenshire, was in line with government rules.
Clarence House said he could now take walks at Balmoral and that he would conduct business with his charities and his Duchy of Cornwall estate.
READ MORE: Can couples visit each other if they don’t live together?
Agencies 5.15am: NY virus deaths more than double in 72 hours
Governor Andrew Cuomo said projections showed New York’s coronavirus outbreak would worsen through April as it was revealed the number of coronavirus deaths in the state more than doubled in 72 hours to 1,941.
The sobering news from the governor came as he pledged to close New York City playgrounds to slow the spread of the virus, leaving green spaces open.
A month after New York discovered its first infection, the state tallied more than 83,000 positive cases. The 1,941 deaths were up from 965 Sunday morning. The governor cited projections showing the outbreak reaching its apex roughly by the end of April, “which means another month of this.” There are more than 12,000 people currently hospitalised, with the number is expected to grow dramatically.
New York City’s Health Department reported late Tuesday that nearly 1,100 people had died of the virus in the city.
Data released by the city shows that the disease is having a disproportionate effect in certain neighbourhoods, mainly in Brooklyn and Queens.
How many people have to die before the people ignoring social distancing get that they have a responsibility?
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 1, 2020
One person sneezes — another person gets intubated.
We all have to look out for each other.
STAY HOME. SAVE LIVES.
An emergency field hospital opened Wednesday in Central Park near The Mount Sinai Hospital, days after a temporary hospital in the Jacob K Javits Convention Center began taking patients and a Navy hospital ship docked off Manhattan. Officials are scrambling to add more beds around the city as hospitals become overrun.
The city’s ambulance system and police department are under increasing stress from the pandemic, with nearly a quarter of the city’s emergency medical service workers out sick, according to the Fire Department. In all, 2,800 members of the Fire Department are sidelined, including about 950 of the city’s 4,300 EMS workers.
Nearly 16% of the New York Police Department’s uniformed force is now out sick. More than 1,000 officers have tested positive for the virus. The virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, has spread rapidly across the globe. It causes mild symptoms in many of those infected, but it can cause severe symptoms or death for some, including older adults and those with underlying medical conditions such as respiratory ailments. — AP
READ MORE: The worst is yet to come, Trump says
Jacquelin Magnay 5am: Wimbledon cancelled for first time since WWII
Wimbledon tennis has been cancelled for the first time since World War II because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Top tennis players have expressed their dismay that the two-week tournament, due to be played between June 29 and July 12 has been abandoned.
Devastated https://t.co/Fg2c1EuTQY pic.twitter.com/cm1wE2VwIp
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) April 1, 2020
Men’s superstar Roger Federer, who was this year hoping to add to his 20 grand slams, said on Twitter he was “devastated” while women’s star Serena Williams said “I’m shooked”.
I’m Shooked https://t.co/dS0cNcCdm0
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) April 1, 2020
Much-loved tournaments leading into Wimbledon, including the Eastbourne Classic and Queen’s, have also been abandoned, meaning there will be no professional tennis until mid-July at the earliest. But there is doubt about the US Open at Flushing Meadows in August and some tennis players believe there will be no action for the entire season.
Wimbledon 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo said this week: “I think we are going to have to draw a line under the 2020 tennis season.
“An international circuit = players of all nationalities, as well as coaches, spectators and those coming from all four corners of the world to bring these events to life.
“No vaccine = no tennis.”
Je crois qu’on va devoir tirer un trait sur la saison 2020 de tennis. Circuit international = des joueurs et joueuses de toutes nationalités plus les encadrements, spectateurs et les personnes venant des 4 coins du monde qui font vivre ces événements.
— AmelieMauresmo (@AmeMauresmo) March 31, 2020
Pas de vaccin=pas de tennis
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Yoni Bashan 4.45am: Doctors to be helicoptered onto eight cruise ships
A military-style operation is being planned to helicopter doctors on to eight cruise ships stranded off the NSW coast to test more than 8000 people in a bid to end a standoff that police fear could overwhelm Sydney’s intensive care units.
With the impasse between the owners of the cruise ships — who are refusing orders to leave Australian waters — and NSW police entering its third week, police plan to call on military support to land doctors on each vessel to independently test up to 8615 people, most of whom are believed to be crew members.
NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller said the tests would determine the extent of COVID-19 outbreaks on each ship. He said decision-makers lacked an accurate picture of the spread of infections. It is understood ships would be forced to leave once those found to be infected had been extracted.
Read the full story here.
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