Coronavirus Australia live updates: Scott Morrison reveals virus modelling; Boris Johnson moved into ICU
The PM says COVID-19 modelling will help national cabinet plan a way to relax social distancing, but not yet, as death toll hits 48
- National toll now 48 after two more WA deaths
- Tassie bans hospital, nursing home visits
- Cruise ships ordered from Queensland waters
- Ruby death brings national toll to 44
- US coronavirus deaths pass 10,000
- Boris Johnson moved to ICU
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy have unveiled Australia’s coronavirus modelling. Another Ruby Princess death, two WA deaths and the first SA death bring the national toll to 48, while in the UK, hospitalised Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved into intensive care as his coronavirus symptoms worsens.
Matthew Denholm 9.03pm Hospital outbreak spreads
A coronavirus outbreak in Tasmania’s North West Regional Hospital has worsened, with eight new cases, including six more staff.
As of Tuesday night, 12 staff at the Burnie hospital had recorded positive for COVID-19, as well as a recent inpatient and a close contact of a previous case at the hospital.
A further case related to a recently returned overseas traveller was recorded in the state’s south, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in Tasmania to 98.
Public Health Director Mark Veitch said an outbreak management team was “identifying and contacting any person who has had close contact” with any of the NWRH staff.
“Public Health Services is also following up household and social contacts of all confirmed cases,” Dr Veitch said.
“If any NWRH staff member or patient is determined to be a close contact of these cases, they will be contacted and advised of the action they need to take.
“It may be necessary for other staff and patients to be tested for coronavirus as investigations progress. We will assess and test any symptomatic staff member or patient who is symptomatic and has been at risk of exposure to coronavirus.”
The staff members are understood to include nurses and allied health workers.
READ MORE: Working from home? Claim more tax
Jacquelin Magnay 7.55pm Rudd joins former leaders in call for global response
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd is one of 205 international leaders calling for a G20-led multi-billion-dollar response to coronavirus to find a vaccine and revive the global economy, including waiving debt interest from poor countries.
Mr Rudd is part of a “world leaders group” of more than 100 former haeds of state, current leaders and charity chiefs initiated by former British prime minister Gordon Brown. They have written a letter demanding a new G20 executive task force be set up to manage developed countries funding pledges and co-ordinate a multi-billion-dollar coronavirus fighting effort.
In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other G20 leaders, the group says global collaboration and commitment to funding required is “far beyond the current capacity of our existing international institutions”.
“The economic emergency will not be resolved until the health emergency is addressed: the health emergency will not end simply by conquering the disease in one country alone but by ensuring recovery from COVID-19 in all countries,” the statement says.
The group wants a G20 commitment within days for $US8bn ($13bn) to rapidly hasten the global effort for vaccines, $US35bn to support health systems, from ventilators to test kits and protective equipment for health workers and $US150bn for developing countries.
READ MORE: Spend Easter at home to ‘keep tension in the cord’, PM urges
Imogen Reid 7.32pm Returned travellers get daily mental-health check
Returning travellers completing mandatory quarantine in Sydney hotels will receive a daily phone call from a trained mental-health nurse as part of a NSW overnment initiative to ensure their 14-day isolation period is “as comfortable as possible”.
In a notice signed by NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller, the update said every hotel was now staffed with experienced doctors, nurses and mental-health professionals. A dedicated mental-health practitioner will be on call 24 hours a day for people seeking physical and mental health support.
The notice said NSW Health, NSW Police Force and all NSW government agencies are committed to ensuring returned travellers are supported in quarantine.
“Your mental health and welfare is of paramount concern to myself and the NSW government. Please avail yourself to all the services at your disposal and thank you for playing your part in stopping the spread of COVID-19,” the notice said.
Shikye Alyce Smith, a performer in quarantine at the InterContinental Sydney with her mother, said she received a wellness check from a mental-healthcare nurse.
“My mum and I have both received calls from the onsite mental-health nurse, as well as the Red Cross, throughout the week to check in on how we are doing. We have also been provided with hotline numbers should we need any further mental health support,” she said.
“We have had the same representative from the Red Cross following up throughout the week, which has been lovely.”
Ms Smith, 30, who also works at a mental health organisation, said prior to receiving the update, the lack of contact they had received from the government and hotel staff was concerning.
“The only time they call in to check on you is when your food has been dropped at the door. But from a safety perspective, I think that’s a bit irresponsible, especially for people who are in a room by themselves,” she said.
READ MORE: School hours slashed for ‘virtual learning’
Ewin Hannan 6.35pm McManus applauds Porter over JobKeeper legislation
Changes to the government’s proposed JobKeeper legislation showed Attorney-General Christian Porter had listened to a number of concerns held by unions, ACTU secretary Sally McManus says.
Ms McManus said unions had ensured the changes were strictly time-limited, applied only to employers eligible for the JobKeeper payment and ensured workers were properly paid for all work undertaken at the legal hourly rate of pay, not artificially capped at the $1500 wage subsidy.
Ms McManus said changes to working conditions would only be allowed after consultation and in many cases, the agreement of employees, while any dispute would be arbitrated by the commission.
She said unions thanked Mr Porter for working constructively during this difficult period.
“We remain opposed to the restrictive eligibility rules which exclude millions of workers, in particular many casuals and visa workers who have lost or face losing their jobs because of the pandemic,” she said“They should also be eligible to receive the payment as they face no less a financial struggle and should be supported to keep their jobs and connections to employers for when this crisis is over.”
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive James Pearson said the temporary, targeted amendments to the Fair Work Act, “specifically designed to help combat the impact of the pandemic, will enable many employers of hard hit businesses to participate in the scheme, and to provide their employees with an income”.
Mr Pearson said the changes would allow employers over the next six months to alter the number of hours worked by eligible employees but not their hourly rate. Flexibility around days worked, and when leave was taken, would also support businesses and jobs.
Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said a legislative solution was critical “because it is not practical for every award and thousands of enterprise agreements to be varied to align the pay entitlements with the structure of the JobKeeper program”.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese reiterated on Tuesday that Labor would vote for the bill on Wednesday despite concerns about the estimated 1.1 million casuals who do not qualify for the $1500 JobKeeper payment.
READ MORE: Morrison reveals modelling with plea to stay home at Easter
Olivia Caisley 6.08pm Outbreak epicentres in wealthy areas
As the nation’s coronavirus cases hit 5800 on Tuesday, the latest data shows the wealthiest suburbs in Victoria and NSW are still the epicentres of the spread.
Across NSW, the local government areas with the highest number of confirmed cases, include the eastern suburbs enclave of Waverley, with 167 cases.
The fashionable area drew national condemnation just a fortnight ago after thousands flocked to Bondi Beach in spite of social-distancing requirements.
The inner city of Sydney has recorded 148 cases, with 144 residents living in the northern beaches having contracted the virus.
Blacktown in the city’s west has 98 confirmed cases and the Central Coast has 102.
The affluent area of Woollahra, also in Sydney’s east, has the eighth-highest number of cases in the state, with 86 people suffering from the virus.
In Victoria, of the total 1191 cases reported on Tuesday, 966 have been in Melbourne and 217 in regional Victoria.
A total of 54 cases have been reported in the Mornington Peninsula, 87 in Stonnington and 72 in Banyule. Melbourne’s Stonnington covers Toorak, South Yarra, Armadale and Malvern; the Mornington Peninsula includes Portsea and Sorrento.
Greater Geelong 56 cases.
In Queensland, 280 cases have been reported in the Metro North area, 213 in the Metro South and 175 in the greater Gold Coast area.
READ MORE: Premier keeps state calm, with no carry-on
Paige Taylor 5.45pm: Two more WA deaths, national toll hits 48
Two more people have died from coronavirus in Perth — a West Australian woman in her 70s who had travelled overseas and a man from Europe in his 70s who was evacuated from the cruise ship Artania.
The COVID-19 death toll for Australia now stands at 48.
The WA death toll is now six, five of them known cruise ship passengers. This includes two from the Artania that docked south of Perth in March after passengers became unwell on an around the world cruise that docked in several nations and in Sydney, where many passengers got off and flew home. One of those later reported that, on arriving home in Germany, they had been tested for COVID-19 and found to have it. More than 50 people with COVID-19 have now been removed from the Artania to isolation or hospital in Perth.
The Swiss-owned ship sparked a humanitarian and diplomatic crisis when it arrived at Fremantle with more than 800 passengers and 500 crew, reporting some with respiratory illness. Those passengers well enough to travel were flown to Frankfurt on charter flights on March 29 while the sick and symptomatic were taken by ambulance and bus to hotels and hospital.
Only crew members remain on board. Almost daily, small numbers with flu-like symptoms have been taken off the ship for treatment.
The growth in infections recorded daily in WA has slowed in the past week despite an escalation in testing. WA’s hard border closure and bans on travel between the state’s nine regions are considered to be one reason why. In the past 24 hours, only 10 people have tested positive to COVID-19 in WA. The state’s total is 470 infections.
WA premier Mark McGowan said he was concerned that people could become complacent about social distancing and he urged people to stay at home especially over Easter.
His government remains seriously concerned about the state’s vulnerable Aboriginal community especially in the Kimberley where eight health care workers have now tested positive.
Overnight on Monday, a second health worker in the remote Kimberley town of Halls Creek was found to have coronavirus. That health worker was a close contact of the first Halls Creek healthcare worker, a doctor at the local hospital.
However the second Halls Creek worker was already isolating when they tested positive and it is understood they had no close contacts during what would have been the infectious period.
By late Tuesday, no Aboriginal people were found to have been close contacts of any Kimberley health care worker with coronavirus. Two non-Aboriginal patients found to be close contacts of the first Halls Creek health worker - a doctor at the local hospital - were in isolation but well and not displaying symptoms.
READ MORE: Call to investigate cruise owners
Rosie Lewis 5.20pm: Big business plea: Help now, we can’t wait for JobKeeper
Australia’s largest employers have called for the urgent ability to change working hours and leave arrangements during the coronavirus pandemic to “avoid falling into serious distress”, amid warnings they can’t wait for government assistance under the JobKeeper program.
Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott, whose organisation has about 80 members with an annual turnover of more than $1bn, declared all options to fast track enterprise agreements must be considered.
Large corporations with turnovers of more than $1bn will not qualify for the $1500 fortnightly wage subsidy until they can show their revenue has fallen by 50 per cent, which Ms Westacott said was a “very high threshold”.
“Australia’s largest employers urgently need the ability to temporarily alter working hours and leave arrangements in consultation with unions so they can avoid falling into serious distress,” she said.
“If we wait until large employers have lost more than 50 per cent of their turnover before they can vary awards and enterprise agreements many people will have been stood down in the process.
“This crisis will end and when it does our large employers need to be in the best possible shape so they are ready to ramp back up quickly.”
Ms Westacott said the JobKeeper payments were an “injection of hope” that would deliver much needed flexibility and help keep millions of Australians connected to their workplaces but said more could be done to keep the country in a strong position for the pandemic recovery.
Craig Johnstone 5.10pm: Queensland nurse contracts coronavirus after treating patients
A nurse caring for COVID-19 patients at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra hospital has contracted the virus.
A Queensland Health spokesman said the infectious diseases nurse was resting in isolation after contracting novel coronavirus..
Six other staff members who came in contact with the nurse will now self-isolate for the required 14 days.
The nurse was working in the infectious diseases unit with COVID-19 patients and then reported feeling unwell.
The nurse has followed all procedures including staying home as soon as symptoms emerged immediately notifying superiors to help protect colleagues and close contacts.
READ MORE: Nurses told it’s two masks a day
Paige Taylor 4.27pm: WA Premier to update coronavirus latest
WA Premier Mark McGowan is due to speak at a press conference at 4.30pm.. Watch live in the video at the top of this article.
Adam Creighton 4.15pm: Coronavirus wage support will waste billions
As shock and awe of the announcement of the government’s unprecedented array of economy-rescuing subsidies fades, focus has inevitably shifted to the details. And some of them aren’t pretty.
The $130bn JobKeeper wage subsidy, just over half the total by value, is critical to curbing an otherwise massive increase in unemployment and keeping workers attached to their employer for when the hibernation switch is turned off.
But the arbitrary distinction between large and small businesses will see the same workers – who are the ultimate target of the scheme – treated differently. And the flat payment for all wastefully gives many an unexpected – and unjustified – pay rise.
Read the full story here.
Imogen Reid 4.10pm: Hope for Aussie escape as cases surge on stricken ship
The number of people with coronavirus on board the Greg Mortimer cruise ship, which is moored off the coast of Montevideo, Uruguay, has surged to a staggering 128 cases in the past 24 hours.
The ship, which has over 90 Australian passengers on board, was denied entry into ports at Chile and the Falkland Islands before being received by Uruguay after a passenger developed symptoms of COVID-19. The liner left Chile on March 15 for an Antarctic cruise.
The operator of the ship, Aurora Expeditions, said six people who had disembarked to receive treatment ashore, including two crew members and one passenger deemed “high-risk,” are in a stable condition.
A spokeswoman for Aurora Expeditions said Australian passengers are “likely to fly home Thursday or Friday.”
She said with the Department of Foreign Affairs assistance, Aurora was able to secure a company that will take all Australian passengers back to Australia.
“We expect the flight will leave within 2-3 days and are doing everything possible to expedite disembarkation,” she said.
“The plane going to Australia is set up with medical facilities for this type of situation and will be managed in alignment with current COVID-19 protocol to ensure the health and safety of all onboard.
“Border Force has requested the plane to fly to Melbourne and for passengers to undergo their mandatory 14-day quarantine in a facility in Melbourne.”
The cruise operator has asked DFAT to accept passengers from New Zealand into Australia and allow them to complete their quarantine in Australia before returning home.
While the final cost per passenger is yet to be determined, Aurora Expeditions has asked for Australian government for support with the cost.
“We have shared this information with our passengers to be 100 per cent transparent and are doing everything we can to ensure this full amount is not passed on to each individual.”
READ MORE: Passengers in dark on release
Rebecca Urban 4pm: No repeats: Year 12 students will finish this year
Year 12 students will not be asked to repeat their final year of secondary school, Commonwealth Education Minister Dan Tehan has confirmed.
Following Tuesday’s Education Council meeting, Mr Tehan said all state and territory education ministers supported efforts to ensure that Year 12 students would be able to complete their studies, and receive an ATAR score, despite disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“There will be no ‘Year 13’ [of school], no mass repeating. You will get your leaving certificate this year and you will be able to go onto university, or vocational education and into work,” Mr Tehan said.
The minister’s comments followed confirmation from Victoria that it would move to remote teaching of students and extend the VCE timetable. Exams will be held in December or early January and could be condensed or even scrapped. However, all students will receive an ATAR score.
Mr Tehan said the Commonwealth would work with the university sector to work out how the ATAR would be calculated in the current circumstances but ultimately it was up to the states and territories to determine what the VCE or VCAL assessment processes would involve.
READ MORE: Coronavirus threat to ‘schoolies’
Angelica Snowden 3.10pm: Best wishes flow for Boris from world leaders
World leaders from countries including Australia, France, Canada are wishing the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson a speedy recovery after he was admitted to intensive care with severe coronavirus symptoms.
Scott Morrison said he was thinking of the UK leader during this “tough time”.
Get well soon @BorisJohnson. Thinking of you, your family and all our UK friends at this tough time.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) April 6, 2020
Former UK Prime Minister Theresa May said her “thoughts and prayers” are with Mr Johnson.
My thoughts and prayers are with @BorisJohnson and his family as he continues to receive treatment in hospital.
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) April 6, 2020
This horrific virus does not discriminate. Anyone can get it. Anyone can spread it. Please #StayHomeSaveLives
French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron wished the UK leader well in a tweet too.
I send all my support to Boris Johnson, to his family and to the British people at this difficult moment. I wish him a speedy recovery at this testing time.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 6, 2020
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he hoped to see Mr Johnson back at “Number 10 soon”.
At an earlier press conference Donald Trump paid tribute to his “very good” friend.
President @realDonaldTrump expressed America's well wishes to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/C3AfUuuVyv
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 6, 2020
“I also want to send best wishes to a very good friend of mine and a friend of our nation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson,” he said.
“We are very saddened to hear he was taken into intensive care this afternoon - a little while ago - and Americans are all praying for his recovery.
“He’s been a really good friend. He’s been really something very special - strong, resolute, doesn’t quit, doesn’t give up.”
READ MORE: Johnson in ICU
Max Maddison 3pm: Easy tax claims for working from home
Claiming deductions for working from home will be made easier for millions of Australians, after the Australian Taxation Office implemented special arrangements to make the system more straightforward.
The new shortcut enables people to claim a rate of 80c an hour for all their work-specific running expenses. The only evidence required will be time sheets proving the amount of time spent working from home.
In a statement, the ATO said from March 1 to June 30, workers can claim the new rate on all “additional running expenses”, or goods purchased specifically for home offices - such as laptops, desks and chairs. Read the full story here.
Matthew Denholm 2.50pm: Ruby Princess passenger dies in Tasmania
Tasmania has recorded its third death from coronavirus; another former Ruby Princess cruise ship passenger.
The man in his 80s died at Burnie’s North West Regional Hospital on Tuesday, said Tony Lawler, Tasmania’s Chief Medical Officer.
“On behalf of the Tasmanian Health Service, the Department of Health, and all the dedicated staff at the North West Regional Hospital, I extend my condolences to the man’s family and loved ones,” Professor Lawler said.
“Out of respect, it is not appropriate to make further comment about this matter. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of the staff at the NWRH under the current circumstances.”
The hospital as of Tuesday afternoon had six staff infected with COVID-19, while a further health worker has been infected at the nearby Mersey General Hospital in Latrobe. Dozens of staff from both hospitals are in quarantine.
Both hospitals are closed to visitors, while ambulances are taking emergency patients in the Devonport area to Launceston General Hospital, up to 100km away.
Tasmania had 89 cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday afternoon.
David Penberthy 2.43pm: SA records first coronavirus fatality
South Australia has recorded its first coronavirus fatality with a 75-year-old man dying on Monday night after contracting the illness at a recent Melbourne wedding attended by several guests who had travelled from Italy.
It is understood the man and his wife, who also tested positive to COVID-19 and whose condition is unknown, spent a full week in Victoria hosting a group of 13 Italians who had travelled to Australia for the wedding and some sight-seeing.
The couple fell ill on their return to Adelaide, with the 75-year-old man losing his fight at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on Monday night.
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the fatality showed both the danger of the virus and the need to maintain social distancing.
“This is the sad reality of this virus,” he said. “We will see more people lose their lives in South Australia.”
“We are just reminding people to follow the restrictions that are in place, because they are there to support those vulnerable people in our community,’
Mr Stevens said police have seen “fantastic” compliance among South Australians, with only nine fines issued for breaches of coronavirus restrictions.
SA Police has issued 13 formal cautions out of nearly 2900 compliance checks. About 15,000 businesses have been checked by officers.
READ MORE: Drive-through nasal swab tests in Bondi
David Rogers 2.39pm: RBA leaves the official cash rate unchanged
The Reserve Bank has left the official cash rate unchanged after its monthly board meeting.
As widely expected by market economists, the RBA left the official cash rate at a record low of 0.25 per cent.
Richard Ferguson 2.22pm: COVID-modelling ‘only one factor’
Scott Morrison says the next round of COVID-19 modelling will only be one factor in deciding to dial down social distancing restrictions.
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said in Canberra that it will take weeks before the national cabinet receives COVID-19 modelling based on real-time Australia data.
The Prime Minister warned that once that data is in, different states will move at different times to reduce social distancing.
“The modelling is just one of many tools,” the Prime Minister said.
“There won’t be one issue that determines that ... you will have some states and territories which can move when others can not.”
READ MORE: Lack of protective gear ‘a worry’
Richard Ferguson 2.17pm: PM dismisses concerns JobKeeper ‘inequitable’
Scott Morrison has dismissed concerns the $130bn JobKeeper package is inequitable, saying big businesses have a “much greater capacity” to keep their workers in jobs.
The Australian revealed on Tuesday that up to one million casual workers — including high school and university students — could receive a major financial windfall under JobKeeper, while big businesses and universities find themselves laying off staff not eligible for wage subsidies.
The Prime Minister said businesses with a turnover over $1bn could not be compared to small businesses struggling with the coronavirus pandemic.
“They have different financial capabilities,” he said in Canberra.
“Larger businesses have a much greater capacity ... just like banks do.
“It’s like comparing Qantas to a corner shop.”
Richard Ferguson 2.12pm: States to work separately on renters
Scott Morrison says the rights of residential landlords and tenants will be dealt with by the states individually.
The national cabinet will not compose a national baseline for residential renters’ rights as it has done for commercial tenancies.
“There is a six-month moratorium on evictions,’ the Prime Minister said in Canberra.
“Beyond that, individual states will work separately.”
READ MORE: Coronavirus threat to schoolies week
Lachlan Moffet Gray 2.08pm: Just one new case for ACT
ACT is continuing to flatten the curve of new coronavirus infections, recording just one additional COVID-19 case in the past 24 hours, bringing the territory’s total to 97.
The new case is a woman in her 70s, who was a close contact of a previous confirmed case.
ACT Health said there are six coronavirus patients currently in hospital while 42 cases - almost half the total - have fully recovered from the virus.
There have been 5497 negative COVID-19 tests in the ACT to date.
Acting ACT Chief Health Officer Vanessa Johnston reminded all Canberrans, as hard as it is to maintain social distancing and stay at home.
Richard Ferguson 2.03pm: System ‘would have collapsed’ without action
The government’s COVID-19 modelling shows there would have been a demand for 35,000 intensive care unit beds had Scott Morrison and the national cabinet not implemented quarantine and social distancing.
A “worst case scenario” where Australia took no action to control the spread of coronavirus suggests the health system would have collapsed under the pressure of cases of the disease.
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said even if the government had only isolated COVID-19 positive patients and their contacts, there would have also have been excessive demand for ICU beds.
“The purpose of this data is show these measures ... have had a substantial downward effect,” Professor Murphy said in Canberra.
“With social distancing ... we know we can meet the ICU demand.”
READ MORE: Check-in gives early virus alert
Ewin Hannan 2.01pm: Porter reveals JobKeeper deal
Employers wanting employees to take annual leave during the coronavirus pandemic will need the agreement of the workers under changes to the $130 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy.
But employees would not be able to “unreasonably refuse” to take the annual leave, the Attorney-General Christian Porter said on Tuesday as he detailed a preliminary draft bill to be put to federal parliament on Wednesday.
Mr Porter said employers and employees could also agree to change the days an employee worked.
Under further changes to the Fair Work Act, employers will be able to cut employee hours if the employee can not be usefully employed during the pandemic.
Employees will be able to have a decision to alter hours reviewed by the Fair Work Commission.
Workers who have had their hours cut and are receiving the $1500 subsidy will be able to seek secondary employment.
Employers will be able to alter the duties of employees and the location of their work if safe and reasonable.
Mr Porter said the changes were designed to allow the $1500 fortnightly JobKeeper payments to “lawfully flow”.
READ MORE: Light at the end of the tunnel as Wuhan lockdown lifted
Richard Ferguson 1.53pm: Australian cases remain ‘relatively low’
Scott Morrison says modelling on COVID-19 transmission will help the national cabinet plan a way out of social distancing restrictions, but now is not the time to relax tough rules.
The current modelling is based on international data as Australian cases remain relatively low.
The Prime Minister said today’s data was not a prediction of how the disease may spread.
“It will help us plan the way out,” he said.
“We must continue to do what we are doing ... we must continue to adjust and adapt.”
READ MORE: Opening NRL rounds won’t be axed: V’Landys
Richard Ferguson 1.49pm: Deal struck on new rules for commercial landlords
Commercial landlords will be required to reduce rent proportionate to a business’s fall in turnover in a mandatory code of conduct unveiled by Scott Morrison and the national cabinet.
Flagged last week, the Prime Minister and premiers have struck a deal with industry players which is designed to protect both landlords and tenants.
Landlords and tenants must honour leases, and rent must be reduced via waivers and lease extensions.
The code will apply for businesses who are eligible for the JobKeeper payment and have a turnover of $50 million or less.
“Landlords must not terminate the lease ... tenants must honour the lease,” Mr Morrison said.
“Landlords will be required to reduce rent proportionate to the decline in turnover.”
Richard Ferguson 1.39pm: We must lock in these gains: PM
Scott Morrison says Australians must lock in the gains made against the spread of coronavirus by staying home this Easter.
The Prime Minister is unveiling the government’s modelling on best and worst case scenarios on COVID-19.
“We must lock in these gains,” he said in Canberra.
“The combination of our health and economic responses is giving us the opportunity ... to plan our way through and out of this crisis.
“We have bought valuable time but we must not be complacent.
“This Easter ... stay at home.”
Deborah Cornwall 1.35pm: Airbnb host’s offer to those caught short
Single Mosman mum and Airbnb super host, Belinda Selway, is offering her palatial Sydney family home as a luxury bolt hole for people caught short in the COVID crisis, with optional extras like “a stocked larder and two week’s worth of vino”.
Ms Selway, an interior designer, says after watching her Airbnb business fall off a cliff over the past two months she is now catering to a whole new post-coronavirus clientele – from health workers to bewildered overseas tourists too scared to fly home.
“People have been caught short in so many ways,’ Ms Selway explains.
“You have local families who suddenly have to leave their own home because someone in the family is too elderly or vulnerable to have the kids in the house or, like my clients this week, they were stuck in the middle of a renovation trying to work from home.
“Now people are cooped up at home all day what might have been workable is suddenly unbearable.’
Paige Taylor 1.30pm: Indigenous ‘want exemptions to travel bans’
A senior Aboriginal man from Western Australia’s largest remote community says numerous indigenous people want exemptions to new strict travel bans to go shopping in the town of Broome, where there are 10 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Frankie Shoveller lives in Bidyadanga, population about 1000, which is among dozens of settlements in the remote far north that are now locked down.
I sense this is an inconvenience that could grow into a much bigger issue. Mr Shoveller happy to buy online but asks “who will deliver?†There has to be a solution. This tea is $6.99 at Bidyadanga and $3.50 at Coles pic.twitter.com/osSlOzbEU3
— Paige Taylor (@paigeataylor) April 7, 2020
“They had a meeting here last week in Bidyadanga - the CEO, the council members, police - now they set these new rules about people not going into town. Half the people didn’t understand that properly,” Mr Shoveller told The Australian on Monday.
“Some of the people didn’t like that rule.”
At the Bidyadanga store yesterday, 1kg of Omo laundry powder was $17.99 while Woolworths advertised the same item online for $11.99. A box of 100 Bushells teabags was $6.99 while Coles advertised it online for $3.50.
There have have been a total of 13 COVID-19 cases in the Kimberley and so far these are confined to the towns of Broome, Kununurra and Halls Creek.
Richard Ferguson 12.44pm: PM to outline virus modelling for Australia
Scott Morrison and the national cabinet will reveal modelling on COVID-19 and their progress on a deal between commercial tenants and landlords this afternoon.
The modelling by the nation’s chief medical officers will outline the best and worst case scenarios for the spread of the disease throughout Australia, after weeks of social distancing restrictions and economic pain.
The Prime Minister and the cabinet are also expected to edge closer to an industry code of conduct for commercial landlords, with the hope landlords and tenants can lead a deal.
Mr Morrison will speak from Canberra at 1.15pm today.
READ MORE: US toll smashes through 10,000
Angelica Snowden 12.38pm: Police officers slapped with COVID-19 fines
Two off-duty police officers have been slapped with COVID-19 fines after attending a social gathering on the weekend.
A 27-year-old woman “who appeared to be intoxicated” was spotted by officers about 8:30pm on Saturday on King Street in Sydney’s CBD.
Police say a 31-year-old man was trying to assist her before she was taken to hospital.
Police later discovered the woman was a serving Senior Constable attached to Police Transport Command.
There were also other off-duty officers at the party in a nearby apartment, including a serving Senior Constable attached to Fairfield City Police.
READ MORE: Lockdown L-plater’s $1600 fine withdrawn
Richard Ferguson 12.35pm: Tax benefits for homebound workers
People working from home will be able to claim 80 cents an hour to reduce their tax bill through the coronavirus pandemic.
Workers homebound will only have to keep a record of the hours they work from home - rather than needing to calculate specific running expenses - after a move by the Australian Taxation Office to simplify expenses between March 1 and June 30.
The ATO will review if this measure is needed for the next financial year too.
Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar said the new measures would help the economic recovery from coronavirus.
“The Morrison government welcomes the temporary arrangements announced by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to make it easier for Australians to claim deductions for working from home due to COVID-19,” he said.
“Today’s announcement is yet another demonstration of how every arm of government is working to keep Australians in jobs and businesses in business, and to build a bridge to recovery on the other side.
“These new arrangements do not prohibit Australians from making a standard working from home claim using the two standard approaches should they wish to do so.”
Angelica Snowden 12.27pm: NSW Labor renews calls for death-ship inquiry
NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay has called the Ruby Princess debacle one of the “greatest public health failures” and renewed calls for a public inquiry with the powers of a royal commission.
Not only is this one of the greatest public health failures in NSW, but it is unfortunately being followed by a cover up,” Ms McKay said.
“We support any criminal investigation into criminal behaviour,” she said.
The decision to disembark 2700 people off the Ruby Princess is primarily a failure of government and oversight by the NSW Health Minister.
— Jodi McKay (@JodiMcKayMP) April 7, 2020
While we support Police examining any suspected criminality, this situation requires more than that.
“But as we have said for a week now, we believe there needs to be a public, transparent inquiry with the powers of a royal commission.”
NSW Labor’s upper house leader Adam Searle said the investigation announced by the Premier Gladys Berejiklian was insufficient because a police inquiry will not compelled to make evidence public unless a prosecution is heard.
“The results of police investigations are not made public, that is the details are not made public,” Mr Searle said.
“The evidence they gather is revealed only if there is a prosecution,” he said.
READ MORE: Critics condemn 18-month delay for Ruby Princess case
PATRICK COMMINS 12.15pm: JobKeeper plan gives huge boost to consumer confidence
Scott Morrison’s $130bn JobKeeper package has provided the biggest weekly boost to consumer confidence on record, albeit to still low levels, according to the latest ANZ-Roy Morgan survey.
The confidence index jumped 10 per cent over the week to 72 points — the largest increase since the survey went weekly in 2008.
ANZ head of Australian economics David Plank said the blockbuster move represented “a strong endorsement of the government’s massive wage subsidy package”. “Better news about the flattening of the ‘pandemic curve’ may also have contributed,” Mr Plank said.
Despite the weekend’s much more upbeat survey results, confidence as measured by the index remains at levels last seen in the 1990s recession. The weekend’s reading was still below the four-week average of 77 points, and well under the average of 113 since 1990.
READ MORE: $130bn JobKeeper package gives huge boost to confidence
LACHLAN MOFFET GRAY 12.10pm: China confirms 32 cases in last 24 hours
China has confirmed another 32 cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, none of which occurred locally, according to the nation’s National Health Commission. The figure is less than the previous day’s increase of 39, the majority of which were also cases from travellers arriving in the country.
The number of “imported” coronavirus cases on the mainland is now 983, the National Health Commission said in a statement. The mainland now has 82,665 confirmed cases of the virus, 77,310 of which have recovered. More than 3300 people have died. The reported disappearance of locally transmitted cases on the mainland has led to the government lifting restrictions on the city of Wuhan in the Hubei province, where the virus originated. The Chinese has government instituted travel restrictions on foreign nationals in a bid to control the number “imported” cases, banning all non-essential foreign visitors the Saturday before last.
READ MORE: Wuhan lockdown lifted
BRENT READ 12pm: Opening NRL rounds won’t be axed: V’landys
ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys has intervened to end any talk that the opening two rounds of the competition could be scrapped as part of the resumption of the premiership.
A handful of clubs were up in arms when it emerged last night that the football innovation committee was considering a proposal that would have expunged the two rounds of the premiership that were played before the competition was shut down.
It has since emerged that V’landys spoke with committee head and fellow commissioner Wayne Pearce this morning and the proposal will not be considered by Project Apollo.
That means teams will keep the competition points that they won before the competition went into hibernation. Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy, Newcastle’s Adam O’Brien and Canberra’s Ricky Stuart were among those who railed against the proposal — all had led their sides to successive wins to open the season.
READ MORE: Opening NRL rounds won’t be axed — V’landys
ANGELICA SNOWDEN 11.45am: Anti-wrinkle injections still being performed in homes
The Cosmetic Physicians College of Australia says anti-wrinkle injections and dermal filler cosmetic procedures are still being performed after recommending they be discontinued to fight the spread of COVID-19. They say that a minority of doctors and nurses continue to perform the non-essential procedures, with anecdotal reports that some are happening in people’s homes or hairdressers.
“At this moment, any cosmetic procedure that results in community transmission of COVID19, may result in the death of persons who otherwise might well have survived infection and avoided the ultimate penalty of loss of life,” a statement from the CPCA read.
“With patient safety at the forefront, the CPCA is however highly concerned regarding a small minority of doctors and nurses who continue to perform cosmetic procedures, namely using botulinum toxin anti-wrinkle injections and dermal llers, while the majority have ceased these practices.”
A story by the ABC suggested some botox users were at “serious risk of mental health issues” during the coronavirus crisis. If they have underlying body image issues a halt in cosmetic injectables could exacerbate symptoms of depression, the story says. In response the president of the CPCA Dr Michael Molton said all registered medical practitioners are required to complete study in psychiatry and be able to diagnose mental illnesses like body dysmorphic disorder.
“Australian Cosmetic Physicians place a strong emphasis upon methods of detecting affected patients who suffer from a wide array of psychological disorders, from BDD, OCD, Borderline Personality to name only a few,” Dr Molton said. “Patients with BDD should not be treated with cosmetic procedures in any case, but referred for psychological assessment to a specialist Psychiatrist.’’
READ MORE: Etihad, Elenium trial airport check-in that doubles as health test
Rebecca Urban 11.30am: Coronavirus threat to annual ‘schoolies’ week
The annual pilgrimage by thousands of Year 12 students to “schoolies week” events across the country is in doubt, following a decision by the Victorian government to extend the school year into at least December. Victorian students studying their VCE are now expected to sit their final exams in December, if not early January, under the state government’s plan to move to remote schooling in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Other states are watching closely and are considering making similar adjustments.
Year 12 exams are typically held between October and mid-November, after which thousands of students flock to places such as the Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Bali and Fiji to celebrate the end of their schooling. The event, which is typically held in the final week of November or the first week of December, has become a significant rite of passage for many school leavers, many of whom make their travel plans a year in advance. Accommodation packages can range from $1000 to $2500.Students will now have to negotiate refunds with their travel providers, with any hopes of delaying their travel to January likely to be affected by existing summer holiday bookings by families.
READ MORE: Coronavirus threat to annual ‘schoolies’ week
Oliver Wright 11am: UK Foreign Secretary takes charge of UK virus fight
Dominic Raab, the UK foreign secretary, has become Britain’s de facto prime minister after he was handed powers to lead the government and its efforts to tackle coronavirus in Boris Johnson’s absence. Mr Raab will chair cabinet meetings, liaise with senior ministers and civil servants and take decisions on behalf of Mr Johnson if he is unable to do so himself while in intensive care.
If the prime minister needs ventilation he is likely to be sedated and unable to take decisions for several days. Mr Raab will be supported by Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, and Matt Hancock, the health secretary, who chair three of the four ministerial groups in charge of the government’s response to the crisis.
Despite Mr Johnson’s move to intensive care No 10 say that he might still be consulted on key issues, insisting that Mr Raab would deputise only “where necessary”.
Mr Raab was already first secretary of state, a position that would place him in charge of Britain if Mr Johnson were to become incapacitated.
Mr Raab’s first job will be to fill the “political vacuum” in Downing Street, where key staff have also succumbed to COVID-19. Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s chief adviser, is in self-isolation after developing symptoms. Mr Johnson’s other key aide, Sir Eddie Lister, 70, has not been in the building since the lockdown was announced last month. His age puts him in an at-risk group. Lee Cain, No 10’s communications director, has been off with symptoms, as has Mr Hancock’s senior adviser.
Junior aides have also been in self-isolation after the virus “ripped through” the heart of government, as one Conservative source put it. “Many of the key players are simply not there at the moment,” the source said. “It has definitely made the whole thing more tricky to get a grip on.” — The Times
READ MORE: Boris in ICU as Europe eases restrictions
David Rogers 10.50am: ASX pushes higher after Dow soars 8 per cent
The local market is firmly higher for a second day, after a rally on offshore markets fuelled by slowing coronavirus fatality rates. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 opened up 2.6pc at 3-week high of 5423.1 as expected based on overnight futures. But S&P 500 futures are up 0.7pc and WTI crude futures are up 3.4pc in early trading, giving hope of further upside in Australian shares today.
Consumer discretionary stocks are leading the charge, up 4pc, while consumer staples and utilities are pulling back. The Dow soared 1600 points, or 7.7 per cent, the S&P jumped 7.0 per cent and the Nasdaq gained 7.3 per cent. Oil prices sank. The Reserve Bank board meets later today.
READ MORE: Follow the markets in our TradingDay blog
Lachlan Moffet Gray 10.30am: Pregnant women ‘no more susceptible to virus’
A new study out of the US has found that pregnant women with coronavirus do not seem to pass their infection onto their children, and are not any more susceptible to severe symptoms of the virus than the general population.
The study was published on Tuesday in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and examined 43 pregnant women in New York who tested positive for COVID-19 between March 13 and 27, CNN health reports.
Of the women studied, 37 experienced mild symptoms, four developed severe symptoms and two developed “critical” symptoms, mirroring patterns in the general population where roughly 80 per cent of people experience a mild case of the virus 15 per cent develop a severe case and five per cent, a critical case.
None of the babies, which were all tested after their birth, had contracted the disease.
The impact of the virus on pregnant woman has been of particular interest to the medical community as during the SARS and Zika virus pandemics, pregnant women were disproportionately affected by the illness and had a higher mortality rate.
READ MORE: Light at the end of the tunnel
Lachlan Moffet Gray 10.05am: Trump ‘saddened’ over Johnson in ICU
US President Donald Trump has paid tribute to his “very good” friend UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who entered ICU due to severe coronavirus symptoms earlier on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, President Trump said Americans were praying for Mr Johnson’s recovery.
“I also want to send best wishes to a very good friend of mine and a friend of our nation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson,” he said.
“We are very saddened to hear he was taken into intensive care this afternoon - a little while ago - and Americans are all praying for his recovery.
“He’s been a really good friend. He’s been really something very special - strong, resolute, doesn’t quit, doesn’t give up.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2020
President Trump said he would mobilise American healthcare companies - though he didn’t say which ones - to provide Mr Johnson with top-quality care.
“I’ve asked two of the leading companies – these are brilliant companies. Ebola, Aids, they’ve come with the solutions and just have done incredible jobs – and I’ve asked them to contact London immediately,” President Trump said.
“We’ll see if we can be of help. We’ve contacted all of Boris’s doctors, and we’ll see what is going to take place, but they are ready to go.
“But when you get brought into intensive care, that gets very, very serious with this particular disease.
“So, the two companies are there, and with what they are talking about, and it’s rather complex, and has had really incredible results.
“We’re working with the FDA and everybody else but we are working with London with respect to Boris Johnson.”
READ MORE: Boris in ICU as Europe eases restrictions
Lachlan Moffet Gray 9.55am: Crackdown on coronavirus cyber criminals
The government is cracking down on foreign cyber criminals attempting to rip off Australians through coronavirus-related online scams.
The effort is being led by the Australian Signals Directorate and will involve telecommunications firms, who have been engaged to take down malicious websites.
Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said the ASD has mobilised its offensive cyber capabilities, to disrupt foreign cyber criminals responsible for a spate of malicious activities during COVID-19.
“Cyber criminals that are using the cover of cyberspace and international borders to target Australians are not beyond our reach,” Senator Reynolds said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We are hitting back through the Australian Signals Directorate, who have already successfully disrupted activities from foreign criminals by disabling their infrastructure and blocking their access to stolen information.
“Some of these cyber criminals have even posed as health officials in an attempt to exploit vulnerable Australians, by infecting their computers with malware and stealing their private information.”
The World Health Organisation has previously warned cyber criminals pretending to be UN or WHO officials have used the coronavirus pandemic to fraudulently steal money or personal details.
According to Scamwatch, Australians have lost in excess of $21 million in 2020 alone to online and telephone scams.
READ MORE: Minderoo fights for supplies
Matthew Denholm 9.45am: Tassie bans hospital nursing home visits
Visits to all public hospitals and aged care homes in Tasmania will be banned from noon Tuesday to try to halt the spread of coronavirus.
Premier Peter Gutwein said exemptions would apply, including for people visiting dependent children in hospital and for “end of life” visits to the elderly in nursing homes.
The measures would be reviewed after two weeks.
Mr Gutwein held out an unusual carrot for Tasmanians to abide by the stay-at-home lockdown; saying there might be opportunities for the state to host AFL teams to restart the season if it emerged from the crisis ahead of other states.
There were also warnings for those ignoring the law, with a man jailed after breaching quarantine requirements at a state-run isolation hotel for a second time.
Police Commissioner Darren Hine warned police would be pulling over motorists and checking shacks over Easter to ensure compliance with laws requiring people to stay in their primary residence.
Mr Gutwein promised whatever funds necessary to “get on top of” a cluster of coronavirus cases in the state’s two northwest hospitals, where seven health workers have been infected and dozens placed into quarantine.
The state had 89 COVID-19 cases as of Monday night.
READ MORE: Nick Cater writes: If there was ever a time for liberal measures, it’s now
Lachlan Moffet Gray 9.40am: Cruise ships ordered out of Queensland waters
All cruise ships will leave Queensland waters by Wednesday to limit the spread of COVID-19 across the state.
The move was announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Twitter on Tuesday. “We’ve passed a new direction demaning all cruise ships leave Queensland waters,” Ms Palaszczuk tweeted.
BREAKING: We’ve passed a new direction demanding all cruise ships depart Queensland waters. #coronavirusaustralia pic.twitter.com/nO6txd70cd
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) April 6, 2020
Nine cruise ships had been off the coast and the four that now remain have been ordered to move out of Queensland waters by one minute before midnight on Wednesday.
Queensland
Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Tuesday morning several cruise ships either in port or off the coast will exit Queenslasnd waters by midnight Wednesday. Some were restocking and refuelling before setting sail, she said.
“If you do see a cruise ship at a port today or tomorrow they are just refuelling and will be on their way.”
READ MORE: Another day, another tragedy on Ruby
Angelica Snowden 9.30am: Wage subsidy deal finalised this morning
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the engagement between the coalition and the ACTU has been “constructive” and that the final details of the wage subsidy will be finalised this morning.
“There is a need to build in some temporary flexibility as we go through this period to ensure that the money can actually reach the people that we need it to,” Mr Cormann said on Sky News.
“In the end we want as many businesses and as many individuals to get safely to the other side as possible,” he said.
He deferred to Christian Porter to confirm whether or not there would be a provision for the Fair Work Commission to have the power to review the legislation.
“The principle is that we do want to ensure we have the right balance,” he said.
“This is about getting money into workers’ pockets in a way that doesn’t put business in the way of industrial relations laws,
“We want to ensure that there are safeguards in there, that there is not going to be the opportunity to abuse the system.”
The Finance Minister said casuals who have been with an employer for less than 12 months would qualify for a JobSeeker payment.
“On casuals the system is very clear. The JobKeeper payment is about keeping longer term employees connected with their business,” he said.
“Those Australians on JobSeeker also qualify for rental assistance as well as family tax benefits and the like.”
He said he is confident that Labor will support the package when parliament returns tomorrow.
READ MORE: Economy the great unknown
Craig Johnstone 9.15am: Gold Coast beaches to close ahead of Easter
Queensland has recorded just 13 new cases of COVID-19, taking the state’s total cases to 934.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the low number of new cases was pleasing news. However, she cautioned that social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus was still necessary.
“We are coming up to the Easter break. We don’t want people to rest and think it is OK to socialise,” she said.
Major beaches on the Gold Coast will close ahead of Easter and police have warned they will crack down on unnecessary travel.
Ms Palaszczuk confirmed several cruise ships either in port or off the coast will exit Queenslasnd waters by midnight Wednesday. Some were restocking and refuelling before setting sail, she said.
“If you do see a cruise ship at a port today or tomorrow they are just refuelling and will be on their way.”
READ MORE: Air BnB banned as shutters fall on getaways
Adeshola Ore 9.10am: SA’s first death brings national toll to 45
A 75-year-old Adelaide man has become South Australia’s first coronavirus victim.
The man, who contracted COVID-19 interstate, died on Monday evening at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
“Our condolences are with the family and friends of the man,” a SA Health statement read.
Angelica Snowden 9.05am: Burke: Labor won’t block wage subsidies
The shadow minister for Industrial Relations Tony Burke said Labor will not block Scott Morrison’s $130 billion wage subsidy package when parliament sits on Wednesday.
“The wage subsidy will go through tomorrow,” Mr Burke told Sky News.
“The challenge is who’s going to be left out,” he said.
“You’ve got people who are relying on this income to support their household and a wage subsidy simply shouldn’t be leaving a million workers behind.”
The Labor MP said his party would support the expedited change but would argue that a safety net should be included in the legislation that will allow the Fair Work Commission to review.
“I expect that we’re finding our way through on this at the moment,” he said.
READ MORE: Premier ‘selling out frontline workers’
Rebecca Urban 9.00am: Vic pupils to learn from home in term two
Most Victorian schoolchildren will learn from home when term two starts next week, with free internet access and laptops to be provided to those in need, the Victorian government has announced.
Meanwhile VCE students will also be able to achieve an ATAR score, after the study timetable, including the GAT test and end-of-year exams are adjusted.
Premier Daniel Andrews said on Tuesday morning that it was the intention for VCE students to conclude their studies by the end of the calendar year.
“Were not about Years 13 or people repeating,” Mr Andrews confirmed, adding school would look different for the remainder of the year. “It can’t be helped.”
“If you can, learn from home. That’s what we need you to do.”
Education Minister James Merlino said the advice applied to all families across the state.
He said he expected the Catholic and independent school sectors would also adopt remote, flexible learning from the start of term two.
Mr Merlino said that if Year 12 exams were unable to be completed in December, they could be held in January or ATAR scores could be adjusted.
READ MORE: Shutters fall on Easter getaways
Rachel Baxendale 8.55am: Vic death toll rises to 11
Another Victorian has died with COVID-19 overnight, bringing the state’s death toll to 11.
Premier Daniel Andrews did not reveal any details about the latest fatality as he announced the number of Victorian cases had risen to 1,191 on Tuesday morning - an increase of 33 since Monday.
There have been 93 community transmissions - or infections not linked to overseas travel or other known case - up from 88 on Monday.
There are 47 Victorians in hospital, including 13 in intensive care.
Victoria Police have conducted 938 spot-checks over the past 24 hours to ensure people are obeying social distancing laws, issuing 108 infringement notices.
READ MORE: Anti-malarial drug rolled out after ‘promising research’
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.50am: JobKeeper may include uni students
Universities may be included in the government’s $130 billion Jobkeeper wage subsidy program, with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann revealing that the government is currently in discussion with the sector, which is facing more than $4 billion in losses, on how to include them in the scheme.
The universities have approached us, and we are considering this,” Senator Cormann told ABC News on Tuesday.
“I’m not in a position to make an announcement. I mean, that is something that we’re currently working our way through.
“We do understand that universities, along with many other organisations around Australia, are facing particular pressures right now.
It’s a matter of making properly balanced judgements.”
Senator Cormann also said he was not he was not concerned over a liquidity crisis in the superannuation sector, after The Australian revealed 360,000 Australians are attempting to take advantage of the opportunity to access up to $10,000 of their super early under new government rules.
“It doesn’t worry us. I mean, like, you know, we have about $3 trillion in superannuation
savings in Australia,” he said.
“About $300 billion of that is held in cash. And it is absolutely easily feasible for superannuation funds to release some of that cash to their owners in order to help Australia through this period.
“APRA, the prudential regulators, made it very clear this can easily be done without any systemic impact on our superannuation system. It should be done.
“This is obviously an unprecedented situation we’re finding ourselves in, and we’ve gotta try and use every possible way to support Australians through this period.”
READ MORE: Business loans surge amid shutdown
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.40am: Virus hotspot residents urged to be tested
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has implored residents of areas with widespread community transmission to present themselves for testing, saying a number of cases in the state still have no origin.
“As the Premier indicated, testing rates were down on the weekend. They have bounced back a bit. We had 2,100 people presenting for testing, and were tested in the previous 24 hours,” Dr Chant told reporters on Tuesday.
“However, we are urging that people - we take this opportunity to encourage people to come forward for testing if they’ve got symptoms in the areas of Waverley, Woollahra, Dee Why, Lake Macquarie, Manning, Nowra, Byron and Port Macquarie.
“In those areas, we have seen a case, or cases, of local transmission where we haven’t been able to find the source.”
Speaking at the same conference, NSW Police commissioner Mick Fuller provided an update on the more than 3,000 Australian residents in hotel isolation after returning from overseas, saying 200 of them would be allowed to go home on Wednesday.
“From the Swissotel perspective, this time tomorrow over 200 Australians will be allowed out of the hotel,” he said.
“There are some New South Wales individuals who will be -- non-New South Wales individuals who will be transported to the airport. They will be given a letter from me confirming their period of isolation. I certainly hope when they land back in their home states and territories that they are allowed to go home.
“After that, we’ll be planning for the coming Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, where some 3,000 Australian residents will come out of hotel isolation. And we thank all of those Australians for their patience over the period of the 14 days.”
Commissioner Fuller also provided an update on crime in the state, saying widespread lockdown measures have increased family and domestic violence “slightly” while alcohol-related crimes and assaults are down.
“In terms of other crimes that around summertime you would expect to be up, are either stable or down. So, from a public safety perspective, I could just reiterate to say that people are safe on the streets, but please continue to report crime, knowing that police are out there,” he said.
NSW Police will move the 288 travellers and is “working with travellers to ensure their departure from the hotel is quick, simple and seamless,” a statement said.
All travellers will undergo a final health check before departing the hotel and will still be required to stick to social distancing measures as they make their way home.
READ MORE: One nasal test swab to go
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.35am: Albanese: We still support wage subsidies
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese says the Labor party will not vote against the government’s flagship $130 billion wage subsidy program when it goes to parliament on Wednesday, even if the legislation is not changed to include the more than one million casual workers who have been with their employer for less than 12 months in the scheme.
“No, let’s be very clear. The changes were always going to go through, and I said we would support the package one hour after it was announced. So that was always our position,” Mr Albanese told ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday.
“We remain concerned that 1.1 million casuals will miss out. We think that the legislation could be improved by making sure that they’re included.
“So we’ll continue to argue our case. We’ve done it privately and publicly.”
Mr Albanese said he was not privy to a late-night deal brokered on Monday between Attorney-General Christian Porter and ACTU boss Sally McManus regarding changes to the Fair Work Act necessary to implement the scheme.
“I understand that there’s been an agreement reached, a middle ground, if you like, where, perhaps, it’s that those changes might be made, but there might be an ongoing role for the commission. Perhaps it could be some middle ground. We’ll wait and see when that’s announced,” he said.
“We haven’t been a part of those negotiations. Let’s be very clear - the ACTU is not the Australian Labor Party. The ACTU have had separate negotiations with the Government, of which we haven’t been a party to those discussions.”
Mr Albanese also revealed that the Labor party has not viewed the government’s coronavirus modelling that is set to be released later on Tuesday, but welcomed it’s release.
“I think it (the data) will build trust, and will encourage support for the measures that have been put in by bringing the public with those of us who have more information than others on the journey,” he said.
“We’re all in this together. People are entitled, I think, to know what is informing Government decisions - whether they be Federal or the state and territory governments.”
READ MORE: JobKeepers boon for casuals
Angelica Snowden 8.25am: Fuller defends Ruby homicide probe
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says he stands by the decision to hand over the investigation into the Ruby Princess to homicide detectives even though it may take years for answers.
“People will call for the heads of People A and People B, but you just have to get past that. I just have to make sure that the truth gets out for the people of NSW,” Mr Fuller said.
“People will judge me for the amount of time it takes, I just need to make sure I need to get the right outcome,” he said.
The commissioner said the outcome of the investigation that will scrutinise communication between Carnival Australia and the NSW state and federal governments may lead to changes in docking protocols.
“Whenever a cruise ship comes into a NSW port or in fact any port around the world there is a high degree of trust that the ship will disclose if there are any issues, particularly biological issues,” he said.
“It’s a question of what is the communication between the Ruby Princess, Carnival and the NSW government, the federal government and the NSW Port Authority,
“There may be changes going forward in terms of protection of state and federal ports.”
Mr Fuller said police will continue to take a “common sense” approach to ensure people self isolate and stay home, despite a learner driver being fined in Victoria and another for eating a kebab in a NSW park.
“I have asked in NSW for a high degree of police using their powers of discretion,” he said.
“As of yesterday there were only 21 tickets issued for the isolation laws in seven days.”
The commissioner said he reviews every ticket personally.
“I know there is footage from day one in NSW of police driving through a park and that footage continues to haunt me,” he said.
“But we haven’t been applying the law that way since then.”
Nonetheless, Mr Fuller clarified that it was not OK to go for a drive without a reasonable excuse.
“If you don’t really need to do it, then stay home and stay safe.”
He also confirmed no roadblocks will be used to stop people from travelling to holiday houses for easter.
“But I need the community to come on the journey with me as best as possible.”
READ MORE: Laws create a muddle lane
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.20am: Another Ruby death brings NSW toll to 21
Three people have died of coronavirus in NSW overnight, bringing the state’s death toll to 21 and the nation’s to 43.
One of the deaths was an 87-year old woman who was a passenger on the Ruby Princess, bringing the ship’s NSW toll to five and the ship’s total toll to 13.
The other two deaths were of a 90-year-old man who was a resident of the Opal Care aged care facility in the south-western Sydney suburb of Bankstown, the second death from the facility.
The third death was a 90-year-old male resident of the Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Macquarie park, the sixth resident from that facility to die from coronavirus.
Despite the deaths, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said the number of cases in the state is continuing to slow in growth and “even decline”, with the number of cases growing by just 49 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 2,686 confirmed cases.
Ms Berejiklian, however, warns authorities are still “increasingly concerned about the community-to community transmission.”
She also announced $100 million in additional health funding to supply free accommodation for healthcare workers who have to go into quarantine, as well as free parking.
“They want to protect their families, they want to protect their loved ones, and that’s why we’re offering free accommodation and free parking for our health workers so
they don’t have to worry about taking the disease home, and unintentionally passing it on to their loved ones,” she said.
The package will also provide funding towards a cure for coronavirus.
“We’re also providing an extra $35 million to vital research. You know,
for the first time in a long time, every scientist on the planet is working towards a vaccine, working towards a cure, and, of course, we want New South Wales to be part of that story,” she said.
READ MORE: Call to investigate cruise owners
Rachel Baxendale 8.15am: Victoria schools announcement at 8.30am
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Deputy Premier and Education Minister James Merlino and the state’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton are due to address the media at 8:30am in Melbourne.
Mr Merlino is expected to make an announcement regarding the scheduled beginning of Term Two at Victoria’s schools next Tuesday April 14.
The Andrews government has so far maintained school will go ahead as normal, but preparations for distance learning have been underway over the holidays.
The government made the decision to begin school holidays several days early on March 24 to allow teachers to develop contingency plans.
READ MORE: Virus kills foot traffic at David Jones
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.00am: Berejiklian lashed for moving Ruby to Port Kembla
The local member for Port Kembla has slammed the NSW government for not informing him of their plans to move the coronavirus-stricken Ruby Princess cruise ship into his electorate, and says the town does not have the capacity to care for the up to 200 crew members on board who may be ill.
NSW opposition treasury spokesman Ryan Park said he first became aware that the infamous ship would be moved into his electorate of Keira through media reports on Sunday.
“Sunday night we became aware through media reports that the government had yet another secretive plan to get this ship out of sight, out of mind, heading down to Port Kembla so it wasn’t sitting in Sydney Harbour,” Mr Park told Sunrise on Tuesday.
“(It is) a reminder of the failure of this government every single day in relation to this issue.”
Mr Park said he was concerned that the hospitals in the area may not have the capacity to deal with crew requiring urgent medical assistance, given more than 200 of the 1000 crew members currently on board are experiencing symptoms of the illness.
“The big concern is we have over 200 crewmembers who are quite unwell on this ship,” he said.
“They left a location in Sydney harbour that was in close proximity to around 180 ICU beds in five major hospitals. They have travelled down to Port Kembla...where there is not enough,” he said.
READ MORE: Another day, another Ruby tragedy
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.45am: NZ health minister violates lockdown twice
New Zealand’s health minister has twice violated the country’s strict lockdown laws, but will stay in his position, despite labelling himself an “idiot.”
David Clark, Minister of Health since 2017, was caught mountain-biking near his home in the town of Dunedin on Thursday.
'Writing's on the wall' for Health Minister @DavidClarkNZ after lockdown breaches - @MutchJessica https://t.co/cabESaec9M pic.twitter.com/VJPjO2Es0f
— 1 NEWS (@1NewsNZ) April 6, 2020
On Tuesday, he revealed that he also took his family on a coastal walk the previous weekend.
The walk violates rules of the lockdown as it took place more than 20 kilometres from his residence.
Apologising to the nation, Dr Clark said “as the Health Minister it’s my responsibility to not only follow the rules but set an example to other New Zealanders.
“At a time when we are asking New Zealanders to make historic sacrifices I’ve let the team down,” he said.
“I’ve been an idiot, and I understand why people will be angry with me. I’ve apologised to the Prime Minister for my lack of judgement and offered her my resignation.”
Jacinda Ardern has kept him in his position owing to the crisis, but has stripped him of his associate finance minister role.
“Under normal conditions I would sack the Minister of Health. What he did was wrong, and there are no excuses,” she said.
“But right now, my priority is our collective fight against COVID-19. We cannot afford massive disruption in the health sector or to our response. For that reason, and that reason alone, Dr Clark will maintain his role.
“I expect better, and so does New Zealand.”
New Zealand has 911 confirmed cases of the virus and one death.
READ MORE: Adam Creighton writes: Total lockdown may be too high a price
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.20am: Live Aid style gig for global healthworkers
Celebrities are to come together at a Live-Aid style concert to raise money for the UN’s COVID-19 response fund and to celebrate healthcare workers across the world
Titled One World: Together at Home, the concert, organised by the WHO, Global Citizen and Lady Gaga will take place on April 18 without an audience. Instead, performances by stars like Billie Eilish, Lizzo and Paul Mccartney will be broadcast live on TV around the world, as well as online video services such as Amazon Prime.
â•ï¸ We’re excited to announce One World: #TogetherAtHome, a global broadcast on April 18, curated in collaboration with @LadyGaga and featuring your favorite artists and comedians — all in support of the @WHO and healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis. (1/7) pic.twitter.com/ZspKXtmd2V
— Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn) April 6, 2020
Announcing the global broadcast during the WHO’s press briefing on Monday, Lady Gaga confirmed that $35 million has already been raised over the past seven days to support the WHO’s efforts.
“It is so important to think globally and support the World Health Organization to curb the pandemic and prevent future outbreaks,” she said.
“We want to highlight the gravity of this historical, unprecedented, and cultural movement.”
Alongside music and other performances, the concert will also feature stories of healthcare workers on the frontline around the world.
“We are all so very grateful to all of the health care professionals across the country and around the world, who are on the frontlines during COVID-19,” Gaga said.
“What you are doing is putting yourselves in harm’s way to help the world and we all salute you.”
READ MORE: Lack of protective gear ‘a worry’
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.15am: Shorten: Labor won’t abandon casual workers
The federal shadow cabinet will meet in Canberra on Tuesday night ahead of Parliament’s return on Wednesday to discuss ways of ensuring casual workers who have been employed for less than 12 months can access the government’s flagship $130 billion wage-subsidy program.
Speaking to Today, shadow minister for government services Bill Shorten said Labor would not abandon attempts to include the more than one million casual workers in the scheme, despite Attorney-General Christian Porter on Monday accusing Labor of playing politics at a time of crisis.
“There is still one outstanding issue, that is for casuals who have worked for less than 12 months for a particular employer,” Mr Shorten said.
“There are a lot of people from delivery trucks to construction to the entertainment industry, your own people, where they don’t work necessarily for the same employer or have one continuous job for 12 months...It would be good if we did something for those casuals because they are the backbone of our workforce.”
Despite supporting an expansion of the scheme, Mr Shorten said sunset clauses should be included in the legislation to ensure wage subsidies to not continue beyond a point where they are no longer necessary.
“We should be putting in sunset clauses. What that means is when the crisis is over, you know, the money can’t go forever either. It’s important during the crisis. If there is flexibility for employers that should go for the duration of the crisis,” he said.
Briefly addressing the issue of Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s collapse in support in the most recent Newspoll, Mr Shorten said it was natural for an incumbent to attract support at a time of crisis.
“The reality is that we are in a sort of medical war, public health emergency. It is natural for people to rally behind the incumbent if they are doing things that people agree with,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s a reflection on anything else other than we are in the middle of a crisis and people’s natural instinct is to want to see that - they don’t want politics at the moment, they just want information.”
READ MORE: Casuals’ money for jam from wage plan
Lachlan Moffet Gray 6.50am: British Open cancelled for first time since WWII
The world’s oldest and most prestigious golf tournament, the British Open, has been cancelled for the first time since World War Two as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt normal life.
The tournament, slated for July 16 to 19 at the Royal St George in England, will be moved to 2021.
The organising group, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, said the extraordinary decision, last made in 1945, was based on health concerns.
“Our absolute priority is to protect the health and safety of the fans, players, officials, volunteers and staff involved in the Open,” chief executive Martin Slumbers said in a statement on Monday. “
“We care deeply about this historic championship and have made this decision with a heavy heart.
“We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world, but this pandemic is severely affecting the UK and we have to act responsibly. It is the right thing to do.”
The Open was first played in 1860 in Scotland.
READ MORE: Shutters fall on Easter getaways
Lachlan Moffet Gray 6.30am: Worldwide coronavirus deaths surge past 73,000
Across the world there are now more than 1.3 million cases of coronavirus and the number of deaths has hit 73,703.
Criticism of China’s reporting of their domestic coronavirus cases is now coming from outside the west, with Iran’s health minister Kianoosh Jahanpour on Sunday describing the reported number of 82,665 cases and 3212 deaths on the mainland as a “joke”, adding that it gave the impression that coronavirus was nothing more than influenza, but with fewer deaths.
The comment was met with a stinging rebuke by the Chinese ambassador to Iran, Chang Hua, who said a press conference was held by his country’s national health commission every day.
“I suggest you read their news very carefully in order to draw conclusions,” he said.
On Monday Mr Jahanpour retracted his earlier statements, saying he was going to take “a glass half full approach.”
“At the very least, we all decided that we had to represent the principles of democracy.”
Iran, which normally has warm diplomatic relationships with China and exports much of its oil to the manufacturing giant, has 60,500 confirmed cases of the virus and 3739 deaths, with 136 deaths occurring in the past 24 hours.
Israel is bracing for an explosion of cases in the Gaza strip after a 13th person was diagnosed with the virus on Monday.
Gaza, a self-governing Palestinian territory on the Mediterranean sea, is said to be one of the most densely populated and impoverished territories in the world, making an outbreak of the highly contagious COVID-19 disease a pending humanitarian disaster.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to announce a nationwide lock-down and ban intercity travel as the number of confirmed cases closes in on 9000, with 56 deaths.
READ MORE: Universities furious over missing rescue funds
Angelica Snowden 6.20am: JK Rowling recovers from ‘likely coronavirus case'
Harry Potter author JK Rowling says she has recovered from a likely case of COVID-19.
Ms Rowling said she had suffered from “all symptoms of C19” for the last two weeks but did not get tested, she tweeted.
The author posted a video on Twitter with instructions from health care professionals on breathing techniques to alleviate coronavirus symptoms.
“I’m fully recovered & technique helped a lot,” she said.
Please watch this doc from Queens Hospital explain how to relieve respiratory symptoms. For last 2 weeks I've had all symptoms of C19 (tho haven't been tested) & did this on doc husband's advice. I'm fully recovered & technique helped a lot.https://t.co/xo8AansUvc via @YouTube
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 6, 2020
READ MORE: Nick Cater — Economy the great unknown in viral era
Cameron Stewart 6.10am: Coronavirus deaths in US pass the 10,000 mark
The death toll from coronavirus in the United States has smashed through the 10,000 mark although there are tentative signs of a plateau in the death rate in the nation’s hotspot of New York.
The grim milestone of 10,000 deaths — the third highest after Italy and Spain — was reached after about 1000 more deaths in the US in the past 24 hours.
The US now has 370,000 confirmed cases of the virus — close to three times that of any other nation — with more than 10,500 deaths.
New York on PAUSE is extended through April 29.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 6, 2020
Schools and non-essential businesses will remain closed.
Public health is our first concern.
The virus epicentre of New York recorded another 599 deaths in 24 hours, but Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was encouraged that the numbers had not jumped higher after 594 deaths the previous day and 630 before that. The state’s death toll stands at 4,758.
Mr Cuomo said it was early days but that the state could be experiencing a ‘flattening of the curve’ given that the death toll has been ‘effectively flat for two days.’
Thank you to NY's transit workers who are showing up every day.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 6, 2020
Because of them, doctors, nurses, first responders, grocers, pharmacists & all essential workers can get where they need to go.
The best way to thank them is to stay home.#HeroesMovingHeroes pic.twitter.com/7lQ9sowXbM
Read the full story here.
Jacquelin Magnay 6am: Boris Johnson in ICU as he ‘may need ventilator’
Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened, Downing Street have confirmed.
The British Prime Minister, who was admitted to St Thomas’ hospital in Westminster on Sunday night, has now been moved into ICU so that he can be ventilated if his condition worsens further.
It is understood Mr Johnson, 55, deteriorated while in hospital, initially for some tests, after his temperature had not abated after 10 days of suffering from coronavirus.
After tests and observation, his doctors advised that he be admitted to intensive care around 7pm on Monday evening.
A statement from Number 10 said: “Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital.
“The PM has asked Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary.
“The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication.”
Up until now Mr Johnson has insisted on leading the government’s coronavirus response.
READ MORE: Judith Sloan — Take as directed for fast, effective relief
Jacquelin Magnay 5.15am: Johnson’s symptoms worsen, moved into hospital’s ICU
In a startling development, British prime minister Boris Johnson has been moved into intensive care just hours after he tweeted from his hospital bed that he was in good spirits and keeping in touch with his “team” to fight coronavirus.
Last night, on the advice of my doctor, I went into hospital for some routine tests as I’m still experiencing coronavirus symptoms. I’m in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team, as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe.
— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) April 6, 2020
Mr Johnson, 55, sought to allay fears about his ongoing health, saying a few hours ago: “Last night, on the advice of my doctor, I went into hospital for some routine tests as I’m still experiencing coronavirus symptoms. I’m in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team, as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe.”
I’d like to say thank you to all the brilliant NHS staff taking care of me and others in this difficult time. You are the best of Britain.
— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) April 6, 2020
Stay safe everyone, and please remember to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.
However, Johnson’s “persistent symptoms” have worsened, forcing doctors to take more drastic steps.
On Monday morning, foreign secretary Dominic Raab chaired the daily Cobra emergency meeting, addressing the country’s coronavirus response.
Mr Raab said that he hadn’t spoken to Mr Johnson since Saturday, but dismissed suggestions that Mr Johnson was on a ventilator.
Other politicians have urged Mr Johnson, who is still experiencing high temperatures and is in hospital for tests, to completely rest in the coming days.
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, who has also recovered from coronavirus, told a press conference that: “Patients of mine, there are some who are in a hospital bed who are perfectly capable of managing massively complicated things from a hospital bed … some clearly are not.”
British officials have been reluctant to address the country’s coronavirus exit strategy. Mr Raab said he didn’t want to confuse messaging because “we are not past the peak”.
Prof Whitty said: “We do not think we know for certain that the peak will be at the end of this week, and until we’re confident we are there, it’s too early.”
Use the #coronavirus status checker here:
— NHS (@NHSuk) April 5, 2020
âž¡ï¸https://t.co/qvIva477Kd https://t.co/Vjaufg2CR3
READ MORE: China offers hope of end in sight
Lindsey Tanner 5am: Some children ‘sick enough to be hospitalised’ — report
The first national data on COVID-19 in US children suggests that while the illness usually isn’t severe in kids, some do get sick enough to require hospital treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released overnight (AEST) shows that fever, cough and shortness of breath were the most common symptoms in kids, but they occurred less often than in adults. The findings mostly echo reports from China about how the new coronavirus affects children.
New @CDCMMWR report is the first to look at #COVID19 illness in kids in the U.S. Among more than 2,500 cases of COVID-19 in children in the U.S., three children reportedly died. https://t.co/IhlUhAoqsZ pic.twitter.com/NPGiM7Hwgk
— CDC (@CDCgov) April 6, 2020
The report included nearly 150,000 laboratory-confirmed US cases in adults and children from February 12 through April 2. About 2,500 of them, or almost 2%, were children. While most kids didn’t become severely ill, three youngsters died. About 1 in 5 infected children were hospitalised versus 1 in 3 adults. Cases were more common in older children and teens but serious illness appeared to be more common in infants. Cases were slightly more common in boys than girls. The authors cautioned that many details were missing from paediatric cases, so the report should be considered preliminary.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a few weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including life-threatening pneumonia.
Confirmed U.S. cases top 340,000 with more than 10,000 reported deaths. Globally, there have been more than 1.3 million confirmed cases, and more than 70,000 reported deaths.
The report authors stressed that because people without symptoms, including children, are likely playing a role in transmitting the virus, “social distancing and everyday preventive measures” are recommended for all ages. — AP
READ MORE: CSL joins global hunt for vaccine
Rosie Lewis 4.45am: JobKeeper package to help up to 1 million casuals
Up to one million casual workers — including high school and university students — could receive a major financial windfall under the $130bn JobKeeper package, new data has revealed, as the government brokered a high-level deal with the ACTU over its landmark wage subsidy scheme.
Intensive discussions between Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter and ACTU secretary Sally McManus on Monday afternoon resulted in key changes to the government’s draft legislation amending the Fair Work Act.
The changes are aimed at addressing union concerns with the $1500 fortnightly JobKeeper payments, which the government will make to businesses suffering a major drop in revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the full story here.
Cough up trainee sweeteners: bosses
Australia’s biggest employers want the government to provide cash incentives of up to $14,000 an apprentice for businesses to train and retain workers and fix the skills crisis.
Inflation on track, rate cuts in doubt
Underlying inflation is moving sustainably towards the 2-3 per cent target band but the RBA may still not cut interest rates next month.