Coronavirus Australia live updates: Ruby Princess cruise linked to 3 new deaths in Australia
Three new deaths have been sourced to the ill-fated liner, while cruise ships continue to be a leading infection source.
- Private hospital resources called in
- Second Tasmanian death, toll now 19
- Alcohol restrictions introduced
- 60,000 apply for subsidy in 12 hours
- Italy sees slowdown in case rate
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. In Australia, businesses are flocking to register for wage subsidies that will give up $1500 fortnightly for as many as six million workers. Private hospital resources will be integrated to the public system to battle COVID-19.
Mark Porter 10.23pm: Who is being made sickest by virus?
After catching COVID-19, people can have dramatically different experiences. While some have no symptoms, others develop a far more serious form of the disease, and a small proportion will need intensive care.
Research indicates that your weight, blood pressure or even your sex could affect how severe your experience of COVID-19 is. All your questions – and some from patients in a GP clinic – are answered here
Amos Aikman 7.41pm: Another two NT cases
Another two Territorians who recently returned from overseas have been diagnosed with coronavirus this afternoon.
The Darwin residents, aged in their late 20s, had been in self-quarantine since returning to Darwin and are now in Royal Darwin Hospital.
The first man flew from Sydney to Darwin on flight VA1351 on Friday 20 March 2020.
The second man travelled on flight QF838 from Melbourne to Darwin on Wednesday 25 March 2020.
NT Public Health will contact travellers on those flights who had been seated close to the men.
There have now been 19 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in the Northern Territory, including 17 Territorians.
All cases were acquired overseas.
Victoria Laurie 7.37pm: Rough sleepers glad for five-star hotel
While cruise ship passengers take to Twitter to complain of their five-star hotel isolation, a group of rough sleepers are grateful to have been booked into a five-star Perth hotel to get them off the streets and away from infection.
Based on a UK ‘Covid Care’ model which houses high risk homeless in London hotels, the Hotel with Heart initiative is aimed at housing some of the 800 homeless who live in doorways and alleyways in Perth.
Nearly 30 people, all aged over 50 and considered high risk, have been booked into the high-end Pan Pacific Perth hotel, in a trial funded by the state government and administered by community organisations.
Around half of the city’s rough sleepers are Aboriginal, and more than 20 per cent presenting to emergency departments have one or more risk factors for COVID- 19.
Pan Pacific Perth general manager Rob Weeden says he offered to house the unlikely guests on up to four floors of the hotel, which have 120 rooms, after seeing the UK model.
“I also see the way people talk about the homeless, yet they could be a member of your family. We treat them the same way as VIP guests.”
The hotel patrons are supervised by charity staff and volunteer medical staff, eat in their rooms and use their own separate entrance to the hotel. None has so far tested positive for Covid-19.
Mr Weeden said the first intake of 12 homeless men and women on Monday night were given new clothes and their first meal. “They were funny, quirky, polite and extremely thankful,” he said. “You compare that to some of the complaints being made on social media by people from cruise ships being locked down in hotels.”
“It was great to be able to do something. I have been in the hotel industry for thirty years, and this was one of the most rewarding days I’ve had.”
Amos Aikman 7.18pm: NT man fined for breaching quarantine
A 52-year-old Darwin man has copped a $1099 fine from Northern Territory police for breaching quarantine requirements.
The man returned from overseas on 23 March and was meant be to self-quarantining for 14 days, a police statement said.
Police and health officers supported by the military have been conducting compliance checks to ensure people are following the self-isolation rules.
The fine, announced late on Tuesday, is believed to be the first issued since tougher compliance checks were introduced.
Police said anyone “not respecting the community and doing the right thing” would be fined.
READ MORE: Police state tone is deeply worrying: Chris Kenny
Craig Johnstone 6.46pm: Qld closed to FIFO mine workers
Queensland will be closed to non-critical mine workers from other states from this weekend as restrictions continue to tighten in the battle to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said only interstate fly-in-fly-out mine workers who were critical to a mine’s operations will be allowed into Queensland from midnight Saturday to protect remote and regional communities and local mine workforces.
“As all resources ministers around the country have said, the resources sector is essential to maintaining a strong Australian economy,” he said.
“It is critical that we move now to prevent people who may have been exposed to the virus bringing it to Queensland.
“Queensland has no known cases in our remote regional communities, and restricting these workers from entering the State will remove a possible transmission route.
“Exempting critical people will ensure that resources projects can continue to produce the mineral and energy resources we need,” Dr Lynham said.
“Most importantly, these critical people will ensure projects operate safely for the workers on site.”
The ban will exempt people who have statutory positions specified in legislation, including workers responsible for health and safety.
The changes do not affect FIFO or DIDO workers travelling from within Queensland.
Deborah Cornwall 6.41pm: Police convoys target parks, beaches
Convoys of NSW police have started targeting the parks and beaches of Sydney’s eastern suburbs, ordering people caught loitering or sunbaking to return home immediately.
Sky News vision captured extraordinary scenes at the busy iconic harbourside park of Rushcutters Bay on Tuesday as a convoy of five patrol cars began driving through the park, directing people from the safety of their vehicles to comply with the latest lockdown orders.
Further south on Coogee Beach, Nine network reporter Mark Burrows tweeted that the NSW Police riot squad had descended on beach goers at about 5pm, ordering them to leave the area.
Ben Packham 5.59pm: PNG ‘very appreciative of Australia’s assistance’
Scott Morrison has spoken to Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape, emphasising Australia’s support for the “Pacific family” during the coronavirus pandemic.
They spoke about the need for movement and border restrictions, and ensuring sufficient supplies of medical equipment.
Mr Marape was said to be “very appreciative of Australia’s assistance”, including support for community education and coronavirus testing.
Mr Morrison said he was emphasising the need for strong international support for the Pacific in talks with the G20, WHO and IMF.
Australia’s support comes as China has ramps up its diplomacy in the region with offers of doctors and medical supplies.
Rachel Baxendale 5.56pm: Only one hotel case in Vic so far
Only one of the hundreds of international travellers currently spending 14 days quarantined in hotels in Victoria has so far tested positive to COVID-19, the state’s Chief Medical Officer has revealed.
About 470 travellers became the first to be subjected to compulsory hotel quarantine on Sunday, with hundreds more arriving in the days since.
Professor Brett Sutton said only one case of COVID-19 had emerged thus far.
“We expect some more,” Professor Sutton said.
“We know it’s a high-risk population, but each and every one of them are isolated from the rest, and so that really is the importance of those quarantine arrangements that anyone who develops symptoms we can do testing, we can keep them isolated, if they need to go to hospital they can go to hospital but otherwise can see out their isolation where they are.”
However, Professor Sutton said that as the number of overseas travellers returning to Victoria declined, the focus for testing was moving to community transmission.
“I think the risk from international travellers will be managed through the pretty strict quarantine arrangements and I understand that it’s a real burden for some individuals, the not insignificant anger and anxiety around being cooped up in a hotel,” he said.
“We are managing a very serious public health risk that has come through cases from international travel, so that’s important, but we will turn our attention to broader community transmission and the physical distancing measures that are the key intervention in that space.”
Professor Sutton said the more than 25 per cent increase in community transmissions, from 26 cases on Monday to 32 on Tuesday, was “significant”.
“That’s a doubling in the time of a few days. It will soon be very significant if we can’t get on top of it,” he said.
Meanwhile, The Victorian Department of Health and Human Service’s coronavirus case data website is back up and running on Tuesday afternoon, after being taken offline from Sunday morning.
The data, which includes a list of cases by local government area, can be accessed here.
Rachel Baxendale 5.44pm: Vic case spike ‘may be’ due to more tests
Victoria’s spike in COVID-19 cases - an increase of 96 since yesterday - may be due to an increase in testing according to the state’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
More than 45,000 Victorians have been tested for the virus as of Tuesday, up from 25,000 the previous Tuesday.
Asked whether the increase in testing could have contributed to the higher number of confirmed cases, Professor Sutton said: “It may be”.
However, he said a “natural fluctuation day by day” was also to be expected.
Victoria’s daily increases over the past week have ranged from 54 last Friday, to 111 on Saturday.
“It might relate to the particular volumes of people returning home from international travel,” Professor Sutton said.
“That goes up and down from day to day.
“We’ve had different announcements on travel restrictions and quarantine arrangements that might have prompted other people to come home a little bit earlier last week.
“That means we’ve had a boost in cases that have developed symptoms over the last couple of days.”
Remy Varga 5.42pm: North Melbourne restaurant fined $10k
The north Melbourne restaurant fined almost $10,000 for breaching social distancing measures has been identified as China Bar on Brunswick St in the suburb of Fitzroy.
The Herald Sun is reporting that venue employee Krystal Khor said it was bad luck and “coincidence” that two men were drinking there when police visited.
“It was a friend of the owner and his friend … I have only seen one of them before a couple of times.”
The restaurant is only selling takeaway food and Ms Khor said staff were unaware the two me were drinking in the back.
“We were quite unlucky with that situation, like really unlucky. We didn’t see them sitting down.”
Staff declined to comment when The Australian visited the restaurant on Monday, including refusing to deny they had been fined.
Under rules enacted by the Andrews government last week, police can issue on the spot fines for anyone who is not following the directions of the Chief Health Officer including up to $1,652 for individuals and up to $9,913 for businesses.
Angelica Snowden 5.36pm: Ruby Princess crew ‘should be repatriated’
Carnival Australia says its crew on board the Ruby Princess should be repatriated on “compassionate and humanitarian grounds”.
The company is in talks with the NSW state and federal government, hoping to send crew members home who are not needed for the safe operation of the ship.
“We are concerned that a humanitarian approach should be taken in relation to the crew on Ruby Princess, which has left NSW territorial waters as demanded by the NSW Government,” a statement from the company said.
“We remain concerned that it is not safe for the ship to sail away from Australia while there are crew members on board who are ill.”
Carnival Australia says the ship should remain “within reach of Australia” in case more crew members contract COVID-19 and need urgent medical attention.
“Australia has maritime obligations to protect the welfare of seafarers and as such we need to care for foreign nationals as we would expect other nations to care for Australians in similar circumstances abroad,” the statement said.
Last night three crew members were transported to Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital by a team of paramedics and a doctor, who met the vessel a few kilometres off Botany Bay.
The crew members became ill from suspected COVID-19 symptoms.
NSW Health says 211 passengers from the Ruby Princess have contracted coronavirus.
Angelica Snowden 5.34pm: Cluster of cases among Qantas baggage handlers
A cluster of COVID-19 cases has emerged among Qantas baggage handlers at Adelaide Airport.
South Australia Chief Medical Officer Nicola Spurrier said six baggage handlers tested positive for coronavirus.
Dr Spurrier confirmed that about 100 other staff will need to self quarantine because they work in close proximity with the handlers.
“This is a very serious situation,” Dr Spurrier said.
“I understand that Qantas staff do have a reasonable amount of international travel but we haven’t been able to ascertain the original case at this point in time,” she said.
“We’ve met with Qantas and we’re looking at implementing some workarounds so baggage can be offloaded and I’m absolutely hoping there will not be an interruption to flights.”
Rachel Baxendale 5.19pm: ‘No need to close childcare centres’
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says it remains the view of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee that there is no need to close childcare centres, despite three babies and a one-year-old being confirmed as having COVID-19 in the state on Tuesday.
“It’s certainly been a case that HPPC hasn’t advised the closure of childcare centres,” Professor Sutton said.
“In part that’s around the data that is reassuring that overwhelmingly for children, especially those nine years and younger, the illness with COVID-19 is very mild and deaths are virtually unheard of, so that should be a reassurance to any parent of young children.
“I think we have to remain alert to the possibility of transmission from kids to adults, including those who care for those children, but again that hasn’t been reported in Australia, and it’s very scant evidence of it being a significant factor globally, but HPPC will take the information from Victoria into account as they review on a regular basis this setting, as with others.”
Staff reporters 5pm: Businesses flock to JobKeeper scheme
As of 4pm, 276,957 businesses had lodged applications to be part of the $130bn JobKeeper program. which will provide up to $1500 per fortnight to as many as six million workers.
Rosie Lewis 4.55pm: How the goverment payments will work
Waiters, labourers and retail, aged care and child care workers who go without work during the coronavirus pandemic will be among the Australians set to benefit the most from the Morrison government’s wage subsidy.
A breakdown of median fortnightly earnings across the economy shows retail trade, accommodation and food services, community and personal service workers, sales workers and labourers are the only industries or occupations that earn about the same or less than the $1500 JobKeeper payment.
The $1500 is paid to eligible businesses for each of their employees at a flat rate, so if you earn less than that amount your fortnightly income will be boosted. Employers can also choose to top-up the payment.
For more on the JobKeeper payment and who is eligible, read more here
Adeshola Ore 4.30pm: Cruise ship patients in intensive care
Western Australian health authorities say seven people infected with coronavirus from the Artania cruise ship are in intensive care in Perth hospitals, taking the total in the state to 12.
Four people from the Artania are at Fiona Stanley Hospital, while three are at a private facility at Joondalup Health Campus.
“They are continuing to struggle with their illness and we hope that they get better,” Health Minister Roger Cook said. There are 54 people with COVID-19 in the state’s hospitals.
Two other passengers from the cruise ship Ruby Princess are also in intensive care. It comes as ACT health officials confirmed that the territory’s first coronavirus case was a woman in her 80s who contracted the virus on the ship.
Premier Mark McGowan described the cruise ship crisis as a “nightmare” and “extremely stressful”. The Artania is scheduled to depart Fremantle on Wednesday with almost 500 crew aboard.
READ MORE: A third alternative to battle virus
Victoria Laurie 4.15pm: WA reveals ‘amazing’ coronavirus figures
Western Australia has recorded the first single digit number of Covid-19 positive patients for several weeks, and no cases of cruise ship passengers testing positive.
There were nine new cases overnight, bringing WA’s total up to 364. The cases were aged between 7 and 77, with all individuals in stable health and isolated at home, including a seven-year-old child self-isolating with parents.
“To have single digits is amazing,” health minister Roger Cook said. “These numbers are incredibly encouraging, but we are sailing into this storm, not out of it.”
He said most cases were related to overseas travel, and out of the state’s total of 364, only 8 Covid-19 cases are still of unknown source.
Chief health officer Andy Robertson said the latest figure showed a “significant reduction” starting three days ago, although a number of cruise ship arrivals had inflated the figure. He said a regime of broader community testing, due to start on Thursday, would show whether WA is flattening the curve of coronavirus spread among its citizens.
He said there was very little evidence that cases in the wider community are going undetected. There have been no significant outbreaks in aged care homes or in WA prisons.
There are 30 Covid-19 positive passengers from the German ship Artania in Perth hospitals, with 27 in stable condition and three in critical condition in ICU. Another four passengers who were medically transferred early last week off the ship are also in ICU.
Another two cruise liner passengers, from the Ruby Princess, are also receiving critical care. A total of 12 patients are in intensive care in WA.
READ MORE: Airbnb kicks off $400m rescue fund
Amos Aikman 4.05pm: NT reveals two new virus cases
The Northern Territory has confirmed two more coronavirus infections, both in women in their 40s who had recently returned from overseas.
One of the women is understood to have disembarked from a cruise ship, the MSC Fantasia, while the other returned to Darwin via Sydney from the Philippines.
Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the women had been following self-isolation guidelines, and the risk to the community was low.
“We have confirmed two more cases of coronavirus, bringing our Territory total to 17,” she said. “We have tested over 2100 Territorians … so far we have only seen cases in international travellers or people off cruise ships returning to the Territory.”
She said one coronavirus patient had recovered and been discharged from Royal Darwin Hospital, but she was unsure if it was the first confirmed infection or another. One patient is understood to be in a serious condition.
The government has imposed tougher alcohol restrictions to prevent booze-fuelled gatherings outside. Anyone purchasing takeaway alcohol is now meant to prove to the vendor that they have a legal place in which to consume it.
READ MORE: What you need to know about lockdowns
Richard Ferguson 3.55pm: Labor leader sympathetic to Virgin bailout
Anthony Albanese says the Morrison government should be “sympathetic” to struggling airliner Virgin Australia’s calls for a $1.4bn bailout.
In his strongest comments yet supporting a possible airline bailout, the Opposition Leader said that the government could buy a stake in the airline and warned governments across the world would be doing similar things to keep their aviation sectors alive.
“If it does any support, financial support, in the form of equity. And then it could - of course - sell that down at some future date,”
“There will be across the world a lot more state intervention in terms of aviation.
“I haven’t seen the specific proposal ... the government should consider any proposal from a sympathetic point of view and should consider it in the form of the long term.
“A lot of capital has gone into building up our aviation system here in Australia and I want to see that continue.”
READ MORE: Aussies trapped at sea
Rachel Baxendale 3.50pm: Babies with COVID-19 ‘not a cluster’
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the three babies and a one-year-old confirmed on Tuesday as having tested positive to COVID-19 were not believed to be part of a cluster.
“It’s known that one of the cases acquired the infection overseas. Investigations are continuing into the other three cases,” Ms Mikakos said.
“I should stress it’s not believed that this is a cluster, so it doesn’t appear that this is one childcare centre or one group of children all known to each other.
“None of the children are in hospital. They’re all in home isolation recovering with their families, and it’s not believed that there aren’t any underlying medical conditions known in these children.
“From what we do know from cases around the world, it does appear that infections in young children are not as severe as older people.”
READ MORE: New York begs for help
Glynis Traill-Nash 3.35pm: Chanel turns its hand to gowns, masks
Chanel is the latest luxury brand to put its hand up to manufacture protective facial masks and gowns during the COVID-19 crisis.
The French fashion house is currently in the approval process with the authorities to greenlight fabrics and prototypes.
The independently owned fashion house has also announced full financial support for its own employees for two months to keep them out of the French welfare system, and donated 1.2 million euros to the French public hospital system and emergency services.
The international fashion community continues to contribute in a variety of ways towards the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whether through the manufacturing of PPE garments, financial support for research or product donations to those on the front lines, brands are finding the most appropriate ways to help.
Also this week, Zegna announce a 3 million euro personal donation from the Zegna family and senior management, in support of nurses, doctors, scientists and volunteers, and also direct contributions of ventilators and masks to several hospitals across Italy, one of the worst-affected countries.
In addition, part of its production facilities in Switzerland and Italy will be converted to the production of medical masks.
Similarly, Italian designer Giorgio Armani has already contributed 2 million euro to Italy’s National Civil Protection Department and a number of the country’s hospitals. He has now shifted all Italian production to the manufacturing of single-use medical overalls for healthcare workers.
Dolce & Gabbana has donated funding to Humanitas University, to help fund specific research that will go towards finding a cure for COVID-19.
Prada is making masks and overalls, and along with a financial contribution Gucci is making masks.
Luxury conglomerates Kering and LVMH have agreed to donate around 40 million masks throughout France.
In the US, the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation has donated US$10 million to a number of COVID-19 funds, including through the World Health Organisation, and is manufacturing 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns.
READ MORE: Reduce risk and Skype your doctor
David Murray 3.15pm: Qld childcare centre cleared to reopen
A Queensland child care centre that temporarily closed after an educator contracted COVID-19 is in the clear, with 20 children and 12 staff all testing negative.
The results come despite children and staff being in close contact with the infected educator for a week after she was unknowingly exposed to the virus.
Children who attended Sparrow Early Learning at Karana Downs, in Brisbane’s west, went into quarantine with their families as a precaution. Staff also had to self-isolate.
Introducing the 'self-quarantine assistance card', created so you can help those around you!
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) March 31, 2020
Whether it's picking up milk for a friend who is self-quarantining or buying a few extra groceries for your elderly neighbour, these cards might be a lifeline for someone in need. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/GASSBN6MfN
Chief executive John Bairstow said the 14-day quarantine period since children and staff were in contact with the educator had passed without any other cases of infection at the centre.
“We’re back up and running,” Mr Bairstow told The Australian. “I think it shows really good hygiene and that the measures that people are taking work. We are taking any positive we can get at the moment.”
The woman is believed to have contracted the virus over the weekend of March 7 and 8 while spending time with friends including a co-worker and her husband, who had recently returned from overseas.
She went to work on Monday, March 9, and reportedly woke on Wednesday, March 11, with a bad headache. She continued going to work and until the afternoon of Friday, March 13, when she was informed her co-worker’s husband had tested positive.
She went into isolation and subsequently was confirmed to have the virus. Her co-worker tested negative.
READ MORE: Recession ‘will not be avoided’
Adeshola Ore 2.50pm: New Ruby Princess-linked death revealed
ACT Health has confirmed the territory’s first coronavirus death contracted COVID-19 on the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
Earlier today, Tasmanian health authorities confirmed two deaths linked to the Ruby Princess. The vessel has been linked to over 100 cases of COVID-19.
On Monday, the territory’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerryn Coleman confirmed a woman in her 80s died in Canberra hospital on the weekend after she caught the virus while overseas.
ACT recorded another three cases of coronavirus The new cases are two males and one female, aged between 27 and 57.
ACT Health said one of the territory’s “under investigation” cases had been found to be negative. One case remains under investigation in the state.
There are now 80 confirmed cases of the virus in ACT, with six patients in Canberra hospitals.
READ MORE: Qantas eyes billions in bailout
Rachel Baxendale 2.30pm: Four pre-school aged kids infected
Victoria on Monday identified four cases of pre-school age children with COVID-19, the state’s Chief Health Officer has revealed.
The four cases include three cases in children aged under one year, and a one-year-old, bringing the total number of pre-school age children confirmed to have contracted the virus in Victoria to five.
Victoria’s 917 COVID-19 cases - up 96 from yesterday - include 501 men and 413 women.
There have been 32 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission - where no link with an overseas traveller or other COVID-19 case has been identified.
The state has so far conducted more than 45,000 COVID-19 tests. Currently 29 people are in hospital with the virus, including four in intensive care.
Of the 917 cases, there have been 728 in Melbourne and 173 in regional Victoria.
READ MORE: Ruby Princess infections spread to community
Richard Ferguson 2.15pm: Applications to JobKeeper program soar
Nearly 195,000 businesses have now applied for the JobKeeper wage subsidies. As of 12pm on Tuesday, 192,558 companies have applied online for the JobKeeper payment. Many more applications are expected by the end of the day. The figure increased from 124,150 registrations at 9am.
Elias Visontay 2.05pm: Private, public partnership to cost $1.3bn
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the government expects the partnership between private and public hospitals to cost $1.3 billion.
The partnership, which would bring more than 100,000 health professionals, 34,000 beds and 2200 ventilators into the public system, will help Australia reach a target of 7500 ventilators.
However Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth said health professionals did not want the healthcare system to reach a position where all 7500 ventilated beds were in use.
“The absolute priority is not to get there. None of us, and not a single health professional in the country, wants us to see us anywhere near Italy or the United States,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“And just to emphasise where we are, the positive testing rate is three in every 100 in Australia. And recently it was one in every two in the United States. So every two tests they did, someone was positive.
“That demonstrates how different the community transmission is, or the amount of undetected cases in the community.
“We literally have hundreds of public health workers in every single jurisdiction doing the contact tracing to make sure that when someone is found with this virus, all of their contacts are found and quarantined.”
READ MORE: Albanese’s posturing undermines national unity
Angelica Snowden 1.55pm: Cruise ship passengers cases continue to rise
NSW Health has revealed that cruise ships continue to be a leading source of coronavirus, with almost 40 new cases linked to luxury liners in the past day.
Of the 2032 cases of COVID-19 in NSW, 324 originated from cruise ships.
Yesterday a total of 39 passengers from cruise ships including the Ruby Princess, The Ovation of the Seas and The Voyager of the Seas tested positive for the virus.
The largest jump came from Ruby Princess passengers with 22 cases new diagnoses. In total there are 211 with COVID-19 from the ship.
It was also revealed that 79 cases came from the Ovation of the Seas, increasing by 13 since yesterday.
The Voyager of the Seas recorded 30 cases, up by four since yesterday. There were no changes in diagnoses from the Celebrity Solstice that has a total of four cases.
Five new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed amongst a group of 100 Chilean navy personnel - in total seven have coronavirus. They have been in NSW since March 1 and are self-isolating in Sydney hotels.
NSW Health also revealed that more residents in the quarantined Dorothy Henderson Lodge have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
In total 16 residents and five staff members tested positive to COVID-19.
The new cases come after three residents from the nursing home in Sydney’s northwest died after contracting coronavirus.
A 90-year-old woman died on March 14 and an 82-year-old man and 95-year old woman died earlier this month.
NSW Health says there are 2,032 cases of coronavirus in the state.
READ MORE: How Australia dodged a bullet
Elias Visontay 1.45pm: Ventilated ICU bed numbers to double
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth said there were 2200 ventilated intensive care beds in Australia, and that the “partnership” with private hospitals would expand the capacity to 4400.
“At the moment, we are using just over 20 of those for patients who are suffering from COVID-19,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“With immediate expansion, repurposing of other ventilator minister, including anaesathletic minister and use of the private sector, we can expand to 4400.
“Our target capacity for ventilated intensive care beds in Australia currently stands at 7500. We are working around the clock to procure ventilators. I can tell you today that, locally, we will have 500 intensive care ventilators fabricated by ResMed, backed up by 5000 non-invasive ventilators, with full delivery expected by the end of April.”
READ MORE: US introduces longer distancing period
Elias Visonaty 1.30pm: Australia at ‘global forefront’ of virus fight
There are currently 50 Australians in intensive care units with COVID-19, with 20 of those on ventilators, according to Health Minister Greg Hunt.
Mr Hunt said the “low numbers”, when viewed in the context of the 230,000 tests Australia has carried out, presents “a very different picture to some other countries where the lives lost represent not 0.5 per cent but 10 per cent of the cases”.
“At this stage our numbers indicate that we are at the global forefront, we have a good picture of where we’re at. All of this is then being backed by the social measures,” Mr Hunt said.
“We were at 25-30 per cent growth just over a week ago, on a daily basis. Now we have come down in the last week to the low teens, and the latest advice I have from the National Incident Centre this morning is that the last three days have been approximately 9 per cent on average. That’s an achievement to which all Australians have contributed.”
READ MORE: SA company goes from Maccas to masks
Elias Visontay 1.25pm: Private hospitals to bolster public resources
More than 100,000 health professionals and 34,000 beds from private hospitals will be integrated into the public system as part of a “reconstruction” of the Australian medical system.
Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the deal on Tuesday, whereby private hospitals will deliver additional capacity for the public health system, and in return, the government will ensure the “viability of the private hospital sector throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
“In terms of the capacity, it means over 34,000 beds and chairs that will be made available to the public hospital system,” Mr Hunt said.
“A third of intensive care units are within the private hospital system and will be made available.
“Over 105,000 full-time and part-time staff, including over 57,000 full-time and part-time nursing staff.
“The activities are broad and they will work together, the hospitals have committed to be fully flexible. They may be taking public hospital services, they will be making their ICUs available. They may see an exchange of staff or equipment in either direction.
“The private hospitals association has committed to that. Their membership has committed to that. The Day Hospitals Association has committed to that. Catholic Health Australia has committed to that.”
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Rachel Baxendale 1.20pm: Victoria warns: You could go to jail
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said police could use the Crimes Act to impose jail terms of up to 10 years on people who knowingly breach rules intended to limit the spread of coronavirus.
“If we have a person who deliberately breaches any isolation rule, if they’re, say COVID-19 positive, and they know that, and they go into the community and they place someone at risk by actually doing that, we’re going to consider whether or not we should use Crimes Act offences, offences such as conduct placing a person in danger of serious injury, which carries five years’ imprisonment, or conduct placing a person in danger of death, which carries 10 years,” Mr Patton said.
“These are serious indictable offences, but we’re at a stage where we’re going to say we’re open to considering that, but it will depend on the circumstances.
“These aren’t idle threats ... and it might be criminality that we’re talking about. That’s how significant it is.
“Please obey the restrictions, please adhere to the restrictions and the warnings. Everyone should be doing the right thing. The majority are, but for those who are flouting it, we will enforce, I can assure you.”
READ MORE: Rex suspends all Queensland flights
Rachel Baxendale 1.10pm: Shooters not happy
Victorian Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MP Jeff Bourman has reacted angrily to the Andrews government’s decision to temporarily ban additional access to firearms and ammunition for sporting and recreational firearm users.
Under the measure, agreed upon by national cabinet, primary producers and others with legitimate reasons to access guns and ammunition will still be able to do so.
Mr Bourman has slammed the press release announcing the measure, noting that it states that there has been an increase in firearms permits to acquire applications and additional ammunition in recent times, “increasing the risk that firearms and ammunition may not be stored safely”.
“What a load of unmitigated bullshit,” Mr Bourman tweeted.
“Can’t have a license without safe storage & inspected by the police... not to mention, VicPol & therefore the government are in complete control of permits.
“Do us the courtesy of admitting it’s just another shafting of the most law abiding segment of society because it’s easy.”
Attached is the media release from the Victorian Government regarding the closures of gun shops. In it they state that there is an increased risk of the firearms and ammunition not being stored correctly.
— Jeff Bourman (@JBourmanMP) March 31, 2020
What a load of unmitigated bullshit.#vicpol #springst #gunshops pic.twitter.com/dHZMlnrBSL
Mr Bourman also tweeted a photograph of a sex shop and gun shop next door to each other, with the caption: “Guess which shop was closed by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19?”
“This says a hell of a lot about the stupidity around the forced closures of gun shops,” Mr Bourman said.
The Australian understands gun shops will still be able to sell guns and ammunition to non-recreational shooters, such as primary producers, and that the measure was taken in the interests of public safety, rather than stopping the spread of COVID-19.
Yoni Bashan 1.05pm: Police brace for more domestic violence
Police officers are bracing for an increase in domestic violence reporting as a consequence of job losses, higher sales of alcohol, and the compounding stress of self-isolation measures that have been prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Jones, the Force’s corporate spokesman for Domestic Violence, said that, so far, there had been no hard increase in reports made to police, however the crisis overseas suggested a rise would occur in NSW.
“We are painfully aware of what is happening around the world,” said A/Comm. Jones. “We don’t have any trends for an increase, but worldwide we’ve looked at that and that may well be the case.”
Officers have been conducting compliance checks on domestic violence offenders, as well as checking up on victims.
NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman said $150 million in federal funding had been provided for use against domestic violence, and that this money would be used to bolster temporary accommodation and front line services.
He added that anecdotal reporting from frontline services, namely those dealing in crisis accommodation, had suggested an increase in domestic violence cases.
“We know it is likely there will be a spike in domestic and family violence,” said Mr Speakman. “This is a priority of government. We are treating this as a priority.”
READ MORE: Nine halts mags
Angelica Snowden 1pm: Two new Coles cases
Two Coles employees from a suburb in south east Melbourne have tested positive to COVID-19.
The supermarket chain says one team member from its Brandon Park store in Mulgrave has coronavirus along with another from the adjoining Liquorland.
Coles said the store would remain open after the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services confirmed it was safe and “ the risk of transmission for customers and team members is very low”.
The two team members, who do not work together, are in self-quarantine at home.
Close colleagues of the infected pair have also been told to self- quarantine.
The COVID-19 Hygiene Practices For Supermarkets released by Federal Government this week says “there is no requirement to close a store if a staff member tests positive for COVID-19.”
READ MORE: Woolies to hire 20,000 workers
John Ferguson 12.36pm: Victoria’s virus website offline since Sunday
Victoria’s coronavirus website detailing information on the spread of the disease has crashed or been taken down for days.
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services has been providing information on the location of infections and testing rates via the website.
But the website now states: “We will have this operational again as soon as possible.’’
It has been down since at least Sunday morning.
Victoria has lagged behind Queensland on coronavirus testing rates, The Australian reported today.
Despite having more victims and a bigger population, Queensland has been out-testing Victoria, raising questions about whether the virus could be more ubiquitous in Victoria than current results suggest.
READ MORE: Sydney given hope as infections ease
Elias Visontay 12.20pm: 120,000 business register for JobKeeper
More than 120,000 Australian businesses have registered their interest for the government’s $130 billion wage subsidy less than a day after it was announced.
A Prime Minister’s spokesman told The Australian there had been 124,150 Australian Businesses Numbers that registered online for the JobKeeper initiative at 9am on Tuesday, about 17 hours after it was announced.
Earlier on Tuesday, Josh Frydenberg said he expected tens of thousands of further businesses to register on the Australian Tax Office’s website throughout the day for the scheme he acknowledged will “take years and years” for the government to pay off.
“A number of businesses will need this wage subsidy to keep their employees and we want to maintain that connection between the employer and the employee because once we get to the other side of this coronavirus we want the economy to bounce back stronger than ever,” Mr Frydenberg told Sky News.
“I think it will save thousands of businesses and more importantly, millions of employees. We know that around 6 million employees will benefit from this scheme.”
Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott, Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary Sally McManus, and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese have all welcomed the scheme in media appearances on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Wage subsidies explained
Richard Ferguson 12.15pm: PM, Trudeau hold virus talk
Scott Morrison and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on Tuesday morning to discuss what the two nations can learn from each other in the coronavirus crisis.
Ahead of a G20 virtual meeting of finance ministers and central bankers, the Prime Minister and his Canadian counterpart committed to pushing for an international response to COVID-19 and regularly keeping in touch.
The two also discussed their current policies on borders, keeping supply chains open and the respective Canadian and Australian health and economic responses to coronavirus.
Like Australia, Canada has effectively closed its borders, locked down non-essential services, and introduced wage subsidies to prevent the economy collapsing.
Rachel Baxendale 12.01pm: Call cops on virus rulebreakers: Neville
Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville urged people concerned about neighbours or businesses breaking social distancing laws to call the police assistance line on 131 444.
Ms Neville’s comments come after Stage Three social distancing regulations came into effect at midnight on Monday night in Victoria, with a ban on gatherings of more than two people who do not live together and on leaving home for reasons other than work or education, exercise, medical assistance or shopping for necessities.
“If you’re concerned about the actions of neighbours or communities or business, don’t take action into your own hands, ring the police assistance line,” Ms Neville said.
“That is a really important line that will ensure police are responding and you don’t need to respond.
“This is a time for our communities to support each other. I know people are really highly stressed, I get that, but please, please don’t take action into your hands, don’t fight with your neighbors.
“We want to come out as a community stronger out of this.”
Ms Neville conceded her electorate office had fielded difficult calls regarding the severity of the ban on two person gatherings.
“We’ve had a lot of inquiries just even my electorate office about, ‘Can I go and visit my grandkids? Can I go and visit the new baby that’s been born? So it’s going to be really difficult for many families over the next period of time,” Ms Neville said.
“Victoria Police will now be able to formally implement and issue on-the-spot fines and any other measures they think are necessary, not just for those who are required to stay at home for 14 days, not just for those businesses that have been told to close, like restaurants and cafes and bars, but also now for the two person rule, where you can be with no more than two people, outdoor or indoor.
“Of course households are exempt from that, but also now, the directive goes to the provisions about staying at home.”
“The directives that were issued by the Chief Health Officer last night, makes it very clear that unless you are seeking medical help, unless you’re getting food and essential services, unless you have to attend for work, and education, and unless you are exercising, you must stay home.”
READ MORE: How safe are you? Virus health questions answered
11.50am: NSW domestic violence support update
NSW Attorney General and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Mark Speakman and Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott will address the media about domestic violence support services as the state continues to respond to the threat of coronavirus. Watch live video from noon.
Rebecca Urban 11.50am: NSW HSC students will still get ATAR
The Universities Admissions Centre has announced that HSC students across NSW will still receive an ATAR at the end of the year, despite calls for it to be scrapped as the coronavirus severely disrupts schooling.
However the UAC has pledged to work closely with universities, the NSW Education Standards Authority and schools in the coming weeks and months to consider the impact of potential changes to the HSC on the ATAR and university admissions.
“By working through the issues with key stakeholders we will ensure that students who wish to go to university next year will still get an ATAR,” said Kim Paino, UAC’s head of marketing and engagement.
“We need to not only preserve the integrity of the university admissions process but also, and just as importantly, make sure that any measures put in place maintain equity and fairness for all students.”
The UAC’s statement comes as NESA last week established a COVID-19 Response Committee to address developing issues in education “as a matter of urgency”.
Strict requirements on the number and type of assessment tasks that HSC students are required to complete are set to be relaxed as part of a NSW plan to support schools and students affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
NESA, which oversees curriculum and assessment for schools, has confirmed the HSC will go ahead in 2020, but substantial changes would be made as a result of the “unprecedented” circumstances facing students.
Former principal and co-founder of the Future Schools Alliance Peter Hutton has been calling for the ATAR, to be scrapped. His petition has attracted more than 10,000 signatures.
READ MORE: Pope’s empty message full of hope
Craig Johnstone 11.45am: Queensland ramps up tracking, enforcement
The Queensland government has established a special unit to ramp up contact tracing and enforce quarantine and isolation orders in an all-out effort to tackle the spread of COVID-19.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government would recruit the “best and brightest” of law enforcement to boost contact tracing to help identify new coronavirus cases.
She said Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath would be put in charge of the new operation, promising to “throw whatever we need at it”.
Queensland Health staff have already traced 50,000 people who may have had significant contact with those who have tested positive to coronavirus.
Despite an already existing unit of 500 Queensland Health staff conducting contact tracing, the Premier made it clear than more needed to be done to track down new virus cases.
The boosted operation would involve devoting more resources to contact tracing, which may involve up to 300 phone calls per trace, as well as boosted efforts to enforce isolation and quarantine orders.
Health Minister Stephen Miles said there had been 55 new virus cases detected in Queensland overnight, bringing the total number of cases to 743. Seven people with the virus were in intensive care units.
The Premier said it was important that the government do everything possible to help Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young to limit the spread of the virus.
“Any resources Dr Young needs my government will deliver,” she said.
READ MORE: Wealthy doesn’t mean healthy
Richard Ferguson 11.30am: Greens want wage subsidy changes
The Greens will push amendments to Scott Morrison’s wage subsidy plan when parliament resumes, possibly dragging out its implementation.
The left-wing minor party wants the flat rate of $1500 per fortnight raised and for casuals who have served less than 12 months at a business to get the JobKeeper payment.
Greens leader Adam Bandt says the current $130bn wage scheme will fail to cover a range of casuals and freelancers who regularly work for a range of different employers over one year.
“Bartenders, tour guides and even teachers are now expected to move through several workplaces and are just as important to the success of a workplace, whether they’ve been there two months or two years,” he said.
“The arts, hospitality and tourism sectors have high levels of seasonal employment and this package has nothing for them.
“To start reversing the massive job losses we’re seeing, the wage guarantee must be at least 80 pre cent of wages, it must reflect the challenges of the modern workforce and must give the many casual-reliant businesses a fighting chance. “
Richard Ferguson 11.15am: And you’ll still get your tax cut
The Morrison government has committed to delivering its second round of income tax cuts despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar said the government’s election-winning tax plan would remain in place and the coronavirus downturn strengthened the argument to let Australians keep more of their money.
“Our broad economic plan remains in place and I can tell you now that is not the time to be walking away from more money in people’s pockets,” he told Sky News.
“Lower taxes and our broader economic plan, of course we’re committed to. People are going to need every one of those dollars in tax cuts and that’s why we’ve delivered them.”
READ MORE: We dodged a bullet: Gottliebsen
11am: Qld premier to speak
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will hold a press conference at 11am. Watch live video now.
Matthew Denholm 10.55am: Tasmanian death brings national toll to 19
Tasmanian authorities have broadening coronavirus testing as they struggle to find the source of potential community transition in the Devonport area, while confirming the state’s second death from the virus.
A total of 19 people how now died Australia-wide.
Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said after two days of so far unsuccessful attempts to identify the source of infection of two women in the Devonport area, testing in the region would be increased.
“We haven’t identified a specific likely source of infection of these people to date but we will continue to (try to) do so,” Dr Veitch said.
“Both of them had contact with people from overseas and interstate within Tasmania, so it’s always possible that the infection was acquired from one of these sources, rather than someone in the local community.
“To cover-off the possibility of community transmission in this area (we will) … through general practice and the emergency department … test people with acute respiratory infections or fever … to see if there is any evidence of local transmission.”
The two cases – a health worker and a woman in her 20s – are the only people among the state’s 69 cases whose illness is not yet linked to overseas travel or cruise ships.
Twenty-two people who had been close contacts of the two women were now in quarantine, Dr Veitch said.
The second person to die from the virus in Tasmania was a man from the state’s south in his 80s, who passed away at the Royal Hobart Hospital on Monday night.
He and the state’s previous fatality, a woman in her 80s, had both undertaken a recent trip on the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
Government-run quarantine hotels in the state currently have 90 rooms occupied by recent arrivals undergoing 14 days isolation.
The state government provided more detail of its lockdown measures, which prevent people leaving their homes unless for work that cannot be done at home, essential food or medical supplies, or exercise in groups of no more than two.
Premier Peter Gutwein foreshadowed further advice for couples who did not live together.
“Are they allowed to stay at each other’s property overnight? I never thought I’d be extending into people’s love lives in this particular way, but I just want to say: utilise commonsense,” he said.
“The Director (of Public Health) has a discretion and I’ve raised it this morning and we’ll provide some clarity in terms of those circumstances.”
Amos Aikman 10.45am: NT’s ‘red line’ bites Chief Minister
In “drawing a red line” around the Northern Territory to keep coronavirus danger out, Chief Minister Michael Gunner appears to have committed the cardinal sin of preventing his in-laws from visiting immediately after the birth of a grandchild.
Mr Gunner and his ABC journalist wife Kristy O’brien are expecting their first child. The Gunners are from the Territory, although they’re a big family and one of his sisters in Melbourne has already quipped of his border restrictions, “TFW your family locks you out of the house”.
O’brien’s parents are Queenslanders who operate a cattle property, as he is fond of explaining when people ask about a brand in the rim of his favourite Akubra hat.
Mr Gunner on Monday announced that anyone arriving in the Territory after this week would have to go into forced quarantine for a fortnight and foot a bill of up to $2500.
“If you are starting to think I don’t want you here, you are right,” Mr Gunner said.
“Do not come here. We do not want you here.”
The decision evidently did not go down too well with O’brien’s parents, to whom Mr Gunner apologised profusely on social media on Tuesday morning.
“Tom, Leisa, I’m sorry I said yesterday you weren’t welcome,” he wrote.
“You are welcome, it just comes with forced quarantine and a bill so it probably does not come across with the love that is intended.
“I realise there is no way of telling this story without it sounding like the classic in-law joke. But it’s not.
“We want our first little one to meet ALL their grandparents as soon as he or she can.
“I’m sorry that’s looking like it will be in about 6 months time. “I promise you extra hugs when you get here xx”.
READ MORE: NT tells visitors: “keep out”
Rachel Baxendale 10.35am: Victoria firearms ban
Victoria has imposed a temporary ban on additional access to firearms and ammunition for sporting and recreational firearm users, after almost 2000 people in the state applied to buy guns and ammunition last week – a more than doubling of the usual number.
Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville said the move followed a decision by National Cabinet.
“The new measures are designed to protect licensed firearm owners and dealers as well as the broader community,” Ms Neville said.
“We know that licensed firearm owners and dealers exercise a high degree of care when complying with their obligations, however, there has been an increase in firearms permits to acquire applications and additional ammunition in recent times, increasing the risk that firearms and ammunition may not be stored safely.
“To prevent potential stockpiling, and the risk that firearms and ammunition could fall into criminal hands or dealers could be targeted by organised crime, licensed dealers will now be prohibited from selling firearms and ammunition for sporting or recreational purposes for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Those with a need to access firearms and ammunition for essential services, like farmers and rural landholders, professional vermin control and armed guards will still be able to access them for these purposes.”
Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville said authorities had taken action amid concern over there being more firearms and ammunition in the community at an “incredibly stressful time”.
“We know that there are pressures around family violence, and also around work and people spending a lot of time together,” Ms Neville said.
“We’re also concerned about making sure we don’t have additional firearms and ammunition in our community that criminals may also access, particularly in times where there are other mechanisms, particularly importations of firearms, that are much more difficult in the current environment.”
“This applies to recreational shooting, sport and recreational uses of firearms. It does not impact on primary producers, or those who need it, like security guards, prison guards, for example.”
The new Victorian firearm rules came into effect at 8:00 this morning.
READ MORE: Vic test rates lag behind Qld
Lachlan Moffet Gray 10.30am: Deaths soar but virus ‘will go away’: Trump
US President Donald Trump has fronted the media in a combative press conference in the White House’s Rose Garden on Tuesday, doubling down on his earlier belief that the coronavirus “will go away” as the number of deaths in the United States attributed to the virus soared by over 500 to 2931, according to CNN Health.
The President said his comments downplaying the seriousness of the virus were made to keep the country calm.
“I do want them to say calm,” he said. “And we are doing a great job.”
Trump said if he wanted to cause panic, he could do so easily.
“I could cause panic much better than you — I would make you look like a minor league player,” he told a journalist in attendance.
Trump defended the US’s testing regime, claiming it was hard to test as comprehensively as South Korea due to the sparse geography of North America, but testing rates were “very much on par”.
“Look, per capita, we have areas — I know South Korea better than anybody. It is very tight. You know how big the city of Seoul is? Bigger than anything we have. 38 million people all tightly wound together. We have vast areas where they don’t have a problem. In some cases they have no problem whatsoever.”
“I didn’t talk about per capita. We have done more tests, by far, than any country in the world. Our testing is also better than any country in the world.
The population of Seoul is less than 10 million people and the US’s per capita testing rate is 287 per 100,000 people — well below South Korea’s 709 tests per 100,000 rate.
The epicentre of the crisis in the US is New York State, which has more than 66,000 confirmed cases and 790 deaths in New York City alone.
As the outbreak has worsened, some hospitals are now parking refrigerated trailers outside their doors to collect the remains of the dead.
At two Brooklyn hospitals, videos posted online by bystanders and a medical worker showed workers wearing protective masks and gowns loading bodies onto trailers from gurneys parked on the sidewalk.
The office of the city’s medical examiner confirmed on Monday that it has started using a temporary morgue set up last week in Manhattan to provide emergency capacity as the city’s permanent morgues fill up. The site near Bellevue Hospital includes a large tent and refrigeration units.
Two more healthcare workers in the city have also died of coronavirus, bringing the sector’s total to three. NYC mayor Bill De Blasio on Sunday the deaths of Freda Ocran, a psych educator at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx, and Theresa Lococo, a paediatric nurse at Kings County Hospital.
On March 20, Ocran changed her profile picture on Facebook to include a mantra familiar to people on the front lines of the coronavirus fight: “I can’t stay home … I’m a healthcare worker.”
On Monday, Dr. James T. Goodrich, a paediatric neurosurgeon died of complications related to coronavirus.
“His expertise and ability were second only to his kind heart and manner,” Montefiore Medicine CEO Dr. Philip Ozuah said in a statement. — with AP
READ MORE: US deaths could hit 200,000
Elias Visontay 10.20am: Albanese applauds wage subsidy
Anthony Albanese has applauded the government’s $130 billion wage subsidy announcement, indicating Labor “certainly will not stand in the way” of passing it.
The Opposition Leader also supported measures to keep Virgin Australia afloat, but did not go as far as calling for an $1.4 billion bailout the airline is seeking from government.
“We certainly will not stand in the way of any positive initiative, and this is one,” Mr Albanese told ABC Radio Sydney.
“This is one we’ve been calling for, for some time. It’s the right policy.
“It’s even done things like pick up income support for New Zealanders that will be picked up through this. We have argued, along with unions and employers, for a wage subsidy. It was dismissed initially by the government. But we’re pleased that the government is now supportive of it.
“This is a generous package. It’s targeted … we haven’t seen the legislation, of course, so we’ll examine it in detail and work constructively to make sure this can happen.
Asked about the debt Australia would enter to fund the scheme, Mr Albanese said “this is an investment in the future”.
“What we need to do is to make sure that the economy’s in a position to come out of this downturn with strength. And the way that you do that is by keeping a relationship between a worker and their employer.”
On support for Virgin Australia, Mr Albanese said: “We have a good structure in the aviation sector here in Australia. I wouldn’t like to see that changed or diminished in terms of competition.”
“The childcare sector is in real strife. And we need to have an industry policy for that so that we don’t come out at the end when we need more childcare as people go back into work, the places simply aren’t there. The arts and entertainment industry will be helped by this package.”
Richard Ferguson 10.10am: ABC’s Norman Swan tests negative
The ABC’s leading health reporter Norman Swan has tested negative for coronavirus, after going into self-isolation yesterday.
“After an interesting couple of days with flu like symptoms, worried about the innocent contacts who might have been close, there is good news: the test was negative,” Dr Swan tweeted.
“Not a licence to party. Distancing makes so much sense.”
After an interesting couple of days with flu like symptoms, worried about the innocent contacts who might have been close, there is good news: the test was negative. Not a licence to party. Distancing makes so much sense.
— Norman Swan (@normanswan) March 30, 2020
Dr Swan is the face of the public broadcaster’s coronavirus coverage. He has come into conflict with the nation’s chief medical officers for advocating stronger lockdown measures.
READ MORE: ABC news chief denies row over Swan
Angelica Snowden 10.05am: Cruise ships told to leave
The NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said cruise ships are “lingering” off the NSW coast and they have been told to return to their port of origin.
“They are lingering — the federal government has seen that, the premier has seen that and she asked me to take charge of that last week,” Mr Fuller said.
“I think we should continue to show humanitarian care to those individuals who need it and continue to allow them to have fuel and food but it is time to go to your port of origin,” he said.
Of the nine ships in NSW or just in international waters near the state, the Commissioner said three are registered to addresses in NSW and the other six are not.
“The federal government has issued warning notices (to the cruise ships) to return to their ports of origin and I think they should listen to those warnings,” he said.
Mr Fuller said while there are six cruise ships “lingering” in NSW, more of the luxury vessels could seek to come to the state.
“But that can change daily as cruise ships … there are still hundreds of them floating around the world and none of them want to go back to their port of origin,” he said.
“Humanitarian aid is being provided but NSW is not a safe haven for every cruise ship around the world that won’t return to their port of origin.”
Mr Fuller said he will be speaking with Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton and the NSW Police Minister David Elliott to “put some more pressure” on the ships to return to their dock of origin.
READ MORE: Now for the next ordeal
Adeshola Ore 9.55am: Stay away from rural areas: Barilaro
New South Wales’ Deputy Premier is urging Australians to stay away from rural communities during the fight against coronavirus.
John Barilaro said it was not the time for people to be visitings regional towns.
“We are shutting down in the sense that we are protecting our communities,” he told 2GB on Tuesday.
“We have an ageing population and a healthcare system that won’t be able to cope if this demand increases.”
It comes as NSW police were granted furthers powers to fine people who breach new coronavirus social distancing restrictions.
Police have the power to issue fines up to $11,000 for a person who is out in public with more than one person or for leaving their house for a non-essential reason.
“We don’t do this because we want a police state, but we’re protecting lives,” Mr Barilaro said.
“We’ve put the budget aside just to make sure we can get through the next six months.”
READ MORE: Trump eyes extension to distancing
9.55am: Get your flu shot: RACGP
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has urged Australians to get their influenza vaccination from their GP earlier than usual to reduce strain on the health system caused by COVID-19.
RACGP President Harry Nespolon “protecting yourself and your family from the flu with a vaccination now will help reduce the strain on health resources from COVID-19”.
“If people don’t get vaccinated and an increasing number of flu patients and COVID-19 patients require urgent healthcare, lives will be put at risk,” Dr Nespolon said.
“In a normal flu season, the RACGP advises people to wait until May to receive their flu vaccination, but with the spread of COVID-19, this is not a normal season. The last thing we want to see is patients infected with both influenza and COVID-19.”
READ MORE: Frontline virus fighters to trial TB vaccine
Lachlan Moffet Gray 9.50am: Hotels welcome wage subsidy
Australian hoteliers have welcomed the government’s $130 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy program, saying the initiative could help keep the industry’s 86,000 employees employed throughout the coronavirus crisis.
Dean Long, CEO of industry group Accommodation Australia said government initiatives to control the spread of the coronavirus has already caused significant damage to the industry.
“These hotels have seen significant closures, as the government health measures to contain this pandemic have resulted in the cessation of events, meetings and travel, resulting in occupancies below 10% over the forward bookings and revenue downturns of over 50%,” he said.
“As a result, a number of jobs have already been lost.”
Mr Long said the subsidy would particularly benefit hotels in regional Australia, who have already been devastated by the impact of the bushfires.
“The hotel accommodation sector has experienced its most challenging six month period in its history, with bushfires and droughts destroying what is normally peak summer business,” he said.
“That has been followed by Coronavirus which has wiped out both corporate and leisure business.
“For regional towns, hotels often provide the lifeblood of the tourism sector. They employ large numbers of people and have a significant multiplier effect for the regional economies.
“To have workers retained in employment and able to work on upskilling until the crisis abates will have long term value for a large number of regional areas across the country.”
READ MORE: Mixed feelings over edict
Rachel Baxendale 9.42am: $10,000 fine for distance breach
Victoria Police have issued a business with an almost $10,000 on-the-spot fine after it continued to operate in breach of social distancing regulations.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said police had shown leniency in recent days, but warned fines would be issued more readily from now on.
Under rules enacted by the Andrews government last week, police can issue on the spot fines for anyone who is not following the directions of the Chief Health Officer including up to $1652 for individuals and up to $9,913 for businesses.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the business fined on Monday for breaching social distancing regulations was a licensed bar/restaurant in Fitzroy, in Melbourne’s inner north.
Mr Patton said that when police attended on Saturday night, six staff were present, with two customers being served alcohol.
“It was being treated as open for business, totally,” he said.
Mr Patton said the staff had been interviewed.
“They weren’t cooperative, they refused to state how long they’ve been open, and they refused to state why they’ve been open, in effect a no comment response, which didn’t really help them much because it still gave them in nearly $10,000 fine yesterday,” he said.
“We know that that is a significant fine, especially in these times when businesses are struggling, but people must comply with these restrictions and that’s why we brought them in.
“It’s the first time we’ve issued an infringement, but it won’t be the last, I can assure you, and individuals themselves, $1,652 is how much an individual can be fined.”
Mr Patton said the days of police being lenient were over.
“We’ve issued a lot of warnings, a lot of verbal discussions with people, but I think now … the time for that as passed.
“Unless you’ve been living under a rock or unless you’re an idiot, you’re quite clear that the restrictions are there.
“The restrictions are there to be abided by, and so we’re going to be enforcing them from today.”
READ MORE: Using the law in virus fight
Rachel Baxendale 9.40am: Vic records second highest daily rise
Victoria has recorded its second-highest daily increase in COVID-19
cases, with 96 people confirmed in the last 24 hours to have contracted the virus.
There have now been 917 cases confirmed in the state, including four deaths.
READ MORE: Under pressure state’s testing rates go south
Matthew Denholm 9.35am: Tasmania records second death
Tasmania has recorded its second death from coronavirus; an elderly man who died at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
Lachlan Moffet Gray 9.30am: Alcohol restrictions brought into force
Major bottle shops across the country have united to enforce restrictions on the amount of alcohol one customer can buy, with the new limits coming into force today.
Shoppers at Dan Murphy’s, BWS, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, First Choice Liquor, Urban Cellars, Liquor Stax, Liquor Legends and Aldi will now only be permitted to purchase two options from the following product categories: two cases of beer, two cases of cider, two casks of wine, 12 bottles of wine or two bottles of spirits of a combined two litres in size.
The temporary limits were designed to stop Australians panic-buying their favourite libations in the belief bottle shops may soon be shut down or restricted in their opening hours.
Retail Drinks Australia CEO Julie Ryan said the restrictions follow in store sales flattening out “significantly” after a dramatic spike in sales on March 22 due to the confusion on business closure regulations.
“Across the board, we have seen a 20 to 35 per cent increase in alcohol sales but we are starting to see that drop,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“There are no supply issues and there is plenty of stock but we cannot predict the behaviour of consumers and a discussion by government is what prompted this.”
The limits were already in place at Dan Murphy’s and BWS.
READ MORE: Fitness fanatics go the distance socially
Richard Ferguson 9.20am: Everything you need to know on wage subsidies
Businesses can receive a $1500-per-fortnight flat payment for every employee they have had on the books since March 1. Here’s what you need to know.
Lachlan Moffet Gray 9.15am: Vic Police Minister update on COVID-19 at 9.30am
Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville and Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton will provide an update on COVID-19 in the state and new social distancing regulations that come into force today at 9.30am AEDT.
Lachlan Moffet Gray 9.00am: ‘We’ve landed a punch on the virus’
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has said that Australia has “landed a punch on COVID-19” as NSW on Tuesday recorded an increase of just 127 cases, but stressed more needs to be done to ensure the illness is eliminated from the community.
“We have landed a punch on COVID-19, it is nowhere near on the canvas,” Dr Coatsworth told Sunrise on Tuesday.
“The reason we have landed the punch is as we have shut down chapel in Australia, we have put down aggressive quarantine measures, we have Australians returning difficult circumstances to quarantine and hotels.
“(Those measures) will be largely responsible for the drop in cases such the moment. The problem is, there are still undetected community transmission going on … you have than it is to combat the virus by social distancing and keeping us apart from each other, which is why the Prime Minister introduced aggressive measures to keep us apart.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth says Australia has "landed a punch on #COVID19," but there's still plenty of work to be done.
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) March 30, 2020
Latest updates: https://t.co/NkVFH2ldL2 pic.twitter.com/6jvwL0piG7
Dr Coatsworth said the government has now officially moved away from the “herd immunity” technique of combating the virus, saying our health system does not have the capacity to treat the amount of people who will fall ill if an attempt is made to build up widespread immunity to the virus.
“I think the herd testing was abandoned quickly when they found out what it entails … We just can’t afford to get there. We are not adopting that strategy at all,” he said.
Dr Coatsworth nevertheless said Australia’s strong health care system was a contributing factor to the relatively low coronavirus fatality rate, but warned there was potential for more deaths on the horizon.
READ MORE: Detaining doctors unjustified say lawyers
Elias Visontay 8.55am: Cormann: casual workers haven’t been forsaken
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has defended the government’s financial support to casual workers employed less than 12 months, insisting “they haven’t been forsaken” despite not being included in the $130 billion wage subsidy.
Senator Cormann’s comments come after ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said she hoped the government would tweak the stipulation in the wage subsidy scheme that it only applies to casual employees who have been with the same employer for 12 months.
“They haven’t been forsaken,” Senator Cormann told ABC Radio National.
“A casual who becomes a job seeker is able to access the JobSeeker (renamed Newstart) payment.”
“A casual secures certain entitlements and certain rights once they’ve been with the same employer for more than 12 months and that is why that particular threshold has been chosen,” he said.
“It’s not that the casual that has worked for less than 12 months for the same employer is forsaken, it’s just that they would have to access their support through the JobSeeker (renamed Newstart) rather than the JobKeeper payment (the wage subsidy announced on Monday).”
Senator Cormann also clarified the wage subsidy payment of $1500 a fortnight per employee would be taxed, and said did not rule out further financial support.
“I don’t believe that there will be another package of this sort of magnitude but I do believe that we will continue to adjust and make decisions, id and as required to support the economy and to support jobs.”
Asked about reports Virgin is seeking a $1.4 billion government bailout, Senator Cormann said “it’s not our plan to take a stake in an airline”.
“But let me also say that on the other side of all of this, of course, we are committed to ensure that through our policy settings and the like that on the other side, that we have two competitive airlines and that we’ve got an aviation sector with two major airlines competing with each other.”
READ MORE: Albanese’s posturing undermines unity
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.45am: Deaths as India lockdown spurs mass exodus
At least 22 people in India have reportedly died fleeing urban areas as a harsh lockdown instituted by the government spurred a mass exodus of the rural working poor now unable to find work as labourers, food sellers and truck drivers.
Last Tuesday Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the country of more than 1.3 billion people to shut down for at least three weeks, forcing the closure of non-essential businesses.
The resulting internal population shift of unemployed Indians forced to return to their rural villages and communities is reportedly the largest since the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, which resulted in the displacement of 14 million people.
Health authorities have raised concerns over the potential for the mass migration to further spread coronavirus, which has infected at least 1000 Indians and caused 25 deaths – although the true number could be higher due to parts of the country lacking adequate health infrastructure.
On Sunday Modi sought forgiveness from the poor and displaced, on radio saying:
“I had to take certain decisions which have put you in lots of difficulty, especially when I look at my poor brothers and sisters,”
“They must be thinking what kind of prime minister is this who placed us in this difficulty. I seek their forgiveness.”
Last week the Indian government announced a 1.7 trillion rupee (AU $37 billion) economic stimulus package designed to fight the economic fallout of the pandemic, with many measures targeted at relief for the poor.
READ MORE: Editorial: Time bomb in the Third World
Yoni Bashan 8.30am: Pop-up testing for NSW hot spots
Doctors in high-risk local government areas will soon be permitted to conduct wider COVID-19 testing on residents showing symptoms, with health officials planning to relax these requirements to try prevent greater community transmission.
Up until now, testing has been limited to people with a combination of flu-like symptoms and other personal circumstances, such as time spent overseas or a contact with someone carrying the virus.
Residents of the Waverley local government area, which has the highest concentration of confirmed cases in NSW, particularly around Bondi Beach, will soon face fewer restrictions to being assessed for COVID-19, as will other districts.
Dr Kerry Chant, NSW chief health officer, said a pop-up site testing would likely be established on Bondi Beach with the assistance of St Vincent’s Hospital.
“I’m urging that we increase the testing, particularly in areas where we have community transmissions, or around clusters. There’ll be a mix of strategies,” Dr Chant said.
“We know there has been an outbreak among backpackers around Bondi. We know that other members of the community may have come into contact with backpackers.”
NSW recorded another 114 confirmed infections as of 8pm Monday night, but NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian cautioned against complacency, saying community transmissions were the greater concern.
A further 164 cases have required hospitalisation, with 35 cases requiring intensive care and 16 of those requiring ventilators.
READ MORE: Why being wealthy doesn’t mean being healthy
Chris Jenkins 8.25am: Air NZ to cut 3500 jobs, become smaller business
Air New Zealand has announced plans to cut 3500 jobs and says it will probably emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis a 30 per cent smaller business.
The news came in a letter to Air New Zealand staff from CEO Greg Foran. The letter was also shared with investors in announcements to stock exchanges in Australia and New Zealand.
“It is shaping up that the size of the Air New Zealand workforce will reduce by up to 3,500 roles in coming months,” Mr Foran said.
“No areas will be immune whether it is our most senior leaders through to new joiners. The situation we find ourselves in is nobody’s fault. And I am acutely conscious that a smaller Air New Zealand also comes with a significant impact on many of our suppliers, some of whom will probably have to reduce the size of their workforces,” he said.
Mr Foran said Air New Zealand had high costs and almost no revenue coming in, and that burdening the business with excessive debt would cripple its chances of recovery once the pandemic threat subsided.
“Air New Zealand is an expensive business to run with operating costs in the billions,” Mr Foran said.
Read the full story here.
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.15am: Bailout ‘will bring generation of debt’
Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers has signalled Labor’s support for the government’s $130 billion JobKeeper program, despite the fact it will help contribute to a “generation of debt” and contains flaws that need to be “ironed out”.
“Some of the issues are people who have been a casual in a workplace for less than 12 months will miss out,” Mr Chalmers told ABC News.
“There are issues about reattaching people who might have already been dismissed by their employer. All kinds of issues. But we’ll work through that.
“The payments don’t flow until May, so we want to work through those details too. But it is a good step. It’s a step in the right direction. We welcome it.”
Mr Chalmers said the unfortunate reality of the bailout of the economy will be a “generation of debt.”
“I think we’re headed for a generation of debt, unfortunately. The thing that
people probably don’t perfectly appreciate is that debt had already more than doubled over the last six or seven years, and so we already had an issue with debt in our budget,” Mr Chalmers said.
“And now clearly that’s going to skyrocket … we’re already heading up towards, you know, $700-800 billion worth of gross debt.”
Mr Chalmers also argued that the government’s current economic response to the crisis vindicates the Rudd-Swan response to the 2008 global financial crisis.
“I think in time people will realise that more than a decade now of the Liberals and Nationals’ rubbish about what Australians achieved together under Rudd and Swan during the global financial crisis was just that – it was rubbish. All along,” he said.
“Australia achieved a remarkable thing then, avoiding recession when so many of the other countries that we compare ourselves with did not.
“That was a remarkably successful period for Australia. What we want to see now, we want to see Australia pass the test under this Government now.”
READ MORE: Albanese undermines national unity
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.00am: Cardinal close to Pope Francis tests positive
A high-ranking Catholic cardinal close to Pope Francis has tested positive for coronavirus, raising fears for the health of the spiritual head of more than one billion Catholics.
On Monday Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the vicar for the diocese of Rome tested positive for the illness, his office said in a statement.
Cardinal De Donatis was tested after falling ill and being admitted to a hospital in Rome.
His aides have gone into voluntary quarantine.
Pope Francis is the official vicar of Rome, but appoints a cardinal to act in his place.
The 66-year-old Cardinal De Donatis has been closely working with the Pope in that capacity since 2017, but has reportedly not had contact with the Pontiff in recent weeks.
Italy remains the European epicentre of the crisis, with 101,739 confirmed cases and 11,591 deaths, although France on Monday recorded its worst daily coronavirus death toll at 418, pushing the total fatalities over 3000.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has warned the country’s 67 million people the toughest weeks in the fight against epidemic are still to come and doctors in the capital say they are close to saturation point.
“Today in the pulmonology unit we are as full as full can be,” Jerome Pinot, a doctor at the Georges Pompidou hospital in Paris, told Reuters.
“To find a place in intensive care is a never-ending headache. We ask ourselves whether we can move this patient to this unit to take another patient. It’s an incessant game.”
READ MORE: Europe death rates start to level off
Elias Visontay 7.55am: McManus: casual workers may miss out on subsidy
Union chief Sally McManus has welcomed the government’s $130 billion wage subsidy but expressed concern some casual workers will miss out on the scheme.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary said she is worried casuals employed for less than 12 months aren’t included in the measures announced on Monday, and said “hopefully that can be tweaked”.
We welcome the wage subsidy announcement, but need to look through the details.
— Sally McManus (@sallymcmanus) March 30, 2020
A few early issues:
- it should scale up to $1375/week (ie median wage)
- needs to apply to all casuals who would have got shifts if not for #COVID19au
- need to ensure it applies to visa workers
“It’s not what we were asking for … we were wanting it capped at the median wage which would actually be $1375 a week for those who are earning a lot more,” Ms McManus told ABC Radio National.
“Having said that, they’ve made this big move in the first place. In other countries where it hasn’t been enough they’ve lifted it. So obviously we’ll be happy to go with it as it is if we can fix the problems for casuals so that we can keep people in jobs.”
Our response to the coming announcement on wage subsidies. It needs to be for all workers, employers big and small & generous so we can save jobs #COVID19Aus pic.twitter.com/SpoVmE2ZD0
— Sally McManus (@sallymcmanus) March 29, 2020
“One thing we’re really worried about is casuals. you’ll notice part of what they’ve announced is you’ve got to be in a job for 12 months. Well a lot of casuals haven’t been,” she said.
Ms McManus also said she hoped gig economy workers registered as sole traders would be able to access the scheme.
Ms McManus and Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter have revealed their relationship has strengthened as a result of daily video-conference and WhatsApp communications as a result the outbreak of coronavirus.
READ MORE: Dennis Shanahan writes: PM gets it right on all fronts
Elias Visontay 7.40am: Wage subsidy ‘absolute hope giver to all’
Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott has heralded the government’s $130 billion wage subsidy as “an absolute hope giver to all of Australia”.
Ms Westacott said she thinks the package “will save many many many businesses” that would have otherwise gone under, and said it would help many larger businesses “get the economy going again” after the coronavirus crisis.
“Six million people getting paid, six million people getting a decent standard of living, being able to stay attached to their employer, together with their employer rebuilding their businesses. This is the hope and confidence that we needed to get through this,” Ms Westacott told ABC Radio National.
“I don’t think there’s anybody who isn’t absolutely praising the breadth of this, the depth of this, and I think this is an absolute hope giver to all of Australia.”
Ms Westacott said the requirement for larger businesses with a pre-pandemic turnover of $1 billion to demonstrate a 50 per cent reduction in revenue was fair, and said it was important for these businesses to be around after the crisis “to get the economy going again”.
“Overwhelmingly this will save many many many businesses, many that would have gone under.”
She also said it wasn’t in businesses interests now to sack their employers or take unfair advantage of the scheme, but warned some businesses might still reduce the amount of hours or days they employ their staff for.
READ MORE: $130bn scheme to save jobs
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.35am: Packaging manufacturer turns machines to masks
Australia’s national surgical mask stockpile is set to grow by 145 million with the federal government engaging a South Australian manufacturer who typically makes packaging for KFC and Mcdonalds to help fill the shortfall.
Federal industry minister Karen Andrews said the Detmold Group, based out of Brompton, has never manufactured masks but will soon be churning out millions.
“What we have done as a Government is look at stepping up the output from the one manufacturer that we had for surgical masks here in Australia, but we now have another company, Detmold, which is based in South Australia but has operations around the world,” she told ABC News.
“They’re actually a packaging manufacturer, so they haven’t made masks before. But they put their hand up now a couple of weeks ago, and they have been
working with the South Australian Government and also the Federal Government to bring in machines that are going to have the capacity to produce, in total, 145 million masks.
“So, 45 million will go to South Australia, and 100 million masks will go into the national stockpile. So, it’s a fantastic story, a fantastic outcome.”
Also appearing on Channel 7’s Sunrise, Ms Andrews said the government would meet with domestic clothing manufacturers later in the week to discuss the production of medical gowns.
“We are looking at a whole range of things. Later this week will be a roundtable with clothing manufacturers to look at the production of counts. We know we need more counts. We are trying to procure those between looking at Australian textile businesses, clothing businesses, to see how they step up,” he said.
“The response has been overwhelming. They put out a request for information two weeks ago now and there has already been 340 businesses put their hand up saying they are prepared to do what it takes.”
READ MORE: Pratt donates $1m for ‘silver bullet’ solution
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.20am: ‘Not a police state, we won’t be heavy-handed’
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has said the state’s police officers will not be overzealous in enforcing new social distancing regulations that ban public gatherings of more than two, but urged common sense on behalf of the community.
“We’re not a police state … From our perspective we will be reasonable from this, we’re not going to give everyone a ticket,” Commissioner Fuller told 2GB’s Alan Jones, giving the example of construction workers congregating together to discuss a job and saying they won’t be fined, although they should maintain a healthy social distance.
“(But) If there is a group of three or four people standing on the corner, the police will stop and question them … If it’s a group of four or five and you’re not all family members, you get a ticket.”
Commissioner Fuller also revealed the swiftness of the NSW Police in establishing a comprehensive hotel quarantine system for returning international travellers in under 24 hours, and hit out at the quarantined individuals who have complained about the scheme.
“The premier put police in charge because it’s really a massive police operation,” he said.
“(Police) essentially worked through the night with all other agencies and they pulled it off.
“We’re doing our best to keep family members together … They are going to pretty nice accommodation and they are getting fed.
“The community has spoken in terms of these people whinging and whining, and I had a smile on my face, I had to say.”
Commissioner Fuller urged the public to comply with public health orders.
“If you use your common sense, there won’t be an escalation in terms of restrictions.”
READ MORE: Fitness fanatics going the social distance
Elias Visontay 7.05am: 60,000 register for wage subsidy in 12 hours
More than 60,000 Australian businesses have registered their interest for the government’s $130 billion wage subsidy in just over 12 hours since it was announced, according to Josh Frydenberg.
The Treasurer expected tens of thousands more businesses to register on the Australian Tax Office’s website on Tuesday for the scheme he acknowledged will “take years and years” for the government to pay off.
“A number of businesses will need this wage subsidy to keep their employees and we want to maintain that connection between the employer and the employee because once we get to the other side of this coronavirus we want the economy to bounce back stronger than ever,” Mr Frydenberg told Sky News.
“I think it will save thousands of businesses and more importantly, millions of employees. We know that around 6 million employees will benefit from this scheme.”
Asked how long the $130 billion package would take to pay off, Mr Frydenberg said: “It will take Years and years and there’s no secret in that … We have to do what is needed at this time and that’s to support the economy.”
Mr Frydenberg also foreshadowed further stimulus and financial support packages, but said “they won’t top what was announced” on Monday.
“That is the most significant announcement that you will see from a government, I’m sure, for years to come. But it does reflect the unprecedented nature of the times, and extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures and yesterday’s (Monday’s) wage subsidy was exactly that.”
Asked about reports Virgin Australia is seeking a $1.4 billion bailout, Mr Frydenberg said Monday’s wage subsidy would help the airline.
“I think yesterday’s announcement, they will be very important for a company like Virgin as well because it will provide wage subsidies for many of their workers.”
READ MORE: Paul Kelly writes: PM redefines ‘whatever it takes’
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.00am: Tokyo Olympics set for 2021 northern summer
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been moved to 2021 and is set to take place between July 23 and August 8, the IOC confirmed on Monday.
Also confirmed are the new dates for the Paralympic Games, which will take place next year from August 24 to September 5.
The decision to postpone the games was made last week by the IOC and Japanese government because of the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic to athletes and spectators.
In a statement, the IOC said the new dates provide health authorities with plenty of time to prepare for the games.
“These new dates give the health authorities and all involved in the organisation of the Games the maximum time to deal with the constantly changing landscape and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement read.
“The new dates, exactly one year after those originally planned for 2020 also have the added benefit that any disruption that the postponement will cause to the international sports calendar can be kept to a minimum, in the interests of the athletes and the international federations.
“Additionally, they will provide sufficient time to finish the qualification process. The same heat mitigation measures as planned for 2020 will be implemented.”
READ MORE: New 2021 dates for Olympics
Lachlan Moffet Gray 6.45am: Cuomo calls for medical volunteers
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an urgent call for medical volunteers as the number of deaths attributed to coronavirus in New York City, the epicentre of the pandemic in the US, continues to grow.
“Please come help us in New York, now” Governor Cuomo asked of retired nurses and doctors.
On Tuesday morning Australia time there were 153,246 confirmed cases of the virus in the United States – the most in the world by far and over 50,000 cases above runner-up, Italy. There have been over 2,800 deaths connected to the virus, with more than 1200 of these in New York.
Governor Cuomo said the city needed one million additional health care workers.
“We’ve lost over 1000 New Yorkers,” he said.
“To me, we’re beyond staggering already. We’ve reached staggering.”
The US Navy Hospital Ship “Comfort” has docked in New York City on directions from the federal government. With a 1000 bed capacity, the ship is expected to relieve pressure on the state’s healthcare system.
A Navy hospital ship, also sent to the city after 9/11, pulled into port with 1,000 beds to help relieve pressure on New York’s hospitals. And an estimated 80,000 former medical professionals were stepping up to volunteer.
Despite the desperate plea for assistance, Governor Cuomo warned leaders across the rest of the country that they need to be prepared too.
“Anyone who says this situation is a New York City-only situation is in a state of denial,” Mr Cuomo said.
“You see this virus move across the state, you see this virus move across the nation. There is no American who is immune to this virus.”
Bowing to the pressure from public health officials, US President Donald Trump agreed to extended the nationwide lockdown for a month and said that it would be a “good job” if only 100,000 died from the illness, citing models shown to him by government officials on the potential death rate.
“I kept asking and we did models,” he said.
“These are 2.2 million people would have died.
“And so, if we could hold that down, as we’re saying, to 100,000 – it’s a horrible number, maybe even less, but to 100,000, so we have between 100 and 200,000 – we altogether have done a very good job.”
President Trump seemed rattled by the scenes from his hometown of New York, singling out the plight of a hospital in the borough of Queens.
“I’ve been watching that for the last week on television,” he said. “Body bags all over, in hallways.”
“I’ve been watching them bring in trailer trucks, freezer trucks, they’re freezer trucks, because they can’t handle the bodies, there are so many of them.
“This is essentially in my community, in Queens; Queens, New York. I’ve seen things that I’ve never seen before.”
READ MORE: Liner infection spreads to community
Lachlan Moffet Gray 6.25am: Spain surpasses China with 85,192 cases
Spain has become the third country to surpass China after Italy and the United States in the number of coronavirus cases, on Tuesday confirming 85,192 cases to mainland China’s 82,198.
The Spanish Health Ministry confirmed another 812 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the fatality total to 7,340. This eye-watering figure is a small bit of good news in context, being the first 24-hour decline on the number of deaths the country has experienced throughout the crisis – the country announced 838 deaths on Sunday,
The first death of a royal due to coronavirus also occurred, with Spanish Princess Maria Theresa of Bourbon-Parma passing away on Thursday in Paris, according to a statement from her brother, Prince Sixto Enrique.
A distant cousin of King Felipe VI, Princess Maria was 86.
In a sign of the country’s commitment to flattening the curve, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday extended the nationwide lockdown which has forced all non-essential workers to stay home for at least two weeks.
READ MORE: Europe deaths start to level
Jacquelin Magnay 5.30am: Thieves seize on lax security to steal priceless van Gogh
Art thieves have taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic and stolen a van Gogh masterpiece from a Dutch museum.
The work, “De Lentetuin” or “Spring Garden” was on loan to the Singer Museum in Laren and taken in an early morning raid on Monday.
“I am extremely angry that this happened. This is a huge blow,” said museum director Jan Rudolph de Lorm. “This is extremely difficult, especially in these times.”
The Singer Museum had been closed in keeping with the Dutch government’s directives on coronavirus and art experts believe the thieves deliberately targeted the museum during the lockdown, breaking through large glass doors at the front at 3.15am while security may have been more relaxed than usual.
De Lentetuin, painted in 1884, depicts the church garden of van Gogh’s father in Nuenen and was part of an exhibition called “Mirror of the Soul” with works by artists ranging from Toorop to Mondrian, in co-operation with Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. The three-month exhibition was to display works by artists who offer a look into their deeper selves, Mr de Lorm said.
The painting was on loan from the Groninger Museum, whose director Andreas Blühm said the real victims were the Dutch people.
“We are not deterred. We will ensure that it is back as soon as possible,” Mr Blühm stated.
In 2007 the Singer Museum was targeted by thieves and seven statues were stolen from the museum’s garden including a bronze cast of The Thinker by Auguste Rodin. It was found significantly damaged days later and was restored.
READ MORE: Stranded Aussies defy warnings to come home
Jacquelin Magnay 5.15am: ‘Alarming’ new powers for Hungarian Prime Minister
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has suspended parliament and has been given the power to rule by decree to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
In an alarming step, Mr Orban has declared a state of emergency with no time limit and with immediate suspension of any elections. The new rules also allow him to imprison journalists for up to five years and anyone leaving quarantine can be jailed for eight years.
The Hungarian parliament voted 137 to 53 overnight (AEDT) to give Mr Orban the extraordinary authority.
Mr Orban said he would use his powers “proportionately and rationally”. But the unilateral command of power by the nationalist leader has raised alarm bells across Europe.
Former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi tweeted: “ … after what Orban has done today, the European Union MUST beat it and make it change its mind. Or, more simply, drive Hungary out of the Union.”
Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi calls for the European Union to force Hungary to abandon Orban’s coronavirus dictatorship law or be expelled from the European Union. https://t.co/FHfZoF0pik
— Ben Judah (@b_judah) March 30, 2020
One human rights group, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, organised an online demonstration against the move. It said in a statement: “Many of us feel powerless and unprotected in this situation.”
Human Rights Watch said the Hungarian government failed to introduce any protections such as access to the constitutional court, or a short time limit that would have made the social legal order acceptable.
At midnight tonight local time, Hungary's prime minister seizes unlimited power... https://t.co/DSVADcLwsK pic.twitter.com/LBBPE9ALUb
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) March 30, 2020
“This is particularly painful in this pandemic situation, when the Hungarian government is stressing the reinforcement of national unity,” it said in a statement.
“It is inexplicable why the government did not make any reasonable compromises if it has no unacceptable intention of power and does not endeavour full authorisation — as it is stated by governmental opinions.”
READ MORE: Fears police may abuse new powers
Agencies 5am: Italy sees another slowdown in rate of new cases
Italy is seeing a continued slowdown in the rate of its new confirmed coronavirus cases while registering a record number of people cured as it enters its third week into a nationwide lockdown.
Another 812 people died in the yesterday, bringing Italy’s toll to 11,591 and maintaining its position as the country with the most dead.
Overall, Italy added 4,050 new infections on Monday, bringing its official total to 101,739 and keeping its place as the European epicentre of the pandemic and second only to the US. Epidemiologists say the real number of Italy’s caseload, however, is as much as five to 10 times more than the official number, but that those cases weren’t being counted because Italy was only testing people with severe symptoms.
Of those infected, 14,620 have been declared cured, including a record 1,590 in the past day. — AP
READ MORE: Increasing unrest over public gathering restrictions
Geoff Chambers 4.45am: Government ups COVID-19 support to $320 billion
Up to six million workers will receive $1500 fortnightly payments under a $130bn JobKeeper scheme — the centrepiece of Australia’s biggest ever rescue package — to keep businesses open throughout the COVID-19 economic crisis and protect hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the unprecedented wage-subsidy payments were designed to “keep the engine of our economy running” as the country faced twin battles against coronavirus and the threat of “economic ruin”.
The government’s third COVID-19 rescue package will provide wage support to employees for six months from the first week of May, backdated to March 1, and takes the total economic support provided by the commonwealth — in fiscal and monetary terms — to $320bn, or 16.4 per cent of GDP.
Read the full story here.
Additional reporting: Lachlan Moffet Gray, Jacquelin Magnay
EDO could be stripped of its charity status
The EDO could be stripped of its charity status if the non-profit commission finds it breached public trust and failed to act responsibly in its legal challenge against Santos.
Western Victorian communities under threat as bushfires rage
Evacuation warnings have been issued as firefighters battle fast-moving blazes amid challenging conditions.