Coronavirus Australia live updates: Shift to economy as states adapt to easing
The government finalises its economic statement but a local shopping rush and foreign outbreaks raise concerns.
- Airlines told of British quarantine plan
- Andrews ‘has questions to answer’
- Virus inquiry ‘will happen’
- Mutant virus strain spreading
- States baulk, despite PM’s go-ahead
Welcome to Saturday’s live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. Wrapping up for the day, we have pressure on Daniel Andrews over his caution in easing restrictions, and weekend crowds hitting the shops and open spaces in much of the nation, despite the risk of a second wave.
Staff reporters 11.55pm: Retailers call for shoppers to avoid crowding
Thousands of Australians have taken advantage of the easing environment to catch up on shopping, crowding some malls and prompting retailers to warn social distancing must be maintained.
The Australian Retailers Association said the reports of crowding were worst in NSW and Victoria on Saturday, the ABC reported.
"It's great to see the obvious enthusiasm from Australians to get back to the shops after weeks of lockdown. That's a really great sign for retail, and a very natural response as Australians see the lockdowns starting to ease around the country," ARA chief executive Paul Zahra told the ABC.
"At the same time we want a safe restart, not a false start. And we are still waiting on a green light from some state governments before the full reopening of retail."
Mr Zahra called for patience and caution so the progress made in curbing the spread of coronavirus was not reversed.
He said shops had done a lot to prepare for this weekend but people needed to exercise their own discretion.
"Our view is it's in everyone's interest to maintain social distancing so we can have a positive start to the easing of restrictions. So self-regulation is important — it's a shared responsibility," Mr Zahra said.
Staff reporters 11.50pm: Economic statement as business scopes recovery
On Tuesday, when Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was due to release the federal budget, he will instead deliver an economic statement to parliament that may outline more of the government’s thinking on how and when an economic recovery could follow the coronavirus shutdown.
The budget was put back to October when COVID-19 outbreak took hold.
That statement in a one-day sitting of the House of Representatives will come against the backdrop of the US reporting a huge spike in its unemployment rate to nearly 15 per cent in reaction to COVID-19 pandemic, the worst result since the Great Depression.
The Australian Treasury is predicting official unemployment in this country will peak at 10 per cent, restrained by the $130 billion JobKeeper initiative.
Federal Labor has repeatedly called for a deeper picture of the outlook to accompany the plan to ease the virus shutdown. “We will be calling for the government to outline its economic plan,” Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has said. He also said there was a “big threat” to the economy if people suddenly were cut off from their JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments on an arbitrary date.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders agreed on Friday to a three-step plan to restart business and community activities. However, the states and territories are set to move through the three stages at different speeds, depending on their health situation and local conditions. Treasury says it is possible to restore 851,000 jobs in coming months if things go to plan.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says regional and interstate travel restrictions need to be lifted as soon as is practicable to breathe life back into regional and urban economies.
“Australian businesses depend on operating as seamlessly as possible between states and territories, as many supply services and source goods interstate,” ACCI chief executive James Pearson said in a statement.
“We recognise state and territory-specific timetables for the three-stage plan will be based on the current pandemic impact trend and will be subject to any change in health outcomes and ongoing reviews,’’ he said. “We hope there are no significant detours or U-turns on the road to recovery.’’
The Business Council of Australia has set up a series of expert working groups, headed by some of the country’s top executives, to identify practical and achievable solutions to create jobs and boost the economy.
The groups will not only look at how to restart business and industry but put in place structural reforms to drive growth and higher wages.
They will draw on the expertise of Port Jackson Partners, Professor Ian Harper, Dr Ken Henry and banking chief economists.
Business Council board member and group managing director of Coca-Cola Amatil Alison Watkins will chair the overarching working group.
With AAP
READ MORE: Business straining at the leash
Agencies 11pm: Germany, South Korea outbreaks after lifting
South Korea’s capital closed down more than 2100 bars and other nightspots on Saturday because of a new cluster of coronavirus infections, and Germany scrambled to contain fresh outbreaks at slaughterhouses, underscoring the dangers authorities face as they try to reopen their economies.
Elsewhere, Belarus, which has not locked down despite increasing case numbers, saw tens of thousands of people turn out to mark Victory Day, the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in 1945. That was in contrast to Russia, where a muted event took place over an empty Red Square.
Around the world, the US and other hard-hit countries are wrestling with how to ease curbs on business and public activity without touching off a deadly second wave of infection.
Germany and South Korea have both carried out extensive testing and contact tracing and have been hailed for avoiding the mass deaths that have overwhelmed other countries. But even there, authorities have struggled with finding the balance between saving lives and saving jobs.
In South Korea, where a decline in new cases had prompted the government to loosen up, Seoul shut down thousands of nightclubs, hostess bars and discos after dozens of infections were linked to clubgoers who went out last weekend as the country relaxed its social-distancing guidelines.
Many of the infections were linked to a 29-year-old man who visited three nightclubs before testing positive.
Health officials in Germany faced outbreaks at three slaughterhouses in what was seen as a test of the government’s strategy for dealing with any resurgence of the virus as restrictions are eased.
AP
READ MORE: Scramble to contain outbreaks
Agencies 9.30pm: Airlines told of British quarantine plan
The British government has told airlines it will introduce a 14-day self-quarantine period for most people arriving from abroad to try to avoid a second peak of the coronavirus pandemic, an association representing the airlines said on Saturday.
Airlines UK, which represents British Airways, Easyjet and other British airlines, said the move required “a credible exit plan” and should be reviewed weekly, Reuters reported.
Airport operators said it could have a “devastating” impact on the aviation industry and the broader economy.
Under measures that are likely to come into force in early June, travellers would have to provide the address at which they will self-isolate on arrival, The Times said.
Boris Johnson’s Downing Street office and the interior ministry declined comment. Mr Johnson is due on Sunday night local time to announce the next steps in Britain’s battle to tackle the novel coronavirus following a review by ministers of measures that have all but shut the economy and kept millions at home for more than six weeks.
The airport operators said a quarantine would compound damage done by the pandemic to the aviation industry as it would put people off travelling when lockdown restrictions are lifted.
“Quarantine would not only have a devastating impact on the UK aviation industry, but also on the wider economy,” said Karen Dee, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association.
“If the government believes quarantine is medically necessary, then it should be applied on a selective basis following the science, there should be a clear exit strategy and the economic impact on key sectors should be mitigated.”
Airlines UK said it would seek assurances that the move is “led by the science” and that airlines would need support measures to ensure the aviation sector gets through the quarantine period.
Britain has reported 31,241 deaths from the coronavirus and Environment Minister George Eustice said Johnson would not announce any dramatic changes to Britain’s lockdown on Sunday.
The devolved Welsh government announced minor lockdown adjustments on Friday, allowing people to exercise more than once a day and garden centres to reopen
The Times 6.40pm: Britain to learn how shutdown will be eased
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “road map” for ending lockdown restrictions will be revealed at 7pm on Sunday local time (4am Monday AEST). He has vowed to move with “maximum caution” as he reopens the economy.
Some measures will be lifted in the coming week, enabling people to exercise more than once a day and visit garden centres, and he will drop the “stay at home, save lives” slogan.
Many of the main restrictions will remain until June, when the phased return of schools is expected to begin. Allowing people from more than one household to mix has slipped down the order of priorities amid concerns about the complexity of the scheme and the difficulty in enforcing it.
Cabinet ministers are increasingly concerned that they are being kept in the dark about the science behind lifting the shutdown. One minister said that if felt like a “Potemkin cabinet” in which decisions were made before ministers had met.
In other developments:
A SIX-WEEK-OLD baby with an underlying health condition became the youngest known victim of coronavirus in Britain as the death toll rose by 626 to 31,241.
A LEADING epidemiologist claimed that two thirds of cases in Britain had been undiagnosed.
THE legalisation of e-scooters is to be fast-tracked and £250 million ($474m) will be invested in new cycle lanes.
CARD transactions have fallen by a third, latest data shows, with Oxfordshire the worst affected county.
In Australia it is estimated hundreds of thousands of people have flocked to shopping malls and supermarkets across Australia where permitted on Saturday, raising concerns of growing complacency over the coronavirus pandemic.
Tens of thousands of Melburnians have defied lockdown orders, packing shopping centres on the eve of Mother's Day despite a state government warning to stay away. https://t.co/5zYfOfohG3 @NickMcCallum7 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/gr7IJxgmVb
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) May 9, 2020
In Adelaide, with Mother’s Day on Sunday and the lifting of some restrictions in South Australia from Monday, health officials said the crowds at retail outlets on Saturday were not surprising.
With AAP
READ MORE: Easing to include a crackdown
Agencies 5pm: Albanese wants ‘accountability’ amid crisis
Some old wounds could be reopened when parliament sits next week – such as the multimillion-dollar sports rorts scandal – despite the main focus being the response to the coronavirus pandemic, AAP reports.
Sports rorts haunted the Morrison government heading into the crisis, and saw then deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie lose her ministerial job. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said it is only right for the parliament to be focused on the COVID-19 crisis.
“It’s also important … in our democracy that there be accountability,” he told reporters in Queanbeyan, NSW on Saturday.
“Whether they be (Energy Minister) Angus Taylor, where there’s been further revelations about the so called ‘downloading’ of a document that we know simply was never downloaded from the City of Sydney website, or whether it be the sports rorts saga.” The auditor-general found the $100 million sports grants program favoured coalition marginal and targeted seats heading into last year’s federal election.
Mr Albanese said fresh material from the Australian National Audit Office suggests Prime Minister Scott Morrison misled parliament on February 27, when he said he was not involved in the authorisation of any of the sports grants. He said Audit Office found Mr Morrison’s office had advised the office of Senator McKenzie that it was expected she would write to the prime minister to seek authority on the approved projects.
Agencies 4pm: Warning issued as thousands head out across SA
Thousands of people have flocked to shopping malls and supermarkets across Adelaide, raising concerns of growing complacency over the coronavirus pandemic, AAP reports. With Mother’s Day on Sunday and the lifting of some restrictions in South Australia on Monday, health officials said the crowds at retail outlets on Saturday were not surprising.
However, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Mike Cusack said social distancing and other measures remained vitally important to avoid a surge in the number of virus infections.
“We could well understand after a period of lockdown, that people would want to get out,” Dr Cusack said.
“But clearly the more we have people bunched together the more opportunity the virus has to jump from person to person.
“That effectively increases the risk of further outbreaks in the state.”
Dr Cusack said given the experience in the US and in Europe a “second peak” of virus cases was always possible.
“We’ve seen the devastation that can be caused so I would strongly encourage people not to become complacent and to continue to do the right things,” he said.
SA reported no new virus infections on Saturday with the state’s tally remaining at 439.
Only two cases are still considered active.
Other restrictions to be lifted in SA include the return of alcohol-free outdoor dining at cafes and restaurants and the resumption of outdoor sports training. Universities and TAFE colleges will be allowed to resume face-to-face learning, public swimming pools, places of worship and libraries can reopen, and open house inspections and home auctions will be permitted.
In almost all cases, numbers will be limited to 10 people at a time and all social distancing provisions will still apply.
However, SA will allow up to 20 people to attend a funeral indoors and up to 30 people outdoors.
More restrictions will go from June 8 with cinemas and theatres to open along with gyms, galleries and museums, with the maximum number of people in most circumstances to be increased to 20.
READ MORE: States stand firm on easing
Imogen Reid 3.10pm: Liberal MP attacks Andrews’s power grab
Liberal backbencher Tim Wilson has taken a swipe at Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, accusing him of acting too slowly in lifting restrictions in the state.
Mr Andrews’ decision to rule out easing restrictions before Monday reignited tensions between the federal and state government, with Mr Wilson implying a level of disconnect between the two bodies.
Mr Wilson said the states had to explain why they were taking different approaches to easing restrictions, particularly in Victoria, where Mother’s Day plans have been quashed by social distancing measures.
“I’ve just outlined some serious questions I think Dan Andrews needs to answer for Victorians, if he wants to maintain public confidence,” Mr Wilson told the ABC today.
“There is actually now a narrative that’s building in Victoria where people are increasingly concerned that he’s probably enjoying the clampdown too much in terms of the authority and power it has given him, and he’s not as enthusiastic to roll it back.
“I think it’s up to the burden of responsibility to the states to articulate what stage they’re implementing, why they’re implementing it, backing it up with hard evidence, and making the case for further easing of restrictions when they come along.”
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese described Mr Wilson’s comments as “childish” given Australians have died during a crisis that has left a million people unemployed.
“Quite frankly, Tim Wilson needs to … think before he speaks,” he said.
Mr Andrews is expected to make an announcement on lifting restrictions on Monday, but has been careful to say the pandemic is not over.
Victoria’s coronavirus tally is at 1477, with just over 100 of those being active cases.
“Let’s not give everything back, let’s not throw away all the progress we have made by letting our frustration get the better of us,” Mr Andrews said on Friday.
He is considering the national “menu” of changes available to states after Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled a three-step plan to reopen Australian society and the economy.
Under stage one of the plan agreed by national cabinet, cafes, restaurants and shops are permitted to reopen, with public gatherings of up to 10 people allowed.
Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville has urged organisers to cancel two protests planned for Sunday in the city, as they are breaches of the lockdown rules.
With AAP
Imogen Reid 2.10pm: No new virus cases recorded in the ACT
There have been zero new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the ACT in the past 24 hours. The ACT’s total remains at 107.
So far, 103 cases have recovered from the virus and have been released from self-isolation.
The ACT has recorded three deaths and 11,167 negative tests.
Imogen Reid 1.40pm: Risk ‘not over’ in WA despite good signs
Western Australia’s total number of COVID-19 cases has remained at 552, with zero additional cases recorded since yesterday.
There are seven active cases, including six from WA and one from interstate.
“With only seven active cases, I know people think the risk of them catching the virus is over,” Health Minister Richard Cook said.
“Please do not think this. Do not believe it for one minute. While there is no sustained community spread in WA, there is also no guarantee the virus could not be lurking in our community.”
READ MORE: Chance to stimulate the economy
Imogen Reid 1.20pm: Covid-19 cases spike again in Victoria
Ten new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Victoria in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 1477.
Four of the new cases are linked to an outbreak at an abattoir in Melbourne’s west, taking the total number of cases connected to the cluster to 75.
The Australian revealed on Friday that managers of Cedar Meats — now linked to 71 cases — had been unable to check the worker’s claim he had not been at work for four weeks prior to testing positive, because the Department of Health and Human Services had refused to give them his name, citing privacy reasons.
The department’s decision not to treat Cedar Meats as a potential exposure site following the April 2 case meant the second case there was not confirmed until April 24.
READ MORE: A Noah’s ark of wild animals
Imogen Reid 12.50pm: NSW Health Minister lauds ‘good outcome’
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has confirmed five new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the state’s total to 3052.
So far, 294,949 people have been tested across the state, with 291,898 of those tests returning negative results.
“We are rapidly closing in on 300,000 tests which is a great outcome,” Mr Hazzard said. “want to thank the community and to say to the entire community, keep it up.
“The only way we will know how this virus is behaving through our community is to have people coming forward to testing with the slightest itch in their throat, the slightest feeling of sickness, the slightest temperature, come forward, come forward. We need you to come forward.”
Mr Hazzard reminded NSW residents to continue observing the state’s social distancing measures over the Mother’s Day weekend, urging those thinking of breaking the lockdown restrictions to reconsider.
“Please, please, please make sure that you comply with the basic rule of social distancing, good hygiene and of course, if you are contemplating going anywhere, don’t go,” he said.
“There is no question that until we have a vaccine that we need to understand there are increased risks.”
READ MORE: Unis in turmoil as secrets revealed
Imogen Reid 12.25pm: Details of latest NSW death emerge
The latest Newmarch House Aged Care Facility resident to tragically pass away has been identified as 92-year-old Fay Rendoth who tested positive for the virus three weeks ago.
Mrs Rendoth had three daughters, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Her daughter said the lack of physical interaction her mother received was detrimental to her health.
Since the outbreak began in mid-April after a staff member who tested positive to the disease worked six shifts, 69 people at Newmarch House have contracted coronavirus, including 32 staff members and a further 37 residents.
Imogen Reid 12.15pm: NSW nursing home reveals another death
A 92-year-old woman has died at the western Sydney nursing home which has been the scene of 16 coronavirus deaths.
NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Jeremy McAnulty said the woman had recovered after been infected by COVID-19 but had died from an unrelated illness.
Anglicare Sydney says they are “devastated” by the loss of the elderly resident who died overnight.
“We are devastated at the passing and extend our deepest sympathies to the family as they grieve the loss of their loved one,” the aged-care operator said. “The family and all relevant authorities have been contacted.”
Imogen Reid 11.30am: Hunt says an independent probe will happen
Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia is supporting the EU resolution which sets out an independent inquiry directed to the World Health Organisation to investigate the origins of COVID-19.
“The fact that we have seen movement from China, I think that’s an extremely important step forward,” Mr Hunt said.
“The world is coming together. Australia has helped lead that direction for the world. The Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, they said we need the independent inquiry they worked very hard to that end, the EU and the United States have now embraced the position.
“The EU motion, I think, is an extremely important step forward and now that China has indicated support for that I think we will see a full and thorough international investigation.”
Speaking to the media, Mr Hunt addressed the three-step road map set out by the Scott Morrison and National Cabinet on Friday, saying it is the government’s goal to get Australian’s back to work as early as possible.
“Each person that is able to get back to work, that’s a cause for celebration,” he said. “Each restriction that is lifted is a cause for celebration. We have to do two things, we have to protect the health of the country, but we have to protect the health of the economy.”
Mr Hunt said the road map provides a pathway for Australian’s to get back to work and to help with their jobs, aspirations, personal economic security, and mental health.
READ MORE: As medicos await tsunami, freak wave hits
Imogen Reid 11am: SA Premier urges people to visit regions
Regional travel is being encouraged in South Australia as the state records zero cases of COVID-19 for the 14th consecutive day.
“One of the things that we are easing in terms of our restrictions from Monday is changing out strong advice against regional travel,” Premier Marshall said.
“Not only has the strong advice been removed, but, in fact, we’re encouraging people.
“We are encouraging South Australians to get out and explore the wonderful regions in South Australia.”
Mr Marshall announced caravans and camping will also be permitted from Monday next week.
“As people travel around our fabulous regions, they’ll be spending money in those local regional economies, and that will be creating jobs,” he said.
“And that’s part of what this whole road map is all about – getting people employed again in South Australia, making sure that we can continue to observe all of the restrictions that are in place, especially around social distancing, and we can return our economy and our life here in South Australia back to a place of normality.”
READ MORE: Rugby faces ruin as broadcasters flee
Imogen Reid 10.20am: Qld Health Minister issues virus warning
Queensland has recorded zero additional COVID-19 cases for the third day this week.
There are just 20 active cases of coronavirus across the state, with nine people receiving treatment in hospital.
Health Minister Steven Miles says he does not expect to completely eradicate the virus as most of the state’s cases are residents returning home from overseas.
“We would expect to see that continue. There are many, many places in the world where this virus is very high in numbers, and there are places where many Queenslanders go, many expats live,” he said.
“We want them to return here and be cared for in our hospitals, be part of our community where we have kept ourselves COVID said. But that will mean we’ll continue to see cases.”
Mr Miles said Queensland’s response to the pandemic has not “been about necessarily getting to zero cases” but ensuring it has the capacity to respond to outbreaks.
Agencies 9.30am: Ardern bans kisses, hugs for mothers
Hugs and visits to mums across New Zealand have been banned this Mother’s Day by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, seeking a final push from Kiwis to end the country’s lockdown, AAP reports.
Sunday could be the final day of New Zealand’s tough but effective lockdown, credited as one part of a world-leading response to the spread of COVID-19. On Monday, Ms Ardern’s government will plot a path back to something close to normality, meeting to decide a timetable for the removal of the social and business restrictions.
The prime minister has already released what level two restrictions will look like, including the reopening of restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, cinemas and public facilities like museums and libraries.
Social restrictions could end immediately, with provisions for schools, business and personal movement more likely to be phased in.
Any decision will come too late for Kiwi mums to enjoy visits from sons and daughters not already in their household bubbles.
Ms Ardern has banned socialising outside of existing households, with few exceptions, and told Kiwis this week to “stick to the plan” ahead of Monday’s review.
READ MORE: Science is clear on this pandemic
Agencies 9am: Premier urges caution as restrictions set to ease
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has urged locals not to become complacent about the threat posed by the coronavirus as the state looks to lift some restrictions on daily life, AAP reports.
SA will lift a raft of measures from Monday, allowing alcohol-free outdoor dining at cafes and restaurants and the resumption of outdoor sports training. Universities and TAFE colleges will be allowed to resume face-to-face learning, public swimming pools, places of worship and libraries can reopen, and open house inspections and home auctions will be permitted.
In almost all cases, numbers will be limited to 10 people at a time and all social distancing provisions will still apply.
However, SA will allow up to 20 people to attend a funeral indoors and up to 30 people outdoors.
Regional travel will also be encouraged.
Even more restrictions will go from June 8 with cinemas and theatres to open along with gyms, galleries and museums with the maximum number of people in most circumstances to be increased to 20.
READ MORE: Mutant strain ‘an urgent concern’
Staff Reporters 8.30am: Italy tops 30,000 coronavirus deaths
The number of people in Italy who’ve died with COVID-19 infections has topped 30,000, AP reports.
The Health Ministry registered 243 deaths on Friday, bringing the total of those who died in the country to 30,201. Italy was the first country in Europe with a major outbreak of the coronavirus.
Authorities say many more likely died with the infection at home or in nursing homes without being diagnosed.
With 1,327 more cases registered in the 24-hour period ending Friday evening, Italy now tallies 217,185 confirmed coronavirus infections. Some 11,000 more people have recovered from the illness than are currently positive for the infection.
Lombardy in the north continues to be the hardest-hit region, accounting for nearly one-half of the latest cases registered on Friday. Health and government authorities are concerned that partial easing earlier in the week of some lockdown measures, such as reopening of public parks and gardens, could see an uptick in contagion if people ignore safety-distance rules.
— AP
READ MORE: Wuhan lab records show untold deaths
Agencies 7.40am: 5yo boy’s death may have coronavirus link
A 5-year-old boy has died of a rare inflammatory condition possibly linked to COVID-19, the first such death in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said this morning (AEST).
While children have been shown, so far, to be far less likely to suffer severe harm from the coronavirus, there is growing concern that a rare complication might be causing some to experience swollen blood vessels and heart problems.
At least 73 children in New York have been diagnosed with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease — a rare inflammatory condition in children — and toxic shock syndrome.
The 5-year-old boy’s death at a New York City hospital is sad news for New Yorkers who believed children were largely unaffected by the coronavirus, Mr Cuomo said.
“So this is every parent’s nightmare, right? That your child may actually be affected by this virus,” the Democratic governor said. “But it’s something we have to consider seriously now.” Children elsewhere in the US have also been hospitalised with Kawasaki disease, which was also seen in Europe. — AP
READ MORE: How to beat the next pandemic
Agencies 7.15am: Anti-viral drug a possible COVID-19 treatment
A Bangladeshi company says it has produced the first generic version of the anti-viral drug remdesivir, which is currently being tested as a possible treatment for COVID-19.
“We have successfully completed all the steps in the manufacturing of remdesivir,” Simeen Hossain, head of Eskayef Pharmaceuticals Bangladesh Limited, said about the production of the drug developed and patented by Gilead Sciences in the US.
The announcement comes as Gilead negotiates with pharmaceutical manufacturers in India and Pakistan over the production of remdesivir for developing countries.
Remivir, the brand name of remdesivir manufactured by Eskayef, will be available for use in hospitals “in a few days” after it has been approved by Bangladesh’s regulator, the company’s marketing chief Mujahidul Islam said. — DPA
READ MORE: Greg Hunt — ‘we knew WHO got it wrong’
Michael Holden 6.50am: Queen proud of COVID-19 response in VE Day message
Queen Elizabeth has honoured those who died in World War II on the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and used the occasion to say she was proud of how people had responded to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a televised message, the 94-year-old monarch said those who had served during the conflict with Nazi Germany in the 1940s would admire how their descendants were coping with COVID-19 and the lockdown imposed to curb its spread.
“Today it may seem hard that we cannot mark this special anniversary as we would wish,” Elizabeth said, reflecting on the scaling down of events to mark the VE Day anniversary because of a ban on social gatherings, with a veterans’ parade cancelled and street parties scrapped.
“Instead we remember from our homes and our doorsteps. But our streets are not empty. They are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other. When I look at our country today and see what we are willing to do to protect and support one another, I say with pride, that we are still a nation those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen would recognise and admire.” — REUTERS
READ MORE: Five Eyes allied to crack coronavirus
Andrew MacAskill 6.30am: UK facing no ‘dramatic’ lockdown changes
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not announce any dramatic changes to Britain’s coronavirus lockdown on Sunday, adopting a cautious approach to try to ensure there is no second deadly peak of infections, his environment minister says.
Mr Johnson is due to announce the next steps in Britain’s battle to tackle the coronavirus following a review by ministers of the current measures that have all but shut the economy and kept millions at home for over six weeks.
“You have to be realistic there isn’t going to be dramatic overnight change, we will be very, very cautious as we loosen the restrictions,” George Eustice said at a daily Downing Street briefing overnight (AEST).
“As the data that we’re outlining on a daily basis shows, we are not out of the woods, there are still major challenges with this virus.”
Britain overtook Italy this week to report the highest official death toll from coronavirus in Europe. The number of COVID-19 fatalities rose by 626 to 31,241. The figures, collated by government agency Public Health England and equivalents in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, comprise deaths in all settings following positive coronavirus tests and cover the period up to Thursday afternoon. — REUTERS
READ MORE: Toby Ord — Humanity can defeat new threats
Agencies 6am: Second White House worker tests positive for COVID-19
A second White House worker — reportedly vice president Mike Pence’s spokeswoman — has tested positive for coronavirus.
US President Donald Trump identified the person as “Katie,” saying she worked with Pence as a “press person”.
This appeared to confirm multiple media reports that the person was Katie Miller, Mr Pence’s spokeswoman and the wife of Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s most influential advisers — someone with frequent access to the Oval Office.
As recently as Thursday, Ms Miller was seen mingling with officials at an outdoor prayer ceremony hosted by Mr Trump and attended by dozens of people, including the wives of Mr Trump and Mr Pence and many senior staff.
On Thursday, a spokesman for Mr Trump said the president’s valet, a member of the military who is in close contact with the president, had tested positive.
Mr Trump and Mr Pence were tested and confirmed to be negative. Both are tested daily.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said there was no risk of a White House outbreak or threat to Mr Trump.
“I can just tell you that we’ve taken every single precaution to protect the president,” she told a press briefing. “We clean the facility, we social distance, we keep people six feet away from each other.”
READ MORE: US unemployment hits 14.7 per cent
Will Glasgow 5.15am: Inquiry push ‘honest’, PM says, as China caves
Scott Morrison says Australia’s push for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 is being done with “honest intent”, as China conceded to a World Health Organisation investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.
“You can’t let the trail go cold,” the Prime Minister said on Friday, as he maintained that the call for an investigation was not “directed at anyone”. “We just want to know what happened so it doesn’t happen again. It’s a pretty honest question with an honest intent and an honest motive, and I’m seeing more and more support for that position.’’
Australia proposed an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 three weeks ago, provoking sharp criticism from China’s government, which remains highly sensitive about the early handling of the virus in Wuhan late last year and early this year.
Increasing global support for an inquiry, as well as extraordinary accusations by the Trump administration this week about the virus’s possible emergence from a lab in Wuhan, has led to a concession in China’s position on an inquiry into COVID-19’s origins.
Read the full story, from Will Glasgow and Olivia Caisley, here.
Natasha Robinson 5am: Mutant virus ‘an urgent concern’, scientists warn
About half the COVID-19 cases in Australia studied by the CSIRO have been found to be a mutant strain of the virus that may be more contagious.
Labelled an “urgent concern’’ by international researchers, about two-thirds of cases in hard-hit countries have been found to have the mutation.
NSW and Queensland appear to have dodged the worst of the mutation; it has been identified in only about one-third of cases in these states. However, Victoria and Western Australia are in line with a global trend of having two-thirds of cases with the mutation.
The Weekend Australian can reveal the CSIRO has for weeks been monitoring the spread of the new strain around the nation.
Read the full story here.
Geoff Chambers 4.45am: No go from states, despite PM’s go-ahead
Businesses, workers and domestic travel will be back in operation by July under a three-step plan to revive 850,000 jobs and inject up to $9.4bn into the economy per month, with shops, pubs, playgrounds, pools and restaurants reopening as early as next week.
State and territory leaders will now decide how quickly to ease COVID-19 social restrictions and travel bans, after the national cabinet released a two-month framework on Friday to reboot the economy.
After more than six weeks of restrictions, Scott Morrison outlined the road to economic recovery and said it was time for the country to get out from “under the doona” and “put Australia in a position to go forward”.
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