Coronavirus Australia live updates: Private schools funding grossly unfair: minister
Queensland’s Education Minister has attacked the federal government’s fast-tracked funding offer for private schools.
- Forrest fallout: cancer event canned
- NT becomes envy of the nation
- US backs Morrison’s inquiry push
- Cruise ship source of Tas outbreak
- Trump eyes restriction easing
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. A major announcement on childhood cancer research with Greg Hunt and Andrew Forrest, scheduled for today, has been hastily cancelled. The NT has become the envy of the nation, where lockdowns will be lifted and it’s back to the pub. The US has backed Scott Morrison’s push for a COVID-19 inquiry, condemning China’s threat of economic retaliation.
Imogen Reid 7.55pm Three Newmarch residents test postive
Three more residents from Newmarch House Aged Care Facility in Sydney’s western suburbs have tested positive for COVID-19.
Since a health care worker at the facility was diagnosed with coronavirus on April 11, 12 out of 37 residents with the virus have died. A further 60 employees have entered self-isolation, 22 of whom are also COVID-19 positive.
A statement issued by Anglicare Sydney said they continued to work closely with NSW Public Health Unit and an Infectious Disease Specialist to investigate the outbreak.
READ MORE: Throwing open the farm gate
Sarah Elks 7.45pm Schools funding grossly unfair: minister
Queensland’s Education Minister has attacked the federal government’s fast-tracked funding offer for private schools as “grossly unfair and irresponsible” and warned the commonwealth to stop interfering in the states’ business.
Grace Grace said she was blindsided by federal Education Minister Dan Tehan’s offer to expedite funding for independent schools who return to 50 per cent classroom teaching by the end of May.
“They do not run one school in the country ... and I think it’s really unfair to link any bringing forward of funding to the opening of schools during a world health pandemic,” Ms Grace told The Australian.
“We’re all trying to do the best we can under the medical advice and under the various scenarios that states are in with their COVID-19 number of cases, to somehow tie the assistance in funding to some arbitrary date or number of students attending the school, is grossly unfair and irresponsible, and basically ignores the unprecedented times we’re in.”
Queensland’s schools are open only to the children of essential workers, or students considered vulnerable. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will make a decision on May 15 about whether to fully reopen schools.
Ms Grace said Mr Tehan did not work collaboratively with the states, and did not give any prior warning about his offer to independent schools.
Ms Grace said Queensland schools were likely to have a staged return, with Prep, Grade 1, Grade 11 and Grade 12 students to go back to classrooms first, to allow schools to plan for crowded school pick-ups and drop-offs.
READ MORE: Coronavirus crisis hits rental property market
Matthew Denholm 7.08pm Tasmania death toll rises to 13
Tasmania has recorded its 13th death to coronavirus and the second in 24 hours.
“An 86-year-old woman has passed away at the Mersey Community Hospital this morning, where she was being cared for,” Premier Peter Gutwein said on Thursday.
“On behalf of the Tasmanian government, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to the woman’s family, friends and loved ones.
“This is the 13th life tragically lost to coronavirus in Tasmania, and the 12th life lost in the northwest of the state. It follows the announcement earlier today of a 12th death, also an 86-year-old woman from the northwest, who died yesterday.
“It is a stark reminder of the serious nature of this virus and our need to maintain strong measures to mitigate its spread.”
Tasmania has had 219 cases.
READ MORE: Getting to know the Beijing police state
Associated Press 6.20pm Funeral home leaves 50 bodies on ice in trucks
A funeral home overwhelmed by the coronavirus resorted to storing dozens of bodies on ice in rented trucks until a passerby complained about the smell, New York police said.
Investigators who responded to a 911 call found that the home had rented four trucks to hold about 50 corpses, a law enforcement official said on Thursday.
The Andrew T. Cleckley Funeral Home in Brooklyn was cited for failing to control the odours. The home was able to obtain a larger, refrigerated truck later in the day, an official said.
Workers suited up in protective gear could be seen transferring bodies into the refrigerated truck.
New York City funeral homes have struggled in the city since late March. The city set up temporary morgues. Hospitals used refrigerated tractor trailers to cart away multiple bodies at a time, sometimes loading them in public view on the footpath.
Crematoriums have been backed up. Funeral directors across the city have pleaded for help as they have run out of space.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said the alarm was raisaed by “people who walked by who saw some leakage and detected an odour coming from a truck”.
“While this situation is under investigation, we should not have what we have right now, with trucks lining the streets filled with bodies,” he told the newspaper The Daily News.
READ MORE: Global carbon emissions in record tumble
Jacquelin Magnay 5.40pm Queen promotes Captain Tom
The Queen promoted Tom Moore to Colonel on his 100th birthday on Thursday amid national acclaim of his inspiration in Britain’s grim fight against the coronavirus.
Colonel Moore was honoured with the birthday promotion from captain, as well as two flypasts by army air corps helicopters and a Spitfire and a Hurricane, after raising more than £29m ($55.2m) for the National Health Service charities by walking 100 laps of his garden north of London. He has been made Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College, which prepares teenagers for army careers.
The Queen also wrote a personal letter for Colonel Moore and — in acknowledgement of next week’s VE Day celebrations — he was re-presented with his Second World War Defence Medal by the Yorkshire regiment.
READ MORE: Huge coronavirus lift in online gambling
Olivia Caisley 5pm Bishop urges Beijing to back COVID probe
Julie Bishop has urged China to support an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, declaring the country that was the source of COVID-19 had “a responsibility” to assist inquiries.
Speaking on ABC News on Thursday, the former foreign minister also called for “calm and quiet diplomacy” after Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed to continue pushing for an international inquiry, despite mounting attacks from China.
“I think it would have been preferable, of course, had China led a credible investigation into the origins of coronavirus and I’m surprised that China hasn’t done that, given the impact on the Chinese economy, its society and indeed its reputation,” Ms Bishop said.
“But clearly China doesn’t want to co-operate with an independent international investigation, and that does make it challenging, not only for Australia, but for other countries that have been affected by coronavirus.
“I think that China has a responsibility to support an investigation if indeed it won’t carry out a credible investigation for the rest of the world itself.”
READ MORE: Coronavirus crisis brings out China’s goon diplomacy
John Ferguson 4.20pm: Media statement replaces scuttled cancer event
The explosive falling-out between billionaire miner Andrew Forrest and Health Minister Greg Hunt scuttled a major public announcement on childhood cancer research: instead it was made via press release.
A spokesman for Mr Hunt said: “The announcement was issued by media release so as not to distract focus from the importance of this life-saving program for children.’’
“Over the coming years this important partnership will give many Australian families the potential for better outcomes and real hope.’’
Officials from a Melbourne cancer centre were expecting a major health funding announcement worth an extra $67m to enable better access to cancer care for all Australians this morning.
But the press conference was cancelled on Wednesday after Health Minister Greg Hunt was outraged by Mr Forrest’s decision to bring a top Chinese diplomat to another event on Wednesday.
The Australian understands organisers of the cancer announcement were later told the commonwealth would not take part in the cancer press conference.
After The Australian published details of the falling-out on Thursday, a media statement was released by Mr Hunt detailing the partnership with Mr Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation.
The statement read: “This joint investment through the government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and the Minderoo Foundation, chaired by Dr Andrew Forrest, will extend and expand the groundbreaking Zero Childhood Cancer National Precision Medicine Program.
“All Australian children and young adults diagnosed with cancer will now have access to genomically guided, precision treatments through this world leading collaborative research and clinical program.’’
READ the full story here.
Olivia Caisley 3.45pm: The three requirements to lift coronavirus restrictions
The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan says the AHPPC and national Cabinet have set three requirements in order to lift restrictions: broad sentinel testing, improved contact tracing and a local response capability built into the health system.
She said 20,000 nurses had now registered to complete an additional critical care course that will allow the nation to expand its critical care capacity if necessary.
About 3000 nurses have returned to the profession.
Ms McMillan said testing was now available to anyone in the health care or aged care workforce in Australia who has respiratory symptoms, and again encouraged anyone with concerns to get tested.
“The really strong message to everybody, especially those who work with the most vulnerable, those working in the health and aged care sector, is please be very vigilant about any minor or slight symptoms you might have. A scratchy throat, a runny nose.”
When asked about a cluster of outbreaks at aged care homes Ms McMillan said the government wouldn’t look to penalise anyone who inadvertently went to work when they were unwell but said hospitals and aged care facilities had expanded their screening processes.
When asked about the resumption of professional and community sport, Ms McMillan said she wouldn’t pre-empt advice but said rules differed between states and as such the easing of restrictions around playing sport would likely be state-specific.
READ MORE: Britain reveals spike in deaths
Brent Read 3.35pm: NRL players back down from restart revolt threat
NRL players insist they are committed to resuming the premiership on May 28 but are still waiting on clarification on a host of matters, including transparency around the game’s finances based on the revised competition structure and the distribution of player payments.
“We are in ongoing discussions with the NRL and our members today regarding a range of employment matters that require clarification,” Rugby League Players’ Association chief executive Clint Newton said.
“We have requested further information and clear direction from the NRL and we are committed to continuing to work through this process in good faith.”
Meetings between the NRL and the players union on Thursday afternoon are set to dictate whether clubs return to training on Monday after the playing group received a revised offer that would result in them receiving 80 per cent of their salary this season.
It is understood ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys presented the revised offer to the players amid talk that they would revolt and force the competition to postpone its planned resumption on May 28 — they are due to return to training next week.
READ the full story here.
Olivia Caisley 3.25pm: More than 3.1 million download COVIDSafe app
The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan has called on Australians to consider getting tested for coronavirus as states and territories across the nation expand their testing capacity.
Ms McMillan said more than 556,000 tests have been completed with 3.13 million Australians downloading the COVIDSafe app since its launch early this week.
“We are eternally grateful for everyone who had done that and a reminder for everyone who has not yet chosen to do that, it is voluntary, but we would like you to download and register for that we can continue our fight against COVID-19 in Australia.”
Ms McMillan said Australia saw just 10 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Across the nation 36 people remain in intensive care, while they receive treatment for coronavirus, of whom 25 are ventilated.
When asked how many people would need to download the app to be effective, Ms McMillan said it would be hard to tell, but “everyone who downloads and registers for that app is one more that will help us in this fight.
READ MORE: Business in lending lifeline surge
3.20pm: To ski or not to ski? COVID cross-Tasman question
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has again raised hopes that a trans-Tasman bubble could be created within a few months, and in time to support a vital NZ tourism market.
As winter approaches and tourism operators begin to sense the chill of a lost season, Mr Peters gave Kiwi business owners and Australian skiers cause for optimism.
“I know what the skiing is like in the Snowy Mountains. The Snowy Mountains are not a big place for skiing compared with South Island,” he said on Thursday. “Given that 55 per cent of our tourists come from Australia, the sooner as we get some sense of normalcy ... the better.” Mr Peters said the resumption of regular travel depended on community transmission ending in both countries, which would negate the need for current quarantining arrangements.
“We can open this border on the basis that there’s non-transmission in both the populations,” Mr Peters said.
“The moment you put in a 14 day quarantine requirement, forget it. “We’re very close to being able to say we got on top of it in terms of community transmission.
“We’re not going to eliminate it. We’re not going to eradicate it. But we’re beating the crap out of it and so is Australia.” Both NZ and Australia have closed their borders to foreign travellers as part of far-reaching responses to COVID-19.
NZ tourism workers have been supported by the 12-week wage subsidies issued by Jacinda Ardern’s government, which are roughly six weeks from running out. The government has yet to unveil what further support might be forthcoming. Ms Peters’ eagerness to re-open the Kiwi economy is at odds with Ms Ardern’s health-first approach.
READ MORE: Virus bringing record drop in emissions
Rachel Baxwndale 3pm: Victoria’s deputy CHO compares Captain James Cook to COVID-19
Victoria’s deputy Chief Health Officer has come under fire from the state opposition after she likened Captain Cook to COVID-19.
Annaliese van Diemen marked the 250th anniversary on Wednesday of British explorer Captain James Cook’s arrival in Australia by comparing its impact with that of coronavirus in a tweet.
Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror. Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices & completely change how they live in order to survive. COVID19 or Cook 1770?
— Dr Annaliese van Diemen (@annaliesevd) April 29, 2020
“Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror,” Dr van Diemen tweeted.
“Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices & completely change how they live in order to survive. COVID-19 or Cook 1770.”
READ the full story here.
Sarah Elks 2.15pm: Sunshine Coast rebounds from early virus cluster
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast has not had any new coronavirus diagnoses for the past 17 days, after a Noosa beachfront restaurant was the source of one of the earliest clusters of the disease.
Queensland Health’s Sunshine Coast executive director Naomi Dwyer said while there were still four active coronavirus cases in the region, no one had been diagnosed with coronavirus for 17 days.
A dinner party at the Noosa restaurant Sails was the source of more than 17 confirmed coronavirus cases, with partygoers travelling interstate and elsewhere in Queensland after contracting the virus at the restaurant gathering.
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said the state had seen just eight new cases of COVID-19 in seven days, and today recorded zero new positive diagnoses.
Mr Miles said it was an enormous improvement from just weeks ago, when Queensland was recording at least 50 new cases each day.
Just one of the eight new cases in the past week was locally transmitted, with the rest contracted overseas or on cruise ships.
READ MORE: Sails ‘scapegoated as others off free’
Lachlan Moffet Gray 1.50pm: Five days, no new cases: ACT’s coronavirus milestone
The ACT is the first jurisdiction on mainland Australia to have no active cases of coronavirus after going five days without diagnosing a single new case.
The number of confirmed cases in the territory hit 106 last Saturday and has not increased since then, with the remaining seven active cases recovering over the course of the week.
Three people have died in the territory of COVID-19.
ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said the government would continue to test any displaying symptoms of coronavirus, warning that it could always return.
“Even though we have no active cases at the moment, it’s vitally important that we continue testing as many people with symptoms as possible to know the most accurate representation of COVID-19 within the ACT community,” she said in a statement on Thursday.
“I ask everyone who is showing symptoms, or believes they may have symptoms, to get tested as soon as possible at either the drive through testing facility at the EPIC Showground, at the walk-in clinic at Weston Creek, or by contacting their general practitioner.
“We are in an excellent position in the ACT and we have the capacity to test anyone who has symptoms, regardless of if they were in contact with people who had COVID-19 or not.”
READ MORE: iPhones a major issue with COVIDSafe
Rachel Baxendale 1.42pm: Vic playing catch-up on COVID-19 tests
Six new mobile COVID-19 testing centres have been opened in Melbourne shopping centres, adding to four which opened yesterday, as the Andrews government pushes to complete 100,000 tests in 14 days.
The government is currently behind the eight ball with the testing push, which began on Monday ends on May 11, with 11,000 tests so far completed.
This means authorities will need to complete more than 8000 tests each day between now and May 11.
Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said the government remains confident it can reach its goal.
“I know they’re looking at workplace testing as well, so we need to be looking at every opportunity to reach a whole range of people, a whole range of communities to do this testing, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” she said.
“If you have even the mildest of symptoms, take the opportunity to visit one of those shopping centre areas and get tested.”
She said reaching 100,000 tests will “help us be able to make some really good decisions about what’s ahead in terms of the restrictions that are imposed on us at the moment”.
The ten new mobile shopping centre testing sites are located at Bayside Shopping Centre Frankston, Bunnings West Footscray, Chadstone Shopping Centre, Doncaster Shopping Centre, Highpoint Shopping Centre, Northland Shopping Centre, Pacific Werribee, Pacific Epping, Watergardens Town Centre and Westfield Fountain Gate.
READ MORE: Year of the Rat brings out weasel in China
Amos Aikman 1.35pm: NT success ‘down to strong leadership’
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has praised Scott Morrison’s “exceptional leadership” while announcing that Northern Territorians will be able to resume outdoor activities from tomorrow, get a cold beer in a fortnight and live a “new” normal life by early June.
The Top End Labor leader said his constituents were now enjoying living in the safest place in one of the safest countries in the world thanks “in no small part due to his work and the work of the national cabinet” during the coronavirus crisis.
Mr Gunner was confident that even if new cases did emerge in the Territory — which has not recorded a new case in over three weeks — health authorities would be able to contain infections without reimposing widespread lockdowns. “We can do it once and get it right, spreading the risk out, managing it, reducing it,” he said.
“It’s not my intention to shut down if there is a new case here, so long as people are doing the right thing … we are all on the frontline now. The actions of each of us will determine the safety of all of us.”
He said the biggest risk was complacency and suggested tough interstate and tough border controls could remain in place for the rest of the year. The Territory has recorded 28 coronavirus cases, all but three of which are now recovered.
Lachlan Moffet Gray 1.30pm: Kerry Stokes calls for Aus-China calm
WA billionaire media mogul Kerry Stokes has called for Australian relationships with China to be maintained in a front-page story on his newspaper, The West Australian, saying Australia won’t be able to pay down its coronavirus debt if we “poke our biggest provider of income in the eye.”
“At the end of the day our children are going to have to rely on us paying off the debts we are currently incurring,” he is quoted as saying. “I think the only way we can do that is by keeping our relationship with everybody. We are a trading nation.”
Dollars & Sense. Tycoon warns nation won't be able to pay debt if China relations sour - https://t.co/broTXcTDo6 @lanai_scarr#frontpagestoday #Australia #TheWestAustralian #buyapaper 🗞 pic.twitter.com/15CyBMg0lu
— Front Pages Today (@ukpapers) April 29, 2020
Beijing’s ambassador to Australia on Monday warned that a continual push from the federal government for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus crisis in China could promote a public boycott of Australian goods and services.
Mr Stokes, who controls part of Seven West Media, publisher of The West Australian, said that such a boycott could also send Australia’s currency plummeting.
“I don’t know if Australians could contemplate the thought of an Australian dollar at 25 US cents,” Mr Stokes told the paper, warning that without China “you would take out all of our balance of trade and there is nobody else to buy everything we sell at the same value.”
China is Australia’s biggest export market, with more than $89 billion of goods and services exported to the country last year.
Mr Stokes said that although China “probably” should explain how the coronavirus occured, he mounted a defence of the idea that the virus originated in wet markets, asserting that they are necessary for feeding people across Asia.
“The facts are throughout the entire Asian region wet markets are the only way to trade produce,” Mr Stokes said. “People have got to respect that’s the way they’ve conducted themselves and traded for years and generations. If we want to interfere with what they trade, that’s going to be a very difficult situation to convince people that we know what they should eat.”
Mr Stokes is the second billionaire from WA to attract controversy over Australia’s relationship with China following mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s invitation for a Chinese diplomat to speak at an official government press conference — without the consent of the government — on Wednesday.
READ MORE: The Mocker — Virus brings out China’s goon diplomacy
ANGELICA SNOWDEN 1.20pm: Shane Fitzsimmons to officially retire today
NSW Rural Fire Service boss Shane Fitzsimmons will retire from his position as Commissioner of the RFS today. Mr Fitzsimmons will start his new role as Resilience Commissioner for NSW tomorrow, after 12 years at the helm of the NSW RFS.
It's the end of an era today. @RFSCommissioner Shane Fitzsimmons leaves the #NSWRFS today to take up a new role within NSW Government. He has seen us, and the community, through some of the toughest conditions and experiences ever. We say 'thank you', Shane. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/C0PrnoAFMR
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) April 29, 2020
Widely celebrated for his leadership that saw him steer firefighters and the public through a bushfire season that claimed 25 lives and more than 2000 homes in NSW.
It only officially ended last month after it just as the coronavirus pandemic hit.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the establishment of Resilience NSW on April 6, saying the new agency would ensure the state was prepared and able to respond to crises - “be it COVID, be it cyber security, be it a whole range of things we may not foreshadow”.
Mr Fitzsimmons joined the RFS in 1985 and held a number of senior roles until his appointment as commissioner in 2008. — With AAP
READ MORE: Fitzsimmons won’t forget fire victims
Paul Garvey 1pm: WA Premier: Canberra, Beijing must keep their cool
Western Australian premier Mark McGowan has urged Australia and China to keep their cool amid growing tensions between the two nations, warning that the country’s economic survival relies on international trade.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning amid the fallout from iron magnate Andrew Forrest’s ambush of federal health minister Greg Hunt at a press conference, Mr McGowan said the health of the national economy and the federal budget relied heavily on Western Australia’s trade with China.
“The federal government is racking up generations of debt in the course of one year to save business and save our economy, and we will have to pay for that at some point,” he said.
“All I would say is let’s calm down a little bit, work cooperatively, work with our trading partners and ensure we continue to have an economy when this is over.”
Western Australia is the world’s biggest producer of iron ore, with the likes of BHP, Rio Tinto and Mr Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group sending hundreds of millions of tonnes of the commodity from the Pilbara to China each year.
Mr McGowan said that while it was important that the world got to the bottom of what caused the coronavirus outbreak, the ability of the economy to recover from the pandemic would rely heavily on good relationships with major international trading partners such as China.
A push by Australia to investigate the causes of the outbreak has drawn threats from China to stop buying Australian products, triggering a testy row between the two countries.
Mr McGowan said WA’s strong trading ties with China and other nations — around a quarter of the state’s economic activity is based around trade with China - meant the state better understood the importance of strong relationships with other nations.
“WA keeps the national economy and the national finances alive. But for us, the country would be underwater and I don’t think the eastern states fully appreciate that,” he said.
“Our trade keeps the national income alive and our company tax revenues keep the federal budget alive. The country would be in severe trouble but for Western Australia. We perhaps understand trade with other countries better than they do in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra or other parts of the country.”
The comments came as WA confirmed another day of no new coronavirus diagnoses.
School resumed in the state on Wednesday, with schools recording total attendances of 58.5 per cent. Traffic on Perth’s roads has also increased markedly. Vehicle movements on Perth’s freeways are down 20 per cent from normal levels, up from a trough of 33 per cent earlier.
READ MORE: Janus-faced diplomacy reveals true nature
AMOS AIKMAN 12.50pm: Lockdown lifted: NT becomes the envy of a nation
The Northern Territory has unveiled a three-stage plan for lifting coronavirus restrictions that the Gunner Labor government is pitching as a possible model for other parts of the nation.
Stage one of the plan will commence from noon on Friday with restrictions removed on outdoor activities including:
● personal gatherings including outdoor weddings and funerals
● playgrounds, parks and campgrounds outside biosecurity areas
● public swimming pools, lagoons and water parks
● outdoor sports where physical distancing can be maintained including golf and tennis as well as training outdoors
● fishing, boating, and sailing with other people
● real estate open house inspections and auctions, and gatherings in homes.
Stage two activities can commence from noon on Friday, May 15 and include indoor activities taking less than two hours, such as:
● shopping centre food courts
● restaurants, cafes, and bars for the consumption of food — excluding gaming areas
● organised outdoor training activities for sport teams without physical contact
● beauty therapy salons for non-facial services such as nails, massage and tanning
● gymnasiums
● public libraries
● places used for religious worship — including indoor weddings and funerals.
Venues will be required to complete a simple COVID-19 safety plan checklist to ensure they are operating within physically distancing and hygiene guidelines. The government has promised the process will not create more red tape.
From noon, Friday 5 June, the two-hour time limit for indoor activities will be removed and restrictions will be eased further such as by allowing:
● officiating, participating and supporting the playing of team sports such as football, basketball, soccer and netball
● TABs, and all licensed gaming venues
● any cinema or theatre, concert hall, music hall, dance hall, nightclub or any other similar entertainment venue in approved configuration
● previously restricted services at a place that provides beauty therapy, and/or cosmetic services including facial care
● all businesses, facilities and services previously restricted can now resume ensuring adherence to key principles.
These changes also apply to remote communities within biosecurity areas. The Territory’s internal border controls are due to expire on the 18th of June. Decisions about whether to lift those controls will be made in partnership with the federal government, land councils and communities and based on the health advice.
The Territory’s existing border security and quarantine arrangements will not change.
READ MORE: WHO makes mockery of our restrictions
ANGELICA SNOWDEN 12.40pm: Woman ‘spat’ on fast food worker
A middle aged woman will face court for spitting on a fast food employee and coughing on a police officer after claiming to have COVID-19, police say. The 51-year-old woman was charged after she “became aggressive” and allegedly spat at the 18-year-old employee when her card would not work about 8.30pm on Wednesday.
After she tried and failed to pay for food at the restaurant in an Eagle Vale shopping centre the woman also shattered a glass door. She was arrested at the shopping centre in Sydney’s south west. The woman claimed to have coronavirus while she was in custody and allegedly coughed on a senior constable.
In a separate incident police say a 13-year-old girl spat at a bus driver as she was leaving.
The bus driver approached the teenager and two other girls at the back of the bus on Military Road, Cremorne Junction last Thursday. The teenager will face the children’s court today after she was arrested at her home in East Killara and charged with common assault and breach of bail after.
READ MORE: Fines for spitting on NSW frontline staff
JOHN FERGUSON 12.30pm: Cancer announcement suddenly shelved
The explosive fallout between billionaire miner Andrew Forrest and Health Minister Greg Hunt has scuttled a major announcement on childhood cancer research. Officials from a Melbourne cancer centre were expecting a major health funding announcement today mooted to have been worth more than $50 million.
But multiple sources have told The Australian it was cancelled “without notice’’ yesterday after Mr Forrest was accused of blindsiding Mr Hunt on Wednesday by bringing a top Chinese diplomat to a government event without permission.
The research announcement related at least in part to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and was to involve the commonwealth today. It also was to have included a Sydney-based entity.
Hospital officials were anticipating Mr Hunt and Mr Forrest to attend.
“It was very short notice,’’ a source told The Australian.
Peter MacCallum confirmed Thursday it was meant to be hosting the event but referred questions to Mr Hunt.
A spokesman said Peter MacCallum’s involvement with the announcement was limited to its role as the host of the event.
READ MORE: Covid crasher: Twiggy’s Chinese ambush of Hunt
LACHLAN MOFFET GRAY 11.55am: Burnie mayor says lockdown must continue
The mayor of Burnie, a town at the epicentre of the coronavirus breakout in northwest Tasmania, says special restrictions that have closed all but essential businesses should not be lifted until the situation is “overcome.”
A coronavirus outbreak at the North West Regional and Private Hospitals in Burnie, on Thursday confirmed to be linked to the Ruby Princess Cruise Ship, has seen cases continue to increase in Tasmania, defying the national trend. In response to the outbreak, Premier Peter Gutwein imposed harsh lockdown orders on non-essential businesses, shutting stores that continue to trade elsewhere in the state and country like Bunnings Warehouse and Kmart.
The lockdown orders are set to expire on Sunday, but Burnie mayor Steve Kons said they should remain in place. “I am on the path of a more cautious approach to these sorts of things,” Mr Kons told ABC News on Thursday.
“I would rather have the situation overcome, and I will back the government in what they do - but caution over anything else is something.
“I would rather have the professional medical people out there in the forefront, talking about relaxing restrictions.”
Mr Kons said the finding of a report into the outbreak — that the Ruby Princess was the ultimate origin of the coronavirus — was expected, and said processes would be implemented “to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
Tasmania has 219 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 12 deaths, the most recent being an 86-year-old-woman whose death was confirmed on Thursday morning.
READ MORE: Infected medical staff kept working
LACHLAN MOFFET GRAY 11.45am: China’s virus curve continues to flatten
China’s coronavirus curve is continuing to flatten, with the country on Thursday (AEST) reporting no new deaths and just 8 new cases, four of which occurred locally and four of which occurred overseas.
With just under 650 cases still active in the country, and its 83,940 confirmed cases representing just three per cent of all cases across the globe, China is beginning to return to business as usual.
On Friday, Beijing’s Forbidden City will reopen to visitors after a three-month closure and on May 22 the parliament will hold its annual meeting, which was previously delayed by the pandemic.
An economic growth target is expected to be announced at the meeting, a figure which will be watched closely due to the economic damage the pandemic has done to China’s economy.
China’s economy is currently expected to expand by just 1.8 per cent in 2020, far below the usual annual targets of 6 to 6.5 per cent every year.
READ MORE: Getting to know the Beijing police state
AMOS AIKMAN 11.30am: NT to allow golfers back on greens
The Northern Territory will allow golfers back on their greens from noon tomorrow, removing a contentious rule that has upset some, particularly older residents keen to enjoy a bit of outdoor leisure during the coronavirus pandemic.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner will this morning detail his roadmap to recovery, expected to see most businesses allowed to reopen by early June. The government will also remove all restrictions on the numbers of people attending outdoor weddings and funerals provided guests can follow social-distancing rules.
Mr Gunner is understood to have briefed Prime Minister Scott Morrison on his plans and will explain them to other leaders during Friday’s national cabinet meeting.
READ MORE: For anglers and golfers, this borders on lunacy
Olivia Caisley 11.10am: 1 million Aussies to apply for jobless benefits
One million Australians are expected to apply for unemployment benefits as a result of the coronavirus with Department of Social Services officials revealing JobSeeker numbers have risen by 500,000 since the outbreak.
Senior officials told a parliamentary committee into the crisis on Thursday another 400,000 people were expected to apply for the payment, which has been temporarily doubled to assist people during the crisis, by September.
Scott Morrison on Wednesday flagged the emergency payment would be cut by half after six months to meet its pre-coronavirus figure of $40 a day to ensure the federal budget does not blow out further.
But Labor Senator Katy Gallagher told the inquiry her party had serious concerns about the impact of a reduction in JobSeeker on those who have been made unemployed.
“Labor has serious concerns about the impact this will have on the hundreds of thousands of Australians whose jobs remain uncertain, and the impact this will have on the economy when or if the government suddenly snaps back the payment,” she said.
The department’s secretary Kathryn Campbell remained tightlipped on whether the government would consider maintaining the higher rate after the pandemic is over.
She said all options were “on the table” but the department was in the early steps of creating advice for the government.
Ms Campbell said the disability pension was ineligible for the boost because it was designed for people who were in the workforce.
Almost 600,000 businesses have applied for the JobKeeper wage subsidy - a payment of $1500 a fortnight - to support more than 3.3 million workers.
READ MORE: Is Trump running out of luck?
LACHLAN MOFFET GRAY 10.55am: Newmarch boss accepts family criticisms
The CEO of Anglicare Sydney has accepted some of criticisms of its Newmarch House Aged Care Facility following complaints by family members of residents over inadequate communication about the spread of coronavirus in the facility, as well as the inability to visit loved ones.
“There has been criticism that Anglicare Sydney has not been communicating with families,” Anglicare Sydney CEO Grant Millard said in a statement on Thursday. “To an extent this is true. We have been under extreme pressure.
“For instance — to maintain social isolation while providing care it takes our staff at least five times as long to undertake a simple task like giving a COVID-19 resident a phone to make a phonecall because of the need to put on and take off the PPE and clean up.
“However, since the outbreak on Easter Sunday, we have made sure we send one email a day to families of our residents at Newmarch House. And for every one of our residents who is sadly COVID-19 positive, we have been in regular phone contact, mostly at least once a day, with that resident’s chosen representative — the ‘person responsible.’”
Mr Millard said that Anglicare would love to allow relatives to visit their loved ones, but cannot due to the risk of spreading coronavirus in the facility beyond the 34 residents who have already been diagnosed with the virus.
“We are allowing families of those in palliative care some access under strict controls,” he said. “For others we simply cannot afford the risk of further spreading COVID-19. This is a really hard decision for us to make but the consequences of a further outbreak are too awful to contemplate.”
Mr Millard said Anglicare would try to enhance communication efforts and schedule more “window-visits” between residents and their families. “Everyone is under incredible pressure. We really encourage people to allow our staff to do the best they can under extreme circumstances,” he said.
The western Sydney aged care home first detected coronavirus in an employee on April 11.
In the weeks since, 12 residents have died of the virus, 34 have contracted it and 60 staff have entered self-isolation, 22 of which are also COVID-19 positive.
READ MORE: More expected to die at aged care facility
REMY VARGA 10.40am: Alarm at new cluster in Melbourne nursing home
A new coronavirus cluster has been identified at a nursing home in Melbourne’s east, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has confirmed. Professor Brett Sutton on Thursday said the outbreak at Hawthorn Grange Residential Aged Care was under investigation.
“There’s a cluster at an aged care facility we’re investigating at the moment,” he told 3AW.
“There might be more cases emerge.”
It comes after a patient with no symptoms of COVID-19 or known risk factors presented at Sunshine Hospital in Melbourne’s west before developing a cough and testing positive to the disease, sending 24 hospital workers into self-quarantine.
Professor Sutton said a potential outbreak at a childcare centre in Yarraville in Melbourne’s inner west remained under investigation but it was his understanding initial testing had returned negative results.
READ MORE: Anger rises as home’s death toll hits 12
Angelica Snowden 10.25am: Winter is coming, health chief warns
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant says authorities don’t know how the cold weather will affect the spread of COVID-19, but said other respiratory illnesses spread more when people gather.
“We don’t know yet how COVID behaves seasonally,” Dr Chant said. “But we do know from other respiratory viruses the more we bundle in the house, the more close proximity, the more we lock down … we do see respiratory illnesses and other infectious diseases spread,” she said.
Dr Chant said spending more time outside to visit friends and family could help to slow the spread of respiratory illnesses like the flu and COVID-19.
“Using outdoor spaces for recreation are probably going to be a safer option,” she said. “We are wary about how behaviours may change in winter months but we also are conscious about how the community has embraced all the public health messages we have had.”
The comments come ahead of a cold front set to bring rain, hail and snow to large parts of the east coast into the weekend.
On Friday Sydney will reach a maximum of 16C, Hobart will reach 13C, Melbourne 12C and Canberra a frosty 7C.
READ MORE: Wild weather to hit south, east
Remy Varga 10.20am: Victoria reports seven new virus cases
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Victoria has risen by seven, bringing the state’s total to 1361.
It comes as the Victorian government begins a testing blitz, aiming to test 100,000 Victorians for COVID-19 in two weeks.
The state’s death toll remains at 18.
Angelica Snowden 10.10am: Tom Hanks shares COVID-19 update
Tom Hanks’ latest tweet is not for the faint hearted.
The actor posted photos of a bag of his plasma that he donated to help coronavirus patients recover faster.
Trials are being conducted to understand if plasma — that may be rich in antibodies — from recovered coronavirus sufferers could be used to clear up the infection in other COVID-19 patients.
Here’s last week's bag of plasma. Such a bag! After the paperwork, it’s as easy as taking a nap. Thanks @arimoin and UCLA. Hanx pic.twitter.com/15WblGiVwe
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) April 29, 2020
Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson recovered from coronavirus after they were diagnosed in early March.
The couple have both been donating their plasma to the University of California, Los Angeles for their program, the ‘COVID-19 rapid response initiative’.
READ MORE: Tom Hanks makes light of time in Australia
Lachlan Moffet Gray 10.05am: Dutton downplays Forrest’s MP ambush
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has refused to criticise Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest for inviting Chinese consul-general to Victoria Long Zhou to speak at a government press conference alongside health minister Greg Hunt, saying he didn’t want the controversy to overshadow Mr Forrest’s generosity in securing millions of coronavirus test kids for the nation.
Mr Forrest has been accused of acting against Australia’s interest in allowing a Chinese government official to spruik their official line at a time when the Australian government is prosecuting the case for an independent inquiry into the origins of coronavirus.
“I don’t want to overshadow what yesterday was about, the fact he was able to source all of these test kits,” Mr Dutton told 2GB’s Ray Hadley on Thursday. “I think that’s the main take out of yesterday, what they were able to provide and give back to the Australian community.
“The main thing is to concentrate on the work that Twiggy has done.”
Mr Dutton did not say whether he would be annoyed if he was in Mr Hunt’s place at the press conference, saying only that Mr Hunt referred to the incident “as a pleasant surprise”.
I’ve made my comments in relation to what I think we should be asking in a reasonable way from China,” he said.
READ MORE: State presses paws on royal show
Lachlan Moffet Gray 9.50am: Sweet redemption amid virus crisis
The humble Polly Waffle chocolate bar is due to return to shelves after more than a decade due to a government initiative to promote manufacturing during the coronavirus crisis.
Adelaide-based chocolate manufacturer Robert Menz - who purchased the rights to the chocolate-coated marshmallow treat from Nestle in 2019 - has been awarded $1 million from a $48.3 million government scheme funded by the modernising manufacturing fund.
The bar will be manufactured in Mr Menz’s Glynde factory which also produces the Violet Crumble chocolate bar, creating an additional 38 jobs.
The production line will cost $5.2 million to establish and will see Polly Waffles hitting shop shelves sometime in 2021.
Robert Menz chief Phil Sims said the grant gave the company the confidence to proceed with reviving the chocolate amid a global pandemic.
“It’s a significant contribution and obviously gives us the confidence now to move forward with the project,” Mr Sims told the Adelaide Advertiser. “I would hope there’s production sometime in the back end of 2021. But if there’s a few little delays that’s fine, it’s about getting the product right so it meets everyone’s expectations and they’re super-excited that it is back.”
Industry minister Karen Andrews said the grant was not made for nostalgia reasons, despite the chocolate bar being a niche favourite from its inception in 1947 until discontinuation in 2009.
“This will create jobs for South Australians and will further grow our already impressive food-manufacturing sector,” she said.
The modernising manufacturing fund will support more than 200 projects around Australia.
READ MORE: ANZ profit tumbles
Sarah Elks 9.35am: Queensland records zero new virus cases
Queensland has recorded another day of zero coronavirus cases, following just one positive diagnosis on Wednesday.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk released the update on Thursday morning, confirming the state’s total remained at 1033.
More than 940 people have recovered, and 108,137 tests have been conducted in Queensland.
Six Queenslanders have died of COVID-19, most of whom were cruise ship passengers.
Ms Palaszczuk said on Wednesday that the state would have to have an extended period of “nearly zero” cases for her to consider reopening the Queensland border.
READ MORE: Our winter a litmus test for the world
Lachlan Moffet Gray 9.25am: Childcare centre to reopen after brush with infection
The manager of the Sydney childcare centre which a four-year-old girl with coronavirus attended two days in a row while infectious says staff and children who came into close contact with the girl have entered isolation, and the centre will reopen on Friday or Monday.
Operations manager of the Bright Minds Childcare Centre in Cranebrook Michele Laurie told Today on Thursday the centre was evaluating if it would have enough staff to resume.
“We have quite a few of our staff being quarantined,” she said. “We are going to be reassessing whether we are going to have enough staff to actually cater for the children we have returning to the service, but we have an extensive number of children in isolation as well.
“We are hoping the number of staff compared to the number of children will balance out and we will be able to return to normal operations for those children who can return.”
Ms Laurie said there is unlikely to be a further outbreak of coronavirus at the facility, and said the four-year-old girl with coronavirus is in fair condition.
“Under the circumstances, she is doing okay. Obviously she is not overly well, but the family are at home and they are coping quite well,” she said.
READ MORE: Antibodies offer life-saving hope
Lachlan Moffet Gray 9.10am: Forrest plays down ‘ambush’ of MP
Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest has continued a media blitz defending his decision to invite Chinese consul-general for Victoria Long Zhou to speak at a government press conference alongside health minister Greg Hunt on Wednesday, calling accusations he embarrassed the government a “scream.”
“I have to say what a joke,” he told Today on Thursday, shortly after an appearance on Sunrise. Mr Forrest insisted that Mr Hunt’s apparent annoyance at the hijacking of the press conference was due to the actions of wayward journalist.
“You should see the whole press conference. Get hold of the transcript. He (Hunt) got stopped by a particularly pushy journo trying to turn it into a free for all, and he said no, and he stormed out. What a scream.”
Mr Forrest denied that he was acting against the interests of Australia by giving a voice to a Chinese government official saying his efforts in securing personal protective equipment and millions of testing kits for Australia showed that he is “the most Australian person I know.”
“I run the oranges out to the game for Australia, not China or America,” he said.
Mr Forrest also said the decision to bring the consul-general to speak at the press conference had nothing to do with his being a Chinese government official - only that China had assisted him secure millions of testing kits for the country.
“I would have brought him from Holland if he was from Holland, or Japan if he was from Japan, if Japan had stepped up, or Holland,” he said. “China stepped up so I brought the Consul General along when we broke the back of the PPE crisis in Perth and I brought the Consul General along from China because we have helped Australia.”
“There was no surprises there, mate - this is the biggest non-story ever.”
READ MORE: Forrest ambushes Health Minister
Angelica Snowden 9.05am: Premier welcomes aged care home probe
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has welcomed the announcement that a federal quality assurance body will intervene in the COVID-19 outbreak at Newmarch House.
“It’s fair to say that some aged care facilities are dealing with this issue better than others,” she said. “I welcome the federal quality assurance body to intervene in the matter.”
She said every aged care home should assume their facility will have a coronavirus case.
“I assume that every aged care facility across the nation will have a plan in place as to how to deal with coronavirus,” she said.
Ms Berejiklian also said NSW Minister for Health Brad Hazzard was having daily conversations with Minister for Aged Care Richard Colbeck.
READ MORE: At ‘home’, waiting for death
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.50am: Canavan takes a swipe at Forrest move
Former Resources Minister Matthew Canavan has slammed Australian businesses for being “concerningly vague” about whether Australian should have “an independent foreign policy” and said it is time to build supply chains outside of China.
The criticisms come after mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest was widely criticised, including by Senator Canavan, for inviting Chinese consul-general to Victoria Long Zhou to speak alongside health minister Greg Hunt at a press conference on Wednesday.
Twiggy Forrest is a great Australian who does so much admirable philanthropy. But his stance on China makes the opposite point he intends. If the economic cost of having an independent foreign policy is too high, surely we must reduce our reliance on China.
— Matthew Canavan (@mattjcan) April 29, 2020
Senator Canavan told 2GB on Thursday that there is a view in Australian business circles that “we should just shut up and take the money” when it comes to issues concerning Australia’s economic reliance on China for trade and manufacturing.
“If the economic costs of having our own independent foreign policy is too high, well that’s a problem,” Senator Canavan said. “The world must seek to have stronger and more resilient supply changes.”
Senator Canavan said the coronavirus crisis has “exposed our shocking reliance on one country for medical supplies and other essential goods,” and “we need to be upfront with the Australian people about that.”
Senator Canavan also addressed the issue of struggling domestic airline Virgin Australia, asserting that if the government provides the airline with assistance, they must ensure widespread services to regional and rural Australia remain operating.
“If the government is going to be involved in some way to help support a second airline, part of that deal needs to be adequate service right across Australia” he said.
“When Ansett collapsed in 2001, prices shot up - they did not return in real term to 2001 prices until 2010.”
READ MORE: State behind on learning curve
Matthew Denholm 8.35am: Ruby Princess source of Tasmania outbreak
The Ruby Princess cruise ship has been confirmed as the likely cause of the coronavirus outbreak in northwest Tasmania.
It comes as the death toll in Tasmania rises to 12.
Premier Peter Gutwein said on Thursday morning an official report by Public Health identified passengers from the vessel returning to the state as the “most likely ground zero” for the cluster focused on two Burnie hospitals.
Mr Gutwein said no single passenger, and no health worker, was to blame.
READ MORE: No time to relax just yet
Angelica Snowden 8.15am: NSW records just two new Covid cases
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says only two new cases of COVID-19 were recorded out of over 7000 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.
The Premier said the goal is to complete 8000 tests per day in the state.
She said she looked forward to easing COVID-19 restrictions tomorrow.
“Obviously from tomorrow, the world will be slightly different place in New South Wales, which is a good thing,” she said.
“We look forward to the community again sticking together, getting through the next phase.”
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said of the two new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the state one is the contact of a known case. The other is being investigated.
She congratulated the community on the high level of testing.
“This is the single data point that gives me confidence around community transmission,” she said. “It is very challenging for me to understand the nature of the undiagnosed cases in the community (without testing).”
Dr Chant said there was one new death in NSW over the last 24 hours, but that was a resident from Newmarch House reported in the media yesterday.
There are no new infections at the aged care facility with 22 staff and 34 residents infected.
Dr Chant also said no further cases were identified at the Bright Minds Academy childcare centre in Cranebrook after a four-year-old who attended the centre contracted coronavirus.
READ MORE: iPhones a major issue with tracing app
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8am: Bishop says China should back inquiry
Former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says the Chinese government has a “unique responsibility” to support an independent global inquiry to the origin of coronavirus in their country due to their position on the UN Security Council.
“China plays a very key role internationally - It is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council,” Ms Bishop told Sunrise on Thursday
“The Security Council is required to uphold international peace and security. I believe this pandemic has been a threat to international security because of the profound disruption to the global economy, trade, society devastated and most countries.
“The point I’m making is China should feel its obligations as a member of the United Nations Security Council, to support an investigation into a global pandemic. It has a unique responsibility to do so.”
Ms Bishop denied that the Prime Minister has been pushing for the inquiry to support the United States in a power struggle against their eastern rival, saying the suggestion is not unprecedented.
“But I do believe it is essential for there to be such an investigation and there have been in the past,” Ms Bishop said, pointing to investigations into the origin of ebola in Africa.
“We need to find out how it got to the human population before the evidence is lost. I’m not saying it is going to be easy to set up an international investigation at all.”
READ MORE: ‘I ate rat, bat hog ... even a dog’
Cameron Stewart 7.45am: US backs Morrison, criticises China threats
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has backed Scott Morrison’s push for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus and has criticised China for threatening economic retaliation against Australia.
Mr Pompeo said all countries should join Australia’s call for answers from China about how the pandemic was triggered that has wreaked a path of death across the world and has hobbled the global economy.
“I saw comments from the Chinese foreign ministry talking about coercive activity with respect to Australia, who had the temerity to ask for an investigation,” Mr Pompeo said in Washington. “Who in the world wouldn’t want an investigation of how this happened to the world?’
“We would urge every country, all of our partners, to demand that we get answers for what happened here, but also that we continue to have – we get the transparency, that the world gets the transparency it needs.”
Mr Pompeo said the immediate focus of the US was on saving lives and then on rebuilding the economy, but he said Washington would soon examine how to hold China accountable for the devastation caused by the virus that originated late last year in Wuhan.
“There’ll be ample time to evaluate how it is we hold accountable those responsible for loss of what is now tens of thousands of American lives and enormous amount of wealth – not only American wealth, but the global economy’s devastation as a result of this virus,’
China has threatened economic retaliation against Australia after Mr Morrison called for an independent international investigation into the origins of the pandemic.
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.35am: Lambie pushes for easing in Tasmania
Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has endorsed the rollback of coronavirus restrictions in her state, with some exception for the north west region, which is fighting to control a cluster outbreak linked to two hospitals in Burnie.
The spread of the virus from the north west regional and private hospitals is linked to at least 50 of the state’s 219 coronavirus cases and has forced the closure of the facilities, the isolation of more than 1000 employees and their families, and the shuttering of all non-essential businesses in the area.
Premier Peter Gutwein is expected to unveil a road map to lifting restrictions in the state on Thursday, and the closures of non-essential businesses in the north west region could be lifted on Sunday - but Senator Lambie, who lives in Burnie, says “It might be time for the rest of the state, I’m not sure about in my own backyard.”
“We would expect that we may get another week in the way that we are,” she told Today on Thursday, adding that the restrictions on businesses opening should be re-examined.
“Hopefully we get some restrictions lifted off ourselves a little bit because, like I said, all the small businesses are shut and we need to open them as quickly as possible.
“We don’t have Bunnings, we don’t have Kmart, we don’t have Target.
“None of that is open at this point in time. It would be nice to see normality back as quickly as possible.”
Senator Lambie also slammed the federal government for complaining about Chinese rhetoric surrounding a proposed investigation into coronaviruses origin and called for a senate inquiry into Chinese influence in Australia.
“Be polite about it and actually run this inquiry on how much infiltration they have in our universities to start with, how reliant we are on them economically and how we’re going to stand on our own two feet without Communist Chinese,” she said.
“No good sitting here throwing one-liners out there at the Communist Chinese. We need to do something and need the inquiry up and running.”
READ MORE: May meeting key to recovery path
Amos Aikman 7.25am: NT businesses set to reopen their doors
The Northern Territory is preparing to allow many businesses forced to close their doors during the deadly coronavirus pandemic to begin reopening in about two weeks.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner will on Thursday release a staged-recovery “road map” for lifting costly restrictions with the first significant changes to begin on Friday and the goal of reaching a “new normal” by early June, just in time for the best part of the dry season.
Mr Gunner is understood to have briefed the Prime Minister on his plan, which will move the Territory ahead of the states and could offer a model for other parts of the nation.
Businesses in the Top End economy — the nation’s worst-performing, according to CommSec — have been clamouring to exploit the advantage of having few cases.
Health Minister Natasha Fyles on Wednesday announced that with two more patients declared coronavirus free, just three active COVID-19 cases remained in the Territory and none in intensive care.
All of the 28 known infections have been associated with recent travel, and there is no known evidence of coronavirus community transmission.
National parks will be open for camping, fishing and other leisure activities from noon on Friday. Announcements about the further-easing of rules governing outdoor activities and the use of playgrounds and pools are expected on Thursday.
Stakeholder groups then expect to see social-distancing and other restrictions progressively eased, with pubs, clubs and restaurants tipped to be among those allowed to resume in-house service from mid-May.
Tourism authorities think a best-case scenario would see some domestic visitation resume by October 2020 and foreign travel 12 months later.
READ MORE: Politics comes to prime time
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7.10am: Dr Fauci: Antiviral drug tests encouraging
White House coronavirus task force member Dr Anthony Fauci has commended the results of a study into the effects of antiviral drug remdsesivir, saying it appears to have reduced the length and severity of coronavirus symptoms.
The study, conducted by drug manufacturer Gilead Sciences and Dr Fauci’s agency, the US National Institutes of Health, used remdesivir-based treatment schemes in more than 1000 coronavirus patients around the world. The results are yet to be published in a medical journal, but Dr Fauci said it reduces a patient’s recovery time by 31 per cent - from 15 days to 11 days.
“The data shows remdesivir has a clear cut significant positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery,” Dr Fauci said.
Remdesivir is not approved for use in the US yet, having originally been developed to tackle ebola, but never used. However, Gilead has distributed the drug to more than 1700 patients on an emergency case-by-case basis.
A study from China, which was released last week had shown the drug was not effective against coronavirus, but Dr Fauci said the scientific methods of the study were not randomised or controlled.
READ MORE: Brazil overtakes China’s death toll
Lachlan Moffet Gray 7am: US backs Australia’s push for inquiry
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has defended Australia’s push for an independent inquiry into the origin of the coronavirus pandemic in China, saying he has been “heartened” by the push.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday (AEST), Mr Pompeo said the world must get to the bottom of the virus’s origin.
“I’ve been heartened to see Australia, other countries joining us, demanding an investigation, because while we know this started in Wuhan, China, we don’t yet know from where it started,” Mr Pompeo said.
“And despite our best efforts to get experts on the ground, they continue to try and hide and obfuscate.”
READ MORE: Fury over transport lockdown backflip
Angelica Snowden 6.45am: Italy braces for second wave of infections
The epicentre of the European coronavirus pandemic is preparing for a second wave of infections “even bigger than the first” if its gradual reopening leads to a surge in new cases.
Italy’s head of the coronavirus pandemic strategy Domenico Arcuri told the lower Chamber of Deputies that Italy’s 20 regions now have twice as many ventilators than needed. The 5200 intensive care beds Italy had before the pandemic had nearly doubled to 9000.
Italy entered the crisis with a fraction of the ICU capacity compared to other developed nations.
Italy has the highest COVID-19 death-toll due in Europe, followed by the UK and Spain.
On Wednesday, 323 deaths were reported in the country, taking Italy’s toll to 27,682.
The health ministry said there were 2086 new cases in the 24-hour period ending Wednesday evening, compared to an increase of 2091 registered a day earlier.
Italy’s overall total of known coronavirus infections now stands at 203,591. The country is in its eighth week of national lockdown, with some partial easing of restrictions on everyday life slated to take effect on Monday.
Spain
The head of a Spanish coastal town has apologised after “disinfecting” nearly two kilometres of beach with watered-down bleach in a misguided effort to avoid the coronavirus spread.
Agustin Conejo, head of the local council of Zahara de los Atunes, told local media the bleaching was ordered with the goal of protecting children, who were allowed Sunday to play outdoors for the first time in weeks of mandatory confinement.
Three tractors used for fumigating farming land combed a stretch of the beach while spreading 1000 litres of water with a concentration of 2 per cent of bleach, the regional Diario de Cadiz reported.
Spain, with 24,000 confirmed deaths from coronavirus, is slowly reopening after a strict lockdown in place since mid-March.
Geneva
A top World Health Organisation official says the UN health agency is looking into whether grandparents can safely hug their grandchildren without risk of contracting the coronavirus.
The comments from Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead of WHO’s emergencies program, come after a top Swiss health official this week suggested that grandparents could hold young grandchildren - under age 10 - close without risk of contracting COVID-19 disease.
Most statistics show the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions have been the overwhelming majority of victims who have died from the pandemic.
At a WHO news conference, Van Kerkhove acknowledged that many grandparents “are dying to hug their children, grandchildren” and said the issue was one of the “living reviews” conducted by WHO.
READ MORE: Runways remain idle as airports stall
Lachlan Moffet Gray 6.30am: Trump eyes easing of social distancing limits
US President Donald Trump has flagged the rolling back of federal social distancing measures as the number of those killed by the coronavirus shoots past 60,000.
The country has 60,207 recorded coronavirus deaths and more than one million confirmed cases. It is adding between 20,000 and 30,000 cases every day.
Speaking from The White House with Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards, President Trump said the federal government would roll back federal social distancing guidelines.
Pres. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the current coronavirus social distancing guidelines will be “fading outâ€https://t.co/Sn26l57Lcd pic.twitter.com/oRuv2uACcy
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 29, 2020
“They’ll be fading out because now the governors are doing it,” he said. “I’ve had many calls from governors ... they’re explaining what they are doing, and I am very much in favour of what they’re doing.”
Vice President Mike Pence said: “Frankly, every state in America has embraced those guidelines at a minimum, or even done more, and now our focus is working with states as governors, like Gov. John Bel Edwards, unveil plans to open up their states again.”
The guidelines - which technically expire on Friday - encourage people to stay and work from home where possible, avoid restaurants, refrain from visiting older relatives or friends and from gathering in groups of more than 10 people.
In New York City — the US epicentre of the virus — Mayor Bill de Blasio has attracted controversy after following through on a threat to arrest members of the orthodox Jewish community who continue to defy bans on religious gatherings.
My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 29, 2020
Late Wednesday New York Police broke down a gathering of “thousands of people crammed onto one block” who had conveyed to pay their respects at the funeral of a rabbi who died of coronavirus, arresting at least 12.
Tipster says this is the Williamsburg funeral today of Rabbi Chaim Mertz who died from COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/wsTvCrlzpb
— Reuven Blau (@ReuvenBlau) April 29, 2020
“Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic,” Mr de Blaso said on Twitter.
“When I heard, I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed. And what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the coronavirus.”
New York City has more than 165,000 cases of coronavirus and 12,774 deaths.
READ MORE: US economy shrinks
Jacquelin Magnay 6am: Old and overweight a deadly combination
An extensive study of more than 16,000 British hospital patients suffering from coronavirus has revealed that “those with a poor outcome are more often elderly, male and obese’’.
The study, conducted by the University of Liverpool, University of Edinburgh and Imperial College London, from 16,749 COVID-19 patients found that “increased age and comorbidities including obesity were associated with a higher probability of mortality”.
In other words, being old and overweight kills.
This is the first study of so many patients that has confirmed anecdotal evidence from overseas that people who are overweight are more susceptible to dying from a severe case of coronavirus.
The UK research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that obesity increased the risk of dying by 37 per cent, only second to dementia, which increased the death risk by 39 per cent.
Being overweight was also more dangerous than suffering from chronic heart disease (31 per cent), kidney disease (25 per cent), and pulmonary disease (19 per cent).
The excess weight is believed to contribute to reduced lung function and possibly more inflammation in fatty tissue that magnifies the “cytokine storm” immune reaction.
The study was conducted on coronavirus patients admitted across 166 British hospitals between February 6 and April 18. The median age of patients was 72, and the median hospital stay was seven days.
While the number of hospitalised coronavirus patients with comorbidities was 47 per cent, the death rate among those people was dramatically higher.
READ MORE: Britain reveals spike in deaths
Agencies 5.15am: UK death toll now trails only US and Italy
The UK has the third-highest coronavirus death toll in the world after the British government published new figures Wednesday that include deaths outside of hospitals.
After factoring in deaths in all settings such as care homes, the number of people in Britain who have died after testing positive for the virus has now hit 26,097, way ahead of the 21,678 announced on Tuesday. Until now, hospital deaths have been reported daily, while deaths in nursing homes and other settings were reported separately on a weekly basis.
THREAD 3/3 #Coronavirus press conference slides (29 April 2020)
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 29, 2020
🔵 Global death comparison
🔵 Global deaths per million comparisonhttps://t.co/3C2bxJiR5T pic.twitter.com/M9ZT3XvpCK
Under the new measurement, the UK has leapfrogged Spain and France in Europe, with only Italy ahead. The US has the world’s highest death toll.
The upward revision prompted renewed criticism of the government’s approach throughout the crisis. The new leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said the scale of deaths in the UK was “truly dreadful” and has accused the Conservative government of being too slow in putting the country into lockdown, in testing people for the virus and in getting critical protective gear for medical workers.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab sought to ease any worries, saying the additional deaths were a cumulative total going back to March 2.
READ MORE: Baby boy for Boris Johnson and partner Carrie Symonds
Brad Norington 5am: How Australia is guiding world on virus response
Australia’s success in handling the coronavirus over winter could be a litmus test in the battle against COVID-19 if the nation continues to outperform most countries in flattening the infection curve and can avoid a second wave.
With US and European health experts deeply worried about a COVID-19 resurgence later this year in the northern hemisphere as the weather turns cold, they are looking to low-incidence Australia and New Zealand as possible guides for tackling the global crisis.
The Trump administration’s coronavirus taskforce co-ordinator, Deborah Birx, said the trajectory of coronavirus in Australia and other southern hemisphere nations in the next few months would help determine whether the virus was likely to roar back.
Australia and New Zealand’s success in combating COVID-19 has been front-page news in the US, which is bitterly debating how fast restrictions should be eased even as the number of confirmed cases there exceeds one million, with more than 73,000 deaths and the infection rate showing little or no sign of abating.
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Ben Packham 4.45am: Forrest’s Chinese ambush of Hunt denounced
One of Australia’s richest men has blindsided the Morrison government by helping a Chinese diplomat gatecrash a ministerial press conference at the height of Australia’s most serious rift with Beijing in decades.
Andrew Forrest’s decision to invite China’s consul-general for Victoria, Long Zhou, to speak at the podium on Wednesday alongside Greg Hunt, catching the Health Minister off-guard and embarrassing him, drew accusations of disloyalty and selfishness from government MPs.
The mining magnate, who announced that he had procured 10 million COVID-19 test kits for Australia through Chinese business contacts, had earlier taken to the airwaves to take a swipe at both Scott Morrison and US President Donald Trump over the proposed timing of the inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus.
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Former SA Lib leader Speirs steps down after drugs charges
South Australia’s former Liberal leader David Speirs will quit parliament after being charged over drugs offences when armed police raided his home.
‘Toe the line’: Iran envoy hauled into DFAT for second time
Tehran’s top diplomat has been called in by the government after The Australian revealed he praised dead terrorist Hassan Nasrallah, a move the opposition says will not make a difference.