Coronavirus live news Australia: Business counts cost amid dispute over returned traveller and that nebuliser
An international tennis player tests positive after leaving Melbourne, Victoria’s business fears a billion-dollar lockdown loss and the US demands more details from China on Wuhan.
- ATP player positive soon after leaving Melbourne
- Victorian cases rise to 20
- Premier’s snap lockdown ‘sheer lunacy’
- Millions enter gold-standard lockdown in Victoria
- China refusing to hand over first cases data
The Weekend Australian’s live rolling coverage of the coronavirus crisis has been wrapped up for Saturday. Here is what happened:
As millions of Victorians entered a snap five-day lockdown in a bid to curb the growing Holiday Inn cluster, Premier Daniel Andrews was facing criticism from business leaders, who fear big losses, and scientists who have accused him of overreacting. Meanwhile, a WHO team investigating the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan say China refused to provide data on the first victims. And an ATP player has tested positive.
Agencies 11.45pm: US has ‘concerns’ on WHO probe in China
The US Government had ‘‘deep concerns’’ about China’s early response to the COVID-19 crisis and wanted Beijing to “make available its data from the earliest days of the outbreak”, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Saturday.
The statement came days after a World Health Organisation team of inquiry returned from Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the pandemic, and suggested the virus might have originated with frozen seafood products, not from a Chinese lab as some have suggested.
Mr Sullivan expressed “deep respect” for the WHO — which the US is rejoining after the Trump administration quit it to protest its virus response — but said protecting its credibility was “a paramount priority”.
The virus has caused almost 2.4 million deaths since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Saturday.
The US is the worst-affected country with 480,902 deaths followed by Brazil with 237,489, Mexico with 172,557, India with 155,550 and the UK with 116,287.
Portugal on Saturday extended the suspension of flights from Britain and Brazil to March 1, in an attempt to check the spread of Covid variants first detected in those countries.
On Friday Portugal extended border controls with neighbouring Spain until March 1.
In January Portugal suffered the worst rate of coronavirus infections in the world and since January 15 the country has been under a general lockdown.
There were a record 16,500 new cases on January 28 in the country of 10 million people. But the daily figure has started to decrease in recent days.
AFP
READ EARLIER: WHO says lab-leak theory still on table
Courtney Walsh 10.38pm: Player tests positive after Melbourne ATP tennis
A member of the Greek ATP Cup team who played in Melbourne earlier this month has tested positive to COVID-19 in South Africa.
Michalis Pervolarakis teamed with Stefanos Tsitsipas in the team event and was beaten by John Millman in a singles rubber 11 days ago on Rod Laver Arena.
The 24-year-old, who did not play in the Australian Open due to a low ranking, revealed he has subsequently tested positive to the virus.
Pervolarakis on Saturday night posted: “Just to clarify few things … got tested negative in Melbourne before leaving and the nurse said that I most likely got it on the plane or on my stop in Doha.”
The world No 463 is understood to have left Australia on Tuesday. It is believed he tested negative to COVID-19 prior to boarding a flight for South Africa.
He is upset with the conditions he is enduring in quarantine in South Africa, where he is playing a low-tier event.
“After a 24 hour play travel day from Australia to South Africa I’ve been diagnosed positive to COVID-19,” he wrote in a social media post.
“I am completely asymptomatic at the moment and will have to quarantine in an isolation facility in Potchefstroom. I am not a person who complains, but feel I that I need to express my disappointment with the conditions we are in.”
FURTHER REPORT is here
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Ruth Simon 9.30pm: US restaurants wonder what Covid will dish out next
Multiple stops and starts are making daily life even more challenging for small businesses in the US as they grapple with shifting government directives and employee illnesses.
In the days before the reopening of St. Felix Hollywood in Los Angeles, employees scrambled to yank plywood boards from windows, pry congealed syrup from clogged soda machines, scour dusty cooking equipment and scrub the kitchen floor.
“The last 24 hours have been insane,” co-owner John Arakaki said as he sifted through dozens of new safety rules and negotiated with his linen company, produce supplier and other vendors.
St. Felix welcomed customers back on February 5. It marked the fourth time in the last year that the restaurateur and a dozen or so of his employees scurried to reopen the Hollywood location and a sister restaurant in West Hollywood due mostly to local pandemic restrictions. Mr Arakaki estimated it cost about $US30,000 ($39,000) each time.
Nearly a year into the US spread of COVID-19, multiple closings and reopenings are now almost commonplace for owners of restaurants, bars, gyms, beauty salons and other establishments grappling with shifting government directives as well as employee illnesses tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The uncertainty adds to the challenges facing small businesses, which often have limited cash cushions and big drops in sales due to the coronavirus. Eighty-eight per cent of small firms said sales had not returned to normal, according to a survey fielded in September and October and released this month by the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks.
The Wall Street Journal
FULL REPORT is here
Mandy Squires 7.45pm: How lockdown has rattled Victorian economy
Victoria’s snap lockdown has landed a potential billion-dollar blow on the state’s already battered economy, with restaurants set to lose $100m and florists $36m, the Sunday Herald Sun reports.
Retail had taken a hit “in the hundreds of millions of dollars”, while the state’s powerhouse building and construction sector had been brought to a standstill, sector bosses said.
Industry leaders on Saturday demanded compensation for losses suffered by businesses which had been geared up for their biggest weekend of the year, only to be suddenly shut down.
Some restaurants and function venues lost upwards of $100,000 this weekend alone, with lucrative Valentine’s Day bookings and weddings cancelled.
High-level sources told the Sunday Herald Sun the cost to Victoria of the five-day, hard lockdown could be as high as $1bn.
Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) chief Felicia Mariani said the tourism industry had been worth $2.5bn a month to the Victorian economy before COVID, but was now completely shut down.
FULL SUNDAY HERALD SUN REPORT here
ALSO READ: Backflip on traveller rules timeframe
Jess Malcolm 5.15pm: New testing site opens in Melbourne
A new walk-in pop up testing site has opened in Coburg, in Melbourne’s north.
It is located at Coburg Lake Reserve, Lake Grove in Coburg North.
Its opening hours are as follows:
– Saturday 13th from 3pm to 7pm
– Sunday 14th from 10am to 6pm
This comes after today’s new case – a Point Cook man in his 30s – attended a family gathering at an unnamed “function venue” at 246 Sydney Road, Coburg, from 7.14pm to 11.30pm.
Authorities confirmed on Saturday that the family gathering was of particular concern to contact tracers as the man was thought to be infectious when he attended.
Victorian Health authorities are urging anyone who has visited any of the exposed sites to please get tested urgently and follow the public health advice.
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Rachel Baxendale 4.48pm: Victoria’s Police Minister hospitalised
Victoria’s minister responsible for hotel quarantine has been hospitalised for an underlying condition and is not expected to return to work for nine days.
Police and Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville released a statement on Saturday afternoon confirming she had been admitted to hospital on Friday evening “as a result of complications associated with a previously diagnosed medical condition.”
“I have been living with and managing this condition for quite some time, but the complications that have now arisen are serious and require a period of time in hospital for treatment and subsequent respite and recovery,” Ms Neville said.
“This condition is not COVID-19 related.
“At this time my intent is to return to work on Monday 22 February subject to treatment and medical advice.”
Health Minister Martin Foley will have carriage if Ms Neville’s police and emergency services portfolios, “including oversight of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria”, while Housing Minister Richard Wynne will take on the water portfolio.
Ms Neville’s illness comes as almost seven million Victorians enter at least five days of Stage Four lockdown as a result of a coronavirus cluster which has escaped from the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel.
READ MORE: Outbreak puts fear back into markets
Jess Malcolm 4.38pm: Returned traveller ‘did not reveal nebuliser’
Victoria’s head of hotel quarantine Emma Cassar has repeated the government’s claim that the recently returned traveller who used a nebuliser thought to have triggered the Holiday Inn outbreak did not tell hotel quarantine staff that he had it.
Ms Cassar told reporters that there was “no evidence” that he raised it to any staff working in the hotel.
“I can categorically say that there is no evidence that he has raised this with our public health team or our operational team,” Ms Cassar said.
“The records that we keep for these assessments are thorough and detailed and these are the requirements of all health authorities.”
“Had we had known about it we would have done something about it earlier.”
Her statements contradict those of the man who used the nebuliser, after he told Nine newspapers that he has been given permission twice to use it.
The man — who has been admitted to, then released from, ICU — claimed that not only did he get permission to use it, but hotel quarantine staff offered to find more medication for him to administer through his machine.
Ms Cassar also commented on how “awful” the situation was for the man, and apologised for how the situation has escalated.
This comes after the man told Nine Newspapers that he was made to feel “like a criminal” by the Victorian government.
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Jess Malcolm 4.11pm: Nebuliser user’s treatment ‘awful’
Victoria’s head of hotel quarantine Emma Cassar said it is “awful” how the man who used the nebuliser triggering the leak from hotel quarantine is being treated by the media.
This comes after the man told Nine Newspapers that he was made to feel “like a criminal” by the Victorian government.
Questions continue to surround whether authorities knew about the nebuliser or gave permission to the man to use the device which is being blamed for plunging nearly seven million Victorians into hard lockdown.
Ms Cassar told reporters that there is no evidence that the man – who was later admitted to ICU – told anyone in the Holiday Inn, which contradicts the man’s statement that he had been given permission to use it.
“I can categorically say that there is no evidence that he has raised this to our public health team,” Ms Cassar said.
“No one did this deliberately. No one did this maliciously”
“Had we had known about it we would have done something about it earlier.”
Jess Malcolm 3.20pm: Three new exposure sites in Melbourne revealed
Victorian health authorities have listed two new coronavirus exposure sites. Anyone who visited these sites must get tested and self isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
– Alberton Cafe in Albert Park on Tuesday February 9 between 8.50am and 10.10am
– Alberton Cafe in Albert Park on Thursday February 11 between 9am and 10.15am
– The Coffeeologist Cafe in Point Cook on Monday February 8 between 11am and 11.40am
– The Coffeeologist Cafe in Point Cook on Wednesday 10 February between 11.30am and 12.10pm
READ MORE: Premier’s backflip on traveller rules
Jess Malcolm 3.13pm: CMO backs Victoria’s hotel quarantine system
Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says Australia has a responsibility to accept “vulnerable” Australians overseas, while also safeguarding the country from the spread of COVID-19.
“The Australian government does have a responsibility to Australians overseas and for those who are vulnerable and really desperate to come home, we need to have that, factor that in and to make it as safe as possible in terms of the virus transmission to the wider community, is certainly something we are absolutely focused on,” Professor Kelly said.
He defended Victoria’s hotel quarantine system, saying the federal government had “full confidence” in its system.
“These are complex systems and I have full confidence in the Victorian set up (of) quarantine, they have run a very good quarantine system. As indeed all of the other states and territories are doing it in their ways.
“We have had various reviews of the hotel quarantine system, which have stood us in very good stead since March last year, when it became compulsory for any arrivals from overseas to go into hotel quarantine.
His comments come after Victoria’s recent outbreak grew to 14 cases, all originating from the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel at Melbourne airport.
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Jess Malcolm 2.47pm: States, territories scramble over Melbourne airport case
Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has warned thousands of people could have been exposed to the highly infectious UK strain of coronavirus, after an infected cafe staffer worked a shift at Brunetti’s at Melbourne airport.
Dr Kelly said all states and territories were now contact tracing in the same way as Victoria.
“From the Commonwealth perspective, we are assisting in multiple ways, firstly I declared greater Melbourne hot spot from the Commonwealth point of view last night, for an initial period of three days and we will be looking at that on Monday again to see what is happening over the weekend with the substantial work that is going on,” Dr Kelly said.
He also flagged further support for the aged-care sector, which has not been implicated yet but is being watched with caution.
In some good news, Dr Kelly said there are currently no further cases of community transmission across the country. The federal health authorities have intervened and are assisting with national tracing efforts.
“We are assisting with the airport link, gathering the manifests from the various airlines that fly through the one to assist those contact tracing efforts in other states so we are all in this together,” Dr Kelly said.
“We are looking closely and carefully around the country for any possible leaks.”
READ MORE: Paul Kelly — Albo’s first shot in workplace battle backfires
Jess Malcolm 2.36pm: Florists in the dark over Valentine’s Day trade
The Australian Flower Industry is calling for clarification around whether florists can remain open during Victoria’s five-day snap lockdown.
This weekend marks Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day which is the busiest time of year for florists, but Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been unable to confirm whether the industry can remain open during lockdown.
Flower Industry CEO Anna Jabour said it was “disappointing” that there had been no consideration given to florists in the government’s decision making, calling for flowers to be considered the same as fresh produce.
“Flower trade should be classified alongside fresh produce and be able to operate in the same way as supermarkets and green grocers,” Ms Jabour said.
“Flowers are a fresh, perishable item and the financial burden this will have on our industry shouldn’t be dismissed or understated.”
When announcing the snap lockdown at a press conference on Friday, the Victorian Premier said he had not considered florists, and was again not able to respond on Saturday.
Ms Jabour encouraged all Victorians to support their local florists by ordering flowers online.
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Jess Malcolm 1.48pm: I’m not shopping for advice: Andrews
Premier Daniel Andrews said he is not “shopping for advice” when deciding Covid restrictions for Victorian residents, rejecting criticism that he was motivated by political popularity.
“This is not a popularity contest, it’s a pandemic,” Premier Andrews said. “Whether it be popular or not is of no concern to me.”
“When you have gotten advice to make tough calls, it’s very painful, it’s not easy, they are not easy decisions to make, because you know the gravity of them. There is
no option.”
“I can’t ignore advice. You know, you’ve got to make the tough calls and that is just the job I have got. And that is the job I will continue doing.”
The Premier also confirmed Victorian residents are set to emerge out of strict lockdown on Wednesday at night at midnight if cases remain stable.
This comes after concern a third wave could be detrimental to the Victorian government, as Victorians plunge into lockdown today for the third time.
More to come …
Jess Malcolm 1.29pm: Andrews defends nebuliser comments
Premier Daniel Andrews has rejected criticism that he made inaccurate comments about the man who used a nebuliser to inhale medication which is thought to have ignited the Holiday Inn outbreak.
In a press conference on Friday, the Premier said the nebuliser was never declared by the returned traveller. But in an interview with the Nine Newspapers, the man said he declared his device to hotel quarantine staff and the remarks had left him feeling like “a criminal.”
Mr Andrews defended his comments, saying the head of Melbourne’s quarantine program Emma Cassar would give a press conference later today to answer further questions.
“She runs the agency and my comments are based on the advice she has provided to me,” Premier Andrews said.
“I don’t think there is an issue here.”
“I think the most important thing to do is to have the head of the agency speak to you about that issue, the review she conducted, not me, the work she has done in the advice she has provided, and where she thinks it is up to.”
More to come …
Jess Malcolm 1.20pm: Sutton hits back at claims of UK variant exaggeration
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has hit back at criticism that the Victorian government has exaggerated the infectiousness of the UK strain
“We know that overall there is very strong evidence for 40 to 70 per cent greater infectiousness with the UK strain,” Professor Sutton said.
“We shouldn’t be surprised if we see short incubation periods and high attack rates within households.”
He also backed the government’s contact tracing response, saying it was done within 48 hours in over 95 per cent of cases, but primary close contacts posed a “small and tricky” threat.
“I think the way that we have chased down cases and the close contacts in the secondary close contacts as part of that containment strategy,” Professor Sutton said.
“It has certainly shown itself to be infectious. The way that it is transmitted to household members at a high rate and in a rapid period of time is a sign of its infectiousness. But we have chased down each and every case immediately.”
More to come …
Jess Malcolm 1.14pm: Sutton plays down concerns over lockdown extension
Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton reiterated that all laws written in the state of emergency period are legally extended for a two-week period, giving relief to Victorians that the lockdown is still set to be in place for five days.
Professor Sutton said “nothing should be read into it” following concern that the stay at home orders could remain for two weeks.
“All directions have always been written until the end of the Thursday emergency period, whenever that relevant state of emergency period has been extended,” Professor Sutton said.
“That applies to all directions across all periods. So they will be revoked at any point where we think the settings need to be changed.”
“We have still had an end date of the end of the state of emergency period is absolutely nothing different in the way directions have been written at this stage.”
Professor Sutton said the five day snap lockdown was “realistic” but health authorities will make reassessments on a daily basis following the health advice.
More to come …
Jess Malcolm 1.09pm: ‘Thousands potentially exposed at airport’
Victorian testing chief Jeroen Weimar has confirmed 2,300 people were potentially exposed to the virus in the Melbourne Airport terminal on Tuesday morning at Brunetti’s cafe.
But according to figures provided to The Australian by Melbourne Airport on Friday, 3591 people passed through terminal four during the exposure period.
Of these, 2500 departed the state.
All these people have been contacted, asked to get tested and directed to isolate.
“If anybody listening is receiving messages from us indicating they are a close contact, please ensure you do so, so we can continue this investigation and make sure we run this to ground quickly.”
More to come …
Jess Malcolm 12.55pm: New Victorian case linked to Holiday Inn
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the new locally acquired case recorded in Melbourne overnight is linked to the Holiday Inn cluster, which has now grown to 14.
The new case is a primary social contact of one of the workers linked to the Holiday Inn outbreak.
Victorian testing chief Jeroen Weimar has outlined the positive case identified late last night was a man in his 30s from Point Cook in Melbourne.
“He is a social contact of one of our QCV staff members, and we are continuing to investigate the full extent of those contacts on that worker,” Mr Weimar said.
He also confirmed there have now been 2,300 people who were potentially exposed in the Melbourne Airport terminal on Tuesday morning at Brunetti’s cafe.
All these people have been contacted, asked to get tested and directed to isolate.
“If anybody listening is receiving messages from us indicating they are a close contact, please ensure you do so, so we can continue this investigation and make sure we run this to ground quickly.”
Mr Andrews said that all 38 household primary contacts of the new case have been contacted, locked down and tested.
He said 11 of the 12 close contacts of the infected Brunetti employee have all tested negative. The last result is expected to be returned later today.
But Victorian health authorities have also established 996 known close contacts related to the Holiday Inn cluster sending contact tracers scrambling to contact and test the growing list.
All these people will be forced into a two week quarantine period regardless of their test result.
“As you know that number will keep on growing because as we find more people, more come forward, QR codes, interviews and contact tracing,” Premier Andrews said.
“Today is not the big day for those results, the balance of those will start to come through tomorrow, Monday, that’s why we chose Wednesday as the important day, the five-day circuit breaker or any other period of time.”
More to come …
Christine Kellett 12.48pm: No more airport cafe staff test positive
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says none of the infected Melbourne Airport cafe worker’s colleagues have tested positive to coronavirus, despite fears over the “high-velocity” spread of the UK variant.
A further one staff member’s results are being awaited.
“In relation to Brunetti’s, I’m pleased to say that 11 of the 12 cafe staff have been tested and are all negative,” Mr Andrews has told a press conference.
“That is very significant. They were at the highest risk of exposure given their proximity to the affected co-worker.
“It doesn’t mean all the challenges in association with that business, their customers and the (airport) terminal for issues are over, far from it but its positive news, you prefer to be getting negative results than positive.”
More to come …
Jess Malcolm 12.32pm: Sutton responds to lockdown extension possibility
Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton has responded to concern that the snap five-day “circuit breaker” lockdown could extend for two weeks.
Professor Sutton said it was standard procedure for any laws enforced in a State of Emergency period to be written for two weeks.
“All directions are always written until the end of the current State of Emergency period,” Professor Sutton said on Twitter.
“The current directions should be revoked at the end of the circuit breaker period, following review of the situation.”
READ MORE: Helen Coonan gets her room with a view
Remy Varga 12.25pm: Andrews, Sutton to address the media | WATCH
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, chief health officer Brett Sutton and COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar will provide an update on the state’s coronavirus crisis at about 12.30pm.
Victoria entered the first day of a five-day circuit breaker lockdown at midnight.
You can watch the press conference live here:
Jess Malcolm 12pm: WHO says lab-leak theory ‘still on the table’
The World Health Organisation says that all hypotheses into the origins of COVID-19 are still on the table, following its investigation trip to Wuhan.
Their investigation failed to identify the source of the virus, but had initially quashed on Tuesday that the theory that the virus leaked from a laboratory in the Chinese city.
But in a press conference in Geneva, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed this theory is still being considered by investigators.
“Some questions have been raised as to whether some hypotheses have been discarded,” Dr Tedros said. “Having spoken with some members of the team, I wish to confirm that all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and studies.”
“Some of that work may lie outside the remit and scope of this mission. We have always said that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the virus.”
Dr Tedros said that he hoped to provide a summary report from the mission next week, with the full final report to be published in the coming weeks.
READ MORE: Hacked Wuhan lab records show unreported cases
Finn McHugh 11.36am: Andrews’ overseas arrivals suggestion ‘despicable’
Daniel Andrews has been lashed as “despicable” for suggesting stranded Australians could be blocked from returning home, as the idea drives a wedge between federal and state Labor.
Victoria was plunged into its third lockdown on Saturday after the highly contagious UK COVID-19 strain leaked out of the state’s quarantine system.
But announcing the five-day lockdown on Friday, Mr Andrews flagged a “cold, hard discussion” on barring 40,000 stranded Australians from returning unless given a compassionate exemption.
The comments were at odds with federal Labor, which has accused the Prime Minister of abandoning Australians stuck overseas and demanded a beefed-up repatriation effort.
Liberal MP Tim Wilson lashed the idea as “denying Australians access to their own country”.
“It’s a despicable plan, a callous, and cold-hearted one,” he told the ABC.
“There are Australians who have been desperate to get back into the country, but have had flights cancelled all over the place. They have a right to come home.”
Federal Labor frontbencher Jason Clare rejected Mr Andrews’ suggestion, insisting it was the “right of all Australians” to return home.
But he insisted vulnerable Australians should be prioritised.
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Jess Malcolm 11.09am: NSW, Queensland record zero new cases
NSW has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, following over 13,000 tests. There were two new cases already in hotel quarantine.
Queensland has also recorded no new locally acquired cases following more than 7000 tests.
This comes after all states and territories responded vigorously to the recent Melbourne Holiday Inn outbreak, either snapping shut their border or ordering travellers to self-isolate upon return to their home state.
All states and premiers are anxiously watching to see if the UK strain of the virus has spread across the country, following the announcement of two cases who worked while infectious at Melbourne airport.
Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to give a coronavirus update shortly, as Victorian residents spend their first day of a snap five day lockdown.
READ MORE: Gerard Henderson — Sneering critics underestimate ‘Scotty’ at their peril
Jess Malcolm 10.35am: Nebuliser user: ‘I feel like a criminal’
The recently returned traveller blamed for spreading coronavirus in the Holiday Inn which triggered a snap five-day lockdown across Victoria says he “feels like a criminal”, despite being told twice by authorities he could use his nebuliser.
The man is a severe asthmatic who inhaled his medication through a nebuliser which is thought to have spread coronavirus through the hotel through fine mist particles suspended in the air.
He was told twice by health authorities that he was allowed to use the medication, according to Nine newspapers.
“If I was told that I couldn’t use it, I never would have used it,” he told Nine newspapers. “The way it has all come out in the news and through the government has made it sound like I was using it illegally or that I have snuck it in or something like that. It’s been very distressing.
“You are left feeling like a criminal or that you’ve done the wrong thing. That has been the hardest thing in all this.”
He was yet to test positive to coronavirus when he was given permission to take his medication.
The 38 year old Victorian man is now in an intensive care ward.
READ MORE: Fateful mistake exposed in contact tracing
Jess Malcolm 10.22am: Andrews leaves door open to lockdown extension
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews appears to have left the door open for his five-day “circuit breaker” lockdown to be extended for up to two weeks, according to the state government’s stay at home orders.
The “stay safe” period, which took effect at 11.59pm on Friday, does not expire until February 26.
“For the purposes of these directions, the stay safe period is the period beginning at 11:59:00pm on 12 February 2021 and ending at 11:59:00pm on 26 February 2021,” the orders read.
It does not mean that Victorians will be in lockdown for longer than five days, but gives the Victorian government scope to extend it.
Under these orders Victorians can only leave home for four essential reasons: shopping, exercise, essential work or caregiving.
It comes as Victoria recorded one new case of locally acquired coronavirus on Saturday, following more than 20,000 tests.
READ MORE: Simon Benson — Premier passes the buck at light speed
Jade Gailberger 10.14am: International students ‘jumping the queue’ for return
More than 1000 international students have quietly been allowed to “jump the queue” and enter Australia during COVID-19, while a whopping 40,000 Aussies remain stranded overseas.
Figures obtained by NCA NewsWire reveal the Australian Border Force Commissioner has granted 1050 foreign nationals an exemption from Australia’s international travel ban since the start of August.
The federal opposition has blasted the decision, saying the 40,000 Australians should be Scott Morrison’s priority.
“Instead he’s letting international students and business investor visa holders jump the queue,” Labor senator Kristina Keneally said.
“If Scott Morrison had implemented a national quarantine plan from the beginning of this pandemic, Australia would be in a position to safely welcome international students without their arrival coming at the expense of stranded Australians.”
An Australian Border Force spokeswoman said people seeking an exemption must provide evidence of a “compelling case” and meet exemption categories, which includes students in their final two years of study of a medical, dental, nursing or allied health profession university degree.
Those students must also have a confirmed placement at an Australian hospital or medical practice that starts within the next two months.
One university in the Group of Eight had at least half of their 65 international medical students granted a travel exemption.
Read the full story here.
Jess Malcolm 10am: Seven new exposure sites in Melbourne revealed
Health authorities in Victoria have added seven new exposure sites around Melbourne, with people who visited the locations ordered to get tested and isolate regardless of the result.
– A function venue at 426 Sydney Road, Coburg on Saturday 6 February between 7.14pm to 11.30pm
– Coates Hire Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, on Monday 8 February between 6.45am and 7.30am
– Caltex Woolworths, Hoppers Crossing, on Monday 8 February between 6.40am and 7.15am
– Stowe Australia, South Melbourne, on Monday 8 February between 10.30am and 10.45am
– The 901 bus route from Melbourne Airport to Broadmeadows Station, on Tuesday 9 February between 1:02pm and 1:49pm
– The Craigieburn line train from Broadmeadows Station to Glenroy Station, on Tuesday 9 February, between 1.25pm and 1.59pm
– The 513 bus route: Glenroy Station towards Eltham, on Tuesday 9 February between 1.35pm and 2.17pm.
Seven new locations have been added to our list of Tier 1 exposure sites following further investigation by our public health team.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 12, 2021
Saturday 6 February
Function venue: 426 Sydney Rd, Coburg – 7:14pm – 11:30pm
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Richard Ferguson 9.40am: Andrews floats radical arrivals shake-up
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will float a radical shake-up of Australia’s international arrivals policy at the next national cabinet meeting and propose letting fewer stranded Australians into the country on compassionate grounds only.
Mr Andrews is suggesting a “smaller program” may be the best way to stop the more infectious UK and South African strains of COVID-19 breaking out of hotel quarantine. The proposal comes only weeks after Scott Morrison and the premiers agreed to lift the number of international arrivals per week. Mr Andrews said he was ready to raise a more targeted international arrivals policy at national cabinet that abandons caps on total arrivals and focuses on compassionate cases.
“I think there needs to be a cold, hard discussion, and I’m happy to lead it if I have to, about whether, with this UK strain — and we haven’t even got on to South Africa yet, because it’s just as bad — should we be having the total number of people coming home?” he said. “Or should it be a much smaller program that’s based on compassionate grounds?”
The Premier’s new arrivals stance came after he abandoned plans for Victoria to increase its overseas arrivals cap from 1120 people to 1310 on Monday.
Read the full story here.
Christine Kellett, Jess Malcolm 9.12am: Victorian cases rise to 20
Victoria has recorded one new case of coronavirus via local transmission overnight.
It takes the tally of active cases in the state to 20.
The state entered a five-day, stage-four lockdown at midnight last night to curb a growing outbreak linked to the Holiday Inn hotel quarantine cluster.
It is not yet known if the new case is linked to the cluster or is the UK variant.
About 20,000 tests were conducted in Victoria yesterday.
Premier Daniel Andrews is due to address the public later today.
Yesterday there was 1 new locally acquired case reported. There are currently 20 active cases. 20,166 test results were received. Got symptoms? Get tested, #EveryTestHelps.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 12, 2021
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/uj19xt8MfU
The snap lockdown was issued after health authorities said the UK strain of the virus was spreading too fast, with cases already infecting their close contacts before health authorities could even alert the primary case.
This is the third time Victorians have gone into hard lockdown, where they can only leave home for four reasons: shopping for essentials, caregiving, exercise or essential work.
There are currently 13 cases related to the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn cluster.
Sydney residents recently returning from Melbourne will also be forced into the same five day lockdown after NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard issued a directive on Friday evening.
Health authorities initially required anyone who had returned since January 29 to isolate, but then revised it to anyone returning from Victoria on February 12.
READ MORE: John Ferguson Andrews faces huge test to avoid fallout
Chris Herde 9am: Victorian lockdown ‘sheer lunacy’
Travel agency group Flight Centre co-founder and chief executive Graham Turner has slammed the Melbourne five-day lockdown, describing it as “sheer lunacy”.
Mr Turner said the Brisbane and Perth COVID-19 lockdowns showed that the Victorian Government’s action was an “incredible over-reaction” and instead they should have had faith in their contact tracing regime.
“I think its sheer lunacy. They saw what happened in the Brisbane lockdown and Perth lockdown. They had no cases,” he said.
Several states reinstated border closures yesterday. The Queensland border will be shut to residents of greater Melbourne for at least the next two weeks while Western Australia and South Australia issued border restrictions.
While issued an alert for travellers who were at Melbourne Airport over a number of days last week it has not opted for a border closure.
“NSW has shown generally they are by far the best risk manager at this. It’s an incredible over-reaction.
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Natasha Robinson 8.30am: Use of incorrect figures in Victoria is more infectious
Let’s get some numbers straight. The UK strain is not 70 per cent more infectious, as we were originally told. It’s not even 50 per cent more infectious, the latest widely quoted figure.
According to the most authoritative source of data on the detailed epidemiology of transmission risk, the UK government executive agency Public Health England, a person who is infected with the UK strain of coronavirus will pass the virus on to 14.7 per cent of their close contacts.
Say somebody infected with the UK strain had 10 close contacts. On Public Health England’s numbers, eight of those contacts would not be infected.
Catherine Bennett is an epidemiologist with a public health background in real-world disease outbreak management. She’s not prone to hyperbole, unlike Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, who struck fear into the hearts of Victorians when he told them the UK variant is coming at them with maximum velocity. “If you say the UK strain is 40 per cent more infectious, it sounds very dramatic, but most people don’t pass it on, as we’ve seen in Brisbane and in Perth,” says Professor Bennett.
“It is a concerning situation, but I don’t think people need to be told this is worse than anything else, as if the world hasn’t seen this yet. That’s not evident in what we’ve been presented, and it just causes more fear.”
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Rachel Baxendale 8am: Andrews in gold-standard lockdown for Victoria
Almost seven million Victorians have been plunged back into stage-four lockdown for at least five days, amid fears the UK strain of coronavirus could have spread around Australia via thousands of travellers potentially exposed to infectious cases at Melbourne Airport.
Business groups criticised the shutdown, which will hit hospitality businesses over the Valentine’s Day weekend, as other states closed their borders with Victoria.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced the suspension of international arrivals in his state and signalled he would push for a national cabinet review of Australia’s hotel quarantine program.
More than 3500 passengers passed through Melbourne Airport’s terminal four between 4.45am and 1.15pm last Tuesday, as a woman linked to the Holiday Inn cluster who would test positive for coronavirus the following day worked a shift at the terminal’s busy Brunetti cafe.
Flights that left the terminal during that time headed to destinations as far afield as Cairns, Sydney, the Sunshine Coast, Mount Gambier, Burnie, Newcastle, Merimbula, Brisbane, Ballina, the Gold Coast and Launceston.
NSW on Friday raced to contact 7000 returned travellers who either visited the terminal during the exposure period or passed through any Melbourne Airport terminal on February 7 or 8.
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Dow Jones 7.30am: China ‘refusing to reveal data on first cases’
Chinese authorities refused to provide World Health Organisation investigators with raw, personalised data on early COVID-19 cases that could help them determine how and when the coronavirus first began to spread in China, according to WHO investigators who described heated exchanges over the lack of detail.
The Chinese authorities turned down requests to provide such data on 174 cases of COVID-19 that they have identified from the early phase of the outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. The investigators are part of a WHO team that this week completed a month-long mission in China aimed at determining the origins of the pandemic.
Chinese officials and scientists provided their own extensive summaries and analysis of data on the cases, said the WHO team members. They also supplied aggregated data and analysis on retrospective searches through medical records in the months before the Wuhan outbreak was identified, saying that they had found no evidence of the virus.
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