Coronavirus Australia live news: Singapore travel bubble to focus on students
A travel bubble between Australia and Singapore will focus on early pilot programs for students and set-up a mutual recognition of digital vaccination certificates.
- AZ death extremely rare event: Kelly
- NSW woman’s death ‘likely’ linked to AZ
- Lockdown dodgers ‘not exempt’ for travel
- Fleeing Vic woman’s husband positive
- Vic records 4 new cases
- NSW, Qld alerts over infected case
- Lockdown’s lift no help to regions
- Victorian consumer confidence hit
Welcome to updates on the Australia’s battle with the coronavirus pandemic. Live coverage has ended, catch up on the events of the day below.
CMO Paul Kelly says the death of a 52– year-old woman ‘likely’ linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine — the second person to die after being administered AZ in Australia — was an ‘extremely rare event.’
The husband of a woman who tested positive after the pair fled the Melbourne lockdown for Queensland is also Covid positive, asVictoria records four new cases.The woman with Covid-19 and her husband fled Melbourne’s lockdown and travelled across NSW to Queensland, triggering fears of community transmissions in the two states. The news comes as Victoria prepares for the easing of lockdown restrictions on Friday … but Melbourne residents will still not be permitted to travel more than 25km from their homes.
Courtney Walsh11.59pm:Fog keeps AFL’s Cats stranded in Adelaide
The wintry blast hitting southern Australia has created a Covid-19 issue for the AFL, with Geelong stranded in Adelaide on Thursday night in breach of an exemption that allowed them to fly in and out of the state for a match.
The Cats were due to fly out of Adelaide on a charter flight following their 21-point victory over the Power as part of an agreement with South Australian health authorities.
But a thick fog in Melbourne prevented Geelong, which had flown into Adelaide earlier on Thursday under strict medical regulations, from taking off from South Australia.
Club officials were forced to scramble for accomodation, with the Cats to stay in the Ibis Hotel in Adelaide prior to departing as early as possible on Friday morning.
“The Club will continue to abide by strict arrangements and protocols as approved by the South Australian State Government before flying home at the earliest opportunity tomorrow morning,” the AFL said in a statement.
"We came on the Wright brother's first plane!"
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) June 10, 2021
Danger is seeing the funny side after the Cats were grounded in Adelaide due to fog âœˆï¸ pic.twitter.com/Sa76r9jGvI
With Victoria in lockdown, AFL officials and the South Australian Government have engaged in lengthy discussions over the past fortnight in order to enable matches in Adelaide to proceed. Collingwood dealt with similar precautions last Saturday when defeating Adelaide.
Geelong players entered an even stricter lockdown than the rules governing Melburnians from Monday in order to satisfy SA coronavirus regulations. Some players moved to hotels to avoid inconveniencing family members.
The Cats flew into the SA capital on Thursday morning and were then taken straight to Adelaide Oval, where they spent the afternoon in a locked room.
Geelong coach Chris Scott said he could understand the precautions, though he acknowledged it was a strange preparation for what is an important match in the context of the season.
“The AFL did a really good job under trying circumstances of giving us an area where at least we could get some quiet time,” he said.
“I mean, some of the pictures would have been quite comical. You’ve got guys sleeping under tablecloths, trying to get some darkness and guys spread out.
“If I was a little bit more of a crazy coach, looking around, I would have been more worried than I was. There were strange scenes, it was strange preparation. That is what the South Australian government chose to do.
“I think the whole way through the pandemic, the rule of thumb has been not to point out the inconsistencies and the silliness of some rules and just jump on board and overcorrect towards adherence.”
Natasha Robinson10.45pm:PPE about-face on airborne protection
The nation’s top infection control experts have advised healthcare workers to wear airborne protection when working in environments that place them at high risk of contracting Covid-19, in a major overhaul of guidelines that followed weeks of negotiations among top doctors.
The Infection Control Expert Group responded to recommendations put forward by the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce that emphasised airborne transmission of Covid-19 amid wide consensus in the medical and scientific community that droplet precautions were insufficient to protect healthcare workers from contracting the virus.
Key members of ICEG have for more than a year been resisting calls to update guidelines that advised healthcare workers that wearing a surgical mask was sufficient even when dealing with suspected or positive Covid-19 patients, except in a narrow set of specific circumstances.
Geoff Chambers10.10pm: Singapore travel bubble to focus on students
A travel bubble between Australia and Singapore will focus on early pilot programs for students and set-up a mutual recognition of digital vaccination certificates.
Two-way travel between the key economic partners had been in the planning for months, but was derailed following a recent breakout in the city-state.
Following his meeting with Mr Lee, the Prime Minister said Singapore would be the next country Australia would consider setting up a travel bubble with — after two-way travel resumed with New Zealand.
“I welcome the fact we will now work together … and put the infrastructure in place, to get the systems in place,” Mr Morrison said.
“There is still some time before we reach that milestone but there is nothing impeding us as we discuss getting on with the job of putting systems in place that will enable such a bubble to emerge between Singapore and Australia as it now occurs between Australia and New Zealand.”
AFP9.05pm:Iran passes three million cases
Iran’s confirmed Covid-19 cases surpassed the three million mark on Thursday, the health ministry said, while daily cases and deaths continued a downward trend ahead of a presidential poll.
The Islamic republic, battling the Middle East’s deadliest coronavirus outbreak, is preparing to hold its presidential election on June 18.
The country has been struggling since late March to contain its “fourth wave” of Covid-19 blamed on a surge in trips made during Persian New Year Holidays.
Tehran has pinned hopes on vaccinations to help combat the health crisis, but the rollout of its innoculation campaign started in early February has progressed more slowly that authorities had wanted.
In the past 24 hours, the country officially recorded 12,398 new cases of infection, the health ministry announced.
Iran also recorded an additional 153 coronavirus-related deaths, it said, bringing the total to 81,672.
Daily infections and fatalities have been on a downward trajectory since their peaks of 25,582 on April 14 and 496 on April 26, respectively.
READ MORE: Wuhan market sold 47,000 wild animals
AFP8.30pm: Abu Dhabi imposes tougher rules for unvaccinated
Abu Dhabi is to bring in new Covid-19 rules from next Tuesday that will require less frequent testing to access public places for those who have been fully vaccinated.
All residents of the largest of the seven emirates that make up the UAE have been provided with a colour-coded app detailing their testing and vaccination history.
From next week, only those with “green” status will be allowed entry to shopping centres and large supermarkets, gyms, hotels, parks, beaches and swimming pools, entertainment venues, cinemas, museums, and restaurants and cafes, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
People who have been fully inoculated will maintain their “green” status for 30 days after their last negative PCR test, while those who have not been vaccinated will maintain it for just three days.
The United Arab Emirates, which has mounted an intensive Covid-19 vaccination campaign, warned in April that those who remained unvaccinated would face restrictions on their movement.
Last month, Dubai announced it would allow people to attend sports events and concerts if they have been inoculated.
The UAE has recorded more than 589,000 cases of Covid-19, 1710 of them fatal
READ MORE: International students to return in eight weeks
AFP 7.45pm: Vaccination in Europe ‘far from sufficient’: WHO
The World Health Organisation has warned that vaccination rates in Europe are still far off what is needed to stop a virus resurgence, urging countries to maintain protective measures.
“Vaccination coverage is far from sufficient to protect the region from a resurgence. The distance to go before reaching at least 80 per cent coverage of the adult population, is still considerable,” Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, said on Thursday, calling on nations to avoid repeating the “mistake” of last northern summer when measures were eased prematurely.
READ MORE:Wuhan market sold 47,000 wild animals
AFP 7.05pm:Taiwan activists slam migrant curbs
Taiwanese rights activists have urged authorities to revoke a “discriminatory” ban on migrant workers going outside after a coronavirus outbreak spread to the island’s lucrative tech sector.
The local government in central Miaoli county this week imposed a stay indoors order on all migrant workers unless they were explicitly commuting to work.
The order came after four electronics companies reported clusters among their workforce, which includes many low paid migrants from nearby countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
“Taiwanese can go out as long as they wear masks but migrant workers are subjected to different treatment,” Taiwan Association for Human Rights secretary general Shih Yi-Hsiang said.
“This is an absurd, selective and discriminatory measure.
“This spate of cluster infections also involve Taiwanese workers. Viruses know no nationalities.”
Several labour and civil groups also denounced the ban.
Taiwan markets itself as one of Asia’s most progressive democracies with a government that promotes and embraces human rights.
But the island has long come under criticism for how it treats migrant workers. Taiwan emerged largely unscathed from the pandemic last year with just a few hundred cases and single-digit deaths thanks to one of the world’s best coronavirus responses.
But it is now battling a sudden surge of the virus as infections jumped to more than 12,000 with 361 deaths after a cluster initially detected among airline pilots spread.
The government has since raised its pandemic alert level and imposed stricter social distancing rules until June 28.
Clusters have been detected in Taiwan’s crucial semiconductor industry, which is currently operating at full capacity to meet a worldwide shortage in chips.
King Yuan Electronics Company, a leading chip testing and packaging company, as well as subsidiary of tech giant Foxconn have both had to suspend some operations after workers tested positive for the coronavirus.
Miaoli county chief Hsu Yao-chang defended the ban on migrant workers going outside, saying the authorities “have no other choice” as the number of migrants tested positive is much higher than domestic workers.
“High-tech companies form an important economic supply chain and we hope they won’t become a chain to spread the pandemic,” he told a virtual press conference Wednesday.
READ MORE:Beijing hits back at US with landing exercises off Taiwan
Rachel Baxendale 6.20pm:Fragments found in Melbourne’s east and north
Coronavirus fragments have been detected in sewage from three sites in Melbourne’s east and north where there are no confirmed coronavirus cases, Victoria’s Health Department says.
The detections in Pascoe Vale in Melbourne’s north, and Scoresby and Vermont in the east, come after unexpected detections in the Bendigo area on Wednesday and last week.
“While the unexpected detections may be due to someone who has had COVID-19 that is no longer infectious continuing to ‘shed’ the virus or it may be due to an active but undiagnosed infectious case,” the department said.
Residents of and recent visitors to the following suburbs from between June 3 and June 7 are urged to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if any symptoms develop:
● Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park, Pascoe Vale.
● Burwood East, Forest Hill, Glen Waverley, Scoresby, Vermont South, Wantirna South, Wheelers Hill.
● Balwyn, Balwyn North, Blackburn, Blackburn, North, Box Hill, Box Hill North, Bulleen, Doncaster, Doncaster East, Donvale, Mitcham, Mont Albert, Mont Albert North, Nunawading
Rachel Baxendale 6.05pm: Wait for exposure list from couple who left Melbourne
Victoria’s Health Department has revealed more detail on a couple who left Melbourne on June 1 and drove to Queensland via NSW before testing positive for coronavirus on Wednesday and Thursday.
However, Victoria is yet to release details of any exposure sites, more than 24 hours after Queensland broke news of the positive test and NSW issued a list of sites visited in that state.
The couple, from the outer northwestern suburb of Melton, had left home early on June 1, Victoria’s health department said.
“The first case developed symptoms of COVID-19 on 3 June and may have been infectious when they left their home in Victoria,” the department said.
“Victorian contact tracers are working to pinpoint the source of this infection.
“Investigations have revealed one of the cases checked in near the Craigieburn Central shopping centre on 23 May.
“There have been nine positive COVID-19 cases who have visited this shopping centre during the current outbreak.
“Investigations into the source of these cases continues.
“Following completion of the interview process by Queensland Health and NSW Health, the Victorian Department of Health commenced case interviews with the individuals late this afternoon.”
The department also explained the state’s four new cases from a household in Reservoir in Melbourne’s north.
The four cases have not been linked to current outbreaks, with investigations into likely source continuing.
The initial cases was detected in a man in his 80s who was tested on June 8 and returned a positive result on Wednesday.
Three other members of his household, including a woman in her 70s, a man in his 50s and a man in his 20s also tested positive late on Wednesday.
The department said authorities had tested “a number of high-risk primary close contacts of the cases outside of the household” and all had returned negative results.
READ MORE:International students to return in eight weeks
Rachel Baxendale5.25pm:Why do Victorians still have to mask up outdoors?
Victorian Covid logistics commander Jeroen Weimar has conceded there has been no evidence of outdoor transmission of coronavirus within the state’s latest outbreaks, despite the Andrews government on Thursday reversing plans to relax the requirement to wear masks outdoors from midnight.
However, deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng says there has been evidence of occasional instances of outdoor transmission in previous outbreaks.
Until at least next Thursday, masks will continue to be compulsory in all settings outside private homes.
Asked on Thursday for a percentage of locally-acquired cases who had caught the virus outside, Mr Weimar said it depended “how you define outside”, going on to list a Telstra shop and shopping centres in Craigieburn and Epping.
Asked whether he could name any settings that were actually outdoors, Mr Weimar said: “Not that I can confirm”.
“No. We have no evidence that we have seen in this particular outbreak or the most recent ones, of outdoor transmission,” he said.
Asked why Victorians were being made to wear masks outdoors, Mr Weimar cited ongoing undetected community transmission of coronavirus.
“We have done collectively in Victoria a power of work over the last two weeks under the lockdown … but the evidence overnight is we’ve still got community transmission happening that we are not currently aware of,” he said.
Professor Cheng said authorities last year estimated approximately five per cent of transmissions in Victoria occurred outdoors.
“There haven’t been any outdoor transmissions in this outbreak, but there certainly have been before,” he said.
“It is quite hard to track transmissions that do occur outdoors, so we’re probably not finding them perhaps as well. Transmissions certainly have occurred outdoors.
“They’re not very common but they do occur. When there are active cases in the community, I think it’s a small thing to ask for people to continue to wear masks at all times when outside of home.”
Professor Cheng said Victoria’s public health team estimated that “perhaps five per cent” of cases in the second wave had been transmitted outdoors, “which would be in line with that 20 times more risk in an indoor setting”, but again, “it can be very difficult to tell”.
READ MORE:Sydneysiders on Covid alert
Rachel Baxendale4.50pm:Unions want paid vaccine leave to boost uptake
Unions are calling for paid leave for workers while they receive their Covid-19 jab to ignite Australia’s sluggish vaccine rollout.
Just 5.3 million doses had been administered in Australian by June 8, well behind initial expectations, but the federal government insisted efforts are being ramped up after supply issues and vaccine hesitancy.
Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) secretary Sally McManus has called for a nationwide paid vaccination leave scheme, including time off for workers suffering routine side effects from the jab, to boost vaccine uptake.
READ the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale4.20pm:Venue alerts for Victoria’s four newest cases
Victorian coronavirus logistics chief Jeroen Weimar said Victorian authorities had identified a range of exposure sites in Melbourne’s north associated with a Reservoir household of four whose as yet unlinked cases are Victoria’s latest.
The exposure sites include:
– Coles Bundoora Square, Bundoora, 12pm-1pm June 7
– BP service station, Thomastown, 6pm-6:30pm June 7
– Marco Fine Food & Groceries – Reservoir Central, Reservoir, 12pm-12:30pm June 8
– Bunnings Thomastown, Thomastown, 6pm-6:30pm June 8
Nicholas Jensen3.55pm:NSW Health expands Moree Covid testing
Moree District Hospital and Laverty Moree have received additional supplies for Covid-19 testing and are “not turning people away”, NSW Health has confirmed.
It has expanded its testing capacity in the Moree region following confirmation that a Victorian woman and man, who escaped the state’s lockdown and travelled through country NSW to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, tested positive for Covid-19.
NSW Health is prioritising people who have been at the exposure venues the couple visited in Moree.
There are three Covid-19 testing clinics currently operating in Moree:
Moree Hospital testing clinic, open 8am to 6pm, June 10 to June 14 (no bookings required).
Laverty Pathology pop-up drive through clinic located at the Gateway in Moree, open 9am to 3pm, June 10 to 11 (no bookings required)
Pius X Aboriginal Medical Service, open 8.30am to 4.30pm, 10 June (for bookings phone 6752 8432).
Testing clinics are also available at the nearby Narrabri, Armidale and Gunnedah Hospitals.
Adeshola Ore3.45pm:More than 5 million doses distributed Australia-wide
Commodore Eric Young, who is managing the country’s distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, said more than 5 million doses have now been administered.
In Victoria, 62 per cent of over 70s and 48 per cent of over 50s have now received at least their first dose of the vaccine.
In Queensland, 60 per cent of over 70s and 40 per cent of over 50s have received at least their first dose of the vaccine.
Commodore Young said the federal government’s priority was supporting the Victorian and Queensland governments.
Victoria reported four new cases of Covid-19 today, with investigations ongoing into their source.
A Victorian couple who fled the state’s lockdown have both tested positive to the virus in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Adeshola Ore3.40pm:AZ death extremely rare event: Kelly
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says the death of a NSW woman ‘likely’ linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine was “extremely unfortunate” and an “extremely rare event.”
“I will point out that it is only the second death with now over 3.6 million doses of this vaccine being given across Australia,” he said.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration also reported cases of thrombosis in a 77-year-old man from NSW, a 70-year-old man from South Australia. The fourth case was in an 87-year-old South Australian woman, which was previously reported as probable but not confirmed at that stage.
Professor Kelly said blood clotting was rarer in older people.
“There is a definite cut-off point there at about the age of 50,” he said.
Rachel Baxendale 3.35pm: Vic processes more than 600,000 tests since lockdown
Victoria’s Covid-19 logistics chief Jeroen Weimar says more than 600,000 coronavirus tests have been processed in the state since the first of at least two current community outbreaks emerged two and a half weeks ago on May 24.
He said that of 78 people whose cases remained active, three were in hospital.
“They are all said to be well but they are in hospital for their own protection,” Mr Weimar said.
He said 1,500 close contacts had been cleared from their fortnight of quarantine in the 24 hours to Thursday, with the number of active exposure sites reduced from more than 350 to about 180.
However, he said new exposure sites would continue to be added as contact tracing continued for a Reservoir household of four and a Victorian couple who tested positive in Queensland.
Of Victoria’s other current clusters:
– The Whittlesea outbreak which emerged in Melbourne’s northern suburbs on May 24 comprises 32 cases. About 1,000 close contacts remain in quarantine. The last case identified in the Whittlesea cluster was confirmed on May 31. The Whittlesea cluster has been genomically linked to a man in his 30s who caught the Indian Kappa strain of the virus in an Adelaide quarantine hotel and returned to Wollert in Melbourne’s outer north on May 4. However, the direct epidemiological link remains a mystery.
– The Port Melbourne outbreak centred on a close contact of the Whittlesea outbreak who worked at Stratton Finance in Port Melbourne comprises 32 cases, 31 of which are active. About 1,500 close contacts remain in quarantine. The last case identified in the Port Melbourne cluster was confirmed on June 6.
– The Arcare outbreak, centred on an aged care facility in Maidstone in Melbourne’s west, has been genomically but not epidemiologically linked to the Whittlesea cluster. This cluster comprises 10 cases. About 1,000 primary close contacts remain in quarantine. The most recent case in the cluster was identified on June 7.
– The West Melbourne Delta strain cluster comprises 15 cases, which have been genomically but not epidemiologically linked to a man who checked in to a Melbourne quarantine hotel on May 8, having arrived from Sri Lanka. About 1,400 close contacts remain in isolation. The most recent case in this cluster was identified on June 7.
READ MORE: Testing sites close after storm damage
Nicholas Jensen 3.25pm:NSW woman’s death ‘likely’ linked to AZ
The death of NSW woman from a rare blood clotting disorder is “likely” linked to AstraZeneca, the Therapeutic Goods Administration [TGA] has confirmed.
Australia’s drugs regulator said on Thursday the death of the 52-year-old woman after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine was probably a case of a rare and severe blood clotting disorder known as TTS.
It is the second death in Australia linked to the vaccine.
“Since last week’s report, a further four reports of blood clots and low blood platelets have been assessed as confirmed TTS likely to be linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine. One of these cases was in a 52-year-old woman from NSW who sadly died. This case presented as a severe form of this syndrome, with a blood clot in the brain, known as a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. We extend our sincere condolences to her family,” the TGA said in a statement on its website.
The woman was among seven new cases of blood clotting linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, with four classified as having “probable” links to the vaccine. Three cases were reported in NSW, including a 50 year old woman and two men aged 83 and 91 years.
The other case was in a 74 year old woman from Victoria.
The TGA has confirmed that this takes the total Australian reports of cases assessed as TTS following the AstraZeneca vaccine to 48, with “35 confirmed cases and 13 probable cases”.
Based on the most recent information, the TGA said 31 have been discharged from hospital and are recovering, 15 patients remain in hospital – including one who remains critically ill in intensive care – and two people have died.
The TGA also reiterated the rarity of these clotting cases, saying: “With the ongoing risk of Covid outbreaks in Australia and the potential for severe long-term effects or fatal consequences of infection, the benefits for the AstraZeneca vaccine continue to outweigh the risks.”
READ MORE: Big brother still calling the shots
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Nicholas Jensen 3.15pm:Total vaccinations near 5.5 million
A total of 5,487,670 jabs have been administered as part of the federal government’s vaccination rollout, with 142,808 doses given in the last 24 hours.
The commonwealth has administered 3,375,069 vaccines, with 76,130 given in the 24 hours to Wednesday night.
The states and territories have administered a total of 2,112,601 jabs, with 66,678 completed in the last 24 hours.
In the last 24 hours, Victoria led the way administering 27,146 followed by NSW with 15,484.
Queensland administered 12,367 jabs, Western Australia 3376, Tasmania 1620, South Australia 4090, ACT 1273 and Northern Territory a total of 1322.
A total of 2,984,909 shots have been administered in primary care clinics by the commonwealth, and 390,160 given in aged and disability facilities
Joseph Lam2.45pm: Outbound travel ban extended again
Biosecurity emergency measures allowing the federal government to restrict outbound international travel and enforce mandatory pre-departure testing and mask use have been extended for a further three months.
A statement from Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Thursday confirmed the laws which have been in place since March 18, 2020 would now continue until September 17, 2021.
“The AHPPC has advised that the international COVID-19 situation continues to pose an unacceptable risk to public health. The extension of the emergency period is an appropriate response to that risk.” the statement read.
The biosecurity laws also allowed for the restriction of entry of cruise vessels within Australian territory and restrictions on the trade of retail outlets at international airports.
A note on the statement said that the current measures, in place under the Biosecurity Act 2015, could be amended or repealed at any time.
READ MORE:Annastacia’s jab and truth serum gone to the dogs
Yoni Bashan2.40pm: International students to return to NSW
International students will return to NSW within eight weeks, according to Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, who says a pilot program to welcome them back will begin imminently and be fully-funded by the university sector.
As revealed by The Australian in May, NSW Police and health officials have signed off on a plan to quarantine students in purpose-built housing that will operate alongside the state’s existing hotel quarantine system.
Mr Perrottet said the initial intake numbers will see 250 students arrive in NSW every fortnight, with that number to be increased to 500 students by the end of the year.
READ the full story here.
Matthew Denholm2.20pm: Tasmania offers to host AFL, reopens to regions
Tasmania is reopening to quarantine-free travel from regional Victoria and is offering to host two AFL games.
Premier Peter Gutwein said metropolitan Melbourne would remain “high risk”, but that regional Victoria would be dropped to “low risk”.
He said the state was in “constructive and positive discussions” about hosting two AFL games — North Melbourne V Brisbane on Saturday, June 19 and Hawthorn V Essendon on Sunday, June 20.
Meanwhile, 30 per cent of Tasmanians had now received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, he said.
Rachel Baxendale2.12pm: Victoria ‘not out of the woods’: Cheng
Victorian deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng warned that while the state’s public health team judged it appropriate to ease Melbourne’s lockdown from midnight on Thursday, four new unlinked cases in a Reservoir household in Melbourne’s north and two cases in a Victorian couple who tested positive in Queensland “are really the strongest reminder that we are, by no means, out of the woods yet”.
“When we get down to small numbers, what happens next is very dependent on who the last cases are, what they do and how infectious they are,” Professor Cheng said
“Over the last fortnight, there have been very limited opportunities for people to transmit infection during lockdown and obviously what I am anxious about is whoever gave the infection to both these groups is identified quickly and doesn’t have the opportunity to transmit to other people.
“That said, as we stand at the moment, all the risks are upstream.
“We don’t think the Queensland cases have any exposure sites in Melbourne. and we’ve managed to quarantine and test the close contacts of the Reservoir family, so the opportunity to spread further is limited.
“Depending on how things go, and as the last week’s cases have shown it’s a day-by-day proposition, we may need to hold at current settings a little longer, but we’ll have more to say on this as investigations proceed.”
Professor Cheng urged Victorians to adhere to restrictions banning travel of more than 25km, wear masks while outside the home at all times, check in using QR codes, get tested and isolate if they develop symptoms or have visited an exposure site, and get vaccinated if eligible.
READ MORE: Red-tape blues prolong agony
Richard Ferguson2.10pm: Federal government emergency pandemic powers extended
The Morrison government’s emergency pandemic powers have been extended for another three months to September 17, 2021.
The powers have been used since March last year to close international borders, restrict the entry of cruise ships, and force people to wear masks and take Covid-19 tests when getting on planes.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the international Covid-19 situation warranted an extension of the emergency powers.
“The extension, declared by the Governor General today, was informed by specialist medical and epidemiological advice provided by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer,” he said.
“The AHPPC has advised that the international COVID-19 situation continues to pose an unacceptable risk to public health.
“The extension of the emergency period is an appropriate response to that risk.”
Rachel Baxendale1.55pm: Delta cluster remains a mystery: Cheng
Victorian deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng said authorities were still working on establishing how the highly infectious Delta strain of coronavirus was transmitted from a man in his 40s who entered hotel quarantine in Melbourne on May 8 to a cluster of 15 cases linked to West Melbourne.
Professor Cheng reiterated that authorities were investigating four main theories:
1. That the case, who had returned from Sri Lanka, transmitted or was infected by someone on the plane;
2. That the case transmitted after his time in hotel quarantine, which ended on May 23;
3. That the case transmitted to a hotel quarantine staff member;
4. That the case transmitted to a hotel resident.
Professor Cheng said all the other 24 plane passengers had been tested, with a review of ground crew who may have been on the plane ongoing. He said the flight crew had not left the plane.
“We now feel that the second possibility — that the case transmitted to someone else after they’d left hotel quarantine — we think that’s probably unlikely, as he had been correctly cleared with positive serology,” Professor Cheng said, adding negative tests had been received from members of the man’s post-hotel quarantine household.
Professor Cheng said most of the 12 residents who had shared a floor with the man at the Novotel/Ibis Melbourne Central quarantine hotel overnight on May 8 had been contacted and retested, having all tested negative multiple times while in quarantine.
From May 9, the man stayed at the Holiday Inn “health hotel” for positive cases, run by the Alfred Hospital.
“So this leaves that third possibility, of staff,” he said.
“We’ve cross-checked 268 staff at the Ibis and about 370 at the Holiday Inn, including health care workers, cleaners, hotel stars, VicPol, CQV and contractors who entered the hotel and we’ve ensured that they’ve all had their surveillance tests and they’re all negative,” Professor Cheng said.
“We’ve also checked their addresses to make sure that they don’t live anywhere near either of the two (West Melbourne) families.
“We’ve continued to look upstream of the two families and have tested their contacts.
“While there are still a few tests still to come back, we’re not coming up with a transmission path between this case in hotel quarantine and either of the families.”
The Australian revealed last week that residents of an apartment building which backs onto the Novotel/Ibis have had concerns for weeks regarding interactions in shared spaces with staff, medical waste and dirty linen used by positive cases.
READ MORE:Toxic hotel waste warning by residents was ignored
Adeshola Ore1.40pm: Melbourne’s commonwealth hotspot lifts at midnight
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has confirmed Greater Melbourne’s hotspot classification will be lifted from midnight, as the state prepares to ease restrictions.
The lifting of the hotspot declaration means commonwealth disaster payments will no longer be available, despite some businesses unable to reopen when some restrictions end.
“Professor Paul Kelly encourages members of the public to continue to follow the directions of their relevant state or territory health department, including monitoring their website for updates,” a Department of Health statement said.
“The Australian Government’s support to residential aged care facilities through the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre, including testing, vaccination and support for single site worker arrangements continues.”
Victoria recorded four new community transmitted cases in the past twenty-four hours. The cases are all from the same family but the state’s health authorities do not know how they became infected.
Despite the easing of some restrictions from midnight, masks will remain mandatory in all outdoor settings.
READ MORE:Twist in mystery Delta variant spread
Adeshola Ore1.21pm: ‘Selfish’ lockdown escapees highlight frustrations: Dutton
Defence Minister Peter Dutton says a Melbourne couple who fled lockdown and later tested positive to Covid-19 highlights issues with statewide stay-at-home orders.
A woman with Covid-19 and her husband fled Melbourne’s lockdown and travelled across NSW to Queensland, triggering fears of community transmissions in the two states. The couple, who have now both tested positive to the virus, took the inland route on their way to stay with the woman’s parents in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast.
Mr Dutton said the couple’s actions were “selfish” but acknowledged people were frustrated with statewide lockdown.
“It makes a mockery of some of the close down border arrangements when the premier’s say it’s effective from midnight. The natural reaction of people is that they are going to go to their beach house or they are going to go to a mate’s place, out on a farm somewhere to get out of the city if that’s what they’re facing,” he told 2GB radio.
“People make a mockery of the rules, as we’ve seen, and selfishness, ultimately, could result in somebody dying.”
The couple fled their home in Melbourne’s northeastern suburbs on June 1, three days into the city’s two week lockdown.
READ MORE:Annastacia’s jab and truth serum gone to the dogs
Rachel Baxendale 12.40pm: Lockdown dodgers link to Craigieburn shopping centre
Deputy Victorian Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said the couple, who had tested positive for coronavirus after travelling to Queensland from Victoria via NSW were aged in their 40s and lived in metropolitan Melbourne.
Victorian authorities have confirmed the couple are from Melton, in Melbourne’s outer northwest.
“Although we haven’t managed to speak to them yet, the preliminary information we have was that they left home early on June 1, travelled to New South Wales, and then to the Sunshine Coast arriving on June 5,” Professor Cheng said.
“We understand from testing that has been performed that they are probably both late in their infection. They’ve tested positive but their serology is also positive.
“We understand that the first case became symptomatic on June 3. That would put that case as being infectious from about the time that they left home, noting that they left early on June 1.
“While we can’t pinpoint the source of this infection, we’re aware that one of the cases had checked in near the Craigieburn Central shopping centre on May 23, so at this stage, we’re
not sure if either of them might have been in the shopping centre or at exposure sites close by.”
Craigieburn is in Melbourne’s outer north, not far from the Whittlesea local government area where many cases linked to Victoria’s initial most recent outbreak live.
“Noting that we have had nine cases linked to that shopping centre to date, I think the fact that we’ve been able to identify a possible link to the Craigieburn shopping centre within hours of hearing about these cases and even before being able to speak to these cases, really highlights the value that we have in QR codes that we can interrogate that database very quickly,” Professor Cheng said.
He urged anyone who had been to the Craigieburn Central shopping centre and developed coronavirus symptoms to get tested.
READ MORE: Urgent alert for Victoria town
Rachel Baxendale12.20pm:Vic new cases from one household
Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said Victoria’s four new cases on Thursday were from a household in Reservoir in Melbourne’s north.
“As yet, we don’t know where they’ve acquired infection from,” Professor Cheng said.
“They’re not identified as close contacts. None of them has given a history of being at an exposure site.
“The first man, a man in his 80s, was tested on June 8 (Tuesday) and got his result yesterday.
“The other members of the household tested positive yesterday as well.
“We’ve already tested several close contacts of these cases outside of the household and they’ve all come back negative, but obviously will remain in quarantine.”
Rachel Baxendale12.10pm: Vic restrictions to ease as planned tonight
Mr Merlino said restrictions would still ease as planned from midnight on Thursday, but authorities remained on “high alert” in light of the unknown source cases.
“We’ve always said that when we could ease restrictions, based on that health advice, we would,” he said.
“We also said yesterday – and we’ve been saying every single day – this is not over yet and the risks of this virus will be a factor in our lives in the long term and in the short term so in the short, that means we are moving ahead but we are on high alert and the public health advice is very, very clear: we can only consider doing something like this based on continuing high test numbers.
“I can confirm that the easing of restrictions that we announced yesterday will proceed as planned from 11:59pm tonight with one small exception for Melbourne: masks will continue to be required to be worn outdoors in all circumstances.”
READ MORE:Coffee capital off the boil for liveability
Rachel Baxendale12.00pm: Four new Vic cases still under investigation
Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said the source of acquisition of four new cases confirmed in Victoria on Thursday was still under investigation.
All four are from the same northern suburbs household, with a range of retail settings in Reservoir, Thomastown and Bundoora listed as exposure sites overnight, and further sites expected to be listed later on Thursday.
Mr Merlino said Victorian authorities were working closely with their Queensland and NSW counterparts, after a couple tested positive in Queensland on Wednesday after leaving Victoria on June 1 and travelling through NSW to Queensland.
“Victoria was not able to speak to the couple yesterday for a case interview but we will do so today,” Mr Merlino said.
He indicated the couple may have been moving house.
“I think it is important to note that if they were relocating it is not a breach of directions here in Victoria but we just don’t know,” Mr Merlino said.
“We will have those discussions with those individuals today.”
READ MORE: Red tape blues prolong agony
Rachel Baxendale11.50am:Wild night in the Dandenongs: Merlino
Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino has given a brief update on the damage caused by severe storms last night, saying it was a “wild night in the Dandenongs”, east of Melbourne where he lives.
“(There was) not much sleep last night. One of our scared children scrambled into bed,” Mr Merlino said.
He said the Victorian SES had received more than 4500 requests for assistance in the 24 hours to 9am more than 1700 of which have been cleared.
“Almost 245,000 homes have been affected by power outages, with power companies working to restore power,” Mr Merlino said.
He said the Vic Emergency website was showing 17 warnings for flood watch advice, highlighting the Gippsland town of Traralgon, in Victoria’s east, where a relief centre has been set up at the basketball stadium.
“I want to thank the many thousand SES members who have been out overnight and this morning supporting Victorians right across the state,” Mr Merlino said.
“All of our emergency services are doing a brilliant job. Thank you for the work you are doing in the most difficult of circumstances.”
READ MORE:Evacuation order as floodwaters rise
Adeshola Ore11.35am:PM: We must call trade issues out
Scott Morrison says Australia must be prepared to “call trade issues out”, as he prepares to meet with G7 leaders in the UK.
The Prime Minister delivered a speech outlining his foreign policy priorities at the PerthUSAsia Centre on Wednesday before he departed for the G7 summit in Cornwall. He used the speech to call for a strengthening of the World Trade Organisation powers to combat Beijing’s campaign of economic coercion.
“You’ve got to call trade issues out if you believe in an open trading system,” he told 6PR.
Mr Morrison said Australia needed to stand up for a “rules based order.”
He said Australia was “very happy to speak” with Beijing “on any occasion.”
“Those opportunities are provided to China,” he said.
“At this point they’re choosing not to take those up. As I said yesterday, we’re keen to work with countries all around the world, particularly in our own region for a free and open Indo Pacific.”
READ MORE: Beijing bristles at Aus, Japan pushback
Joseph Lam11.25am:Alerts as Covid fragments found in NSW sewage
NSW Health is calling for residents to be vigilant after Covid-19 fragments were again detected in a northwest Sydney sewage plant.
Fragments were found at the Castle Hill sewage network, which services more than 8400 people across suburbs of Glenhaven, Dural, Kenthurst and Kellyville.
NSW Health was notified yesterday (Wednesday 9 June) that fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 were detected in the Castle Hill Sewage Network. This is the second recent detection in this catchment, following the first on Sunday 6 June.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 10, 2021
“NSW Health was notified yesterday (Wednesday 9 June) that fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 were detected in the Castle Hill Sewage Network. This is the second recent detection in this catchment, following the first on Sunday 6 June,” the department said in a statement.
Overnight the NSW recorded three new overseas-acquired cases of Covid-19.
Testing was down in the 24 hours to 8pm Wednesday, with 19,810 tests recorded compared to the previous day’s total of 22,496.
Anne Barrowclough11.20am:Victoria update on Covid, lockdown at 11.30am
Victoria Acting Premier, James Merlino, Deputy CHO, Allen Cheng, and COVID-19 Response
Commander Jeroen Weimar will hold a press conference at 11.30am to provide an update on new Victoria cases and tonight’s planned release from lockdown.
You can watch the press conference live below.
Joseph Lam11.00am: Vic exposure sites plummet
Exposure sites have begun rapidly dropping off Victoria’s list as contact tracers race to track a Melbourne couple who drove inland to Queensland.
As of Thursday morning there were 139 exposure sites listed on the Victoria Department of Health website, down from the almost 400 days earlier. Meanwhile Queensland added 13 sites overnight after news broke of a couple, who have both since tested positive to the virus, travelled to the Sunshine Coast by car.
Some reports say the couple were moving interstate to Queensland however that is yet to be confirmed.
Lydia Lynch 10.45am:Why Melbourne lockdown dodgers had Covid test
A couple were only detected as positive Covid cases after fleeing the Melbourne lockdown for Queensland because the husband needed a negative result before starting work.
The man was due to begin a job with a Queensland company that required all new employees to be tested for the virus before starting work.
The couple’s flight has triggered public health alerts in New South Wales and south-east Queensland.
“I understand the husband was here with a new job,” Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.
The wife was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Wednesday and the husband, who initially tested negative, returned a positive result overnight.
They remain in isolation at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and Queensland police are investigating whether they breached border rules.
Travel from Victoria to Queensland has been banned since May 28.
The couple crossed into the state on June 5 and did not have a travel exemption.
Lydia Lynch9.45am: Fleeing Vic couple had no exemption for Qld
The Melbourne couple who travelled across two states while infected with Covid-19 did not have an exemption to enter Queensland, the state’s Chief Health Officer has confirmed.
Police are still investigating whether the pair broke border rules when they entered the state through Goondiwindi.
However CHO Jeannette Young said the risk of widespread transmission was low given the couple were nearing the end of their illness and were likely not as infectious.
The pair were likely more contagious when they were in Victoria and NSW, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.
READ MORE: Virus alert for Vic town
Joseph Lam9.35am:Breach fears as Howard Springs patients stroll Darwin hospital
Patients transported from Howard Springs quarantine facility to the Royal Darwin Hospital have reportedly been left to stroll around the hospital’s emergency department unsupervised.
Sources have told Sky News they have witnessed several clear breaches of Covid-19 protocols at the hospital, including a woman found by nurses in the emergency department’s resuscitation room.
Northern Territory Health confirmed additional staff have been ordered to monitor patients.
“Patients are clearly advised of their requirements to remain in the decompression room,” a statement to Sky News read.
“However in response to non-compliance security staff are now also stationed at the decompression room to provide additional monitoring support to staff.”
READ MORE:Howard Springs could be set aside for Indian travellers
Lydia Lynch9.20am:Second person tests positive after fleeing Melbourne for Qld
The husband of a woman who tested positive after the pair fled the Melbourne lockdown for Queensland is also Covid positive.
Eight new cases recorded in Queensland overnight. The two locally acquired cases were confirmed after travelling from Victoria to the Sunshine Coast. The six other cases are overseas acquired and detected in hotel quarantine.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) June 9, 2021
The 44-year-old woman and her husband triggered public health alerts in New South Wales and Queensland on Wednesday after they fled Melbourne’s lockdown earlier this month.
The pair drove the inland route on their way to stay with the woman’s parents in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast.
The woman tested positive on Wednesday morning, and her case was added to the tally on Thursday. She and her husband remain in isolation at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
The pair are among eight new Covid cases detected in Queensland; the other six are overseas acquired.
Health authorities are urging residents on the Sunshine Coast and at Goondiwindi and Toowoomba to come forward for testing to contain a possible outbreak.
However Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the pair were “towards the end of their illness” so the risk of them infecting others was not as high.
Seventeen of the couple’s close contacts have been tested and three of those have returned negative results so far, including the woman’s parents.
Queensland health authorities will not lock down hospitals or aged care facilities. Dr Young said she wanted testing rates to increase so she could be confident there was no community spread.
READ MORE: Covid shuffle: when governments start lying to us
Rachel Baxendale9.00am:Victoria records four new local cases
Victoria has recorded four new community-acquired cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to Thursday, with investigations ongoing into their source.
All four are in the same household.
Reported yesterday: 4 new local cases and no new cases acquired overseas.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) June 9, 2021
- 20,784 vaccine doses administered
- 23,679 test results received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W
Got symptoms? Get tested.#COVID19VicData#COVID19Vic [1/2] pic.twitter.com/k4iMcPmaaq
The four cases come as lockdown restrictions in Melbourne are set to ease from midnight on Thursday, and follow news on Wednesday that a woman who illegally left Melbourne with her partner on June 1 and travelled through NSW to Queensland had tested positive for coronavirus, with her case included in that state’s numbers.
They also come as Victorian health authorities urge people in the Bendigo area to get tested for coronavirus following detections of virus fragments in wastewater from suburbs and localities northwest of the central Victorian city.
The latest cases follow one new case on Wednesday and two new cases on Tuesday, and bring the total number of community-acquired cases in Victoria since May 4 to 93.
The majority of those cases are genomically linked to a man in his 30s who caught coronavirus in an Adelaide quarantine hotel and returned to the northern Melbourne suburb of Wollert on May 4.
As was confirmed on Tuesday, at least 15 of the cases, centred around a West Melbourne family, are linked to a genomically distinct Delta cluster sparked by a man in his 40s who arrived in Melbourne from Sri Lanka on May 8.
Of 89 community-acquired cases in Victoria to Wednesday, 32 have been linked to the main Whittlesea cluster, which was the first to emerge on May 24, while an associated cluster centred on the Stratton Finance workplace in Port Melbourne comprises another 32 cases.
A further 10 cases have been linked to the Arcare aged care facility in Maidstone, in Melbourne‘s west.
While the Whittlesea, Port Melbourne and Arcare outbreaks are all genomically linked to the Wollert man, direct links to the Wollert man and the Arcare outbreak have not been established.
There were 23,679 tests processed in Victoria in the 24 hours to Wednesday night, down from 28,485 on Tuesday and well down from last Wednesday’s record of 57,519.
State-administered vaccination centres gave 20,784 jabs on Wednesday, up from 19,533 on Tuesday but still down on last Thursday’s record of 24,169.
The total number of active cases in Victoria is now 78, down from 83 on Wednesday and 94 on Tuesday, indicating early outbreak cases are recovering.
This number includes cases in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, although there were no new hotel quarantine cases confirmed in the 24 hours to Thursday.
Joseph Lam8.50am:Qld Health provides update on positive cases at 9am
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young will provide a COVID 19 update at 9am.
Joseph Lam8.30am: Biden announces vax sharing plan ahead of G7
US President Joe Biden is reportedly set to announce a major international vaccine-sharing initiative at the G7 leader’s summit.
Mr Biden’s security advisor Jake Sullivan broke the news of the initiative which is set to be discussed at the summit which begins on Friday.
US media outlets recently reported that the US would purchase and distribute up to 500 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine globally to developing countries.
Mr Biden on Friday took to social media to announce he was on his way to the summit and that leaders would discuss actions to end the pandemic.
“I know that democracies can rally together to meet the challenges of this new age – this week, in Europe, we have the chance to prove that,” he wrote in a tweet.
While details of the initiative are few, Mr Sullivan said the US decision to help other countries was simply “the right thing to do”.
“It’s what Americans do in times of need. We were the arsenal of democracy in World War II. We’re going to be the arsenal of vaccines,” he said.
With AFP
Joseph Lam8.05am:Passengers test positive aboard Med cruise ship
A Mediterranean cruise ship has been barred from making a routine stop at Malta’s Valletta cruise port Monday after two passengers tested positive for Covid-19.
The passengers on board the MSC Seaside, who were not travelling together, reportedly returned positive test results on Monday forcing them and the groups they were travelling with into isolation, reports The Washington Post.
MSC Cruises removed the pair from the ship on Tuesday during a stopover in Siracusa, on the island of Sicily, before continuing on its normal scheduled route.
A second cruise ship from the company which departed from Liverpool on a seven-night cruise earlier this week was also barred from stopping in Scotland over Covid-19 fears.
MSC Cruises does not require passengers to receive a Covid-19 vaccination before travelling with the company.
No other cruise members have tested positive for the virus.
READ MORE: Medicos urge premiers to rethink jab passports
Joseph Lam7.45am: Andrews denies Biloela family overseas resettlement claims
Karen Andrews has denied definitive claims a Tamil family detained on Christmas Island will be resettled overseas.
The Home Affairs Minister talking to Sunrise on Thursday from Thursday Island said the decision was one of “longstanding policies”.
“I actually haven’t said we’re investigating resettlement options for that family, what I did say is that I was looking at investigating resettlement options in a range of circumstances,” she said.
"I'm not going to have people dying trying to come to Australia by sea on my watch"
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) June 9, 2021
Home Affairs Minister @KarenAndrewsMP on why she refuses to allow the Tamil asylum seeker family on Christmas Island return to Australia or be resettled in another country. pic.twitter.com/BLnQBtWOXX
Ms Andrews added that it was only a “very general comment in relation to cohorts” in Australia.
The government has come under much criticism for its treatment of the family who were removed from their community in Biloela and placed in custody in 2018 and have been held on Christmas Island since August 2019.
Tharnicaa Murugappan and her mother Priya were flown to Western Australia on Monday after the three-year-old became unwell on May 25.
Ms Andrews has maintained her position on the family.
“It’s not a case of being mean, we are very strong as a government, and our policy in relation to our border protection,” she said.
“These are longstanding policies, and quite frankly, I’m not going to have people die trying to come to Australia by sea on my watch.”
READ MORE:Minister’s final call on Tamil refugees
Joseph Lam6.40am:Melbourne lockdown leavers caught in Auckland
A group of Melburnians who attempted to bypass New Zealand’s paused travel bubble by driving up the east coast and flying into Auckland from Sydney have been intercepted at the border.
It’s understood that three travellers from Melbourne attempted to mislead authorities by not declaring from where they had travelled, according to reports in the New Zealand Herald.
The three attempted to enter Auckland just days before the city was deemed the world’s most liveable in the global liveability index, as Melbourne dropped several places tying with Geneva, Switzerland, for eighth place.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the group’s interception was proof of her country’s appropriate Covid-19 security measures.
“For anyone considering breaching the rules that we have in place, you see in this case the family has been picked up and they have been put into a managed isolation facility, so there are consequences,” she said.
“As for fines, those decisions sit elsewhere.”
New Zealand Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the group would not be deported as they were not part of an exempt country, only a paused travel bubble.
“The most immediate consequence for them is 14 days in MIQ (managed isolation and quarantine), which they will have to pay for.”
Revealed today, The Global Liveability Index 2021 tracks how the covid-19 pandemic has affected 140 cities worldwide. Find out where your city ranks here: https://t.co/Swvt3hgukipic.twitter.com/dfIvgjA2on
— The Economist Intelligence Unit (@TheEIU) June 8, 2021
READ MORE:Coffee capital off the boil for liveability
Lydia Lynch5.10am:NSW, Qld on alert as infected case flees
A woman with Covid-19 and her husband fled Melbourne’s lockdown and travelled across NSW to Queensland, triggering fears of community transmissions in the two states.
Police are investigating suspected health order breaches in Queensland and Victoria by the couple, who took the inland route on their way to stay with the woman’s parents in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast.
Four major community events this weekend – including the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival and the Queensland Garden Expo at Nambour – are now under review by Queensland Health.
Queensland’s chief health officer, Jeannette Young, said it was too early to say whether lockdowns would be imposed across parts of the state’s southeast.
New exposure sites are as follows:
NSW, JUNE 1
■ Caltex Narrandera, 1 Newell Highway, Gillenbah: 10.30am to 11am; and
■ Vandenberg Hotel, 7 Court Street, Forbes: 6pm to 10pm.
NSW, JUNE 2
■ Brew Coffee House, 1/99 Lachlan Street, Forbes: 7am to 10am;
■ Church Street Cafe, 15 Church Street, Dubbo: 11.30am to 2.30pm;
■ Reading Cinemas, 49 Macquarie Street, Dubbo: 6pm to 10pm; and
■ Homestead Motel, 101 Cobra Street, Dubbo: 12pm to 10am June 3.
NSW, JUNE 3
■ Homestead Motel, 101 Cobra Street, Dubbo: 12pm to 10am, June 4;
■ Gwydir Carpark/Motel & Thermal Pools, 4 Amaroo Drive, Moree: 1.45pm to all day June 4.
NSW: JUNE 4
■ Cafe Omega, 145 Balo Street, Moree: 11.50am to 2pm;
■ Cafe Omega, 145 Balo Street, Moree: 1.30pm to 4.30pm;
■ Cafe Omega, 145 Balo Street, Moree: 7pm to 9.30pm; and
■ Amaroo Tavern, Amaroo Drive, Moree: 4.30pm to 11pm.
QLD: JUNE 5
■ Goondiwindi McDonald’s: 7.35am to 7.50am; and
■ Toowoomba Caltex Super petrol station: 11am to 11.15am.
QLD: JUNE 6
■ Sunny’s at Moffat Beach: 2.45pm to 3pm; and
■ Coffee Cat at Kings Beach: 3.30pm to 4pm.
QLD: JUNE 7
■ Stockland shopping centre at Caloundra – specifically Coffee Club and Kmart’s women’s section: 10.45am to 11.30am;
■ Bunnings Caloundra: 12.10pm to 12.45pm;
■ Kawana Shopping World: 1-2pm.
QLD: JUNE 8
■ Taringa IGA and female toilets at IGA in Caloundra: 3.50pm to 4.10pm.
âš ï¸ Public Health Alert âš ï¸
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) June 9, 2021
Queensland Health is issuing a contact tracing alert for parts of Sunshine Coast, Goondiwindi and Toowoomba regions, in relation to a new #COVID19 case in the community.
For a full list of locations and times, visit https://t.co/rujm8F3qL4pic.twitter.com/A7EAqvEccC
Read more on the NSW and Queensland alerts here.
Angelica Snowden5am:Lifting of lockdown no help to Victoria’s regions
Regional Victorian businesses were set for a bumper June long weekend, but now it’s a lost weekend after the state government refused to allow Melburnians to travel more than 25km from their homes.
The Queens Birthday holiday is usually a “kicker” for businesses in Daylesford – a small tourist town about 90 minutes northwest of Melbourne – and nearby locations including Castlemaine, Trentham and Kyneton, Hotel Frangos owner Louise Melotte said.
“We hoped they might change their minds,” she said. “It’s basically floored our bookings.
“We have gone from being fully booked to filling those holes with regional visitors.”
Bendigo Chamber of Commerce chief Dennis Bice said he could not predict how much revenue might be lost in the city but agreed many regional businesses would suffer without Melbourne visitors this weekend.
Read the full story here.
Patrick Commins4.45am:Victorian lockdown hits consumer confidence
Victoria’s two-week lockdown will flatten economic growth in the only state which has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels of output, as Melbourne’s restrictions sent consumer confidence tumbling in early June.
With Victorian businesses counting the cost of the latest round of restrictions, Services Australia paid out $3.7m in Covid disaster relief payments on Tuesday, after approving 7868 of the 31,727 claims received on the first day of the federal support program for workers who lost income as a result of the second week of lockdown.
About four in five applicants had lost more than 20 hours of work, qualifying for the $500 handout, rather than the lesser $325 sum, a Services Australia spokeswoman said.
KPMG chief economist Brendan Rynne said the two weeks of lockdown would likely reduce Victoria’s output by around $1.8bn, or 1.5 per cent of gross state product.
That would result in the state’s economy stagnating over the June quarter, and leave it further behind the national recovery.
Read the full story here.
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