Politics live news Australia: Scientists clear air on Covid failure; India repatriation flight lands with only 80 on board

Australian leads global team of air quality experts in calls for health standards to reduce risk of airborne transmission of respiratory infections like COVID-19.

Jess Malcolm

18 min read

10:12PMMay 15, 2021

‘Fortress Australia’ strategy must end, govt told
Victoria in $2.4bn land tax grab
Labor seizes on repatriation flight bungle
‘Half-empty’ mercy flight lands in Darwin
Indian virus variant threatens lockdown lift in UK
ASIO confronts attempts to steal our virus secrets

As a half-empty repatriation flight from India landed in Darwin amid controversy over the 70-plus Australian citizens and permanent citizens who were bumped off at the last minute due to the risk of Covid infection, Australian aerosol physicist Lidia Morawska has led a global team of air quality experts in calling for the development of health standards aimed at reducing the risk of the airborne transmission of respiratory infections such as COVID-19 by increasing ventilation in buildings.

Despite global standards that govern eliminating the transmission of waterborne and foodborne infection transmission, there are no public health guidelines that address the risk of airborne transmission of viruses and bacteria in indoor spaces resulting from poor ventilation.

The group of 40 of the world’s top aerosol scientists have published a paper in the prestigious journal science calling for a “paradigm shift” in health regulations, standards, and building design and operation relating to the quality of the air people breathe.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how unprepared the world was to respond to it, despite the knowledge gained from past pandemics,” they say in the paper.

“A paradigm shift is needed.”

The World Health Organisation recently acknowledged airborne transmission as a primary form of virus transmission. Australia’s infection control advisers have been criticised for continuing to emphasise droplets as the predominant mode of virus spread, despite several instances of transmission in hotel quarantine which could only be explained by airborne transmission.

In poorly ventilated spaces, tiny particles of virus can remain suspend for many hours in the air inside a building.

The call came as the Federal government was warned Australia has ‘painted itself into a corner’ and risks being caught in a prolonged tail-end, watching on as the rest of the world gets on with life unless the ‘Fortress Australia strategy ends.

Here is how Saturday unfolded across the nation:

Natasha Robinson10pm:Scientists clear air on Covid failure

A group of 40 global air quality is calling for the development of health standards aimed at reducing the risk of the airborne transmission of respiratory infections such as COVID-19 by increasing ventilation in buildings.

The group the world’s top aerosol scientists have published a paper in the prestigious journal science calling for a “paradigm shift” in health regulations, standards, and building design and operation relating to the quality of the air people breathe.

“In the 21st century, we need to establish the foundations to ensure that the air in our buildings is clean with a substantially reduced pathogen count,” they say in the paper.”

READ the full story here

Amanda Hodge6pm:‘Fortress Australia strategy must end’

Australia has “painted itself into a corner” through its pandemic eradication strategy and risks being caught in a prolonged tail-end, watching on as the rest of the world reopens for business, holidays and family reunions.

Dale Fisher, a prominent regional infectious disease specialist and an adviser on Singapore’s pandemic strategy, says Australia must begin to discuss an exit strategy from the model that has served it well but threatens to become a serious disadvantage.

“Australia has to have a really strategic discussion with its communities and remove this zero tolerance for cases,” the Melbourne-born Professor Fisher said.

Passengers from the first repatriation flight into Australia from India disembark at RAAF Base Darwin destined for the Howard Springs quarantine facility on Saturday. Picture: ADF

“There has to be a time when Australia decides it’s going to tolerate cases, some hospitalisations and some deaths. We did very well from a health perspective through the worst part of the pandemic, but we don’t want the tail of this pandemic to go on for years.

“It seems the strategy is to wait until everybody is vaccinated and then open the doors and everything will be all right. It’s easy to get to the first 30 to 40 per cent, but I don’t think everybody will get vaccinated.”

The warning coincides with the end of an unprecedented fortnight-long ban on Australian citizens in India returning home on threat of imprisonment and massive fines under the country’s Biosecurity Act.

Read the full story here.

Patrick Commins5.15pm:Another happy return for three out of four workers

Three in four workers can look forward to another “one-off” boost to their tax returns next year, after Tuesday’s budget confirmed the low and middle income tax offset will be retained for a further year.

Any other budget and this would have been big news. But, of course, we are not living in normal times.

Three in four workers can look forward to another “one-off” boost to their tax returns. Picture: iStock

A mere $7.8bn in tax cuts paled in comparison to measures such as the $17.7bn for aged care — part of an additional $96bn in stimulus announced since December’s mid-year economic and fiscal outlook.

Read the full story here.

Jess Malcolm4.40pm:India records 24 million cases

India reached another milestone by recording a total of 24 million COVID-19 cases.

Nearly a fifth of its total cases have been confirmed in the past month, as the mutant strain of the virus continues to ravage through the country.

But experts are warning the daily death toll and infection numbers could be as much as five to ten times higher.

It has recorded more than 262,000 deaths in total, with hospitals overwhelmed, undersupplied and unable to cope with soaring case numbers.

Expatriates collect luggage from their Delhi flight before being transported to the Howard Springs quarantine facility near Darwin. Picture: ADF supplied image

The WHO confirmed in its weekly report that India now accounts for half of the world’s total COVID-19 cases, and 30 per cent of deaths worldwide.

Richard Gluyas3.55pm:Tax hike needed to rein in deficit

Australia is staring down the barrel of tax hikes and deep structural reforms to rein in its ballooning debt, according to the nation’s business and policymaking leaders.

Net debt is forecast to hit $1 trillion within four years, representing more than 40 per cent of the nation’s economic output.

Former Commonwealth Bank chief executive and head of the 2014 financial system inquiry David Murray predicted “much, much higher” economic risk if the country failed to pursue a bracing reform agenda to lift growth and erode debt.

David Murray. Picture: Hollie Adams/The Australian

“That’s because we can’t really guarantee strong economic growth and low interest rates — we’ve already seen inflation start to increase in the US,” Mr Murray said.

“That high inflation will be much worse for us without the benefit of structural reforms if governments and central banks are behind the curve.

Read the full story here.

Jess Malcolm3.20pm:Hunt cheers Australia’s virus-free success rate

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has celebrated Australia’s success in its battle against COVID-19, announcing the country has marked another day free from community transmission.

“Zero cases of community transmission nationwide today marking it 65 per cent of days this year with no cases,” Mr Hunt tweeted.

“At the same time over 725,000 cases and 12,500 lives lost worldwide in the last 24 hours. Over 76,000 vaccinations in Australia yesterday taking our total to 3,056,797 so far.”

Zero cases of community transmission nationwide today making it 63% of days this year with no cases. At the same time over 725,000 cases & 12,500 lives lost worldwide in the last 24 hours. Over 76,000 vaccinations in Australia yesterday taking our total to 3,056,797 so far.
— Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) May 15, 2021

Meanwhile, West Australia has recorded no new cases of COVID-19, leaving just eight active cases in the state.

Yesterday, it conducted 307 tests at WA Health clinics, and 1,422 were tested in private clinics.

There were 2853 people vaccinated yesterday, bringing the state’s total to 127,835.

Natasha Robinson3.05pm:Scientists clear the air on Covid failure

Australian aerosol physicist Lidia Morawska has led a global team of air quality experts in calling for the development of health standards aimed at reducing the risk of the airborne transmission of respiratory infections such as COVID-19 by increasing ventilation in buildings.

Lidia Morawska is an aerosol physicist. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

“Governments have for decades promulgated a large amount of legislation and invested heavily in food safety, sanitation, and drinking water for public health purposes,” the scientists say in the paper. “By contrast, airborne pathogens and respiratory infections, whether seasonal influenza or COVID-19, are addressed fairly weakly, if at all.

Read the full story here.

Ellen Ransley2.35pm:Citizens shouldn’t pay for quarantine: WHO

Rich countries like Australia should not be charging their citizens for hotel quarantine, according to the World Health Organisation.

Dr Mike Ryan, who heads the WHO’s public health emergencies program, said the International Health Regulation, which has been adopted by member states, recommends the traveller “should not suffer economically from measures designed to protect the health of the population as a whole”.

“That is then unfairly burdening an individual with the cost of a public health action,” he said.

“When you go into quarantine … you should get the support of the government and not have to pay for that.”

He said the purpose of measures like quarantine was to protect citizens.

Passengers wait to be transferred to hotel quarantine in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

“The question (is) who should bear the (economic) burden of that protection? The state doing the protection of its own citizens, or the traveller coming into that country?”

When Australia first closed its borders to international arrivals, the mandatory two-week hotel quarantine program was free for returning Australians.

That changed on July 1 2020. Since then, travellers have had to pay a minimum $3000 for the 14-day stay, with additional adults incurring a $1000 charge and children $500 each.

Read the full story here.

Angie Raphael2pm:WA quarantine boss quits after bungles

Western Australia’s hotel quarantine boss Robyn Lawrence has quit after a series of COVID-19 bungles.

Dr Lawrence, who has been the incident controller at the State Health Incident Control Centre for the past 15 months during the pandemic, will step down from her role on June 18.

Dr Lawrence has worked alongside chief health officer Andy Robertson, providing advice and support around clinical matters.

WA Health minister Roger Cook and WA Premier Mark McGowan. Picture: Colin Murty

Her work included managing community and vessel outbreaks, overseeing the state’s hotel quarantine system, developing COVID-19 outbreak plans for hospitals and aged care facilities, and overseeing the rollout of the vaccination program.

Health Minister Roger Cook quietly announced her departure in a Friday evening press release, saying Dr Lawrence would take some leave before returning to the department.

Medical adviser Tudor Codreanu, who has experience in disaster medicine, will become the new incident controller.

Read the full story here.

Jess Malcolm1.15pm:Labour market ‘recovering strongly’

The Australian labour market is recovering strongly despite the country facing the biggest economic shock since the great depression, Josh Frydenberg has announced.

The Treasurer said over half a million jobs had been created, forecasted to inject a $5 billion boost to the budget.

“We are on track to bring the unemployment rate back to levels before the 1970s recession,” he said.

“Fiscal discipline is very important for the Coalition, so is lower taxes, home ownership, supporting our regions and retirees.”

Mr Frydenberg also reaffirmed that Australia is pursuing a suppression strategy in its defence against COVID-19.

“What we can do is be effective in suppressing this virus, by following the medical advice, ensuring we have effective tracing and the rollout of the vaccine.”

“We’ve never been seeking to eliminate the virus.”

Jess Malcolm12.40pm:Frydenberg promises increased capacity for repatriation

Josh Frydenberg has promised the federal government will increase capacity for stranded people in India, but the number of flights will be in line with the health advice.

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, the Treasurer said maintaining the safety of Australians whilst bringing people home is the top priority.

“We are dealing with a situation where we see more than 800,000 Covid cases around the world each day,” he said.

Federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg in Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

“We do have an effective quarantine program … but we did see a spike in the number of cases from India.”

“There will be capacity for future flights and more people to come home.”

Jess Malcolm12.10pm:NSW records no new cases, delivers 10,000 vaccines in one day

NSW has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Three new cases were detected in hotel quarantine.

NSW administered the highest number of vaccines in one day yesterday, with 10,616 vaccines administered in the past 24 hours, including 4,373 doses at its new mass vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park.

The total number of vaccines given in NSW now sits at 897,768 with 274,751 given by NSW Health.

NSW Health also confirmed that it is still none the wiser as to the origins of a man in his 50s and his wife who tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

After extensive investigations, it has been unable to identify how the initial case contracted the virus.

A NSW Health Vaccination Centre at Sydney Olympic Park. Picture: Getty

“NSW Health thanks the community for continuing to come forward for testing, and urges anyone with even the mildest of symptoms to be tested immediately, then isolate until a negative result is received,” a statement read.

“We urge everyone around the state to continue to take practical measures to stay COVID-safe. This includes always using QR codes to check in to and out of venues, practising good hand hygiene, and staying home and getting tested for COVID‑19 if unwell.”

Jess Malcolm11.35am:Victoria announces $2.4bn property tax hike

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas has announced a $2.4 billion property tax increase set to be outlined in next Thursday’s state budget.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday morning, Mr Pallas said the changes would be raised over four years and would apply to high-end property buyers and affluent landlords.

The government will also strip $1 million in land tax concessions from private men’s-only clubs in a bid to make tax breaks more inclusive.

“The land tax rates will apply for high value lands above $1.8 million in land value … in many cases what we will see is the state will be able to demonstrate to those land holders, about 40,000 land holders will be impacted by these arrangements.”

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

“This is a substantially small number it will impact across all people who will pay land tax.”

Mr Pallas also took the opportunity to announce that the Victorian government’s economic measures put place to respond to its COVID-19 crisis have been successful.

“It’s in no small part to the $49 billion worth of extra effort that the state put in, to look after our community in the hardest of times … and it worked.”

“We outlined a four step plan to demonstrate how to get back to stability in our budget.”

“We are now creating almost half the jobs in the nation … we’ve created 240,000 jobs already.”

Jess Malcolm11.15am:Albanese blasts repatriation flight bungle

Anthony Albanese has seized on hiccups from the first repatriation flight from India landing in Darwin this morning, criticising the federal government for leaving Australians stranded.

The Opposition Leader told reporters the half-full flight was another failure in the Morrison government’s attempts to bring Australians home.

“We all remember Scott Morrison standing up saying he would bring Australians home by Christmas,” Mr Albanese said.

Anthony Albanese in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle

“We know that more than 30,000 Australians remain stranded.

“The fact that some of those Australians have contracted Covid as a direct result of them being brought home to safety is an indictment of the federal government’s complacency and of Scott Morrison’s capacity to make an announcement and then forget about it.”

Jess Malcolm11am:This year will be far more deadly: WHO

The World Health Organisation has issued a warning that the pandemic will be “far more deadly” this year amid a surge in cases and growing calls for the Olympics to be scrapped.

“We’re on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The WHO has also warned that even those vaccinated should keep wearing masks in places where the virus is spreading.

“Vaccination alone is not a guarantee against infection or against being able to transmit that infection to others,” WHO’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said.

WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan. Picture: AFP

In Japan, campaigners have submitted a petition with more than 350,000 signatures calling for the Olympic Games to be cancelled. A coronavirus state of emergency plunged three more Japanese regions into restrictions as cases spike, just ten weeks out from when the games are scheduled to begin.

In the UK, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned the Indian variant could delay the plan to further reopen the country on Monday after it was tracked in northwest England and London.

“This new variant could pose a serious disruption to our progress,” Mr Johnson said.

Jess Malcolm10.35am:Confusion in the US over lifting of restrictions

The lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions for the fully vaccinated by the top health authority has caused confusion for many states and businesses in the US.

The lifting of restrictions by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has left many health officials and CEOs in a dilemma, especially when it is difficult to tell if a person is fully vaccinated.

The recommendations are also non-binding, leaving local authorities to interpret the change for themselves.

Maryland and Virginia said Friday they were following the new CDC guidance and lifting their indoor mask mandates, while places like New York State and Washington have said they are “reviewing” the new recommendation, but haven’t yet moved to change rules on indoor masking.

US Vice President Kamala Harris and US President Joe Biden in the Rose Garden. Picture: AFP

Retail giant Walmart said it was lifting its mask mandate for fully vaccinated customers and staff, except where mandated by local authorities. Retailer Costco announced a similar policy.

Currently about 36 per cent of the population are fully vaccinated, and case numbers in the US are dropping drastically.

But for many, the trauma of more than 580,000 deaths from COVID-19 has led to reluctancy to let go of the safety measures.

READ MORE: China, the West and Covid

Jess Malcolm10.14am:Air Force, Navy scrambles to save boat off Perth

The Royal Australian Air Force and Navy are still scrambling to save a partially-submerged Indonesian fishing boat off the coast of Perth.

The boat has 26 people on board and is sitting about 1200kms west of Perth.

The search and rescue plane managed to drop two life rafts near the ship this morning, according to Perth Now. It is unclear whether the stranded sailors managed to climb on-board to safety.

HMAS Anzac has been dispatched to assist. Picture: Australian Defence

Australian warship HMAS Anzac and RAF planes from Sydney and Melbourne were dispatched yesterday, with HMAS Anzac expected to reach the vessel later this afternoon.

Perth Now is also reporting that there is no evidence of the ship as a “people smuggling venture”, according to the Australian Defence Force.

Ellen Ransley9.44am:Half-empty repatriation flight touches down in Darwin

The government’s first repatriation flight out of India since the controversial flight ban has touched down in Darwin, with dozens of Australians on board.

The Qantas flight departed New Delhi just after 12am AEST on Saturday and was due to touch down in the Northern Territory at 9.50am AEST.

QF112 arrived ahead of schedule, landing at 9.21am.

Passengers will spend two weeks quarantining at Howard Springs.

Nearly half of the 150 Australians booked on the flight were not able to board due to their COVID-19 results.

It’s understood a total of 72 were turned around after 48 people tested positive and a further 24 were deemed close contacts.

The first repatriation flight from India arrives in Darwin this morning.

Australians wanting to return home must be tested 72 hours or less prior to their scheduled flight, which needs to come back negative in order to fly.

It’s understood the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade worked to fill the flight with more passengers, but the pre-flight testing window proved an obstacle.

The next government repatriation flight from India is expected to arrive in Darwin on May 23.

Jess Malcolm9.35am:Protests erupt around the world as Israel bombards Gaza

Protests in response to the Israeli/ Palestine conflict have been organised around the world, as the fighting enters its six consecutive day.

Overnight, Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes following a new barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave, intensifying a conflict that has now claimed at least 141 lives.

Palestinian protesters turned violent in Copenhagen on Friday, with one protester pelting rocks at police and the Israeli embassy, according to police.

Local media reported that some 4,000 people took part in the protest and a group of between 50 and 100 demonstrators started throwing rocks at both the embassy building and at police.

Police reacted to the violence using tear gas and batons.

In France, a court on Friday upheld a police ban on a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for Saturday in Paris, for fear there could be an eruption of violence.

But protest organisers say they have no plans to call off Saturday’s march, with the Association of Palestinians saying: “We refuse to silence our solidarity with the Palestinians, and we will not be prevented from demonstrating.”

The aerial bombardments from both sides continue with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the military campaign will continue as long as necessary.

Jess Malcolm9.10am:Victoria approaches 80 days without a local case

Victoria has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, marking its 78th day free from the virus.

There was one new case in hotel quarantine, and 15,242 tests were conducted up to 8pm last night.

The state administered 8,008 doses of vaccine yesterday, bringing the total to 308,219.

Reported yesterday: No new local cases and 1 new case acquired overseas (currently in HQ).
- 8,008 vaccine doses were administered
- 15,242 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/2vKbgKHFvv #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/uGjNJWyY47
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) May 14, 2021

Dow Jones8.45am:India variant threatens UK plans to end lockdown

The UK’s plans to cast off almost all public-health restrictions next month are in peril after a highly contagious coronavirus variant first identified in India sparked new clusters of COVID-19, highlighting the risk of outbreaks even in countries where vaccination is widespread.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said some restrictions in England would be eased Monday as planned, but a bigger reopening scheduled for late June is under threat unless the spread of variant B. 1.617.2 can be brought under control. More than 1,200 cases and four deaths had been linked to the variant in the UK as of May 12, after it hitched a ride among returning travellers.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves after a press conference about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak at Downing Street overnight. Picture: Getty

British scientists now think B. 1.617.2 is more transmissible than B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the UK last year and has since spread around the world, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said Friday, referring to evidence including the variant’s genetic mutations, the growth in cases and modelling of its potential spread. Exactly how much more transmissible B. 1.617.2 is isn’t yet known. “That will have implications for the prospects of this epidemic in the UK and internationally,” Prof. Whitty said.

Richard Ferguson8.30am:More than 70 bumped from mercy flight from India

More than 70 Australian citizens and residents have missed out on the chance to leave India after testing positive for COVID-19 or because they were a close contact of someone who had.

As the Morrison government’s flight ban on India came to an end on Friday night, a bolstered testing regime found more than 40 intended passengers on a Qantas-run repatriation flight from New Delhi to Darwin had coronavirus. A further 30 passengers were close contacts. The first Indian repatriation flight will now fly to Australia half-empty, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade struggling to fill the 150-seat flight due to high testing requirements for passengers.

A QANTAS flight departs from the Darwin International Airport destined for New Dehli. Picture: Che Chorley

COVID-hit Australians who miss the flight will have to deal with a health system cracking under the pressure of the world’s worst coronavirus outbreak, with India having recorded at least 300,000 infections each day since April 21.

Scott Morrison is working to ensure a restart of India-Australia flights this weekend does not lead to another spike in COVID-19 cases in Australian hotel quarantine. A spike in Indian-source cases led the Prime Minister to ban entries from India through the Biosecurity Act last month, and Australian citizens faced five-year jail terms and $66,000 fines if they attempted to circumvent the flight ban.

Read the full story here.

Simon Benson8am:ASIO in bid to counter attempts to steal our Covid secrets

Australia’s domestic spy agency will move to an artificial intelligence war footing in a technology arms race against the nation’s adversaries as it moves to counter a spike in foreign intelligence services launching sophisticated attempts to steal Covid and vaccine research secrets.

It comes as the national security chief warned that the recent shutdown of one of the largest oil pipelines in the US due to a cyber attack could happen in Australia.

In an exclusive interview with The Weekend Australian, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews and ASIO director-general Mike Burgess have revealed that an unprecedented $1.3bn boost to ASIO’s operations in Tuesday’s budget would involve sophisticated AI technology to boost Australia’s security and intelligence capabilities.

ASIO director- general Mike Burgess and Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews at one of ASIO’s highly sensitive surveillance operations centres in Canberra.

Ms Andrews said there had been a number of countries identified behind repeated and increasing attempts to infiltrate government, commercial and industrial sources but said it would be wrong to assume China was the focus of the funding increase aimed at countering threats.

This week saw the largest investment in ASIO’s operational capabilities in the agency’s 70-year history, as it moves to machine learning capabilities to counter and detect increasingly sophisticated and high-level terrorism and espionage threats.

Read the full story here.