PoliticsNow: Melbourne no longer a virus hotspot
Medical chiefs say Victoria has now met the threshold to re-open, prompting new calls for Daniel Andrews to lift restrictions.
- Growing concern as COVID calls at more Sydney venues
- Melbourne ‘not considered virus hot spot’
- NSW has 11 new local cases
- Maguire appears at ICAC
- Victoria records 7 new cases
- Eli Lilly suspends treatment trial
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of federal and state politics amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Health Minister Greg Hunt says Victoria has now met the commonwealth threshold to re-open and Melbourne would not be considered a COVID-19 hotspot in the eyes of federal medical chiefs. Gladys Berejiklian remains adamant she had no knowledge of wrongdoing by Daryl Maguire as the disgraced NSW MP Daryl Maguire gives evidence to ICAC. The Prime Minister continues to support the NSW Premier.
Oliver Moody, Bruno Waterfield 8.30pm: Confusion reigns in Covid-hit Europe
Europe is turning into a patchwork of rules and regulations as local, regional and national authorities grapple with the second wave of COVID-19.
Bar closures and restrictions on social interactions are high on each country’s new rules but there are key differences in implementation.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is shouting orders above the leaders of 16 federal states, each trying to protect their citizens, some by raising barriers against pandemic hotspots. In Spain, Madrid’s officials have accused the national government of breaking the law when it imposed a state of emergency on the capital. French President Emmanuel Macron is forcing through new rules in defiance of politicians and citizens.
Craig Greaves 8pm: Greens waiting for bigger role in NZ
Barring a dramatic late shift in voter sentiment, New Zealand is set to awake this Sunday to the dawn of a Labour-Green government — the first of its kind, and one that could alter the country’s relations with Australia and its broader foreign policy.
It is expected that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party will handily defeat the conservative opposition National Party in Saturday’s election, and subsequently commit to open coalition talks with the left-wing Green Party, a current governing partner.
The contours of a Labour-Green government will be shaped in the post-election coalition -negotiations, where the parties will table their policy priorities for consideration and engage in various policy trade-offs.
With Labour’s current coalition partner, New Zealand First — led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston ¬Peters — looking highly doubtful to win any seats, the next government’s foreign policy will likely be more progressive and possibly more activist.
Drew Hinshaw 7.30pm: Experts rethink lockdowns as cases surge
As COVID-19 cases surge across large parts of Europe and the US, officials are reluctant to force another round of nationwide lockdowns of the sort imposed in March.
But this time — unlike in the northern spring — public-health experts broadly and increasingly agree, with some worried that the general public won’t co-operate with another months-long, generalised lockdown against a disease whose transmission is now much better understood.
The World Health Organisation has long favoured interventions that come with less economic and social disruption than lockdowns, recommending that governments pursue the “test, trace, isolate” strategy of sequestering people exposed to the virus. Western governments have found themselves with too few tests and not enough contact-tracing staff to follow that plan of action.
Still, in recent days, WHO leaders have become more vocal in their encouragements that governments could do more to improve public-safety measures that would reduce the need for a second round of nationwide lockdowns.
AFP 7pm: German economy to shrink 5.4pc
Germany’s economy will shrink more than expected in 2020 and not regain its strength until the end of 2021, leading research institutes said Wednesday, as the pandemic continues to hammer Europe’s largest economy.
German gross domestic product will contract by 5.4 percent, deeper than a previous prediction made in April of 4.2 percent, according to six think-tanks including Ifo, DIW and RWI in their annual autumn report.
“Although a good part of the slump from the spring has already been made up, the remaining catch-up process represents the more arduous route back to normality,” said Stefan Kooths, head of economic research at IfW Kiel.
READ MORE: Fewer fist-fights, less sex: TV’s Covid makeover
Will Glasgow 6.25pm: Australia dominates China coal market despite ‘ban’
If China has been trying to boycott Australian coal this year, it has done a terrible job of it.
Just look at the official numbers.
In the first eight months of 2020, Australia’s share of China’s imported coal market — that’s the combined sales of coking and thermal coal — jumped to 46.5 per cent.
That was up from 39.9 per cent over the same period last year, according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs.
Rosie Lewis 6.05pm: WA says COVID risk ‘low’ but hard border valid
The Western Australian government has conceded the probability of COVID-19 entering the state from Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the territories is “low” or “very low”, but insists its hard border closure is “necessary” for protecting its citizens.
In its submission to the High Court, which will hear Clive Palmer’s challenge against the constitutionality of the WA border on November 3, the state government also warned of coronavirus cases arriving from “border hopping” travellers.
The ACT, for example, was “more vulnerable to transmission from people entering from NSW” and so a person from Canberra – where there has been no community transmission for months despite ongoing cases in Sydney – posed a “real, and not fanciful, risk”.
Mr Palmer, who is unable to travel to WA for work, believes the state’s hard border is invalid under section 92 of the constitution, which says movement among the states “shall be absolutely free”.
David Ross 5.37pm: Growing concern as COVID calls at more Sydney venues
Further venues have been added to the list as new case of COVID-19 continue to crop up in Sydney in a worrying expansion of the outbreak.
These new venues in Western Sydney relate to cases which will be included in tomorrow’s tally.
Anyone who attended the following venues is considered a close contact and must get tested immediately and isolate for a full 14 days from exposure regardless of the result:
— Al-Jabr – A Different Class of Mathematics, 37 Queen St, Auburn on Thursday 8 October 2020, between 4.30pm – 8.45pm and Sunday 11 October 2020, between 10am and 4.30pm
— ACE Tutoring, 25 George St, Parramatta on Saturday 10 October 2020 between 9.30am to 1.20pm.
— Anyone who attended Westfield Mount Druitt, Cnr Carlisle Ave & Luxford Rd, Mount Druitt on Monday 12 October 2020, between 11.30am and 1pm is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they develop. After testing, they must remain in isolation until a negative test result is received:
NSW is calling for people to come forward for testing as recent days have seen a concerning fall in volume.
With 12 new cases today, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said further restrictions that were due to be eased for businesses have been put on hold.
Ms Berejiklian said the state is “on the verge of being where it was” during March and April when the state utilised lockdown measures to control the virus’ spread, saying a number of locations in southwestern Sydney remained hot spots.
“We had intended to ease some further restrictions but we’re holding off until (NSW Chief Health Officer) Dr (Kerry) Chant gives us the green light,” she said.
“We’re holding off because we are concerned with where we’re up to.”
The Premier added that “this is the most concerned we’ve been” since a cluster emerged at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula during winter.
READ MORE: WA says COVID risk ‘low’ but hard border valid
Rachel Baxendale 5.29pm: Panic in Shepparton: timeline of a cluster disaster
A tyre delivery worker’s failure to disclose a secret trip to Shepparton has given the coronavirus a two-week headstart and triggered widespread panic in the regional city.
Thousands of locals queued for testing at pop-up clinics today as Shepparton became the site of Victoria’s latest COVID-19 outbreak. Hundreds are believed to have been turned away.
It all began with one sick cleaner. Now, with one rule-breaker, it has spread to 57 people across Melbourne and into two regional towns.
The regional cluster is linked to Chadstone butcher outbreak.
Here’s how the disaster unfolded.:
David Ross 3.40pm: NSW warning: fresh case at Bargo brings new tally to 12
NSW Health has issued a new warning after confirming a new case of COVID-19 in Bargo, South Western Sydney, on top of the 11 other locally acquired cases announced earlier today.
Investigations are now under way as to how the person came to be infected with COVID-19 and efforts being made to trace close contacts.
Anyone living or working in the Bargo area are being urged to watch for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested immediately if any develop.
.@NSWHealth is alerting the public that a newly confirmed case of #COVID19 lives in the Bargo area of south western Sydney. People who live and/or work in the area are now urged to monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they develop. Read more: https://t.co/oGUKT5QknB pic.twitter.com/XyrlR51R86
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) October 14, 2020
Five testing clinics are available around the Bargo area:
— Picton GP Respiratory Clinic, 9 Margaret Street, Picton (open 1.30pm-5.30pm Monday-Friday and 8am-12pm Saturdays)
— Camden Hospital Walk-in Clinic at 61 Menangle Road, Camden, NSW 2570 (open 8am-6pm 7 days)
— Bowral and District Hospital at Outpatients Clinic, Ascot Street, Bowral, NSW 2576 (open 8am-6pm 7 days)
— Campbelltown Hospital at Therry Road, Campbelltown, NSW 2560 (located between the Clinical School and Building D) (open 8am-6pm 7 days)
— Mittagong GP Respiratory Clinic, 58 Bowral Road, Mittagong (open 8am-5pm 7 days
READ MORE: Experts rethink lockdowns as Covid cases surge
Rachel Baxendale 3.25pm: Labor slams ‘sham’ integrity commission commitment
Labor has accused the government of making a “sham” commitment to a national integrity commission, after Attorney-General Christian Porter said the draft legislation was ready to be released but there were “more immediate priorities” to deal with first.
Speaking on 6PR radio on Wednesday, Mr Porter would only say the draft bill would come out “soon” and legislation to look into the public sector – including MPs and their staff – had been put to federal cabinet.
Under the Morrison government’s initial proposal, a national integrity commission would not consider retrospective cases and would hold closed-door hearings for investigations into politicians, political staffers and bureaucrats.
“I would expect that that process of a public consultation around that legislation will happen soon,” Mr Porter said.
“We’re committed to that body. We’ve had a very long paper on design principles out, legislation did go to cabinet before COVID hit. That process is being restarted now.
“It’s probably also worth noting that in the last budget, the budget that was just gone, the first stage of that plan towards a federal ICAC effectively took shape with the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity being granted greater jurisdiction, over a greater number of departments, having a funding allocated, getting an additional 38 staff there to undertake those functions. So, the first stage of our plan for a national commonwealth integrity commission is under way.
“What we’ve always said is that there should be two halves: one half which investigates law enforcement agencies which would be built around the existing Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity. And then the second half, which would look into the public sector more broadly, which would have powers of at least equal to, but in several respects stronger than a royal commission.”
Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus declared the government had “no integrity and is doing everything in its power to stop corruption being exposed” by failing to unveil details of its national integrity commission, which was an election promise.
“That commitment was always a sham,” Mr Dreyfus said/
“The integrity commission promised by Mr Morrison and Mr Porter was so weak, ineffective and opaque it was unable to instigate independent inquiries, to hold public hearings, or even investigate any of the multiple past scandals of the Morrison government.
“Despite sports rorts, the airport land scandal, Angus Taylor’s role in grassgate and the forged letter affair and the biggest spending budget in history, Mr Porter has declared that for the Morrison government, an anti-corruption commission is ‘not a priority’.
“The ever-growing list of scandals surrounding the Morrison government shows why Australia needs a powerful and independent audit office, and a powerful and independent national integrity commission – and why Mr Morrison and his colleagues will do everything in their power to crush both of them.”
READ MORE: Federal corruption watchdog low priority
Rachel Baxendale 2.44pm: Concerns as long queues form at Shepparton test centre
The independent MP for the northern Victorian town where three coronavirus cases were detected overnight has sought assurances from the Andrews government regarding testing and contact tracing, amid reports of long queues at testing centres and residents being turned away until tomorrow.
Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed used question time in state parliament to quiz Health Minister Martin Foley.
Ms Speed earlier told journalists that a member of her staff was getting tested for coronavirus.
The MP therefore wore a mask as she addressed journalists outside parliament on Wednesday morning, putting her question to Mr Foley remotely from her parliament house office before cutting her parliamentary week in Melbourne short to return to Shepparton on Wednesday afternoon.
In her question to Mr Foley, Ms Sheed said that as she spoke, up to 2000 people in Shepparton were queuing to be tested at clinics at the local hospital and showgrounds, with locals concerned that the index case, who was linked to the Chadstone shopping centre cluster in Melbourne’s southeast, had infected people in Shepparton more than a fortnight ago, after travelling to the area via the central Victorian town of Kilmore, where at least five people have so far been infected, on September 30.
“People will be anxious and want to be tested as soon as possible,” Ms Sheed said.
“Minister will you send more assistance from Melbourne and other regional clinics that you’ve already established to Goulburn Valley Health to get this testing done and ensure that the test results are made available as quickly as possible to each and every person who are submitting themselves for those tests?”
Mr Foley said he could assure Ms Sheed and the Shepparton community that “all the efforts for testing and community contact tracing” would be provided.
Ms Sheed said she was concerned a third Commonwealth testing clinic was regularly taking people to be tested, with a recorded message provided in response to phone inquiries.
“A member of my staff wasn’t able to make an appointment until tomorrow, so something ought to be done to address that,” she said.
“More particularly, Minister, can you guarantee that my community will be extended everything possible to ensure that best practice contact tracing is employed for Shepparton and that the government will provide all the resources that are needed to put that in place?”
Mr Foley said he could.
UPDATE: Shepparton high risk locations
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) October 14, 2020
Please call the GV Health hotline on 1800 313 070 (8am-8pm) for instructions if you visited one of the locations listed at the exposure times.
-More info: https://t.co/zff0BwGThi
- Find a testing site: https://t.co/ogHDjdmEZd pic.twitter.com/KtDaZzVbGm
“Whether it’s Commonwealth-supported facilities or state-supported facilities, we will ensure that all the necessary resources are there to enable the most timely and effective response for testing and contact tracing, and the necessary supports for those people who need to therefore isolate as a result of those,” he said.
“In particular, I want to give a shout-out to the Goulburn Valley Health local public health unit and the support that they have received from the other four regional public health units to make sure that all the resources are being brought to bear where they need to, and indeed, to extend the same principle that we saw work so effectively in Kilmore, that we deal not only with the people so far identified as infected, not only their close contacts, but that third ring of the close contacts will also be pursued in this matter.”
READ MORE: Westpac cuts staff, shutters some operations
Rosie Lewis 2.23pm: Workers ‘shouldn’t be treated like merchant bankers’: PM
Scott Morrison has launched an election campaign attack against Anthony Albanese’s equivocation over stage three of the government’s personal income tax cuts, declaring blue collar workers on high incomes should not be “treated like they’re some merchant banker in Sydney”.
The Opposition Leader has flagged he will propose changes to the package, which taxes all workers earning between $45,000 and $200,000 at 30 per cent, as he criticised the $80bn of tax cuts going to the “really high end”.
While campaigning in Queensland ahead of the state’s election on October 31, the Prime Minister reflected on former opposition leader Bill Shorten promising to look at tax relief for workers earning $250,000, after being approached by a coal export terminal worker in Gladstone.
“In fact he just front out lied to them,” Mr Morrison said.
“He was talking about people who work in the heavy industry sectors of this country … I don’t think they should be penalised and treated like they’re some merchant banker in Sydney. They’re not. They’re hard working people working out on mines and difficult parts of the country.
“They deserve a tax cut, I think they deserve to keep more of what they earn. I think businesses who work hard and do well should be able to keep more of what they earn so they can employ more people, take on more apprentices.”
Mr Morrison did not say what he considered to be a high-income but declared it was not someone earning a little over $45,000.
READ MORE: Gottliebsen — When the tax office smells blood
Richard Ferguson 1.55pm: Victoria ‘no longer considered a hotspot’: Hunt
Health Minister Greg Hunt says Victoria has now met the commonwealth threshold to re-open and Melbourne would not be considered a COVID-19 hotspot in the eyes of federal medical chiefs.
As both he and Josh Frydenberg call on Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to lift restrictions, Mr Hunt said on Tuesday that the state has fallen under the 10-case-rolling-average bar set by chief medical officers.
“We have a commonwealth definition in terms of hot spots, that’s a rolling average of less than 10 cases, Victoria is below that rolling average,” he said in Canberra.
“In fact today Victoria’s numbers were below NSW with regards to community transmission, the figures I have before me were, 11 cases within the community of NSW, seven for Victoria.
“They have reached the national standard, the epidemiological standard set by the Chief Medical Officer of Australia and that gives them the chance to follow the pathway which NSW has set.”
Mr Hunt said the timing of reopening would be up to the Victorian government, but said he considered the lockdown to be too prolonged and that state coronavirus targets were unrealistic.
“We know the World Health Organization has set out its concerns about prolonged lockdowns,” Mr Hunt said.
“Their simple way forward is the national standard of a rolling average of less than 10 cases and they are there and that will make a profound difference to people ‘s mental health.”
READ MORE: Sports stars on the Covid sick list
Max Maddison 1.18pm: What Maguire has told ICAC today so far
At the lunch adjournment of the 17th day of the corruption inquiry, we’ve learned disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire has accepted his fate, confirming almost every allegation counsel assisting the inquiry, Scott Robertson, has put before him.
This includes monetising his parliamentary position, organising a Chinese delegation to meet then Premier Barry O’Farrell and using his Macquarie Street office as a cash drop off point.
While Mr Maguire has attempted to pin the blame for the illegitimate “cash for visa” scam on his offsider Maggie Wang, neither Mr Robertson or assistant commissioner have bought it.
Yet there’s a considerable amount the hearing hasn’t learnt of yet.
Mr Maguire’s former lover Gladys Berejiklian is yet to be mentioned, nor has Louise Waterhouse. With the examination following a similar structure to the hearing, Mr Robertson will most likely delve into those topics late this afternoon or tomorrow.
After lunch, expect to hear more about Mr Maguire’s time as chairman of the Asia Pacific Friendship Group, including his endeavours to find commercial opportunities across a string of South Pacific countries.
Daryl Maguire’s appearance at the ICAC inquiry continues at 2pm.
READ MORE: Overington — Dodgy Daryl draws line at just one thing
Joe Kelly 1.11pm: ‘Victorians need hope, freedom’: Hunt
Health Minister Greg Hunt has urged Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to ease restrictions more swiftly amid an unfolding mental health crisis in the state, aggravated by what the Morrison government has called the “harshest lockdown laws that we’ve seen anywhere in the world.”
Mr Hunt on Tuesday urged Mr Andrews to give the people of Victoria “hope” and “freedom” by unshackling the reopening of the economy from the goal of limiting new coronavirus cases to an average of five per day over a two-week period.
Speaking on 5AA in Adelaide, Mr Hunt said he was “profoundly concerned about the mental health impacts of COVID” and singled out Victoria which was experiencing ”soaring rates of presentations or requests for help”.
The Australian revealed on Wednesday that more than a million Australians had sought mental health treatment during the pandemic.
READ MORE: One million ‘lost’ in mental health disaster
Jack McKay 1.03pm: Palaszczuk welcomes warning from corruption watchdog
Annastacia Palaszczuk has welcomed a warning from Queensland’s corruption watchdog that it will be watching every candidate amid a “blurring” of the lines between government and the private sector.
As the Premier toured an oil refinery in the electorate of Gladstone today, she urged everyone to listen to what Crime and Corruption Commission Chair Alan MacSporran had to say.
The CCC boss revealed in an open letter on Tuesday that the watchdog would be actively monitoring political donations and closely watching the activities and associations of consultants, influencers and lobbyists.
“I think all candidates need to be aware of their obligations,” Ms Palaszczuk said today.
“When you’re running for high office, you have to … adopt high standards.
“I welcome what Alan has said.
“He’s sent that out to all candidates and I think everybody should be listening to what the Chair of the CCC has to say.”
Ms Palaszczuk insisted there were already “very strict” lobbying laws in Queensland, but dodged questions about the role that lobbyist Evan Moorhead was playing in her campaign.
“The state secretary is running the campaign from party office,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“You’d have to ask her that.”
Ms Palaszczuk had earlier said there was a lobbyist code of conduct that had to be followed.
In his letter, Mr MacSporran said the CCC’s intelligence assessment indicated that the lines between government and private sector were “blurring”.
READ MORE: Trad firms as marginal winner
Remy Varga 1.00pm: Shepparton residents turned back at testing clinic
Shepparton residents are being turned away from a testing site in the northern Victoria town after Shepparton show ground reached its 600 person capacity.
Yoni Bashan 12.05pm: ‘Dots you’re trying to draw don’t exist’: Premier
Gladys Berejiklian has once again stridently hit out at criticisms of her judgment over Daryl Maguire’s business dealings, reiterating her claim that she had no knowledge of any wrongdoing — otherwise they would have been reported.
“Everyday I’m in this job I’m here for the people of this state. If I ever saw it or witnessed it, of course I would have taken action,” she said.
Ms Berejiklian also deflected questions in relation to potentially contradictory evidence given to the ICAC in relation to Iwan Sunito, the CEO of the Crown Group company.
The premier told the ICAC she did not know anyone by the name of ‘Sunito’, but The Australian revealed on Wednesday that the pair were photographed at a ribbon-cutting event in 2017.
“As premier I am in photos and meetings with many people I do not know, because that is my role,’’ she said. “My role is to conduct the affairs of state … but please be careful with the dots you’re trying to draw which simply do not exist.
“There is clear separation between what we do in our public lives and our private life. I apologise for the distraction, it was out of my control. I am here for the people of this state — I’ve been overwhelmed by the support and comments I’ve received.”
READ MORE: Daryl Maguire appears at ICAC inquiry
Imogen Reid 11.58am: Yet another case added to NSW tally
New South Wales Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said an additional case in Bargo, south-west of Sydney’s CBD, has been recorded and will be included in Thursday’s numbers.
“Overnight we did receive another notification of an elderly gentleman from Bargo, the interviews are still underway but in order to galvanise the community we are identifying that case ahead of more formal details of their movements to ask the community to be particularly alert in that Bargo area and present for testing,” Dr Chant said.
Dr Chant said it is reassuring the new cases have been linked to known clusters, but reiterated the importance of following COVID-safe measures.
“We’re still trying to unravel the source of the clusters and this is the time we’re asking the community to come forth and get tested but also maintain those COVID-safe practices.”
READ MORE: Editorial — Mental health suffering under lockdowns
Yoni Bashan 11.37am: NSW records 11 new local virus cases
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced 11 new cases of COVID-19 community transmission, saying further restrictions that were due to be eased for businesses have been put on hold.
NSW has reported 11 new cases of locally transmitted COVID 19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. Three cases in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine were also diagnosed. pic.twitter.com/AXWuxs9ny2
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) October 14, 2020
Ms Berejiklian said the state is “on the verge of being where it was” during March and April when the state utilised lockdown measures to control the virus’ spread, saying a number of locations in southwestern Sydney remained hot spots.
Nine of the latest cases have been linked to a known cluster in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Lakemba.
“We had intended to ease some further restrictions but we’re holding off until (NSW Chief Health Officer) Dr (Kerry) Chant gives us the green light,” she said.
“We’re holding off because we are concerned with where we’re up to.”
The Premier added that “this is the most concerned we’ve been” since a cluster emerged at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula during winter.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said one ongoing problem remained a reluctance among people to get tested.
There were roughly 16,000 people who underwent COVID-19 testing overnight, though Mr Hazzard said the benchmark being sought was 20,000 tests.
“Don’t feel guilty – go and get tested if you have any symptoms. We really need that in the next few days and weeks.
“The government is very keen to free up and take the community back to the pre-Covid normality.”
READ MORE: Vaccine on way, but challenges remain
Kieran Gair 11.22am: Hong Kong police attempt to recruit Aussie students
Australian students are being targeted in a global recruitment drive by Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed police force who are using job websites hosted by local universities to attract Sydney-based “fresh graduates” with Chinese language skills.
The revelation comes after the University of Sydney opened a brief investigation into an advertisement placed by Hong Kong police on the institution’s CareerHub website in the wake of a flurry of complaints from pro-democracy students who claimed it was not in the “national interest.”
READ the full story here
Rachel Baxendale 11.16am: Three of seven Victorian cases in Shepparton
Victoria now has 182 active cases of coronavirus — a decrease of four cases since Tuesday.
Of seven cases reported in the 24 hours to Wednesday, three in the northern Victorian town of Shepparton are linked to a known outbreak linked to the Chadstone shopping centre in Melbourne’s southeast.
The remaining four new cases are all in Melbourne and are all under investigation.
One previously reported case has been reclassified, meaning the total number of cases since the pandemic began has increased by six rather than seven since Tuesday.
Five deaths reported in the 24 hours to Wednesday have taken Victoria’s coronavirus death toll to 816.
The deaths include those of a woman in her 70s, two men in their 80s and two women in their 90s.
Four of the five deaths have been linked to aged care, bringing the total number of coronavirus deaths linked to Victorian aged care facilities to 649.
There are 23 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus on Wednesday – the same number as Tuesday.
None of these people are in intensive care.
There were 16,061 tests processed in the 24 hours to Wednesday, bringing the total number processed in Victoria since the pandemic began to 2,875,056.
The positive test rate for Wednesday is 0.04 per cent — equal to a more than three month low of 0.04 per cent a week ago on October 7.
Of 182 active cases in Victoria, eight are in regional Victoria.
This includes the three Shepparton cases and eight cases linked to the Oddfellows cafe in Kilmore.
All eight are linked to the Chadstone shopping centre cluster in Melbourne’s southeast.
There are 30 active cases linked to aged care and 16 linked to health workers, including aged care workers, on Wednesday — the same numbers as Tuesday.
READ MORE: Need a break? Apple Isle beckons
David Rogers 11.03am: Confidence soars on budget boost
Australia’s consumer confidence rose 11.9 per cent to a three-month high of 105 points in October due to the federal budget, according to Westpac.
“This is an extraordinary result,” Westpac chief economist Bill Evans said.
“The Index has now lifted by 32 per cent over the last two months to the highest level since July 2018.
“The Index is now 10 per cent above the average level in the six months prior to the pandemic.
Such a development must be attributable to the response to the October federal budget, ongoing success across the nation in containing the COVID-19 outbreak, and the expectation that the Reserve Bank board is likely to further cut interest rates at its next meeting on November 3.”
When asked if the budget would “improve their finances”, the majority of respondents surveyed by Westpac said that it would.
READ the full story here
Charlie Peel 10.50am: Frecklington: ‘It’s Labor that’s kept watchdog busy’
Deb Frecklington says it is the Labor Party that has kept the corruption watchdog busy during the past term of parliament as she attempts to redirect heat from the property developer scandal that threatens to derail the Liberal National Party’s campaign.
The LNP leader has been plagued by revelations of her seemingly cosy relationship with property developers, who are banned from making political donations.
The Australian revealed she had spruiked her joint campaign with Scott Morrison to reopen the Queensland borders at a meeting with developers in the middle of the year.
The LNP has also raised concerns about the presence of developers at fundraising events and alerted the electoral commission about the risk of banned developer donations inadvertently finding their way into party coffers via third parties.
Ms Frecklington attempted to turn the heat back on Labor on Wednesday, saying Crime and Corruption Commission chairman Alan MacSporran’s warning to both major parties should be directed at the government.
“I think who should be worried is the Labor Party, given it’s been Labor who have kept the CCC extremely busy this term,” she said.
$50m cyclone-proofing renovations fund
Homeowners along Queensland’s cyclone-prone coastline would be eligible for a $15,000 grant to increase the storm resistance of their properties under a Liberal National Party government.
Deb Frecklington announced the $50m policy on the border of the Mackay (Labor, 8.3 per cent) and Whitsunday (notionally LNP, 0.7 per cent) electorates.
Candidate Amanda Camm is hoping to win the marginal seat back for the LNP after it turned independent when Jason Costigan was dumped from the party.
Mr Costigan is contesting the election under the banner of his North Queensland First party.
The cyclone-proofing grants are part of the LNP’s Tradie Boost scheme and would apply to coastal homeowners from Bundaberg to Thursday Island.
Ms Frecklington said the program would deliver jobs, lower insurance premiums and increase the resilience of cities and towns along the coast.
“It is important that we make Queenslanders safe in their homes,” she said.
“It is important that we get tradies back to work and it is important that we do something about the insurance premiums that people in north Queensland are sick to death of.”
Ms Frecklington accused Labor of abandoning Mackay’s dominant resources sector and alluded to comments made by former Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, who said miners would need to re-skill to find work.
“I can tell you right now, when the Labor Party come into Mackay and say that resource workers have to re-skill, they’ve let down the Mackay region,” she said.
“Mackay is a resources town.”
The LNP hopes to capture some of the support for the Coalition at last year’s federal election that was driven by anti-Labor sentiment in Queensland’s mining regions.
“The LNP backs the resources industry,” she said.
“The LNP has already announced that we’re going to supercharge the Galilee Basin. There are $50m worth of projects sitting in the Galilee Basin that are ready, willing and able to go. They just need a government that gets the resources industry.”
READ MORE: Watchdog warns of lobbyist risk
Robyn Ironside 10.43am: Alternative revenue: Qantas sells $150 T-shirts
The ongoing quest by airlines to find alternative revenue sources to flying in the devastating COVID crisis, has resulted in Qantas launching a line of leisure wear.
Designed by Martin Grant, the hoodies, sweaters, T-shirts and tote bags, feature the Qantas flying kangaroo logo in various vintages to mark the airline’s centenary year.
Priced from $150 for a T-shirt to $450 for a cashmere sweater, Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth predicted the merchandise would be in huge demand from frequent flyers.
READ the full story here
David Swan 10.28am: Facebook places ban on anti-vax ads
Social media giant Facebook has launched a new global policy it says bans ads that discourage people from getting vaccines.
In a blog post, the company said it was revising a previous policy that banned ads identified as vaccine hoaxes by global health organisation.
“Now, if an ad explicitly discourages someone from getting a vaccine, we’ll reject it,” Facebook head of health Kang-Xing Jin and Facebook head of product management Rob Leathern said.
READ MORE in tech updates in The Download
Rachel Baxendale 10.17am: Andrews to face media after controversial bill passes
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is due to address the media at 11am.
The Premier’s press conference comes as Victoria reported seven new cases of coronavirus and five deaths in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
At least four of the cases are understood to be in regional Victoria, with three new cases in the northern Victorian town of Shepparton and one in a teacher at Bairnsdale Secondary College in Gippsland in the state’s far east.
It also follows the passage overnight of Labor’s Omnibus bill, after controversial powers which would have allowed innocent people to be detained on suspicion that they may be at risk of breaching coronavirus restrictions were removed to appease key crossbenchers including Reason Party leader Fiona Patten and Greens leader Samantha Ratnam.
A Coalition motion of no confidence in the Andrews government in light of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic was also unsurprisingly voted down in the lower house, where Labor holds 55 of 88 seats.
READ MORE: One million ‘lost’ in Covid mental health disaster
Adeshola Ore 10.05am: Post-Covid global recovery ‘K-shaped’
Head of Financial Markets Research, Asia-Pacific, at Rabobank Michael Every has kicked off the “scene setting” session at The Australian’s Global Food Forum.
Mr Every said post-COVID recovery was “K-shaped”, meaning there was deep splits in people’s experiences of the pandemic.
“Some people you can say they’ve never had it so good. Interest rates are low … generally speaking things are looking comfortable. Other people are worrying about their kids and their job.”
FOLLOW the Global Food Forum live here
Max Maddison 10.01am: LIVE: Premier sweats as former lover gives evidence
The inquiry into Daryl Maguire today promises to be enthralling — and it could determine Gladys Berejiklian’s future as NSW leader.
FOLLOW the Maguire ICAC inquiry live here
Imogen Reid 9.55am: One person responsible for two regional Vic outbreaks
The head of Victoria’s contact tracing system says one Melbourne resident is responsible for the outbreak in two regional areas.
Speaking to 3AW on Wednesday, Department of Health and Human Services Commander of Testing and Community Engagement Jeroen Weimar said the individual, who was linked to the outbreak at a Chadstone butcher shop, had a permit to travel into regional Victoria.
The person dined at Kilmore’s Oddfellows cafe while on the work trip, and a worker at the eatery later tested positive to coronavirus.
The same person then stopped in Shepparton, where there are now three positive cases of COVID-19.
“The information only came to the surface yesterday,” Mr Weimar said.
“What came apparent is someone came out of Melbourne, through Kilmore and then to Shepparton.”
READ MORE: Peace plea as barley decision looms
Patrick Commins 9.49am: ‘Budget consistent with Liberal values’: Frydenberg
Josh Frydenberg was at the Citi conference in Sydney this morning, where he was selling last week’s budget.
The Treasurer said his big-spending budget was “consistent with our values as a party” — encouraging aspiration and rewarding effort.
“We see the role of government as a catalyst for recovery, not the solution. The solution will lie in every shop front. They are the decisions to invest or hire that will make a difference. The decisions in every farm, on every manufacturing floor, and around every kitchen table where people make the decision to spend, hire or invest.”
Asked what will bring confidence back to the economy, Mr Frydenberg pointed to six straight weeks of rising consumer sentiment, which has brought the (ANZ) measure almost back to pre-COVID levels.
Ultimately, though, it depended on the successful suppression of the virus.
“As long as that occurs then that confidence will come back.”
Asked about what he is most worried about when it came to the economic recovery, he said “health issues are first and foremost”.
His second biggest worry was the global economy, where he remained “hopeful”, but emphasised that Australia as a trading nation was exposed to a worsening world economy.
READ MORE: Senior Liberals cleared of rorts
Erin Lyons 9.44am: ‘2020s James Hewitt’: Police Minister slams Maguire
NSW Minister for Police David Elliott has slammed disgraced MP Daryl Maguire for “exploiting” the premier before describing him as “2020s James Hewitt”.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday just days after Gladys Berejiklian’s secret five-year relationship with the former MP came to light, Mr Elliott fired up when asked about the revelations, comparing him to Hewitt who had an affair with Princess Diana in the 80s. He was rumoured to have led the princess astray.
“The emotion has gone from sympathy to anger. Anger that one of our own colleagues exploited Gladys and behaved like a James Hewitt of 2020,” Mr Elliott said.
“We are furious with him.”
He said Mr Maguire “dodgy deals and using people”.
“What we will see today is the real Daryl. The bloke couldn’t seal the deal if his life depended on it,” Mr Elliott said, offering a nod to the ICAC hearing where Mr Maguire is set to give evidence.
“He’s boasted about $5000 commissions … he’s got no business in the business community.”
Despite the bombshell revelations and a push from critics for Ms Berejiklian to stand down – though she has urged she is sticking around for the long haul – the Minister threw his support behind the embattled premier.
“I’m not concerned that anything that comes out today will change my opinion of Gladys,” he said.
“Love is a strange thing and I certainly won’t cast doubt on her credibility because she had a relationship with someone who exploited her.
“We all know women that have been blinded by love – that’s the tragedy out of what’s happened.”
When asked about who he would support to step into Ms Berejiklian’s shoes if she were to hand over the title, Mr Elliott said he “doesn’t deal with hypotheticals in politics”.
He’s not the only one to have thrown his support behind the premier.
Minister for Transport Andrew Constance and NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet have both pledged their support for Ms Berejiklian.
Over the next two days Ms Berejiklian and her former lover will appear before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to answer questions about whether his behaviour while in parliament could be considered corrupt.
The premier’s job is on the line with the hearing giving her critics plenty of time to launch an attack. — NCA Newswire
READ MORE: Federal corruption watchdog low priority
Imogen Reid 9.23am: NSW Labor leader explains no-confidence motion
New South Wales Labor Leader Jodi McKay has taken to Twitter to explain her no-confidence motion against embattled Gladys Berejiklian.
Ms McKay has accused the Premier of failing to report what she knew of Daryl Maguire’s business dealings and any possible ministerial misconduct.
This is why we will debate a motion of no confidence in the Premier Gladys Berejiklian (a thread) #nswpol
— Jodi McKay (@JodiMcKayMP) October 13, 2020
She alleges that Ms Berejiklian “turned a blind eye to corruption in her Government” and insists she has “no confidence in Gladys Berejiklian”.
READ MORE: Overington — Guilty, of falling for a bloke called Daryl
Richard Ferguson 8.33am: ‘NSW needs Berejiklian more than ever’: PM
Scott Morrison says Gladys Berejiklian needs to stay as NSW Premier to lead the state through the coronavirus pandemic and replacing her would be a “numpty” decision.
Ms Berejiklian has reassured nervous colleagues she did not breach professional conduct rules during her secret relationship with former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.
But powerbrokers will await Maguire’s evidence on Wednesday at a corruption hearing before deciding the NSW Premier’s future.
The Prime Minister has doubled down on his personal support for the embattled premier, saying he agreed that now is not the time for a change of NSW Liberal leader.
“Bit of a numpty decision, I would have thought,” he told Sydney’s 2GB radio.
“We’re in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic and I think NSW has led the way though this … Gladys has spearheaded that.
“Right now is when NSW needs Gladys more than ever.”
READ MORE: Ex-MP’s phones ‘crushed by tractor’
Rachel Baxendale 9.32am: Victoria records seven new cases, five deaths
Victoria has recorded seven new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, with five deaths reported in the previous 24 hours.
Yesterday there were 7 new cases and sadly 5 lost lives reported. Our condolences to all those affected. More information will be available later today. Info: https://t.co/eTputEZdhs #COVID19VicData #COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/yGCeeql3LQ
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) October 13, 2020
It is understood three of the cases have been detected in the northern Victorian town of Shepparton.
All three are believed to be linked to an outbreak associated with the Chadstone shopping centre in Melbourne’s southeast.
The Gippsland community of Bairnsdale, in the state’s far east, is also on alert after a student at the town’s secondary college tested positive for the virus.
The five deaths bring Victoria’s coronavirus death toll to 816.
All but 19 of these deaths have occurred as a result of the state’s second wave of coronavirus cases, sparked by breaches in the Andrews government’s hotel quarantine program.
It is not known how many of the most recently reported deaths occurred in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
There were no people in intensive care with coronavirus in Victorian hospitals on Tuesday and only 23 in hospital with the virus.
There were also only 30 cases linked to aged care on Tuesday – many of them in staff rather than residents – down from 147 a fortnight earlier, with 645 deaths linked to aged care as of Tuesday.
Victorian authorities have previously added deaths to the official death toll weeks after they occurred.
The seven new cases follow 12 on Tuesday and 15 on Monday, ending six straight days of double digit new case numbers but representing a 16th straight day of daily case numbers above five.
Victoria was supposed to record a 14 day daily average of below five, with no more than five cases with an unknown source of infection by next Sunday October 18 in order to move to the next stage of easing restrictions on Monday.
Melbourne’s 14 day daily average number of new cases is now 9.6, down from 10.0 on Tuesday and a low of 9.4 on Friday, and down marginally from 9.9 last Wednesday.
This compares with a 14 day daily average of 0.6 in regional Victoria – up from 0.4 on Tuesday – and up from a low of 0.3 on October 3.
Aside from the Shepparton and Bairnsdale cases, all other known cases in regional Victoria are linked to the Odfellows cafe in Kilmore, north of Melbourne, where a Melburnian linked to the Chadstone cluster illegally ate breakfast.
As of Tuesday there were 186 active cases of coronavirus statewide, down from 191 on Monday and 189 on Sunday.
There have been 14 cases with an unknown source of infection in metropolitan Melbourne in the most recent fortnight for which this statistic is available – up from 13 on Tuesday and a low of 10 over the weekend.
Regional Victoria has had no unknown source cases over the same fortnight, which spans September 28 to October 11.
READ MORE: Base laws on expert advice, Andrews told
Imogen Reid 8.21am: East Gippsland school on high alert after link to case
Bairnsdale Secondary College, in East Gippsland, is on high alert after it was found to be linked to a confirmed case of coronavirus.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Principal Trudie Nagle said the campus did not have to close because the positive case did not come on to school grounds while they were infectious.
“I would like to reassure you that we took immediate action as soon as we became aware of the situation and sought advice from the Department of Education and Training (DET) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS),” the statement said.
“We will still be taking every possible precaution. Like all Victorian Government schools, ours will undergo regular enhanced cleaning for the rest of the term, with a focus in high-touch areas.
“Face masks will be compulsory for all returning students over the age of 12.”
READ MORE: Double-digit drama puts reopening at risk
Jack Paynter 8.06am: Virus outbreak sparks alert in regional Victoria
A cluster of coronavirus cases have emerged in the Victorian regional city of Shepparton.
The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed three positive cases late on Tuesday as they urged residents to get tested.
Eight sites from the Shepparton area were also add to the list of high risk locations.
Health authorities expect further cases will be identified.
Victoria’s commander of testing and community engagement, Jeroen Weimar, said the three positive cases were isolating at home and were being monitored by Goulburn Valley Health.
“Extensive contact tracing has commenced by local authorities,” he said.
“We expect as part of that effort, further cases will be discovered.
“To everyone locally – even if you haven’t been near these locations – if you feel unwell at all, please get tested as soon as possible and stay at home until you get your results.”
Goulburn Valley Health chief executive Matt Sharp said the cases were linked to the outbreak at Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre.
“This is an evolving outbreak and further information will be provided as soon as it becomes available,” he said.
McDonalds in Shepparton North and Bunnings have been added to the list of high risk locations.
Those who visited the McDonalds at 175 Midland Highway on October 3 and Bunnings on Midland Highway on October 2 have been urged people to get tested even if they didn’t have any symptoms.
Central Tyre Service in Welsford Street from September 30 to October 13, the Mooroopna Golf Club Members Bar on October 4, and the Pro Shop and Members Bar on October 11 have also been announced as high risk spots.
The Shepparton Market Place Medical Centre on Midland Highway on October 8, Lemon Tree Cafe in Fryers Street and Thai Orchard Restaurant in Nixon Street from 7pm to 8.30pm and Bombshell Hairdressing in Fryers Street from 9.30am to 10.30am on October 7 are high risk as well.
Victorian independent Shepparton MP Suzanna Sheed said she was “gutted” by the news.
“We’ve been clear for many weeks and to find out just tonight there are active cases, possibly with many contacts for our community, is extremely upsetting,” she said on Tuesday night.
“We had a moment of hope in regional Victoria we might have been able to have a much better result, to be able to be more isolated and to be able to free up even more.
“I’m obviously grateful that we are in a better position than Melbourne but news like that can just really be so devastating in our communities when we feel like we were really getting on top of it.” — NCA Newswire
READ MORE: Credlin — Too much we’re not being told
Damon Kitney 7.50am: ‘Food the trailblazer on road to recovery’
Packaging magnate Anthony Pratt has issued a fresh rallying call to the food and beverage industry to support the federal government’s COVID-19 recovery road map, while warning climate change represents the sector’s greatest threat.
In a speech to The Australian and Visy’s eighth annual Global Food Forum on Wednesday, Mr Pratt will laud the government for focusing the federal budget on a manufacturing-led recovery.
The government chose food and beverage as one of the manufacturing sectors to benefit from $1.5bn in funding in the budget, alongside resources and critical minerals processing; medical products; recycling and clean energy; defence; and space.
READ the full story here
Yoni Bashan 7.30am: EXCLUSIVE: Photo at odds with Premier on ICAC
Gladys Berejiklian may have misled the ICAC after claiming she had no knowledge of a prominent Sydney property developer whose name emerged in telephone intercepts, with a photograph allegedly contradicting her account and showing the pair together at a ribbon-cutting in late 2017.
READ Yoni Bashan’s exclusive story in full here
Imogen Reid 7.10am: UK suffers deadliest Covid day in four months
The UK’s COVID death toll has increased by a staggering 143 deaths in one day, the highest increase in four months.
The last time fatalities in the UK were so high was on June 3, when 155 people died.
A further 17,234 cases of the virus have been reported, jumping up from the 13,972 registered on Monday, taking the total number of cases to 634,920.
The concerning rise comes just as Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduces a new three-tier system to control the spread of the virus.
Medical Director of Public Health England Yvonne Doyle said the rise in COVID related deaths was “hugely concerning”.
“We have seen cases increasing especially in older age groups, which is leading to more hospital admissions,” she said.
“This is a stark reminder for us to follow the guidelines. Importantly, do not mix with others when unwell.”
READ MORE: Grim up north: UK faces local lockdowns
Imogen Reid 7.00am: Officials struggle to contain southwest Sydney cluster
NSW Health’s list of impact venues continues to grow as health officials struggle to contain outbreaks of the virus in parts of southwest Sydney.
Two more venues linked to the latest COVID-19 outbreak in the Lakemba area that came to light after two healthcare workers at A2Z Medical Centre, 96 Haldon Street Lakemba tested positive were added to the list on Monday night.
.@NSWHealth is alerting the public that confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported today have attended venues in South West Sydney. Read more and see locations: https://t.co/pbH9Htvx3o
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) October 13, 2020
Full list of locations linked to known COVID-19 cases here: https://t.co/pqkRdfh3cR pic.twitter.com/YTXiV8kMOz
Anyone who attended the following venues is considered a close contact and must be tested immediately and isolate for a full 14 days from exposure regardless of the result:
Ali Dine Inn and Take Away Lakemba, 158 Haldon Street Lakemba, on Friday 9 October, from 7:30pm – 8:30pm
A2Z Medical Centre, 96 Haldon Street Lakemba, on Tuesday 29 September – Saturday 10 October
Anyone who attended A2Z Medical Centre between 25-28 September must get tested for COVID-19 immediately, however, as the full 14 days since exposure has elapsed these contacts do not need to continue to isolate once a negative test result is received.
Anyone who attended ISRA Medical practice, at 102A Haldon Street Lakemba, on Monday 5 October 6pm to Tuesday 6 October 6am is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they develop. After testing, they must remain in isolation until a negative test result is received.
Anyone who attended the following venues is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they develop. After testing, they must remain in isolation until a negative test result is received:
— Woolworths Oran Park, 351 Oran Park Dr, Oran Park on the following dates:
Wednesday 30 September from 5.30pm to 6.30pm; Thursday 8 October from 5.15pm to 6pm; Friday 9 October 6pm to 6:30pm
— Prasadi Nepali Emerald Hills, 2 Hurricane Drive, Raby on Friday 2 October from 3.30pm to 4pm
— Emerald Hills McDonalds 101 Raby Rd, Leppington on Friday 2 October from 5pm to 5.15pm
— Aldi Emerald Hills, Shop 2/03, 5 Emerald Hills Blvd, Leppington, on Friday 2 October from 5.30pm to 6.15pm
— Fantastic Furniture Campbelltown, 4 Blaxland Rd, Campbelltown, on Friday 9 October from 3.30pm to 5.20pm
— Bunnings Gregory Hills, 2 Rodeo Rd, Gregory Hills, on Tuesday 6 October from 7pm to 8pm
— Ikea Tempe, 634-726 Princes Hwy, Tempe, on Wednesday 7 October from 1.30pm – 5.30pm.
In response to the outbreak NSW Health has opened another pop up testing clinic in addition to the clinic opened in Lakemba yesterday.
South West Sydney residents are encouraged to come forward to get tested at the new clinic at Julia Reserve Community Centre walk-in, Peter Brock Drive, Oran Park from 1pm today. The clinic will be open daily until Sunday 18 October between 8am and 6pm.
READ MORE: Australia set to go the way of Scandinavia
Agencies 6.50am: Cristiano Ronaldo tests positive
Portuguese soccer sensation Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for coronavirus. Ronaldo,
the 35-year-old Juventus striker voted the world’s top player five times, tested positive on Tuesday, and will miss Portugal’s Nations League clash with Sweden on Wednesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo tests positive for COVID-19 https://t.co/uQAcmJmzqF pic.twitter.com/1c6PS60mXK
— Daily Tribune (@DailyTrib) October 13, 2020
Agencies 6.40am: Eli Lilly suspends Covid treatment trial
The US biotech firm Eli Lilly has paused a clinical trial testing an experimental Covid treatment due to potential safety concerns.
The study, which started in August, was testing whether adding Lilly’s antibody-based drug, LY-CoV555, to Gilead Sciences Inc.’s remdesivir would benefit people hospitalised with COVID-19.
Indianapolis-based Lilly said Tuesday that an independent data safety monitoring board, known as a DSMB, for the trial recommended a pause in enrolment out of an abundance of caution.
“Lilly is supportive of the decision by the independent DSMB to cautiously ensure the safety of the patients participating in this study, ” the company said. The company didn’t release additional details about the nature of the safety concern.
The company announced last week it was seeking an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for its lab-produced antibody treatments against COVID-19, after early trial results showed they reduced viral load, symptoms and hospitalisation rates.
READ MORE: Beating the pancreatic cancer odds
Jacquelin Magnay 6.10am: Aussie cyclists in Giro d’Italia test positive
Australian team members in the Giro d’Italia have tested positive to coronavirus and have withdrawn from the grand tour.
Thirty year old Canberra sprinter Michael Matthews from Team Sunweb was asymptomatic but tested positive during a mass testing of riders on Sunday and Monday.
But with nearly two weeks of the race to go, the biggest impact of the virus fell upon the Australian sponsored team, Michelton-Scott, where four staff have the coronavirus and the entire team has stood down.
This comes just days after the Michelson-Scott team leader, Briton Simon Yates, tested positive before the eighth stage.
Another team, Jumbo-Visma, has also withdrawn all of its cyclists when leading rider Steven Kruijswijk, one of the favourites to win the general classification, tested positive.
Mitchelton-Scott boss Brent Copeland said: ”As a social responsibility we’ve made the decision to withdraw.”
Team Sunweb said Matthews was feeling healthy but was in quarantine.
Other staff members from Team AG2R-La Mondiale and Team Ineos Grenadiers are also isolating after positive tests to the virus.
The positive results within the bio-bubble of the cycling fraternity has cast a cloud over the three week 3500km race which began on October 3 and is due to finish on October 25.
Organisers had planned to test the cyclists during rest days, but the recent results may bring about more regular testing.
The three-time world road champion Peter Sagan won Tuesday’s 10th stage, a hilly 177km from Lanciano to Tortoreto in heavy rain after an early breakaway.
READ MORE: Lessons for the next pandemic: act quickly
Yoni Bashan 6.00am: Premier’s fate rests on Maguire’s evidence
Gladys Berejiklian has reassured nervous colleagues she did not breach professional conduct rules during her secret relationship with former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire. But powerbrokers will await Maguire’s evidence on Wednesday at a corruption hearing before deciding the NSW Premier’s future.
While senior MPs remain publicly supportive of the Premier, trusted party colleagues have voiced disappointment in revelations of her five-year relationship with Mr Maguire, the former state MP for Wagga Wagga, and evidence that revealed she had some insight into his financial dealings.
Ms Berejiklian on Tuesday reiterated her claim that she was unaware of wrongdoing on Mr Maguire’s part during their relationship, even as phone calls and text messages tendered at an Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing revealed they discussed commissions he would receive from favourable schemes.
Mr Maguire has been summoned to appear for three days of hearings this week, beginning on Wednesday, and it is expected his relationship to the Premier and their discussions will form a significant part of the line of questioning.
READ the full story here
Max Maddison 5.45am: It comes down to what Berejiklian knew
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has skirted the edge of ministerial misconduct, avoiding having to declare the financial interests of her former lover Daryl Maguire, yet she may be found to have broken parliamentary rules by failing to report his alleged breaches.
Standing firm against calls to resign after a humiliating corruption inquiry hearing on Monday, Ms Berejiklian has maintained she did nothing wrong, other than making a poor decision in her personal life.
Despite the allegations readied against Mr Maguire, including attempts to lobby politicians on behalf of Louise Waterhouse’s Western Sydney development site, a deal in which he stood to make hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ms Berejiklian escaped breaking the NSW Ministerial code of conduct due to a definitional distinction.
Fortunately for the Premier, the requirement to declare the financial interests of partners applies only to the “immediate family members” of ministers, who are defined as a “spouse or de facto partner”.
READ the full story here.
Ewin Hannan 5.30am: Nobody thought they were in charge of quarantine
Health officers critical to the oversight of Victoria’s hotel quarantine scheme received just one hour of online training, despite state legislation stating they must be suitably qualified and trained, in a move slammed as a “fundamental failure of governance”.
In a final submission to the hotel quarantine inquiry, Wilson Security said it was told by the Jobs Department that authorised officers from the Department of Health and Human Services were in charge on site but, “remarkably”, the officers did not see that as their role.
“The evidence before the board demonstrates clearly that nobody within government considered themselves in charge of quarantine and infection control on site,” the company said.
Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act states the DHHS secretary must not appoint a person to be an authorised officer unless satisfied the person is suitably qualified or trained to be an authorised officer.
The submission emerged after the Andrews government was rocked by the resignation of the state’s top bureaucrat, Chris Eccles.
READ the full story here.
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