Coronavirus Australia live news: ‘It’s working’: Victoria eyes October reopening, curfew lifts; Daniel Andrews dismisses resignation call
Victorians have learned which industries can go back to work tomorrow, as NSW records no new cases for the first time in months.
- Who can go back to work in Vic tomorrow
- No new NSW cases for first time in months
- What has changed as lockdown eases
- Relief as Melbourne curfew lifts, lockdown eases
- Two deaths, 16 new cases in Victoria
- Daniel Andrews resists resignation push
- US deaths top 200,000, NY cases rise again
Welcome to our rolling coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. Victorians have learned which industries can go back to work tomorrow, as NSW records no new cases for the first time in months. Melbourne’s curfew lifts from tomorrow, and 127,000 workers can return to work as Daniel Andrews announces the second step out of Stage 4 lockdowns. After facing a grilling over the resignation of Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, Mr Andrews says he will stay and finish the job. Meanwhile, some stage four restrictions in the state look set to ease today.
AFP 10.40pm: Global death toll nears 1m
The novel coronavirus has killed at least 998,463 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by the new service Agence France-Presse on Sunday.
At least 32,915,550 cases of coronavirus have been registered. Of these, at least 22,574,500 are now considered recovered.
The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organisation, probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.
Many countries are testing only symptomatic or the most serious cases. On Saturday, 5529 new deaths and 299,285 new cases were recorded worldwide. Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were India with 1124 followed by the US with 871 and Brazil with 869.
The US is the worst-hit country with 204,499 deaths from 7,079,689 cases. At least 2,750,459 people have been declared recovered.
After the US, the hardest-hit countries are Brazil with 141,406 deaths from 4,717,991 cases, India with 94,503 deaths from 5,992,532 cases, Mexico with 76,243 deaths from 726,431 cases, and United Kingdom with 41,971 from 429,277 cases.
The country with the highest number of deaths compared to population is Peru with 97 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Belgium 86, Bolivia 67, Spain 67, and Brazil 67.
China — excluding Hong Kong and Macau — has to date declared 85,351 cases (14 new since Saturday), including 4,634 deaths (0 new) and 80,541 recoveries.
READ MORE: Victorian politicians caught in their own trap
Alice Workman 10.10pm: Abbott cycles on after 14-day self-isolation
Tony Abbott is back in the lycra.
After completing a mandatory14-day stint in Sydney hotel self-isolation (personally funded at a cost of $3000) following his much-publicised tour of his British birthplace (during which he was anointed an adviser to the UK Board of Trade) the former prime minister was on the road again.
He joined a pack of political MAMILs (middle-aged men in lycra) out in force this weekend for the stripped-back 2020 Pollie Pedal.
Read more: Abbott’s chain reaction
Rebecca Urban, Remy Varga 9.40pm: Schoolyard’s back in play for primary kids
New research finding that young children are less likely to transmit coronavirus than adolescents has paved the way for more than half a million Victorian primary school students to return to classrooms ahead of schedule.
The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute analysed data from across Melbourne and found that out of one million enrolments, just 337 students may have acquired the COVID-19 infection at schools.
“Schools and (early childhood education and care) are unlikely to drive transmission,” it said.
Now, months after last being in classrooms, primary students across metropolitan Melbourne — not only those in Prep to Year 2 as previously expected — are preparing to join their regional counterparts and return to school.
Class is back in two weeks, bringing to an end a disruptive year for Melbourne students, who have spent most of the past two terms learning from home.
It will be welcome news to those like the Jefferies family —– from the city’s southeastern suburbs — which has had three children learning from home and a preschooler to entertain. From October 12, Charli, 17, Matilda, 11, and Oscar, 5, can all return to school.
“Probably my wife’s more excited to have an empty house rather than me,” Marcus Jefferies said.
Read the full story here.
AFP 9.10pm: Lebanon reels as push to form government collapses
Lebanon was left reeling on Sunday without the slightest prospect of ending multiple crises, after its premier-designate stepped down following the failure of talks to form a government, despite international pressure.
Mustapha Adib’s resignation ended efforts to hammer out a reformist government in the wake of a colossal August 4 explosion in Beirut that killed 190 people, injured thousands and ravaged large parts of the capital.
Political parties had pledged early this month, during a visit to Lebanon by French President Emmanuel Macron, to form within two weeks a cabinet of independent ministers tasked with ending the country’s economic malaise.
“As the efforts to form a government reached their final phase, it became apparent to me that this consensus... was no longer there,” Mr Adib said on Saturday.
Under the Lebanese constitution, the President must now hold further talks to nominate another prime minister to form a government, but it is a process that risks dragging out and even failing.
“I don’t expect a government anytime soon,” said Sami Atallah, who heads the Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies.
“There was a chance, there was a lot of pressure to form a government and it didn’t happen,” he said, adding there was a “bigger problem” of geopolitical tensions, especially between the US and Iran.
Natasha Robinson 8.40pm: Doctors alarmed by emergency fall-off
The incidence of cases of chest pain and stroke at emergency departments has fallen markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with fears sufferers may be experiencing disability in isolation from healthcare providers.
Doctors are baffled as to whether the decreased incidence of stroke in emergency departments means fewer people are suffering them, or whether people are having strokes in the same numbers but not seeking care.
A paper published in the Medical Journal of Australia found that at four Western Sydney hospitals, there was an overall 25 per cent decrease in the number of presentations at emergency departments. At the same time, mental health presentations and substance misuse had risen by almost a quarter.
The study analysed triage and separations data for the period between March 29 and May 31 in 2019 and 2020 in the four hospitals with EDs in the Western Sydney Local Health District.
John Ferguson, Rebecca Urban, Damon Johnson 8.20pm: Party anger at Andrews’ ‘betrayal’
The crushing way Jenny Mikakos’s political career ended has rocked the Labor caucus and provoked widespread anger about her treatment.
Senior party sources across factions have attacked Daniel Andrews for having failed to stand by his former health minister, who on Saturday resigned from cabinet and parliament.
The Premier said on Sunday he had not spoken to his former minister, despite having been political friends for many years.
Socialist Left sources said his treatment of Ms Mikakos had come after a falling out with another former senior Left figure, Gavin Jennings.
“It’s come down to trust and there is not a lot of trust when it comes to Andrews,’’ a senior Left source said. “The way he has treated his own people has been a total disgrace.”
While Ms Mikakos was not a popular figure among many right-wing MPs, a senior Labor figure said the “ritual killing” of Ms Mikakos via the Premier’s hotel quarantine statement was “incredibly messy”.
Read the full story here.
Natash Robinson 7.50pm: Doctors alarmed by emergency fall-off
The incidence of cases of chest pain and stroke at emergency departments has fallen markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with fears sufferers may be experiencing disability in isolation from healthcare providers.
Doctors are baffled as to whether the decreased incidence of stroke in emergency departments means fewer people are suffering them, or whether people are having strokes in the same numbers but not seeking care.
PDF: Daily change in ED presentations at Western Sydney Local Health Districtit
A paper published in the Medical Journal of Australia found that at four Western Sydney hospitals, there was an overall 25 per cent decrease in the number of presentations at emergency departments. At the same time, mental health presentations and substance misuse had risen by almost a quarter.
The study analysed triage and separations data for the period between March 29 and May 31 in 2019 and 2020 in the four hospitals with EDs in the Western Sydney Local Health District.
The paper found the proportion of patients discharged from the ED was 7 per cent greater in 2020, and there were fewer patients admitted to hospital. There were fewer incidences of patients who went to ED and did not wait for treatment in 2020.
Cases of infectious intestinal illness such as gastroenteritis in 2020 fell 60 per cent compared with the previous year; pneumonia cases were down 57 per cent; and leg fractures fell by 40 per cent.
Read the full story here.
AFP 7.15pm: Labour heads polls for first time under Boris
Britain’s Labour Party has registered its first polling lead since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister last year as support for his crisis-wracked Conservative government continued to plunge.
The Opinium poll for the Observer newspaper put Labour on 42 per cent, with the Conservatives on 39 per cent on on Sunday.
New Labour leader Keir Starmer also led when voters were asked who would make the best prime minister, being the preferred choice for 36 per cent of voters compared to 32 per cent for Mr Johnson.
The Tories were polling 26 points ahead of Labour in March, but Mr Johnson’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic, which has claimed almost 42,000 lives in Britain, has seen his popularity plummet.
There appears little relief on the horizon for the Prime Minister as he grapples with another spike in coronavirus cases while trying to avert a collapse of the economy.
He faces a revolt next week by Conservative colleagues who accuse him of governing by diktat and speculation is already brewing about a potential replacement, with finance minister Rishi Sunak attracting attention.
READ MORE: Boris torn as Britain at breaking point
AFP 6.45pm: New York jumps back to 1000 daily cases
New York state, the onetime epicenter of the US novel coronavirus epidemic, has seen case numbers rise to more than 1000 a day, local officials said Saturday.
These high figures have not seen since June 5, according to statistics released by the office of Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“Of the 99,953 tests reported yesterday, 1,005 were positive,” Cuomo tweeted on Sunday.
“It’s vital that New Yorkers continue to practice the basic behaviors that drive our ability to fight Covid-19 as we move into the fall and flu season,” he added in a statement.
“We’ll continue to closely monitor the data and keep New Yorkers updated so they can make educated decisions for themselves and their families.”
Overall the health situation in New York state has nevertheless improved since the height of the virus crisis in the spring.
Restaurants in New York city, which are serving customers outdoors, will be allowed to welcome diners indoors from Wednesday at 25 per cent capacity.
READ MORE: Finally, some good news in Victoria
Tim Shipman 6.15pm: Boris torn as Britain at breaking point
To his enemies, he is a stubborn politician who never changes his mind or apologises for his previous statements. But behind the scenes, the coronavirus has forced Boris Johnson to rethink one of his most cherished beliefs.
As the British Prime Minister concluded that he would have to impose new restrictions to contain COVID-19, he revealed that his great hero was no longer the mayor of Amity in the film Jaws, who kept the beaches open despite the presence of a great white shark offshore.
Confronted about his notorious stance in the past few days, Johnson replied: “I did write that article, but the mayor of Amity was only dealing with one shark that had attacked one or two of his constituents. The situation we face now is that there are greater numbers of sharks.”
To those present, it was a symbolic moment in which Johnson, a politician who has cultivated a reputation as a libertarian controversialist, embraced his role as the man trying to balance the competing demands of saving lives and the economy in what are very choppy seas.
Paul Garvey 5.45pm: Infected crew stranded on ship off WA
West Australian health authorities are scrambling to find a way to get COVID-infected crew off an iron ore carrier moored off the coast of Port Hedland.
WA Health Minister Roger Cook on Sunday said the government was trying to get the nine remaining crew — seven of whom have coronavirus — aboard the Patricia Oldendorff off the ship and into quarantine in Port Hedland. Of the 12 crew already in quarantine in Port Hedland, two are confirmed to have coronavirus while 10 are waiting on test results.
The ship will need to be deep-cleaned once the remaining crew is brought ashore, giving authorities a logistic headache as it tries to ensure the vessel remains manned throughout the changeover.
Mr Cook said the government wanted to avoid a situation where the Patricia Oldendorff was left without a crew on board and became what was known as a ‘dead ship’.
“Obviously it’s a tricky scenario. We are undertaking cleaning at the moment of the vessel, then we will have to undertake a deep clean once we’ve got those crew members off in order to get the new crew members on,” he said.
“We are still working on the best way to remove the infected people from the ship and clean it while maintaining the essential operations which are required to keep the ship running.”
The owners of the ship have already brought in an alternative crew for the vessel from overseas, but they are under their mandatory two-week quarantine in Perth.
The government has sent security personnel from to Port Hedland to ensure the crew members already onshore remain in quarantine, while the crew’s hotel has been surrounded with temporary fencing.
Mr Cook said the authorities had their experiences with the Artania cruise ship and the Al Kuwait livestock vessel — both of which suffered significant outbreaks of COVID-19 ahead of their arrivals in Fremantle earlier this year — to draw on in their handling of the Patricia Oldendorff.
“We took our own experienced security personnel to Port Hedland and they are working with police, who are also on site, to maintain the security arrangements. The perimeter of the quarantine zone has also been fenced off,” he said.
“There is no need for the community in Port Hedland or the surrounding areas to be concerned. We have the situation under firm management.”
The iron ore ship outbreak means WA now has 16 active cases, although there has not been a case of community transmission in the state for more than 160 days.
Meanwhile, WA police on Sunday said they had fitted a 35-year-old man from South Australia with an ankle bracelet after he entered the state without approval. The man, who entered WA via a bush track north of Kalgoorlie, has also been fined $7,500.
Another three men who breached their self-quarantine periods have also been fined.
READ MORE: Victoria’s zombie government, where policy makes itself
Philip Sherwell 5.20pm: Wuhan’s makeover: Parties in, wet market out of sight
Restaurants and bars are packed, people swim in the Yangtze river and jog along its banks. Life seems strikingly normal in Wuhan, ground zero of the coronavirus pandemic.
Four months after the central Chinese city recorded its last infection, children have returned to school and the shopping centres are buzzing.
“Wuhan, we can” proclaim stickers pressed onto the arms of passers-by during a tightly orchestrated tour for foreign businessmen and media this month.
Once synonymous with China’s pandemic failings, the city is the focus of a Communist Party propaganda blitz hailing “victory” over the virus.
Remy Varga 4.40pm: PM welcomes easing of lockdown
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has committed to supporting Victorians during the extended lockdown, while noting NSW was able to reopen with similar cases numbers.
Mr Morrison along with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Health Minister Greg Hunt, both Victorians, issued a joint statement on Sunday welcoming the slight easing of restrictions.
“We note that at similar case levels NSW was fundamentally open while remaining Covidsafe due to a world class contact tracing facility,” the joint statement said.
“As many epidemiologists have encouraged, we would support Victoria in reviewing the trigger of five and zero cases with regards to the third and last steps.”
Mr Morrison, Mr Frydenberg and Mr Hunt said they held concerns for the mental health of Victorians due to the length of the lockdown.
“As it stands this lockdown is already longer than that faced by residents in many cities around the world,” the statement said.
“We remain deeply concerned about the mental health impacts of a prolonged lock down on Melbourne residents.”
The statement noted the federal government had already paid more than $27 billion to Victorians throughout the pandemic and expected to pay out an additional $16.8 billion in the December and March quarters.
“The Government will continue to support Victorians during these challenging times,” the statement said.
READ MORE: Workers to face weekly virus tests
Rachel Baxendalel 3.30pm: Who can gather, who can work in Victoria
As Victoria moves out of lockdown, more detail is becoming available on changes announced today by Premier Daniel Andrews. Tonight is Melbourne's’s last under curfew, and the third step from restrictions has been brought forward, with Mr Andrews saying the move to the third and last steps won’t be defined by dates in the calendar, with the next step brought a week forward to October 19.
“This is working, it’s absolutely working,” Mr Andrews said earlier today.
Industries allowed to go back to work:
In the Second Step, from 11.59pm today, a number of changes to permitted workplaces will see around 127,000 Victorians return to work — 26,000 more than the 101,000 already announced. The additional workers are from the following industries:
• Meat and seafood processing: Workforce capacity for meat, poultry and seafood processing will be increased. In metropolitan Melbourne, workforce capacity will go up to 80% capacity for meat processing; 90% for poultry processing and 80% for seafood processing. In regional Victoria, workforce capacity will increase to 90% for meat, poultry and seafood processing.
• Warehousing: The worker reduction will no longer apply to warehousing.
• Supermarket and food distribution: The worker reduction will no longer apply to supermarket and food distribution.
• Real estate: Residential property and display home inspections will be through a prearranged inspection, limited to 15 minutes. Attendees at private property or display home inspections are limited to one agent and one prospective purchaser or tenant and can be a couple. Any necessary marketing services can occur onsite, limited to one agent and one service provider. Metropolitan Melbourne residents will not be allowed to travel to regional Victoria for an inspection, and vice versa.
• Tertiary education: Under the Second Step, where is it necessary for staff to be on campus, in order to do onsite teaching, assessments and work placements that is permitted under the Second Step.
• State Critical Infrastructure: Current State Critical Infrastructure Projects List are updated to include the Melbourne Park Redevelopment project as well as the Old Geelong Road, Werribee and the Preston Package level crossing projects.
• Film production: Pre-production of seven Film Victoria projects will be permitted to allow key personnel to secure locations, manufacture props, and design sets and costumes. Staff will work either by themselves or in small work bubbles. Location scouting would be done in a contactless way with one person per vehicle, maintain physical distancing and adhering to COVIDSafe plans.
• Courts: Judges, Associate-Judges, Judicial Registrars, Magistrates, Coroners, Tribunal Members and their offices or urgent, priority or essential court or tribunal matters determined by the relevant head of jurisdiction, including for bail, family violence, remand, child protection, warrants and urgent guardianships, human rights or residential tenancies issues or any other priority matters
• Pet groomers: Pet groomers will be able to resume contactless services onsite (ie: have a retail outlet) for animal welfare purposes.
• Vehicle and boat maintenance: Mechanics will be able to do maintenance or repairs when required for safe operation, including logbook servicing of vehicles and boats.
• Dental: Non-urgent procedures are permitted.
• Allied health: Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registered professionals and other allied health professionals (e.g. speech pathology, dietetics, audiology) will resume some face-to-face appointments (estimated at 1,700 active jobs).
• Elective surgery: Under the Second Step, 75 per cent of usual elective surgery activity is permitted in metropolitan Melbourne. Regional Victoria will move to 85 per cent of usual activity from 28th September.
• Gardening, landscaping and garden maintenance: Gardening, landscaping and garden maintenance businesses who have an ABN will be added to the permitted worker list, under the condition that they work entirely outside, contact-free and are able to complete the work safely working alone.
The initial 101,000 workers are from the following industries:
• Construction: The baseline for large-scale construction will go from 25 per cent of the total workforce to 85 per cent. For small-scale construction sites, specialist contractors will now be able to visit up to 5 sites per week, with a maximum of 2 per day. Early Stage Land Development density restrictions will increase to 20 workers per hectare.
• Manufacturing (excluding meat and seafood processing): Manufacturing businesses that are currently closed will be able to operate at a maximum of 90 per cent of their normal daily worker level. Manufacturing businesses that were already operating under Stage 4 restrictions can continue to do so.
• Wholesale trade: Wholesaling businesses previously not on the permitted work premise list will be allowed to open at 67 per cent of their normal daily worker level.
• Postal and Distribution: The worker reduction will no longer apply to postal and distribution centres.
• Childcare: All childcare is now open.
Outdoor gatherings and children?
A household or a group of up to five people from two households can meet outdoors for social interaction. Children under 12 months of age are not included in the limit.
‘Outdoors’ for the purposes social interaction means an outdoor space that is public and does not include someone’s backyard. You may do yoga in the park, have picnic or a coffee, read a book.
Personal trainers may recommence with up to two people outside within the Second Step of easing.
READ MORE: Boris’ dilemma: torn by a UK at breaking point
And here's a summary of what's changing in the Second Step: pic.twitter.com/HG0u1ciOt1
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) September 27, 2020
Frances Vinall 3.15pm: No new NSW cases for first time since June 10
NSW has recorded zero new cases of COVID-19 for the first time since mid-June – but a top health official warned the state still needs to be vigilant.
Dr Christine Selvey, NSW Health acting director of communicable diseases, shared the good news on Sunday.
“The last time NSW had no new cases in a reporting period was 10 June,” she said.
The total number of cases since the pandemic began in NSW remains at 4029.
She said the state conducted 12,333 tests in the reporting period, adding to a total of more than two-and-a-half million tests completed in NSW.
“NSW Health thanks for the community for all they have done towards reducing COVID-19 numbers,” she said.
“NSW Health thanks for the community for all they have done towards reducing COVID-19 numbers,” she said.
There are 68 COVID-19 cases in NSW, including three in intensive care.
Of those 68 cases, 87 per cent are not in hospital.
Dr Selvey said none of the people in intensive care require ventilators.
“We continue to ask people to remain vigilant,” Dr Selvey said.
“(Testing) is particularly important with the start of the school holidays and increased movement of people around the state.”
READ MORE: ‘Going shopping’: Alleged border cross fail
Rebecca Urban 2.20pm: Property industry welcomes lockdown easing
The property industry has welcomed the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions but urged the Victorian government to consider further easing to reboot the economy.
An updated road map for metropolitan Melbourne unveiled on Sunday will see residential property inspections allowed, while large-scale construction will be able to operate with 85 per cent of its workforce — up from the current 25 per cent.
Specialist contractors on small-scale sites will be permitted to visit up to five sites per week, with a maximum of two per day
The Property Council of Australia’s Victorian executive director Cressida Wall said the industry applauded the Victorian Government’s decision to bring forward the return of real estate activity.
“We welcome these moves that will see more boots on the ground and cranes in the sky again,” Ms Wall said.
“We look forward to restarting the conversation, while protecting jobs and creating much needed construction activity at the same time.”
From Monday, private property and display home inspections can occur with one agent and one prospective purchaser or tenant. Inspections must be prearranged and will be limited to 15 minutes.
However, auctions will continue to be conducted remotely.
READ MORE: ‘Years of cutting’ may have led to bungled Covid response
John Ferguson 1.50pm: Step 2: Finally, some good news for Victoria
The Victorian coronavirus campaign finally appears to be working.
So much so that the public health team is entertaining the option of the state largely reopening in the second half of October.
This is a significant moment in the fight against the second wave of the virus and will be embraced by millions.
The return of primary school-aged children from start to finish is another significant bonus for the community after months of home-based learning.
Daniel Andrews also has opened the door to nearly 130,000 workers returning to their jobs this week, which is nearly 30,000 more than under the original road map.
Supermarkets and meat producers are among the main beneficiaries of the push to get more people back into work.
Given the Victorian Premier’s caution on the virus response, it looks like we are entering really positive territory for the state and by virtue of its size, the national economy.
The politics of this announcement are not straightforward.
The successful health campaign does not negate the catastrophic public policy failures.
Nor does it absolve the Premier of being part of one of the great political cock-ups of all time.
READ the full story here.
Rebecca Urban 1.10pm: Updated plan for winding back Vic restrictions
Almost 130,000 Melburnians will be permitted to return to work and school students will be back in class earlier than expected, under an updated plan for winding back Victoria’s coronavirus restrictions.
Restrictions on once-daily shopping trips will also be dropped, hospital visiting restrictions eased and people will be permitted to gather in small groups in public from 11.59pm Sunday.
The curfew will be lifted from Monday and instead those caught engaging in unlawful gatherings will be hit with a new find of almost $5000.
Announcing the updated plan, Premier Daniel Andrews said that the changes represented “safe and steady” steps to reopening.
He said the state was essentially a month ahead of schedule.
“The fact is this is working and we have done better as a community than what we thought we were going to be able to do by this point of time,” he told a press conference.
“If we stay the course, if we deal with, if we take what has been safely given today, nothing that’s been done today or announced is unsafe.
“I am sorry we can’t go further now. To do that runs the risk that we give back everything Victorians contributed to an amazing effort.”
He also revealed that further easing steps would be linked to case number trigger points rather than previously outlined dates of October 26 and November 23. Based on current projections, the government plans to unveil the next steps on October 19.
“These numbers reflect it and the decisions we’ve made today reflect it as well.”
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said that the significant decline in cases of community transmission was behind the decision to scrap the 9pm curfew.
Professor Sutton said 15 of the 16 new cases reported on Sunday were linked to known cases or clusters, and 10 were linked to aged care facilities.
“The community cases we’re seeing are now very small in number,” he said.
“We’re getting to one, two, three community cases a day.
“It’s my view and the public health team’s view that the curfew is not a proportionate measure to have in place going forward.”
There are currently 399 active COVID-19 cases across the state — the number dipping below 400 for the first time since June 30.
The fast-tracked plan for schools will see VCE and VCAL students return for assessments, including the GAT, in the week starting October 5. All remaining students will return the following week.
READ MORE: Behind South Korea’s success against Covid
Debbie Schipp 1.00pm: What has changed in Melbourne as lockdown eases
From midnight tonight, the following changes in Melbourne apply:
– 9pm nightly curfew lifted
– 127,000 people will go back to work in various industries
– VCE students will return for assessments from October 3
– Special school students, VCE, VCAL and primary school students to return to on-site learning from October 12
– Childcare opens for all children
— 5km rule does not apply to childcare, but remains in place for exercise
– Five people from no more than two households will be able to gather outside
– Care facilities and hospitals, one visitor allowed per day for a maximum of two hours, patients that are under the age of 18 years, two parents or carers can visit with no time limit.
– One person per household shopping limit lifted, no time limit.
— Outdoor pools will open, conditions will apply
— Exercise will be allowed within 5km of workplace for permitted workers.
— Dental care, non-urgent services will be allowed with all dental surgeries practices to have a COVID-safe plan
— Outdoor worship and ceremonies will be allowed, with a limit of five people plus one faith leader
READ MORE: Victoria's road map: what we know
Debbie Schipp 12.50pm: Relief as Melbourne curfew lifts, lockdown eases
Melbourne’s curfew will be lifted from 5am Monday, and 127,000 workers can return to work as Victorian premier Daniel Andrews announces the second step out of Stage 4 lockdowns.
Students will also return to school back at school ahead of schedule on October 12, with all primary school pupils, special school students and VCE, VCAL students return to on-site learning.
Childcare will reopen, with the permit system scrapped.
The limit of one person per household allowed to shop once a day has also been lifted.
But Mr Andrews said: “Go shopping for the things you need when you need them, it doesn’t need to be just one person any longer but — and I think common sense says this to every Victorian — it is not an invitation for an entire family group to go to the supermarket.”
It comes as 16 new cases of coronavirus and two deaths have been recorded in Victoria overnight.
New fines almost $5000 will replace the much-hated night time curfew.
They apply to any unlawful indoor or outdoor gatherings.
“It mirrors the announcement we have put in place for people travelling to regional Victoria and potentially taking the virus with them without a lawful reason. If you are having a party at your house, that is unlawful,” Mr Andrews said.
READ MORE: Victoria's zombie government, where policy makes itself
Charlie Peel 11.20am: Qld records sole new virus case after restrictions eased
Queensland has recorded one new case of coronavirus overnight after a person in hotel quarantine tested positive for the virus.
There are now eight active cases of the virus in Queensland after two crew members of an overseas vessel tested positive on Saturday.
The announcement followed Friday’s reopening of the border to residents from the ACT and the lifting of visitor limits to aged care homes were lifted.
Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the latest virus numbers as she revealed Labor’s $624m pledge for 2025 new police officers over the next five years.
The premier said it would be the “largest investment in additional police seen in this state in the past 30 years”.
Of the additional officers employed, 1450 will be frontline.
READ MORE: Open borders 'not before time’: PM
Olivia Caisley 10.20am: Bandt wants coal gone in decade; backs Dan Andrews
Greens leader Adam Bandt has called for coal to be phased out within the next decade, declaring that the world is at risk of “going over a cliff” whereby global warming becomes unstoppable.
Speaking on ABC Insiders on Sunday Mr Bandt said the science was clear the world was heading towards that point of no return at breakneck speed.
“You can have 2050 and 2060 targets and that’s all well and good, but it’s what we do within the next decade that determines whether we go over that cliff or not,” he said. “That’s why Europeans have decided to cut their emissions by more than half by 2030. We need a plan to phase out coal and gas by 2030.”
It comes as Scott Morrison last week unveiled a new technology investment road map, which will back new energy-efficient power sources to slice 250 million tonnes of Australia’s emissions a year by 2040.
Mr Bandt said that reaching net zero emissions within a decade would cost about $25bn a year but would stop cities from “going under water” and could help prevent a repeat of the horrific Black Summer bushfire season.
He said Australia could get to zero emissions over the next decade without increasing unemployment.
“We could do it by winding back on some of the subsidies that the likes of Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer get to put cheap diesel into their trucks,” he said. “You could still end up with a debt level in Australia that would be less than half of the OECD average.”
Mr Bandt also flagged the Greens would move in the Senate to disallow cuts to JobKeeper after the payments are slashed on Monday from $1500 to $1200 a fortnight for full-time staff.
People who worked less than 20 hours a week before the coronavirus pandemic struck will receive $750.
“We will be moving in the Senate to stop the cuts to go back to where it was. It is imminently affordable,” Mr Bandt said. “It would be cheaper to keep JobKeeper going until March until we’re out of the worst of this pandemic.”
Asked to share his thoughts on the Victorian Premier’s handling of the pandemic Mr Bandt said he “felt better” that Daniel Andrews was in charge.
“I certainly feel better that Dan Andrews has been in charge, rather than the other guy,” he said. “There has been a health-first approach and also part of the reason that Scott Morrison was dragged to a health-first approach early on in the crisis was because of the stance the premiers had taken.”
Mr Bandt said questions needed to be answered about the state’s contact tracing abilities and whether cuts to the public service in Victoria had impacted the state’s efforts.
READ MORE: Net zero emissions by 2050 achievable: PM
Remy Varga 9.15am: 16 new cases and two deaths in Victoria, benchmark intact
Victoria has recorded 16 new coronavirus cases as well as two additional deaths.
It comes as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to announce a slight easing on restrictions later today.
While daily cases are up slightly from 12 yesterday, the 14-day rolling average has dropped overnight from 23.6 to 22.
Premier Daniel Andrews is set to unveil more details about easing restrictions today after a torrid week which culminated with the resignation of Health Minister Jenny Mikakos on Saturday.
Melbourne’s 14-day rolling average of 22.1 cases is well below the benchmark set by the government to move to stage two of easing restrictions.
Under the stage-two road map gatherings of up to five people from a maximum of Two households can meet outdoors for social interaction.
Childcare will be permitted to open from September 28.
Outdoor exercise with a personal trainer will also be allowed.
There have been no new cases recorded in regional Victoria.
#COVID19VicData: Yesterday there were 16 new cases & the loss of 2 lives reported. The 14 day rolling average is down & number of cases with unknown source stable as we move toward COVID Normal. Info: https://t.co/eTputEZdhs#COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/hdGLBeWZST
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) September 26, 2020
Olivia Caisley 9.15am: We won’t slash jobs, income for net-zero emissions: Taylor
Energy Minister Angus Taylor has refused to commit to a net-zero energy emissions target by 2050, declaring the government’s focus is on investing in technologies that secure the nation’s energy supply and reduce emissions as much as possible.
Mr Taylor took aim at Labor over the energy policy it took the last election,
telling Sky News on Sunday that under the Coalition’s watch emissions had been 20 per cent lower than what Labor had forecast.
“We’ve done that through deployment of sensible technologies, sensible practices with strong jobs growth, and with strong growth in critical industries like agriculture and manufacturing,” he said.
Mr Taylor said that unlike Labor’s approach, the Morrison government was not prepared to slash jobs and incomes in the pursuit of emission reduction.
“The focus is on getting the technologies to work and as the Prime Minister said last week, the precondition to getting these emission reductions is ensuring that these technologies are successful, that they come into parity with their higher emitting alternatives, so we don’t see economic losses and economic damage in any community in Australia,” he said.
Mr Taylor said that it was true if the government succeeded in its technology road map the nation would see dramatic emissions reduction into the future.
Mr Taylor also distanced himself from a scathing Australian National Audit Office review that found taxpayers shelled out nearly $30m to a billionaire family for a parcel of land in western Sydney that was worth just $3m.
Mr Taylor said he had no involvement or awareness of the deal, despite being previously Cities Minister.
“The first time I read of it was in the paper,” he said.
Asked about Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ denial that Australian Defence Force troops were offered to the state to oversee its bungled hotel quarantine program, he said: “we’ve sought to provide state governments with all the support throughout.”
He also refused to be drawn when asked if Mr Andrews should resign after Health Minister quit following testimony given by Mr Andrews at the hotel quarantine inquiry on Friday.
“I’ll leave that up to the Premier,” Mr Taylor said. “It’s just extraordinarily important right now that we’ve focused on the lives and livelihoods of Australians, that’s what really counts during these difficult times.”
READ MORE: Old King Coalition steps on the gas
Emily Cosenza 8.56am: Infrastructure, manufacturing key to fightback
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has flagged infrastructure and manufacturing as the industries that will help Australia continue to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his speech as the guest speaker at the South Australian Liberal party’s annual general meeting on Saturday, Mr Morrison highlighted the country’s successful response to the health crisis.
He said Australians endured a “hard and tough year” and likened their resilience to those of World War II and the Great Depression.
“It’s the twin crisis of health and economic challenge and I was proud of Australians to be able to talk about Australia, that we are doing better than almost any other country in the world when you put those two things together,” Mr Morrison said.
“You have to balance both of those things and I think Australians understand that. There have been set backs, the situation in Victoria for example, but the success we’ve had for suppressing the virus compared to other countries has been extraordinary.”
Discussing the federal government’s response and road map to recovery, Mr Morrison mentioned the importance of renewable energy and gas, the COVID-19 vaccine, jobs and support for businesses.
“This road back is all about making sure businesses can do business easier to put people back into jobs.
“(Space, defence and agriculture) all have great opportunities for Australia’s recovery and rebuild for the future.
Read the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale 8.30am: Victorians brace for easing of restrictions from today
Daniel Andrews has signalled an easing of coronavirus restrictions for Melburnians on Sunday which will go further than the plan set out in his reopening road map, but warned that he won’t be “throwing the doors open” until October.
Melbourne’s rolling 14-day case average dipped to 23.6 on Saturday, well below the 30 and 50 new cases needed by Sunday in order to move to a very slight easing of restrictions, which would enable public outdoor gatherings of up to five people from up to two households, the resumption of childcare, and a staged return to the classroom for Prep to Grade Two and VCE students.
“We are consistent with the types of easing that have been foreshadowed in that road map, so there’s no dramatic departure from that but there are a couple of areas where we say and do more,” he said.
“The place is not opened up tomorrow, and I’ve tried to be clear about that.
“But people can be optimistic and positive about the fact that these numbers are coming down.
“I do hope tomorrow to be able to talk a little bit more about what October looks like and the fact that we are ahead of schedule.”
The Liberal Opposition on Saturday called for the government to immediately abolish the 9pm curfew and allow all primary and secondary school students to return in the first week of term four.
“Victorians are desperate for a plan to get our lives back but all we get from Daniel Andrews are plans to keep Victorians locked up,” Opposition leader Michael O’Brien said.
“Victoria can re-open safer and sooner under our plan.
Mr Andrews has refused to rule out dumping his controversial 9pm to 5am curfew, ahead of court proceedings on Monday brought by Liberal Party member and Mornington Peninsula business owner Michelle Loielo, challenging the measure.
The Herald Sun reports the curfew was being debated by the Premier’s crisis cabinet on Saturday afternoon, following the resignation of Health Minister Jenny Mikakos.
READ MORE: Andrews, Mikakos in the mother of all bust-ups
Kathryn Bermingham 8am: Victorian’s costly cross-border shopping trip
A man who allegedly attempted to cross the border from Victoria into New South Wales told police he wanted to go shopping on the other side.
NSW Police said the 26-year-old was in a Victorian taxi stopped as it crossed a checkpoint on the Hume Highway at Albury.
However, he was not able to hand over a valid permit.
When he was spoken to, police said he claimed he wanted to go shopping in the regional city.
He was arrested and later charged with not complying with a COVID-19 notice direction and breach of bail.
The man was refused bail and is expected to appear at Wagga Wagga Bail Court on Sunday.
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Agencies 7.30am: Johnson reveals plan to tackle future pandemics
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday urged world leaders to “unite and turn our fire” against coronavirus as he announced a “five-point” plan to tackle future pandemics during an address to the UN General Assembly.
Johnson, whose country has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, also announced new funding to international vaccine efforts and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Never in the history of our species, not since the Almighty felled the Tower of Babel, has the human race been obsessed with one single topic of conversation,” Johnson told the Assembly in a virtual address.
He said the pandemic had “united humanity as never before” but had also been an “extraordinary force of division” as nations vied with each other over supplies of medical equipment.
“After nine months of fighting Covid, the very notion of the international community looks tattered,” he added.
“Unless we unite and turn our fire against our common foe, we know that everyone will lose.
“Now is the time therefore … for humanity to reach across borders and repair these ugly rifts.” He pledged to use Britain’s upcoming presidency of the G7 next year to “bring the world back together after Covid”.
His new funding plan has been developed in consultation with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the British scientific research charity the Wellcome Trust.
– AFP
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Agencies 6.57am: Thousands demand Israeli PM quit over lockdowns
Thousands of Israelis gathered in Jerusalem late Saturday demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day after the country tightened its lockdown aimed at stemming surging coronavirus cases.
Long processions of cars carrying people from throughout the country caused traffic jams in the city, with hundreds of small protests held at bridges and junctions nationwide.
Israel began a second nationwide lockdown on September 18 in a bid to bring down the world’s highest coronavirus infection rate per capita.
On Friday, restrictions were tightened further, including limiting international travel and attending indoor prayers.
But politicians blocked a government proposal that would have limited protest gatherings by ruling people could only demonstrate in groups of 20 and within a kilometre of their residence.
Netanyahu, in a video issued Saturday night, slammed “the populist decision in parliament to cancel the limitations the government imposed after we saw the rise in the infections.” Protesters on Saturday said the government attempt to block them was one motivation they came out on the streets.
“I came here for the very reason that they tried to shoot down the protest,” said Adi, a 48-year-old father of three from Tel Aviv, demonstrating outside Netanyahu’s official residence.
“The people here are the last chance for Israel to be free and democratic,” he said.
AFP
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Corinne Ramey 6.30am: NY cases on the rise again as US deaths top 200,000
New York State reported 1,005 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, marking the first time the state’s daily caseload has risen above 1,000 since early June.
The uptick, in a state that was once the centre of the epidemic but has since largely kept virus cases at low levels, comes as local officials continue to move toward reopening. In New York City on Tuesday, public schools serving grades kindergarten through five and kindergarten through eight are set to reopen for in-person learning.
New York City restaurants will be allowed to reopen indoor dining with 25% occupancy on Sept. 30. Mayor Bill de Blasio also said on Friday that the city will make permanent a program that allows restaurants to offer sidewalk and street dining.
Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said 1% of the tests in the state on Friday were positive. Of the 1,005 cases, 429 were in New York City, according to data from the governor’s office.
Across the U.S., the number of newly reported coronavirus cases continues to rise. The U.S. reported 55,054 new cases Friday, up from about 44,000 on Thursday. As of Friday, the total number of people infected in the country since the pandemic began had exceeded seven million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Many have recovered, but close to 204,000 have died of the disease in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins data. Worldwide, 32.57 million people have been infected and about 988,993 have died, the data show.
– The Wall Street Journal
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Dow Jones 6am: S Korea may have cracked code to managing virus
South Korea appears to have cracked the code for managing the coronavirus. Its solution is straightforward, flexible and relatively easy to replicate.
The country has averaged about 77 new daily cases since early April and recently suppressed a spike in infections. Adjusting for population, that would be the equivalent of about 480 cases a day in the U.S., where new daily cases have averaged about 38,000 over the same period. Total deaths in the U.S. due to COVID-19 just surpassed 200,000.
South Korea halted virus transmission better than any other wealthy country during the pandemic’s early months. It was about twice as effective as the U.S. and U.K. at preventing infected individuals from spreading the disease to others, according to a recent report from a United Nations-affiliated research network. South Korea’s economy is expected to decline by just 0.8% this year, the best among the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s forecasts for member nations. The key to South Korea’s success came from blending technology and testing like no other country, centralised control and communication — and a constant fear of failure.
Read the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale 1.25am: ‘I don’t run from problems and challenges’: Andrews
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has dismissed calls from Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien for his resignation, saying he does not “run from problems and challenges”.
“No, I will not,” Mr Andrews said when asked whether he would resign.
“I don’t run from problems and challenges. I’ve got a very important job to do, and that is to continue to get these case numbers down, and then to begin the biggest recovery project that our state has ever seen,” he said.
“It will be truly unprecedented both in its size, scale and nature, and that’s what’s needed.
“This is a one in 100 year event, so my answer to your question is no, I have an enormous amount of work to get done, and I’m going to get it done. Because that’s what I do. I get on get things done.”
Asked whether he was committed to remaining Premier regardless of what the hotel quarantine inquiry finds when it hands down its report on November 6, Mr Andrews said: “I’m committed to the job I’ve got, and it’s a very, very significant job, and I work hard every day to make sure that I do the best that I possibly can.”
“That’s what I’m focused on. What I’ll do after the board of inquiry’s report comes down is I will take the action necessary to make sure that these sorts of errors can never happen again,” he said.
Read more: Newspoll: Victorians back Daniel Andrews over COVID response
“That’s the role I’ve got. I can’t presuppose what those recommendations will be though, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to speculate on them, other than to say I think it’s almost certain there will be certain actions, there’ll be things that need to happen, and I will make sure they do.”
Asked whether he should be taking personal responsibility for the fact that the inquiry heard no one in his government or public service briefed him or took public responsibility themselves for putting private security guards in hotel quarantine and ensuring that appropriate infection control safeguards were in place, and himself resigning, Mr Andrews again said: “No. I think I have dealt with that.”
“I just want to make a broader point: just because, through the production of documents and the giving of evidence, we don’t have an obvious answer to many of the questions that saw the board of inquiry established, that does not for a moment mean that the board won’t make findings about many of those issues,” he said.
“That’s the nature of their work, and that’s why I’ll wait just these few weeks to get what I’m confident will be a well considered and comprehensive report.”
Mr Andrews denied that his position as leader of a system which had failed to provide answers as to who was responsible for the problems in hotel quarantine was a failing on his part, saying: “No, I don’t accept that at all.
“On that test, then I wouldn’t have established an inquiry,” he said.
“The inquiry has been established because there are answers that need to be there. They aren’t. They may be though when the board of inquiry makes its findings.
“So while I know it is particularly frustrating for you and for me that some of those questions can’t, and Victorians, that those questions can’t be answered, the broad may well draw conclusions, they may well come to these matters. That’s entirely a matter for them.”
Read more: Andrews must regain trust to continue
Rachel Baxendale 1.05am: Andrews responds to hotel staff cases
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has cited the “wildly infectious nature” of coronavirus when asked to respond to revelations that since August 1, there have been 12 reports made to his government of positive cases among staff at two quarantine hotels.
While Victoria’s hotel quarantine program stopped taking new arrivals in June following coronavirus clusters among private security guards at two hotels which have been linked to the state’s second wave, two other hotels have provided quarantine for vulnerable community members who cannot safely isolate at home, including residents of Melbourne’s public housing commission towers.
Read the full story here.
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