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| Coronavirus Australia live news: NSW and Victoria consider stage 3 restrictions with more than 3,000 national cases – latest updates | Coronavirus Australia live news: NSW and Victoria consider stage 3 restrictions with more than 3,000 national cases – latest updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| New South Wales on the brink of new restrictions with only essential services to remain open as department store Myer stands down 10,000 staff and closes all of its stores from Sunday. Follow all the latest news | New South Wales on the brink of new restrictions with only essential services to remain open as department store Myer stands down 10,000 staff and closes all of its stores from Sunday. Follow all the latest news |
| NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant, NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller and minister for police and emergency services David Elliott will provide an update on Covid-19 at noon today AEDT. | |
| NSW has flagged introducing more stringent measures to control the pandemic. There are more than 1,400 cases in NSW, with more than 3,100 cases across Australia. | |
| Thousands of Australians caught by India’s dramatic nationwide shutdown say they face running out of food and water or being evicted from accommodation, as 1.3 billion people across the world’s second-most populous nation are ordered to stay indoors. | |
| “There will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes … Forget what going out means,” the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, told the nation. | |
| Thousands of Australian tourists, expatriate workers and “overseas citizens of India” have been stranded by India’s dramatic shutdown, the largest lockdown the world has seen to arrest the Covid-19 pandemic. | |
| There are no commercial flights permitted in or out of India until at least 15 April, and Australians fear they will not be able to get home without a government-sponsored repatriation flight, which India’s government is allowing. | |
| Australian Jai Houltham is stranded in Goa on India’s west coast. He has been moved on from two hotels that were closed by police and fears he may be forced out again. He has nowhere left to go. | |
| “We are now at the end of the fifth day of a total lockdown, police roam the streets with lathis [bamboo poles used to enforce crowd control] ensuring everyone stays inside, many unable to get supplies,” Houltham said. | |
| “The lockdown has been extended to the 14th of April, and there is talk of it being extended for three months, with currently no option for Australians to get home.” | |
| Houltham said many tourists had tried to get back to Australia when the government first called for citizens to return, but had faced unannounced flight cancellations, sudden border closures or restrictions on transiting through international airports. | |
| “Now with complete lockdown, accommodation closing and people being left on the streets, and being unable to access food, water or medicines, people have had enough and are desperate for the Australian government to step in.” | |
| Australia’s high commission in New Delhi has told citizens: “We would encourage you all to stay indoors and avoid any crowded place. Please note there are no evacuation plans yet declared by the Australian government for Australians in India. | |
| “If your situation is, or becomes, life-threatening, or you have serious concerns for your welfare (eg cannot find any accommodation whatsoever, or any food, or essential medications), please don’t hesitate to contact us.” | |
| I’d love to include some stories about kindness and being positive during these difficult times. If you have stories of neighbours helping each other out, friends supporting each other in isolation, and other acts of kindness, feel free to email me melissa.davey@theguardian.com or teeet me, and I’ll include them in this blog. | |
| Superannuation funds have asked the government for taxpayer backing to help them meet withdrawals by members without being forced to sell assets, as the coronavirus crisis sparks one of the worst stock market routs in the past 100 years. | |
| But sources said that so far the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, has rebuffed the proposal for a “liquidity backstop facility” designed to protect funds from taking heavy losses if or when a large number of people withdraw money because they have lost their jobs due to government restrictions. | |
| Guardian Australia understands there are fears within the super industry that withdrawals will be much higher than estimates of $25bn to $27bn that were circulating this week. | |
| The industry super funds, which tend to have a higher proportion of their assets in harder-to-sell but more lucrative unlisted assets such as roads and ports, have led the push for the facility. | |
| For-profit funds represented by the Financial Services Council do not support the proposal. | |
| Read more here. | |
| Just to recap those measures just announced in Victoria to penalise those breaking physical distancing rules. New South Wales has introduced a similar system of on-the-spot fines. In Victoria from today: | |
| Police have been given the power to issue on-the-spot fines of up to $1,652 for individuals and up to $9,913 for businesses that don’t follow the rules. | |
| The fines can be issued to those people and businesses who, for example, fail to self-isolate for 14 days after arriving at an airport; organise or attend a mass gathering; organise or attend a wedding that has present more than the people being married, the celebrant, and two witnesses; organise an auction. | |
| Victoria police has established a coronavirus enforcement squad of 500 officers to ensure containment measures are followed. | |
| Yet again Daniel Andrews has flagged “stage three” of a lockdown is coming but without giving clarity around what stage 3 means, how many stages there are, or when the next stage might come. Despite this, Andrews insists he has been clear. | |
| He says: | |
| Compare that with New Zealand, which has published clear definitions for each phase of its response. | |
| Victoria’s treasurer, Tim Pallas, is speaking about how the $1.7bn economic survival package announced one week ago will be rolled out: | Victoria’s treasurer, Tim Pallas, is speaking about how the $1.7bn economic survival package announced one week ago will be rolled out: |
| Victoria’s police minister, Lisa Neville, is now speaking, elaborating on enforcement measures including on-the-spot fines just mentioned by Daniel Andrews: | Victoria’s police minister, Lisa Neville, is now speaking, elaborating on enforcement measures including on-the-spot fines just mentioned by Daniel Andrews: |
| The Victorian premier has just said there are now a total of 685 coronavirus cases in Victoria. That is 111 more since he updated us yesterday. | The Victorian premier has just said there are now a total of 685 coronavirus cases in Victoria. That is 111 more since he updated us yesterday. |
| The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is holding a press conference with the state’s treasurer, Tim Pallas. Andrews is speaking about breaches of isolation rules and measures for returning travellers: | The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is holding a press conference with the state’s treasurer, Tim Pallas. Andrews is speaking about breaches of isolation rules and measures for returning travellers: |
| You may have missed the news which came late yesterday – after 9pm – that the federal government has extended the suspension of mutual obligations until 27 April “to support job seekers through this difficult period”. | You may have missed the news which came late yesterday – after 9pm – that the federal government has extended the suspension of mutual obligations until 27 April “to support job seekers through this difficult period”. |
| The government announced it had suspended mutual obligations on Tuesday and said it would review the decision on Friday. Documents seen by Guardian Australia suggest it did not plan to directly inform jobseekers of this. | The government announced it had suspended mutual obligations on Tuesday and said it would review the decision on Friday. Documents seen by Guardian Australia suggest it did not plan to directly inform jobseekers of this. |
| The employment minister, Michaelia Cash, and the social services minister, Anne Ruston, issued this late night statement: | The employment minister, Michaelia Cash, and the social services minister, Anne Ruston, issued this late night statement: |
| Radio New Zealand reports that the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has “pleaded with the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, to make an exception to the rule that bars many of the 650,000 New Zealanders there from receiving a benefit” for unemployment. | Radio New Zealand reports that the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has “pleaded with the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, to make an exception to the rule that bars many of the 650,000 New Zealanders there from receiving a benefit” for unemployment. |
| Ardern said: | Ardern said: |
| Read the full story here. | Read the full story here. |
| The US president, Donald Trump, has just announced that 100,000 ventilators will be produced in the next 100 days. | The US president, Donald Trump, has just announced that 100,000 ventilators will be produced in the next 100 days. |
| He adds that the airline Boeing has offered the US use of a “very big” plane to distribute medical supplies. | He adds that the airline Boeing has offered the US use of a “very big” plane to distribute medical supplies. |
| Trump says: | Trump says: |
| He’s signed a relief package worth US$2tn. | He’s signed a relief package worth US$2tn. |
| Just looking over to New Zealand for a second where yesterday it was announced there had been 76 new cases in the 24 hours prior, bringing the total to 338. | Just looking over to New Zealand for a second where yesterday it was announced there had been 76 new cases in the 24 hours prior, bringing the total to 338. |
| Associate Prof Arindam Basu, an epidemiologist, wrote this for The Conversation explaining the jump which has come despite the stringent lockdowns the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced from early on. | Associate Prof Arindam Basu, an epidemiologist, wrote this for The Conversation explaining the jump which has come despite the stringent lockdowns the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced from early on. |
| He writes that lessons learned from China and its lockdown revealed: “The number of confirmed cases only reached a plateau at the beginning of March, suggesting that it takes a little over a month for a strict lockdown to take effect.” | He writes that lessons learned from China and its lockdown revealed: “The number of confirmed cases only reached a plateau at the beginning of March, suggesting that it takes a little over a month for a strict lockdown to take effect.” |
| Meanwhile my colleague Kate Lyons has written this lovely piece about how New Zealanders are keeping their spirits up in lockdown. | Meanwhile my colleague Kate Lyons has written this lovely piece about how New Zealanders are keeping their spirits up in lockdown. |
| I have been reporting on the drug hydroxychloroquine, a medicine used in many countries overseas to treat malaria, and in Australia to treat people with serious and often excruciating autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. | I have been reporting on the drug hydroxychloroquine, a medicine used in many countries overseas to treat malaria, and in Australia to treat people with serious and often excruciating autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. |
| The drug is being explored in clinical trials, including ones being run in Australia, as a potential treatment or preventive for Covid-19. I wrote about those clinical trials here including why a massive degree of caution is needed. Clinical trials are important and should be done, but the way hydroxychloroquine has been reported on has led to massive hype about it as a Covid-19 treatment, prompting shortages worldwide, including in Australia. | The drug is being explored in clinical trials, including ones being run in Australia, as a potential treatment or preventive for Covid-19. I wrote about those clinical trials here including why a massive degree of caution is needed. Clinical trials are important and should be done, but the way hydroxychloroquine has been reported on has led to massive hype about it as a Covid-19 treatment, prompting shortages worldwide, including in Australia. |
| There are good reasons media do not normally report on these clinical trials until they are complete and have undergone peer review. Last week the US president, Donald Trump, touted hydroxychloroquine as possibly “one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine”. He also said: “It’s not going to kill anybody.” And he incorrectly announced the drug’s approval had been fast-tracked. Soon afterwards a US man died after he began drinking a form of chloroquine found in fish tank cleaner because he was scared of getting sick. In Nigeria, people have been poisoned attempting to take the drug as a preventive. | There are good reasons media do not normally report on these clinical trials until they are complete and have undergone peer review. Last week the US president, Donald Trump, touted hydroxychloroquine as possibly “one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine”. He also said: “It’s not going to kill anybody.” And he incorrectly announced the drug’s approval had been fast-tracked. Soon afterwards a US man died after he began drinking a form of chloroquine found in fish tank cleaner because he was scared of getting sick. In Nigeria, people have been poisoned attempting to take the drug as a preventive. |
| But now prominent advertisements paid for by the former federal politician Clive Palmer which have run in the Australian and on Facebook have promoted hydroxychloroquine as a potential “cure” for Covid-19. These ads are “ethically immoral” according to Prof Peter Collignon, a former WHO adviser who worked on Australia’s response to the Sars virus. | But now prominent advertisements paid for by the former federal politician Clive Palmer which have run in the Australian and on Facebook have promoted hydroxychloroquine as a potential “cure” for Covid-19. These ads are “ethically immoral” according to Prof Peter Collignon, a former WHO adviser who worked on Australia’s response to the Sars virus. |
| The two-page ad in the Australian states hydroxychloroquine, when combined with another medication, could “wipe out the virus in test tubes”, and Australia’s drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, is now investigating whether the ad breaches drugs advertising rules. | The two-page ad in the Australian states hydroxychloroquine, when combined with another medication, could “wipe out the virus in test tubes”, and Australia’s drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, is now investigating whether the ad breaches drugs advertising rules. |
| The ad says Palmer had agreed to personally fund the acquisition or manufacture of 1m doses “to ensure all Australians would have access to the drug as soon as possible”. | The ad says Palmer had agreed to personally fund the acquisition or manufacture of 1m doses “to ensure all Australians would have access to the drug as soon as possible”. |
| Much of the hype for the drug has been generated by a small French study which, although reported by some media, has since been widely disputed, found to have omitted data, and to contain spurious results. A small but well-conducted study from China found no benefit to chloroquine being given to Covid-19 patients. | Much of the hype for the drug has been generated by a small French study which, although reported by some media, has since been widely disputed, found to have omitted data, and to contain spurious results. A small but well-conducted study from China found no benefit to chloroquine being given to Covid-19 patients. |
| Palmer has not responded to my attempts to reach him for comment. | Palmer has not responded to my attempts to reach him for comment. |
| What a lot changes in a few hours, let alone a week, when it comes to Covid-19. Melissa Davey here, and when I was with you on the liveblog last Saturday, Australia had crossed 1,000 cases by the end of the day. This morning the national total is approaching more than 3,200 cases, and almost half of those are in New South Wales. Thousands have lost their jobs and we are in more stringent lockdown. | What a lot changes in a few hours, let alone a week, when it comes to Covid-19. Melissa Davey here, and when I was with you on the liveblog last Saturday, Australia had crossed 1,000 cases by the end of the day. This morning the national total is approaching more than 3,200 cases, and almost half of those are in New South Wales. Thousands have lost their jobs and we are in more stringent lockdown. |
| A significant amount of spread has come from the Ruby Princess cruise ship – more than 200 cases are linked to that cruise. Yesterday we learned 32 Queenslanders from the ship tested positive to the disease. Meanwhile 162 people in NSW and at least 49 interstate have been diagnosed with Covid-19 after they left the cruise ship, which was allowed to dock twice in Sydney’s Circular Quay this month. | A significant amount of spread has come from the Ruby Princess cruise ship – more than 200 cases are linked to that cruise. Yesterday we learned 32 Queenslanders from the ship tested positive to the disease. Meanwhile 162 people in NSW and at least 49 interstate have been diagnosed with Covid-19 after they left the cruise ship, which was allowed to dock twice in Sydney’s Circular Quay this month. |
| NSW and Victoria are preparing to announce a stricter lockdown than the rest of Australia. In Victoria 22 people are in hospital with the virus, and 574 people have been infected. The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is expected to announce the state will keep only essential service services such as grocery stores, pharmacies, petrol stations and health facilities open. Those two states, with significantly more cases than elsewhere, keep flagging stage 3 of a lockdown, but neither the federal government nor states have revealed how many stages there are or what each stage means. | NSW and Victoria are preparing to announce a stricter lockdown than the rest of Australia. In Victoria 22 people are in hospital with the virus, and 574 people have been infected. The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is expected to announce the state will keep only essential service services such as grocery stores, pharmacies, petrol stations and health facilities open. Those two states, with significantly more cases than elsewhere, keep flagging stage 3 of a lockdown, but neither the federal government nor states have revealed how many stages there are or what each stage means. |
| The imminent state measures come as Berejiklian revealed there were at least 145 Covid-19 cases that appeared to be due to community transmission – they could not be explained by overseas travel or contact with a person that had travelled. | The imminent state measures come as Berejiklian revealed there were at least 145 Covid-19 cases that appeared to be due to community transmission – they could not be explained by overseas travel or contact with a person that had travelled. |
| Queensland, too, has a significant number of cases: more than 550. There are concerns about today’s local government elections which many said should have been postponed. | Queensland, too, has a significant number of cases: more than 550. There are concerns about today’s local government elections which many said should have been postponed. |
| Finally, late last night Myer announced it would stand down 10,000 staff as it closes all its stores from tomorrow. | Finally, late last night Myer announced it would stand down 10,000 staff as it closes all its stores from tomorrow. |
| Internationally, the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, tested positive for Covid-19 – he originally insisted he would keep shaking hands with people, including Covid-19 patients. | Internationally, the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, tested positive for Covid-19 – he originally insisted he would keep shaking hands with people, including Covid-19 patients. |
| Don’t heed advice from Johnson. Keep that distance and flatten the curve. | Don’t heed advice from Johnson. Keep that distance and flatten the curve. |
| Thanks for joining me here. If I miss anything as this story moves rapidly, feel free to email me melissa.davey@theguardian.com or say hi over at Twitter. This is a difficult time. People with sick loved ones interstate and overseas are wondering when they will next get to visit. Thousands have lost their jobs and are facing financial uncertainty. People have lost their businesses and livelihoods. Lives have been lost. So let’s try to keep the interaction and comments kind. We are all bound to get aspects of this rapidly moving situation wrong. | Thanks for joining me here. If I miss anything as this story moves rapidly, feel free to email me melissa.davey@theguardian.com or say hi over at Twitter. This is a difficult time. People with sick loved ones interstate and overseas are wondering when they will next get to visit. Thousands have lost their jobs and are facing financial uncertainty. People have lost their businesses and livelihoods. Lives have been lost. So let’s try to keep the interaction and comments kind. We are all bound to get aspects of this rapidly moving situation wrong. |