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Australia coronavirus update live: Victoria extends state of emergency as travellers fly in from cruise nightmare – latest news Australia coronavirus update live: Victoria extends state of emergency as travellers fly in from cruise nightmare – latest news
(32 minutes later)
Premier Daniel Andrews says state of emergency will be extended for a further four weeks as Australians trapped on Antarctic cruise ship arrive in Melbourne. Follow updates livePremier Daniel Andrews says state of emergency will be extended for a further four weeks as Australians trapped on Antarctic cruise ship arrive in Melbourne. Follow updates live
McGowan says he took his kids camping ... in his backyard ... over Easter because obviously other locations were unavailable.
And that’s the end of the press conference.
“We’ve successfully flattened the curve, but now we’ve got to figure out how to keep it there but also find out a long-term solution to the problem we face,” McGowan says. He says he is working on getting commercial tenancy legislation in parliament this week. He’s not sure whether residential tenancy legislation will be ready this week but it will be brought in when it is.
The former will be brought into WA parliament for debate on Wednesday.
McGowan says he is working with Qantas, and the state government may need to underwrite flights between WA and the eastern states in order to get WA residents back home, or people in WA back east.
McGowan on the low numbers, says the war isn’t won yet, but planning needs to begin on how to recover.
He says Western Australia will be very cautious, but they’re looking all the time at tweaking the restrictions within WA on whether restaurants and cafes and other places can open or close. He says rules will be determined based on medical advice.
He says people have been good with the social distancing, he suggests a lot of the photos of people at beaches are misleading, being shot up the beach to make it look like people are closer than they actually are.
McGowan says the restrictions in the state will be reviewed on a monthly basis but not so much the hard border closure with the rest of the country.
He says of the seven cruise ships near WA, five have passed Fremantle, so he is hopeful they will leave the WA coast soon.
WA premier Mark McGowan announces three new confirmed cases in WA in the metropolitan area. All of the people are from WA, but two were on cruise ships and they are trying to contact trace the third.
It brings the total number of cases in the state to 517, including 68 from cruise ships.
He says 278 are still suffering from the illness, and 38 are in hospital.
Tourism minister Simon Birmingham has told Nine Newspapers Australians should be thinking they’ll first be allowed to holiday within their own state first, and then interstate, and overseas last as the restrictions eventually ease up.
There’s still no timeline on any of this, but it makes sense that the easing of any restrictions would be localised where they can identify and contain cases of community transmission. Slightly harder to do between states, and even more difficult to do with people travelling in and out of the country.
Nine Newspapers is reporting that we could have been a year closer to a vaccine for coronavirus, had an Australian research lab not had its funding cut a few years ago by a US government agency:Nine Newspapers is reporting that we could have been a year closer to a vaccine for coronavirus, had an Australian research lab not had its funding cut a few years ago by a US government agency:
The NT government is advising people if they’re entering the NT by sea, they’ll need to isolate for 14 days.The NT government is advising people if they’re entering the NT by sea, they’ll need to isolate for 14 days.
They must go directly to Darwin Harbour if arriving from overseas, or Nhulunbuy Port or Darwin Harbour if arriving from interstate.They must go directly to Darwin Harbour if arriving from overseas, or Nhulunbuy Port or Darwin Harbour if arriving from interstate.
Unlike other jurisdictions in Australia, although the NT government will select where they’re quarantined, those who enter the territory will have to pay for their accommodation.Unlike other jurisdictions in Australia, although the NT government will select where they’re quarantined, those who enter the territory will have to pay for their accommodation.
Anyone who breaches quarantine will be fined $1,099.Anyone who breaches quarantine will be fined $1,099.
The NSW Poisons Information Centre has reported an increase in calls about poisoning after people (generally children) have ingested hand sanitiser.The NSW Poisons Information Centre has reported an increase in calls about poisoning after people (generally children) have ingested hand sanitiser.
The centre is advising parents to keep hand sanitiser out of reach of children, and to be careful with home-made sanitiser, which can be more poisonous.The centre is advising parents to keep hand sanitiser out of reach of children, and to be careful with home-made sanitiser, which can be more poisonous.
Minor ingestions can be managed at home, but the centre says calling in first is important.Minor ingestions can be managed at home, but the centre says calling in first is important.
Has the coronavirus pandemic made us rethink how much Australia produces?Has the coronavirus pandemic made us rethink how much Australia produces?
Via AAP:Via AAP:
The Queensland government has announced $17m to fund 465 community kindergartens to stay open through term 2 and support around 22,000 children with free kindergarten.
This is on top of the $90m normally provided by the state government every year.
In addition to paying the wages of the 2,754 teachers and educators at the kindergarten, the government will also waive regulation fees.
Andrew Giles, the shadow minister for cities and multicultural affairs, has penned an interesting piece arguing that the Covid-19 shutdowns could be a chance to reboot the national conversation on loneliness because we’re all stuck inside at the same time.First, his statement of the problem:
Giles writes about the fact schools, workplaces, universities, sport, book clubs, nightclubs and aged care facilities are either shut down, operating remotely or under new restrictions limiting physical closeness to others.
And how might it change the conversation? He concludes:
Good afternoon everyone.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has joined the International Monetary Fund in a Covid-19-related role.
Via AAP:
Thanks all. I’m going to hand over to my colleague Josh Taylor now.
We’ve sadly heard of three deaths today, taking the number of people who have died from Covid-19 in Australia to 59.
Please let your remaining Easter Sunday be physically distanced and safe.
The Labor treasury spokesman, Jim Chalmers, has responded to Josh Frydenberg’s warning that his discretion to expand eligibility for the $130bn jobkeeper wage subsidy program is only for “unforeseen circumstances”.
Chalmers told reporters in Brisbane:
Let’s run through where we’re at on Easter Sunday.
Australia has 6,289 confirmed cases and 59 people have died from the virus, 16 of which were passengers on the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
The country’s 57th death, another passenger from that cruise ship, was confirmed this morning in South Australia.
The 58th death was confirmed from Tasmania this morning. A woman in her 70s died.
The nation’s 59th death was announced in NSW – an 82-year-old man died overnight at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Some 112 passengers from the Antarctic cruise ship the Greg Mortimer touched down in Melbourne and, after medical checks, are headed for quarantine. About 16 New Zealanders went straight onto a smaller plane to return home.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg warned it was “very dangerous and unrealistic” to loosen restrictions on movement ahead of medical advice.
Victoria extended its state of emergency for four more weeks, to 11 May.
A drop in testing over the Easter weekend may have influenced the number of new cases being reported today – Victoria reported 3, Qld 12, ACT zero, NSW 7.
Education minister Dan Tehan said costs for short courses in universities and tertiary settings would be cut, and he guaranteed no funding cuts for universities.
AAP reports that an 82-year-old man died at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in NSW overnight, brining the total number of deaths from Covid-19 to 24.
NSW Health acting director Dr Christine Selvey said the man was in contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case and was not linked to the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
There have been no new cases of Covid-19 reported in the ACT, which has 102 confirmed cases – one less than yesterday after further tests on one previously confirmed case.
There are three people in Canberra hospitals and 67 people have recovered and been released from self-isolation. The state has previously confirmed two deaths from the disease.
In a statement, acting ACT chief health officer Dr Vanessa Johnston thanked Canberrans for their efforts in helping flatten the curve. She said:
My colleague Anne Davies also has some information on some changes announced by the NSW government to the way people can get their prescriptions.
To prevent older people from having to leave their homes, doctors will be able to prescribe medicines in NSW via email or fax from April 17.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said under the NSW government changes announced today GPs and nurse practitioners will be able to send a digital image of the prescription. Hazzard said:
Scripts will only be able to be sent by email or fax rather than via text to a pharmacy, to stop potential prescription forgery and diversion to the criminal supply chain.