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| Australia coronavirus live updates: Rudd slams Trump's 'lunatic' WHO decision as national cabinet to meet – latest news | Australia coronavirus live updates: Rudd slams Trump's 'lunatic' WHO decision as national cabinet to meet – latest news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| State and federal leaders will discuss Australian school attendance at Thursday’s meeting. Follow all the latest news, live | State and federal leaders will discuss Australian school attendance at Thursday’s meeting. Follow all the latest news, live |
| Marise Payne is continuing diplomatic talks to get Australians stranded around the world, back home. | |
| Talks with the States have focused on stop overs. Which has been a very important part of the puzzle in the repatriations, given all the border closures. | |
| Just two Queenslanders tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday – and the health minister Steven Miles says the state has maintained its high level of testing. | |
| That brings Queensland’s cases to 1001. | |
| NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant says the state is moving towards anyone in with mild symptoms being eligible for covid-19 testing. | |
| “We will get to the point where the general population needs to get tested,” she said. | |
| “As I’ve indicated the disease can often be very mild, so I would also like to extend my appreciation for those that have heard the message and actually come forward with often very minimal symptoms that actually helps us with containment and identifying those clusters,” | |
| There are now large areas in Sydney and across regional NSW where testing is available for any symptomatic person. Premier Gladys Berejiklian today urged everyone who interacts people a large number of people as part of their work, and are experiencing symptoms to get tested. This appears to be an extension of current guidelines. | |
| “I stress, if you happen to work in any industry where you’re in contact with a lot of people especially if you’re looking after vulnerable people, please do not hesitate to come forward and get tested, even if you don’t live in those suburbs that you’ve identified” | |
| The March unemployment figures are due in about an hour. | |
| But the bad news keeps coming – Crown resorts have now stood down the vast majority of its workforce. | |
| As AAP reports: | |
| Crown Resorts has stood down 11,500 of its employees because of the coronavirus restrictions affecting its casinos in Melbourne and Perth, but it still will pay shareholders their interim dividend. | |
| The gaming company said it had made an ex gratia payment of two week’s salary to full-time and part-time workers and given $1,000 to eligible casual workers, while chief executive Ken Barton and other senior managers have taken a 20 per cent temporary pay cut. | |
| Crown said it was in a strong financial position, with about $500 million in cash and the ability to borrow more than $1 billion. | |
| It will pay its interim dividend on Friday. | |
| At 1015 AEDT on Thursday, Crown shares were down 2.4 per cent to $8.06, in line with the broader market. | |
| It is Victorian health minister o’clock. | |
| Jenny Mikakos says Victoria’s preparations to boost its health system capacity are coming along nicely. | |
| World Vision acting CEO Graham Strong has also slammed the US decision to defund the World Health Organisation, saying the impact to developing nations will be huge. | |
| “This is the worst possible time to cut funding [to WHO] because we don’t know the potential impact of COVID-19 in low-developing and vulnerable communities that don’t have thecircumstances for people to socially-distance, or provide adequate health support to their people. | |
| “WHO provides the vital [health cluster] mechanism that is needed to respond to such crises. | |
| “Any cut to funding will limit the humanitarian community providing what is needed on theground to combat the worst pandemic in a century, COVID-19. | |
| “And bear in mind, WHO isn’t just dealing with COVID-19, but a range of other diseases, such as polio, measles, malaria, Ebola, HIV, TB, malnutrition, cancer, diabetes and mental health, among others.” | |
| Gladys Berejiklian, speaking on the Anglicare Newmarch aged care outbreak, which has now seen nine residents and six employees infected, says the staff member who was first diagnosed as being Covid-19 positive did “nothing wrong”. | |
| The woman was not believed to have been displaying symptoms and got tested after learning she had been in contact with someone who was Covid-19. | |
| The NSW premier says the worker is very upset over her inadvertent role and did everything right. | |
| A reminder that the virus continues to impact people in different ways, which is why any lifting of restrictions has to be done carefully and in a controlled way. | |
| While authorities have been rightly concentrating on public health risks, they are also attempting to keep an eye on mental health, with both federal and individual state packages designed to let people know they are not alone in feeling a particular way – isolation is particularly difficult for people who may have an anxiety disorder, or who are living alone, blocked from the usual social supports that help keep their mental health afloat. | |
| There are services, such as Beyond Blue, which can help. | |
| There is also an online school mental health program available at Open Parachute, for anyone with teens who might need some more guidance. | |
| You can also see your doctor via a teleconference appointment if you don’t want to head into a physical office. | |
| The ADF is part of the clean-up of the Tasmanian north-west hospitals that have been closed because of Covid-19 cluster. | |
| Two hospitals have been closed, and won’t be reopened until they have been specially decontaminated. | |
| That is still expected to take some time. | That is still expected to take some time. |
| Little bits and pieces of other news are beginning to make their way back into the public consciousness, including the journalist Annika Smethurst’s high court case, which found the warrant used to raid her home was invalid, but was split on what the AFP could do with the materials it seized. | |
| (Paul Karp has covered the case here.) | |
| The Law Council of Australia has responded to the case outcome, rightly pointing out the issues with Australia’s public interest journalism protections: | The Law Council of Australia has responded to the case outcome, rightly pointing out the issues with Australia’s public interest journalism protections: |
| Pauline Wright: | Pauline Wright: |
| Shares in Virgin Australia have been suspended from trade as the grounded airline desperately seeks a bailout. | Shares in Virgin Australia have been suspended from trade as the grounded airline desperately seeks a bailout. |
| The stock went into a trading halt two days ago but has so far been unable to secure a lifeline amid furious political debate over whether it should be rescued by the government. | The stock went into a trading halt two days ago but has so far been unable to secure a lifeline amid furious political debate over whether it should be rescued by the government. |
| “Whilst this consideration and these discussions have continued over the last two days including discussions which remain confidential and are incomplete, the company is not presently in a position to make an announcement to the market with respect to these matters,” Virgin Australia told the exchange on Thursday morning. | “Whilst this consideration and these discussions have continued over the last two days including discussions which remain confidential and are incomplete, the company is not presently in a position to make an announcement to the market with respect to these matters,” Virgin Australia told the exchange on Thursday morning. |
| As Guardian Australia has reported, options under consideration include putting the company into administration. | As Guardian Australia has reported, options under consideration include putting the company into administration. |
| Most of these seem legit to me. But I’m not a cop. Just the daughter of one, which means I’ve trotted most of these out whenever I was caught sneaking out of the house. | Most of these seem legit to me. But I’m not a cop. Just the daughter of one, which means I’ve trotted most of these out whenever I was caught sneaking out of the house. |
| Peter Gutwein says Tasmanian schools will be open after the Easter break but it is the same story – schools are open but at-home learning is available. | Peter Gutwein says Tasmanian schools will be open after the Easter break but it is the same story – schools are open but at-home learning is available. |
| It is Tasmanian premier press conference o’clock. | It is Tasmanian premier press conference o’clock. |
| Peter Gutwein says four more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state’s north-west. | Peter Gutwein says four more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state’s north-west. |
| He says he has been “shocked” by social media comments criticising north-west health workers, and tells people to cut it out. | He says he has been “shocked” by social media comments criticising north-west health workers, and tells people to cut it out. |
| That would be the rumour that the north-west outbreak came after health workers attended what Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, described as an “illegal dinner party”. | That would be the rumour that the north-west outbreak came after health workers attended what Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, described as an “illegal dinner party”. |
| But Gutwein says there has been no evidence in the contract tracing that any such dinner party occurred and Murphy apologised for passing on the rumour. | But Gutwein says there has been no evidence in the contract tracing that any such dinner party occurred and Murphy apologised for passing on the rumour. |
| The story seems to have become a part of an urban legend and Gutwein has spent a big chunk of last week and this one debunking it. | The story seems to have become a part of an urban legend and Gutwein has spent a big chunk of last week and this one debunking it. |
| Peter Dutton told 2GB last week there is an AFP taskforce which is meant to be looking into attempts to defraud the government’s stimulus payments. | Peter Dutton told 2GB last week there is an AFP taskforce which is meant to be looking into attempts to defraud the government’s stimulus payments. |
| The AFP couldn’t tell us anything about the taskforce, other than it is talking to other agencies, but surely this would be covered? | The AFP couldn’t tell us anything about the taskforce, other than it is talking to other agencies, but surely this would be covered? |
| The corporate regulator says it intervened to stop the corporate bookie Sportsbet offering bets on the stock exchange because of “concerns that the bets constituted a financial product that Sportsbet was not licensed to offer”.“The product was consequently withdrawn,” the Australian Securities and Investments Commission said this morning.This appears to conflict with Sportsbet’s previously reported reasons for pulling the bets – a fortnight ago Nine Newspapers said the company blamed a “lack of interest”. Sportsbet had offered the bets in an attempt to fill the gap left by professional sports being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.Asic said: “Sportsbet identified to ASIC challenges in implementing its control framework in the current environment, with many staff working remotely.” It warned companies that they needed to make sure their compliance frameworks could cope with the crisis. | The corporate regulator says it intervened to stop the corporate bookie Sportsbet offering bets on the stock exchange because of “concerns that the bets constituted a financial product that Sportsbet was not licensed to offer”.“The product was consequently withdrawn,” the Australian Securities and Investments Commission said this morning.This appears to conflict with Sportsbet’s previously reported reasons for pulling the bets – a fortnight ago Nine Newspapers said the company blamed a “lack of interest”. Sportsbet had offered the bets in an attempt to fill the gap left by professional sports being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.Asic said: “Sportsbet identified to ASIC challenges in implementing its control framework in the current environment, with many staff working remotely.” It warned companies that they needed to make sure their compliance frameworks could cope with the crisis. |
| In other coronavirus business news, Australia’s fifth-biggest bank, Bendigo and Adelaide, withdrew its profit forecast, and the toll road operator Transurban said traffic volumes were down 5% or 6% in the three months to the end of March. | In other coronavirus business news, Australia’s fifth-biggest bank, Bendigo and Adelaide, withdrew its profit forecast, and the toll road operator Transurban said traffic volumes were down 5% or 6% in the three months to the end of March. |
| So the message for schools across the country is mostly the same as it was for the end of term one. | So the message for schools across the country is mostly the same as it was for the end of term one. |
| If you are able to keep your kids at home, you can do so. If you can’t, you can send them on-site. | If you are able to keep your kids at home, you can do so. If you can’t, you can send them on-site. |
| This will be the message until at least the middle of term two. | This will be the message until at least the middle of term two. |
| James Merlino echoes Daniel Andrews from yesterday, that the schools are safe – which is why they are all open – but that having 1 million students return to school, including having their parents gathering outside schools for drop off and pick up, goes against the Victorian health advice. | James Merlino echoes Daniel Andrews from yesterday, that the schools are safe – which is why they are all open – but that having 1 million students return to school, including having their parents gathering outside schools for drop off and pick up, goes against the Victorian health advice. |
| Victoria’s education minister, James Merlino, says school attendance at government schools was 3% yesterday, which was the first day of term two. | Victoria’s education minister, James Merlino, says school attendance at government schools was 3% yesterday, which was the first day of term two. |