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Australia coronavirus live: fresh privacy concerns raised over contact-tracing app – latest updates Australia coronavirus live: health minister backs calls for global investigation into Covid-19 spread – latest updates
(32 minutes later)
Despite government reassurances that privacy will be protected on the government app, some Liberal MPs say they won’t download it. Follow all the latest news, live Greg Hunt supports foreign affairs minister Marise Payne’s call for an independent review that must not be run by WHO as fresh privacy concerns raised over government’s contact-tracing app. Follow the latest news live
Some housekeeping:
This morning, we briefly reported that the national Covid-19 death toll was 70. It is actually 69.
The mistake occurred because Queensland counts the death of any Queenslanders in its figures but two of those deaths have occurred in New South Wales and are counted there. On Saturday, both New South Wales and Queensland recorded deaths for the same person, an 83-year-old man who passed away in New South Wales after recently returning from the Celebrity Eclipse, an overseas cruise ship that docked in San Diego.
On the government’s Covid-19 tracing app, Hunt is asked whether any rollback of lockdown measures will be affected if the government fails to meet its target of having 40% of the population download the app.
Greg Hunt backs foreign affairs minister Marise Payne’s call for an independent review of the global response to Covid-19, including the role of the World Health Organisation. He also takes a swipe at the WHO’s handling of the crisis in the process.
Federal health minister Greg Hunt is speaking in Victoria. He says national cabinet will meet this week to discuss the resumption of elective surgery and IVF treatments after a boost of PPE supply.
Hunt announced Australia has received a shipment of 60 million masks two weeks earlier than expected, which “opens up the possibility of elective surgery and in particular, IVF, recommencing at an earlier date than had previously been thought possible”.
National cabinet is meeting on Tuesday and Thursday.
“The elective surgery decision was made on two grounds, one was PPE, of which masks were critical [and] the second was the concern that if the coronavirus had grown dramatically, our hospitals would have been under intense pressure.
“At this point, Australians have done magnificently and we are not facing a threat to our hospitals, now it is about securing the master and PPE and today is an important part of that and laying the foundation for this week on the road out.”Hunt says there are currently 6,586 cases of Covid-19 in Australia. Of those, 185 are in hospitals, 51 in ICU, 33 on ventilation.The rate of increase of new cases has been less than 1% for seven consecutive days.
News Corp is reporting that a woman who was forcibly quarantined at a Sydney hotel after returning from overseas tested positive for coronavirus immediately after being cleared for release.
News.com.au reports the woman, in her 20s, felt “weird” and suspected she had been infected with Covid-19 on her travels, but was refused access to testing while in police lockdown.
The woman said she had no contact with healthcare workers until she was contacted by a nurse in the second week of her quarantine. She told the nurse she was experiencing mild symptoms but was told she didn’t need to be inspected further.
After she left quarantine she arranged to be tested and received a positive result.
Health experts have expressed concerns about Australia’s policy of forcing returning travellers to quarantine inside hotels. One Sydney doctor who has been treating returned travellers ordered into forced hotel isolation in NSW told the Guardian the situation was a “disaster” and said people are in conditions “worse than prison”.
In Western Australia an investigation was launched after a man ended up in an induced coma in intensive care despite his wife allegedly calling for a doctor nearly nine hours before he was admitted to hospital.
Speaking on the ABC right now Sydney Kings star Andrew Bogut says he wouldn’t want to return to playing in the near future, saying it could set the wrong example while Australians were still locked down in their homes.Speaking on the ABC right now Sydney Kings star Andrew Bogut says he wouldn’t want to return to playing in the near future, saying it could set the wrong example while Australians were still locked down in their homes.
Victoria police issued 65 fines for breaches of public health orders in the past 24 hours. Victoria have issued more than 1,000 fines since the lockdown rules came into place, far more than any other state. Since 21 March, police in Victoria have conducted a total of 24,102 spot checks of homes and businesses.Victoria police issued 65 fines for breaches of public health orders in the past 24 hours. Victoria have issued more than 1,000 fines since the lockdown rules came into place, far more than any other state. Since 21 March, police in Victoria have conducted a total of 24,102 spot checks of homes and businesses.
AAP reports that flu vaccine manufacturing is being ramped up this season in the hope higher public immunity to influenza will free up hospitals to focus on coronavirus.AAP reports that flu vaccine manufacturing is being ramped up this season in the hope higher public immunity to influenza will free up hospitals to focus on coronavirus.
Melbourne manufacturer Seqirus has partnered with the federal government to make an additional two million influenza vaccines for the 2020 flu season, with nine million vaccines in total to be distributed across the country.Melbourne manufacturer Seqirus has partnered with the federal government to make an additional two million influenza vaccines for the 2020 flu season, with nine million vaccines in total to be distributed across the country.
The company says there is already strong early demand for flu vaccines.The company says there is already strong early demand for flu vaccines.
“This is a positive trend, because we know that flu vaccination programs will be more important than ever due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Seqirus executive director Danielle Dowell told AAP.“This is a positive trend, because we know that flu vaccination programs will be more important than ever due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Seqirus executive director Danielle Dowell told AAP.
The additional vaccines will be available through GP clinics, pharmacies and immunisation providers.The additional vaccines will be available through GP clinics, pharmacies and immunisation providers.
Of Australians stranded overseas, Payne says that three flights returned from the Philippines this morning landing in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. She calls it “a mammoth effort”.Of Australians stranded overseas, Payne says that three flights returned from the Philippines this morning landing in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. She calls it “a mammoth effort”.
She says the government is working on further flights from India, where there are more than 6,000 Australians who have registered with the high commission there who want to come home.She says the government is working on further flights from India, where there are more than 6,000 Australians who have registered with the high commission there who want to come home.
Payne says it was “regrettable” that an Australian air force plane which was delivering supplies to Vanuatu after Cyclone Harold was unable to land because a Chinese plane would not move from the runway.Payne says it was “regrettable” that an Australian air force plane which was delivering supplies to Vanuatu after Cyclone Harold was unable to land because a Chinese plane would not move from the runway.
Speers asks Payne whether the Chinese plane had “deliberately” tried to prevent Australia from landing.Speers asks Payne whether the Chinese plane had “deliberately” tried to prevent Australia from landing.
Payne says relationships between Australia and China “will be changed in some ways”.
Speers asks her whether the government’s trust in China has been “eroded” by the crisis. She says the government “would be very clear that we believe transparency is essential”.
Pressed for an answer, Payne finally says: “I trust China in terms of the work that we need to do together.”
David Speers is interviewing foreign affairs minister Marise Payne on Insiders. He asks her “what questions” she’d like China to answer about the origins of Covid-19, after ministers including Peter Dutton have criticised China’s handling of the virus in recent days.
She says she wants to see a global independent review, and “transparency” from all countries.
She says it wouldn’t be appropriate for the World Health Organisation to run such a review. Payne says the government shares “concerns” about the WHO’s handling of the virus.
Anglicare have released a statement following the death of a 93-year-old resident yesterday.
In a statement the Anglicare CEO Grant Millard said the man had “multiple health issues” along with his positive Covid-19 diagnosis.
Millard said Nepean hospital had established a “hospital in the home” which would mean all residents who have tested Covid-19 positive in Newmarch will still be cared for in the home, but with “access to hospital resources and with oversight by hospital specialists in infectious diseases, as if in the hospital setting”.
The aged care facility has seen a major outbreak after a staff member worked for six days without knowing she had the virus.
Foreign affairs minister Marise Payne will join David Speers on the ABC’s Insiders this morning. I’ll bring you any highlights from the interview.
What does the road out of lockdown look like? My colleague Ben Doherty has looked to what overseas countries are doing as a guide to how an exit strategy might look.
Don’t get too excited though: the Nine newspapers this morning quote Peter Collignon, a professor of microbiology at the Australian National University, saying he doesn’t expect pubs to be open until September.
The New South Wales government has announced an additional $25m to help fast-track research and clinical trials aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19.
The funds are part of about $800m in extra health funding allocated by the government to bolster the health system last month.
NSW health minister Brad Hazzard said the funding would be directed to research on:
accurate and timely diagnosis of Covid-19;
support conducting Covid-19 clinical trials including vaccine trials;
monitoring, developing and evaluating strategies to slow community transmission;
developing and evaluating treatments for Covid-19.
Andrews also said during that interview that he expected Victorian schools to remain closed throughout term 2.
That’s despite calls from Scott Morrison for schools to reopen as soon as possible, and NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian’s decision to have students return via a roster.
Andrews said it was “common sense” that students being at school would contribute to the spread of the virus.
“The Victorian chief health officer has a very firm view (that schools should be closed),” he told Sky.
“[But] if we were continuing to see very stable numbers … then of course we would always reserve the right to look at those restrictions.”
Victoria has recorded its 15th death overnight, the premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed.
Speaking on Sky News, Andrews said a man in his 80s died overnight in hospital. Andrews said the state had recorded nine new cases overnight.
As the prime minister, Scott Morrison, urges Australians to download its new Covid-19 tracing app it appears some MPs aren’t so keen.
The Nine newspapers are reporting former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce is refusing to download the app. He’s quoted this morning as saying: “I treasure the government knowing as little about me as possible”. Others including the Labor MP Julian Hill told the paper he was not inclined to download it, but “may be persuaded” if privacy concerns were addressed.
Morrison has said the app will not be mandatory, but the government wants more than 40% of Australians to download it to increase its effectiveness. On Saturday the government services minister, Stuart Robert, said there would be no surveillance, geo-location or tracking in the app.
Good morning, it’s 19 April. Welcome to today’s live coverage of all things Covid-19.
Here’s a quick wrap of what we learned yesterday:
Australia recorded four new Covid-19 deaths. Three were in New South Wales; a 58-year-old woman, an 83-year-old Queensland man who died in Sydney and a 93-year-old man who was a resident of Newmarch House, an aged care facility where there has been an outbreak of the virus. A 74-year-old man also died in Tasmania’s Mersey hospital.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, said the government’s coronavirus contact tracing app would not be compulsory. The government services minister, Stuart Robert, said the app would not be a surveillance device.
The Artania cruise ship departed Western Australia with 300 crew and 11 passengers on board.
The Queensland government has offered $200m to struggling airline Virgin Australia, but with a number of conditions, including that the company keeps its headquarters in Brisbane.
The deputy chief medical officer said as growth in new infections slowed, Australia needed to expand its testing regime to make it more proactive, rather than waiting for cases to present at hospitals and medical practices.