This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/apr/24/coronavirus-australia-latest-at-a-glance
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Coronavirus Australia latest: 24 April at a glance | |
| (3 days later) | |
| A summary of the major developments in the coronavirus outbreak across Australia | A summary of the major developments in the coronavirus outbreak across Australia |
| Good evening, and welcome to our daily roundup of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in Australia. This is Calla Wahlquist bringing you the main stories on Friday 24 April. | Good evening, and welcome to our daily roundup of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in Australia. This is Calla Wahlquist bringing you the main stories on Friday 24 April. |
| Aged care providers put on notice over restrictions | Aged care providers put on notice over restrictions |
| Scott Morrison has warned aged care providers to loosen restrictions or face stronger regulations that would prevent them from locking down residents without commonwealth approval. The prime minister said aged care providers had previously been told not to restrict residents beyond the measures recommended by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, but despite that warning some homes were not allowing visitors and confining residents to their rooms even when no outbreak had taken place.' | Scott Morrison has warned aged care providers to loosen restrictions or face stronger regulations that would prevent them from locking down residents without commonwealth approval. The prime minister said aged care providers had previously been told not to restrict residents beyond the measures recommended by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, but despite that warning some homes were not allowing visitors and confining residents to their rooms even when no outbreak had taken place.' |
| Morrison said there were reasonable circumstances – such as the outbreak at Newmarch House aged care home in NSW, where five people have died – in which to impose stronger restrictions to protect residents. “But more broadly, having people stuck in their rooms, not being able to be visited by their loved ones and carers and other support people, that’s not OK,” he said. | Morrison said there were reasonable circumstances – such as the outbreak at Newmarch House aged care home in NSW, where five people have died – in which to impose stronger restrictions to protect residents. “But more broadly, having people stuck in their rooms, not being able to be visited by their loved ones and carers and other support people, that’s not OK,” he said. |
| Testing expanded nationally | Testing expanded nationally |
| Every state and territory has now broadened its testing criteria, which is the first of three steps that Morrison said needed to be in place before the national cabinet would consider lifting social distancing restrictions. The other two steps are improved contact tracing and a strengthened local response capability. Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, said arrangements for testing asymptomatic people in frontline occupations were well under way. | Every state and territory has now broadened its testing criteria, which is the first of three steps that Morrison said needed to be in place before the national cabinet would consider lifting social distancing restrictions. The other two steps are improved contact tracing and a strengthened local response capability. Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, said arrangements for testing asymptomatic people in frontline occupations were well under way. |
| It appears likely that restrictions on sport and recreation will be lifted first. The national cabinet on Friday began working on a set of national principles under which professional and community sporting clubs, and individual recreational pursuits, might be allowed to resume. The AFL has said it will announce its season return date next week, while the NRL is still aiming for 28 May. | It appears likely that restrictions on sport and recreation will be lifted first. The national cabinet on Friday began working on a set of national principles under which professional and community sporting clubs, and individual recreational pursuits, might be allowed to resume. The AFL has said it will announce its season return date next week, while the NRL is still aiming for 28 May. |
| Death toll rises to 79 | Death toll rises to 79 |
| Australia recorded just 13 new cases overnight, while the national death toll rose to 79. A 79-year-old woman, who was part of the cluster of cases in north-west Tasmania, died overnight; a passenger from the Artania cruise ship died in hospital in Western Australia; and a fifth resident at Sydney’s Newmarch House aged care facility died on Friday. Health authorities in Victoria, where six new cases were recorded overnight, are investigating a new cluster at a private inpatient psychiatric facility in Melbourne. So far 14 people, including five patients, have tested positive to Covid-19 in relation to this outbreak. | Australia recorded just 13 new cases overnight, while the national death toll rose to 79. A 79-year-old woman, who was part of the cluster of cases in north-west Tasmania, died overnight; a passenger from the Artania cruise ship died in hospital in Western Australia; and a fifth resident at Sydney’s Newmarch House aged care facility died on Friday. Health authorities in Victoria, where six new cases were recorded overnight, are investigating a new cluster at a private inpatient psychiatric facility in Melbourne. So far 14 people, including five patients, have tested positive to Covid-19 in relation to this outbreak. |
| Concerns about US access to tracking data | Concerns about US access to tracking data |
| It will be illegal to access data collected by the proposed contact tracing app for the purpose of anything other than contact tracing, the federal government has said. The data will be housed in an Amazon Web Services server, located in Australia, raising concerns that the US government will be able to access the data because of laws allowing it to access data held by US companies. The government services minister, Stuart Robert, said security would be ensured by the Biosecurity Act, under which it would be a criminal offence to transfer the data to any country other than Australia. | It will be illegal to access data collected by the proposed contact tracing app for the purpose of anything other than contact tracing, the federal government has said. The data will be housed in an Amazon Web Services server, located in Australia, raising concerns that the US government will be able to access the data because of laws allowing it to access data held by US companies. The government services minister, Stuart Robert, said security would be ensured by the Biosecurity Act, under which it would be a criminal offence to transfer the data to any country other than Australia. |
| Virgin Australia planes blocked at Perth airport | Virgin Australia planes blocked at Perth airport |
| Virgin Australia owed $6.8bn to 120,000 creditors went it went into administration on Monday, citing the impact of the coronavirus. Federal court judge John Middleton, who gave the administrators until next Thursday to hold a creditors’ meeting, noted he might himself be a creditor, because he had flights booked with the airline for July and was a member of its lounge club. Meanwhile at Perth airport, Virgin planes have been parked in because the airline owes $16m in airfield and terminal use fees. The airport said blocking planes in was “standard practice”. | Virgin Australia owed $6.8bn to 120,000 creditors went it went into administration on Monday, citing the impact of the coronavirus. Federal court judge John Middleton, who gave the administrators until next Thursday to hold a creditors’ meeting, noted he might himself be a creditor, because he had flights booked with the airline for July and was a member of its lounge club. Meanwhile at Perth airport, Virgin planes have been parked in because the airline owes $16m in airfield and terminal use fees. The airport said blocking planes in was “standard practice”. |
| Fight over schools continues | Fight over schools continues |
| The federal government is pushing for schools to reopen, with Morrison stressing that there is no requirement under the national health advice for classrooms to ensure students remain 1.5m apart, with four square metres per child, at all times. But the states have all adopted different positions. Public schools in Western Australia will offer face-to-face teaching from Monday, and the WA premier Mark McGowan said parents of independent and Catholic schools that had not resumed face-to-face teaching should request a discount on their school fees. | The federal government is pushing for schools to reopen, with Morrison stressing that there is no requirement under the national health advice for classrooms to ensure students remain 1.5m apart, with four square metres per child, at all times. But the states have all adopted different positions. Public schools in Western Australia will offer face-to-face teaching from Monday, and the WA premier Mark McGowan said parents of independent and Catholic schools that had not resumed face-to-face teaching should request a discount on their school fees. |
| What you need to know: get the most important information from some of our key explainers | What you need to know: get the most important information from some of our key explainers |
| Should I access my super early during the coronavirus? | Should I access my super early during the coronavirus? |
| Australia’s coronavirus lockdown rules explained: can I still visit my partner and other questions | Australia’s coronavirus lockdown rules explained: can I still visit my partner and other questions |
| Coronavirus Australia maps and cases: live numbers and statistics | Coronavirus Australia maps and cases: live numbers and statistics |
| Australia’s strict new coronavirus social distancing rules explained: state by state guidelines | Australia’s strict new coronavirus social distancing rules explained: state by state guidelines |
| Virgin Australia: what does voluntary administration mean and how will it affect you? | Virgin Australia: what does voluntary administration mean and how will it affect you? |
| How the coronavirus contact tracing app will work | How the coronavirus contact tracing app will work |
| Jobkeeper payment: check your eligibility. Here’s everything you need to know to register | Jobkeeper payment: check your eligibility. Here’s everything you need to know to register |
| Free childcare: what do the Australian government’s coronavirus changes mean for my family? | Free childcare: what do the Australian government’s coronavirus changes mean for my family? |
| Am I eligible for the jobkeeper payment? Here’s everything you need to know to register | Am I eligible for the jobkeeper payment? Here’s everything you need to know to register |
| Groceries, telehealth and pharmaceuticals: how older Australians can get help at home | Groceries, telehealth and pharmaceuticals: how older Australians can get help at home |
| Have I already had coronavirus? How would I know and what should I do? | Have I already had coronavirus? How would I know and what should I do? |
| Dangerous cures and viral hoaxes: common coronavirus myths busted | Dangerous cures and viral hoaxes: common coronavirus myths busted |
| What happens to people’s lungs when they get coronavirus? | What happens to people’s lungs when they get coronavirus? |
| Coronavirus vaccine: when will it be ready? | Coronavirus vaccine: when will it be ready? |
| How long does coronavirus live on different surfaces? | How long does coronavirus live on different surfaces? |
| Who is most at risk of contracting coronavirus? | Who is most at risk of contracting coronavirus? |
| How ventilators work and why they are so important in saving people with coronavirus | How ventilators work and why they are so important in saving people with coronavirus |
| Coronavirus key questions: everything you need to know | Coronavirus key questions: everything you need to know |
| Looking for more coverage? Read the latest news from across the Guardian’s global network. | Looking for more coverage? Read the latest news from across the Guardian’s global network. |
Previous version
1
Next version