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Australia coronavirus update latest: Queensland to relax some restrictions from Friday midnight – live news Australia coronavirus update latest: Queensland to relax some restrictions from Friday midnight – live news
(32 minutes later)
Rescue flight from Argentina returns Australian and New Zealand travellers stranded in South America since the outbreak. Follow liveRescue flight from Argentina returns Australian and New Zealand travellers stranded in South America since the outbreak. Follow live
And this is where I leave you.
Luke Henriques-Gomes is going to take the blog from here.
Thanks very much for your time and, as always, please don’t consume any bleach.
Of course if you’re Kerry Stokes, then you get to avoid hotel quarantine altogether.
My colleague, Matilda Boseley, has an update on a man who became seriously ill while in hotel quarantine in Perth.
From Matilda:
The 71-year-old man who was placed in an induced coma after allegedly waiting up to nine hours for medical treatment in Perth hotel quarantine has begun the road to recovery. Ken Watson’s wife Kathleen said he was taken out of his coma a week ago and no longer requires a ventilator to breathe.
“They have got him off the oxygen, which is a really good step,” Kathleen said.
“The next step is to get him to a rehabilitation centre somewhere in Perth … we are originally from the NSW central coast so he needs to get well enough to get on a plane and get home.”
Kathleen was admitted to the hospital at the same time. She was released after a week and was returned to the hotel to complete her quarantine.
Originally doctors suggested Ken may be in the coma for a number of months and were unsure if he would recover. You can read the Guardian’s full report on the story here.
Peter Dutton is the minister for home affairs, which means he looks after things like, say, whether big cruise ships (with potentially hundreds of coronavirus cases) are allowed to dock.
He is not the minister for foreign affairs, which means he doesn’t really have a role in the business of geopolitical posturing.
And in completely unrelated news, here below is the latest yarn from AAP:
Home affairs minister Peter Dutton is standing firm on the need for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus in China, even as the Asian giant accused Australia of playing “political games”.
Foreign minister Marise Payne raised the idea of an international inquiry a week ago, calling for greater transparency on how Covid-19 originated and how it was subsequently handled.
“We want more transparency within the communist party of China in the way they have dealt with this virus issue,” Mr Dutton told Sky News on Sunday.
“If not just to understand how we can defeat this threat into the future when you have got these wildlife wet markets where the flu may have originated from.”
He said there needs to be reassurance globally this is not going to happen again in 12 months or two years time.
“We need a level of reassurance that’s not there at the moment,” he said.
But China has hit back, describing the independent review proposed by Australia as “political manoeuvring”.
“At such a critical juncture, it is highly irresponsible to resort to politically motivated suspicion and accusation,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement to various media outlets.
“We advise the Australian side to put aside ideological bias and political games, focus on the welfare of the Australian people and global public health security, follow the international community’s collective will for cooperation, and contribute to the global cooperation in fighting the virus, instead of doing things to the contrary.”
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant says the new death in NSW is an 82-year-old male resident of the Newmarch House aged care facility.NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant says the new death in NSW is an 82-year-old male resident of the Newmarch House aged care facility.
She also spoke about a worker at the Boddington aged care facility, at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, who has been diagnosed with Covid-19. She also spoke about a worker at the Boddington aged care facility at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, who has been diagnosed with Covid-19.
Chant said:Chant said:
Brad Hazzard says a medical practitioner at Nepean hospital is among the new cases in NSW.Brad Hazzard says a medical practitioner at Nepean hospital is among the new cases in NSW.
And NSW health minister Brad Hazzard confirms there has been another death in NSW as well.And NSW health minister Brad Hazzard confirms there has been another death in NSW as well.
AAP reports that Victoria has recorded one new death from coronavirus overnight.AAP reports that Victoria has recorded one new death from coronavirus overnight.
Health minister Jenny Mikakos says a man in his 90s died in hospital, bringing the state’s total deaths to 17.Health minister Jenny Mikakos says a man in his 90s died in hospital, bringing the state’s total deaths to 17.
The state’s total coronavirus cases now stand at 1,349, an increase of three since Saturday, one of which is a patient at a private psychiatric facility that has had a cluster of infections.The state’s total coronavirus cases now stand at 1,349, an increase of three since Saturday, one of which is a patient at a private psychiatric facility that has had a cluster of infections.
Currently in Victoria there are 21 people in hospital, including 10 patients in intensive care. A further 1,265 people have recovered and more than 101,000 tests have been completed.Currently in Victoria there are 21 people in hospital, including 10 patients in intensive care. A further 1,265 people have recovered and more than 101,000 tests have been completed.
The NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard, is up. He says there are eight new coronavirus cases in the state.The NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard, is up. He says there are eight new coronavirus cases in the state.
The inimitable Amy Remeikis reports this morning on the upcoming launch of the federal government’s coronavirus tracing app.The inimitable Amy Remeikis reports this morning on the upcoming launch of the federal government’s coronavirus tracing app.
Kim Jong-un watch: The whole “where is Kim Jong-un?” thing is getting quite a bit of online traction.Kim Jong-un watch: The whole “where is Kim Jong-un?” thing is getting quite a bit of online traction.
In this report by Reuters, we learn that what is possibly the Korean supreme leader’s train has maybe been spotted at a resort town.In this report by Reuters, we learn that what is possibly the Korean supreme leader’s train has maybe been spotted at a resort town.
Remarkably, analysts looking at satellite photos think this because the train is parked at a “leadership station”, which is like the equivalent of an executive parking space, but for trains.Remarkably, analysts looking at satellite photos think this because the train is parked at a “leadership station”, which is like the equivalent of an executive parking space, but for trains.
Does this mean he is on death’s door?Does this mean he is on death’s door?
The short version: we don’t know.The short version: we don’t know.
“The train’s presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country’s eastern coast,” the report by a North Korean monitoring project said.“The train’s presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country’s eastern coast,” the report by a North Korean monitoring project said.
Has to be stressed, the Queensland announcement doesn’t come into force until NEXT weekend.Has to be stressed, the Queensland announcement doesn’t come into force until NEXT weekend.
So to be clear, don’t go shoe shopping until Saturday, May 2.So to be clear, don’t go shoe shopping until Saturday, May 2.
After that, you can head to your local Julius Marlow stockist.After that, you can head to your local Julius Marlow stockist.
Steven Miles, the Queensland health minister, says the changes will be monitored.
Queensland has announced “a very minor easing” of its restrictions.
The premier, Annastacia Palaszuczk, says she “will not hesitate to clamp back down” if people begin to hold mass gatherings or take advantage of the changes.
Queensland will allow some forms of recreation, such as:
Going for a drive (within 50km of home)
Picnics (limited to groups of two, or people from the same household)
Shopping for non-essential items like clothes and shoes
Some national park areas will be reopened
The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, is speaking now.
She says three new cases reported in the state overnight.
She says from next Friday Queensland will lift some of the stay at home restrictions.
From the AAP newswire:
The prime minister says Australia is on the road back from the impact of COVID-19, but Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warns people not to be complacent.
Scott Morrison believes Australia is on the “road back” from tackling the coronavirus with some restrictions starting to lift.
The prime minister pointed to the reopening of elective surgery, schools starting to come back and says it won’t be long before some businesses are opening again
“We are definitely on the road back now,” the prime minister told ABC radio on Sunday.
“We’ll try and get back to some type of normal.”
However, he said until there is a vaccine for COVID-19, social distancing will remain in place and Australians need to make hand hygiene instinctive.
“There has never been more effort in finding a vaccine for this virus and we are hopeful that might mean they get a break through than otherwise might be the case,” he said.
The number of coronavirus cases, at around 6700, is small by international standards and is rising at an extremely slow rate compared to a few weeks ago.
However, the death toll rose to 81 after an 83-year-old man, who resided at Newmarch House in Caddens, NSW died on Saturday, operator Anglicare Sydney said.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton again warned Australians not to become complacent in trying to contain the virus, but concedes there is a level of frustration among people who want to get out and enjoy the good weather before winter starts.
“But we need to very careful here, we have seen what has happened in Singapore and other jurisdictions at the moment where the second wave has taken place,” Mr Dutton told Sky News.
“We want to make sure we can continue the success we have got.”The re-opening of schools remains a contentious issue between the federal and states and territory governments.
However, a study by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance here has found no evidence students at NSW schools have infected staff with COVID-19.
“Our investigation found no evidence of children infecting teachers,” the chief investigator Professor Kristine Macartney told The Sun-Herald.
“We have seen an extraordinarily low rate of transmissions in schools,” Prof Macartney said.
The picture in this piece is utterly amazing.
And in remarkable news, it seems Donald Trump is scaling back his incoherent, rambling, press-baiting daily briefings after suggesting that injections of disinfectant could be used to treat coronavirus.
For absolute clarity, disinfectant should not be ingested, injected or put inside your body via any means. Please don’t do that.
The question about whether kids and teachers go back to school is looming as a brawl that will escalate in the coming week.Two Labor-led states in particular, Queensland and Victoria, are on a different page of the textbook to the federal government, which wants schools to be open.
In Victoria, the state opposition has begun to grumble about the extended remote learning arrangements.
The education minister, James Merlino, says it is following the advice of health experts and keeping schools closed.
In Queensland, independent schools have written to the premier, Annastacia Palszczuk, saying they want to reopen for Year 11 and 12 students.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is today launching a nationwide campaign to make sure people don’t neglect health concerns while we’re all in lockdown.
The key message is that your GP is still available, and that you really, really need to still seek medical advice, even during the lockdown. Doctors are doing consultations by video-conferencing platforms, telephone and, in some cases, face-to-face.
The RACGP president, Dr Harry Nespolon, said that in these difficult times, people still needed to take care of their health and wellbeing.
Also, don’t inject yourself with disinfectant. Please.
Now that Insiders (and that bloody cringeworthy Tony Burke AC/DC segment) is finished, here’s another Sunday morning read, this time from my colleague Melissa Davey, who has taken an in-depth look at the coronavirus outbreak in Tasmania’s north-west.