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| Coronavirus Australia update latest: Tasmanian police find no evidence health workers held 'illegal dinner party' that spread Covid-19 – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A police investigation has found no evidence health workers in northwest Tasmania held an ‘illegal dinner party’ that contributed to Covid-19 spread. This blog is now closed | |
| We will wrap up this Australian live coverage now. Thank you for your company and correspondence. | |
| We will return tomorrow as this country, and this world, continues to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic. | |
| All of you, stay well, and stay safe. | |
| As of tonight: | |
| The global death toll from Covid-19 has surpassed 206,000. | |
| There are more than 2.9m confirmed cases worldwide, more than 861,000 people have recovered. | |
| Australia recorded just nine new cases in the last 24 hours. Australia has had a total of 6,714 confirmed cases. | |
| More than 1.89m Australians have downloaded the government’s Covidsafe app. | |
| Western Australia and Queensland have, or are seeking to ease some social distancing restrictions. | |
| Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy warned “even if we release restrictions in the future, people need to change the way they interact permanently”. Murphy said: “And in the sensible way, like keeping distance from each other, hand hygiene, probably not permanently not shaking hands, but for the foreseeable future. If we are going to relax these distancing measures, the things we have closed, we have to change how we interact as human beings until we are through with this virus.” | |
| In New Zealand, some of that country’s restrictions on movement and work will ease, prime minister Jacinda Ardern saying the country had suppressed the “widespread, undetected community transmission” of Covid-19. | |
| To continue following global updates, see our international blog here. | |
| In news that is of intense interest to your correspondent, Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches are set to reopen for swimming and surfing at 7am tomorrow morning. | In news that is of intense interest to your correspondent, Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches are set to reopen for swimming and surfing at 7am tomorrow morning. |
| In the interests of journalistic rigour, I shall be at Tama at 7.01am to see how it’s all going. | In the interests of journalistic rigour, I shall be at Tama at 7.01am to see how it’s all going. |
| Thank me not, beloved readers, it’s all part of the service. | Thank me not, beloved readers, it’s all part of the service. |
| From AAP: | From AAP: |
| Victoria has tested more than 100,000 people for coronavirus over three months. It now wants to double that number in a fortnight. This, from the state’s premier, Dan Andrews, who argues a more widespread testing regimen will more accurately map the extent of the virus in the community. | Victoria has tested more than 100,000 people for coronavirus over three months. It now wants to double that number in a fortnight. This, from the state’s premier, Dan Andrews, who argues a more widespread testing regimen will more accurately map the extent of the virus in the community. |
| In New Zealand - where strict lockdowns are set to ease tonight - prime minister Jacinda Ardern has successfully suppressed the “widespread, undetected community transmission” of Covid-19. | In New Zealand - where strict lockdowns are set to ease tonight - prime minister Jacinda Ardern has successfully suppressed the “widespread, undetected community transmission” of Covid-19. |
| Confusing and stressful: the debate around around children and coronavirus as some Australian schools reopen. | Confusing and stressful: the debate around around children and coronavirus as some Australian schools reopen. |
| Melissa Davey has filed this important story: | Melissa Davey has filed this important story: |
| With some schools around Australia set to reopen during the second school term, debate has reignited as to whether school staff, students and their families are at risk, and whether measures to halt the spread of coronavirus will be jeopardised. | With some schools around Australia set to reopen during the second school term, debate has reignited as to whether school staff, students and their families are at risk, and whether measures to halt the spread of coronavirus will be jeopardised. |
| My indefatigable colleague Paul Karp has been following up earlier reports about a $90,000 in specialist cleaning contracts entered into by the home affairs department as a response to Covid-19. The cleaning contracts are not related to the home affairs minister Peter Dutton’s infection with the virus. | My indefatigable colleague Paul Karp has been following up earlier reports about a $90,000 in specialist cleaning contracts entered into by the home affairs department as a response to Covid-19. The cleaning contracts are not related to the home affairs minister Peter Dutton’s infection with the virus. |
| A spokesperson said: | A spokesperson said: |
| Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr have been fined by NSW police for breaking social distancing laws as the NRL continues to investigate their weekend gathering near Taree. | Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr have been fined by NSW police for breaking social distancing laws as the NRL continues to investigate their weekend gathering near Taree. |
| Mitchell admitted on Instagram the Kangaroos stars had “slipped up”, as he and the Melbourne winger both apologised for their behaviour amid a pandemic. | Mitchell admitted on Instagram the Kangaroos stars had “slipped up”, as he and the Melbourne winger both apologised for their behaviour amid a pandemic. |
| Photos posted by Addo-Carr showed the pair with 10 other men around a fire, prompting the NRL to label the pictures as disappointing and unacceptable. | Photos posted by Addo-Carr showed the pair with 10 other men around a fire, prompting the NRL to label the pictures as disappointing and unacceptable. |
| The fine also came on the same day the league further pushed its claim for a return, discussing its strict biosecurity rules with clubs on Monday afternoon. | The fine also came on the same day the league further pushed its claim for a return, discussing its strict biosecurity rules with clubs on Monday afternoon. |
| But Mitchell insisted they did not mean to flout rules imposed by the federal and state governments to stem the coronavirus pandemic. | But Mitchell insisted they did not mean to flout rules imposed by the federal and state governments to stem the coronavirus pandemic. |
| Mitchell said in a video: | Mitchell said in a video: |
| A repentant Addo-Carr said “nothing was intentional or deliberate” as he tried to “put a smile on the faces” of family members going through a tough time. | A repentant Addo-Carr said “nothing was intentional or deliberate” as he tried to “put a smile on the faces” of family members going through a tough time. |
| Newcastle are also investigating the involvement of Tyronne Roberts-Davis after their NRL squad member was seen in one of Addo-Carr’s photos. | Newcastle are also investigating the involvement of Tyronne Roberts-Davis after their NRL squad member was seen in one of Addo-Carr’s photos. |
| But the NSW police decided they had broken health rules, slapping the trio with a fine late on Monday afternoon. | But the NSW police decided they had broken health rules, slapping the trio with a fine late on Monday afternoon. |
| Under NSW guidelines people can only leave the house for work, essential shopping, exercise, medical appointments and compassionate visits. | Under NSW guidelines people can only leave the house for work, essential shopping, exercise, medical appointments and compassionate visits. |
| President of the Australian Medical Association Dr Tony Bartone has been speaking with Patricia Karvelas on the ABC. He says he has signed up to the CovidSafe app and “I’ve certainly recommended it to all my family and friends, my patients, and my colleagues”. | President of the Australian Medical Association Dr Tony Bartone has been speaking with Patricia Karvelas on the ABC. He says he has signed up to the CovidSafe app and “I’ve certainly recommended it to all my family and friends, my patients, and my colleagues”. |
| Bartone has said Australians have responded “marvellously” to the impositions of isolation, shutdowns and social distancing. | Bartone has said Australians have responded “marvellously” to the impositions of isolation, shutdowns and social distancing. |
| But he has warned Australia has not defeated the virus yet, and there is a significant risk that if restrictions are lifted too early or too hastily, a second peak of infection could be worse than the first. | But he has warned Australia has not defeated the virus yet, and there is a significant risk that if restrictions are lifted too early or too hastily, a second peak of infection could be worse than the first. |
| As an aside: there is historical precedent for this: in the immediate aftermath of WWI, Australia was spared the very worst of the Spanish flu outbreak, aided by geography and the delay the steam-ship age afforded a distant continent to implement a strict quarantine regime. | As an aside: there is historical precedent for this: in the immediate aftermath of WWI, Australia was spared the very worst of the Spanish flu outbreak, aided by geography and the delay the steam-ship age afforded a distant continent to implement a strict quarantine regime. |
| But when the flu did break in Australia, it killed an estimated 17,000 people, and it did so in three waves, the first in February, the second in April. The third wave, in July, was by far the most deadly. | But when the flu did break in Australia, it killed an estimated 17,000 people, and it did so in three waves, the first in February, the second in April. The third wave, in July, was by far the most deadly. |
| Our spoilsport friends at AAP have reported the end of the mystery surrounding this alleged underground dinner party of doctors. | Our spoilsport friends at AAP have reported the end of the mystery surrounding this alleged underground dinner party of doctors. |
| An investigation into claims of an “illegal dinner party” of health workers in northwest Tasmania has found no evidence a gathering occurred. A police investigation has found no evidence health workers in north-west Tasmania held an “illegal dinner party” that contributed to Covid-19 spread. | An investigation into claims of an “illegal dinner party” of health workers in northwest Tasmania has found no evidence a gathering occurred. A police investigation has found no evidence health workers in north-west Tasmania held an “illegal dinner party” that contributed to Covid-19 spread. |
| The probe was launched earlier this month after the claim was made by Australia’s chief medical officer Brendan Murphy in evidence to a NZ parliamentary hearing, which he then quickly rescinded. | The probe was launched earlier this month after the claim was made by Australia’s chief medical officer Brendan Murphy in evidence to a NZ parliamentary hearing, which he then quickly rescinded. |
| “Investigators have determined that there is no evidence of such a gathering occurring,” Tasmania Police said in a statement on Monday. | “Investigators have determined that there is no evidence of such a gathering occurring,” Tasmania Police said in a statement on Monday. |
| All but one of the state’s 11 virus deaths have been in the north-west, amid an outbreak at the private and public hospitals in Burnie where scores of staff tested positive. | All but one of the state’s 11 virus deaths have been in the north-west, amid an outbreak at the private and public hospitals in Burnie where scores of staff tested positive. |