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/live/2020/apr/27/coronavirus-australia-update-latest-wa-nsw-victoria-queensland-politics-scott-morrison-tracing-app-live-news
The article has changed 25 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Coronavirus Australia update latest: Victoria to test 100,000 people in two weeks as 1 million download tracing app – live news | Coronavirus Australia update latest: Victoria to test 100,000 people in two weeks as 1 million download tracing app – live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Western Australians wake up to loosened restrictions as Queensland also prepares to relax rules. Follow live | Western Australians wake up to loosened restrictions as Queensland also prepares to relax rules. Follow live |
| In case anyone was still at a loss as to which minister was in charge of Services Australia (formerly Centrelink), it’s Stuart Robert. | |
| Australians who were today expecting a boost to their welfare payments courtesy of the government’s new $550 per fortnight coronavirus supplement will have to wait a little longer. | |
| Although the Treasury website states the boosted payments will flow from 27 April, it will only be paid once welfare recipients have “reported income for the period that covers 27 April”, Services Australia advised on Monday. | |
| However, the clarification has frustrated some welfare recipients, who had expected the boosted payments to flow from today. | |
| “People who reported their income last week were expecting to receive the boosted rate this week — they were counting on it,” said Jeremy Poxon, of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union. | |
| Welfare recipients are required to report their income to Centrelink over a fortnightly period in order to receive their next payment. | |
| However, government messaging on the Treasury and Services Australia websites merely stated that the supplement would “commence from 27 April 2020”. | |
| Looks like the SA education server has been overloaded | |
| The confusion continues, particularly for some of our most vulnerable | |
| After Labor requested the auditor general review the Covid-19 spending, to ensure oversight, the office has said it will look over the economic response. From the auditor general’s letter: | |
| The chief medical officer, professor Brendan Murphy, will give the national Covid update at 2pm. | The chief medical officer, professor Brendan Murphy, will give the national Covid update at 2pm. |
| That’s about an hour earlier than usual, so the meetings must be getting shorter. | That’s about an hour earlier than usual, so the meetings must be getting shorter. |
| Bob Katter starts off with the right idea – that it is kinda absurd to count a “strategic oil reserve”, which is designed to ensure a nation has emergency fuel stocks in the event of a conflict or a supply chain cut, IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, but then he strays into Bob Katter territory and the statement falls off the edge of a cliff (let a thousand flowers bloom): | Bob Katter starts off with the right idea – that it is kinda absurd to count a “strategic oil reserve”, which is designed to ensure a nation has emergency fuel stocks in the event of a conflict or a supply chain cut, IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, but then he strays into Bob Katter territory and the statement falls off the edge of a cliff (let a thousand flowers bloom): |
| “Three submarines could simply cut off Australia’s entire oil supply,” Katter said. | “Three submarines could simply cut off Australia’s entire oil supply,” Katter said. |
| “You can’t have an operational defence force without petrol and diesel; it leaves us extremely vulnerable to attack. | “You can’t have an operational defence force without petrol and diesel; it leaves us extremely vulnerable to attack. |
| “Our current storage and refining infrastructure leaves us with less than a month of fuel supply.” | “Our current storage and refining infrastructure leaves us with less than a month of fuel supply.” |
| Katter said ethanol was the solution to the current crisis and called on the federal and state governments to mandate ethanol and build an adequate amount of fuel storage infrastructure – including more refineries. | Katter said ethanol was the solution to the current crisis and called on the federal and state governments to mandate ethanol and build an adequate amount of fuel storage infrastructure – including more refineries. |
| “I have been talking about ethanol for 30 years; Katter’s Australian party has endorsed ethanol since its inception,” he said. | “I have been talking about ethanol for 30 years; Katter’s Australian party has endorsed ethanol since its inception,” he said. |
| “More people die a year in Australia from petrol fumes than they have from coronavirus (Ref: 1,715 deaths in 2019, Sydney Morning Herald). | “More people die a year in Australia from petrol fumes than they have from coronavirus (Ref: 1,715 deaths in 2019, Sydney Morning Herald). |
| “Every other country on earth has moved to ethanol for that very reason. | “Every other country on earth has moved to ethanol for that very reason. |
| “The studies done in California left no question that the particles and carcinogens in petrol make it extremely volatile, not in regional areas, but most certainly in built up city areas like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. | “The studies done in California left no question that the particles and carcinogens in petrol make it extremely volatile, not in regional areas, but most certainly in built up city areas like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. |
| “Australia seems to be the only country on earth that doesn’t care if a few thousand of its citizens die from motor vehicle emissions each year, and is happy to leave its army powerless to defend the nation.” | “Australia seems to be the only country on earth that doesn’t care if a few thousand of its citizens die from motor vehicle emissions each year, and is happy to leave its army powerless to defend the nation.” |
| Australia will be allowed to count oil reserves held in the United States towards its stockpiling commitments, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has confirmed. | Australia will be allowed to count oil reserves held in the United States towards its stockpiling commitments, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has confirmed. |
| Last week the energy minister, Angus Taylor, announced the government would take advantage of historically low fuel prices and spend $94m to start building a national oil reserve - but the move raised eyebrows because the oil will be stored in the US at first. | Last week the energy minister, Angus Taylor, announced the government would take advantage of historically low fuel prices and spend $94m to start building a national oil reserve - but the move raised eyebrows because the oil will be stored in the US at first. |
| Under IEA rules, Australia and other member countries have an obligation to hold emergency oil stocks equivalent to at least 90 days of net oil imports as part of planning to avoid a hit from any major disruption to oil supplies. | Under IEA rules, Australia and other member countries have an obligation to hold emergency oil stocks equivalent to at least 90 days of net oil imports as part of planning to avoid a hit from any major disruption to oil supplies. |
| But Australia’s stocks were equivalent to just 55 days as of December. | But Australia’s stocks were equivalent to just 55 days as of December. |
| We contacted the IEA to check whether the oil to be held in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the US would count towards Australia’s IEA 90-day stockpiling commitment. | We contacted the IEA to check whether the oil to be held in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the US would count towards Australia’s IEA 90-day stockpiling commitment. |
| “The answer is simply: yes, we can confirm,” the IEA’s press office replied. | “The answer is simply: yes, we can confirm,” the IEA’s press office replied. |
| Fatih Birol, the IEA director, welcomed the announcement, saying it would not only boost Australia’s oil security but support efforts to stabilise global oil markets. | Fatih Birol, the IEA director, welcomed the announcement, saying it would not only boost Australia’s oil security but support efforts to stabilise global oil markets. |
| The IEA allows member countries to store emergency stocks abroad as long as a bilateral agreement is in place to guarantee access during a crisis. | The IEA allows member countries to store emergency stocks abroad as long as a bilateral agreement is in place to guarantee access during a crisis. |
| A woman in her 90s, who had been diagnosed with Covid-19, has become the 19th person to die in New Zealand. | A woman in her 90s, who had been diagnosed with Covid-19, has become the 19th person to die in New Zealand. |
| AAP has the latest from Aristocrat leisure – the gaming giant is seeing whether or not it is eligible for the Australian wage subsidy, as well as what it is eligible for in the US: | AAP has the latest from Aristocrat leisure – the gaming giant is seeing whether or not it is eligible for the Australian wage subsidy, as well as what it is eligible for in the US: |
| Gaming giant Aristocrat Leisure will cut staff and impose pay cuts on employees and management and won’t declare a dividend as it copes with the fallout from COVID-19 lockdowns. | Gaming giant Aristocrat Leisure will cut staff and impose pay cuts on employees and management and won’t declare a dividend as it copes with the fallout from COVID-19 lockdowns. |
| The poker machine manufacturer is standing down 1,000 staff from May 1 until June, eliminating another 200 roles and transitioning another 200 jobs to part-time until September. | The poker machine manufacturer is standing down 1,000 staff from May 1 until June, eliminating another 200 roles and transitioning another 200 jobs to part-time until September. |
| An Aristocrat Leisure spokeswoman says most of the stood-down roles are in the United States, where the company has the bulk of its workforce, but it has also stood down “a few hundred” workers in Australia. | An Aristocrat Leisure spokeswoman says most of the stood-down roles are in the United States, where the company has the bulk of its workforce, but it has also stood down “a few hundred” workers in Australia. |
| It is also cutting the pay of 1,500 of its 4,000 staff until the end of September. | It is also cutting the pay of 1,500 of its 4,000 staff until the end of September. |
| Most of the pay cuts are from 10 to per 20 per cent, while chief executive Trevor Croker takes a 30 per cent reduction in his base salary. | Most of the pay cuts are from 10 to per 20 per cent, while chief executive Trevor Croker takes a 30 per cent reduction in his base salary. |
| Mr Croker made $1.6 million in 2019, plus another $4 million in bonuses and share-based payments, according to the company’s annual report. | Mr Croker made $1.6 million in 2019, plus another $4 million in bonuses and share-based payments, according to the company’s annual report. |
| This is all going very well | This is all going very well |
| NSW Health, which is urging more people to get tested as it works to identify community spread (if any) has released an update on areas it is concentrating on: | NSW Health, which is urging more people to get tested as it works to identify community spread (if any) has released an update on areas it is concentrating on: |
| Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand is 11 hours away from lifting its lockdown to level three – what Australia has now. | Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand is 11 hours away from lifting its lockdown to level three – what Australia has now. |
| She says New Zealand’s sentinel testing (testing across the community, including those without symptoms) shows the virus has not spread across the community unchecked and authorities have a handle on it. | She says New Zealand’s sentinel testing (testing across the community, including those without symptoms) shows the virus has not spread across the community unchecked and authorities have a handle on it. |
| NZ has had one new case in the past 24 hours. | NZ has had one new case in the past 24 hours. |
| Ardern sends her love to the families of 18 New Zealanders the country was “unable to save” with its lockdowns. | Ardern sends her love to the families of 18 New Zealanders the country was “unable to save” with its lockdowns. |
| Meanwhile, while I am not advocating physical distance restrictions be broken, this seems a little over the top, given that NRL players are about to be allowed to train together again – and last time I checked, that included some pretty close contact: | Meanwhile, while I am not advocating physical distance restrictions be broken, this seems a little over the top, given that NRL players are about to be allowed to train together again – and last time I checked, that included some pretty close contact: |
| Queensland may be open to the NRL returning on 28 May, if the restrictions are all followed: | Queensland may be open to the NRL returning on 28 May, if the restrictions are all followed: |
| The Tasmanian premier, Peter Gutwein, has announced an independent review into what happened with the north-west outbreak: | The Tasmanian premier, Peter Gutwein, has announced an independent review into what happened with the north-west outbreak: |
| For more information on the Victorian mass Covid-19 testing plan, you can head here. | For more information on the Victorian mass Covid-19 testing plan, you can head here. |