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Coronavirus Australia update: two Victoria schools closed and police patrol Melbourne hotspots to enforce lockdown rules – live news
Coronavirus Australia update: Victoria announces 17 new cases and 'significant community transmission' as two schools close – live news
(32 minutes later)
Brunswick East and Keilor Views schools closed for cleaning after students tested positive. Follow live
Brunswick East and Keilor Views schools closed for cleaning after students tested positive. Follow live
We’ve been talking about this all morning - but the Victorian premier just confirmed that lockdowns, potentially across the entire state - are on the cards if the virus is not contained.
Daniel Andrews:
He says the contact tracing authorities are beginning work on finding the close contacts of the two primary school students at Brunswick East and Keilor Views schools who tested positive for Covid:
On rough estimates, Daniel Andrews says Victoria has tested between 16,000 and 18,000 people in the last two days
The Victorian premier is speaking to the media:
Gladys Berejiklian says there was just one positive result from a Covid test in NSW in the last 24 hours (and that person is in hotel quarantine)
James Packer’s Crown Resorts is re-opening its Perth casino on Saturday after the WA government eased coronavirus restrictions.
It will operate under restrictions including a maximum of one person per two square meters (including staff), reduced numbers at gaming tables and “enhanced hygiene protocols”, which appears to be corporatese for more cleaning.
It’s not all doom and gloom on the retail front.
AAP has this update on Woolworths’ results:
Woolworths says trading so far in the June quarter has continued to be strong with food sales in Australia up 8.6 per cent, and in New Zealand up 15.1 per cent.
Sales at Big W jumped 27.8 per cent in the 10 weeks to June 14, while its Endeavour drinks business saw a 21.4 per cent growth for the same period.
The retail giant said it expects full year earnings before interest and tax to be in the range of $3.2 billion to $3.25 billion, compared to $3.29 billion for a 53-week period last year.
The group also outlined extra costs worth $460 million for the second half of the financial year on account of transformation costs for its supply chain, Endeavour Drinks, and remediation of staff underpayments.
Daniel Andrews, who did not do a press conference yesterday (it was health minister Jenny Mikakos and CMO Brett Sutton who stood up) will hold a media conference at 10am.
Daniel Andrews, who did not do a press conference yesterday (it was health minister Jenny Mikakos and CMO Brett Sutton who stood up) will hold a media conference at 10am.
Meanwhile, the Victorian health department is working with the education department to investigate whether any staff or students at Brunswick East and Keilor Views primary schools need to self isolate after a student at each school tested positive for Covid.
Meanwhile, the Victorian health department is working with the education department to investigate whether any staff or students at Brunswick East and Keilor Views primary schools need to self isolate after a student at each school tested positive for Covid.
The schools are closed for cleaning.
The schools are closed for cleaning.
Helen Sullivan has the international coronavirus blog up and running.
Helen Sullivan has the international coronavirus blog up and running.
We’ll be getting more detail on the Victorian situation very soon.
We’ll be getting more detail on the Victorian situation very soon.
Katharine Murphy has the latest Essential poll findings, showing most of us think there will be a “second wave” of Covid in Australia:
Katharine Murphy has the latest Essential poll findings, showing most of us think there will be a “second wave” of Covid in Australia:
In terms of the AFL, Roger Cook says WA is still in talks with the sporting body over turning the west into a sports hub.
In terms of the AFL, Roger Cook says WA is still in talks with the sporting body over turning the west into a sports hub.
The two WA teams, the Dockers and the (ugh) Eagles are currently based on the Gold Coast, as part of the season. Cook says the state is trying to find a balance between keeping the hard border closure, and bringing (the best) sport back to the west:
The two WA teams, the Dockers and the (ugh) Eagles are currently based on the Gold Coast, as part of the season. Cook says the state is trying to find a balance between keeping the hard border closure, and bringing (the best) sport back to the west:
Roger Cook then tells the ABC he is quite confident WA will move to stage five – no social distance restrictions – quite soon:
Victoria has launched its “action plan” to combat rising Covid-19 case numbers.
Victoria police issued more fines than any others state during the height of the pandemic. This tough law and order response had since eased but over the weekend the government said police would again ramp up their enforcement of physical distancing.
Police commissioner Shane Patton said officers would be conducting more doorknock checks on those meant to be isolating.
“Those tests will be ramped up, if you like, as well as a focus for us will be absolutely making sure that when people say there are more than five visitors to a house we’ll be going and checking that out. Where there is going to be more than 10 people gathering in a public place, we’ll be checking them out, and we’ll be enforcing. Because everybody should have no doubt the other two key areas of focus for us, as well as the isolation and the quarantine that people must stay at home.”
He said there would be an increased presence at school holiday hotspots such as camping grounds and caravan parks.
On Monday, the state’s health minister, Jenny Mikakos, also announced a number of community measures to increase testing rates and awareness.
Western Australia is moving to stage four restrictions, which means, for those in WA, life almost looks normal.
From this weekend, all existing gathering limits will be scrapped, although a two square metre rule will apply to indoor and outdoor venues, and major venues will be able to operate at 50% capacity.
That means stadiums like Optus Stadium can hold up to 30,000. If there is ever a concert again, it can hold 35,000.
Drinks at the bar will be back and you won’t have to register your name and number with the venue.
But the borders, deputy premier Roger Cook tells the ABC, will be closed for some time.
Scott Morrison will be in Eden-Monaro as part of the byelection campaign at 10am.
For those who have forgotten, the byelection is 4 July
The Melbourne Storm are making the move to Sydney “indefinitely” because of the Victorian outbreak.
The team has been given its orders to get out of Dodge by Wednesday.
As AAP reports:
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys said Melbourne Storm will need to relocate indefinitely because of a new spike in coronavirus cases in Victoria.
The state’s active Covid-19 case numbers are the highest they have been in more than two months after six days of double-digit growth, including 16 new cases on Monday.
Storm’s NRL home game against the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night has already been moved from AAMI Park to Sydney because of the surge in cases in Victoria.
The match will now take place at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, with the league’s Apollo team saying the health and safety of players, staff and the wider community remains paramount.
The Storm were due to fly to Sydney later this week to complete preparations and all players and football staff will undergo Covid-19 tests to ensure no risk to the competition.
Craig Bellamy’s team were preparing for an indefinite move but V’landys confirmed they will now be required to relocate from Wednesday to either NSW or Queensland for an indefinite period.
“We’ve based every decision on risk analysis, and the risk is too high to leave them in Melbourne,” V’landys told 100% Footy on Monday.
“Where the players are actually living is a high infection rate area, so when we looked at it with the biosecurity expert today, his strong recommendation was to bring them to Sydney or possibly Queensland and minimise that risk.
“We appreciate the support from the Melbourne Storm because they’re going to have to sacrifice a little bit because they’ll be up here till further notice.
“We hope to get them back as quickly as we can, but it’s all on the risk analysis.”
Again, those areas which Victoria has designated a “hotspot” for Covid are:
Hume
Casey
Brimbank
Moreland
Cardinia
Darebin
Between them, there are more than 160 suburbs across 2,000 sq km.
There are more than 1,000 close contacts of the the 133 people who have been diagnosed in the latest outbreak.
Greg Hunt also acknowledged what a few of you told us yesterday – that testing sites in some parts of Melbourne were having trouble keeping up with demand, or needed to extend their testing hours:
WA is still showing no signs of wanting to open its borders. Mark McGowan said he was considering August, but the Victorian situation has him rethinking even that far off date.
Greg Hunt takes a conciliatory approach while on ABC News Breakfast:
Will Victoria move to actual localised lockdowns, if the cases aren’t contained by 19 July?
Greg Hunt says that is an option being very carefully examined:
It’s still all about Victoria when it comes to Australian Covid-19 news, but as the chief health officer said yesterday, with this virus, it could be any state.
Victorian police, who issued more fines for social-distancing breaches than any other jurisdiction, may be sent to ensure locals in the hotspot areas are sticking to the rules.
Meanwhile, the Sydney Morning Herald reports NSW is keeping an eye on the Victorian situation, particularly at the ski fields, as it walks the line between not wanting to close the border and not wanting community transmission in its own state.
The Senate committee looking at the Covid-19 response is holding a public hearing today featuring business and industry groups.
We’ll cover all of the Covid-19 news, and more, as it happens. You have Amy Remeikis on the blog for most of the day.
