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| Coronavirus Australia update: defence force to help in Victoria as 20 new Covid-19 cases reported – live news | Coronavirus Australia update: defence force to help in Victoria as 20 new Covid-19 cases reported – live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| ADF as well as NSW, SA, Tasmania and Queensland called in to helpVictoria fight outbreak. Follow live | ADF as well as NSW, SA, Tasmania and Queensland called in to helpVictoria fight outbreak. Follow live |
| We’ll leave it there for now. Thanks for joining us and see you tomorrow. | |
| Let’s take a look at some of the main developments from today. | |
| Australia recorded its first coronavirus death in a month, after an 80-year-old man died in Victoria. | |
| Victoria, where 20 new cases were reported today, has requested Australian Defence Force support to cope with a huge spike in demand for testing. | |
| Coles and Woolworths have reintroduced item limits at supermarkets in what they called a pre-emptive move to prevent panic buying. | |
| And in non-Covid news, the ABC announced a major restructure that would see its flagship radio bulletin axed, the ABC Life website dumped and 250 jobs gone. | |
| Coronavirus advice in Pacific Islander languages was published only four days ago, raising questions about government efforts to inform non-English speaking communities about the pandemic. | |
| Members of Melbourne’s Pacific Islander community, many of whom reside in the council hotspot of Brimbank, have felt frustrated by the lack of information in native languages and have been requesting it for months. | Members of Melbourne’s Pacific Islander community, many of whom reside in the council hotspot of Brimbank, have felt frustrated by the lack of information in native languages and have been requesting it for months. |
| The Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed that coronavirus information in Pacific Island languages, such as Tongan, Samoan and Cook Islands Maori, was first published on 20 June. | |
| Pasifika Community Organisation president Tonya Helu told AAP: | |
| The small business ombudsman and employer groups have warned of a coming cliff, with economic supports including free childcare ending, and called on the government not to reduce jobseeker unemployment benefits to $40 a day. | The small business ombudsman and employer groups have warned of a coming cliff, with economic supports including free childcare ending, and called on the government not to reduce jobseeker unemployment benefits to $40 a day. |
| My colleague Paul Karp has more in his report below. | My colleague Paul Karp has more in his report below. |
| Coles has reintroduced item limits on several products in its Victorian stores, hours after Woolworths made the same move. | Coles has reintroduced item limits on several products in its Victorian stores, hours after Woolworths made the same move. |
| Coles Group chief executive Steven Cain said in a statement: | Coles Group chief executive Steven Cain said in a statement: |
| The product limits, which are also in place in the NSW stores at Lavington, Albury and Deniliquin in NSW, are as follows: | The product limits, which are also in place in the NSW stores at Lavington, Albury and Deniliquin in NSW, are as follows: |
| Toilet paper: 1 | Toilet paper: 1 |
| Pasta: 2 | Pasta: 2 |
| Hand sanitiser: 2 | Hand sanitiser: 2 |
| Mince: 2 | Mince: 2 |
| Paper towel: 1 | Paper towel: 1 |
| UHT milk: 2 | UHT milk: 2 |
| Flour: 2 | Flour: 2 |
| Eggs: 2 | Eggs: 2 |
| Sugar: 2 | Sugar: 2 |
| Rice: 2 | Rice: 2 |
| More from AAP: | More from AAP: |
| The Australian share market has closed just slightly higher for a fourth straight day, with investors apparently afraid to push the ASX200 over the 6,000 level. | The Australian share market has closed just slightly higher for a fourth straight day, with investors apparently afraid to push the ASX200 over the 6,000 level. |
| The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Wednesday up 11.3 points, or 0.19%, at 5,965.7 points, while the All Ordinaries index was up 12.3 points, or 0.2% lower, at 6,081.6. | The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Wednesday up 11.3 points, or 0.19%, at 5,965.7 points, while the All Ordinaries index was up 12.3 points, or 0.2% lower, at 6,081.6. |
| The Australian dollar was buying 69.41 US cents, up from 69.09 US cents at the close of trade on Tuesday. | The Australian dollar was buying 69.41 US cents, up from 69.09 US cents at the close of trade on Tuesday. |
| Perth is set to become the next city to host an AFL hub, with Collingwood and Geelong tipped to join West Coast and Fremantle and play a block of games at the city’s Optus Stadium. | Perth is set to become the next city to host an AFL hub, with Collingwood and Geelong tipped to join West Coast and Fremantle and play a block of games at the city’s Optus Stadium. |
| The AFL is expected to announce the next block of rounds on Thursday, having previously only released the first five rounds of the season as the league restarts following the Covid-19 shutdown, reports AAP. | The AFL is expected to announce the next block of rounds on Thursday, having previously only released the first five rounds of the season as the league restarts following the Covid-19 shutdown, reports AAP. |
| WA firmed as a likely hub city on Monday when premier Mark McGowan announced restrictions on fans attending matches would be lifted entirely from 18 July. | WA firmed as a likely hub city on Monday when premier Mark McGowan announced restrictions on fans attending matches would be lifted entirely from 18 July. |
| The ABC is planning to cut about 70 positions in the news section. | The ABC is planning to cut about 70 positions in the news section. |
| Gaven Morris, the ABC news director, told staff in an email that the broadcaster would also reduce the number of original episodes of Australian Story and Foreign Correspondent “to protect the quality of this prestige programming while recognising we have lower funding”. | Gaven Morris, the ABC news director, told staff in an email that the broadcaster would also reduce the number of original episodes of Australian Story and Foreign Correspondent “to protect the quality of this prestige programming while recognising we have lower funding”. |
| Morris said all current affairs teams would contribute to the required savings, including some proposed changes to roles in the investigative reporting team, Foreign Correspondent, Australian Story and 7.30. | Morris said all current affairs teams would contribute to the required savings, including some proposed changes to roles in the investigative reporting team, Foreign Correspondent, Australian Story and 7.30. |
| Meanwhile, it is understood there are also expected to be 53 redundancies in the entertainment and specialist section, with the ABC commissioning original material for prime-time only. The calendar to fill will be reduced from 48 weeks to 42 weeks, and content teams reduced from five to four people. | Meanwhile, it is understood there are also expected to be 53 redundancies in the entertainment and specialist section, with the ABC commissioning original material for prime-time only. The calendar to fill will be reduced from 48 weeks to 42 weeks, and content teams reduced from five to four people. |
| Patricia Karvelas says on the ABC that of the 250 jobs to go at the public broadcaster, staff have been told the news division will lose 70 employees, the entertainment and specialist division will lose 53, and the regional and local division 19. | Patricia Karvelas says on the ABC that of the 250 jobs to go at the public broadcaster, staff have been told the news division will lose 70 employees, the entertainment and specialist division will lose 53, and the regional and local division 19. |
| The chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott, says of Anthony Albanese’s bid for bipartisan agreement on energy policy: | The chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott, says of Anthony Albanese’s bid for bipartisan agreement on energy policy: |
| The assistant treasurer, Michael Sukkar, says he utterly rejects suggestions authorities have failed to communicate effectively with migrant communities about the coronavirus. | The assistant treasurer, Michael Sukkar, says he utterly rejects suggestions authorities have failed to communicate effectively with migrant communities about the coronavirus. |
| Two challenges against the Queensland government’s constitutional right to keep the state’s borders closed amid the coronavirus crisis are set to return to court, reports AAP. | Two challenges against the Queensland government’s constitutional right to keep the state’s borders closed amid the coronavirus crisis are set to return to court, reports AAP. |
| Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer and a group of tourism operators named Travel Essence launched separate proceedings in the high court after the borders were closed in March. | Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer and a group of tourism operators named Travel Essence launched separate proceedings in the high court after the borders were closed in March. |
| But they were bumped down to the federal court in Brisbane, where they are set to appear on Wednesday after the parties were unable to agree on some of the base facts about Covid-19. | But they were bumped down to the federal court in Brisbane, where they are set to appear on Wednesday after the parties were unable to agree on some of the base facts about Covid-19. |
| Here is some more detail on the Australian Defence Force support Victoria has requested from the commonwealth as it grapples with a spike in Covid-19 cases, putting pressure on testing clinics in hotspot areas and laboratories. | Here is some more detail on the Australian Defence Force support Victoria has requested from the commonwealth as it grapples with a spike in Covid-19 cases, putting pressure on testing clinics in hotspot areas and laboratories. |
| A Victorian government spokeswoman said Victoria had requested more than 300 troops. Of those, a small amount will be delegated to quarantine hotels. | A Victorian government spokeswoman said Victoria had requested more than 300 troops. Of those, a small amount will be delegated to quarantine hotels. |
| It should be noted this defence support is already being used in New South Wales. So far, Victoria has relied on police. | It should be noted this defence support is already being used in New South Wales. So far, Victoria has relied on police. |
| Other military staff with medical training will assist Victoria in setting up more clinics and running tests. However, the state government is still talking to the federal government about specific details including logistics, so more details about that support will likely be made available over the next few days. | Other military staff with medical training will assist Victoria in setting up more clinics and running tests. However, the state government is still talking to the federal government about specific details including logistics, so more details about that support will likely be made available over the next few days. |
| Restrictions will ease on Friday in Tasmania. | Restrictions will ease on Friday in Tasmania. |
| The Australian Defence Force and other states have been called in to help Victoria’s efforts to contain coronavirus cases, AAP reports. | The Australian Defence Force and other states have been called in to help Victoria’s efforts to contain coronavirus cases, AAP reports. |
| The state has seen a spike in Covid-19 infections in the past week, with 20 more cases and a death recorded on Wednesday. | The state has seen a spike in Covid-19 infections in the past week, with 20 more cases and a death recorded on Wednesday. |
| The ADF, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland have been called in to help. | The ADF, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland have been called in to help. |
| A government spokeswoman said in a statement: | A government spokeswoman said in a statement: |
| Community engagement in the local government areas of Brimbank, Casey, Cardinia, Darebin, Hume and Moreland has been ramped up, including door-knocking, after they were identified as coronavirus hotspots. | Community engagement in the local government areas of Brimbank, Casey, Cardinia, Darebin, Hume and Moreland has been ramped up, including door-knocking, after they were identified as coronavirus hotspots. |
| Hello everyone. I’ll be with you into the evening. Thanks as always to Amy. If you want to get in touch: luke.henriques-gomes@theguardian.com or @lukehgomes. | Hello everyone. I’ll be with you into the evening. Thanks as always to Amy. If you want to get in touch: luke.henriques-gomes@theguardian.com or @lukehgomes. |
| It has been quite the afternoon. | It has been quite the afternoon. |
| I am going to take myself and my cracked tooth (thanks to NSW/ACT’s insanely hard gingernut biscuits) off for a short break. Luke Henriques-Gomes will shepherd you through the afternoon. | I am going to take myself and my cracked tooth (thanks to NSW/ACT’s insanely hard gingernut biscuits) off for a short break. Luke Henriques-Gomes will shepherd you through the afternoon. |
| Thanks so much for joining me and I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Take care of you. | Thanks so much for joining me and I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Take care of you. |