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Coronavirus Australia update: Victoria records Covid-19 death as 20 new cases reported and Melbourne at risk of second lockdown – live news
Coronavirus Australia update: Victoria records Covid-19 death as 20 new cases reported and Melbourne at risk of second lockdown – live news
(32 minutes later)
The state’s chief medical officer Brett Sutton confirms a man in his 80s is Victoria’s 20th coronavirus death. Follow live
State’s chief medical officer Brett Sutton confirms a man in his 80s is Victoria’s 20th coronavirus death. Follow live
A man in his 80s became the 20th person to die in Victoria after being diagnosed with Covid-19. His death brings the number of people who have died in Australia to 103.
Victoria recorded 20 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. Eight of those are considered to be from community transmission. That is down from 10 infections from community transmission Victoria had been seeing.
There are 141 active cases of Covid-19 in Victoria.
More than 1,000 people are considered close contacts of those people who have been infected.
Authorities have opened a testing site for Keilor Downs Secondary College students, their parents and teachers at the Melbourne showgrounds. From Thursday, that testing site will be open to the public.
A drive through test site has been set up in Craigieburn. The wait can be up to four hours.
Victoria has the capacity to test 20,000 people a day, although the turnaround may take a day or more.
Police have been called in to manage traffic at the Chadstone shopping centre testing site.
The one bit of happy news for Brett Sutton today is the number of community transmission has gone from 10 to 8. He says authorities see that as a stabalisation of the transmissions.
Has Victoria been using the Covidsafe app in its contact tracing?
Brett Sutton:
There is an ‘army’ of public health officials doorknocking Victorian homes from today, to alert people to the dangers of coronavirus, with a focus on those who may not speak English or have English as a second language, to ensure information is spread far and wide.
Asked if Victoria could have done better on that front, Brett Sutton says:
What is the next step for Victorian authorities?
On the reproduction number for the virus, Brett Sutton says it is above two.
On the reproduction number for the virus, Brett Sutton says it is above two.
As he explains:
As he explains:
On the gentleman who had been diagnosed with Covid-19 and died in Victoria overnight, Brett Sutton says:
On the gentleman who had been diagnosed with Covid-19 and died in Victoria overnight, Brett Sutton says:
There are some more questions on that:
There are some more questions on that:
Q: Have some of the security staff in question been ‘too friendly’ with guests?
Q: Have some of the security staff in question been ‘too friendly’ with guests?
Sutton:They know the protocols in regards to how to manage accompanying guests for fresh air. So the same messages in terms of the distance they need to keep and the hygiene procedures that they will need to go through routinely.
Sutton: They know the protocols in regards to how to manage accompanying guests for fresh air. So the same messages in terms of the distance they need to keep and the hygiene procedures that they will need to go through routinely.
Q: Have there been any instances of security guards breaching those guidelines with guests in terms of the distance between them?
Q: Have there been any instances of security guards breaching those guidelines with guests in terms of the distance between them?
Sutton: Not that I’m aware of. Not that I’m aware of. But clearly there’s been transmission to those contracted staff and so whether that’s been from a surface or whether it’s been from a guest to a contracted staff member through respiratory droplets, it will be impossible to find out. But we’re reviewing all of those processes as I said before to make sure that those staff respect put at risk unnecessarily.
Sutton: Not that I’m aware of. Not that I’m aware of. But clearly there’s been transmission to those contracted staff and so whether that’s been from a surface or whether it’s been from a guest to a contracted staff member through respiratory droplets, it will be impossible to find out. But we’re reviewing all of those processes as I said before to make sure that those staff respect them and are not put at risk unnecessarily.
On what has happened with the security staff at the Stamford Plaza and Rydges quarantine hotels, Brett Sutton says:
On what has happened with the security staff at the Stamford Plaza and Rydges quarantine hotels, Brett Sutton says:
In terms of test result turnaround, the CMO says:
In terms of test result turnaround, the CMO says:
On the delays at some testing sites in Victoria, Brett Sutton says:
On the delays at some testing sites in Victoria, Brett Sutton says:
Of the new cases:
Of the new cases:
Seven are linked to known outbreaks
Seven are linked to known outbreaks.
One is in hotel quarantine
One is in hotel quarantine.
Nine through ‘routine testing’ (where people go into a clinic to be tested - but not yet had their infection immediately traced back to a particular source as yet
Nine through ‘routine testing’ (where people go into a clinic to be tested – but not yet had their infection immediately traced back to a particular source as yet.
Three others are under investigation - meaning they don’t know where they could have picked it up (most likely community transmission)
Three others are under investigation – meaning they don’t know where they could have picked it up (most likely community transmission).
There are three staff members who tested positive at the Hampstead dental clinic. All staff members of the clinic have will be tested but there are no patients who had been identified as close contacts.
There are three staff members who tested positive at the Hampstead dental clinic. All staff members of the clinic will be tested but there are no patients who have been identified as close contacts.
Eight of the most recent 20 Covid-19 Victorian cases are from community transmission, Professor Brett Sutton says, bringing the total cases identified as being from community transmission to 241.
Professor Brett Sutton confirms a man in his 80s died overnight, bringing the number of deaths of people diagnosed with Covid-19 in Victoria since the pandemic started to 20.
I think the Australian total stands at 103.
While we are waiting on the Victorian update, I can let you know that the latest Lowy Institute poll is out, and unsurprisingly, Australians have reported having lower trust in China.
Given the news, most recently the Friday announcement of ongoing cyber attacks by a “state-based actor” Scott Morrison wouldn’t name, but also wouldn’t stop speculating it was China, that drop in trust shouldn’t be news to anyone.
We are still waiting for the Victorian press conference to start, which will give us a breakdown of the new Victorian cases.
In case you didn’t see it, Victoria has recorded 20 new cases of Covid-19 overnight. It is the eighth day in a row Victoria has reported figures in the double digits. While some have been in isolation as returned travellers, the problem is the level of community transmissions, particularly within family groups.
Meanwhile, in case you missed it, Novak Djokovic has tested positive for coronavirus.
We’ll have an update on this very soon
Victoria’s chief medical officer, Prof Brett Sutton, will give an update on his state’s coronavirus cases at 9.30am.
In world diplomacy news, Australia has decided to stick up for the international criminal court, despite the Trump administration attacking it.
It doesn’t look as though the jobseeker payment will be returning to the old $40-a-day rate when the Covid supplement ends in September. But no one knows for sure. And no one knows what the new rate will be. A lot of attention has focused on people who are new to the payment, which is expected to grow once jobkeeper ends in September, and time is called on the “zombie businesses” that won’t be reopening.
The Australian Council of Social Services has polled people on jobseeker and found that for many it’s meant a complete change of life:
The overwhelming majority of people who completed the survey had been receiving one of these social security payments before the coronavirus supplement was brought in.
• 94% said the removal of the supplement would have a significant or extreme impact on their ability to cover the cost of essentials. • 93% said they were now able to afford fresh fruit and vegetables. • 83% reported eating healthier and more regularly. Before the supplement, 74% of respondents skipped meals. Of those who skipped meals, 28% skipped one meal a day or more • 69% said they were now able to pay for essential medical and health treatments. • 75% said they were able to pay their bills. • 65% said it was easier to pay rent or move to safer accommodation.
We know there have been delays and reports of clinics running out of tests in Victoria, but the government is still pushing for as many people to be tested as possible.
Greg Hunt has released this statement:
Almost 90 clinics have now been established across Victoria to test people with cold and flu symptoms for COVID-19, influenza and pneumonia.
The Australian Government is encouraging all Victorians with such symptoms, especially those living in one of the six identified coronavirus hotspots, to be tested at a GP-led Respiratory Clinic (GPRC) or Victorian Government-run fever clinic.
The 27 GPRCs in Victoria, together with 60 fever clinics run by Department of Health and Human Services Victoria, are doing a great job in minimising the spread of coronavirus across the state, helping to reduce pressure on emergency departments and making it faster and easier for all Victorians to access free coronavirus testing.
As at 23 June 2020, GPRCs had serviced Victorians from 548 postcodes, covering 97.7 percent of the state geographically. They have assessed more than 43,000 people, and conducted approximately 37,600 tests for coronavirus. GPRCs have conducted 24,576 tests in Victorian coronavirus hotspots alone (65 per cent of all tests conducted in Victoria).
It is more important than ever for us all to work together to slow the spread and get tested if we are experiencing any symptoms. This is particularly the case for residents in areas marked as coronavirus hotspots: Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin – or anyone who has visited these areas recently.
Victorians can access free services at their nearest testing clinic, with extended hours in certain areas, walk-through clinics and drive-through clinics making the process of getting tested as accessible as possible.
For more information on where to find your nearest coronavirus testing clinic, please visit health.gov.au, DHHS Victoria or your state or territory health department website.
