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/jun/24/coronavirus-australia-latest-updates-victoria-testing-melbourne-lockdown-hume-moreland-darebin-brimbank-casey-cardinia-live-news

The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
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)
State’s chief medical officer Brett Sutton confirms a man in his 80s is Victoria’s 20th coronavirus death. Follow liveState’s chief medical officer Brett Sutton confirms a man in his 80s is Victoria’s 20th coronavirus death. Follow live
After a worker at Coles Laverton distribution centre tested positive for Covid, there were questions about food safety. Greg Hunt is now shifting blame, again, to the Black Lives Matter protests for the uptick in cases in Victoria:
Coles released a statement yesterday saying staff did not touch individual items at the distribution centres - their job is to move the crates and cartons around, most of which is done with machinery. Greg Hunt is being asked what was done to engage migrant communities, in terms of passing on information about the pandemic:
Not all jurisdictions have reported as yet but we’ll update this as they do:
Greg Hunt is making a health funding announcement:
Queensland, which made the decision to set a border reopen date for after the school holidays (10 July is the plan) has recorded no new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.
The union movement has called on Virgin Australia bidder Bain Capital to explain what will happen to jobs and workers’ entitlements if it wins control of the stricken airline.
Rival bidder Cyrus Capital Partners has pledged in writing to retain as many jobs as possible and guarantee 100% of the entitlements of Virgin’s existing 10,000-strong workforce, Australian Council of Trade Unions president Michele O’Neil says.
“It is now up to the other bidder, Bain, to do likewise and show Australian workers their bona fides when it comes to protecting the jobs and entitlements of people working in Australia,” she said. “The commitment to keep the headquarters where it is means protecting the jobs that are already in place. Australian unions support protecting as many as possible of the current jobs and working together to create more jobs as the airline industry recovers.”
Unions, led by the Transport Workers Union, have a key role in deciding who wins Virgin because staff dominate the creditor base by numbers and are owed entitlements such as leave that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
They’ve been sceptical of Bain, which has a record of union-busting in the US and proposes a much smaller airline than Cyrus.
Administrators from accounting firm Deloitte are racing against time – and dwindling cash reserves – and hope to have a deal in place by 30 June.
But a sales process that has already been tricky due to the complexity of the airline, its whopping $7bn debt pile and the reluctance of the Morrison government to provide any financial support has become even more uncertain in recent days.
The deadline for bids was last Friday but on Wednesday morning bondholders owed more than $2bn reportedly lobbed an out-of-time proposal to recapitalise the airline.
Details are unclear but the proposal would apparently involve the bondholders tipping an extra $1bn into the company and getting shares in a re-listed Virgin in return.
Meanwhile, the state of Queensland is still in the mix – it is offering at least $200m to any bidder willing to keep Virgin’s HQ in Brisbane. This could result in the state ending up owning a chunk of Virgin.
For those asking for a chart, Nick Evershed has you covered:
After a worker at Coles Laverton distribution centre tested positive for Covid-19, there were questions about food safety.
Coles released a statement yesterday saying staff did not touch individual items at the distribution centres – their job is to move the crates and cartons around, most of which is done with machinery.
The centre is being deep cleaned as a precaution.The centre is being deep cleaned as a precaution.
Ag minister David Littleproud had this to say about it today: Agriculture minister David Littleproud had this to say about staying vigilant on the frontline of food safety today:
Ferguson, Douglas08:44 (2 hours ago)to
The Hon. David Littleproud MP
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and
Emergency Management
Deputy Leader of the Nationals
Wednesday 24th June 2020
Staying vigilant on the frontline of food safety
Crossing over to domestic politics Anthony Albanese spoke to Sabra Lane this morning about his press club speech, and his offer to the prime minster to work on energy policy in a bipartisan way:Crossing over to domestic politics Anthony Albanese spoke to Sabra Lane this morning about his press club speech, and his offer to the prime minster to work on energy policy in a bipartisan way:
For those wanting updates on the international situation in regards to Covid-19, you can find it here:For those wanting updates on the international situation in regards to Covid-19, you can find it here:
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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.
As he explains:
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:
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.
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 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:
In terms of test result turnaround, the CMO says:
On the delays at some testing sites in Victoria, Brett Sutton says:
Of the new cases:
Seven are linked to known outbreaks.
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.
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 will be tested but there are no patients who have been identified as close contacts.