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Coronavirus Australia updates: Victoria reports 73 new Covid-19 cases as NSW refuses to accept diverted flights – live news Coronavirus Australia updates: Victoria reports 73 new Covid-19 cases as NSW refuses to accept diverted flights – live news
(32 minutes later)
Residents of 10 postcodes in Melbourne’s north and west have been ordered to stay home from midnight tonight. Follow liveResidents of 10 postcodes in Melbourne’s north and west have been ordered to stay home from midnight tonight. Follow live
The Western Australian government has announced a $195,000 relief fund to support regional art galleries that had to cancel exhibitions and close their doors due to Covid-19.
The funding is intended to help galleries host virtual art exhibitions and activities.
It’s part of an $8m fund called the Regional Exhibition Touring Boost, which is intended to increase the number of exhibitions that tour regional galleries.
Said WA arts minister, David Templeman:
A former Victorian police officer has been convicted and fined $7,500 after pleading guilty to the unauthorised access of information from a police database.
Former sergeant Robert Beckingham was sentenced at the Melbourne magistrates court on Wednesday.
Beckingham pleaded guilty to accessing information on the Victoria police law enforcement assistance program database relating to nine different people. He was charged after an investigation by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission in 2018.
In a statement, Ibac said:
The Leap database, Victoria police says, “is fully relational and stores particulars of all crimes bought to the notice of police as well as family incidents and missing persons. It also includes details on locations, vehicles and persons involved. The database is online and updated constantly, 24 hours a day.”
You can report police misconduct here.
Let’s go back to those Victorian lockdown rules.
From midnight, if you live in one of the 10 restricted postcodes – 3038, 3021, 3012, 3042, 3064, 3047, 3060, 3032, 3046, 3055 – you will be under stage three stay-at-home orders from midnight tonight.
We’re all across the four things rule – you can only leave home for essential shopping, exercise, caregiving, or school or work – but the Victorian government has also stepped through some FAQs.
If you live in a restricted postcode and are on holidays, you don’t have to rush back. But if you are planning a holiday and haven’t yet left, you are going to have to cancel. It’s not one of the four reasons you’re allowed to leave your home.
You can attend a wedding or funeral outside your restricted postcode area but if you’re unwell you should stay home. Wedding and funerals held within the restricted postcode area will be restricted to five and 10 people respectively; elsewhere there are bigger limits.
Religious services within restricted postcodes will have to be streamed online. If you live in a restricted area and usually travel outside that area to attend a place of worship, you can’t do that until these restrictions lift.
You can leave, or go into, a restricted area to buy groceries or go to work.
You can exercise with one other person in a restricted area.
You can have a tradesperson in your house if you live in a restricted area.
You can’t play golf or go fishing.
If you do not live in a restricted postcode, you can’t travel into that area to see family or friends unless you’re providing essential caregiving circumstances. If you live in a restricted postcode, you can’t see friends and family unless it’s for caregiving purposes.
As previously reported, if you live separately from your partner and one or both of you lives in a restricted postcode, you can visit each other at home.
Meanwhile, the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, is on ABC24 and arguing with Patricia Karvelas about a post made by the Queensland Labor party about Queensland being “flooded” by Victorians.Meanwhile, the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, is on ABC24 and arguing with Patricia Karvelas about a post made by the Queensland Labor party about Queensland being “flooded” by Victorians.
This is what we’re talking about, if you did happen to miss it.This is what we’re talking about, if you did happen to miss it.
Karvelas: “Is that an appropriate language use?”Karvelas: “Is that an appropriate language use?”
Albanese: “Well, of course, the Queensland opposition, a bit like the Victorian opposition, have continued to try to play politics with this issue ... ”Albanese: “Well, of course, the Queensland opposition, a bit like the Victorian opposition, have continued to try to play politics with this issue ... ”
Karvelas: “No, no, hang on a minute. I’ve got to stop you here. This is Labor playing politics, ‘flooding Victorians’ in Queensland. That’s not appropriate language, is it, about your fellow Australians?”Karvelas: “No, no, hang on a minute. I’ve got to stop you here. This is Labor playing politics, ‘flooding Victorians’ in Queensland. That’s not appropriate language, is it, about your fellow Australians?”
Albanese: “No, the Queensland LNP have throughout this period attacked the Palaszczuk government... [Queensland opposition leader] Deb Frecklington has played politics the whole way through.”Albanese: “No, the Queensland LNP have throughout this period attacked the Palaszczuk government... [Queensland opposition leader] Deb Frecklington has played politics the whole way through.”
Karvelas: “Does that mean Labor should play politics, too?”Karvelas: “Does that mean Labor should play politics, too?”
Albanese: “Well, I’m answerable for my own actions.”Albanese: “Well, I’m answerable for my own actions.”
Karvelas: “No, no, it is the Labor party. It is your brand?”Karvelas: “No, no, it is the Labor party. It is your brand?”
Albanese: “Well, I haven’t seen it, Patricia, and with respect, if you are going to raise something with me, I expect to be given some notice and to be able to check from it.”Albanese: “Well, I haven’t seen it, Patricia, and with respect, if you are going to raise something with me, I expect to be given some notice and to be able to check from it.”
I believe I speak for all of us when I say: UGH.I believe I speak for all of us when I say: UGH.
Kelly says that while the Victorian outbreak is not a good development, it is an expected occurrence as Australia chose a strategy of suppression and control, not an elimination strategy.Kelly says that while the Victorian outbreak is not a good development, it is an expected occurrence as Australia chose a strategy of suppression and control, not an elimination strategy.
Kelly says that “any outbreak of this size is a backward step”. He says “any outbreak of this size is a backward step”. But he adds:
But he adds: He says that an elimination strategy – which is what New Zealand is pursuing – is a “fool’s errand”.
He says that an elimination strategy – which is what New Zealand is pursuing – is a “fools errand”.
And that’s the national update.And that’s the national update.
There is ‘no evidence’ the Melbourne outbreak is linked to the Black Lives Matter protest, Kelly says.There is ‘no evidence’ the Melbourne outbreak is linked to the Black Lives Matter protest, Kelly says.
I put that in big text because we seem to keep having this debate, despite health officials repeatedly refuting it.I put that in big text because we seem to keep having this debate, despite health officials repeatedly refuting it.
Kelly says there is no evidence the protests contributed to the spread of the virus, but that does not mean that protests are safe.Kelly says there is no evidence the protests contributed to the spread of the virus, but that does not mean that protests are safe.
Kelly says 10% of people in hotspot areas refused tests through the door-to-door testing. About 11,000 people did agree to get the test.Kelly says 10% of people in hotspot areas refused tests through the door-to-door testing. About 11,000 people did agree to get the test.
Most of those refusals were refusing a test on behalf of children.Most of those refusals were refusing a test on behalf of children.
Kelly:Kelly:
He said the federal government would “redouble” its efforts to ensure health material was translated into as many languages as possible.He said the federal government would “redouble” its efforts to ensure health material was translated into as many languages as possible.
There is some concern people living in the hotspot areas of Melbourne will leave their suburbs before the lockdown begins at 11.59pm tonight.There is some concern people living in the hotspot areas of Melbourne will leave their suburbs before the lockdown begins at 11.59pm tonight.
Kelly says the expert panel advising the government on coronavirus has been asked to look again at the question of whether masks should be worn.Kelly says the expert panel advising the government on coronavirus has been asked to look again at the question of whether masks should be worn.
But he says Victoria may make a decision recommending masks in hotspot areas.But he says Victoria may make a decision recommending masks in hotspot areas.
He adds:He adds:
We’re still not calling it a second wave.We’re still not calling it a second wave.
Kelly says this debate is “a bit academic” but we’re very keen on having it. A second wave, he says, would be a more widespread outbreak. At the moment it’s localised.Kelly says this debate is “a bit academic” but we’re very keen on having it. A second wave, he says, would be a more widespread outbreak. At the moment it’s localised.
Paul Kelly says there has clearly been a failure of the hotel quarantine system in Victoria, and “we absolutely need to learn the lessons of that”, but that will wait for the judicial review Daniel Andrews announced yesterday.
Kelly repeats that he does not believe that state borders are the way to control the spread of the virus, but says he respects the decisions of premiers and state health departments.
Paul Kelly also gave us an update on the national numbers.
There were 87 new Covid-19 cases recorded yesterday. That’s 73 in Victoria, mainly local transmission, and 14 in NSW, all from hotel quarantine.
The current Australian total is 7,920.
We’ve also passed a testing milestone: more than 2.5m Covid-19 tests have now been performed in Australia.
Australila’s deputy chief medical officer Prof Paul Kelly has praised the lockdown of 10 postcodes in northern Melbourne as an “innovative and proportionate solution” to control the outbreak.
He again compares it to the tactics used to control the Burnie hospital outbreak in Tasmania. That was slightly different, he says, because it was an isolated rural setting – it’s much easier to cut off north-west Tasmania than it is to cut off a handful of postcodes in metropolitan Melbourne.
But the same lessons apply:
Those three weapons are: test, trace, and isolate. Melbourne is doing all three, he says.
The Victorian health department has released more details about some of the 73 new cases of Covid-19 recorded overnight.
Nine of those cases are linked to known outbreaks but the remaining 64 are not:
Three new positive cases are linked to cases associated with Hugo Boss in Collins Street, Melbourne. The store has been cleaned and contact tracing is under way.
A healthcare worker at the Joan Kirner women’s and children’s hospital has tested positive. Cleaning and contact tracing are under way.
A healthcare worker at Epworth has tested positive. The department is working with Epworth to ensure all close contacts are identified.
A staff member at SBS Radio has tested positive. The staff member attended work while infectious. Contact tracing is under way and close contacts will be required to quarantine.
Students at three new schools have tested positive: Hoppers Crossing secondary school, Creekside college in Caroline Springs and Aitken Creek primary in Craigieburn. A staff member has tested positive at Westbreen primary school in Pascoe Vale. Cleaning of relevant classrooms and common areas at all schools will be undertaken and contact tracing is under way.
Two positive cases have been identified at the Maple Early Learning Centre in Mernda. The centre will close for cleaning and contact tracing is under way.
If you live apart from your partner, and one (or both!) of you live in a restricted postcode, you can still see each other and visit each other at home.
But while you’re in a restricted postcode, you can’t leave your home (or their home) unless it’s for one of the four listed reasons.
So: yes, you can hang out at home, go grocery shopping together, or exercise together.
No: you can’t have a picnic or go to a restaurant, because that’s not one of the four listed reasons (and restaurants within restricted postcodes will be closed).
Sadly for people living in these areas, you carry the restrictions with you. So if you live in Brunswick West, you can’t walk to Brunswick and suddenly cast off the shackles of stage three restrictions to have brunch.
No, I don’t really understand how this will be policed either. There is a heavy reliance on people doing the right thing.
Daniel Andrews has warned that if people do not do the right thing, the next step will be to lock down the whole city. No brunch for anyone.
The Victorian government has released a bit more detail about the restrictions which are in place for the 10 postcodes of concern, and also what that means for everyone else in Victoria.
If you do not live in one of the 10 postcodes rattled off by the premier yesterday (and listed here) you are being asked to use “common sense” when it comes to visiting friends and family, remembering that the five-person limit for houseguests remains in place until at least 12 July.
You can find more detail on the current rules for all Australian jurisdictions here:
Shopping centres and outdoor markets in Victoria are expected to keep crowds to one person for every 4 sq m.
You can visit a “restricted postcode” for four reasons only: shopping for food and supplies; care and caregiving; exercise; and study or work, if you can’t do it from home.
You can travel though those postcodes but are advised not to stop unless it’s for one of the four listed reasons.
Thanks to the wonderful Amy Remeikis. I’ve got some more details about the Victorian lockdown, which I’ll go through quickly before Prof Paul Kelly stands up in 20 minutes or so.
Calla Wahlquist will take you through the next few hours.
You have a national update coming from Prof Paul Kelly at 3.30pm and we are hoping to have more answers on the localised lockdowns.
You can catch me, as always, here and here – I do my best to get back to messages on the same day but it can take some time to find out all the information to answer your questions, so I apologise if there is a delay.
I’ll be back tomorrow morning. As always, please, take care of you.
For those who want to read the prime minister’s entire speech on the new defence plan, it will be posted here.
(Sidenote: they have changed the header photo on the PM’s media centre. That’s ... a lot of men.)