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| Coronavirus Australia: Victoria reports 73 new Covid-19 cases as NSW refuses to accept diverted flights – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Residents of 10 postcodes in Melbourne’s north and west have been ordered to stay home from midnight tonight. This blog is now closed | |
| We will leave our live coverage of the coronavirus situation in Australia there for today. You can follow our ongoing global coverage here and read an explainer on the Melbourne outbreak here. | We will leave our live coverage of the coronavirus situation in Australia there for today. You can follow our ongoing global coverage here and read an explainer on the Melbourne outbreak here. |
| Here’s where things stand: | Here’s where things stand: |
| Australia recorded 87 new Covid-19 cases, of which 73 were in Victoria and 14 were in NSW. The NSW cases all came from hotel quarantine; Victoria’s from local transmission. All but nine of the new Victorian cases have not yet been traced to known clusters. | Australia recorded 87 new Covid-19 cases, of which 73 were in Victoria and 14 were in NSW. The NSW cases all came from hotel quarantine; Victoria’s from local transmission. All but nine of the new Victorian cases have not yet been traced to known clusters. |
| About 300,000 people living in 36 suburbs across 10 “restricted postcodes” in Melbourne will go back into stage three lockdowns from midnight tonight. That means they cannot leave their home for any reason except exercise, essential shopping, work or school that cannot be done remotely, and caregiving. | About 300,000 people living in 36 suburbs across 10 “restricted postcodes” in Melbourne will go back into stage three lockdowns from midnight tonight. That means they cannot leave their home for any reason except exercise, essential shopping, work or school that cannot be done remotely, and caregiving. |
| Anyone from the hotspot suburbs who travels to NSW could face six months jail or an $11,000 fine. | Anyone from the hotspot suburbs who travels to NSW could face six months jail or an $11,000 fine. |
| For everyone else, NSW has eased restrictions. Funerals, weddings and church services can have as many people as the venue will allow, up to a limit of one person per four square metres. | For everyone else, NSW has eased restrictions. Funerals, weddings and church services can have as many people as the venue will allow, up to a limit of one person per four square metres. |
| No one from Victoria is allowed in Queensland, unless they’re travelling for an essential purpose, or for care and compassionate reasons and have paid for their own 14-day quarantine. | No one from Victoria is allowed in Queensland, unless they’re travelling for an essential purpose, or for care and compassionate reasons and have paid for their own 14-day quarantine. |
| South Australia has volunteered 30 clinical staff and Queensland 40 nurses to help the Victorian testing effort, and contact tracing and pathology work will also be done remotely in those states as well as NSW, WA and Tasmania. | South Australia has volunteered 30 clinical staff and Queensland 40 nurses to help the Victorian testing effort, and contact tracing and pathology work will also be done remotely in those states as well as NSW, WA and Tasmania. |
| Australia has now conducted more than 2.5m coronavirus tests. Victoria completed 20,000 in the past 24 hours. | Australia has now conducted more than 2.5m coronavirus tests. Victoria completed 20,000 in the past 24 hours. |
| About 10% of those asked to take a test in door-to-door checking in Melbourne’s hotspot suburbs has refused. Often, the refusal is due to concern about making children take the test. | About 10% of those asked to take a test in door-to-door checking in Melbourne’s hotspot suburbs has refused. Often, the refusal is due to concern about making children take the test. |
| Masks could be recommended for people in hotspot suburbs, Australia’s deputy chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly, has said. Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says the mandatory wearing of masks “could be part of” the response to control the Melbourne outbreak “but that’s not the advice I’ve received to this point”. | Masks could be recommended for people in hotspot suburbs, Australia’s deputy chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly, has said. Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says the mandatory wearing of masks “could be part of” the response to control the Melbourne outbreak “but that’s not the advice I’ve received to this point”. |
| Fellow Melburnians, particularly if you’re in one of the restricted postcodes: stay strong and please get tested if you feel even the slightest bit unwell, or if visited by a community health team. It’s really quick, and you’ll feel so smug afterward. | Fellow Melburnians, particularly if you’re in one of the restricted postcodes: stay strong and please get tested if you feel even the slightest bit unwell, or if visited by a community health team. It’s really quick, and you’ll feel so smug afterward. |
| We’ll see you in the morning. | We’ll see you in the morning. |
| The last question is on masks. Asked if Victoria will recommend the wearing of masks in public, Andrews says: “It may well be we get to that point.” | The last question is on masks. Asked if Victoria will recommend the wearing of masks in public, Andrews says: “It may well be we get to that point.” |
| But we’re not there yet. The public health advice around the mandatory use of masks remains unchanged. | But we’re not there yet. The public health advice around the mandatory use of masks remains unchanged. |
| Sales asks if Victoria felt pressured by the federal government to open up earlier than it was ready. | Sales asks if Victoria felt pressured by the federal government to open up earlier than it was ready. |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Sales points out that Victoria’s lockdown restrictions were stricter and have been slower to lift than in other states. Is this outbreak the response of “blow back” because people have been asked to restrict their lives too much? | Sales points out that Victoria’s lockdown restrictions were stricter and have been slower to lift than in other states. Is this outbreak the response of “blow back” because people have been asked to restrict their lives too much? |
| Andrews says he would not say that, either. | Andrews says he would not say that, either. |
| Sales asks if Victoria went with a private contractor to manage hotel quarantine security because it believed it was cheaper, or because it gave the state more control. What was the reasoning behind that decision, she asks? | Sales asks if Victoria went with a private contractor to manage hotel quarantine security because it believed it was cheaper, or because it gave the state more control. What was the reasoning behind that decision, she asks? |
| Andrews does not quite answer. He says they can’t go back and make a different decision now. | Andrews does not quite answer. He says they can’t go back and make a different decision now. |
| He says: | He says: |
| Sales asks why Victoria has to wait for the full inquiry to get an answer to what went wrong in hotel quarantine. She makes the point that the military will often do a rapid assessment and then a full inquiry – what’s the rapid assessment here? | Sales asks why Victoria has to wait for the full inquiry to get an answer to what went wrong in hotel quarantine. She makes the point that the military will often do a rapid assessment and then a full inquiry – what’s the rapid assessment here? |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| He adds that he has asked for international flights to be suspended so Victoria can halt hotel quarantine for a few weeks, while it figures out the breach. | He adds that he has asked for international flights to be suspended so Victoria can halt hotel quarantine for a few weeks, while it figures out the breach. |
| Sales asks why Victoria did not accept ADF assistance to run hotel quarantine, which has been done in some other states. Victoria relied on private contractors. | Sales asks why Victoria did not accept ADF assistance to run hotel quarantine, which has been done in some other states. Victoria relied on private contractors. |
| Andrews says there are “multiple sites around the country” that also use private companies to manage quarantine. | Andrews says there are “multiple sites around the country” that also use private companies to manage quarantine. |
| He said the Victorian government already has “some very clear suspicions about what’s gone on here”. | He said the Victorian government already has “some very clear suspicions about what’s gone on here”. |
| Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 now. | Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 now. |
| Host Leigh Sales asked why this outbreak occurred in Victoria. | Host Leigh Sales asked why this outbreak occurred in Victoria. |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Sales asks what went wrong, Andrews says that’s “not a matter for the premier of the day to answer”. He has promised an inquiry and that will return an answer in about six weeks. | Sales asks what went wrong, Andrews says that’s “not a matter for the premier of the day to answer”. He has promised an inquiry and that will return an answer in about six weeks. |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| The foreign minister, Marise Payne, has released this statement about Israel’s plan to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank. | The foreign minister, Marise Payne, has released this statement about Israel’s plan to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank. |
| It reads: | It reads: |
| acts of violence and terrorism including rocket attacks on civilians, and | acts of violence and terrorism including rocket attacks on civilians, and |
| land appropriations, demolitions, and settlement activity. | land appropriations, demolitions, and settlement activity. |
| We are standing by waiting to hear Victorian premier Daniel Andrews on 7.30. | We are standing by waiting to hear Victorian premier Daniel Andrews on 7.30. |
| In the mean time, please enjoy Brisbane correspondent Ben Smee’s account of what it will be like for Queenslanders trying to party in nightclubs this weekend while obeying the requirement to remain seated to maintain social distancing. | In the mean time, please enjoy Brisbane correspondent Ben Smee’s account of what it will be like for Queenslanders trying to party in nightclubs this weekend while obeying the requirement to remain seated to maintain social distancing. |
| According to the marketing manager of one Fortitude Valley club: | According to the marketing manager of one Fortitude Valley club: |
| This is one of the pop-up coronavirus testing sites in Melbourne’s 36 hotspot suburbs. | This is one of the pop-up coronavirus testing sites in Melbourne’s 36 hotspot suburbs. |
| About 300,000 people live in those suburbs and will return to lockdown at midnight tonight. | About 300,000 people live in those suburbs and will return to lockdown at midnight tonight. |
| Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, who will be interviewed on 7.30 on ABC TV tonight, has repeatedly pleaded with Victorians to get a test if they experience any symptoms, and to agree to a test if they are offered one by people going door-to-door in the hotspot suburbs. | Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, who will be interviewed on 7.30 on ABC TV tonight, has repeatedly pleaded with Victorians to get a test if they experience any symptoms, and to agree to a test if they are offered one by people going door-to-door in the hotspot suburbs. |
| Two AFL players have been suspended for breaching coronavirus control protocols. | Two AFL players have been suspended for breaching coronavirus control protocols. |
| Collingwood midfielder Steele Sidebottom has been dealt a four-match ban and teammate Lynden Dunn has received a one match ban. | Collingwood midfielder Steele Sidebottom has been dealt a four-match ban and teammate Lynden Dunn has received a one match ban. |
| More details from AAP: | More details from AAP: |
| The story continues: | The story continues: |
| Up to 400 jobs at the University of Wollongong could go after a stalemate between the university and unions over pay cuts and other proposed changes to the enterprise bargaining agreement. | Up to 400 jobs at the University of Wollongong could go after a stalemate between the university and unions over pay cuts and other proposed changes to the enterprise bargaining agreement. |
| Last month, the university presented three options for the agreement to cover an expected $90m shortfall in revenue in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. | Last month, the university presented three options for the agreement to cover an expected $90m shortfall in revenue in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| The first two options would have seen pay cut and hours reduced by up to 15% over the next 12 months, which the uni said would see 200 fewer jobs go (but still between 150 and 200 jobs going). | The first two options would have seen pay cut and hours reduced by up to 15% over the next 12 months, which the uni said would see 200 fewer jobs go (but still between 150 and 200 jobs going). |
| The third option was to keep to the existing agreement, and more jobs to go. | The third option was to keep to the existing agreement, and more jobs to go. |
| Staff never got the chance to vote on the preferred option. The university announced on Wednesday that management and unions “were unable to reach consensus on a viable option to reduce costs and minimise job losses by temporarily varying current employment agreements”. | Staff never got the chance to vote on the preferred option. The university announced on Wednesday that management and unions “were unable to reach consensus on a viable option to reduce costs and minimise job losses by temporarily varying current employment agreements”. |
| The university has claimed it needed to make a decision quickly, but also said if the unions’ position changes, it is willing to discuss options to save more jobs. | The university has claimed it needed to make a decision quickly, but also said if the unions’ position changes, it is willing to discuss options to save more jobs. |
| If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’d see we frequently draw on the great work of our colleagues at Australian Associated Press (AAP), who for 85 years have provided a fast, accurate newswire service. | If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’d see we frequently draw on the great work of our colleagues at Australian Associated Press (AAP), who for 85 years have provided a fast, accurate newswire service. |
| The newswire was sold to new owners on Monday, and while it’s great that AAP will not be shut down, as was the original plan, it still has to slim down from 140 staff to 85 before the new wire launches on 1 August. | The newswire was sold to new owners on Monday, and while it’s great that AAP will not be shut down, as was the original plan, it still has to slim down from 140 staff to 85 before the new wire launches on 1 August. |
| A number of really great journalists were tapped on the shoulder to leave today. You might not recognise their bylines, but I guarantee you’ve read their work. | A number of really great journalists were tapped on the shoulder to leave today. You might not recognise their bylines, but I guarantee you’ve read their work. |
| Finbar asked Scott Morrison that question about pork-barrelling in Eden-Monaro, as featured in Laura Tingle’s column this week. | Finbar asked Scott Morrison that question about pork-barrelling in Eden-Monaro, as featured in Laura Tingle’s column this week. |
| Shine Lawyers is canvassing interest in a potential class action against Anglicare for the coronavirus outbreak at Newmarch House nursing home in Sydney. | Shine Lawyers is canvassing interest in a potential class action against Anglicare for the coronavirus outbreak at Newmarch House nursing home in Sydney. |
| Nineteen people died after testing positive to Covid-19 as part of that outbreak. | Nineteen people died after testing positive to Covid-19 as part of that outbreak. |
| Shine Lawyers national practice leader Lisa Flynn said the action will allege Anglicare was negligent in its handling of the crisis and breached its duty of care. | Shine Lawyers national practice leader Lisa Flynn said the action will allege Anglicare was negligent in its handling of the crisis and breached its duty of care. |
| She said: | She said: |
| This may or may not make people in the restricted postcodes feel better. | This may or may not make people in the restricted postcodes feel better. |