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Coronavirus Australia update: NSW to fine Victorians up to $11,000 if they enter state from lockdown suburbs – live news
Coronavirus Australia update: Victoria reports 73 new Covid-19 cases as NSW announces $11,000 fines – 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 live
Residents of 10 postcodes in Melbourne’s north and west have been ordered to stay home from midnight tonight. Follow live
New South Wales health has confirmed the 14 new cases – all are returned travellers.
Daniel Andrews continues:
As we mentioned, NSW will receive most of the international flights which were meant to go to Victoria – after Victoria asked for a two-week reprieve while it reviews its quarantine situation (breaches of quarantine protocols from some security staff have been traced back as one of the origins of this latest outbreak) so expect to see NSW’s case numbers increase in the next couple of weeks. The problem will only be if the people who test positive are coming from within the community, not the number of positive tests themselves.
Asked why the government has taken so long to look at hotel quarantine security in Victoria, given the number of media questions over the last few weeks, Daniel Andrews says:
NSW has also further eased its social distancing restrictions:
Daniel Andrews says the lockdown lines were chosen by health authorities, based on the data they had:
Limits on attendance have been relaxed from Wednesday for funerals, weddings, places of worship and community sport in NSW, as long as there is no more than one person for every 4 sq m of space.
Daniel Andrews says there is a sliver of good news in the numbers:
Outdoor gatherings are still restricted to 20 people but community sport with a Covid-19 safety plan can have up to 500 participants.
Daniel Andrews:
Funerals, weddings and church services may have the maximum number of people allowed on the premises, with one person for every 4 sq m.
The Victorian health minister says authorities are making it as easy as they can for the 300,000 or so people who live in the hotspots to get tested for Covid:
All businesses can now open and operate under the same principle.
The Victorian premier says he has been speaking with the prime minister and makes a point to thank him for his support:
Up to 20 people can visit another household at any one time and guests are permitted to stay overnight. Up to 20 people can also stay at a holiday home, with no restrictions on travelling within NSW.
Daniel Andrews says if he didn’t shut down the northern Melbourne suburbs, he would have had to shut down the state:
(via AAP)
Daniel Andrews says he understands that it is a very difficult situation:
While Scott Morrison has been speaking, the defence department has published the two key documents – the defence strategic update and the force structure plan.
There will be 12 new testing sites rolled out in the locked down suburbs.
The strategic update says the Covid-19 pandemic “has altered the economic trajectory of the region and the world with implications for Australia’s prosperity and security”.
That is with help from federal and interstate staff.
It says the trend towards a more competitive and contested region “will not be fundamentally altered by the effects of the pandemic, but it is sharpening some aspects of strategic competition between the United States and China”:
Daniel Andrews:
The document says the pandemic’s impact on regional growth, trade and societies will have lasting consequences:
The Queensland premier says she doesn’t want to say any more than she did yesterday, about the border criticism.
China is mentioned directly:
Here is what she had to say yesterday:
Those who are interested can read the full documents here.
She is then asked about the Queensland Labor attack ad posted on Twitter overnight (which is separate to the parliamentary team) and which has since been deleted
Daniel Andrews has been doing the Melbourne media rounds this morning as he attempts to explain how a localised lockdown will work, while the rest of the state maintains eased restrictions.
Palaszczuk:
Meanwhile, the ramifications of the virus spike are still being felt.
(Everyone called that out - and he was made to apologise)
The NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard, has announced penalties for any Victorian from one of the hotspot suburbs entering NSW.
They can be fined up to $11,000 or jailed for six months if they attempt to enter NSW. New South Wales residents face the same penalties if they go to one of the named suburbs. Hazzard said:
Daniel Hurst has picked out some key messages from Scott Morrison’s speech:
(via AAP)
A gunman is on the loose after entering a newly-built townhouse and threatening tradies in a coronavirus hotspot suburb in Melbourne’s north.
Police are looking for the man armed with a gun near Metelmen Court in Broadmeadows on Wednesday morning.
Two workmen entered the townhouse to complete some work about 7.15am when they heard some noises.
They saw a man coming down the stairs with a firearm, police said.
The man threatened the pair, who left the premises and contacted police.
Police have blocked off the area and are yet to confirm if the man is still inside the house.
Scott Morrison has begun his speech outlining Australia’s defence strategy for 2020.
Daniel Hurst is watching that for you.
Scott Morrison was asked about Annastacia Palaszczuk’s comments about singling out Queensland on the Nine network this morning:
Morrison has been singling out Queensland to open its borders – and then added “all borders” to his comments.
Anthony Albanese was asked about Annastacia Palaszczuk’s comments yesterday, after she hit back against the border criticism (which included Scott Morrison) and said:
Victoria police have called a press conference for 10.45am.
Hopefully we will get some additional information on how the localised lockdowns will work.
The ATO site is having a few traffic problems today – being 1 July, there are a lot of people trying to log on to register for jobkeeper for the new financial year, as well as the additional tax traffic.
If you are having trouble, keep trying – it seems to be coping off and on.
With flights being diverted from Melbourne for the next two weeks, Sydney will see an uptick in returned travellers, and therefore it is expected to see case numbers increase.
There are reports of another 14 cases in NSW – we don’t have a breakdown of where these cases have come from.
On the borders and state responses, Anthony Albanese says:
Daniel Andrews and his health minister, Jenny Mikakos, will hold a press conference at 11.30am today.
For those wanting more information on the defence announcement, Daniel Hurst has you covered:
