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| Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria reports six deaths and 532 Covid-19 cases and NSW 17 new cases | Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria reports six deaths and 532 Covid-19 cases and NSW 17 new cases |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Australia records highest daily one-day total of cases since start of pandemic, as Andrews announces 683 active cases linked to aged care in Victoria, and in Sydney the Thai Rock Wetherill Park cluster rises to 70. Follow latest updates | Australia records highest daily one-day total of cases since start of pandemic, as Andrews announces 683 active cases linked to aged care in Victoria, and in Sydney the Thai Rock Wetherill Park cluster rises to 70. Follow latest updates |
| Information released today by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) shows that one million people have made a repeat application to draw down their superannuation, under the early release scheme. | |
| That is, one million people have already drawn down on their super and have applied to draw it down again. | |
| The data shows that $28bn has been withdrawn from superannuation funds in Australia from the inception of the scheme in March to 19 July 2020. It payed out $2.7bn just in the last week. | |
| Almost three million people have applied to withdraw some of their super, and the average withdrawal amount was $7,719. | |
| The size of the withdrawal is increasing – the average amount withdrawn in initial applications is $7,407, but the average amount requested by the one million repeat applications is $8,619. | |
| The Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, held a press conference a short time ago in which he called people who do refuse to wear a face mask in a high risk area “dropkicks” and said mining magnate Clive Palmer, who is challenging WA’s hard domestic border in the high court, is in a demographic at a higher risk from Covid-19. | |
| McGowan was speaking in Perth to announce a new “green jobs plan”, a $60.3m package which is part of the state’s coronavirus economic recovery plan. It includes $15m to set up a native vegetation rehabilitation scheme to provide environmental offsets, and shore up the habitat for threatened species like the Carnaby’s cockatoo. | |
| The South Australian premier, Steven Marshall, is wearing a hard hat and high-vis vest and giving a press conference that he would like to be about jobs, but that is actually about him losing three ministers to an expenses scandal. | |
| How refreshing to have something as normal as an expenses scandal! | |
| Marshall: | |
| Police have fined 10 people for attending a church in St Albans, in Melbourne’s northwestern suburbs, as part of 152 fines issued in the past 24-hours to people alleged to have breached public health orders. | Police have fined 10 people for attending a church in St Albans, in Melbourne’s northwestern suburbs, as part of 152 fines issued in the past 24-hours to people alleged to have breached public health orders. |
| Attending a place of worship is not one of the four permitted reasons that people in the greater Melbourne lockdown area are allowed to leave their home. | Attending a place of worship is not one of the four permitted reasons that people in the greater Melbourne lockdown area are allowed to leave their home. |
| The fines also included 23 people who were fined $200 for failing to wear a face covering outside their home in greater Melbourne or the Mitchell Shire. | |
| They also issued fines for “multiple gatherings and parties at short-term rental accommodation in Melbourne’s CBD”. | They also issued fines for “multiple gatherings and parties at short-term rental accommodation in Melbourne’s CBD”. |
| Police said they conducted 12,283 vehicle checks and 4,073 spot checks on people in their homes, business, or out in public in the past 24-hours. | Police said they conducted 12,283 vehicle checks and 4,073 spot checks on people in their homes, business, or out in public in the past 24-hours. |
| The deputy commissioner of police, Rick Nugent, also, obliquely, commented on the Bunnings lady. | The deputy commissioner of police, Rick Nugent, also, obliquely, commented on the Bunnings lady. |
| He said: | He said: |
| Cool. | Cool. |
| Some scary maths, although the positive results reported today weren’t necessarily all conducted in the past 24-hours – only priority cases have results back in 24-hours at the moment. | Some scary maths, although the positive results reported today weren’t necessarily all conducted in the past 24-hours – only priority cases have results back in 24-hours at the moment. |
| Finally, Berejiklian was asked for her comment on the Sydney Black Lives Matter rally. | Finally, Berejiklian was asked for her comment on the Sydney Black Lives Matter rally. |
| The reporter who asked the question, asked the premier what her message is to people who may go to the protest. | The reporter who asked the question, asked the premier what her message is to people who may go to the protest. |
| It is scheduled to go ahead tomorrow despite the supreme court on Sunday ruling in favour of police to invalidate the protest. The organisers are appealing that decision in the supreme court today and, notably, said yesterday that they would call off the protest if Berejiklian commits to asking SafeWork NSW and the director of public prosecutions to investigate whether charges should be laid against the guards involved in the 2015 death in custody of David Dungay Jr. | It is scheduled to go ahead tomorrow despite the supreme court on Sunday ruling in favour of police to invalidate the protest. The organisers are appealing that decision in the supreme court today and, notably, said yesterday that they would call off the protest if Berejiklian commits to asking SafeWork NSW and the director of public prosecutions to investigate whether charges should be laid against the guards involved in the 2015 death in custody of David Dungay Jr. |
| I am telling you that context, because Berejiklian was not asked whether she would agree to asking for the investigation – she was just asked for her “message”. | I am telling you that context, because Berejiklian was not asked whether she would agree to asking for the investigation – she was just asked for her “message”. |
| Her message was: | Her message was: |
| She said police will make arrests. | She said police will make arrests. |
| To regional areas now. | To regional areas now. |
| Chant said she is “incredibly pleased with the response of the Bateman’s Bay community” to the outbreak at the Soldiers Club earlier this month. | Chant said she is “incredibly pleased with the response of the Bateman’s Bay community” to the outbreak at the Soldiers Club earlier this month. |
| Berejiklian said that NSW-based health staff staff who work at Wangaratta hospital, about an hour’s drive into Victoria, had been granted an exemption to quarantine requirements to allow them to continue to attend work. | Berejiklian said that NSW-based health staff staff who work at Wangaratta hospital, about an hour’s drive into Victoria, had been granted an exemption to quarantine requirements to allow them to continue to attend work. |
| She said that concession was granted based on health advice. | She said that concession was granted based on health advice. |
| At the same press conference, NSW treasurer Dominic Perrottet announced a $78m stamp duty relief program for first home buyers, which will remove the stamp duty on newly-built homes valued at below $800,000 and give a stamp duty concession on homes valued up to $1m. | At the same press conference, NSW treasurer Dominic Perrottet announced a $78m stamp duty relief program for first home buyers, which will remove the stamp duty on newly-built homes valued at below $800,000 and give a stamp duty concession on homes valued up to $1m. |
| More detail from AAP: | More detail from AAP: |
| Chant reported the warnings, mentioned here previously, asking people who attended the Thai Rock restaurant at Potts Point to self-isolate and get tested. | Chant reported the warnings, mentioned here previously, asking people who attended the Thai Rock restaurant at Potts Point to self-isolate and get tested. |
| But she also asked all residents in two western Sydney suburbs to come forward and get tested to ensure there’s no undetected spread in those communities. | But she also asked all residents in two western Sydney suburbs to come forward and get tested to ensure there’s no undetected spread in those communities. |
| Chant said: | Chant said: |
| The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has praised hospitality businesses in that state for complying with new laws, which came into effect on Friday, saying there has been a “marked improvement in businesses being Covid-safe”. | The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has praised hospitality businesses in that state for complying with new laws, which came into effect on Friday, saying there has been a “marked improvement in businesses being Covid-safe”. |
| Berejiklian said: | Berejiklian said: |
| The chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, said three of the 17 new cases recorded in NSW in the past 24-hours were close contacts of cases connected to the outbreak centred around the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park. | The chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, said three of the 17 new cases recorded in NSW in the past 24-hours were close contacts of cases connected to the outbreak centred around the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park. |
| Four more cases were linked to the funeral cluster at St Brendan church. Eight were travellers in hotel quarantine. Two more are still under investigation. | Four more cases were linked to the funeral cluster at St Brendan church. Eight were travellers in hotel quarantine. Two more are still under investigation. |
| The two under investigation are the case linked to the Thai Rock restaurant at Potts Point, reported last night, and a man in his 40s in south-western Sydney. | The two under investigation are the case linked to the Thai Rock restaurant at Potts Point, reported last night, and a man in his 40s in south-western Sydney. |
| There are currently five people with Covid-19 in intensive care in NSW, and one person on a ventilator. | There are currently five people with Covid-19 in intensive care in NSW, and one person on a ventilator. |
| New Zealand has reported another day with no new cases of Covid-19 – the third day in a row. | New Zealand has reported another day with no new cases of Covid-19 – the third day in a row. |
| All of the country’s 21 active cases of the virus were diagnosed in travellers returning to the country, all of whom are quarantined in government-managed isolation facilities. | All of the country’s 21 active cases of the virus were diagnosed in travellers returning to the country, all of whom are quarantined in government-managed isolation facilities. |
| Only New Zealanders, and essential workers given exemptions, are allowed to enter the country. All travellers spend two weeks in quarantine, during which they are tested twice for the coronavirus. | Only New Zealanders, and essential workers given exemptions, are allowed to enter the country. All travellers spend two weeks in quarantine, during which they are tested twice for the coronavirus. |
| New Zealand has recorded 1,206 confirmed cases of the virus since the pandemic began, with 22 deaths. | New Zealand has recorded 1,206 confirmed cases of the virus since the pandemic began, with 22 deaths. |
| There is no known community transmission of the virus, widely attributed to a swift, early lockdown of the country. Health officials said on Monday that it had been 87 days since the last case of Covid-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source. | There is no known community transmission of the virus, widely attributed to a swift, early lockdown of the country. Health officials said on Monday that it had been 87 days since the last case of Covid-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source. |
| New Zealand now has no restrictions in place on daily life other than the border measures. | New Zealand now has no restrictions in place on daily life other than the border measures. |
| That is it from the Victorian update. I’ll bring you some more details from NSW shortly but first, New Zealand has to brag. | That is it from the Victorian update. I’ll bring you some more details from NSW shortly but first, New Zealand has to brag. |
| Andrews said he did not want to talk about people peddling coronavirus conspiracy theories or filming themselves breaching public health orders for the purpose of ... views? Defending rights that are not actually rights? | Andrews said he did not want to talk about people peddling coronavirus conspiracy theories or filming themselves breaching public health orders for the purpose of ... views? Defending rights that are not actually rights? |
| But then he got annoyed and talked about it anyway. | But then he got annoyed and talked about it anyway. |
| Andrews said that state parliament is still resuming on Tuesday, but may have to be limited in number. | Andrews said that state parliament is still resuming on Tuesday, but may have to be limited in number. |
| A few other points that have been made during this lengthy press conference. | A few other points that have been made during this lengthy press conference. |
| Whenever there is an outbreak in aged care, all residents and staff are tested. | Whenever there is an outbreak in aged care, all residents and staff are tested. |
| Genomic testing is underway to trace the aged care outbreaks, but Sutton hasn’t seen it yet. | Genomic testing is underway to trace the aged care outbreaks, but Sutton hasn’t seen it yet. |
| Andrews maintains it would not be “feasible” to move all aged care residents to hospital when an outbreak occurs, “and I don’t think it would be the safest thing for that to occur”. | Andrews maintains it would not be “feasible” to move all aged care residents to hospital when an outbreak occurs, “and I don’t think it would be the safest thing for that to occur”. |
| Since the Cedar Meats outbreak, Victoria has changed its policy around outbreaks in abattoirs so that every employee at a facility with a positive case is now classed as a close contact and asked to quarantine as a precaution. Andrews said: | Since the Cedar Meats outbreak, Victoria has changed its policy around outbreaks in abattoirs so that every employee at a facility with a positive case is now classed as a close contact and asked to quarantine as a precaution. Andrews said: |
| Sutton says Victoria’s contact-tracing team is not yet overwhelmed, that it can handle “600, 700, 800 interviews a day. I hope we don’t get there but we could if we get there”. | Sutton says Victoria’s contact-tracing team is not yet overwhelmed, that it can handle “600, 700, 800 interviews a day. I hope we don’t get there but we could if we get there”. |
| He said the ADF is door-knocking as part of contact tracing now, and they have discovered a number of people who are not at home. | He said the ADF is door-knocking as part of contact tracing now, and they have discovered a number of people who are not at home. |
| Sutton said it was a “huge challenge” for public health staff to monitor more than 4,000 active coronavirus cases. | Sutton said it was a “huge challenge” for public health staff to monitor more than 4,000 active coronavirus cases. |
| Sutton said there was a lag in people presenting in intensive care, and he expected to see an increase in people in the ICU and needing ventilators the next few weeks. | Sutton said there was a lag in people presenting in intensive care, and he expected to see an increase in people in the ICU and needing ventilators the next few weeks. |