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| Coronavirus Australia live update: fears over Victoria outbreak after deadliest day – latest news | Coronavirus Australia live update: fears over Victoria outbreak after deadliest day – latest news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Victoria’s health system in crisis after 459 new Covid-19 cases and 10 deaths on Sunday, as NSW records six new cases linked to Thai Rock restaurant. Follow latest updates | Victoria’s health system in crisis after 459 new Covid-19 cases and 10 deaths on Sunday, as NSW records six new cases linked to Thai Rock restaurant. Follow latest updates |
| Prime minister Scott Morrison will hold a press conference at 10.30am. | |
| Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has told reporters this morning that she is prepared to “slam the border shut” to protect Queensland from the growing community transmission of Covid-19 in NSW and Victoria. | |
| There are already restrictions in place for travellers from Victoria and three Sydney local government areas. | |
| More from AAP: | |
| The deputy national chief medical officer, Dr Nick Coatsworth, told Channel Nine’s Today show this morning that the virus was “deeply embedded within the community in Victoria” and would take some time to control. | |
| These quotes are via AAP. Coatsworth said: | |
| A reminder from the Victorian health minister: | |
| I’ll let you know, as soon as I know, when we can expect the Victorian press conference today. Hopefully the numbers will continue to stabilise. | |
| A bit of international context, to remind us here in Melbourne that it could be worse: Florida recorded 12,199 new cases yesterday, and that’s only that state’s sixth-biggest one-day jump. | |
| You can follow our rolling global coverage here. | |
| Still on the aged care outbreaks, there is a push from within the sector to move residents who test positive to Covid-19 to hospital as a matter of course, rather than on a case-by-case basis. | |
| Patricia Sparrow, the chief executive of Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA), an industry body representing aged care facilities, has been calling for this for a few weeks now. ACSA represents about 50 aged care facilities in Victoria that have been linked to at least one positive case, but Sparrow said they have had no fatalities among residents at those facilities at this stage. | |
| She said they are “absolutely looking for state governments to change that policy”. | |
| She said a sub-acute hospital facility, as suggested by the Australian Medical Association, could be one solution to ensure people who test positive are moved out of residential aged care facilities immediately. | |
| Sparrow repeated claims that some aged care providers have tried to take residents with Covid-19 to hospital and been turned back. | |
| Sparrow said aged care facilities are facing staffing difficulties because at least 250 staff have tested positive to Covid-19, and many more are in self-isolation as a close contact. | |
| Up to 30% of aged care staff also work across multiple facilities, but have now been told, as part of efforts to control the spread, that they must be restricted to just one facility. | |
| Labor aged care spokeswoman Julie Collins said the establishment of an aged care response centre in Melbourne is welcome but “sadly too late for some residents, staff and families already impacted”. | Labor aged care spokeswoman Julie Collins said the establishment of an aged care response centre in Melbourne is welcome but “sadly too late for some residents, staff and families already impacted”. |
| In a statement, Collins said: | In a statement, Collins said: |
| She accused the federal government of failing to audit stocks of PPE in nursing homes, prior to the second wave outbreak in Melbourne. | She accused the federal government of failing to audit stocks of PPE in nursing homes, prior to the second wave outbreak in Melbourne. |
| The federal aged care minister, Richard Colbeck, told the ABC earlier this morning that there was “no shortage of PPE” in the aged care sector. We have heard differently from some aged care workers this morning, who emailed us on the back of that comment. | The federal aged care minister, Richard Colbeck, told the ABC earlier this morning that there was “no shortage of PPE” in the aged care sector. We have heard differently from some aged care workers this morning, who emailed us on the back of that comment. |
| If you work in aged care in Victoria and also have a view on the availability of PPE, you can reach me at calla.wahlquist@theguardian.com | If you work in aged care in Victoria and also have a view on the availability of PPE, you can reach me at calla.wahlquist@theguardian.com |
| Queensland has recorded no new cases of coronavirus overnight, and still has five active cases. | Queensland has recorded no new cases of coronavirus overnight, and still has five active cases. |
| A reminder that if you visited the Thai Rock restaurant in Potts Point – that’s a different restaurant with the same owners as the Weatherill Park restaurant at the centre of the outbreak – you should be alert for coronavirus symptoms. | A reminder that if you visited the Thai Rock restaurant in Potts Point – that’s a different restaurant with the same owners as the Weatherill Park restaurant at the centre of the outbreak – you should be alert for coronavirus symptoms. |
| Anyone who attended the Potts Point restaurant for more than two hours between 15 and 25 July has been directed by NSW Health to immediately get tested for Covid-19 and self-isolate for 14 days since they were last at the restaurant, regardless of symptoms or test result. | Anyone who attended the Potts Point restaurant for more than two hours between 15 and 25 July has been directed by NSW Health to immediately get tested for Covid-19 and self-isolate for 14 days since they were last at the restaurant, regardless of symptoms or test result. |
| There are also coronavirus alerts out for people who were at the An Restaurant in Bankstown between 9am-11am on 23 July, and the Tan Viet Noodle House (also known as the Crispy Chicken Noodle House) in Cabramatta on 22 July, from 1pm-2pm. | There are also coronavirus alerts out for people who were at the An Restaurant in Bankstown between 9am-11am on 23 July, and the Tan Viet Noodle House (also known as the Crispy Chicken Noodle House) in Cabramatta on 22 July, from 1pm-2pm. |
| Anyone who attended either restaurants during those times has been advised to monitor themselves for symptoms and seek testing immediately should they appear. | Anyone who attended either restaurants during those times has been advised to monitor themselves for symptoms and seek testing immediately should they appear. |
| The Georges River Grammar School is also closed for cleaning today after a student tested positive to Covid-19. | The Georges River Grammar School is also closed for cleaning today after a student tested positive to Covid-19. |
| Nick Coatsworth was asked when the daily new coronavirus figures in Australia might be expected to decrease. He said yesterday that they had stabilised at between 350 and 450 a day, which is higher than we would like but better than case numbers doubling every few days: | Nick Coatsworth was asked when the daily new coronavirus figures in Australia might be expected to decrease. He said yesterday that they had stabilised at between 350 and 450 a day, which is higher than we would like but better than case numbers doubling every few days: |
| He said the numbers in aged care facilities were “deeply concerning”: | He said the numbers in aged care facilities were “deeply concerning”: |
| The deputy national chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has also commented on the Bunnings video. He told ABC News Breakfast: | The deputy national chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has also commented on the Bunnings video. He told ABC News Breakfast: |
| I’m not sure I’m allowed to use emojis in the blog so just imagine the eyes emoji at that oblique reference to the US. | I’m not sure I’m allowed to use emojis in the blog so just imagine the eyes emoji at that oblique reference to the US. |
| A video of a woman at Bunnings asserting her right to not wear a mask has been a popular topic of discussion on breakfast television this morning. | A video of a woman at Bunnings asserting her right to not wear a mask has been a popular topic of discussion on breakfast television this morning. |
| I won’t share it here, because it’s my right as a living human woman not to share that kind of grandstanding, and because I’m sure if you have been on the internet at all in the past 24 hours you have already seen it. | I won’t share it here, because it’s my right as a living human woman not to share that kind of grandstanding, and because I’m sure if you have been on the internet at all in the past 24 hours you have already seen it. |
| Senator Jacqui Lambie told the Today show on Nine: | Senator Jacqui Lambie told the Today show on Nine: |
| The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, was also asked about it and other similar videos yesterday: | The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, was also asked about it and other similar videos yesterday: |
| Supermarkets and other stores in Melbourne and the Mitchell shire, including Bunnings, have repeatedly said they will deny entry to people defying the public health orders and not wearing a mask. That’s within their rights – stores are private property and can set whatever conditions of entry that they wish. Don’t put the lives of retail staff at risk and just generally ruin their day by grandstanding about your lack of care for others. | Supermarkets and other stores in Melbourne and the Mitchell shire, including Bunnings, have repeatedly said they will deny entry to people defying the public health orders and not wearing a mask. That’s within their rights – stores are private property and can set whatever conditions of entry that they wish. Don’t put the lives of retail staff at risk and just generally ruin their day by grandstanding about your lack of care for others. |
| People are continuing to drive straight past police at the South Australian border checkpoints. | People are continuing to drive straight past police at the South Australian border checkpoints. |
| On Friday night a car with blacked-out number plates drove past the checkpoint on the Barrier Highway at Oodla Wirra “at speed and on the wrong side of the highway”. SA police said: | On Friday night a car with blacked-out number plates drove past the checkpoint on the Barrier Highway at Oodla Wirra “at speed and on the wrong side of the highway”. SA police said: |
| The man was charged with failing to comply with quarantine directions, speeding, obscuring a number plate, driving unlicensed and breaching bail, and was denied bail to appear before the Port Pirie magistrates court today. | The man was charged with failing to comply with quarantine directions, speeding, obscuring a number plate, driving unlicensed and breaching bail, and was denied bail to appear before the Port Pirie magistrates court today. |
| In case you missed it yesterday, the supreme court in NSW has upheld an application by police to stop a Black Lives Matter protest from going ahead. | In case you missed it yesterday, the supreme court in NSW has upheld an application by police to stop a Black Lives Matter protest from going ahead. |
| Organisers of the protest, scheduled for Sydney tomorrow, are appealing against the court decision. They have said they will consider calling it off if the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, commits to asking SafeWork NSW and the director of public prosecution to investigate whether charges should be laid against the prison guards involved in the 2015 death in custody of the Dunghuttii man David Dungay Jr. | Organisers of the protest, scheduled for Sydney tomorrow, are appealing against the court decision. They have said they will consider calling it off if the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, commits to asking SafeWork NSW and the director of public prosecution to investigate whether charges should be laid against the prison guards involved in the 2015 death in custody of the Dunghuttii man David Dungay Jr. |
| Dungay’s nephew Paul Silva said: | Dungay’s nephew Paul Silva said: |
| From today, state and federal health authorities will stand up a joint coordination centre to manage the aged care response, bringing in the Australian defence force and the aged care quality and safety regulator. | From today, state and federal health authorities will stand up a joint coordination centre to manage the aged care response, bringing in the Australian defence force and the aged care quality and safety regulator. |
| Colbeck told News Breakfast that coordination centre would be: | Colbeck told News Breakfast that coordination centre would be: |
| He repeated there was “now no shortage of PPE. We have very, very plentiful stocks.” | He repeated there was “now no shortage of PPE. We have very, very plentiful stocks.” |
| He said the scale of the outbreak in the aged care sector in Melbourne now was a function of the level of virus in the community: | He said the scale of the outbreak in the aged care sector in Melbourne now was a function of the level of virus in the community: |
| He repeated that aged care residents who test positive would only be moved to hospital on a “case-by-case basis”. | He repeated that aged care residents who test positive would only be moved to hospital on a “case-by-case basis”. |
| The aged care minister, Richard Colbeck, says the aged care sector has done a “fantastic job during the Covid outbreak” and denied that poor staffing practices had contributed to the number of positive coronavirus cases linked to aged care facilities in Melbourne, saying that was just “a function of community spread”. | The aged care minister, Richard Colbeck, says the aged care sector has done a “fantastic job during the Covid outbreak” and denied that poor staffing practices had contributed to the number of positive coronavirus cases linked to aged care facilities in Melbourne, saying that was just “a function of community spread”. |
| There are 560 active cases linked to aged care settings in Victoria, according to the state’s health department, in 71 different outbreaks, Colbeck said. | There are 560 active cases linked to aged care settings in Victoria, according to the state’s health department, in 71 different outbreaks, Colbeck said. |
| But he told Radio National that while some of the outbreaks are “concerning” the industry as a whole is handling it “pretty well”. | But he told Radio National that while some of the outbreaks are “concerning” the industry as a whole is handling it “pretty well”. |
| He has dismissed criticism, in back-to-back interviews on ABC News Breakfast and Radio National, that aged care workers were unprepared, ill-equipped and were not given appropriate PPE. Colbeck told RN: | He has dismissed criticism, in back-to-back interviews on ABC News Breakfast and Radio National, that aged care workers were unprepared, ill-equipped and were not given appropriate PPE. Colbeck told RN: |
| He said aged care facilities had demonstrated good infection control protocols which clicked into place as soon as the first case was detected in a staff member or resident. But, because of the way the virus spreads, by the time the first case is detected it had already spread to other people. | He said aged care facilities had demonstrated good infection control protocols which clicked into place as soon as the first case was detected in a staff member or resident. But, because of the way the virus spreads, by the time the first case is detected it had already spread to other people. |
| Colbeck did not directly answer when asked whether, given the rate of community spread in Melbourne, those protocols should be set up before an outbreak is detected in a facility. He said: | Colbeck did not directly answer when asked whether, given the rate of community spread in Melbourne, those protocols should be set up before an outbreak is detected in a facility. He said: |
| Morning, | Morning, |
| The Victorian and Australian governments will set up a joint response centre to manage the growing crisis in aged care in Melbourne, with 536 active cases linked to the aged care sector along with a significant number of deaths – including seven of the 10 deaths reported yesterday. | The Victorian and Australian governments will set up a joint response centre to manage the growing crisis in aged care in Melbourne, with 536 active cases linked to the aged care sector along with a significant number of deaths – including seven of the 10 deaths reported yesterday. |
| The joint response will include Australian defence force resources, the aged care regulator, and state and federal government resources and emergency management experts, the health minister, Greg Hunt, said yesterday: | The joint response will include Australian defence force resources, the aged care regulator, and state and federal government resources and emergency management experts, the health minister, Greg Hunt, said yesterday: |
| Australia experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic so far yesterday, but health officials say the numbers are stabilising, indicating that the stage-three lockdown in greater Melbourne and the Mitchell shire, which is into its third week, is having an effect. One death reported yesterday was of a man in his 40s. | Australia experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic so far yesterday, but health officials say the numbers are stabilising, indicating that the stage-three lockdown in greater Melbourne and the Mitchell shire, which is into its third week, is having an effect. One death reported yesterday was of a man in his 40s. |
| The deputy national chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth told reporters: | The deputy national chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth told reporters: |
| But the outbreak is not confined to those areas under lockdown. There are now 47 active cases linked to the outbreak at the Australian Lamb Company in the regional Victorian town of Colac, about 150km west of Melbourne, which is not under lockdown orders. | But the outbreak is not confined to those areas under lockdown. There are now 47 active cases linked to the outbreak at the Australian Lamb Company in the regional Victorian town of Colac, about 150km west of Melbourne, which is not under lockdown orders. |
| In Sydney the number of cases linked to the Thai Rock Restaurant outbreak, now the biggest outbreak in NSW, has risen to 67. Last night health authorities warned that a staff member at a second Thai Rock restaurant in Potts Point – which is owned by the same people as the Wetherill Park restaurant, the centre of the first outbreak – had also tested positive. Anyone who attended the Potts Point restaurant for more than two hours between 15 and 25 July has been told to get tested and self-isolate for 14 days since they were last there, regardless of symptoms. | In Sydney the number of cases linked to the Thai Rock Restaurant outbreak, now the biggest outbreak in NSW, has risen to 67. Last night health authorities warned that a staff member at a second Thai Rock restaurant in Potts Point – which is owned by the same people as the Wetherill Park restaurant, the centre of the first outbreak – had also tested positive. Anyone who attended the Potts Point restaurant for more than two hours between 15 and 25 July has been told to get tested and self-isolate for 14 days since they were last there, regardless of symptoms. |
| Meanwhile, South Australians in Victoria have until midnight on Tuesday to travel home or they will face being locked out by the state’s hard border. | Meanwhile, South Australians in Victoria have until midnight on Tuesday to travel home or they will face being locked out by the state’s hard border. |
| Let’s crack on. You can follow me on Twitter at @callapilla or email me at calla.wahlquist@theguardian.com. | Let’s crack on. You can follow me on Twitter at @callapilla or email me at calla.wahlquist@theguardian.com. |