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Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria records six deaths and 384 Covid-19 cases and NSW 14 new cases – latest news Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria records six deaths and 384 Covid-19 cases and NSW 14 new cases – latest news
(31 minutes later)
State suspends non-urgent elective surgery as Covid-19 cases in nursing homes rises, while NSW announces 14 new cases. Follow live updatesState suspends non-urgent elective surgery as Covid-19 cases in nursing homes rises, while NSW announces 14 new cases. Follow live updates
The family of David Dungay Jr have presented a petition with nearly 100,000 signatures asking for the attorney-general to investigate his 2015 death in Long Bay Jail. A Fitness First gym in Kings Cross closed for deep cleaning after a person with Covid-19 attended a class at the centre on 20 July.
A statement from Fitness First said: “Fitness First Kings Cross was made aware by the NSW Health Department that an individual who subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 visited its Kings Cross club on July 20 to attend a class only, and did not use the gym floor or facilities.
“NSW Health has already contacted those members that have been identified as being in close contact with the person diagnosed with Covid-19.
“Fitness First has been advised that all members who are required to self-isolate have been contacted and no other members, staff or visitors to the club are at risk.”
There’s a new Covid-19 case in SA. The person had been granted an exemption to enter from Victoria.
Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services has issued its daily update.
Some important notes:
There are 769 active cases relating to outbreaks in aged care facilities.
There are now 775 healthcare workers who have tested positive, including 414 active cases.
The main outbreaks in aged care are:
88 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer.
86 cases have been linked to St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner.
82 cases have been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping.
76 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth.
62 cases have been linked to Menarock Life Aged Care Facility in Essendon.
53 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee.
51 cases have been linked to Baptcare Wyndham Lodge in Werribee.
50 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg.
40 cases have been linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North.
39 cases have been linked to Arcare Aged Care Facility in Craigieburn.
Other key outbreaks include:
99 cases have been linked to Somerville Retail Services in Tottenham.
89 cases have been linked to Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown.
76 cases have been linked to JBS in Brooklyn.
50 cases have been linked to Australian Lamb Company in Colac.
29 cases have been linked to the Woolworths Distribution Centre in Mulgrave.
27 cases have been linked to LaManna Supermarket in Essendon Fields.
19 cases have been linked to Respite Services Australia in Moonee Ponds.
14 cases have been linked to the Linfox Warehouse in Truganina.
10 cases have been linked to Don KR Castlemaine.
10 cases have been linked to Aruma Disability Services in Pascoe Vale.
5 cases have been linked to Laverton Cold Storage in Truganina.
Kickflips are cancelled.
(Sorry if that is not a trick you would do in this setting, skateboard people.)
The family of David Dungay Jr have presented a petition with nearly 100,000 signatures asking for the attorney general to investigate his 2015 death in Long Bay Jail.
His mother, Leetona Dungay, was greeted by Greens MPs David Shoebridge and Jenny Leong at the steps of parliament house.His mother, Leetona Dungay, was greeted by Greens MPs David Shoebridge and Jenny Leong at the steps of parliament house.
“We need charges and changes,” she said. “What’s in this box is justice and I hope that I get it” “We need charges and changes,” she said. “What’s in this box is justice and I hope that I get it.”
Earlier, the family said they would have called off today’s protest – which was broken up by police – if the government referred the death to Safework NSW and the director of public prosecutions. Earlier, the family said they would have called off today’s protest – which was broken up by police – if the government referred the death to SafeWork NSW and the director of public prosecutions.
Paul Silva, Dungay’s nephew, said:Paul Silva, Dungay’s nephew, said:
Shoebridge said:Shoebridge said:
Today’s petition asks for the attorney-general to start an independent investigation. Today’s petition asks for the attorney general to start an independent investigation.
“The family have twice asked safework NSW to investigate the circumstances of David’s death,” Shoebridge said. “David’s death happened in a workplace.” “The family have twice asked SafeWork NSW to investigate the circumstances of David’s death,” Shoebridge said. “David’s death happened in a workplace.”
The MP also added that the NSW public health order is “very clear” and “very sensible” - but “you don’t breach them just by attending The Domain”. Shoebridge did not attend today’s protest. The MP also added that the NSW public health order is “very clear” and “very sensible” – but “you don’t breach them just by attending the Domain”. Shoebridge did not attend today’s protest.
Silva said the premier could “certainly” ask the director of public prosecutions to investigate the death as well, and the family wants criminal charges against the prison guards involved.Silva said the premier could “certainly” ask the director of public prosecutions to investigate the death as well, and the family wants criminal charges against the prison guards involved.
We covered this in the blog earlier, but there was a fairly stark contrast between federal health minister Greg Hunt and Victorian premier Daniel Andrews today on aged care.We covered this in the blog earlier, but there was a fairly stark contrast between federal health minister Greg Hunt and Victorian premier Daniel Andrews today on aged care.
Western Australia recorded one new case of Covid-19, the state’s health department says.Western Australia recorded one new case of Covid-19, the state’s health department says.
The new case related to a man in his 40s who was a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.The new case related to a man in his 40s who was a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.
The state has now had 659 cases, including three which are active.The state has now had 659 cases, including three which are active.
We reported yesterday that Lighthouse Christian College, a private school in Melbourne’s south-east, had told students they must wear masks in college colours. No patterns were allowed.We reported yesterday that Lighthouse Christian College, a private school in Melbourne’s south-east, had told students they must wear masks in college colours. No patterns were allowed.
The school later told us that they would not ban masks that didn’t comply with the school’s face mask “guidelines”.The school later told us that they would not ban masks that didn’t comply with the school’s face mask “guidelines”.
An unhappy parent of a student at Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar in Essendon has today passed on a similar notice from that school.An unhappy parent of a student at Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar in Essendon has today passed on a similar notice from that school.
According to the notice, from 16 August, students will need to wear masks made by the school’s uniform provider in, or a disposable white or pale blue face masks. The approved masks are described as “Lowther Hall issued, Earslbrae blue, 3 layer, cloth face masks” and will be made to health department specifications.According to the notice, from 16 August, students will need to wear masks made by the school’s uniform provider in, or a disposable white or pale blue face masks. The approved masks are described as “Lowther Hall issued, Earslbrae blue, 3 layer, cloth face masks” and will be made to health department specifications.
“A separate circular regarding the purchase of these will be distributed early next week once our prototype has been approved.”“A separate circular regarding the purchase of these will be distributed early next week once our prototype has been approved.”
Hello everyone. Thanks to Calla Walhquist for her excellent work today. I’ll be with you into the evening.Hello everyone. Thanks to Calla Walhquist for her excellent work today. I’ll be with you into the evening.
If you see something and want to bring it my attention, you can get in contact by email via luke.henriques-gomes@theguardian.com or on Twitter @lukehgomes.If you see something and want to bring it my attention, you can get in contact by email via luke.henriques-gomes@theguardian.com or on Twitter @lukehgomes.
On that note I will hand over to my Melbourne colleague Luke Henriques-Gomes, who will take you though the afternoon.
Stay well, send flowers to any healthcare workers in your life and and try not to look askance at any stray seafood. I’ll see you in the morning.
For a change of pace, for today’s political photo gallery we have the prime minister, Scott Morrison, looking at fish.
He was at Walker Seafoods in Mooloolaba in south-east Queensland this morning, before flying back to Canberra to deal with the aged care crisis in Victoria.
The National Tertiary Education Union president, Alison Barnes, has told the Senate Covid-19 committee the university sector is well on its way to an estimated 30,000 job losses in the first 12 months of the pandemic, with 7,000 jobs lost in Victoria alone.
Barnes said this is a conservative estimate of the “first wave” but with fewer international students coming this year, that will leave unis with less income for several years to come. The figures also ignore subsidiary cuts at English language centres, private providers, casuals including in non-academic services such as gyms.
Terri McDonald, the NTEU research officer had a big serve at the government’s Job Ready Graduates package.
She said it:
Private aged care providers say they will not be able to provide staff with paid pandemic leave without government support.
The federal government has said it will provide compensation to cover the cost of pandemic leave in greater Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, following the ruling by the Fair Work Commission, but, in other areas, aged care providers will have to cover the cost of paying their staff’s pandemic leave themselves.
In a joint statement, the Aged and Community Services Australia, the Aged Care Guild and Leading Age Services Australia said:
In other public health news, free tampons and pads are now available in all 1,500 Victorian public schools.
The Andrews government announced this $20.7m policy about 10 months ago. It’s the first jurisdiction in Australia to provide free pads and tampons in schools – though I have vague memories of the sick bay at Wangaratta High School providing inch-thick pads circa 2002 so it’s possible some schools were already keeping an unofficial supply on hand.
In a statement, education minister James Merlino said sanitary items were “a necessity, not a luxury” and that providing them for free in schools eased anxiety experienced by young girls, eased the cost of living, and supported student wellbeing.
Merlino said:
The NSW assistant police commissioner, Michael Willing, is speaking in Sydney about the decision to fine six people who attended the Black Lives Matter rally in the Domain today.
Five were fined $1,000 for breaching the public health orders, and one person was fined for offensive language.
He said “many hundreds” of people attended, but they were not all fined because they moved on when asked to do so by police.
Willing:
Willing said police were standing by in case protesters gathered again later today. Paddy Gibson, the organiser, presented a petition to state parliament after being fined for breaching public health orders. He told Guardian Australia’s Naaman Zhou that he planned to challenge the fine in court.
Willing, asked what he thought about that, said:
Protesters were gathering in groups of 20 or less in the domain and people are allowed to gather outdoors in NSW in groups of 20 or fewer. But Willing said police will allege that the hundreds of protesters were gathered “for a common purpose” despite standing separately.
Our data team has pulled together a map of the aged care homes in Melbourne associated with the biggest numbers of positive Covid-19 cases.
It’s important to remember that the cases linked to aged care are split about 50-50 between residents and staff.
The Covid-19 Senate inquiry will shortly turn to the government’s university funding package, but first heard from the Australian Council of Social Services about the adequacy of jobkeeper and jobseeker payments.
Acoss chief executive, Cassandra Goldie, said the doubling of jobseeker with the coronavirus supplement had helped welfare recipients to feed themselves three times a day, provide a roof over their head and clothing for their children.
But she said the government’s plan to cut payments by $300 a fortnight is “so distressing for so many” and recipients want certainty about the supplement, which is technically due to expire in December.
Goldie said she was “heartened to hear there is an intention to lean in – to deliver a permanent increase to jobseeker” – which seems to be overstating the government’s position, which is only that they are likely to extend the (now reduced) coronavirus supplement beyond December.
In South Australia, premier Steven Marshall is announcing changes to his cabinet after losing three ministers to an expenses scandal.
He is adding the speaker of the house, Vincent Tarzia, to cabinet, as well as David Basham and Stephen Patterson.
I’ve just spoken to organiser Paddy Gibson, outside the Domain, who says he was arrested, fined and released by police.
Earlier, other organisers who were detained said they weren’t arrested, only fined.
Gibson said:
He said he was not given a notice to attend court.
I’m free to go.
He said he would challenge the fine in court.
Seth Dias, another organiser, said he was given a move on order and fined, but not arrested when police broke up a Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney’s Domain today.