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Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria premier Daniel Andrews announces six deaths and 384 new Covid-19 cases – latest news Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria premier Daniel Andrews announces six deaths and 384 new Covid-19 cases – latest news
(32 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
Andrews said he will provide an update on the number of people who have applied for hardship payments to cover them for not having sick leave by the end of the week. The Victorian chief health officer, Brett Sutton, said the R-number in the Victorian outbreak “will be close to one if not below one” but he warned that a large outbreak could drive it up again.
The Australian Medical Association has called for a royal commission into the entirety of Victoria’s response to the outbreak.
Andrews:
He returned again to the issues reported in aged care in Melbourne.
Andrews was asked how some of these aged care facilities have been able to maintain their accreditation, if the care they provide is as substandard as he has described.
Andrews:
He says that he is not the royal commissioner.
Andrews repeated that it’s not possible, or even necessarily appropriate, to move all aged care residents into hospitals.
Back to Victoria.
There are now more than 700 active cases connected to aged care settings in Victoria, and fewer than 10 of those cases are linked to public sector aged care. Premier Daniel Andrews says public sector aged care – which is the part the state government manages – is less than 10% of the market.
Asked if these changes should have happened earlier, given the outbreaks at some aged care homes in Sydney during the first wave, Andrew said “I am not interested in any of those games”.
He said he is not sure how many aged care residents will have to move, and is trying to get that information from the Commonwealth.
Protesters have been fined for breaching public health orders. They lost a court bid to allow the protest to go ahead.
We will go back to Victoria in a moment but, quickly, at least three people have been arrested by police at the Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney.
Mikakos said:
There are 56,000 aged care beds in Victoria – so moving everyone is not a possibility.
Mikakos said she found the number of outbreaks in aged care in Melbourne “very distressing”. She appeared emotional while talking.
She said there was a “distressing situation” in St Basil’s home for the aged last week, which she said was particularly “close to many members of the Greek community and I know they have been distressed to see the rising toll of deaths at that facility”.
Mikakos is obviously part of that community, and she seems to be feeling it too.
The commonwealth stepped in to St Basil’s last week, with state government nurses from the Northern Hospital sent in.
That’s the reason for the elective surgery changes, she said.
All but one of the babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Royal Children’s hospital in Melbourne have tested negative to Covid-19, and that final test result is still pending, the health minister, Jenny Mikakos, has said.
Chief health officer Prof Brett Sutton said the coronavirus numbers remained “pretty volatile”.
There are now 88 cases associated with Estia aged care in Ardeer, 86 associated with St Basil’s home for the aged in Fawkner, 82 associated with the Epping Gardens aged care home in Epping.
Sutton said the active case numbers “will really depend on whether outbreaks occur with large numbers of residents in some of these private aged care facilities”.
Andrews said he would provide an update on the number of people who had applied for hardship payments to cover them for not having sick leave by the end of this week.
He also promised data on the success of Australian defence force members doing door-to-door visits for contact tracing.He also promised data on the success of Australian defence force members doing door-to-door visits for contact tracing.
Andrews briefly touched on the trend of people filming themselves asserting their “human rights” in refusing to wear a face mask or otherwise comply with health directions.Andrews briefly touched on the trend of people filming themselves asserting their “human rights” in refusing to wear a face mask or otherwise comply with health directions.
Andrews said almost 2,000 residential aged care residents had already been moved from aged care homes into hospitals.Andrews said almost 2,000 residential aged care residents had already been moved from aged care homes into hospitals.
In St Basil’s home for the aged, the site of the biggest aged care outbreak in Melbourne, Andrews said:In St Basil’s home for the aged, the site of the biggest aged care outbreak in Melbourne, Andrews said:
Andrews said the Eastern Health hospital and the Ear and Eye hospital were closing beds today and would send staff, mainly registered nurses, to work in residential aged care settings to “essentially take over the clinical care of residents in those settings”.Andrews said the Eastern Health hospital and the Ear and Eye hospital were closing beds today and would send staff, mainly registered nurses, to work in residential aged care settings to “essentially take over the clinical care of residents in those settings”.
Andrews has announced the suspension of non-urgent elective surgery to free up hospital capacity for residential aged care residents, and free up healthcare staff to support the aged care sector.Andrews has announced the suspension of non-urgent elective surgery to free up hospital capacity for residential aged care residents, and free up healthcare staff to support the aged care sector.
He said:He said:
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is giving the update.Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is giving the update.
He says there are now 260 people in hospital with Covid-19, including 45 people in intensive care.He says there are now 260 people in hospital with Covid-19, including 45 people in intensive care.
Four of the six people who died since yesterday are cases linked to “private sector aged are”. That’s a change in language from the premier from yesterday – he didn’t previously differentiate between private and public aged care, in fact he explicitly said he wouldn’t.Four of the six people who died since yesterday are cases linked to “private sector aged are”. That’s a change in language from the premier from yesterday – he didn’t previously differentiate between private and public aged care, in fact he explicitly said he wouldn’t.
The people who died are two people in their 90s, three people in their 80s and one person in their 60s.The people who died are two people in their 90s, three people in their 80s and one person in their 60s.
Andrews said:Andrews said:
Victoria has recorded 384 new cases of coronavirus today, about 150 cases fewer than were recorded in the record high numbers yesterday.Victoria has recorded 384 new cases of coronavirus today, about 150 cases fewer than were recorded in the record high numbers yesterday.
But sadly six more people have died.But sadly six more people have died.
I reported earlier that the total number of people in Victoria who have died after testing positive to Covid-19 has doubled in the past week – up to 77 yesterday, an increase of 38 deaths from the 39 deaths recorded as of Monday, 20 July.I reported earlier that the total number of people in Victoria who have died after testing positive to Covid-19 has doubled in the past week – up to 77 yesterday, an increase of 38 deaths from the 39 deaths recorded as of Monday, 20 July.
We are standing by to hear from Victorian premier Daniel Andrews any minute now.We are standing by to hear from Victorian premier Daniel Andrews any minute now.
In the mean time, ABC24 has emus giving a live cross from a Queensland pub.In the mean time, ABC24 has emus giving a live cross from a Queensland pub.
Before Scott Morrison spoke to the media in Queensland, Labor called on the prime minister to explain what steps he will take to deal with the aged care crisis in Victoria.Richard Marles, the deputy Labor leader, called for better communication with aged care facilities so they could implement programs such as not allowing people to work in two aged care facilities at once.Before Scott Morrison spoke to the media in Queensland, Labor called on the prime minister to explain what steps he will take to deal with the aged care crisis in Victoria.Richard Marles, the deputy Labor leader, called for better communication with aged care facilities so they could implement programs such as not allowing people to work in two aged care facilities at once.
Marles said:Marles said:
NSW Health has also issued a warning for passengers on the Jetstar flight JQ506 from Melbourne to Sydney on 25 July, after a passenger on the flight tested positive to Covid-19.
A woman in her 30s who was on the flight has tested positive to Covid-19 while in self-isolation. She’s the Victorian listed in the 14 new NSW cases recorded from yesterday.
Authorities are contacting those who were deemed to be close contacts, which is passengers in rows 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
NSW has recorded 14 new cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including six new cases linked to the funeral cluster and four linked to the cluster at the Thai Rock restaurant at Wetherill Park.
The new cases also include a case associated with the Thai Rock restaurant at Potts Point in inner Sydney, and the previously reported case in a staff member of the Apollo restaurant in Potts Point.
One of the cases was a returned overseas traveller in hotel quarantine, and one was a Victorian in self-isolation.
There are now 75 cases associated with Thai Rock Wetherill Park, 56 cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster, eight cases associated with Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, and 15 associated with the funerals.
There are three cases associated with Thai Rock Potts Point.
NSW health repeated its warnings around people who attended the Apollo restaurant in Potts Point and two Mount Pritchard hotels. Details here.
Morrison was asked a number of times if he feels the outbreak in Victoria has justified Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision not to open the border.
He doesn’t answer that part of the question, just saying that Palaszczuk has acted in “good faith” as a member of the national cabinet.
On her comments that she might reintroduce a hard border in Queensland if the outbreak moves north, Morrison said:
He added:
That’s a different response than Morrison has given on the border question in the past few months, but perhaps the size of the outbreak in Victoria and the fact that he’s talking to a Queensland audience have shifted things.
Asked what changed this morning to change his plans, Morrison said “the escalation of the workforce challenges necessitates me to return”.
Other than, presumably, more people testing positive, the only thing that has changed overnight in terms of the aged care workforce is the unexpected Fair Work Commission decision introducing paid pandemic leave for casual aged care workers.
Morrison said:
The federal and Victorian governments last week introduced changes preventing casual aged care workers from working across a number of different residential aged care homes in Melbourne, in an effort to slow the spread.
Morrison was asked why this change, limiting workers to one facility, wasn’t introduced back in March, given the risk to residential aged care was well known.
He said:
Morrison said he expected the aged care royal commission would investigate the management of the coronavirus outbreak.
Morrison said transferring aged care residents to public and private hospitals if they test positive to Covid-19 is “a very important part of the plan that is being implemented”.
Federal and state health authorities have repeatedly said those transfers will only occur on a case-by-case basis. Said Morrison:
There has been a bit of buck-passing between the aged care sector, unions, and the government over who has provided PPE, how much has been provided, how much training has been provided and whose responsibility it is when that training is not adhered to.
Morrison continued:
Morrison said he spoke to Victorian premier Daniel Andrews yesterday about bringing additional nursing resources into aged care facilities in Victoria, and that could involve staff coming in from other states.
Prime minister Scott Morrison is cutting short a trip to Queensland to deal with a “health crisis” in aged care in Victoria, due to the second-wave coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne.
Morrison, speaking from a business in Mooloolaba in Queensland, said:
Morrison said the standing down of many aged care workers, due to positive results or the isolation of close contacts, had caused a “very significant disruption to the provision of care in those facilities”.
Police in Victoria have fined 23 people in greater Melbourne and the Mitchell shire in the past 24 hours.
Police have handed out 79 fines in the past 24 hours, including fining seven people who were holding a two-day day party in a short-term rental in the CBD and three people from different addresses who were in a car together and told police they were going to McDonald’s.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews and health minister Jenny Mikakos will give the Victorian Covid-19 update at 11.30am.
The growing Covid-19 outbreak in aged care homes in Melbourne has rightly been the focus of national attention this week.
As of yesterday, there are 683 active coronavirus cases linked to 61 aged care services across Melbourne.
Most of the deaths reported in the past week were also connected to aged care outbreaks. Thirty-eight people with Covid-19 have died in Victoria in the past week. That’s an effective doubling of the state’s health toll in a week – as of last Monday, 20 July, the pandemic-long death toll for Victoria was 39.
The aged care homes with the highest number of positive cases are:
St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner – 84 cases
Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer – 82 cases
Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping – 77 cases
Menarock Life Aged Care Facility in Essendon – 62 cases
Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee – 53 cases
Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth – 57 cases
Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg – 50 cases