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Coronavirus Australia live news: Victoria premier Daniel Andrews provides update on Covid-19 cases as Queensland closes border to Sydney Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria records nine deaths and 295 new cases as Queensland closes border to Sydney
(32 minutes later)
Schools and aged care homes closed after two women who returned to Brisbane from Melbourne test positive. Almost 20% of aged care facilities in Victoria affected as crisis deepens. Follow liveSchools and aged care homes closed after two women who returned to Brisbane from Melbourne test positive. Almost 20% of aged care facilities in Victoria affected as crisis deepens. Follow live
Andrews said he would provide numbers tomorrow around how many people have applied for the $300 hardship payment to get tested for Covid-19, and $1,500 payment if they test positive. I mislead you earlier – the chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, is here.
He reemphasised that anyone with any symptoms should not go to work, and should self-isolate at home until they get tested and until they get that test result. Apologies, Suttonites.
Andrews said there were now 804 cases connected to the aged care sector, both staff and residents, and 502 cases among healthcare workers. He says that community transmission numbers in Victoria “have remained relatively stable” in recent days.
There are 4,849 active cases of Covid-19 now, 9,304 in total since 1 January, and 195 of the active cases are in regional areas. On today’s numbers being considerably lower than the high recorded on Monday – about 240 fewer cases reported – Andrews said he was “not reading into numbers each day”.
Andrews said further regional health teams have been stood up to respond to the regional cases and conduct contact tracing. He added:
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is speaking now and says the state has recorded 295 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours and sadly, nine people have died. It is odd that we’re now in a situation the reaction is “only 295!” not “oh no, 295”. Not so long ago, these kind of numbers would have been unthinkable.
The people who died were aged in their 60s to their 90s, and seven of the nine are connected to aged care. The Australian chief scientist Alan Finkel has been in contact with the Victorian public health team to help cut down the time to get test results, Andrews said.
There are now 307 Victorians in hospital, 41 in intensive care. He said Victoria had one of the highest testing rates in the world.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was speaking in Bundaberg a short time ago about her decision to extend hard border restrictions to all of greater Sydney. Andrews was asked about the stop work protest at the JBS abattoir in Brooklyn yesterday, supported by United Voice.
She said it was “extremely disappointing” that Queensland had recorded two new cases in the community from people who allegedly travelled from Victoria. He said he would not comment on that particular business, or the stop work action, “other than to say that as a result of that, there has been changes made there and I think they are doing staggered breaks and not crowding into a very small space when they are having downtime”.
We are standing by waiting to hear the Victorian coronavirus figures, which means we will be hearing from the chief health officer, Brett Sutton. Andrews said WorkSafe has done “a couple of hundred of inspections” at meatworks and other high risk workplaces.
And on that issue, can I just say to fans of the CHO... please do less. Andrews said there is a “special and urgent response” in place whenever an outbreak is reported in an aged care setting, even if it’s just one case.
From AAP: More on the fight that he’s not having with the federal government:
The prices paid on consumer goods dropped by 1.9% in the June quarter, the largest fall in the 72-year history of the consumer price index. The prime minister, Scott Morrison, also said at his press conference a short time ago how much respect he has for Andrews and the respect they have for each other. Such a lot of respect is gratifying, I am sure.
The result was mainly the result of free childcare and preschool policies in several states, as well as a 19.3% slide in the price of petrol. Andrews was asked about reports that the secretary of the federal health department, Prof Brendan Murphy, first requested Victoria cancel its non-urgent elective surgery on 15 July but it did not happen until yesterday.
“Excluding these three components, the CPI would have risen 0.1 per cent in the June quarter,” Australian Bureau of Statistics chief economist Bruce Hockman said. Andrews:
Asked why that was taking so long, Murphy said: Andrews said there were discussions with the federal government about it on Sunday night and the Victorian cabinet made a decision on Monday.
Prof Brendan Murphy said the report on the outbreak at Newmarch aged care centre has not been completed yet, and the report on the Dorothy Henderson Lodge is currently before the royal commission into aged care. He added:
Morrison was also asked about his senior aid, Nico Louw, who is in self-isolation after being exposed to Covid-19 at Sydney’s Apollo restaurant. The commentary is that Andrews fired the first shots in his press conference yesterday, heaping issues in aged care on the federal government. Which he did. But it’s still a distraction.
Morrison: Before we get to questions I want to apologise for saying the chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, would be here. He is not, the health minister Jenny Mikakos is.
My colleague Paul Karp asked for more detail on the conversations around paid pandemic leave, and asks why those conversations were only happening now when unions have been calling for paid pandemic leave for months. Andrews also went through a list of employers and industry groups, which he thanked for telling their staff or members not to go to work when sick.
Morrison told Paul he had already answered that question earlier this week. They are:
Trades Hall, the MasterBuilders, HIA, the Property Council, Trades Hall, Bunnings, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australian Industry Group, VCOSS, too many meatworks and abattoirs to mention, Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, the Australian Hotels Association and Australian Retailers Association.
Andrews said 80 residents have been transferred out of the facility at St Basil’s home for the aged. At Epping Gardens, 34 residents have been transferred out, and Kirkbrae aged care has had 30 residents moved to hospital. Another 21 aged care residents have been transferred out from other facilities.
Andrews said nurses from the Victorian public hospital system, and ADF medics, have already filled in 400 shifts in aged care.
He said that at the Heritage Care Epping Gardens aged care home, nurses from Austin Health, Ramsay Health, as well as ADF medics are helping with the aged care response.
Andrews said he will increase the number of people out knocking on doors as part of the contact tracing effort from 58 people, across 18 teams, to 90 people.
Except that the chief health officer, Brett Sutton, revealed yesterday that the Victorian public health orders cannot legally stop someone from going out to exercise – they’re just asked to do it at home wherever possible. Something to keep in mind.