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Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria records 278 Covid cases and eight deaths as one death reported in NSW Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria records 278 Covid cases and eight deaths as one death and 12 cases recorded in NSW
(32 minutes later)
NSW authorities are concerned about a number of Covid-19 cases in the past six weeks where the source was unknown. Follow liveNSW authorities are concerned about a number of Covid-19 cases in the past six weeks where the source was unknown. Follow live
Clive Palmer is still finding ways to make everything in Australia all about him There are now 13 active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand.
That’s four more than Queensland.
As we wait for the ABS labour force statistics (due in less than 10 minutes) this is some pretty big news for much of the workforce:
New Zealand’s version of a chief medical officer, Dr Ashley Bloomfield says authorities still have no idea where the virus re-emerged from.
Just five of those 12 cases have come from hotel quarantine.
That’s down from the 18 which were recorded yesterday.
One woman, who had been in intensive care, has died.
New Zealand has gone from no cases to nine in just a day.
Couldn’t he have just tried Windex?
Clive Palmer is still finding ways to make everything in Australia all about him.
The peak Victorian authority for safety improvement in healthcare is still examining how almost 1,600 healthcare workers acquired Covid, calling into question claims from the premier, Daniel Andrews, and health minister, Jenny Mikakos, that most workers were infected in the community.The peak Victorian authority for safety improvement in healthcare is still examining how almost 1,600 healthcare workers acquired Covid, calling into question claims from the premier, Daniel Andrews, and health minister, Jenny Mikakos, that most workers were infected in the community.
An email sent to health workers by the chief medical officer of Safer Care Victoria, Prof Andrew Wilson, says as of 8 August 1,835 healthcare workers had been infected. The figure includes healthcare workers with active infections and those who have recovered.An email sent to health workers by the chief medical officer of Safer Care Victoria, Prof Andrew Wilson, says as of 8 August 1,835 healthcare workers had been infected. The figure includes healthcare workers with active infections and those who have recovered.
Of those infected, 50 were confirmed to have acquired the virus in a healthcare setting, Wilson said, including 12 doctors, 29 nurses and nine health practitioners such as paramedics and allied health workers.Of those infected, 50 were confirmed to have acquired the virus in a healthcare setting, Wilson said, including 12 doctors, 29 nurses and nine health practitioners such as paramedics and allied health workers.
Wilson, who also chairs the Victoria PPE [personal protective equipment] taskforce, said in an email: “Healthcare acquisition remains under investigation for 1,598 healthcare workers.”Wilson, who also chairs the Victoria PPE [personal protective equipment] taskforce, said in an email: “Healthcare acquisition remains under investigation for 1,598 healthcare workers.”
The figures included all data to 8 August.The figures included all data to 8 August.
It calls into question statements from Mikakos before the parliamentary inquiry into the Victorian government’s response to Covid-19 that up to 15% of those with active infections had been infected at work. The source of many cases are still under investigation.It calls into question statements from Mikakos before the parliamentary inquiry into the Victorian government’s response to Covid-19 that up to 15% of those with active infections had been infected at work. The source of many cases are still under investigation.
Read more:Read more:
Meanwhile, talking about the parliament sitting which is coming up on 24 August, there are still questions over what the Queensland MPs will have to do when they return.Meanwhile, talking about the parliament sitting which is coming up on 24 August, there are still questions over what the Queensland MPs will have to do when they return.
Queensland has declared the ACT a Covid-hotspot and banned ACT residents from entering.Queensland has declared the ACT a Covid-hotspot and banned ACT residents from entering.
The ACT has no cases, but there was a suggestion that NSW residents were using the Canberra airport to avoid the earlier border shutdown to those from greater Sydney.The ACT has no cases, but there was a suggestion that NSW residents were using the Canberra airport to avoid the earlier border shutdown to those from greater Sydney.
So, at this stage, it looks like Queensland federal MPs will have to quarantine on their return – which means either hotel quarantine at their own expense (about $2,800) or locking down their entire family with them in their home for two weeks.So, at this stage, it looks like Queensland federal MPs will have to quarantine on their return – which means either hotel quarantine at their own expense (about $2,800) or locking down their entire family with them in their home for two weeks.
Same for staff.Same for staff.
So it’s not just Victorian MPs that will have a tricky time of it.So it’s not just Victorian MPs that will have a tricky time of it.
The NSW transport minister, Andrew Constance, says if people don’t start wearing masks as a general rule on public transport, it will be mandated:The NSW transport minister, Andrew Constance, says if people don’t start wearing masks as a general rule on public transport, it will be mandated:
Andrew Leigh had a chat about this story from Christopher Knaus with ABC radio earlier this morning.Andrew Leigh had a chat about this story from Christopher Knaus with ABC radio earlier this morning.
Liberal Nationals MP David Limbrick questioned the transport minister on whether the government considered shutting public transport after curfew and supplying essential workers with vouchers for private transport.Liberal Nationals MP David Limbrick questioned the transport minister on whether the government considered shutting public transport after curfew and supplying essential workers with vouchers for private transport.
Jacinta Allan suggested this wouldn’t save a huge amount of money.Jacinta Allan suggested this wouldn’t save a huge amount of money.
Allan:Allan:
We had fireworks to celebrate the end of 2019. I’m just saying.We had fireworks to celebrate the end of 2019. I’m just saying.
But yes, it it has been “a pretty shitty 2020”, Stuart Ayres.But yes, it it has been “a pretty shitty 2020”, Stuart Ayres.
You can find all the international Covid news here, with Helen SullivanYou can find all the international Covid news here, with Helen Sullivan
The transport minister, Jacinta Allan, is asked by Nationals MP Danny O’Brien to name which minister was “ultimately responsible for the hotel quarantine program”.The transport minister, Jacinta Allan, is asked by Nationals MP Danny O’Brien to name which minister was “ultimately responsible for the hotel quarantine program”.
Allan:Allan:
Mr O’Brien, you and your colleagues have canvassed this on multiple occasions during the course of this week. You will know that I have nothing to add to the comments that have been made already over the course of this week on that matter ...Mr O’Brien, you and your colleagues have canvassed this on multiple occasions during the course of this week. You will know that I have nothing to add to the comments that have been made already over the course of this week on that matter ...
O’Brien:O’Brien:
“It’s a pretty simple question – which minister was responsible – and yet no minister wants to say who it was, or seems to be able to say.“It’s a pretty simple question – which minister was responsible – and yet no minister wants to say who it was, or seems to be able to say.
“Earlier you said you were ‘very clear on your roles and responsibilities as a minister and the accountabilities that go with that’. So you were very clear on yours, that’s fine. I’m just trying to find out who was responsible for what?”“Earlier you said you were ‘very clear on your roles and responsibilities as a minister and the accountabilities that go with that’. So you were very clear on yours, that’s fine. I’m just trying to find out who was responsible for what?”
Allan has previously said her role in the quarantine program was to organise transport of returned travellers to the hotels using the private transport company SkyBus.Allan has previously said her role in the quarantine program was to organise transport of returned travellers to the hotels using the private transport company SkyBus.
53 people have died in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic.
We are still waiting on the official update from NSW, but this is terrible news.
Queensland has recorded no new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.
Further to Matilda’s post on this a little earlier:
The Nationals MP and regional education minister, Andrew Gee, is just one of those against the changes to university loan funding Dan Tehan has put forward.
Here was Tehan talking about why the changes were necessary, on ABC radio:
Tehan: Well, research has shown that nearly 6% of university students fail every subject in their first year. What this is designed to do is to make sure that universities and students understand that they need to work together to make sure that the student is suitable for the course that they’re undertaking and then to make sure that throughout their course, that they get the guidance, support and help that they need to complete their studies.
Q: I’m just thinking, minister, about the cuts universities have had to make during this pandemic, and staff numbers, of course, being well down. How will they ensure that this new legislation, put forward by the federal government, will actually be enacted the way you want it to be?
Tehan: Well, we’re obviously working with the sector. We’re putting in place reforms which puts the focus back on making sure that we’re looking after our domestic students, and we’re preparing our domestic students for the challenges that they’re going to face as we come out of this Covid-19 pandemic. And, I think, that the way our universities go about educating young Australians, they’re up to the challenge to making sure that we’re getting students enrolled in the right courses, and that they can complete those courses.
Q: So, how will they do that, minister? What exactly will universities need to do to make sure students are academically suitable and also engaged with the course they propose to do?
Tehan: So when a student, for instance, say, is struggling, and might fail a couple of units, they can talk to that student, talk to them about whether the choice they’ve made about the degree that they want to undertake is the right one for them. They could suggest to them that, maybe, there is another more suitable degree that they might want to look at ... This is just a commonsense approach that we want both universities and students to take to make sure that we’ve got students in the right degrees, and that universities are working with students to help them complete those degrees.
Chris Bowen has backed calls by doctor groups to extend the subsidised telehealth program:
It’s been found correct, because it is.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to Dan Tehan’s announcement that failing students may face having their university loan access cut (this is after announcing that those loans for arts degrees will increase, and all during a pandemic):
Today’s inquiry into the Victorian government’s response to the pandemic has started off with a little spice, in fact, 90 seconds in and the word “pathetic” has already been thrown around.
Liberal MP Richard Riordan has suggested committee chair Labor’s Lizzie Blandthorn failed to disclose a conflict of interest during yesterday’s hearing. Her husband is the chief of staff for jobs, precincts and regions minister Martin Pakula.
Riordan:
This was a situation that should have been made known to all members of the committee before we started, particularly considering what turned out to be a most interventionist approach to our questioning of the minister yesterday, as noticed by members of the opposition.
Labor MP Tim Richardson interjected saying this was “pathetic”: “This isn’t the 1950s mate. Women can think for themselves.”
Blandthorn said she did not agree there was a conflict of interest.
Blandthorn:
“His chief of staff is my husband … I don’t actually believe that there is any conflict of interest, in and of itself, in who a female or male may actually be married to and this suggestion is actually quite offensive.”
Anthony Albanese finishes on this point: