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Coronavirus Australia latest updates: NSW hunts for security guard contacts, fearing repeat of Victoria outbreak – live news Coronavirus Australia latest updates: Victoria reports 216 new cases and 12 deaths as Scott Morrison says vaccine will be mandatory
(32 minutes later)
State’s chief health officer Kerry Chant says the guard worked at Sydney’s Flemington Markets and Parramatta Local Court while infectious ‘My view on this is pretty clear and not for turning,’ prime minister says. Follow today’s news live
Just in case anyone needed a boost today Queensland’s chief medical officer, Dr Jeannette Young, echoes her NSW and Victorian counterparts when it comes to flu symptoms:
Here was the exchange on the Nine network over Victoria. The Queensland health minister, Steven Miles, has some news on another vaccine now being worked on:
Q: Victorians meantime, I mean, they’re tough. They’re get on with it kind of people, but they have been completely, utterly and hopelessly let down. I don’t know whether it’s lies or incompetence PM but the Government had 3 months to prepare Victorians for the second wave and didn’t do enough? Goondiwindi is also getting some farmer-border passes.
Scott Morrison: Well, there clearly have been many issues there on the tracing, on the quarantine, and I think that’s all becoming very clear. But again Karl, what I have to focus on is the day to day of ensuring we get on top of this, that the numbers we’re seeing coming out of Victoria on cases is improving. Obviously, the number of deaths we’ve seen is very upsetting and disturbing. And again, our sympathies to all of those families affected. But those numbers look like we’re getting on top of it now. Which is welcome. And we’ve got to stay the course. I want to thank all Melburnians, all Victorians, for the sacrifices they are making. It is making a difference. You are getting on top of it. And today there’s hope because as I said, a free vaccine for all Australians, should that AstraZeneca Oxford University trial prove successful. Annastacia Palaszczuk:
Queensland has one new case of Covid – a returned traveller.
On the no-doubt swift campaign anti-vaxxers will be whirring up as we speak, Scott Morrison says he is “used to it”.
Just a reminder though – while there are promising signs, there is still a wait. First for tests, and then the vaccine has to be rolled out.
Over on Melbourne radio 3AW, we have learnt something new about the vaccine – Scott Morrison says he expects it to be mandatory:
Remember the jingle for the Reading Writing Hotline? (1300-6-triple-five-oh-six)
It has been overwhelmed with calls for help during the pandemic:
We don’t know how many tests that result is from – yesterday it was about 17,000. Authorities want to get about 25,000 tests done daily to make an adequate judgment.
The Victorian health department has released today’s numbers.
Just in case anyone needed a boost today.
Here was the exchange on the Nine Network over Victoria.
Karl Stefanovic: Victorians, meantime, I mean, they’re tough. They’re get-on-with-it kind of people, but they have been completely, utterly and hopelessly let down. I don’t know whether it’s lies or incompetence, PM, but the government had three months to prepare Victorians for the second wave and didn’t do enough?
Scott Morrison: Well, there clearly have been many issues there on the tracing, on the quarantine, and I think that’s all becoming very clear. But again, Karl, what I have to focus on is the day to day of ensuring we get on top of this, that the numbers we’re seeing coming out of Victoria on cases is improving. Obviously, the number of deaths we’ve seen is very upsetting and disturbing. And again, our sympathies to all of those families affected. But those numbers look like we’re getting on top of it now. Which is welcome. And we’ve got to stay the course. I want to thank all Melburnians, all Victorians, for the sacrifices they are making. It is making a difference. You are getting on top of it. And today there’s hope because as I said, a free vaccine for all Australians, should that AstraZeneca Oxford University trial prove successful.
Q: I’ll get on to that in just a second. But it’s been revealed last night on Nine news, despite having 30 times, 30 times the cases in New South Wales, Victoria has half the number of contact tracers. I mean, how many times do they need to be failed by their leaders?Q: I’ll get on to that in just a second. But it’s been revealed last night on Nine news, despite having 30 times, 30 times the cases in New South Wales, Victoria has half the number of contact tracers. I mean, how many times do they need to be failed by their leaders?
Morrison: Well, this is one of the reasons why when we sent Commodore Hill down from the Defence Forces and one of the key things he was doing was to boost the information systems, ensure that there was better tasking of the tracing capabilities, the tracing arrangements in New South Wales have been outstanding. There’ve been industrial scale, and I think they’ve been a key reason as to why here in New South Wales, the results, under similar pressures with outbreaks, have been very different. But others will get into those differences. But the tracing capabilities, I always said from the outset, test, trace and contain outbreaks and the tools- they were the three things to fight the virus to to ensure that the economy and the community and society could function with the virus present. And that’s as true in Victoria, as it is in Western Australia, or the Northern Territory, other places where there isn’t an outbreak. But if there is, then testing, tracing and outbreak containment is what enables a community to get through as New South Wales, has demonstrated. Morrison: Well, this is one of the reasons why when we sent Commodore Hill down from the defence forces and one of the key things he was doing was to boost the information systems, ensure that there was better tasking of the tracing capabilities, the tracing arrangements in New South Wales have been outstanding. There’ve been industrial-scale, and I think they’ve been a key reason as to why here in New South Wales, the results, under similar pressures with outbreaks, have been very different. But others will get into those differences. But the tracing capabilities – I always said from the outset, test, trace and contain outbreaks and the tools – they were the three things to fight the virus to to ensure that the economy and the community and society could function with the virus present. And that’s as true in Victoria, as it is in Western Australia, or the Northern Territory, other places where there isn’t an outbreak. But if there is, then testing, tracing and outbreak containment is what enables a community to get through, as New South Wales has demonstrated.
(There are about 2600 contact tracers working in Victoria at the moment) (There are about 2,600 contact tracers working in Victoria at the moment.)
Scott Morrison also had a chat to the Nine Network, where he spoke about the terrible case of the Lismore mother who was separated from her newborn when her child had to be airlifted to Queensland for emergency medical treatment.Scott Morrison also had a chat to the Nine Network, where he spoke about the terrible case of the Lismore mother who was separated from her newborn when her child had to be airlifted to Queensland for emergency medical treatment.
*Cough mandatory detention for asylum seekers and refugees separating families for years cough**Cough mandatory detention for asylum seekers and refugees separating families for years cough*
NSW will hold its press conference at 11am.NSW will hold its press conference at 11am.
After doing all the major breakfast shows, Scott Morrison is headed to AstraZeneca – the British pharmaceutical company the government has signed the Covid vaccine agreement with – for a tour.After doing all the major breakfast shows, Scott Morrison is headed to AstraZeneca – the British pharmaceutical company the government has signed the Covid vaccine agreement with – for a tour.
Oh look – it seems as though some money is being released for the arts and entertainment industry.Oh look – it seems as though some money is being released for the arts and entertainment industry.
From Paul Fletcher:From Paul Fletcher:
Screen producers can now access the $50 million Temporary Interruption Fund (TIF), which opens today to help kick-start the local film and television industry.Screen producers can now access the $50 million Temporary Interruption Fund (TIF), which opens today to help kick-start the local film and television industry.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts the Hon. Paul Fletcher MP, said TIF will support local film and television producers to start filming again. At the moment many new productions are in limbo because financiers will not release funds because of their concern that production may be interrupted if a key cast or crew member falls ill due to COVID-19.Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts the Hon. Paul Fletcher MP, said TIF will support local film and television producers to start filming again. At the moment many new productions are in limbo because financiers will not release funds because of their concern that production may be interrupted if a key cast or crew member falls ill due to COVID-19.
“If a production is designated by Screen Australia as eligible under TIF this will allow financiers to release funds so production can commence,” Minister Fletcher said.“If a production is designated by Screen Australia as eligible under TIF this will allow financiers to release funds so production can commence,” Minister Fletcher said.
Honestly, it is still as flabbergasting the third time around.Honestly, it is still as flabbergasting the third time around.
Queensland and NSW are having a spat after Annastacia Palaszczuk said “we have Queensland hospitals for our people” as the border closure continues to impact people who live in the Tweed and northern NSW.Queensland and NSW are having a spat after Annastacia Palaszczuk said “we have Queensland hospitals for our people” as the border closure continues to impact people who live in the Tweed and northern NSW.
The Gold Coast and Brisbane across the border are the major centres for those Tweed and northern NSW communities. So the border closure is presenting some major issues.The Gold Coast and Brisbane across the border are the major centres for those Tweed and northern NSW communities. So the border closure is presenting some major issues.
Palaszczuk is about to fight an election. So she has ramped up the rhetoric. The ABC reports her as saying: “In Queensland, we have Queensland hospitals for our people,” which has “astonished” the NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard.Palaszczuk is about to fight an election. So she has ramped up the rhetoric. The ABC reports her as saying: “In Queensland, we have Queensland hospitals for our people,” which has “astonished” the NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard.
He has responded by releasing figures on how many Queenslanders have sought treatment at the Tweed hospital – about 6,000 in the last year.He has responded by releasing figures on how many Queenslanders have sought treatment at the Tweed hospital – about 6,000 in the last year.
It would probably be easier for everyone to calm their farms, let medical professionals talk to each other and use some common sense, but we are at the political end of this stuff, so that is probably just a pipe dream.It would probably be easier for everyone to calm their farms, let medical professionals talk to each other and use some common sense, but we are at the political end of this stuff, so that is probably just a pipe dream.
Once again, in case you missed it, this was Scott Morrison’s answer, when asked if the buck stopped with him, when it came to failings in aged care during this pandemic.
Translation – the federal government regulates it, but in a health pandemic, those are things for the states.
Cool.
In Queensland, authorities are waiting on the results of a fourth Covid test for a resident at Immanuel Gardens in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, an aged care home operated by Lutheran Services.
Three other residents who were displaying respiratory symptoms returned a negative test yesterday. The fourth resident was tested later, after displaying symptoms.
All four people were immediately put into isolation and the centre was shut down, and hopefully we all see a fourth negative test there soon.
There are still thousands of Australians overseas who are trying to fly home.
That got really complicated in the last few months. Not only are arrivals into Australia capped, and individuals responsible for their own hotel quarantine costs – actually getting on a flight is a problem as well.
Elias Visontay has been following that saga – here is his latest:
So that would be a no, then.
Just as his “apology” was for failings in “the” system, which is a piece of verbal distancing, that answer put the responsibility back with Victoria.
Apparently, there is nothing to be done when there is pandemic. Except there is, and there could be, and we just see responsibility passed around like a bag of chips.
We are motoring through the issues in this interview.
Next up – ultimate responsibility for stuff-ups.
Michael Rowland: Daniel Andrews, the Victorian premier, says the buck stops with him when it comes to the hotel quarantine bungle. Does the buck stop with you as prime minister for the litany of aged care failures?
Scott Morrison: Well, there are shared responsibilities for public health which is a matter there.
Rowland: It’s a federal responsibility.
Morrison:
Then there is a small serve to premiers’ who have closed their borders. (Not all the premiers though, as you can guess.)
Scott Morrison:
What is plan B for Australia while we wait for a vaccine, Scott Morrison is asked:
Scott Morrison, chatting to the ABC, says the vaccine deal “will give us the option to be at the front of the pack and to be able to manufacture the vaccine here and make it available to all Australians”.
In case you missed it yesterday, the government has confirmed that for the first time in 25 years, there will be no indexation for the pension until March 2021. Meaning – no pension increase.
It’s not just the pension. A lot of other payments, including the disability support pension, carer payment and jobseeker, won’t be seeing increases either.
The news comes amid record unemployment within Australia. And people withdrawing money out of their super funds.
Linda Burney from Labor had a bit to say about it this morning:
There’s good news to start off with this morning, after the government announced it had reached an agreement with the British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to supply Australians with the University of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine – assuming it clears clinical trials.
As Katharine Murphy reports:
So still some time away, but a silver lining. The government then has to work out who gets it first – at this point, it is the most vulnerable, so people over 65 will be among the first on the list.
Closer to home, NSW authorities are urgently trying to work out how a security guard at a health hotel at Circular Quay was infected with Covid-19.
Late yesterday afternoon the state’s chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, announced genomic testing on the guard’s infection showed it was similar to “one identified in a guest staying at the hotel from 31 July to 5 August”.
As NSW Health reports:
That’s the two major stories today. We’ll keep you updated on everything that happens. The prime minister will be doing the rounds this morning – having a vaccine announcement tends to kickstart the media circuit – so we will bring you that, and anything else you need to know. You have Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day.
Ready?