This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
Australia coronavirus live update: Victoria reports 149 new Covid cases and 24 deaths – latest news
Australia coronavirus live update: Victoria reports 149 new Covid cases and 24 deaths – latest news
(32 minutes later)
Health minister says most of the deaths were linked to aged care. Follow all the latest news and updates, live
Health minister says most of the deaths were linked to aged care as Queensland reports one new Covid case. Follow all the latest news and updates, live
Also announced this morning - Tasmanians are now eligible for paid pandemic leave:
There have been 19 young people in custody within Victoria’s youth justice system who have contracted coronavirus during the pandemic, an inquiry has been told.
Victoria’s Covid-19 parliamentary inquiry also heard 23 Victorian prisoners and six staff have tested positive over the course of the crisis.
Five young people who are supervised by youth justice staff in the community have also caught the virus, as have four youth justice staff.
Most of the staff who tested positive were not working while they were infectious, the inquiry heard.
Queensland police have also launched a criminal investigation into those on board the Lady Pamela luxury yacht which travelled from Melbourne to the Gold Coast.
Queensland has had 64 flights come in in the last 24 hours, with 2904 travellers.
Two people were refused entry.
3412 vehicles were stopped at the borders and 107 people were turned back and 455 people were sent into quarantine.
The 94 children who were released from the Wacol youth detention centre, before the infection was diagnosed, have been cooperative with police and there are “no particular concerns”.
22 people have received notices to appear in court for breaching quarantine, and 78 on the spot fines have been issued in relation to the border. So that is now 2254 on the spot fines.
And someone with a border pass, which only allows them to stay in the border region was found in north Queensland. They were stopped for a random RBT, found out, placed in quarantine, and fined.
Queensland chief medical officer, Dr Jeannette Young says so far, there has been no community transmission as a result of the first five cases which sparked the new cluster.
Authorities still don’t know how the original person diagnosed with the virus contracted the infection.
Daniel Andrews will hold his press conference at 10.30am this morning.
Queensland recorded more than 20,000 Covid tests in the last 24 hours, which makes just one positive result even better news.
Annastacia Palaszczuk has also acknowledged the federal court decision on the borders yesterday:
Scott Morrison has very helpfully intervened in Daniel Andrews’s fight to have the state of emergency declaration extended beyond six months:
Queensland has had one new case of Covid diagnosed in the last 24 hours – a close contact of a known case, who has been in isolation.
The bells are ringing for the parliament sitting.
Sigh
Also announced this morning – Tasmanians are now eligible for paid pandemic leave:
It seems from another lifetime ago - but the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security report into press freedom in Australia is due to be tabled in the House today.
It seems from another lifetime ago - but the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security report into press freedom in Australia is due to be tabled in the House today.
Labor’s Canberra MP Alicia Payne will be on maternity leave from next week – we wish her all the best.
Labor’s Canberra MP Alicia Payne will be on maternity leave from next week – we wish her all the best.
It will probably also be the last parliament sitting this year for Labor’s Lilley MP Anika Wells – Wells is pregnant with twins, and anyone familiar with multiple births knows there tends to be an accelerated timeline, so it is doubtful airlines will allow her to fly from Queensland for the October sitting.
It will probably also be the last parliament sitting this year for Labor’s Lilley MP Anika Wells – Wells is pregnant with twins, and anyone familiar with multiple births knows there tends to be an accelerated timeline, so it is doubtful airlines will allow her to fly from Queensland for the October sitting.
All of the sleep and happiness to both MPs and their families.
All of the sleep and happiness to both MPs and their families.
Anthony Albanese followed up his 7.30 interview yesterday with an appointment with breakfast television on the Seven network this morning.
As you would expect he spoke about aged care:
Q: It is a bit confusing for average Australians though because you’ve got Health Department involved in aged care as well and making decisions. Also state governments too. Isn’t it a shared blame?
Albanese:
Q: The prime minister is also saying 97% of aged care facilities have had no infections at all. Is that a fair point?
Albanese:
Another vaccine announcement - this time, committing to help Australia’s neighbours for when there is a vaccine:
Anthony Albanese was on Sydney radio 2SM this morning once again calling for Richard Colbeck to be sacked.
He also mentioned this, which goes to some of the wider issues in aged care, even before the pandemic, which are still to be addressed. Even though we know about them. And have, for some time.
Albanese: Last Thursday, Susan Templeman, who’s our fantastic local member servicing the Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury, invited me Richmond to sit down with families of aged care residents. And the stories I heard were quite shocking. One spoke about how she asked what her mum was being fed, the menu. Now, Monday was sausage rolls for dinner. Tuesday was party pies. Wednesday was a croissant.
Q: A croissant for dinner?
Albanese:
This is quite the way to write $903,000.
Victoria Health has now released those official figures
AAP has some vaccine update news – this time on the Univeristy of Queensland research:
Early testing of a potential Covid-19 vaccine being worked on by the University of Queensland has resulted in “positive indications” about its possible effectiveness in humans.
The findings from the pre-clinical trials conducted on hamsters have been reported to the International Society for Vaccines by project co-leader and UQ Associate Professor Keith Chappell.
“The neutralising immune response created by our molecular clamp vaccine in animal models was better than the average level of antibodies found in patients who have recovered from Covid-19,” Chappell said in a statement on Wednesday.
In the hamsters trial, the potential vaccine – when combined with MF59 technology developed by Seqirus, a unit of Australian biotechnology group CSL – provided protection against virus replication and reduced lung inflammation following exposure to the virus.
“It also induces a strong T-cell response and showed strong results when it came to data relating to manufacturability,” Chappell said.
Researchers say one of the biggest challenges in developing a vaccine for Covid-19 is the ability to produce enough for widespread use.
“We are working with CSL to ensure the production yield is as efficient as possible, and have every confidence they will be able to manufacture the millions of doses required to protect the Australian public,” Chappell said.
Queensland innovation minister Kate Jones said the results were a huge milestone in the development of a vaccine in the state.
Meanwhile, the federal government is supporting an initiative to help Pacific and south-east Asian countries access a coronavirus vaccine.
The government has put $80m towards the Gavi Covax Facility Advance Market Commitment, alongside other donors including the UK, Canada, Italy and Norway.
“International investment in vaccine manufacturing and procurement is stronger when nations work together,” foreign affairs minister Marise Payne said.
Kristina Keneally has stopped by doors this morning – she has addressed Russell Broadbent’s comments to Murph:
And given that the Liberals, the National’s senior partners in the Coalition tend to have a whole “free market” belief going on, how will this work if it means telling supermarkets what they can and can’t do (although we have seen a lot of eroding of that whole free market philosophy when it comes to things like energy companies lately, so you know, the precedents are there.)
David Littleproud:
Speaking to the ABC this morning, David Littleproud said this inquiry would be different to the other inquiries:
The federal government wants the ACCC to investigate agricultural chains, from farm to the store, to see how farmers are being treated.
From David Littleproud and Josh Frydenberg:
Goodness. It’s almost like the Queensland election is upon us. And like National electorates in NSW and Victoria have been screaming for someone to look at this for years and there is suddenly a reason to look at it!
