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Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria records 42 new Covid cases and eight deaths – latest news Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria records 42 new Covid cases and eight deaths – latest news
(32 minutes later)
Gladys Berejiklian expected to announce changes as South Australia opens up to ACT and Brett Sutton gives evidence at Victoria’s hotel quarantine inquiry. Follow all today’s developmentsGladys Berejiklian expected to announce changes as South Australia opens up to ACT and Brett Sutton gives evidence at Victoria’s hotel quarantine inquiry. Follow all today’s developments
This is excellent news - there are 991 active cases of Covid across Victoria. What did Daniel Andrews make of the footage of very long lines of cars attempting to get into regional Victoria yesterday?
Andrews:
Is Daniel Andrews worried that the seven-day average seems to be slightly higher this week?
No - because it depends on where the cases come from.
Andrews:
Daniel Andrews says it is too early to make judgements about falling below 50 cases a day, although he says it should be happily acknowledged:
Metro Melbourne’s rolling day average is at 49.6%
Regional Victoria is at 0.9%.
Given Melbourne has hit the under-50 benchmark, can restrictions be lifted sooner?
Daniel Andrews:
Will you need a covid test before surgery?
Jenny Mikakos:
If you live in metro Melbourne and are booked into a regional hospital, can you get through the roadblocks? (There are so many strange sentences which are becoming more and more normal in this pandemic).
Jenny Mikakos:
Are the majority of the 107 Victorians who are in hospital, diagnosed with Covid, from aged care homes?
Jenny Mikakos:
Why start at 75% in regional Victoria – why not higher?
Jenny Mikakos:
What is the Victorian waiting list looking like at the moment?
Health minister Jenny Mikakos:
Here is the official release on that:
There are now just 37 active cases in regional Victoria.
Daniel Andrews says elective surgeries will resume in the regions:
This is excellent news – there are 991 active cases of Covid across Victoria.
Things are all headed in the right direction.Things are all headed in the right direction.
Daniel Andrews:Daniel Andrews:
Daniel Andrews is up at the podium:Daniel Andrews is up at the podium:
All of the eight deaths are linked to aged care.All of the eight deaths are linked to aged care.
Queensland will be examining this declaration at the end of the month (as is normal)Queensland will be examining this declaration at the end of the month (as is normal)
Soooooo that was clear as mud.Soooooo that was clear as mud.
Michael McCormack has written to the premiers and chief ministers asking them to accept more Australians wanting to return home.Michael McCormack has written to the premiers and chief ministers asking them to accept more Australians wanting to return home.
But from his language, it is impossible to tell whether there has been an agreement to accept 2000 more - making it 6000 a week, up from 4000, or whether the deputy premier just wants it to happen.But from his language, it is impossible to tell whether there has been an agreement to accept 2000 more - making it 6000 a week, up from 4000, or whether the deputy premier just wants it to happen.
Just another day with Michael McCormack in charge.Just another day with Michael McCormack in charge.
Michael McCormack:Michael McCormack:
But he is written to the state and territory leaders asking them to increase the number of returned travellers they are willing to accept for hotel quarantine.But he is written to the state and territory leaders asking them to increase the number of returned travellers they are willing to accept for hotel quarantine.
Michael McCormack:Michael McCormack:
Michael McCormack seems to be blaming Australians who didn’t come back to Australia when the pandemic was first declared for the fact they are now stranded overseas.Michael McCormack seems to be blaming Australians who didn’t come back to Australia when the pandemic was first declared for the fact they are now stranded overseas.
The deputy prime minister then uses the same argument the states with closed borders have made (a move which has been criticised by the federal government, including McCormack himself) when defending why Australia has a closed international border.The deputy prime minister then uses the same argument the states with closed borders have made (a move which has been criticised by the federal government, including McCormack himself) when defending why Australia has a closed international border.
Victorian CHO professor Brett Sutton is giving evidence at the Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry this morning.Victorian CHO professor Brett Sutton is giving evidence at the Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry this morning.
He is looking pretty relaxed as he answers questions about who takes charge in a pandemic with this stuff:He is looking pretty relaxed as he answers questions about who takes charge in a pandemic with this stuff:
The Victorian state government is facing court actions in the wake of the second wave.
There is also an action against the curfew.
Paul Karp has covered the release of Covid infections in aged care homes:
It is 10.45am again for Daniel Andrews today.
The Victorian opposition yesterday was talking about Victoria’s elective surgery waiting list blowing out to 100,000 – but the NSW Health figures show that it is a problem for the NSW Coalition government as well – all categories of elective surgery waits are up, with the total number surpassing 100,000.
It’ll be the same for all governments – that’s because elective surgeries were put on hold after the pandemic declaration.
You’ll be hearing more and more about this.
Via AAP:
Almost two-thirds of medium-sized companies are concerned economic activity faces a significant decline, resulting in even higher unemployment, when the federal government unwinds its COVID-19 stimulus measures.
As Treasurer Josh Frydenberg puts together his delayed 2020/21 federal budget for October 6, a KPMG Enterprise survey found over half of private, mid-sized firms and family businesses have benefited from measures like JobKeeper.
Increasing the GST and raised productivity to drive revenue growth were considered the two measures that would be most effective to help reduce government debt, scoring 41 per cent and 40 per cent respectively.
“Interestingly, raising GST was the only tax-raising measure considered an effective option for the government,” KPMG Enterprise national tax leader Clive Bird said.
“Previous KPMG modelling has shown that overall economic welfare is improved if the GST base is expanded, even if the rate is kept at 10 per cent and other ‘inefficient taxes’, like insurance taxes and stamp duties on motor vehicles, are abolished.”
Per Capita’s annual tax survey found almost two-thirds of respondents want to see JobSeeker increased by at least $75 per week.
Nearly a quarter believe the dole payment should remain at least at the increased rate provided through the coronavirus supplement of $275 a week.
Just over half thought negative gearing should be restricted or abolished, while 57 per cent said there should be a cap on tax reductions for high income earners.
Modelling conducted by the Australia Institute found men on high incomes would be the main beneficiaries if already-legislated tax cuts are brought forward as flagged by the federal government.
The study found if the tax cuts scheduled from 2022/23 are introduced earlier, for every dollar of tax cut that women would get, men would get $2.28.
If at the same time tax cuts planned from 2024/25 are also brought forward, men would get $2.19 for every dollar a woman would get.
Previous modelling by the institute showed higher earners would benefit more from these tax cuts, and are more likely to save the benefit than spend it.
“Giving tax cuts to the wealthy will have a very limited stimulatory effect on the broader economy, but it will significantly widen the economic divide that already exists between men and women in this country,” the institute’s senior economist Matt Grudnoff said.
There are several changes due in the 2022/23 tax cuts, including an increase in the threshold of the 32.5 cent bracket from $37,000 to $45,000 and the threshold of the 37 cent bracket from $90,000 to $120,000.
In 2024/25, the tax cuts reduce the 32.5 cent rate to 30 cents.
The Per Capita survey found just 13 per cent of voters think the distribution of the final stage of these cuts is about right.
Queensland has recorded no new cases of Covid in the last 24 hours.
The health minister, Steven Miles, has begun mentioning what is happening in other states as part of his briefings – the not-so-subtle message being “this isn’t happening in Queensland because of the border controls”:
Barnaby Joyce appears to be driving around his electorate opening bridges. Unofficially.
I have had a few questions about where the new Melbourne infections were coming from, given the strict lockdowns.
The last time this question was addressed, the answer was workplaces.
Dreamworld opens today for the first time in six months, after receiving a $70m loan from the Queensland government.
But as always, it is the 14-day average we are looking at.
Casey Briggs follows this for the ABC (one day I should apologise to my maths teachers – it really does come in handy).