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Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria reports five deaths and 15 new Covid cases as NSW records six Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria reports five deaths and 15 new Covid cases as NSW records six
(32 minutes later)
Premier Daniel Andrews hints restrictions will be eased in Melbourne on Sunday as NSW strives to boost testing. Follow all the day’s news livePremier Daniel Andrews hints restrictions will be eased in Melbourne on Sunday as NSW strives to boost testing. Follow all the day’s news live
Here is my colleague Paul Karp’s report on the very strong criticism levelled at Alan Tudge by a federal court judge.
There is a national Covid update coming up with chief nurse and midwifery officer, Alison McMillian at 3.30pm, which Luke Henriques-Gomes will take you through.
But congratulations – we all made it through the hump of hump day, in this hump year. I’m going to go listen to some of the sad songs you have sent me on Twitter and enjoy some healthy wallowing. I’ll be back tomorrow morning – but in the meantime, take care of you. Ax
Here we go again.
That this is not the first time we have heard of this – and that so many people just sort of shrug it off, says a lot about Australia’s humanity in general this last decade.
Approximately 20 people have now been arrested and fined at protests at the University of Sydney. Earlier, we told you that hundreds of students and staff had gathered without arrests in an outdoor classroom that coincided with a protest against the federal government’s changes to degrees, and universities cutting jobs.Approximately 20 people have now been arrested and fined at protests at the University of Sydney. Earlier, we told you that hundreds of students and staff had gathered without arrests in an outdoor classroom that coincided with a protest against the federal government’s changes to degrees, and universities cutting jobs.
That was a far cry from previous weeks, where protestors were broken up even in groups of fewer than 19, spaced apart. This afternoon, arrests were made after the outdoor classroom finished, and dozens of students then moved off the campus and down City Road and through Victoria Park in Sydney. That was a far cry from previous weeks, where protestors were broken up even in groups of fewer than 19, spaced apart.
This afternoon, arrests were made after the outdoor classroom finished, and dozens of students then moved off the campus and down City Road and through Victoria Park in Sydney.
Earlier in the day, academics and students gave lectures on the importance of protest, the issues with university casualisation and other criticism of the higher ed changes – all without arrests.Earlier in the day, academics and students gave lectures on the importance of protest, the issues with university casualisation and other criticism of the higher ed changes – all without arrests.
Yesterday, staff spoke out against against “political censorship” from NSW police and the suppression of freedom of speech, after students were arrested last week for gathering in spaced out groups of 19, even as other students had lunch in larger groups nearby.Yesterday, staff spoke out against against “political censorship” from NSW police and the suppression of freedom of speech, after students were arrested last week for gathering in spaced out groups of 19, even as other students had lunch in larger groups nearby.
In Victoria at the current time:In Victoria at the current time:
4268 cases may indicate community transmission – no change since yesterday 4,268 cases may indicate community transmission – no change since yesterday.
554 cases are currently active in Victoria 554 cases are currently active in Victoria.
75 cases of coronavirus are in hospital, including eight in intensive care 75 cases of coronavirus are in hospital, including eight in intensive care.
18,713 people have recovered from the virus 18,713 people have recovered from the virus.
A total of 2,609,485 test results have been received which is an increase of 15,741 since yesterday.A total of 2,609,485 test results have been received which is an increase of 15,741 since yesterday.
Of the 554 current active cases in Victoria:Of the 554 current active cases in Victoria:
537 are in metropolitan Melbourne under the First Step of our roadmap 537 are in metropolitan Melbourne under the First Step of our roadmap.
14 are in regional local government areas under the Third Step of our roadmap14 are in regional local government areas under the Third Step of our roadmap
3 are either unknown or subject to further investigation Three are either unknown or subject to further investigation.
Colac Otway has 5 active cases, Greater Geelong has two active cases, Greater Bendigo has one active case and Ballarat has no active cases. Colac Otway has five active cases, Greater Geelong has two active cases, Greater Bendigo has one active case and Ballarat has no active cases.
Of the total cases:Of the total cases:
18,710 cases are from metropolitan Melbourne, while 1192 are from regional Victoria 18,710 cases are from metropolitan Melbourne, while 1,192 are from regional Victoria.
Total cases include 9581 men and 10,506 women Total cases include 9,581 men and 10,506 women.
Total number of healthcare workers: 3510, active cases: 73 Total number of healthcare workers: 3,510, active cases: 73.
There are 284 active cases relating to aged care facilities There are 284 active cases relating to aged care facilities.
Active aged care outbreaks with the highest cumulative case numbers are as follows:Active aged care outbreaks with the highest cumulative case numbers are as follows:
256 cases have been linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee 256 cases have been linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee.
219 cases have been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping 219 cases have been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping.
166 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer 166 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer.
140 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth 140 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth.
131 cases have been linked to BlueCross Ruckers Hill Aged Care Facility in Northcote 131 cases have been linked to BlueCross Ruckers Hill Aged Care Facility in Northcote.
128 cases have been linked to Twin Parks Aged Care in Reservoir 128 cases have been linked to Twin Parks Aged Care in Reservoir.
124 cases have been linked to Cumberland Manor Aged Care Facility in Sunshine North 124 cases have been linked to Cumberland Manor Aged Care Facility in Sunshine North.
122 cases have been linked to Japara Goonawarra Aged Care Facility in Sunbury 122 cases have been linked to Japara Goonawarra Aged Care Facility in Sunbury.
121 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg 121 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg.
108 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee 108 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee.
Victoria Health has put out its daily data sheet:Victoria Health has put out its daily data sheet:
Victoria has recorded 15 new cases of coronavirus since yesterday, with the total number of cases now at 20,100.
The overall total has increased by 24 due to nine cases being reclassified.
Within Victoria, 10 of the new cases are linked to outbreaks or complex cases and five are under investigation.
Of today’s 10 cases linked to outbreaks, four are linked to aged care (Baptcare Wyndham Lodge, Estia Keilor, Japara Elanora and Edenvale Manor), four are linked to existing outbreaks (Alfred Hospital and Dandenong Police Station) and two are linked to complex cases which remain under investigation.
Of today’s 15 new cases, there are three cases in Greater Dandeong, two cases in Manningham, Moreland and Wyndham and singles cases in Boroondara, Frankston, Melton, Moonee Valley and Whittlesea. One case is subject to further investigation.
There have been five new deaths from COVID-19 reported since yesterday. One man aged in his 70s, two women in their 80s, one man in his 90s and one woman in her 100s. Three deaths occurred prior to yesterday.
All of today’s five deaths is linked to a known outbreak in an aged care facility. To date, 771 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.
The average number of cases diagnosed in the last 14 days for metropolitan Melbourne is 29.4 and regional Victoria is 1.1. The rolling daily average case number is calculated by averaging out the number of new cases over the past 14 days.
The total number of cases from an unknown source in the last 14 days is 41 for metropolitan Melbourne and zero for regional Victoria. The 14-day period for the source of acquisition data ends 48 hours earlier than the 14-day period used to calculate the new case average due to the time required to fully investigate a case and assign its mode of acquisition.
In other news, the Victorian government IS seeking to claim public interest immunity in the supreme court challenge to its Melbourne curfew.In other news, the Victorian government IS seeking to claim public interest immunity in the supreme court challenge to its Melbourne curfew.
So what does that mean> So what does that mean.
Paul Keating thinks the Reserve Bank is not doing enough to head off the worst of the economic crisis.Paul Keating thinks the Reserve Bank is not doing enough to head off the worst of the economic crisis.
He criticises the RBA for being timid - not stepping outside central bank orthodoxy. By that, he mentions the banks unwillingness to consider what we know of as ‘money printing’ - that’s what’s he means when he sarcastically pings the RBA for not considering ‘buying bonds directly from the Treasury’ He criticises the RBA for being timid – not stepping outside central bank orthodoxy. By that, he mentions the banks unwillingness to consider what we know of as ‘money printing’ – that’s what’s he means when he sarcastically pings the RBA for not considering ‘buying bonds directly from the Treasury’.
The RBA has been buying bonds from the secondary market - PJK is saying it could cut out the middleman and just buy directly from the Treasury - which is essentially, the Treasury printing money for the bank to distribute straight into the economy. The RBA has been buying bonds from the secondary market – PJK is saying it could cut out the middleman and just buy directly from the Treasury – which is essentially, the Treasury printing money for the bank to distribute straight into the economy.
Keating thinks this is because the RBA’s leaders are a bit too concerned with what their international colleagues will think about them at their annual bank for international settlements meeting in Switzerland.Keating thinks this is because the RBA’s leaders are a bit too concerned with what their international colleagues will think about them at their annual bank for international settlements meeting in Switzerland.
Instead, he says we need out of the box thinking - and he’s saying that as someone who had trust in the RBA, even when it came at great political cost to him. Instead, he says we need out of the box thinking – and he’s saying that as someone who had trust in the RBA, even when it came at great political cost to him.
Keating also thinks the central bank needs to start concentrating on helping the government meet the task of full employment.Keating also thinks the central bank needs to start concentrating on helping the government meet the task of full employment.
The theory there is, if you have full employment, the budget takes care of itself.The theory there is, if you have full employment, the budget takes care of itself.
If you think it is sounding very MMT-ish, that’s because it kinda is. There has been a big push for Australia’s central bank to adopt some of the MMT measures to get Australia out of the coronacession, and some of its biggest points are what PJK is touching on here.If you think it is sounding very MMT-ish, that’s because it kinda is. There has been a big push for Australia’s central bank to adopt some of the MMT measures to get Australia out of the coronacession, and some of its biggest points are what PJK is touching on here.
And he finishes with:And he finishes with:
PJK continues:PJK continues:
Paul Keating has put out one of his rare (although not so lately) statements.Paul Keating has put out one of his rare (although not so lately) statements.
This time, it is on the Reserve Bank and monetary policy.This time, it is on the Reserve Bank and monetary policy.
I would never presume to be able to summarise Paul J Keating, so here it is:I would never presume to be able to summarise Paul J Keating, so here it is:
Graham Readfearn has the latest on the stranded Tasmanian whale pods. It is not good news:
AAP has an update on what is happening with the icare bonuses:
This rule is one of the reasons I am not allowed an office cat at parliament house.
And that’s that for Paul Fletcher.
Daniel Hurst will have a story on that for you soon.
Back to Paul Fletcher for one last question:
Q: Just on some of the laws that the Right to Know campaign want to change. One of them is around defamation which was touch on earlier. I wondered in your opinion, there’s a lot of people in the sector who say that it is no longer fit for purpose. Do you still think that the defamation laws in this country are still acting as they’re intended to?
Paul Fletcher:
There have been, surprisingly, no arrests made yet at a protest against the federal government’s changes to higher education policy, held today at the University of Sydney.
Previously, dozens of students and staff have been arrested and fined at earlier protests held at the university, even as they stuck to groups smaller than 20.
Yesterday, staff spoke out against “undemocratic” behaviour from NSW police, saying it was suppressing freedom of speech to arrest protestors under Covid regulations, while letting other students have lunch, or even attend classes of 30 to 40 people.
Today, the protest has coincided with an outdoor teaching event, held by staff, who are delivering lectures on the importance of protest, the issues with university casualisation and other criticism of the higher ed changes.
There are over a hundred students and attendees sitting outdoors listening currently.
The student newspaper, Honi Soit, report that the university asked the police not to break this event up today.
Friends and readers in the arts, feel free to respond.
Q: So ministerial responsibility – could you explain what it actually means?
Paul Fletcher:
Q: A simple yes, no and don’t know. Firstly in regard to a follow up from the question. Isn’t the doctrine of ministerial responsibility actually that you are responsible for what happens within your ministry? And haven’t you failed to actually follow that through by doing nothing about the auditor general’s report?
Secondly – in regard to Annika Smethurst’s issue – you have said how concerned you’ve been over the last 11 months about the raids on journalists, but the reality is that you have done absolutely nothing. Is that correct or not?
And thirdly – in regard to your other portfolio, which is arts – we know for example that ushers in cinemas receiving jobkeeper – isn’t it true that there has been no special support for the arts ministry, for those people who are actually producing content and contributing to the arts in Australia? You asked for a simple answer.
Paul Fletcher:
Q: What are you doing about phone scammers who are terrorising people, pretending to be from the Tax Office, threatening people with arrest and what not, if they don’t hand over money. It is actually a thing at the moment?
Paul Fletcher: