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Coronavirus Australia live update: Daniel Andrews holds press conference as Victoria reports 15 new Covid cases and five deaths Coronavirus Australia live update: Daniel Andrews holds press conference as Victoria reports 15 new Covid cases and five deaths
(32 minutes later)
NSW strives to boost testing as Victoria’s jobs minister and emergency services minister likely to face questioning over the use of private security guards in hotel quarantine. Follow all the day’s news live Premier hints restrictions will be eased in Melbourne on Sunday as NSW strives to boost testing. Follow all the day’s news live
Victoria will spend an additional $21.3m on drug and alcohol addiction support services It has been raining in Victoria, which means hospitality venues in regional Victoria have had to turn people away because they can’t sit outside.
Asked whether there will be further allowances made for regional Victoria, given that there are now only 14 active cases in the regions, Daniel Andrews says:
How many lawyers will Daniel Andrews have with him on Friday for his appearance at the hotel quarantine inquiry?
Daniel Andrews:Daniel Andrews:
Behind every sign is a story. Same goes with ‘just to clarify’ points in Covid press conferences. Should those documents be made public?
Daniel Andrews:Daniel Andrews:
On the rolling averages, Daniel Andrews says: Will the Victorian government be claiming public interest immunity in the court case against its curfew?
There are just 14 active cases across regional Victoria.
As always, we start with a breakdown of the day’s numbers.
Daniel Andrews:Daniel Andrews:
Oh good. The government is still planning on selling the NBN. Q: Will you claim public interest immunity?
Because no service has ever become worse, once privatised. Andrews:
In the context of this tweet from Daniel Hurst, here are some more 2010 Tony Abbott NBN gems: We move on to this exchange:
and Q: Members of the community were told not to search for the missing 14-year-old autistic boy in the bushland because of the curfew.
Queensland’s deputy premier (and health minister) is still obviously still cranky at the federal government over how the last couple of months have played out. Daniel Andrews: I’m not sure what advice Victoria Police gave. It’s not a matter I would have been ... I’m not involved in that but I’m more than happy to refer your question to Victoria Police.
Queensland heads to the polls at the end of next month (happy Halloween) and the discourse has been, at the risk of understatement, quite messy. Q: Even if they didn’t give that advice, though, do you think the curfew has driven so much fear into Victorians that they won’t be searching for a missing boy out of fear they’d get fined?
As reported by the Courier Mail yesterday, the federal government is pulling ADF troops off Queensland border patrols soon, to re-deploy them elsewhere. Andrews: I don’t believe that’s the case at all ... you’ve asked me about something that you say Victoria Police said. I’m telling you go to speak to them. That’s the most important thing to do. They can confirm what, if any advice they gave. On the second, broader point you made I don’t accept the logic. There’s a big team of SES volunteers, Victoria Police and other people helping with the effort. I thank them and I hope that William is found as soon as possible. We send our best wishes to his family. This will be a difficult time for them. As to what was or wasn’t communicated from a member of Victoria Police, Victoria Police are the best people to clarify for you.
That comes as Queensland opens up its borders to northern NSW, meaning more people will be heading through its checkpoints, meaning the Queensland Police Union is also cranky, because more police will have to be moved to the border to fill the gaps. Q: Just to clarify in your view, should an exception be made for members of the public who might be out after curfew looking for ...
The federal government would say it has never been the advice of national cabinet to close the borders, so that each state has to manage its own closures as it sees fit. Andrews: My understanding was that there may have been some decisions made in relation to Covid safety for instance – I’m only speculating. That’s what I was briefed this morning. As to exactly what’s occurred there, police are the ones ...
So Steven Miles is cranky. But he took time out to talk about the CovidSafe app: Q: What do you mean about Covid safety?
He thinks there should be someone looking at how it was marketed to people. Andrews: It’s difficult to congregate in large groups at the moment. There are a range of rules. And they’re not to prevent anything other than the spread of the virus. But I’ve got no advice that says the rules have impeded the amazing work being done as we speak and hopefully they find him soon. All the volunteers who turned up this morning were told to go home and instead spread the word on social media.
While my brain finishes rebooting after listening to that interview, you might also notice that Paul Fletcher also invoked the pandemic: Q: If they’re searching through bushland, maintaining social distance, what could be the issue.
So apparently, fast, reliable internet coverage was not necessary before then. Andrews: Again, I’m not the one who told them to do that so I’m more than happy to facilitate a Victoria Police spokesperson answering those questions.
Q: Did you know at all the other party involved happened to be Liberal party donors? Q: Can you send a message through the media right now that that’s not a good idea...
Paul Fletcher: Not to my recollection, no. Andrews: It’s not my practice to communicate with the chief commissioner of police through the media. With the greatest of respect, that’s not my role or the way I do things. I will contact the chief commissioner’s office and police media and make it clear that questions have been asked that need answering and I’m confer dent that the chief commissioner and his team will provide you with the answers that you’re after.
Q: So, you had no knowledge of who they were and their ties to the party? Q: Should those people have been turned away if all they were doing was going through the bush looking for a missing boy?
Fletcher: I received a brief. The auditor general’s report makes it clear that the brief deficient in key points, and specifically the auditor general makes it clear that it did not set out what the valuation methodology was. This is all clear... Andrews: With respect, I don’t know that’s occurred. I know there are social media reports. The best thing to do is to have the people who have apparently made that choice explain to you whether they have done it, and if they have done, it for what reasons.
Q: Just to make it very clear, for my purposes – you had no knowledge that the people who taxpayers were buying the land off just happened to be donors to the Liberal party? Q: Surely it’s an example that the curfew has driven so much fear into Victorians ...
Fletcher: That certainly was not known to me. Andrews: I think you’ve answered that question already and I’ve rejected the premise of that question. That is not accurate in my judgment. The curfew has served to help bring these numbers down. That’s what the curfew has done and I do not accept the – it’s not really a question. I think you’re putting a statement to me. You’ve done it twice now and I don’t accept it.
Q: In the road map, you forecast limited steps come Sunday.
Daniel Andrews: Yes.
Q: Given the numbers and what Allen said it about doing a bit better than you might have expected, are you looking at going a bit further than you’d outlined a few weeks ago?
Andrews:
Q: Can you give us an idea of the areas?
Andrews:
There does seem to be some light around the corner for Melbourne, although it is still a bit too early to say for sure, about what Daniel Andrews will reveal on Sunday.
Asked when the next step will be coming, the premier says:
What else does the modelling show?
Allen Cheng:
Q: Are you confident we’ll stay under 30 now?
Cheng:
What is the Ref number at the moment?
Allen Cheng:
Is Allen Cheng worried about some of the clusters?
On aged care, Allen Cheng says:
On the known clusters, professor Allen Cheng says:
Deputy chief health officer, professor Allen Cheng then steps up to explain the case numbers:
Victoria will spend an additional $21.3m on drug and alcohol addiction support services.