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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)
Premier hints restrictions will be eased in Melbourne on Sunday as NSW strives to boost testing. 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
Q: Premier, seeing as we’re ahead of schedule in terms of the 14-day average, will you consider lifting the curfew before the end of October?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: But there’s no health risk if someone wanted to exercise in the middle of the night, right?
Andrews:
Given the public housing tower lockdown we saw at the beginning of the second wave in Melbourne, why does the government need more powers to detain people?
Because they’ve already got powers.
Daniel Andrews:
Q: Can we ask the minister for mental health because these rules in part target people with, perhaps, mental health conditions.
Daniel Andrews:
Q: My question would be how would these rules be applied in a way that perhaps they haven’t been in the past six months? What would be different?
Martin Foley:
Q: Have there been situations in the pandemic so far where having these rules have changed the outcome?
Daniel Andrews:
But the bill does have touches of the Minority Report about it - detaining people before they have done anything - which is a very dangerous thing (although not the only example which any minority can tell you)
Q: Why does the bill need to give people the powers to detain people before they do anything wrong?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: We only have your word for that. But, again... I’m not questioning your word. But your intention could be interpreted differently.
Andrews:
Q: Have police been the ones who suggested these changes?
Andrews:
Q: A large number of very senior lawyers have raised fundamental concerns with the omnibus bill calling it unprecedented excessive powers and unconstrained powers to detain people before they’ve essentially done anything wrong. What assurances can you give the Victorian public that these powers won’t be abused, that people won’t be locked up before they’ve done anything? Will you consider perhaps tweaking some of these rules?
Daniel Andrews:
Has Daniel Andrews spoken to Gladys Berejiklian about the NSW-regional Victoria border?
Q: What was the conversation between the offices?
Andrews:
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.
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:
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?
How many lawyers will Daniel Andrews have with him on Friday for his appearance at the hotel quarantine inquiry?
Daniel Andrews:
Daniel Andrews:
Should those documents be made public?
Should those documents be made public?
Daniel Andrews:
Daniel Andrews:
Will the Victorian government be claiming public interest immunity in the court case against its curfew?
Will the Victorian government be claiming public interest immunity in the court case against its curfew?
Daniel Andrews:
Daniel Andrews:
Q: Will you claim public interest immunity?
Q: Will you claim public interest immunity?
Andrews:
Andrews:
We move on to this exchange:
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.
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.
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?
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.
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 ...
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 ...
Q: What do you mean about Covid safety?
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.
Q: If they’re searching through bushland, maintaining social distance, what could be the issue.
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: Can you send a message through the media right now that that’s not a good idea...
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: Should those people have been turned away if all they were doing was going through the bush looking for a missing boy?
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: Surely it’s an example that the curfew has driven so much fear into Victorians ...
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.
