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.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/sep/24/coronavirus-australia-latest-updates-victoria-hotel-quaranine-inquiry-sa-nsw-border-queensland-restrictions-johs-frydenberg-budget-business-economy

The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Coronavirus live updates Australia: Victoria records 12 new Covid cases and two deaths as SA reopens NSW border Coronavirus live updates Australia: Daniel Andrews holds Covid press conference as Victoria records 12 new cases and two deaths
(32 minutes later)
Jenny Mikakos will give evidence in the hotel inquiry, while Queensland considers easing restrictions in the state’s south-east. Follow live Jenny Mikakos will give evidence in the hotel inquiry, while SA reopens border to NSW. Follow live
Q: So far the inquiry has not had an answer to that question [who was responsible for hotel quarantine] and do you expect that question to be answered tomorrow?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: Can you at least tell us whether or not you can answer us, do you have that information?
Andrews:
Q: Has there been any evidence presented so far that has come as a surprise to you?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: Are you concerned that the union that represents vows of healthcare workers, everyone who works there, nature, some of them workers you have shown support for every day during the pandemic, is calling for the Health Minister to resign?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: How much value do you place on the health workers union saying that they have lost confidence in the minister?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: Do you have confidence in the Health Minister’s ability to continue in a portfolio?
Andrews:
Q: Are you concerned at all that appears like two ministers have no idea about where the critical decisions are being made in the department?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: What does ministerial responsibility mean to you and are you confident that your ministers are taking proper possibility for their portfolios?
Andrews:
The questions begin:
Q: Does your health minister lack [things like] basic competence and understanding of her portfolio?
Daniel Andrews:
The Victorian government is announcing $11.3m in funding for community support, which includes food relief.
Daniel Andrews then moves to manage expectations about what Sunday, the next benchmark in the roadmap out of restrictions, will bring:
Daniel Andrews breaks from the Covid press conference for a moment, to speak about the death of 14-year-old William Wall:
Daniel Andrews says the two people diagnosed with Covid who died in the last 24 hours were two women in their 80s.
Both were linked to aged care outbreaks.
Daniel Andrews:
Christian Porter was just asked why no one has faced criminal proceedings in the Westpac scandal and says:
Julie Collins, Labor’s aged care shadow minister, has seen the latest report from the sector’s regulator, and she is not impressed.
From her statement:
Josh Frydenberg will deliver his speech to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry at 11am.
It will be live streamed on his Facebook, apparently.
Daniel Andrews is about to step up for his 84th consecutive press conference.
AAP has an update on NSW fines:AAP has an update on NSW fines:
Apres partying in the NSW snow resort village of Thredbo has prompted authorities to shut an overcrowded restaurant after skiers were caught doing shots at the bar shoulder to shoulder.
The Rivers Restaurant will be closed for a week from Friday for serious and repeated COVID-19 safety breaches after repeated visits from police and the liquor regulator.
NSW Police and Liquor & Gaming NSW officers visited the restaurant four times in July and September and identified several breaches.
It found too many people per square metre, a lack of spacing between seated patrons, mingling between tables and in queues, and people drinking alcohol while standing.
“The venue was repeatedly over capacity, groups were seated almost back to back and queues of up to 30 people stood shoulder to shoulder,” Liquor & Gaming Director of Compliance Dimitri Argeres said on Thursday.
“They also observed patrons drinking shots at the bar and consuming liquor while standing, including one of the business owners,’ he said.
Initially the restaurant was warned, then its manager and event promoter were fined $5000 each.
After finding yet more breaches on the fourth visit, it was deemed the premises presented a clear and significant risk to public health, Mr Argeres said.
“As we come into party season with major events such as the Spring Racing Carnival, Bathurst 1000 motor race, the footy finals and schoolies celebrations, we’re warning all hospitality providers and function operators to stick to the limits around venue capacity and group bookings,” Mr Argeres said.
The Victorian crime statistics agency has released some data on the number of fines issued for Covid-19 public health order breaches at the start of this year.The Victorian crime statistics agency has released some data on the number of fines issued for Covid-19 public health order breaches at the start of this year.
Up to the end of June, 6,062 fines were issued for breaching Covid-19 orders.Up to the end of June, 6,062 fines were issued for breaching Covid-19 orders.
That is before the second wave, where many more fines were issued and many more restrictions introduced.That is before the second wave, where many more fines were issued and many more restrictions introduced.
The stats show one in three breaches happened between midnight and 6am (before a curfew was introduced), almost one in five breaches happened over the Easter long weekend, and over half (58%) happened on the street or footpath.The stats show one in three breaches happened between midnight and 6am (before a curfew was introduced), almost one in five breaches happened over the Easter long weekend, and over half (58%) happened on the street or footpath.
Just 14% of the fines were issued in people’s homes.Just 14% of the fines were issued in people’s homes.
The stats also reveal the 6,062 fines were issued to 5,474 people.The stats also reveal the 6,062 fines were issued to 5,474 people.
The average age was 29.5 years, and just one in four of those fined were women.The average age was 29.5 years, and just one in four of those fined were women.
Ten percent were recorded as having more than one fine issued.Ten percent were recorded as having more than one fine issued.
Elias Visontay has been following the stories of the more than 23,000 Australians unable to get home (it could be up to 100,000) from the beginning.
He’ll be watching today’s Senate committee.
Austrac CEO Nicole Rose will also give a statement on the Westpac fine. Which makes sense, as it is the biggest in Australia’s corporate history.
Westpac was put aside $900m for the fine, so $1.3bn is a big deal.
Daniel Andrews will address the media at 10.30am.
The senate committee looking at the Covid response is dealing with the issues of Australia’s stranded overseas today
The Queensland election is on 31 October, which means there is another 37 days of back and forth between the federal government and state government over borders and goodness knows what else.
This morning, it is over the withdrawal of ADF troops from the Queensland border. Josh Frydenberg said Queensland didn’t ask for an extension. Steven Miles says that’s not true, and like Kim Kardashian on national snake day, he has the receipts.
Miles:
Miles said it was time for the “conga line” of federal ministers and MPs criticising Queensland’s border controls and no one else’s, to stop.
Queensland’s deputy premier (and health minister) Steven Miles says with 14 days passing since the last infectious case in the Queensland community, this means additional restrictions in place in Brisbane and western Morton can be lifted:
On Sydney, Queensland CHO Dr Jeannette Young says the “risk is decreasing” but it is still “not ideal”.
She’ll be making the decision on whether or not to open the border to NSW as a whole at the end of the month – but given her language, I wouldn’t expect the border to open anytime ahead of November.
Queensland has announced no new cases of Covid today.
That is from more than 5,000 tests, which is the number that state’s CHO wants to have the numbers sit around.
Victoria Health has released it’s daily total.
Metropolitan Melbourne’s rolling 14 day average is now 26.7.
Christian Porter and Peter Dutton have responded to the Westpac settlement.
From the joint release:
The last line of the statement says the settlement will not be tax-deductible, which is not even something I had considered, but there you go.