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Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria hotel quarantine inquiry finds private security decision influenced by police preference Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria hotel quarantine inquiry finds private security decision influenced by police preference
(32 minutes later)
Melbourne’s stage four restrictions ease as Victoria records three deaths and five new Covid cases and NSW reports zero. Follow liveMelbourne’s stage four restrictions ease as Victoria records three deaths and five new Covid cases and NSW reports zero. Follow live
In non-coronavirus news, a woman has been attacked by a buffalo in south-west Sydney.
NSW Ambulance inspector Audie Jousif said “being called to a buffalo attack in Sydney is one of the more unusual incidents”.
Nearly eight in 10 Australians believe vaccines prevent infectious diseases and will access a new Covid-19 vaccine if it is available and properly tested, a ChildFund Australia survey has shown.
Essential Report polling for ChildFund Australia shows 79% of Australians believe vaccines are effective in preventing infectious diseases, and 78% would take a Covid-19 vaccine once properly tested and released.
But Australians are also strongly supportive of the Australian government helping neighbouring countries roll out an immunisation program. Seventy-nine percent of survey respondents believe there should be a fair global allocation system for the Covid-19 vaccine to assist people in poor countries.
Australia has made a $123m investment towards the global vaccines facility Covax, for access to a vaccine, once one is developed.
Australia has also committed $80m to the Covax Advance Market Commitment (AMC), a finance facility designed to ensure equitable access for poorer countries to Covid-19 vaccines as well.
ChildFund Australia chief executive Margaret Sheehan no country should be left behind in the rollout of a vaccine once it has been thoroughly tested and released
A man who had been deported to New Zealand, and who was in isolation at a government-run quarantine hotel, is under investigation by the police after he tied bed sheets together to escape the facility from a fourth floor window.A man who had been deported to New Zealand, and who was in isolation at a government-run quarantine hotel, is under investigation by the police after he tied bed sheets together to escape the facility from a fourth floor window.
All travellers returning to the country – only New Zealanders and their families, plus others with special exemptions are allowed to pass through its borders – must spend two weeks in mandatory isolation, during which they are tested twice for Covid-19.All travellers returning to the country – only New Zealanders and their families, plus others with special exemptions are allowed to pass through its borders – must spend two weeks in mandatory isolation, during which they are tested twice for Covid-19.
Suspicion was aroused when security staff at an Auckland quarantine hotel found a number of sheets tied together hanging out of a window on Monday morning, New Zealand government officials said in a news release on Monday evening.Suspicion was aroused when security staff at an Auckland quarantine hotel found a number of sheets tied together hanging out of a window on Monday morning, New Zealand government officials said in a news release on Monday evening.
A few minutes after the sheets were found, the man who had fled the room presented himself at the front gate of the hotel. It was not known how long he had been missing from the facility.A few minutes after the sheets were found, the man who had fled the room presented himself at the front gate of the hotel. It was not known how long he had been missing from the facility.
He is in police custody, said air commodore Darryn Webb. The man had been deported from Australia and had spent 12 days in managed isolation, testing negative for Covid-19 twice.He is in police custody, said air commodore Darryn Webb. The man had been deported from Australia and had spent 12 days in managed isolation, testing negative for Covid-19 twice.
The deportation of New Zealanders accused of crimes or criminal associations from Australia has been a bone of contention between the two countries. Australia’s deportation programme briefly halted during Covid-19 before resuming in July, with extra security personnel stationed at the facilities where deportees would complete their isolation.The deportation of New Zealanders accused of crimes or criminal associations from Australia has been a bone of contention between the two countries. Australia’s deportation programme briefly halted during Covid-19 before resuming in July, with extra security personnel stationed at the facilities where deportees would complete their isolation.
Webb said the health risk to the public from the case was low, adding that of 55,000 people staying in managed isolation, 13 had absconded.Webb said the health risk to the public from the case was low, adding that of 55,000 people staying in managed isolation, 13 had absconded.
I am going to leave you in the very capable hands of Naaman Zhou for the rest of the afternoon shift.I am going to leave you in the very capable hands of Naaman Zhou for the rest of the afternoon shift.
There have been quite a few messages today – I am slowly working my way through them – but if you have anything else to say, or I missed you, you can contact me here and here.There have been quite a few messages today – I am slowly working my way through them – but if you have anything else to say, or I missed you, you can contact me here and here.
Thank you again for joining me – I’ll be back again early tomorrow morning. Take care of you, as always – and if you are in Melbourne, I hope you enjoy being able to leave your house past what would have been the curfew hours, if you choose to go for a walk or run tonight. AxThank you again for joining me – I’ll be back again early tomorrow morning. Take care of you, as always – and if you are in Melbourne, I hope you enjoy being able to leave your house past what would have been the curfew hours, if you choose to go for a walk or run tonight. Ax
Paul Karp has received this statement from the attorney general, in response to questions over the Patrick Terminals’ planned strike action:Paul Karp has received this statement from the attorney general, in response to questions over the Patrick Terminals’ planned strike action:
AAP has taken a look at the budget promises which have been made so far.AAP has taken a look at the budget promises which have been made so far.
The budget will be handed down next Tuesday:The budget will be handed down next Tuesday:
More good news from Victoria – as per the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation statement:More good news from Victoria – as per the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation statement:
In Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry news.In Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry news.
Victoria Health has updated its ‘get checked if you were here’ list.Victoria Health has updated its ‘get checked if you were here’ list.
This should make for very interesting reading.This should make for very interesting reading.
In light of Shane Patton’s ‘rare discretion’ comments, this report from Josh Taylor on who has been getting fined is worth taking a look at:
As the Victorian government ramps up penalties to $5,000 for breaching Covid-19 gathering rules, statistics show young people received almost half of all fines dished out during the state’s first wave, while the South Sudanese and Aboriginal communities received an outsize number of fines.
Data released by the Crime Statistics Agency last week shows there were 6,062 breaches of Covid-19 rules associated with 5,474 people during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Victoria.
The average age was 29.5 years, and just one in four of those fined were women. Approximately 42% of those were under the age of 24.
According to the data provided to community legal centres, of the over 6,000 recorded breaches, there were just 67 warning notices issued. Only six businesses were issued with fines.
Throughout the pandemic, Victoria police has been releasing daily updates on the number of fines worth $1,652 issued the previous day, highlighting some of the most flagrant breaches, which some refer to as the “Covidiots” of the day. But it doesn’t give a full picture of how police are fining people for Covid-19 public health order breaches.
The testing rates in NSW have dropped to levels which have authorities worried – particularly as the clock ticks down on the incubation period for any cases associated with a taxi driver who worked while (unknowingly, it would seem) infectious with Covid.
John McVeigh’s resignation from Groom will spark the third by-election in his political career. He quit Toowoomba Regional Council to run for the Queensland state parliament and then quit state parliament to run for federal parliament.
His seat though, is the safest government seat in the country (against Labor) so it won’t cause much of a wave.
Victoria police commissioner Shane Patton says police will only use discretion when handing out the $5,000 fines for breaking social distancing restrictions in very rare cases.
What that means is, if you are caught breaking the restrictions, more likely than not, you will receive the record fine.
On that supreme court challenge to the Melbourne (now lifted) curfew, AAP has filed a report:
Just an update on the upcoming Queensland election.
All sides, at this stage, seem to be pointing to a collapse of the One Nation vote – with the LNP the main beneficiary. The opposition has seen its primary vote increase in recent polls, and that looks like playing out on the actual poll day.
That is a problem for Labor – it gets enough of a slice of One Nation preferences in north Queensland to get it across the line in some key seats – particularly in Townsville, so its campaign strategists are worried.
The LNP needs nine seats to win government – but that is not out of question – Queensland can swing hard. And let’s not forget about the possibility of minority government.
Labor only needs to lose two seats to lose government – and Townsville is looking increasingly shaky. Pumicestone is a potential pick up, but it is not over-egging to say the Palaszczuk government is very nervous about the coming election.
Queensland heads to the polls on 31 October.
The supreme court challenge to the Melbourne curfew will be going ahead.
Liberal party candidate hopeful, Michelle Loielo says despite the curfew having been lifted, she wants a ruling on whether or not it was a breach of her human rights.
With the Victorian curfew no longer in place, Victoria police have said they will be increasing patrols to ensure people are not breaking the remaining restrictions.
Josh Taylor will have a story on the Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry very soon.
In the meantime, AAP has put together this report:
The decision to use private security in Victoria’s botched hotel quarantine program was not a decision at all, the counsel assisting the Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry has said in closing submissions, but Victoria police’s strong preference played a role in the “creeping assumption” to use private security.
Counsel assisting Rachel Ellyard told the inquiry on Monday that the evidence before the inquiry points to no one person ultimately making the decision to use private security guards on 27 March, when the program was announced.
The inquiry has heard on that date, in meetings among senior public servants in Victoria, including emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, and then Victoria police commissioner Graham Ashton, a “creeping assumption” emerged that private security would be used to guard hotels, not police.
Ellyard said because there was no decision, there was no consideration of whether it was appropriate or not, so it was a failure in decision making.
She said although Victoria police strongly denies its preference influencing the decision, the “consensus was influenced and strongly influenced we would say, by everyone at that meeting understanding what Victoria police’s preference was.