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Coronavirus Australia live update: Daniel Andrews holds press conference as Victoria records five new Covid cases and three deaths Coronavirus Australia live update: Daniel Andrews holds press conference as Victoria records five new Covid cases and three deaths
(32 minutes later)
Melbourne’s stage four restrictions ease, with more people returning to workplaces. Meanwhile, analysts urge government to spend more to support recovery as jobseeker wage subsidy cut. Follow liveMelbourne’s stage four restrictions ease, with more people returning to workplaces. Meanwhile, analysts urge government to spend more to support recovery as jobseeker wage subsidy cut. Follow live
The press conference moves onto the Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry and Jenny Mikakos’s resignation as health minister (and announcement she will be leaving parliament)
Asked why he said he had confidence in Mikakos, when his statement to the inquiry made it clear that he saw Mikakos as responsible for hotel quarantine, Daniel Andrews says:
Daniel Andrews is asked about the health advice which says face shields - which you may have seen in some stores and, shall we say, suburbs with higher than average income averages, can’t be worn in place of a usual facemask.
Andrews says foggy glasses and other discomfort is worth it in the short term, to bring about long term benefit.
He is then asked if it is silly for someone in regional Victoria, walking alone with no one in the same square kilometre as them, to have to wear a mask.
Andrews:
Just interrupting the Victorian press conference for a moment – for the second day in a row, NSW has recorded no new cases of Covid.
At all.
Q: It’s a slightly bizarre situation.
Daniel Andrews:Daniel Andrews:
Daniel Andrews says while it looks as though the numbers are all heading where they need to be – and earlier than anticipated – that doesn’t mean there can be a mass lifting of restrictions: It is a bit. That’s the nature of this.
Q: The one person with Covid is the person who doesn’t get fined.
Andrews:
Q: Why are some people with Covid not being fined, if they break the restrictions?
Daniel Andrews:Daniel Andrews:
The Victorian premier has begun his 88th consecutive press conference. Q: Yesterday’s press release attributed five of yesterday’s 16 cases to a complex case but there was no detail about whether that was a workplace or an aged care facility.
The five new cases are linked to known clusters. ...When we’re less than three weeks away from hopefully abandoning stay-at-home restrictions, is it good enough we’re not get thank level of detail?
All three deaths are linked to aged care. Daniel Andrews:
Queensland has reported no new cases of Covid in the last 24 hours. I am not sure why that wouldn’t be included. Let me make inquiries on your behalf. If there something we can add to the CHO release, we will. There is privacy issues, when you get down to low numbers.
The three women charged with fraud and making a false or misleading claim on their border entry documents have faced a Brisbane court. But I think in terms of the categorisation, as you say, was it a workplace, a family, was it aged care, hospital... those sorts of things, we should be able to provide you with clarity.
They have been given bail and had their cases adjourned until October. Q: What’s the difference between an outbreak - a cluster and a complex case? Often the CHO release says it is listed to cluster or a complex case, but there is no detail on the difference.
Two of the women tested positive and, while health authorities cannot prove the women were the source of Queensland’s latest cluster, they have determined them to be the most likely source. Andrews:
Meanwhile, in Victoria: Q: The Murdoch institute recommended traffic light system to help get schools open. Is that something the government will adopt?
As has been pointed out to me a few times, one of the other people associated with Steve Bannon’s alleged thinktank, along with Fraser Anning, is Prof Adrian Cheok, who is most famous for advocating sex with robots. Daniel Andrews:
Daniel Andrews will hold his press conference at 10.30am. Q: The former health minister tweeted we are well on the way to eradication. Is that the strategy?
You can follow along with all the international news, with Helen Sullivan, here. Daniel Andrews:
With the parliamentary break, our MPs have taken to debating on Twitter. Q: Which workplaces are you looking at specifically?
We are starting to see more of these messages: Daniel Andrews:
In terms of the rolling average, today’s case number of five brings the 14-day average to 20.3 for metro Melbourne. Regional Victoria is at 0.6. Q: Have you got the powers to be able to compel somebody?
The so-called “mystery” cases – which usually means community transmission – are also down. Daniel Andrews:
A reminder that we don’t know what testing rates were like at the weekend, when these Covid cases were diagnosed – but still, five is a very, very good number.
The amount of people who have lost their lives though is an undeniable tragedy.
This is the lowest number we have seen in months.
Michael McCormack was also on Sydney’s radio 2GB this morning, where he said taxpayers purchasing a plot of land for 10 times its valued price “will eventually be hailed as a good decision” and “a bargain”.
That would be this land, that the auditor general has released a WTAF report over:
The land, which was owned by Liberal party donors, and which wasn’t even needed for the airport expansion until AFTER 2050.
McCormack thinks paying $30m for a $3m parcel of land 30 years in advance will one day be seen as a bargain.
As AAP reports:
McCormack also seems to think it is time for everyone to just move on:
The Australian National Audit Office handed down a scathing report into the land purchase last week, finding Department of Infrastructure officials had engaged in unethical conduct.
Oh look! Fraser Anning has popped up again – as part of Steve Bannon’s new “think” tank.
I guess that takes the bankrupt former senator from “understood to be living in the US” to “living in the US” where he disappeared to after losing his Senate seat and having bankruptcy proceedings against him.