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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 live | 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 live |
| This is interesting | |
| NSW Health has released its official update - testing numbers are also down in New South Wales: | |
| This is the second day in a row that NSW has had no new cases, either locally acquired or in hotel quarantine. | |
| There were 6,353 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 12,333 in the previous 24 hours. | |
| NSW Health thanks the community for all they have done towards reducing COVID-19 numbers and continues to ask people to remain vigilant and come forward for testing immediately if symptoms like a runny nose, scratchy throat, cough or fever appear. | |
| This is particularly important with the start of school holidays and increased movement of people around the state. | |
| Locations linked to known cases, advice on testing and isolation, and areas identified for increased testing can be found here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates. | |
| NSW Health is treating 63 COVID-19 cases, including three in intensive care, none of whom are being ventilated. Eighty-seven per cent of cases being treated by NSW Health are in non-acute, out-of-hospital care. | |
| A controversial welfare program that has seen single mothers forced to take their children to activities such as playgroup and StoryTime at the library to keep their benefits has been extended for three years.The employment minister, Michaelia Cash, confirmed on Monday the government had signed new contracts with ParentsNext providers, which are a mix of not-for-profits and private companies.Guardian Australia reported extensively on problems with the scheme in 2019, which included many mothers having their benefits suspended, often unfairly; providers failing to inform sick participants they were exempt from the scheme; and inadequate support for domestic violence survivors.Before the 2019 election, the government announced changes to the scheme, labelled “demeaning” by critics, but has remained committed to it.Cash said on Monday the program would help people get into assisted “eligible parents with young children to plan their next steps towards study or work”. It was an part of “getting people back into work and rebuilding our economy from the impact of Covid-19”.She also said the extension of the contracts would “provide certainty to the sector”.ParentsNext is compulsory for some people who receive parenting payments and have children between six months and under six years old. The majority are single mothers. Aside from reports participants have faced requirements such as taking their children to playgroup, others have claimed they have been pushed into unsuitable education courses just to keep their welfare benefits. | |
| Then we get to the statements the prime minister has made criticising Victoria’s contact tracing system. | |
| Q: Would you say our contact tracing system is just as good as New South Wales? | |
| Daniel Andrews: | |
| Q: Do you get frustrated when the Prime Minister seems to undermine Victoria’s system and continually [say that]. | |
| Andrews: | |
| Q: Would you consider giving up payroll tax in return for something like an increase in the GST? | |
| Daniel Andrews: | |
| Q: You said you held Jenny Mikakos accountable for a scheme which sparked the second wave which called more than 750 people. Is that a low standard to still have confidence in a minister? | |
| Daniel Andrews: | |
| Q: I’m asking about confidence ... | |
| Andrews: | |
| Q: What was the redeeming feature as to why you still had confidence in the minister? | |
| Andrews: | |
| Q: Have you spoken to Jenny Mikakos? | |
| Andrews: | |
| Q: If you had such confidence, how come that hasn’t warranted a phone call? | |
| Andrews: | |
| Q: Do you plan to ramp up use of the Covidsafe app? | |
| Daniel Andrews: | |
| Daniel Andrews says he “hasn’t turned [his] mind” to when he will release the findings from the Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry – whether it will be on the day the government receives it, or shortly after. | |
| But it will be released. | |
| Andrews doesn’t know how much the inquiry has cost. | |
| The press conference moves on to 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: | 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 face mask. | |
| 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. | 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: | 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. | 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. | At all. |
| Q: It’s a slightly bizarre situation. | Q: It’s a slightly bizarre situation. |
| Daniel Andrews: | Daniel Andrews: |
| It is a bit. That’s the nature of this. | It is a bit. That’s the nature of this. |
| Q: The one person with Covid is the person who doesn’t get fined. | Q: The one person with Covid is the person who doesn’t get fined. |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Q: Why are some people with Covid not being fined, if they break the restrictions? | Q: Why are some people with Covid not being fined, if they break the restrictions? |
| Daniel Andrews: | Daniel Andrews: |
| 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. | 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. |
| ...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? | ...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? |
| Daniel Andrews: | Daniel Andrews: |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Q: The Murdoch institute recommended traffic light system to help get schools open. Is that something the government will adopt? | Q: The Murdoch institute recommended traffic light system to help get schools open. Is that something the government will adopt? |
| Daniel Andrews: | Daniel Andrews: |
| Q: The former health minister tweeted we are well on the way to eradication. Is that the strategy? | Q: The former health minister tweeted we are well on the way to eradication. Is that the strategy? |
| Daniel Andrews: | Daniel Andrews: |
| Q: Which workplaces are you looking at specifically? | Q: Which workplaces are you looking at specifically? |
| Daniel Andrews: | Daniel Andrews: |
| Q: Have you got the powers to be able to compel somebody? | Q: Have you got the powers to be able to compel somebody? |
| Daniel Andrews: | Daniel Andrews: |