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Coronavirus Australia live update: Daniel Andrews gives press conference as Victoria reports 15 new cases and two deaths
Coronavirus Australia live update: Daniel Andrews gives press conference as Victoria reports 15 new cases and two deaths
(32 minutes later)
NSW reports two new cases in hotel quarantine; Queensland expands NSW border bubble; and Scott Morrison to outline the Coalition’s manufacturing reboot. Follow live
NSW reports two new cases in hotel quarantine; Queensland expands NSW border bubble; and Scott Morrison to outline the Coalition’s manufacturing reboot. Follow live
Deputy CHO, professor Allen Cheng, is giving an update on the outbreaks:
Q: So what were the Spotless workers doing if they weren’t providing security?
Daniel Andrews:
Daniel Andrews:
There are just 289 active cases of Covid in Victoria as of today.
Q: And they got sent through midway through the shift and... [and Victoria Police have taken their place.] Why did that occur?
That is wonderful news - especially when you consider where it has come from.
The Victorian premier starts with the numbers:
NSW has reported no new cases of locally acquired Covid for the sixth day.
From NSW Health:
NSW has today reported one case that is believed to be an old case which will be added to the total number of cases today.
The epidemiological and laboratory investigations indicate the infection likely occurred two months ago.
Two cases of returned travellers in hotel quarantine were also diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 4,038
The locally acquired case is a man in his 50s from south-western Sydney. As the case was not previously diagnosed, it is included in the total numbers for NSW but all indications, including a repeat negative swab test, positive serology results that show he has an immune response to the virus and a history of illness two months, are that it is an old case most likely acquired when the virus was circulating at low levels in south-western Sydney around July.
There were 13,072 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 13,575 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.
Daniel Andrews and the Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Luke Donnellan will hold a press conference at 11.15am
Karen Andrews was on ABC radio this morning speaking with Sabra Lane about the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund (which was announced as an election commitment and is $50m from the government, $110m from the industry).
The government’s $50m has been exhausted, so it is putting in another $50. Lane asked Andrews about jobs:
Andrews:
Andrews:
Lane: Alright. But 80,000 over 10 years, 8,000 jobs a year?
Q: Premier, why were the security guards [changed] mid-shift at the Novotel hotel?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: Even if we move to the next step and the daily average is only five cases, you are still saying that might be unsafe to travel to regional Victoria?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: Can you clarify, is travel out of Melbourne to regional Victoria allowed under Step 3?
Daniel Andrews:
Q: How hardline are you likely to be on mystery cases? You know, if we were, for example, under the 14-day daily average of five, but we had eight mystery cases, would you be saying, “No, sorry, we are too concerned about the mystery cases, we won’t be opening up yet”?
Daniel Andrews:
We move on to Daniel Andrews:
Q: If Melbourne is above that five cases over the 14-day average but they are linked, some of the cases are linked to aged care or known outbreaks, is there a chance we can move to the next step?
Andrews:
Andrews:
300,000 jobs over 10 years is still only 30,000 jobs a year – and that is at the top end of the hopes.
Q: What is the risk to any of the customer whose have been at Chadstone [Woolworths] that might have been exposed?
Scott Morrison’s favourite animal is apparently the koala (which is close to becoming endangered) because they get the shits.
Allen Cheng:
He had a chat to Adelaide radio 5AA this morning and spoke about a visit to the Adelaide zoo, where he got to chill with some still alive koalas.
Q: In terms of contact tracing, is there still issues with contacting people who English isn’t their first language and there is actually a delay in identifying people that can communicate with these people to do the contact tracing?
I’d have the irrits too if I had to spend the two hours I was awake cuddling people, in between taking down the NSW Nationals, while my species was sliding towards extinction, but that’s just me.
Allen Cheng:
The ABC/RMIT Fact Check team have fact-checked Tony Abbott’s claim that outside of Wuhan, Victoria had the world’s most strict lockdown (a claim that has been picked up and reported as fact by other commentators).
It is thunderstorm asthma season - which can impact people who have never suffered from asthma before. It’s a combination of pollen and weather events and can hit very suddenly.
You will not be surprised to learn that Abbott, is in fact, wrong.
Allen Cheng has asked people to be aware of the season (which lasts until December) and keep an eye on how their chest and breathing feels like.
Meanwhile, in Clive Palmer orbit land, Palmer’s media adviser, Andrew Crook, has sent out this statement:
Asked about some of the similarities between thunderstorm asthma symptoms and covid, Cheng says:
Ben Butler has more on the latest cuts to Flight Centre:
We get to the questions:
While we wait for Daniel Andrews’ 91st consecutive press conference, this makes for interesting reading:
Q: I might just ask about the Frankston outbreak and what that looks like. I know you probably can’t talk specifically, given you don’t want to ID that household, but can you tell us how many people in that household have Covid? Do they all work at Chadstone? What is make-up of that?
Queensland has reported no new Covid cases.
Allen Cheng:
The good eggs at AAP have put together a “what we know so far” of the 2020 budget.
Victoria is doubling its hardship payment from $400 to $800
It’s a handy list of keeping track of the promises (and the re-announcements) so far.
Allen Cheng spoke on the mystery case numbers and why they have changed:
Overall:
* Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg say it will be a “jobs budget” with the aim of driving the recovery out of the first recession since the 1990s
* Estimated budget deficit of $200 billion
* Debt edging upwards of $800 billion
* Expected $140 billion in stimulus over four years
Infrastructure
* Funding to expand two NSW dams, Wyangala and Dungowan
* $53 million funding for gas infrastructure as part of a national plan
* $211 million for domestic fuel security facilities
* More flexible rules for the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility to invest
Personal
* Possible bringing forward of personal tax cuts due to start in 2022
* 2.5 million pensioners to get extra help to make up for an inflation-related rise not going ahead
* HomeBuilder package likely to be extended
* No changes to the JobSeeker dole payments. Government wants more data on economic conditions before deciding.
Business
* Consideration of a business investment allowance
* Wage incentive for small and medium-sized businesses to take on new workers
* $1.5 billion manufacturing strategy
* $800 million aimed at helping individuals and businesses work online
* $53 million funding for television and film production and new content rules
Health
* Extension of telehealth and e-prescription services
* Extra funding for aged care, ahead of the receipt of the royal commission report
* New strategy to get young people out of residential aged care
* $9 million for research into cancer in children and young adults
Regions
* $100 million for new Regional Recovery Partnerships (projects in areas hit by drought, bushfires and coronavirus)
* $30 million for the Regional Connectivity Program (local telecommunications projects)
* $50 million Regional Tourism Recovery initiative (assist businesses in regions heavily reliant on international tourism)
* $200 million for an additional round of the Building Better Regions Fund
Education
* Extra $326 million to provide 12,000 more university places for domestic students
Welfare
* $7.6 million for parents experiencing stillborn babies or the death of a child under 12 months of age
* 700 new safe places for women and children escaping domestic violence under $60 million “safe places” initiative
Environment
* $61.7 million for nature-based tourism
34 million jobs have been lost in Latin America. For more international Covid news, head here.
For more on the prime minister’s upcoming speech:
Malcolm Turnbull has been quite chatty of late.
Long lines have already formed at the Queensland/NSW border as the sunshine state extends its border bubble region to five additional NSW shires.
Queensland police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler told the Nine network cars had been queuing since before 1am:
Wheeler conceded that IT issues and confusion had increase wait times.
“This morning, unfortunately, there’s been a couple of IT issues around some suburbs. The relevant government departments are working through that now as we speak.”
NSW residents who live in the border region are now allowed to travel freely in Queensland, provided they carry a border pass and declare they have not travelled to a hotspot in the last 14 days.
Queensland residents can also travel in the NSW border region without needing to quarantine upon return.
Previously a number of postcodes along the border were included, but from 1am this morning this was extended to include the local government areas of Byron shire, Ballina, the city of Lismore, Richmond Valley and Glen Innes.
