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Coronavirus Australia live updates: Victoria records one new Covid case as national cabinet eyes Christmas reopening Coronavirus Australia live updates: Victoria records one new Covid case as national cabinet eyes Christmas reopening
(32 minutes later)
Today’s meeting between federal, state and territory leaders will focus on removing social and border restrictions to jumpstart the economy. Follow liveToday’s meeting between federal, state and territory leaders will focus on removing social and border restrictions to jumpstart the economy. Follow live
Andrews has a go at people who are protesting the restrictions again today. He says it is still against the CHO orders to protest.
“You should stay at home. Protests don’t work against this virus and potentially put at risk all the good work we are done,” he said.
“We want to get the place open and make announcements on Sunday. If people are out protesting, that does not help.”
Andrews is asked whether stores should have a QR code login system for registering people who visit. He says pen and paper can work (and did for the Kilmore cafe outbreak) but he thinks there will be more QR code systems over time.
Worth noting New South Wales has its own QR code system that restaurants and other venues can use.
“Everything is on the table” Andrews says on whether hospitality limits could be extended further than planned, and the 25km limit could be dropped.
He says he the Sunday restrictions easing announcement will lay the groundwork for what the next few weeks of easing of restrictions will be like, but he rules out having suburb-specific rules for places with outbreaks because the nature of Melbourne is people work and live across a number of suburbs.
Daniel Andrews says it is his intention for international flights to resume coming to Melbourne before the end of the year, but says it will depend on the report of the hotel quarantine inquiry (currently due 6 November).
“There will be - we know there are a significant number of Aussies who are overseas and want to be home by Christmas and I’d very much like to have them flying direct into Melbourne, those that need to come to our state, flying direct,” he said.
Meanwhile, South Australia has issued a health warning for Meningococcal.
The new positive case linked to the northern Melbourne school has had very few contacts outside of the house, Weimar said.
Weimar says now that active cases are at 100, the state is able to manage the active case numbers, and the Department of Education is working at communicating quickly with those schools where students test positive.
Why did it take so long? Weimar says the vast majority of people required to isolate have done that, but the misunderstanding with a close contact child attending school when they should not have means they’ve had to re-evaluate how it is communicated to people that they need to isolate.
Is it an order for those 800 people to isolate? Weimar says yes.
Victoria has now done testing of sewerage in 42 locations, and on Tuesday found traces of Covid-19 at Ararat. A pop-up testing clinic has been set up at the East Grampian Health Service for people to get tested if they have symptoms.
Weimar says in other locations where traces of Covid-19 has been found in sewerage, they haven’t found any additional cases.
Department of Health and Human Services deputy secretary Jeroen Weimar says the advisory notice on the Broadmeadows community housing block has been lifted, and the residents can travel as freely as the rest of Melbourne in line with the current restrictions.
But he says people across northern Melbourne should continue to monitor symptoms.
A total of 6,500 tests were conducted in northern Melbourne.
On the East Preston Islamic College outbreak, Weimar says there are 83 families connected to the outbreak, and about 400 close contacts to them, and 390 secondary contacts. So currently around 800 people being asked to isolate.
There were 19,428 tests yesterday.There were 19,428 tests yesterday.
Eight people are in hospital and none are in the ICU.Eight people are in hospital and none are in the ICU.
There are just two active cases in regional Victoria, both in Shepparton.There are just two active cases in regional Victoria, both in Shepparton.
There are now just five active cases in aged care settings.There are now just five active cases in aged care settings.
Andrews says Victoria is “very well placed” to announce significant easing of restrictions on Sunday.Andrews says Victoria is “very well placed” to announce significant easing of restrictions on Sunday.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is providing his daily update.Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is providing his daily update.
The one new case in Victoria is a parent from the East Preston Islamic College. Currently no contact has been established between this new case and the current northern metropolitan outbreak.The one new case in Victoria is a parent from the East Preston Islamic College. Currently no contact has been established between this new case and the current northern metropolitan outbreak.
Asymptomatic testing will now be offered to all members of the East Preston Islamic College community to ensure any possible links and cases are identified.Asymptomatic testing will now be offered to all members of the East Preston Islamic College community to ensure any possible links and cases are identified.
Today is the state funeral for first female Labor minister, and first female minister for women, Susan Ryan.Today is the state funeral for first female Labor minister, and first female minister for women, Susan Ryan.
The public holiday in Victoria today is technically for the AFL grand final tomorrow, but obviously that isn’t happening in Victoria this year – it’s in Brisbane. So today is a ‘thank you’ day.The public holiday in Victoria today is technically for the AFL grand final tomorrow, but obviously that isn’t happening in Victoria this year – it’s in Brisbane. So today is a ‘thank you’ day.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese is holding a press conference where he made the point I did earlier about the other bonuses.Labor leader Anthony Albanese is holding a press conference where he made the point I did earlier about the other bonuses.
He pointed out the bonuses were given out while postal services were cut back. ABC cut away when he started talking about childcare, but I will follow up if we hear anything more.He pointed out the bonuses were given out while postal services were cut back. ABC cut away when he started talking about childcare, but I will follow up if we hear anything more.
Estimates is still on today, by the way.Estimates is still on today, by the way.
We will bring you some updates from those sessions when we can.We will bring you some updates from those sessions when we can.
The Victorian premier Daniel Andrews will hold his daily press conference at 10am AEST.The Victorian premier Daniel Andrews will hold his daily press conference at 10am AEST.
National cabinet will meet later this morning.National cabinet will meet later this morning.
It’s not a new iPhone day without the usual queues, even during a pandemic.It’s not a new iPhone day without the usual queues, even during a pandemic.
Victoria police will use drones to make sure people aren’t in violation of Covid-19 restrictions and having gatherings on AFL grand final day tomorrow, AAP reports.Victoria police will use drones to make sure people aren’t in violation of Covid-19 restrictions and having gatherings on AFL grand final day tomorrow, AAP reports.
Melburnians are not allowed to have friends or family visit their home to watch Saturday’s Richmond-Geelong decider, while regional Victorians can only have two people over plus any dependents.Melburnians are not allowed to have friends or family visit their home to watch Saturday’s Richmond-Geelong decider, while regional Victorians can only have two people over plus any dependents.
Assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius confirmed that police will use drones to monitor for illegal public gatherings and insists they won’t “be hovering over people’s pizza ovens in their backyards”.Assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius confirmed that police will use drones to monitor for illegal public gatherings and insists they won’t “be hovering over people’s pizza ovens in their backyards”.
But Liberty Victoria vice president Julia Kretzenbacher is still not satisfied their use would be “proportionate” with Covid-19 health guidelines.But Liberty Victoria vice president Julia Kretzenbacher is still not satisfied their use would be “proportionate” with Covid-19 health guidelines.
“It’s quite a significant incursion on people’s privacy,” Kretzenbacher told 3AW on Thursday.“It’s quite a significant incursion on people’s privacy,” Kretzenbacher told 3AW on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a Victorian health department staffer is now subject to a police investigation over a leak of the state’s Covid-19 roadmap the premier initially dismissed as “out of date”.Meanwhile, a Victorian health department staffer is now subject to a police investigation over a leak of the state’s Covid-19 roadmap the premier initially dismissed as “out of date”.
China’s ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, has likened Liberal senator Eric Abetz to Joseph Goebbels, AAP reports, saying his tactics smack of Nazi propaganda.
Abetz has offended many Chinese Australians by demanding people denounce the Chinese government.
Foreign minister Marise Payne is displeased with the inflammatory comparison.
“Nazi comparisons, frankly, rarely contribute very much of use to any discussion and this would be no exception,” Payne told ABC radio on Friday.
But she declined to criticise Abetz for demanding the denunciations.
Looks like the watches debate will continue. It is interesting, because a lot of executives of government companies (I’m looking at you, NBN Co) make many many more thousands of dollars per year in cash bonuses but it doesn’t get nearly as much push back from the government as $3,000 watches.
Some good news for Friday. Victoria has recorded one new case of Covid-19 and no deaths.
The rolling average for metro Melbourne is now down to 5.5. So close to the 5 average for easing restrictions. The mystery cases is still at 10, but we were told yesterday it would be a couple of days before more mystery cases within that 14-day window would drop off.
In the question and answer section of the online address to the Australian Public Health Conference, Prof Brett Sutton responded to online criticism and some of the disinformation and misinformation online.
People are “precious about the lockdown and that’s understandable,” Sutton said. He said people had been awfully and personally affected by the lockdown and had very personal experiences of it, which they were sharing online. But he added:
He said that it had been “exhausting” and his colleagues and family had been “unbelievably supportive”.
On Thursday night the chief health officer of Victoria, Prof Brett Sutton, gave an address to the Australian Public Health Conference, speaking about the frontline experience of Covid-19 in Victoria.
He presented alongside Prof Devi Sridhar, the Chair of Global Public Health and Edinburgh University Medical School.
Sutton spoke briefly about the importance of strong leadership in a pandemic, telling attendees: “I hope I played my role in that space.”
Sutton also spoke about public health communication, and the need to tailor messages to different audiences throughout a pandemic. He said risk communication is critical and needs to be engaging to multiple different parts of the community; one message for all people is not good enough.
Sutton’s leadership has been under question in recent weeks following his appearance at the hotel quarantine inquiry when he said he had no knowledge of the decision to use security guards in hotel quarantine. The Age revealed last week an email chain showing Sutton had authorised a response to the federal government in March which said Victoria would rely on private security at quarantine hotels.
Sutton has been asked by the inquiry to provide an affidavit answering questions raised by the newly-released emails.
Today also marks the second and final debate between US president Donald Trump and Democrat nominee Joe Biden. That will likely take up much of the air time today, after Trump released an unedited 60 Minutes interview ahead of its air date. He walked out of that one.
And amid reports a Dutch hacker was able to log into his Twitter account by guessing his password as ‘maga2020!’
You can follow all the updates on our other live blog here.
Today is also the second and last day of final submissions from counsel assisting in the two-year-long aged care royal commission. AAP has this:
Here is AAP’s report on today’s national cabinet meeting:
Victoria’s head of contact tracing, Prof Euan Wallace, is on ABC RN Breakfast talking to Dr Norman Swan.
He says in that northern Melbourne outbreak, the contact tracing team has “put a ring around it” in terms of “making sure that we keep that fire break between cases and contacts on the rest of the community”.
He says the outbreak is mostly between and within households, and households that know each other. He indicates that again it seems as though households were mixing when that is against the rules.
Wallace is talking up the improvements on the contact tracing system, including there now being 12 metro and regional hubs for tracing that are more embedded in the local communities, and he said some of the commentary around the contact tracing team has been “unjust”.
Hello and welcome to Friday. Josh Taylor here on the liveblog for you until this afternoon.
There is a bit of anxiety in Victoria today as a potential outbreak from a school in the northern suburbs of Melbourne could put at risk the run of low case numbers in the state over the past week.
Premier Daniel Andrews has insisted everything is being thrown at it, with around 500 people who are close contacts or close contacts of close contacts currently isolating and awaiting test results. It’s a public holiday in Melbourne today for the AFL grand final which is not being held in Melbourne tomorrow, but we are expecting the usual daily press conference today.
Ahead of the announced easing restrictions on Sunday, Guardian Australia has learned the Victorian government is seeking out intelligence firms to identify workplaces at risk of breaching Covid-safe rules.
There is a national cabinet meeting today, where the focus will be on removing the restrictions and getting the economy restarted.
The first returned travellers on a Qantas flight subsidised by the government is currently on its way from Darwin.
In federal politics, outgoing minister for finance, Mathias Cormann, has been spruiking a green recovery as part of his pitch for the job of secretary general for the OECD.
The Australian embassy in Paris has accidentally revealed the email addresses of people looking to get home by failing to put them in a BCC field of an email, the third such incident in recent months.
There will likely be some more wash up from Senate estimates this week today, potentially around Australia Post and those watches, but until then, let’s get into it.