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| Coronavirus Australia live updates: 800 people forced to self-isolate after outbreak at Melbourne college | |
| (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 live | Today’s meeting between federal, state and territory leaders will focus on removing social and border restrictions to jumpstart the economy. Follow live |
| We will probably be in a bit of a news lull while national cabinet is meeting and the US presidential election debate is on in about 25 minutes. | |
| You can follow the debate in our other live blog here. | |
| Restrictions in New South Wales have also eased today, with 30 people now allowed to gather outdoors, group bookings at hospitality venues have been extended from 10 to 30 people and up to 300 are allowed at places of worship. | |
| Staffing regulations at gyms have also been relaxed, with a safety marshal only required when more than 20 people are working out. | |
| The consumer watchdog says it’s received more than 10,000 complaints regarding travel bookings during the pandemic, AAP reports. | |
| In some cases, travel agents are providing partial refunds but withholding thousands of dollars which they say are needed to cover their costs. | |
| A parliamentary economics committee on Friday heard there had been a six-fold increase in total complaints during the Covid period, many relating to travel services. | |
| In relation to travel bookings, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is not taking its normal “enforcement” approach, but rather decided to work with travel agents and tour operators to ensure consumers either get a full refund or some of their money back. | |
| ACCC commissioner Sarah Court said the main concern of the watchdog was misrepresentations made to consumers that they are not entitled to any refund. | |
| She said it was not the ACCC’s position that all customers must get full refunds. | |
| ACCC chair Rod Sims said post-pandemic there would be an opportunity for a broader look at the issue. | |
| New South Wales has reported 7 new cases of Covid-19, all in hotel quarantine. There were no local cases reported. | New South Wales has reported 7 new cases of Covid-19, all in hotel quarantine. There were no local cases reported. |
| Australia’s Future Fund – a taxpayer-funded investment fund designed to grow the country’s wealth – invested $50m in the failed (and much-mocked) video streaming site Quibi. | Australia’s Future Fund – a taxpayer-funded investment fund designed to grow the country’s wealth – invested $50m in the failed (and much-mocked) video streaming site Quibi. |
| The investment was revealed this morning by the Australian Financial Review and the Washington Post, following the news that Quibi will shut down after only six months. | The investment was revealed this morning by the Australian Financial Review and the Washington Post, following the news that Quibi will shut down after only six months. |
| Quibi attracted a string of negative reviews, and low subscriber numbers, with a model that only commissioned films and shows shorter than 10 minutes.One episode, directed by respected horror director Sam Raimi, was particularly mocked for its flat acting and strange concept, focusing on a woman who had a golden arm. | Quibi attracted a string of negative reviews, and low subscriber numbers, with a model that only commissioned films and shows shorter than 10 minutes.One episode, directed by respected horror director Sam Raimi, was particularly mocked for its flat acting and strange concept, focusing on a woman who had a golden arm. |
| Quibi raised $2bn in funding in total and a Future Fund spokesman told the AFR that “As Quibi winds down we’ll be receiving capital back”. | Quibi raised $2bn in funding in total and a Future Fund spokesman told the AFR that “As Quibi winds down we’ll be receiving capital back”. |
| The Future Fund has more than $4.3bn to invest in venture capital. “It’s in the nature of venture capital that some investments don’t work and some produce outsize returns,” a spokesman said. | |
| Notes given to New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian regarding millions in disputed council funding were shredded, and their digital versions deleted, in what was “not routine practice”, a parliamentary inquiry has heard. | |
| Two senior staffers to Berejiklian are testifying before the NSW parliament public accountability committee today about the Stronger Communities fund, where more than 95% of $252m in grant money was given to coalition seats, according to the NSW Greens. | |
| The committee heard that Sarah Lau, a senior policy adviser to Berejiklian, sent two emails regarding the grants that said “The premier has approved” and “The premier has signed off further funding”. | |
| But Lau said that this was just “a turn of phrase” and Berejiklian did not “approve” the funding. | But Lau said that this was just “a turn of phrase” and Berejiklian did not “approve” the funding. |
| Lau said she gave Berejiklian a “working advice note” about the funds, and the premier “indicated on that note that she was comfortable”. She said she could not recall what Berejiklian wrote, but it was likely that she just ticked the note, or circled it. | |
| She said the notes were likely shredded. | |
| She was asked by the chair of the committee, Greens MP David Shoebridge, whether digital versions existed. | She was asked by the chair of the committee, Greens MP David Shoebridge, whether digital versions existed. |
| Lau said the notes were created on Word and they are “no longer available”, and she believed she had deleted them “as part of her normal record keeping process”. | Lau said the notes were created on Word and they are “no longer available”, and she believed she had deleted them “as part of her normal record keeping process”. |
| Shoebridge then asked Sarah Cruikshank, who was Berejiklian’s chief of staff at the time, if this was routine practice. | |
| Cruikshank said: “No I would say it is not.” | |
| We can bring you more details now of the letter the Chinese ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, sent to the conservative Liberal senator Eric Abetz likening him to Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. | We can bring you more details now of the letter the Chinese ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, sent to the conservative Liberal senator Eric Abetz likening him to Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. |
| This, of course, comes amid ongoing tensions in the relationship between China and Australia. | This, of course, comes amid ongoing tensions in the relationship between China and Australia. |
| The one-page letter, dated yesterday, is in response to a letter Abetz sent to the ambassador on 19 October. Abetz is the chair of the Senate foreign affairs, defence and trade legislation committee, which is conducting an inquiry into the Morrison government’s proposed foreign veto powers which are widely expected to target international agreements such as Victoria’s Belt and Road deal with China. | |
| The ambassador began his letter by saying he wanted to share with Abetz a Chinese proverb that “A Mind of Malice does not present sense or truth”. | |
| The ambassador did not name which witnesses before the inquiry he had in mind, but the public hearings have heard from critics of the Chinese Communist party such as Clive Hamilton and Drew Pavlou. | The ambassador did not name which witnesses before the inquiry he had in mind, but the public hearings have heard from critics of the Chinese Communist party such as Clive Hamilton and Drew Pavlou. |
| Cheng then appeared to turn his mind to Abetz’s controversial tactics at a separate inquiry into issues facing diaspora communities, where the senator last week urged three Chinese-Australians to publicly and unconditionally condemn “the Chinese Communist party dictatorship”. | Cheng then appeared to turn his mind to Abetz’s controversial tactics at a separate inquiry into issues facing diaspora communities, where the senator last week urged three Chinese-Australians to publicly and unconditionally condemn “the Chinese Communist party dictatorship”. |
| Abetz told the Australian newspaper – which first reported the contents of the letter – that the “unattractive belligerent and indeed aggressive tone of His Excellency’s response confirms why so many in the Chinese diaspora live in fear of the Chinese Communist dictatorship even here in Australia”. | Abetz told the Australian newspaper – which first reported the contents of the letter – that the “unattractive belligerent and indeed aggressive tone of His Excellency’s response confirms why so many in the Chinese diaspora live in fear of the Chinese Communist dictatorship even here in Australia”. |
| Andrews says he will get to watch the second half of the AFL grand final on Saturday, because in the first half he will be in meetings deciding what restrictions will ease for Sunday. | Andrews says he will get to watch the second half of the AFL grand final on Saturday, because in the first half he will be in meetings deciding what restrictions will ease for Sunday. |
| He predicts it’ll be close but Geelong will beat Richmond by one goal. And that’s the end of the press conference. | He predicts it’ll be close but Geelong will beat Richmond by one goal. And that’s the end of the press conference. |
| Andrews can’t say where chief health officer Prof Brett Sutton is today. He had yesterday off, and he hasn’t been in the press conference since Monday. | Andrews can’t say where chief health officer Prof Brett Sutton is today. He had yesterday off, and he hasn’t been in the press conference since Monday. |
| Sutton has not made an appearance at the daily presser since the hotel quarantine inquiry released letters that showed he did not think emails should be provided to the inquiry indicating he was included in a 27 March response to the federal government that explained private security would be used in hotel quarantine. | Sutton has not made an appearance at the daily presser since the hotel quarantine inquiry released letters that showed he did not think emails should be provided to the inquiry indicating he was included in a 27 March response to the federal government that explained private security would be used in hotel quarantine. |
| Sutton has said he did not absorb the information at the time. | Sutton has said he did not absorb the information at the time. |
| Andrews denied it is unusual for Sutton to not appear at the press conference for the past few days, and said Sutton would be at the press conference on Saturday. | Andrews denied it is unusual for Sutton to not appear at the press conference for the past few days, and said Sutton would be at the press conference on Saturday. |
| Andrews says two mystery cases will drop off the 14-day number on Saturday, and one will drop on Sunday. So barring any other outbreaks, Victoria will be down to seven mystery cases on Sunday when the announcement around restrictions easing will occur. | Andrews says two mystery cases will drop off the 14-day number on Saturday, and one will drop on Sunday. So barring any other outbreaks, Victoria will be down to seven mystery cases on Sunday when the announcement around restrictions easing will occur. |
| Andrews has a go at people who are protesting the restrictions again today. He says it is still against the CHO orders to protest. | Andrews has a go at people who are protesting the restrictions again today. He says it is still against the CHO orders to protest. |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | “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. | 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). | 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). |
| Meanwhile, South Australia has issued a health warning for Meningococcal. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | Weimar says in other locations where traces of Covid-19 has been found in sewerage, they haven’t found any additional cases. |