This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/oct/25/coronavirus-live-news-cases-surge-in-europe-restrictions-victoria-uk-italy-greece-austria

The article has changed 43 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Coronavirus live news: cases surge in Europe; easing of restrictions in Victoria in doubt Coronavirus live news: cases surge in Europe; Melbourne delays easing of restrictions
(32 minutes later)
France, Italy, Austria and Greece report record increases in Covid-19 cases; Melbourne cluster grows. Follow the latest updates liveFrance, Italy, Austria and Greece report record increases in Covid-19 cases; Melbourne cluster grows. Follow the latest updates live
New South Wales has recorded no new locally-acquired cases for the third consecutive day.
It recorded seven cases in hotel quarantine. Some 12,465 tests were conducted in the past 24-hours.
Andrews was asked what he would do if this outbreak had occurred after pubs and retail stores were reopened. Would Melbourne be locked down again? Isn’t dealing with outbreaks just the way it’s going to be?
Andrews initially didn’t respond, saying he was doing “exactly what we intend to do”. Then he said he would “not necessarily” put the state back into lockdown if an outbreak like this occurred after the state had opened up.
Reporter: So what is the lowest point possible?
Andrews:
While the Victorian government has been holding its press conference, the former health minister Jenny Mikakos, who resigned last month following the premier’s appearance before the hotel quarantine inquiry and later hit back at premier Daniel Andrews and suggested she had been made a scapegoat, has tweeted that she thinks the easing of restrictions should go ahead.
Mikakos said that with the target of less than five cases per day met, and six of the seven new cases connected to known outbreaks, “the set reopening is gradual & safe so any delay is unnecessary”.
The chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, said Mikakos was “entitled to that opinion”.
Andrews refused to comment on it, becoming short with reporters. He said:
One reporter said Andrews had promised that he would announce an easing of restrictions today every day for the past week, except for yesterday. “You dangled a carrot at Victorians and today it feels like you have produced a stick,” one reporter said.
Andrews said he rejected that characterisation.
Ducking to the UK for a moment, PA has this report: Officials on the UK government’s Covid-19 taskforce are understood to be examining the case for reducing the current fortnight period of isolation to between 10 days and a week.
There were said to be concerns that the prospect of a lengthy period indoors if they are contacted by Test and Trace is deterring people from co-operating.
The Telegraph quoted a No 10 source as saying: “Compliance is not as high as we would like and self-isolation is key if we are going to beat the virus.”
Last week Test and Trace hit a record low with just 59.6% of the contacts of people who tested positive for the disease being successfully contacted and told to self-isolate.
Senior Tory backbencher Sir Bernard Jenkin launched a scathing attack on the performance of the system, saying public consent and co-operation was “breaking down”.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, he said there was a “vacuum of leadership” at the top of the organisation and called for a change that was “visible and decisive” with a senior military figure being put in charge like they did with the foot and mouth crisis.
In response, the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged there were areas where the service needed to improve, but said people should be “talking it up, not down”, and the leadership had built “the largest diagnostic industry the UK has ever seen”.
Weimar rejected the suggestion, made by Australian federal health minister Greg Hunt this morning, that the decision to delay the easing of restrictions was a sign of no confidence in the testing and tracing system, which he manages.
Weimar said:
Asked if he recommended the delay to government, Weimar said:
Weimar said there were five public health teams targeting the close contacts of known cases and of the East Preston Islamic College and Croxton specialist school communities. Those teams are knocking on the doors of known contacts and encouraging them to get a test. People who refuse to get a test have been ordered to quarantine for longer.
Weimar said public health teams contacted 250 close contacts yesterday to get those door-to-door tests, and have a list of 60 people to contact today.
There are now 20 households that are quarantined in alternative accomodation, the rest are quarantined at home.
Weimar said he needed several thousand people in the northern suburbs of Melbourne to get a Covid-19 test today.
Victoria’s commander of testing and community engagement, Jeroen Weimar, says almost 2,500 tests were conducted in the northern suburbs of Melbourne yesterday. He said there had been a “strong community response”.Victoria’s commander of testing and community engagement, Jeroen Weimar, says almost 2,500 tests were conducted in the northern suburbs of Melbourne yesterday. He said there had been a “strong community response”.
Testing numbers are up 60% on last week, and he urged anyone in the northern suburbs with any symptoms, and anyone connected with the two schools even without symptoms, to get tested.Testing numbers are up 60% on last week, and he urged anyone in the northern suburbs with any symptoms, and anyone connected with the two schools even without symptoms, to get tested.
He added:He added:
Weimar said they had set up a special testing station at Croxton Specialist school, in partnership with the Royal Children’s Hospital specialist paediatric team, to help test its 120 students.Weimar said they had set up a special testing station at Croxton Specialist school, in partnership with the Royal Children’s Hospital specialist paediatric team, to help test its 120 students.
Andrews did announce some changes for regional Victoria, which is already several steps ahead of Melbourne in terms of easing of restrictions.Andrews did announce some changes for regional Victoria, which is already several steps ahead of Melbourne in terms of easing of restrictions.
From 11.59pm on Tuesday:From 11.59pm on Tuesday:
Gyms in regional Victoria will be open to a maximum of 20 people, with space rules applying.Gyms in regional Victoria will be open to a maximum of 20 people, with space rules applying.
A maximum of 20 people, again with spacing rules, will be allowed to attend a religious service with one faith leader.A maximum of 20 people, again with spacing rules, will be allowed to attend a religious service with one faith leader.
Outdoor funerals will be allowed to have 50 attendees.Outdoor funerals will be allowed to have 50 attendees.
Indoor non-contact community sport for people under the age of 18 will be allowed.Indoor non-contact community sport for people under the age of 18 will be allowed.
Indoor swimming pools will be open for all ages, to a maximum of 20 people.Indoor swimming pools will be open for all ages, to a maximum of 20 people.
Greater Shepparton, which had a coronavirus outbreak earlier this month, will be brought back in line with the rest of regional Victoria from midnight tonight.Greater Shepparton, which had a coronavirus outbreak earlier this month, will be brought back in line with the rest of regional Victoria from midnight tonight.
Daniel Andrews said they had found “linkages” and “chains of transmission” between new cases in the northern suburbs.Daniel Andrews said they had found “linkages” and “chains of transmission” between new cases in the northern suburbs.
He also said hundreds who were under self-isolation orders have now been allowed to leave their home after testing negative.He also said hundreds who were under self-isolation orders have now been allowed to leave their home after testing negative.
He added:He added:
Andrews said he was not in a position to announce an easing of restrictions today, as promised for several weeks, because they are awaiting at least 1,000 Covid-19 test results from contacts of the outbreak in northern Melbourne.
He said:
He said he hoped to be in a position to make an announcement in “a couple of days” and said he knew the delay would be frustrating.
Andrews says there are now 100 active cases in Victoria, that’s seven new cases since yesterday.
Eight of those active cases are in healthcare workers, four are in aged care.
There are seven people in hospital, none in ICU.
12,894 tests were conducted yesterday.
Back on the UK’s test and trace system quickly. PA reports:
The Australian health minister, Greg Hunt, says the only reason the Victorian government would hold off opening up would be if the state did not have confidence in its contact tracing system.
He made the comments just before the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is due to announce (or not announce) a change in restrictions. Andrews is due to begin speaking in a few minutes.
After months of increasing tension between the two levels of government – and with the state premier due to front the media shortly – Hunt said the case levels in Victoria were low enough to justify an easing of restrictions.
At a press conference in Canberra this morning, Hunt was asked what his reaction would be if the Victorian state government did not announce a significant easing of restrictions today. He said:
It could take up to a year for Australian biotech company CSL to develop the capability to make a Covid-19 vaccine depending on the type required, the country’s industry minister has said.
Karen Andrews, the minister for industry and science, said CSL would be able to immediately start making a vaccine if a protein-based candidate proved to be safe and effective.
However, she said “significant work” would be required if it was another type known as an mRNA vaccine. Pressed during an interview with the ABC’s Insiders program to give a timeframe to get production up and running if it was an mRNA vaccine, Andrews said:
Andrews said the government would give support to CSL to help it ramp up its capability and roll out technical upgrades.
In the United Kingdom, a senior conservative MP has called for Baroness Harding, the Tory peer who leads the UK government’s test and trace program, to be removed and replaced.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, MP for Harwich and chair of the powerful parliamentary liaison committee, called for her to be given a “well-earned rest” and moved on to focus on “lessons learned”.
Jenkin, a former deputy chairman of the Conservative party, is the most senior Tory to call into question the government’s running of test and trace, as concerns over its operations mount. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he said:
You can read more on this story here.
The Australian health minister, Greg Hunt, has urged the Victorian government to ease restrictions to bring the state in line with neighbouring New South Wales.
Hunt, whose electorate is in Victoria, was speaking in Canberra ahead of Victorian premier Daniel Andrews’s announcement. He urged the state:
Moreland City Council, which covers an area of Melbourne’s northern suburbs, this morning sent an alert to residents warning that coronavirus cases had been identified in the suburbs of Fawkner, Preston, West Heidelberg, Dallas, Roxburgh Park and Broadmeadows.
Anyone who lives or works in that area is urged to gets tested if they experience even mild symptoms.
The council alert also urged anyone connected to the East Preston Islamic College and the Corxton school in Northcote to get a test even if they had no symptoms. Fifteen testing sites have been set up in the area.
It added that Sirius College (Meadow Fair campus), Ilim College, and Dallas Brooks primary school “have also been identified as potential risk sites. Anyone from these school communities who is a close contact or who is experiencing symptoms needs to get tested and stay home”.
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, and health minister Martin Foley, will give a press conference at 10.30am Melbourne time (so in 30 minutes).
A reminder that according to the roadmap released back in September – which has since been significantly re-written – Melbourne was due to get the following freedoms from tomorrow if the rolling 14-day average had fallen below five and there were no more than three “mystery cases” in that period. As of today, the rolling 14-day average in metropolitan Melbourne is 4.6, and there were nine cases with an unknown source in the 14 days to 22 October.
So, according to that roadmap, there would from tomorrow be no restrictions on reasons to leave your home, no travel limit (Melbournians are currently not allowed more than 25km from their home without a permit), up to five visitors from another nominated household allowed in your home, and a reopening of retail stores and hospitality for outdoor seated service.
Let’s wait to see what’s actually announced.
Good morning,
Welcome to our ongoing live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. France reported a record 45,422 cases in one day on Sunday and 138 new deaths. The country has now recorded 1.08 million cases. Italy has also set a new daily record, with 19,644 cases, and Luxembourg has also recorded a record rise, with 862 new cases.
The United Kingdom recorded 23,012 new cases and 174 deaths, as anti-lockdown protests were held in London.
In Australia, the focus is on Melbourne where the premier, Daniel Andrews, is scheduled to make an announcement on the easing of restriction. On Friday, he said there would be “significant” changes. On Saturday, he backtracked and said “I just want to caution people from banking that tomorrow I’ll be making a whole series of detailed announcements about opening up.” The Victorian government has reportedly been briefing that changes will be delayed.
The reason for the change is an outbreak in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, including a number of cases connected to the East Preston Islamic College. Victoria recorded seven new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday and seven on Saturday, up from one on Friday. Almost 10,000 tests have been conducted in the area and hundreds are under self-isolation orders. Andrews has said that they will need to see those tests results, and see whether new cases can be connected to known outbreaks, before the changes are finalised. Importantly for Victorians the rolling 14-day average has now dropped below five cases per day – the milestone set back in September for easing restrictions – but that might not be enough. Andrews has said decisions will be made on where the cases are and whether they are linked, not on numbers alone.
Let’s crack on. You can follow me on Twitter at @callapilla or email me at Calla.Wahlquist@theguardian.com