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Coronavirus Australia live: Victoria and NSW record no new local Covid cases as two tennis players test positive Coronavirus Australia live: Victoria, NSW and Queensland record no new local Covid cases as two tennis players test positive
(32 minutes later)
Two positive Covid tennis cases reclassified as cases of ‘viral shedding’ from previous infection, but hard lockdown of those who shared flights remains. Follow latest updatesTwo positive Covid tennis cases reclassified as cases of ‘viral shedding’ from previous infection, but hard lockdown of those who shared flights remains. Follow latest updates
Earlier, the Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed her government is looking at “a number of options” for quarantine in the regions instead of hotel quarantine in Brisbane.
Asked if that would include a mining camp outside Rockhampton, she said:
Scott Morrison has said he is open to the idea, and the federal government is “already doing that” at the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory.
He told 2GB Radio:
Berejiklian also had this to say about the diminishing prospect of international tourists being allowed into Australia this year and state border closures:
I am just catching you up on a press conference that NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has given on the mid-north coast.
She has, somewhat predictably, again made comments about the approach in NSW compared with other states.
Berejiklian said:
“I do want to foreshadow that mask wearing in certain settings may be something we may keep indefinitely,” Berejiklian says about the potential for easing restrictions next week.
“We just want to give people that additional line of defence.
“We also want to make sure what we announce is simple and wholistic.”
“Deep, deep gratitude to the community for allowing NSW to get to where we are,” Berejiklian says.
Berejiklian said some conditions, such as masks on public transport and other high-risk settings, could remain beyond next week.
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is thrilled with all the testing yesterday (almost double the number of tests than Monday).
She says the health advice is that they will wait another week before easing conditions, but they are hoping to get to “pre-Avalon” restrictions then if case numbers remain low.
NSW Health will not be doing a press conference today, but have confirmed there are no new locally acquired cases and a significant increase in the number of tests (almost 20,000). Three new cases were found in hotel quarantine.NSW Health will not be doing a press conference today, but have confirmed there are no new locally acquired cases and a significant increase in the number of tests (almost 20,000). Three new cases were found in hotel quarantine.
We have heard from another reader who successfully obtained one of the 40,000 travel vouchers released by the Victorian government today. She says all of the $200 vouchers were snapped up within 25 minutes!We have heard from another reader who successfully obtained one of the 40,000 travel vouchers released by the Victorian government today. She says all of the $200 vouchers were snapped up within 25 minutes!
There is a disconnect between the expectations of employers and employees when it comes to “hybrid” working relationships that have developed during the pandemic, according to research published today.There is a disconnect between the expectations of employers and employees when it comes to “hybrid” working relationships that have developed during the pandemic, according to research published today.
The Adapting to the New Normal: Hybrid Working 2021 report found that while about 80% of employers said they had based their return to office plans on discussions with staff, only half of staff said they had been consulted.The Adapting to the New Normal: Hybrid Working 2021 report found that while about 80% of employers said they had based their return to office plans on discussions with staff, only half of staff said they had been consulted.
Some 600 employees and 300 employers contributed to the Pitcher Partners and Bastion Collective research.Some 600 employees and 300 employers contributed to the Pitcher Partners and Bastion Collective research.
You can find global Covid-19 news, if you’ve a hankering, on this blog which just launched over here:You can find global Covid-19 news, if you’ve a hankering, on this blog which just launched over here:
Prime minister Scott Morrison appears to have drawn a comparison between the violence at the US Capitol by a mob attempting insurrection and the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.Speaking to 2GB Radio, Morrison agreed with presenter Ray Hadley that the events of the last couple of months had “detracted” from what the Trump administration had achieved over four years.Morrison said:Prime minister Scott Morrison appears to have drawn a comparison between the violence at the US Capitol by a mob attempting insurrection and the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.Speaking to 2GB Radio, Morrison agreed with presenter Ray Hadley that the events of the last couple of months had “detracted” from what the Trump administration had achieved over four years.Morrison said:
The apparent comparison between an insurrection and rallies for racial justice and against police brutality echoes comments by the deputy prime minister Michael McCormack, last week while acting PM.The apparent comparison between an insurrection and rallies for racial justice and against police brutality echoes comments by the deputy prime minister Michael McCormack, last week while acting PM.
McCormack invoked the “all lives matter” rebuttal to Black Lives Matter protests while comparing them to the Capitol Hill mob.Morrison also rejected critics’ including Anthony Albanese’s claims he was too close to Donald Trump, saying that “reflects more on them than me”.McCormack invoked the “all lives matter” rebuttal to Black Lives Matter protests while comparing them to the Capitol Hill mob.Morrison also rejected critics’ including Anthony Albanese’s claims he was too close to Donald Trump, saying that “reflects more on them than me”.
Prime minister Scott Morrison has counselled public health experts and commentators against “creating anxiety” about when international travel will resume.
Presumably that includes the chief medical officer Paul Kelly who has warned it will be one of the last elements of Australia’s coronavirus policies to change.Morrison told 2GB Radio that international travel depends on the success of the vaccine, and the government will take policies “one step at a time and not get too far ahead of ourselves”.
Asked about companies handing back jobkeeper payments – including the Super Retail Group – due to good sales results, Morrison said that he welcomed it.
Ray Hadley has told Prime minister Scott Morrison on 2GB to put sunscreen on his ears today. It is forecast to be hot in Cloncurry.
A reader has been in touch to thank me for alerting them to the travel vouchers being released in Victoria this morning and to say the website is working well, despite crashing during an earlier release.
Ray Hadley has had a chuckle at the thought of PM Morrison getting a call from his NZ counterpart Jacinda Ardern while driving through the “middle of the outback” yesterday. Morrison is speaking to 2GB from regional Queensland.
In Queensland, no new local cases have been reported, with two new cases in hotel quarantine.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says there have been positive sewerage results on the Gold Coast, which is expected because of the location of hotel quarantine, in Cairns North, where there is a case “that was intermittently shedding”, and in Canonvale in Mackay.
Prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking on 2GB. He is again talking about the difficulty in getting people to work on farms.
“This is a very hard thing to get to work. Governments have been trying to do this for years and years.
“A lot of this work was being done by backpackers, and obviously because of Covid there’s not as many people around.”
Online retailer Kogan has been hit with a $310,800 fine for sending more than 42 million unwanted marketing messages to customers. This report from AAP:
I urged you all yesterday to get your teeth into our Childhood in Custody series, and I can again recommend today’s instalment from Laura Murphy-Oates:
The size of the Coalition’s homebuilder scheme has tripled from an estimated $688m to more than $2bn, as more than 75,000 applicants qualified for the uncapped stimulus program.The scheme had a low take-up rate at first due to the slow establishment of application processes in each state and territory, but received a surge of 35,000 applications in the final weeks of December.The grants were originally worth $25,000 for new builds or significant renovations. While the program has been extended for a further three months to 31 March, grants have been reduced to $15,000.
Statistics released by the assistant treasurer, Michael Sukkar, show that most applications were for new builds (59,763) rather than rebuilds (15,380).Victoria lead the way with 21,595 successful applications, followed by Queensland (13,507) and New South Wales (13,687).Sukkar said:
Anthony Albanese has hit back at critics of his leadership and standing in the polls – such as the Construction Forestry Mining Maritime and Energy Unions.
Albanese told 2GB Radio:
Albanese said Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon – despite quitting the frontbench – has not called on him to quit, and he had “never heard” of the CFMMEU organiser Eliza Doidge, who suggested Tanya Plibersek would be better to lead the party.
Albanese said he showed “strong leadership” against CFMMEU Victorian construction secretary John Setka and in contrast Scott Morrison has taken no action against MPs promoting “quack ideas” for treating coronavirus and conspiracies about the US election.