Australia Covid news live: 141 new cases and two deaths in NSW, including woman in her 30s; Victoria records 11 new cases
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Version 7 of 19. Follow all the latest updates, live Now there is plenty of bad news today, but the silver lining is Australia has just scored our first two medals at the Toyko Olympics. I mean they aren’t gold, but I’ll take it! Here is Kieran Pender reporting from the games: You can read the full story below: Afternoon everyone, it’s Matilda Boseley with you here on the blog for the next little while. Jeroen Weimar has run through where the 11 new cases can be traced back to: Four are linked to Ms Frankie’s restaurant in Cremorne (three are diners who were there that night, and one is a household contact). Three are associated with Trinity Grammar (one of whom is a student). One case is at Basque Marsh Grammar, one case is associated with the West Gate Tunnel construction site, one is at Young and Jackson’s, and one is at AAMI park (and ALL those are household close contacts of other cases previously identified from those locations). But Weimar says the most significant activity for Victoria health today is the Lacrosse apartment building. Daniel Andrews is being pushed on exactly when Victorians can expect to learn if lockdown will lift as planned on Tuesday, especially after Saturday’s protest. Victorian testing commander Jeroen Weimar has confirmed seven people in Victoria have been hospitalised, two are in the ICU and one requires a ventilator. Andrews also said that we are seeing people test positive for Covid-19 on day 13 or day 14 after coming into contact with the virus, “so this is a very live issue, a very challenging issue”. Andrews has condemned the lockdown protesters. The premier suggested any significant spread of Covid from an event like that could lead to lockdowns being extended. Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says it’s too early to announce if the state’s lockdown will lift on Tuesday. The state recorded 11 cases overnight, but all were in quarantine throughout their entire infectious period and all have been linked to existing outbreaks. Andrews: NOW turning to the press conference that took place (simultaneously, grr) in Victoria... One journalist has raised concerns that South Australia will only lift restrictions for the hospitality industry to level 4 outsider dining in the middle of winter, and whether that will be viable for cafes, hotels and restaurants. Would financial assistance will be provided to these businesses? Marshall: But he warned against journalists speculating about what restrictions will look like in the state after Tuesday. Marshall says the transition committee will meet later today and again tomorrow to discuss lifting lockdown. But it isn’t clear that all restrictions will completely disappear in SA on Tuesday night. South Australia has a new record of testing numbers in the past 24 hours: 23,719. Marshall says: “it is very clear to me that South Australians are taking this lockdown order very, very seriously.” South Australian premier Steven Marshall is giving an update on his state’s Covid-19 situation. South Australia has recorded three new cases, all of whom were in strict home quarantine. Marshall says the state is on track to lift the lockdown as planned on Tuesday night. OK, phew. That was big. And just to make this morning extra busy, South Australia and Victoria both started press conferences while the NSW press conference was happening. So let’s pivot to what is being said in both those states. And to help me do that, I have pulled my colleague and blog queen Matilda Boseley on. Gladys Berejiklian is asked whether she was surprised that the other states knocked back her request for Pfizer doses to be diverted to NSW, given that last month NSW didn’t give its Pfizer doses to Victoria when the state was going through lockdown. Oh great. Time for more interstate fighting. Berejikian said: Important update: NSW health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty has clarified that of the 43 people in ICU with Covid-19, only one has had any dose of the vaccine. The remaining 42 have not been vaccinated. I’ve updated the previous post to reflect this. Someone has asked the question on all of our minds: given the high case numbers, what is going to happen after July 31, the day when this lockdown is - technically - supposed to finish. Berejiklian isn’t announcing a lockdown extension just let, but it doesn’t sound like all restrictions are going to be lifted on Friday. Although yesterday’s protesters were doing the wrong thing, one reporter said a handful of people “do feel let down... feel like they have no other choice”. Berejiklian is asked whether she feels the federal government should restart jobkeeper. Berejiklian: But she also made it sound as though NSW shouldn’t hold its breath for any more financial support from the federal government, adding: “We fought really hard to get the financial support that we have available, and not only for individuals who are doing it tough, but also for businesses who are doing it tough, and also in those five local government areas in particular who were providing local support through their community leaders, in addition to the financial support that is already available.” Berejiklian did add though, that: Berejiklian is asked whether it is time to exempt vaccinated people from lockdowns in the hope that that will persuade more people to get vaccinated quickly “because they want that freedom as well”? The answer: no, or at least, not yet. She says the government won’t be able to consider easing restrictions for vaccinated people until “a larger proportion of the population is vaccinated”. |