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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Naaman Zhou (now) Amy Remeikis (earlier)

Coroner to conduct inquiry into Covid deaths at St Basil's aged care home – as it happened

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Summary

With that we’ll be closing the blog for today. Thanks as always for reading, and thanks to Amy Remeikis for running the blog earlier today.

Here’s what happened:

Updated

And here is our write-up of the government’s offer to assist WA with its case on the border ban.

McDonalds closes Melbourne stores for dine-in and drive-through

McDonalds in Melbourne will close all dine-in stores and drive-through, and will operate as delivery only from tonight.

Updated

Rideshare company Uber is now recommending that all people in NSW wear a face mask while a passenger or a driver.

Some more detail on that mental health funding announcement made earlier:

  • $5m will go to Headspace to increase outreach services to young people – focusing on year 11 and 12 students, young people who have lost their jobs, and tertiary students.
  • $2.5m will go to Beyond Blue to expand capacity and extend counsellor webchat hours.
  • $2.5m will go to Lifeline to deal with increased call volumes from Victoria.
  • $2m will go to Kids Helpline to increase its call answer rate.

Updated

Victoria police will use “a common-sense approach” to enforcing worker permits over the next few days – but they will fine people who refuse to show permits or provide information.

They have just issued this statement clarifying the permit system:

The latest chief health officer directions requires workplaces in Melbourne to close unless the workplace is part of a permitted activity, or all employees are working from home.

Police can request anyone in metropolitan Melbourne to show their worker permit if they state they are travelling to or from a workplace at any time of the day.

Police will use a common-sense approach over the next few days as we understand that for many people, organisations and businesses, this is a significant adjustment. We understand that the vast majority of Victorians are trying to do the right thing and our exercise of discretion will reflect that.

That said, we do expect people to follow the chief health officer’s directions and will not hesitate to issue fines to people who are obviously and blatantly showing a disregard for community safety by not complying with these directions.

For example, if a person states that they are travelling to or from their workplace but refuses to show a permit or provide information for police to make further inquiries when requested then that person can expect to be issued with a fine of $1,652.

Updated

And here is our full wrap on the economic news from Katharine Murphy:

The lockdown in Victoria will likely push unemployment in Australia to 10% by the end of the year, and will cost the national economy between $10bn and $12bn, according to new Treasury forecasts.

The combined effect of the initial stage three, plus the new restrictions, is estimated to cost the national economy between $10bn and $12bn, which represents a 2.5% contraction in real GDP in the quarter.

... Unemployment will peak at close to 10% rather than the 9.25% envisaged in the government’s recent economic statement.

Earlier, Scott Morrison also said the effective unemployment rate is expected to rise past 13%.

Updated

The NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard, and the federal industry minister, Karen Andrews, have said people should not be concerned about food supplies.

From AAP, Hazzard said today “we’ll work together to make sure food supplies still get through”.

Andrews said industry groups were not “crying wolf” with concerns about supply chains, but doesn’t believe there will be food shortages.

“As long as people are sensible, buying what they need, don’t stockpile it, don’t hoard it – I’m not envisaging that there’s going to be major problems,” she told ABC radio.

Earlier Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said the state could “confidently deliver” plenty of food to shelves.

“A lot of work has gone into driving down staff levels but, at the same time, protecting the amount of product that will be on supermarket shelves,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

“That’s our aim. That’s what we think we can confidently deliver.”

meat on a supermarket shelf with a product limit sign

Updated

New venues added to Newcastle warning list

The Hunter New England health district has just sent round an updated list of venues in Newcastle where people must either isolate immediately, or monitor their symptoms, if they attended.

Anybody who attended the following has to isolate immediately and seek testing:

  • Bennett Hotel, Hamilton – Friday 31 July, from 5.30-10pm
  • Bar 88, Wests New Lambton – Sunday 2 August, from 5-7.15pm
  • Sydney Junction Hotel, Hamilton – Saturday 1 August, from midnight-1.15am Sunday 2 August

Bar 88 is a brand new venue added to that list. The Sydney Junction Hotel used to be in the second category, but has been moved to the first category of urgent isolation.

People who attended the following have to monitor their symptoms and get tested if they develop any:

  • Greenroof Bar and Restaurant, Hamilton – Friday 31 July, from 10.30pm to 12.15am
  • Sushi Revolution, Hamilton on Saturday 1 August, from noon-12.45pm
  • Queens Wharf Hotel – Saturday 1 August from 9.30-11pm
  • McDonald Jones Stadium – Sunday 2 August, 7.30pm to end of game, Newcastle Jets match

Earlier, NSW Health included The Hopsmith Sports Bar, Wests New Lambton (Sunday 2 August, from 5-7.30pm) as in that first category. It has now been removed completely.

Greenroof has been moved from the first category to the second.

Updated

New venues added to NSW warning list

NSW Health have just added a few new venues in west and south-west Sydney – and an extra day to Mounties in Mount Pritchard – to their list of public health warnings.

A man in his 20s, who has just been identified as a new case of Covid-19, visited a range of venues while infectious:

  • Penrith Plaza – 1 August from 10.30am to noon
  • Master Hot Pot, Canley Vale – 1 August from 1.00pm to 2pm
  • BBQ City Buffet, Bankstown - 1 August 7pm to 8.30pm

Any people who attended the same venues at the same time should be alert for symptoms, and get tested immediately if any develop.

They have also added an additional day of exposure risk for Mounties – the new date is 4pm to 7pm on Sunday 26 July.

This comes after a range of inner Sydney and inner-west venues were also added to the list earlier today.

Updated

The Unemployed Workers’ Union has called for the government to suspend mutual obligations after Scott Morrison earlier announced the effective unemployment rate is expected to rise past 13%.

“We expect that more than 2 million people will be reliant on Centrelink payments by the end of the year,” the union said. “A predicted 13% effective unemployment rate demonstrates again the need for the government to urgently confirm a full suspension of ‘mutual’ obligations and guarantee income support payments above the poverty line.”

A spokesperson for the union, Kristin O’Connell, said “We really need people to start to comprehend the scale of the disaster that is ahead”.

Mutual obligations were earlier suspended at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but are gradually being reintroduced, for some states, from 4 August.

Updated

And our full story on this is here:

The South Sydney Rabbitoh’s coach, Wayne Bennett, will also go through 14 days’ isolation after he breached the NRL bubble, by having dinner at a Sydney restaurant with his partner yesterday.

He will now not be allowed to conduct an in-person coaching for two weeks, though he did take players for training earlier today, according to AAP.

The chair of the Australian Rugby League Commission, Peter V’landys, said it was “a wake-up call” for the sport.

Wayne Bennett

Updated

Hi all, it’s Naaman Zhou here, and I’ll be taking the blog for the rest of the day.

In sport news, the St George Illawarra Dragons’ player Paul Vaughan has apologised for breaching the NRL’s “bubble” restrictions for players after he was caught having breakfast at a Wollongong cafe.

He has been stood down by his own club from the upcoming fixtures against the Sydney Roosters and the Parramatta Eels, as he goes through 14 days’ isolation.

“I am very remorseful for the reckless and selfish decision I have made,” Vaughan said, according to AAP. “Everyone within the Dragons’ bubble, including myself, are well aware of the protocols in place.

“I’m sorry for the harm my actions have caused to the club and my teammates.”

The lovely Naaman Zhou is going to take you through the next part of the afternoon.

Thanks again for joining me today. I’ll be back early tomorrow. In the meantime, take care of you.

Victoria Health has also (finally) released information on the number of health care workers who have been infected with Covid-19.

Apologies for the confusion – in terms of childcare, you can drop your child off at a family member’s place for care (drop off and pick up only) only if you are a permitted worker.

I should have made that clearer. You still need a permit to do it – otherwise, you have to care for your children at home.

Updated

You can find the breakdown of today’s reported Victorian cases, here

Wear a mask, but wear a good mask.

From Melissa Davey

Here’s the whole Anthony Albanese comment on a virtual parliament:

It has been Labor’s view that our preference by far is for parliament to meet in the usual fashion, face-to-face, where people are able to hold the government of the day to account and scrutinise decisions on behalf of their electorates.

It’s clear, though, that the current issues make that difficult across the board. And that’s why earlier this year, we provided for changes to the standing orders to allow for different forms of sitting of the House of Representatives upon agreement between the government and the opposition.

What Labor is putting forward is that there be a hybrid system whereby Victorian members, but others as well who are unable to travel to Canberra to sit in the national parliament, are still able to participate by video link in terms of speaking to legislation, asking questions, answering questions.

This will not interfere with the need for there to be a quorum on the floor of the national parliament for it to be convened, or with voting patterns, which you will need to be present for. We believe this is a practical solution to the emergency circumstances which are there now.

And one which should be time-limited and restricted to where it is absolutely necessary. We think the changes should be minimal. And as far as possible, parliament should operate in the normal way. But these are not normal circumstances. Which is why they require flexibility, which Labor is prepared to engage with. I spoke to the prime minister just a short time ago and put this proposal to him.

And we had a constructive conversation. He is not opposed to such a proposal as a matter of principle and wants time to work through some of the practical issues such as the availability of video links that I believe should be available by the time we sit in a fortnight’s time.

This is ensuring that the parliament can continue to function, that people can continue to represent their electorates or their state and ensure that the national parliament can engage in the fundamental issues that we need to discuss such as paid pandemic leave. Such as the continuation of both jobkeeper and jobseeker. Such as the operation of the Covid-19 app.

A range of issues that require the national parliament to give consideration and provide leadership on. Labor has been constructive throughout this crisis. And our actions today in putting forward a sensible, practical proposition to the government to allow parliament to meet without disenfranchising one group of people, is consistent with that.

Updated

Anthony Albanese has put forward a proposal to Scott Morrison to allow for a virtual parliament, so Victorian MPs can still participate:

I spoke to the prime minister just a short time ago and put this proposal to him and we had a constructive suggestion. He is not opposed to such a proposal as a matter of principle and wants time to work through some of the practical issues, such as the availability of individual you links, that I believe should be available by the time we sit in a fortnight’s time.

Updated

Greg Hunt finishes his press conference, with his signature move - channelling fictional President Jed Bartlet

Let me finish where I started. This is a time when, because of these unprecedented restrictions and limits on our daily lives, agonising, regrettable, but part of the most difficult of circumstances, people will feel anxious.

They will feel in some cases depressed or mental health conditions can either be triggered or exacerbated. Now is the time to reach out. Don’t feel this is anything other than normal. It could be any of us at any time.

Support is there, additional support now. But above all else, reach out if you’re suffering or reach out to a friend or a family member if you think that they are suffering. If we back each other, if we support each other, we’ll not only flatten the curve but we’ll get through this and be proud of who we with are as a nation.

You can find the whole government cyber security release, here

People in aged care account for 13% of Australia’s Covid cases.

The broadcast of the Daniel Andrews press conference is then cut, to go to Greg Hunt’s press conference.

The health minister is giving some more information on the additional mental health support being offered:

Many will be feeling anxious, some will be feeling depressed, many will have mental health challenges that are be being exacerbated.

Can I start by saying, that’s normal, that’s OK. These times are unprecedented. Each person will deal with it in their own way.

What we are seeing is magnificent support for each other, whether it’s on the telephone, whether it’s assisting those who have care needs, but these times are extraordinary.

Lockdowns, permits, curfews, nothing ever experienced in any of our lifetimes to the best of my knowledge in this country.

And so it’s immensely important to recognise the mental health challenges and to support the mental health challenges and the anxieties being faced.

Today, I’ve spoken not just with the prime minister and the treasurer, who are deeply aware of this, but also with the Pat McGorry, through his work with Origin and Headspace, the CEO of Beyond Blue, and Lifeline Australia, and Christine Morgan, and the deputy chief medical officer for mental health, a Victorian, who has been literally treating patients today.

All have made it clear that their services are facing increased demand and Victorians are experiencing many conditions with those right at the top of those most frequently reported.

Against that background, as the prime minister has said, he and the treasurer, along with myself, are very focused upon delivering an extra $12m for outreach services as the prime minister has announced in addition to $2.6m for psychosocial support for primary health networks – all-up, a package of $14.6m.

Updated

Can people be confident there will be no more stuff-ups?

Daniel Andrews:

Everyone is working as hard as they can, doing their very best. And I think that there’s an inquiry into a series of – a series of decisions, a series of practices, and the ultimate result – and it is appropriate that that inquiry run its course.

In terms of the broader confidence that the Victorian community can have, I would simply say that the team is thousands and thousands of people, they are working night and day, they are following the advice of the experts, and with the support of the Victorian community we will – we will beat this thing.

Without that support, though, without a sense of compliance and ownership and the acknowledgement that it’s a collective challenge, it’s something that we all have to deal with, then we simply won’t, and numbers will be far, far too high. Far, far too high.

Q: Premier, if you’re responsible for this, do you think you should resign?

Andrews:

I think I’ve already answered that question. [Another journalist] asked me a slightly different version of that question. I have a job to do this. This virus doesn’t stop. Neither does me and my team.

That is the third time that line has been used this press conference.

Updated

Can Daniel Andrews give some hope? Will this six-week lockdown result in single-digit case numbers at the end?

(Cue the John Woo slow-mo doves).

Daniel Andrews:

I would love to be able to predict the number of positive cases that we would have tomorrow.

And I’d certainly love to be able to predict where we’re gonna be in six weeks’ time. That’s not the nature of this virus.

The only thing I can predict is that the virus won’t stop. Neither will I. Neither will the team I lead.

We will do everything we possibly can, with the cooperation and support of Victorians, to drive these numbers down.

That’s the commitment I can give. I can predict no more than that. Other than, I suppose, to say, if people don’t follow these rules, if we don’t all accept that we’re in this together – whether we like that fact or not – we will not drive these numbers down.

These are very difficult decisions. And today is a tough day, one among many. But this is the only way we will drive down movement, and therefore the number of cases, and therefore get to the other side of this.

Trying to predict where this wildly infectious virus will be in a day, let alone in six weeks, is really tough. But the experts tell us, if we follow these rules, if we see this through, then we will drive these numbers down.

view of an empty street in the city of melbourne

Updated

Can you go to get a Covid test, by a ride-share or a taxi?

Daniel Andrews:

Well, the most important thing is that people get tested. But if you’ve got symptoms, you need to make sure that you’re coming in contact with the smallest number of people possible.

While you get tested, and certainly coming in contact with nobody between your test and when you get your result. The assumption has to be that you’ve got it.

Perhaps – well, that’s one of the examples why, uh, some of the changes we’ve made in commercial passenger vehicles, regardless of which company runs them, masks and things of that nature, I think was, and passenger limits and things like that, was the right choice to make.

I have not made those calls. That’s based on detailed consideration by the public health team.We’re gonna go up the back, yes.

medical personnel giving a covid test to someone in a car

Updated

There has been a lot of talk about the lack of support for disability support workers and people with disabilities during this pandemic. It looks like something might be happening (although this doesn’t address people with disabilities who don’t have a lot of care, or are responsible for their own care, as well as any dependents).

Q: Disability care operators are saying they are worried not enough is being done to protect people in their homes, and staff as well. What can you say to them and to the public?

Daniel Andrews:

Whilst I don’t have a detailed announcement to make today – and I won’t try and recall all the different steps that we’ve taken – but we have done … we’re working hard to make sure that we keep those settings as safe as possible.

I’m more than happy to come back to you with the detail on the steps we have put in place. There are many settings where people are vulnerable for one reason or another. And that is one setting. Albeit, within the disability framework, there are lots of different places, lots of different settings. It’s not just one static thing. But if I can get you – in fact, I will be able to get you some further information and we’ll get that to you as soon as we possibly can.

Updated

Children can be dropped off at a family member’s house for care, says Andrews

There is a bit more clarity over childcare. You can drop your child off at a family member’s house for care, says Daniel Andrews (if you are a permitted worker):

Look, there are very large sacrifices that are having to be made by lots of different people across the community.

Vulnerable children, children of permitted workers, kinder and childcare is available. In-home arrangements, if they’re existing arrangements, they can continue as well.

There’s no permit required for a family member, for instance. You could take a child to a family member to be looked after while you went and did other things. Again, all in accordance with the rules. That’s all you could do, though.

It’s just a matter of drop-off and pick-up. We’re trying to be as flexible as we possibly can. But the challenge here is that if ... as I said yesterday, if every industry leader, or every employer, or every family that had put to me a well-argued, impassioned, logical case, if I’d said yes to all of them, then we would have more people at work today than we had under stage 3.

Now, we could do that, and that might deliver some economic benefit right now, but that will pale into insignificance once these restrictions have to stay on not for weeks but for months, and we just don’t get to reopen again.

Updated

There has been an update on the upcoming 24 August federal parliament sitting – Victorian MPs may have to isolate in the ACT for 14 days – which would mean doing their parliamentary duties from home, or isolate for 14 days before they arrive.

Updated

Does Daniel Andrews think his government has lost credibility over its handling of the hotel quarantine?

That’s a matter for others to judge. I’m not gonna sit here and be a commentator on myself. I’ve got a job to do. This virus doesn’t stop. Neither do I. And I won’t be stopping.

(The slow motion John Woo doves didn’t actually appear, but they were implied.)

Asked about people having trouble getting through to the hotline to answer their lockdown questions, Daniel Andrews says:

There is an enormous amount of people who are trying to provide as much information as possible. I would just appeal to Victorian businesses, workers, all Victorians, I know this is not easy.

I know it’s very complex and challenging. It is unique. We’ve never done it before. It cannot be made perfect.

It will always be, to a certain extent, an imperfect process. But just to give you an example, there’s been 17 round tables in the last 72 hours, with different industries. There have been literally - we’ve lost count. Hundreds and hundreds and - maybe thousands, in fact, of phone calls and Zoom meetings with employers large and small, from every industry, and from every part of the state.

Everyone is doing their very best. This will settle, of course, whenever the deadline comes in, the immediate aftermath of that, there will be some confusion, there will be some challenges. I fully understand that.

We’ll get people the clarity that they need as soon as we possibly can. But any challenges here are not for the lack of effort.

It’s simply because it is - it’s completely unique. We’ve never done this before. And no matter how hard you work, no matter how long the transition period was, there will always be, as I’ve said a few times, if you draw a list, there will always be debates about who’s on it, who shouldn’t be.

If you draw a line, there will be debates about who’s on either side of the line.

There’s a big team doing their level best to try and provide people with the information they need. And I think that it will settle in coming days.

And I just want to assure people, compliance is very important, but Victoria Police understand that this is a massive shift. It is a massive shift. It’s not something we’ve done before. And it will settle, and we’ll do everything we can to make sure that it does.

Did the national cabinet recommend that ADF or police be given oversight of hotel quarantine?

Daniel Andrews:

I’m not acknowledging what I think might not necessarily be an accurate statement. ADF provided transport support in some states.

I think the suggestion that the ADF were running hotel quarantine anywhere, I don’t think that is accurate.

But, again, that’s not for me to judge. That is something that Judge Coate will look at and provide us with as much clarity as she can. Again, as I’ve said to you a number of times, the inquiry is not established to avoid scrutiny. It is so we can get the answers we need – all of them – and the answers that we are fundamentally entitled to.

Updated

NSW Health has issued its official update:

There were 28,035 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 22,087 in the previous 24 hours.

Of the 12 new cases reported to 8pm last night:

· two are still under investigation

· 10 were locally acquired linked to known cases including:

- one attended the Apollo Restaurant in Potts Point

- one attended the Mounties club in Mount Pritchard

- eight are household contacts of known cases.

Of the two cases under investigation, one is a man in his 20s from Sydney LHD and the other is a teenager from Newcastle.

NSW Health is advising the man from Sydney LHD dined at the Jambo Jambo African restaurant in Glebe on 31 July from 7pm to 8.30pm, and anyone who attended at this time is a close contact and should immediately self-isolate until 14 days after they were last there and get tested even if they have no symptoms. They should also watch for COVID-19 symptoms and get re-tested should any symptoms recur.

The man also visited a number of inner-city venues, patrons of which are being classed as casual contacts. Casual contacts at these locations during the time and dates indicated should watch for COVID-19 symptoms and, if symptoms occur, however mild, immediately get tested and self-isolate until the test results are retuned as negative.

These venues include:

· The Eveleigh Hotel in Redfern on 31 July from 8.30pm to 10pm;

· Warren View Hotel in Enmore on 1 August from 4pm to 4.20pm

· Mary’s in Macquarie Place, Sydney on 1 August from 6.45pm to 7.15pm

· Cubby’s Kitchen in Sydney on 1 August from 7.35pm to 9.30pm

· Burrow Bar in Sydney on 1 August from 9.35pm to 11.15pm

· Woolworths Marrickville Metro on 2 August from 7pm to 7.20pm.

NSW Health can advise the second new case also under investigation, a teenager from Newcastle, attended St Pius X High School while infectious. The school has been closed for cleaning and contact tracing is underway. Anyone who attended St Pius X High School on Monday 3 August is urged to be on the lookout for COVID-19 symptoms and to get tested immediately should any symptoms occur.

The teenager caught the Number 26 bus (Hamilton to Adamstown) on Monday 3 August, at 8.20am and NSW Health is advising that all people on the bus at this time are close contacts and should immediately self-isolate until 14 days have passed and get tested even if they have no symptoms, watch for COVID-19 symptoms and get re-tested should any symptoms recur.

NSW Health advises the teenager is also a member of the Newcastle Jets under 15s representative squad which played a soccer match against the Stanmore Hawks at Arlington Oval in Dulwich Hill on 1 August. Members of both teams are considered close contacts and are also required to isolate for 14 days. All close contacts of the teenager are being notified and must isolate for 14 days.

Updated

Given that Daniel Andrews is part of the crisis council which was set up to make these decisions, shouldn’t he know some of these answers?

Andrews:

The answers as to the operations of this scheme on the ground, any variation between one provider and another – all of those issues – we have not as a government gone and conducted a detailed inquiry.

We have instead asked a judge, at arm’s length from us, to do that work. Now, I could understand that there would be some urgency to us trying to find those answers, if we were still receiving thousands and thousands of people from overseas. We are not doing that.

And I took the decision, a difficult decision, but it was the right one, I think, to suspend that program.

We have a very small number of people who are – who need to quarantine, and we are supporting them to do that. And I want to assure you, and all Victorians, that that scheme has been – it’s much smaller, but it’s also been completely reset and is under the auspices of the Department of Justice, Corrections Victoria, with, where appropriate, police support, and, indeed, health support where that is the appropriate thing as well.

... What I am saying to you, exactly who delivered these services, and in what circumstance, those matters need to be dealt with by Judge Coate to give us the answers we need.

That’s the process that we have set up. I’m not ... Please don’t take from anything I’ve said, I’m not trying to do anything other than assume responsibility, ultimate responsibility – that is my job.

But in terms of the detail of exactly who made decisions at a very localised level, how they were made, how processes worked, whether there were proper safeguards in place, all of that detail, that’s for Judge Coate to examine.

And I think she will do that without fear or favour, and at clear arm’s length from the Victorian government. There would have been an alternative approach, where I might have asked the secretary of my department to conduct that inquiry. I don’t think that would have been an appropriate way to go.

This is a very serious matter, one for which I am ultimately accountable, but we need to get these answers. If I had them, I would provide them to you. I simply don’t. That’s why we’ve set up a process to get to the bottom of what’s gone on. From A to Z. Simple as that.

Updated

It is quite extraordinary that the premier doesn’t know which government agency had oversight of the hotel quarantine program in Victoria.

Which is an answer in itself.

Who made the decision to have private security guards (without ADF or police oversight)? (Corrections has oversight now.)

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews addressing the media today.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews addressing the media today. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Daniel Andrews:

No, in terms of exactly who has made decisions at an operational level, they are some of the questions I simply don’t have the answers to. And it is appropriate that we have a process to find those answers.

And then to come forward with them. And I’ll just again make the point: Judge Coate has very broad terms of reference, a whole working life’s worth of experience doing this important work.

And she has the budget and the time that she’s asked for. I have made it clear - anything that she needs, she will get, because we need the answers to these questions. And I’m determined that we will get them.

But don’t ... I would hope that no one was in any doubt about the fact that I fully appreciate, given the job that I have, that I am accountable and responsible for mistakes that are made. I’ve never moved away from that, nor will I.

Updated

Which agency had oversight of the hotel quarantine?

Daniel Andrews:

It is not clear.

The lines of authority and accountability and exactly what has gone on here, it is not clear.

That is why, despite some of the commentary, I just want to be clear with you. I set the inquiry up, so I’m fair well-placed to tell you why I did it. I don’t have answers that I am satisfied with.

There are questions that cannot be answered, and the appropriate thing is to get those answers. And then, regardless of what those answers are, I will be accountable for those answers, and for any errors, any mistakes, that were made.

That’s the job that I have. If I could answer all of those questions, and many more that I’m sure you would like to put to me, then I would, and we wouldn’t need to have a judicial inquiry. It is an inquiry in every sense, that it is about giving us the clarity and the certainty and the answers that every single Victorian is fundamentally entitled to.

Will he release the briefing he was given that day?

Daniel Andrews:

What I’ve said to you and what was said on the - literally hours after he had received that report, that’s exactly what was said at the time.

That’s exactly what I’m saying now. I just again make the point, I’ll be accountable for mistakes that are made. But if I don’t have the answers, that’s why I’ve set up a proper inquiry - to get those answers. We’re all entitled to them.

No-one is for a moment anything other than completely clear - we need these answers. And that’s why there’s been a process set up.

OK, cool – but when did he first learn of it?

Daniel Andrews:

Well, when the chief health officer stood here, as did I, and reported that genomic sequencing data had clearly shown that at least a significant proportion of cases could be traced back to hotel quarantine - that’s the answer to your question.

... In terms of challenges with hotel quarantine, there were a number of outbreaks in a number of different hotels, and I would have been made aware through outbreak reports and through other reports along the way.

Beyond that, though, the issue of it getting out, as you put it, that’s when that – that could be – that was confirmed, and the first I knew about it was the morning that Brett Sutton and myself confirmed for you that both, A, we had that genomic sequencing report, and that, B, we were setting up a judicial inquiry to get to the bottom of it.

Updated

The press conference gets to the hotel quarantine inquiry.

Will Daniel Andrews say when he was first notified of issues, given the inquiry head has said there is no impediment to answering questions?

It’s not a question of being legally prohibited.

No-one’s ever asserted that. I want to make a couple of comments and hopefully deal with this issue in broad terms.

I am accountable because of the job I have. I’m accountable for any mistakes, and all mistakes, that are made.

I have never shirked that responsibility. I’ve never moved so much as an inch away from that responsibility. That is the role that I have. I will own those errors. I will be accountable for those errors.

So, please don’t be in any doubt about that. And no Victorian should be. The question about - why was an inquiry set up - because I don’t have those answers. I have not read through the 100,000 pages of document that is have been provided to Justice Coate. I have not gone and conducted a judicial inquiry myself into myself. I don’t think that’s an appropriate way to go.

There should be a distance. It should be at arm’s length. There are answers needed. Mistakes have been made. I’m determined to get those answers. And I think the best way to do that is to have an arm’s-length process.

Updated

This will be another blow for the Melbourne arts industry

Meanwhile, that answer makes this tweet very interesting:

Daniel Andrews addresses this story from the Australian about “secret modelling” showing “Victorians face weeks of higher coronavirus infections, with average daily cases to peak at 1100 by the end of next week and staying above 1000 for eight days.”

From the story:

The Victorian government’s own estimates, obtained by The Australian, show the average number of new cases is not ­expected to decline until the last week of August.

It will remain above 300 a day even as the restrictive stage-four lockdown is scheduled to end in mid-September.

Andrews:

Calling it “modelling” might not necessarily be the most accurate term. But the bloke who’s in charge of the modelling has never seen it. Brendan Murphy has never seen it.

No one in the government has ever seen it. And that point could have been made last night, but the first we heard of the story was when it was printed. So I can only be frank with you – in terms of releasing modelling, modelling gets better and more accurate every day that we have stage 4 going …

I think there’s a fine balance here, as [Professor Allen Cheng] said, not to give people a sense of, “Oh, well, it’s all going to be fine and I don’t have to play my part.”

We don’t want that. The other thing too is you can get some widely inaccurate pictures of that the future might hold because it is not based on real data. It’s based on your theory, if you like. What we’ll do, if we can, based on more real data as days in stage 4 pass then we’ll be happen by to update.

Ultimately, this strategy will only work though, not in theory but in practice, it will only work in real, real terms if everyone follows the rules, and if we see everybody taking this seriously and I’m confident that Victorians will. Both in terms of the conduct and the choices they make but also some of the enforcement and the compliance arrangements with’ve put in place also.

I wouldn’t describe that as modelling.

No one in charge of modelling has seen it. Again, as I said, that point could have been made at an earlier point but the first we saw about it, the first we learnt of it was when it was published this morning.

Ultimately, no one in the federal government or the state government has seen it.

Updated

And then we get to distribution centres.

Daniel Andrews:

The third area is in relation to warehousing and important distribution centres.

So, we’ve given an extension to supermarkets and to those warehouses and distribution centres particularly that relate to medical equipment – so whether that be everything from PPE through to pharma, all of those things, we think it’s appropriate to give them a little bit of extra time – instead of them delivering these reductions in workforce by midnight tomorrow night, they’ll deliver that by midnight Sunday. We think that’s a sensible balance for us to be able to strike.

They, too, have Covidsafe plans in place.

They’ll be even stricter.

The important thing is they will reduce, particularly for supermarkets, their overall workforce across distribution and, indeed, across their entire functions, so all the way across their business they’ll bring those numbers down to that two-thirds level.

Again, I want to thank our supermarkets and our supermarket workers – they’ve done amazing job for months and months now, and we’re all very grateful to them. I want to, finally before questions, make the point: these specific plans are about trying to strike a balance between driving down the number of people that are going to and from work, the number of people who are congregating for work in one place but also making sure that there is enough food on the shelves.

There’s no need for people to be going out and buying up. There’s no need for people to be trying to stockpile months and months of food.

We have to the best of all of our collective abilities, we have tried to get that balance between reducing the amount of movement, therefore reducing the number of cases, but not compromising what you need being on the supermarket shelves.

You may not necessarily be able to get exactly the cut of meat that you want but you will get what you need and you will get all the products that are, basically, fundamentally important to you. They will be there. It’ll only make things harder if people who have the means to do it, go and buy enormous quantities of food.

That’ll just mean that other people, potentially, don’t get the things that they need.

Updated

Construction workers will also see some changes:

Daniel Andrews:

If you look at very large government jobs, they’re already at about 50%. We’re aiming to drive that down across the entire portfolio down to as close to 25% as we can get without compromising safety.

You would appreciate if you’re building hospitals or fitting out ICU wards, that’s really important work and perhaps never been more important than it is right now.

There are a number of train lines that are closed at the moment and in order to return them back to the public transport network, then obviously we need to get that job done.

But we’re going to try and deliver that 25% across-the-board - so, as close as we possibly can to what we are asking of others.

In terms of the second category in the construction sector, the above three storeys, so these are private sector jobs, they’ll go down to 25%.

We’ll know they’ll be very difficult, very challenging. But again, if we don’t limit movement, we won’t limit cases and we’ll be in these restrictions longer than otherwise we would want to be.

The third category of restrictions, in terms of building home in the suburbs, those are no more than five staff on-site at any one time.

There will be limited movement allowed, particularly for specialist trades who, once they’ve completed their task, they need to the next home.

Building supervisors, people running those teams of tradespeople, they’ll also be able to move between sites but there are strict Covidsafe plans for that industry and I’m very grateful to that industry for the enormous amount of work that’s gone on.

Updated

There is some clarification on what the reductions of staff in the production, including food, arena will be.

Daniel Andrews:

I just wanted to give you an update on the work that’s gone on over the last 72 hours and we’re very close to being able to land this, and there’ll be some further documentation we’ll be able to make available to you in much more detailed terms in the next few hours.

So meat processing and abattoirs, that whole sector has been very high risk with a number of outbreaks and some real challenges in that industry.

Off the bat, can I thank the industry for the productive way they’ve engaged with us and our public health team and I can confirm that we will land final arrangements by midnight tomorrow night that will see red meat - so, beef, lamb and, indeed, pork - will go down to 66%.

So, two-thirds of their operation, based on their operations last month, or based on their staff numbers over a 3-month continuous period at some other time in the year.

So whilst they are down in terms of their total amount of work they will be going down further to that two-thirds level.

In terms of poultry, the difference in life cycle of those birds means that if you were to reduce down to that, say, 66% number, then there would be hundreds of thousands of animals that were essentially destroyed but not processed and that would lead to some, I think, very significant shortages of product.

So they will be, by agreement, going down to an 80% measure.

We think that’s the appropriate balance. All of these measures are designed to drive down to the lowest numbers of workers we can practically get to without at the same time delivering a shortage of products.

For seafood, those centres that are below 40 staff, these rules won’t apply. We think it gets to a critical mass point if you try to reduce workforces in such small centres. Also for other abattoirs beyond seafood, so red meat, particularly, if they have less than 25 employees, then we will not apply those two-thirds staff level rules if you like.

Victoria records 471 new Covid cases and eight deaths

The broadcast of Scott Morrison’s press conference has been cut short for Daniel Andrews’s press conference.

Firstly, there are 13,469 cumulative cases of coronavirus in Victoria. That’s 471 more than our last update.

I’m saddened to have to report that the total number of fatalities due to this pandemic is now 170 Victorians. That’s eight additional deaths since we last updated you.

Two men in their 60s, three men and two women in their 80s, and one woman in her 90s. Four of those eight cases are linked to aged care.

In terms of testing, I’m afraid, I don’t have a total number today but we are assured by the laboratories that we’ve done about 20,000 additional tests yesterday and those numbers are, of course, reflected in terms of the positive case count that we’ve just given you.

There are 107 additional mystery cases, 107 additional community transmissions. They won’t be from today’s data, and those cases that are under investigation, they will lag behind a day or two, but that’s from that coronavirus detective work that’s been done from yesterday’s numbers and the numbers before.

The total active cases is 7,449 and the total active cases that have a link to aged care are 1,533. Noting that is both residents and staff.

Daniel Andrews arrives at today’s press conference in Melbourne.
Daniel Andrews arrives at today’s press conference in Melbourne. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Updated

Peter Dutton is questioned on the Ruby Princess/border force issue and he is NOT happy about it. (He has been on leave and not in front of a press conference for a while.)

Andrew Probyn:

[To Scott Morrison] Back in April, you stood there and then – and you said that the commonwealth would give cooperation for the Ruby Princess special commission. Why is it then that the commonwealth has resisted a summons from Bret Walker for an official from the federal government to give evidence to that commission especially when the mistakes have been made by Border Force and also Department of Agriculture staff?

And Minister Dutton, do you believe that the Border Force officer who misinterpreted this document as being negative for Covid-19 would have allowed 11 self-isolated passengers to leave the Ruby Princess if he had properly understood the document?

Dutton:

I’m happy to deal with the whole thing. We have cooperated. We’ve provided a submission to the inquiry and there’s precedent in relation to state inquiries.

You’re aware of that, Andrew. So we have provided that information.

The suggestion by you that there’s been wrongdoing by the Australian Border Force is completely wrong. Now, the Australian Border Force does not have a role in relation to clearing people on health grounds.

We do not employ doctors and nurses at airports or at seaports. My - my people within the Australian Border Force, who, again, have gone above and beyond in this response, have really worked day and night to keep Australians safe. I’m not going to have them besmirched on a regular basis by anybody.

Probyn rejects the assertion he is besmirching anyone.

Dutton:

I’m sorry, it is. In your question you put that there was wrongdoing and there was not. Now, those officers have done their job in relation to this incident and others but they do not provide clearances. They are not – they don’t have the technical capacity to do that. They are involved in customs and migration clearances of people.

I mean, you could make an argument, that Dutton, who is basically the nation’s besmircher-in-chief, is besmirching NSW Health officers who have also been working very hard going above and beyond, by putting blame back in their direction, but why waste your time.

Updated

The commonwealth has backed down from the WA border case – and now it looks like it is also withdrawing the submissions it had put forward to the court.

Christian Porter was asked about this yesterday and indicated the submissions would stay.

All in all, Porter has been left with some massive egg on his face over this whole thing.

Morrison:

The WA government asked us to withdraw from the case with no other requests. We did that on Monday, we did that forcibly and comprehensively. But I’ll writing back to him today and I believe our response will assist what they’re seeking to do. The WA premier, you know, he has a quarrel not with me on this at all. His quarrel is elsewhere.

Updated

On the amount being announced today – $1.6bn – is it over and above the money announced as part of the recent defence announcement?

In a word – no.

Morrison:

It is inclusive of that amount.

When I announced that amount, I said the details would be announced in terms of how that would be acquitted in the national cyber security strategy, which is happening today.

There is new funding attached to that. They range from one of the most practical, which was to ensure that there were additional AFP officers to follow through on what this capability has provided us to identify people. That’s a very practical thing. At the end of the day, someone’s still got to slap the cuffs on.

Updated

What about that threat from malicious state-based actors Scott Morrison warned of not so long ago, the one with no detail, and was basically just a press conference for China? (Not so long ago could be yesterday or last year the way time moves at the moment, but this particular not-so-long ago was mid-June.)

Morrison:

Well, people still try it on but what I’ve been pleased about is by bringing that to the attention to the public we’ve had an extraordinary response from the corporate sector

Updated

How much of the new strategy is about China?

Scott Morrison:

It’s about Australia, it’s about protecting Australia and Australians from wherever potential threats come and – in – and whatever form those threats may take and those threats emerge in all sorts of circumstances and Minister Dutton, I think, has set out those very clearly.

Some weeks ago when I outlined the defence capability plan indicated there were a range of threats there and state actors that we have to deal with and we’ll continue to deal with.

Wherever the threat comes from we have to be able to deal with it and there are state actors who are active in this space and we have to be able to come to terms and deal with that and are.

Updated

Who should be worried about these new powers, Peter Dutton is asked:

If you’re a ... paedophile you should be worried about these powers, if you’re a terrorist you should be worried about these powers, if you’re committing serious offence in relation to trafficking of drugs, of ice, for example, that’s being pedalled to children, you should be worried about these powers as well.

If you’re part of the Australian community, the 99% of people that aren’t involved in those activities, then I don’t think you have anything to concern yourself with.

This is a power that enables the Australian federal police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to help stop paedophile networks online, for example, operating in the dark on encrypted devices, and that’s the reality of the modern world.

We should have, as the prime minister has said regularly, the same laws applying in the real world as they do online and we’re asking for nothing more, nothing less than that. But the fact is at the moment we have seen a massive spike in the number of paedophiles online during the Covid-19 period. They are targeting kids because they know kids are at home.

As a parent of teenage children – perhaps your girls are more well behaved online than mine, Prime Minister – but whilst they’re telling you that they’re studying, if Fortnite is on in the background or TikTok, don’t be surprised, and the reality is people are trying their best to groom kids online … people are trading gun parts on the dark web, and it cannot be a lawless space. This law applies to those people and those people only.

Updated

You can find the cybersecurity announcement here:

Official unemployment rate expected to head back up to 13%

Scott Morrison:

This should see we estimate, it is estimated, that we would see this effective rate of unemployment which had fallen in the most recent numbers down to just over 11% head north again back to where it had come down from which is in the high 13s.

So, that is very concerning.

That is very troubling but it is not unexpected.

In the circumstances these measures will have a very significant cost, and it will impact the recovery path, but the task doesn’t change. We get on top of this issue in Victoria and we band together and we make this work.

And we work together across the country to do the things we need to do, to boost that demand, to encourage that investment, to rebuild our economy, and to go forward. I know this news is upsetting and disappointing. But, Australians, we have to keep our heads up.

Let’s keep our heads up together. Let’s look out for each other and let’s get through this and

I know we will.

September GDP quarter growth to fall by $7bn to $9bn

Scott Morrison has announced the Treasury estimates of the impact of the Victorian stage four lockdown to the national economy.

The additional restrictions in Victoria in August and September is estimated to reduce the size of the real economy, real GDP in the September quarter by between $7 billion and $9 billion.

This is a heavy blow, a heavy blow: 80% of this economic cost is expected to be in the affected areas of Victoria, of around $6 billion to $7 billion in that state.

The remainder represents a preliminary estimate, and I underline that, of the broader impact of confidence in other states and supply chain impacts from the shutdown of certain industries in Victoria.

The combined effect of GDP - on GDP of the stage 3 and 4 Victorian restrictions through the September quarter is expected to be in the order of $10 billion to $12 billion detracting some 2.5% from quarterly real GDP growth.

National unemployment rate is now expected to seed the forecast peak of 9.25% and may instead peak closer to 10% which I note is in line with what the governor of the Reserve Bank [predicted].

But of greater concern, as I have said to you before is the effective unemployment rate.

We know the measured headline of unemployment rate does not tell the full story of what’s happening with people’s jobs and I have been very candid with people about that.

And it is estimated the increase in effective unemployment to be between 250,000 and 400,000. Now, that isn’t necessarily people who have lost their employment but it also includes those whose employment has been reduced to zero hours. But as I said, the effective unemployment rate is the one we’re watching.

Scott Morrison has also, once again, encouraged other Australians to give their Victorian friends and family a call to ask how they are.

I urge you to only do this, if you know your friends and family will appreciate a call - sometimes, the constant emotional labour of telling people you are OK, or re-assuring them you are coping can be crippling in of itself.

Stay in contact by all means - but do it on your loved one’s terms - and tailor it to them, not yourself.

Scott Morrison:

They are sensitive issues for us to discuss in the middle of this pandemic but important. If you need help, reach out. Help is there, support is there. Additional support is being provided. If you’re aware of someone who may need help, talk to them about that. Show them the app.

If you’re in a position to do so, tell them about it, tell them about these numbers. Australians, we’ve got to talk about these issues openly in the middle of this pandemic crisis, and I encourage all Australians to have those open conversations.

Be clear, if you’re feeling vulnerable. Let people know. We’re all there to help. They’re there to help you also.

More mental health support for Victoria

Scott Morrison says he has asked for additional support for Victorians dealing with the stage four lockdown:

Mental health and suicide prevention is one of my government’s highest priorities. For Victorians this is last few weeks have been devastating and the loss of freedom that comes from the first lockdown now combined with the second one with the Victorian wave not being able to connect with friends and loved ones, concerns about employment, all of this takes a toll.

Young mums who won’t be able to have access to childcare or have just gone through a long haul of home schooling now having to face another long haul of it. This will put incredible pressure on families and particularly for families with children with disabilities, and it’s important that we play our role to support each other.

It’s why I said the other day anyone around the country who knows a Victorian get on the phone and encourage them and support them.

I want to encourage people that health is available and I encourage people to seek out that support through the many mechanisms that are there and I’ll come to those in a second. But this morning I’m announcing a further $5 million to support Headspace, $2 million to support kids helpline, $2.5 million to support lifeline, and $2.5 million to support beyond blue.

Specifically in Headspace, that is to increase outreach services to young people in the community who are in severe distress.

This will particularly focus on Year 11 and Year 12 students, young people who have lost their jobs and tertiary students, the funding will be used to recruit and train additional outreach workers who will connect with young people in the community under supervision of the experienced Headspace staff for those young people who are already connected to Headspace, the services have been there to support them but there are many more who are seeking that and the advice I have had is that we need to build that capability to support more and more young people as they go through this time of stress, beyond blue, that funding is to extend capacity and counsellor webchat facilities to 24/7 and for people with complex needs for 5 additional sessions.

For kids helpline $2 million to increase their call answer rate and service responsibilities and to deal with additional demand for services and links to further support. If more is needed to be done more will be done.

Scott Morrison has begun his press conference - which is on the new cybersecurity plan (we know this because he holds up the shiny brochure on it) but starts on Victoria:

I know there’ll be many Victorians at home today and they will have joined us now, and I extend my greetings to you and my appreciation to all of you, what you’re going through is tough.

We’re hear to help you push through this in every single way we possibly can. Over the course of this week we’ve been responding to the changes that have been put in place by the Victorian government to support them, to ensure that we can make this work as best as we possibly can.

NSW records 12 new Covid-19 cases

NSW has maintained its current numbers for coronavirus, recording another 12 new cases in the past 24 hours.

Updated

Daniel Andrews will hold his presser at noonish, so the news can’t be too terrible today.

Updated

Gyms are back in the ACT

The prime minister is up first, though. He’ll be holding a press conference at 11.30am.

Updated

Greg Hunt will give a Covid update today, from Melbourne.

That will be at 1.15pm

The main entrance of St. Basil’s homes for the aged in Fawkner.
The main entrance of St. Basil’s homes for the aged in Fawkner. Photograph: Speed Media/Rex/Shutterstock

Here is the whole statement on the Victorian coroner’s decision:

Victorian State Coroner, Judge John Cain, has commenced an investigation into the deaths of five residents at St Basil’s Home for the Aged.

His Honour has directed Victoria Police to compile a coronial brief of evidence.

The focus of the coronial investigation will be determined following receipt of the brief.

Under the Coroners Act 2008, His Honour must find, if possible, the causes of the deaths and the circumstances in which they occurred.

His Honour is also empowered under the Act to make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.

As the investigation is ongoing, no further comment can be made at this time.

Updated

For those asking questions about what the requirement for NSW residents returning from Victoria to quarantine in a hotel means for non-Sydneysiders, it’s important to note that the rule was announced before NSW Health had finalised the details of the public health order.

Announced by Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday, a day after the state opposition leader Jodi McKay called for it, the relevant ministers did not answer the Guardian’s specific questions about how the mandatory hotel requirement would work for non-Sydney residents.

A NSW Health spokeswoman told the Guardian the healthy authority “is undertaking the process of making changes to the public health order to implement these decisions, the details of which will be made public when finalised”.

Further clarification on the mandatory hotel quarantine for residents returning from Victoria is expected before the measure comes into effect from 12.01am on Friday (tomorrow).

What we do know from Wednesday’s announcement:

  • NSW residents returning from Victoria will have to pay for their two-week hotel quarantine as an international arrival would.
  • Only Sydney airport will accept flights from Victoria, where NSW Health teams will test and interview arrivals, and divert them to hotels.
  • The NSW government will also “further limit the reasons” for approving entry permits into the state from Victoria.
  • The NSW government says there is “no change to existing arrangements for border communities”

What is unclear:

  • If residents of border communities returning from beyond the Victoria border zone (which invalidates the specific permits for people who work, study or require medical treatment across the border) will have to quarantine at hotels when they cross over.
  • If non-Sydney and non-border residents returning from Victoria would have to quarantine at hotels in the state capital, or if they can land in Sydney, wait for their connecting flight to a regional airport, and quarantine at a hotel in their home town.

Under existing rules, residents have been allowed to self-isolate at their homes after returning from Victoria, however the NSW government said it had acted on health advice to introduce the new rule, noting Victoria’s rising Covid-19 case numbers.

Here is the article from yesterday on this situation.

Updated

ACT opening up – but prepare for facemasks

ACT Health has announced it is opening up the territory - but to prepare for facemasks to be made mandatory:

Based on the ACT’s current COVID numbers and the efforts of NSW authorities to manage localised outbreaks, Chief Health Officer Dr Coleman has determined that some remaining businesses and activities can recommence under strict COVID guidelines from 9:00am Monday 10 August.

However, there are other elements of the ACT’s easing of restrictions roadmap that will not be implemented at this time.

These relate to large gatherings and changes to the 1 person per four square metre guideline in some settings. This guideline continues to be an important part of the control measures we have in place to reduce the risk of infection.

The ACT Government will continue implementing the advice from our health experts on the most effective ways to keep our city safe.

The pandemic is not over, and the virus will be a part of our lives for quite some time. There will be further outbreaks in cities and towns all over the country, and we will continue to ask for the community’s support in reducing the risk of outbreaks spreading.

What will go a long way to keeping our community safe is for all Canberrans to maintain the measures we know work best to lower the risk of infection.

The most effective actions continue to be physical distancing, good hand hygiene and staying at home if you are unwell and getting tested for any COVID-19 symptoms.

The fourth line of defence is face masks – particularly for those who are unable to physically distance in their daily activities.

We are now advising Canberrans to be ready for a time when the Chief Health Officer may recommend wearing face masks in the ACT.

A further sensible precaution is to avoid crowds. We all have a responsibility to reduce crowding in public areas, shops and queues.

As part of living with the virus, we are implementing COVID-safe ways to support economic activity and protect as many local jobs as possible.

There are further steps in our recovery plan, such as capacity limits for smaller venues, that will be assessed again in a fortnight.

Updated

Coronial investigation of St Basil's aged care deaths

This seemed inevitable.

Updated

A-League fans who were at Newcastle Jets’ game against Western United at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday have been put on alert, after a second positive Covid-19 case was detected in the city.

A man in his 20s, believed to be a close contact of the teenager who tested positive in the Hunter region on Wednesday, attended the fixture and Hunter New England Health has urged other people in the 2,570-strong crowd to monitor their health.

If any symptoms develop, they have been encouraged to get tested and self-isolate immediately.

It is the first time since the resumption of professional sport in front of limited crowds that a person in attendance has tested positive for the virus.

NSW Health has issued this alert – if you are in the Newcastle area, or have been out and about in Newcastle, have a look at these venues:

Since our alert last night (5 August, 8.15pm), a second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Newcastle; a close contact of the teenager announced yesterday. The District is continuing to investigate the source of that case’s infection.

This latest case is a male in his 20s.

Hunter New England Local Health District is urging anyone who attended the following venues at the specified times to immediately self-isolate and seek testing:

  • Bennett Hotel, Hamilton – Friday 31 July, from 5.30pm to 10.00pm
  • Greenroof Bar and Restaurant, Hamilton – Friday 31 July, from 10.00pm to 12 midnight
  • The Hopsmith Sports Bar, Wests New Lambton – Sunday 2 August, from 5.00pm to 7.30pm.

The venues have been notified and are undergoing cleaning. Contact tracing is under way.

Hunter New England Health also urges any patrons who visited the following venues at the times specified to be alert for symptoms, and if any develop to get tested and self-isolate immediately:

  • Queens Wharf Hotel – Saturday 1 August from 9.30pm to 11.00 pm
  • Sydney Junction Hotel, Hamilton – Saturday 1 August, from 12 midnight to 1.30am Sunday 2 August
  • McDonald Jones Stadium – Sunday 2 August, 7.30pm to end of game, Newcastle Jets match.

The above public health recommendations follow a rigorous contact tracing process where an infected individual’s movements and interactions are analysed. This enables the Public Health unit to determine if there was a reasonable chance other individuals may have been infected with the virus. In this case they would be considered a close contact and required to self-isolate until 14 days after they last saw the person or attended a place where that person visited, even if they are feeling well.

Updated

Employment and skills department officials are before the Senate Covid-19 inquiry.

Labor’s Kristina Keneally is probing what the components of the “jobmaker” plan, announced by Scott Morrison at the National Press Club, actually are.

Deputy secretary of the department of education, skills and employment Nadine Williams at the Senate inquiry.
Deputy secretary of the department of education, skills and employment Nadine Williams at the Senate inquiry. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Nadine Williams, the deputy secretary of skills and training, said the jobmaker plan had “elements of training”, including the jobtrainer package, and negotiations with states and territories to reform the way skills training was delivered.

Asked what the difference between jobmaker and jobtrainer is, Williams replied: “My understanding is it’s largely the same thing – both relate to skills.”

Williams adds there are other initiatives in jobmaker overseen by other departments, such as the arts and entertainment industry support package administered by the industry department. The other elements include caring for country (environment portfolio) and negotiating trade agreements (DFAT). She’s now clarified, then, that jobmaker and jobtrainer are NOT the same thing, although jobtrainer is part of jobmaker.

Keneally describes the label jobmaker as “amorphous” - and is now quoting Morrison rhetoric from the Press Club speech including “making the boat go faster”.

Updated

The Victorian figures are coming out ahead of the official announcement – the ABC has reported 470 cases are expected to be announced today.

Updated

I’ve been getting a few questions from NSW residents worried about flights coming from Victoria into NSW regional airports, such as Tamworth and Orange, given the new mandatory hotel quarantine rules.

My understanding is Sydney is the one port of entry for those flights once the new rules kick in, but we are double checking.

You can fly from Sydney to a regional NSW airport – but Victorian flights should all be diverted to Sydney, where hotel quarantine will take place.

We’ll get back to you.

Updated

As this deleted tweet from Mathias Cormann shows, dumbing down discourse on complex matters can come back to bite.

(Although given the purge on that account, it looks like it is part of the yearly delete feature – which is something many, many people do.)

Updated

Here is the official word on that Queensland case which is currently under investigation

Queensland’s stay-at-home compliance contrasts with Victoria, where 800 people were not at home during checks.

Which has led a reader to send me this link to a YouTube clip. People have A LOT of time on their hands, apparently – but I guess if you are at home for 23 out of 24 hours, there is not a lot else to do, but reimagine famous movie scenes as real life

Updated

Labor’s Julie Collins wants the government to release the names of the aged care homes which did not meet Covid standards:

The Morrison Government must end its aged care secrecy after revelations the names of 75 nursing homes that failed standards relating to COVID preparedness have been kept hidden.

The 75 nursing homes were among more than 100 across the country that failed standards on preparing for COVID-19.

This latest concerning report follows an extraordinary exchange at the Select Committee on COVID-19 when the Morrison Government refused to disclose nursing homes in Victoria with outbreaks.

It is shocking the Morrison Government and its aged care regulator are not prepared to be honest with older Australians and their families at this time of crisis.

Labor has been saying for a long time there needs to be more transparency around the reporting of failures in nursing homes so older Australians and their loved ones know what is happening.

Deputy police commissioner Steve Gollschewski says a new border pass declaration will be online soon, in line with Queensland barring visitors from NSW and the ACT.

You’ll need ID:

What is required in applying for those passes, particularly the cross-border one, is you need to provide identification. So when people get on to the website, so the health website or the Queensland Government website once it’s up, it will tell them what is the required identification they need to be able to get that pass.

That will not be included on to the pass.

Still need to have their border declaration pass to get through the border as of Saturday once the new system is in place. So I really need to remind people to be patient. We have seen every time we have gone to a new border declaration pass system or we have changed any of our directions, that there is a period of adjustment.

Queensland police did a compliance check of all 253 in-home quarantine yesterday – and 250 were at home.

The three who weren’t are under investigation.

But that is a pretty great strike-rate.

Updated

Training, skills and employment are the focus of today’s Senate committee hearing into how the government has handled the pandemic response.

Updated

Berry Street, an organisation which looks at the wellbeing of families and children, has released a new report showing more Victorian children were at risk of entering the out-of-home care system, as a result of the pandemic:

New research shows an additional 4,500 Victorian children could enter the out-of-home care system by 2026 as a result of COVID-19, increasing the total number of children potentially in out-of-home care in six years’ time to 27,500 children.

Leading child and family agencies are calling on the Victorian Government to provide additional, sustained investment in effective early intervention programs, to reduce the number of children experiencing harm and entering the child protection and out-of-home care system.

“Even before the pandemic, the child protection system was broken, causing devastating outcomes for children and young people. Now, COVID-19 is pushing even more families to breaking point, which could see thousands more children potentially enter out-of-home care as a result,” Berry Street CEO, Michael Perusco, said.

In 2018-19, there were more than 47,000 children involved with the child protection system in Victoria – around 3 per cent of all Victorian children – and nearly 12,000 children are living in out-of-home care.

Updated

It’s a tough time for a lot of community organisations – but NSW has offered some help to some of the more famous ones:

There have been no community car washes, biscuit bake sales or sausage sizzles to top up the coffers of the Scouts, Girl Guides or Police and Community Youth Clubs during the coronavirus pandemic in NSW.

These are bread-and-butter fundraising activities run by the groups that offer more than 120,000 young people fun, friendship and adventure.

The NSW minister for water, property and housing, Melinda Pavey, has announced a $3m top-up to help them get through the crisis.

Pavey noted the disruptions to the groups that haven’t been unable to meet face-to-face or do their normal fundraising activities.

“It has also had a major impact on PCYC, which rely on income from its network of youth centres across the state to generate more than half of its annual revenue,” she said.

The $3m will be used for maintenance and improvements to Scout, Girl Guide and PCYC facilities on crown land in NSW.

The measure is also expected to benefit communities by generating work for local economies, Pavey said on Thursday.

(AAP)

Updated

Labor’s Stephen Jones has asked the auditor-general to look into the Coalition’s early superannuation release scheme.

The policy, which was designed to help people who are struggling financially during the Covid crisis, has seen $30bn taken out of superannuation – and left many under-35s with nothing in their account balances.

It was recently revealed the ATO did not check to see if those who removed the super had suffered financial difficulties.

Jones says the way the scheme was designed left people open to fines from the tax office.

Updated

Labor’s Linda Burney and Jason Clare want more housing made available for victims of family and domestic violence:

Accommodation is a critical factor in the decision whether to leave a violent relationship, and right now there are significant delays in women seeking to leave domestic violence shelters for more permanent homes.

A paper released by the Australian Institute of Criminology in July found an ‘escalation’ of family violence during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to an article by the University of Melbourne, the COVID-19 crisis has “left many victims of domestic and family abuse inside their homes with their abuser – all day, every day – as people isolate to prevent the spread of the virus.”

Last month, Labor called on the Morrison Government to release the details of the $60 million grants program to expand emergency accommodation for women and children experiencing family violence.

The funding was announced in March last year and, 16 months later, the government is yet to confirm which organisations have received the grants.

On Monday, the Assistant Minister responsible for Homelessness said an announcement will be made in the next month.

Hurry up. These projects should be under construction now.

A second test on the Ipswich woman who tested positive for Covid-19 has come back negative.

Which is good news, because authorities couldn’t trace how she could have contracted the virus.

There have been cases of false positives previously - which is part of the reason you hear of cases being ‘reclassified’.

IbisWorld is predicting the Victorian lockdowns will change how consumers shop - possibly forever:

Essential retail industries, including food, medicine and utility retailing, will remain open throughout Stage 4. Virtually all other retail activity will transition to online delivery and contactless pick-up operating models throughout the six-week period.

The Stage 4 restrictions are expected to permanently shift the operations of enterprises across the retail sector. Consumers who have never had to buy goods through the Online Shopping industry will have no choice over the next six weeks. This trend is expected to accelerate the long-term transition towards online shopping and click and collect services, rather than traditional in-store commerce. Online shopping has increased since the first wave of COVID-19 in April 2020. An average of 1.6 million Australian households bought something online each week in 2019; in April 2020 this figure increased to 2.5 million households per week.

People are still trying to get into South Australia:

(via AAP)

Two people, including a teenager, have been charged with breaching coronavirus restrictions in South Australia.

The boy, 17, was arrested at Adelaide Airport on Wednesday after getting off a flight from NSW, via Victoria.

SA Police became involved because although he had government approval to fly home from NSW, he did not have approval to travel from Victoria.

“While police were clarifying his status, he allegedly became abusive and refused to comply with the direction to wear a mask,” police said in a statement on Thursday.

The boy, from Christies Beach in Adelaide’s south, was charged with breaching COVID-19 directions and disorderly behaviour and sent to hotel quarantine for 14 days.

Elsewhere, police picked up a man in the Glenburnie Pine Forest about 2km inside the border with Victoria on Wednesday.

The man from Renmark is accused of breaching the border earlier in the day and was charged with breaching coronavirus directions.

Queensland has reported no new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.

Authorities are still trying to work out how a woman in West Moreton (Ipswich) contracted the virus. She was diagnosed yesterday.

Helen Sullivan has all your international coronavirus news here

Greg Hunt was also asked about the open/close situation with the nation’s internal borders. This time round, he is more conciliatory than what we have heard previously on the issue:

Look, this disease is going to be with us for some considerable period of time. We’re now well over 18.5m cases. They’ve been saying heading towards 20m. In fact, now we’re clearly heading towards 25m cases worldwide. It’s a global pandemic.

What we have done in Australia has meant that we were able to flatten this curve once – seven out of eight states and territories are still in that situation. And so they are taking difficult but regrettably necessary steps in many cases. New South Wales has done an extraordinary job in tracking and tracing those cases which have been seeded from Victoria. They’ve been able to keep those from breaking out in any significant way.

The more that they do that, the faster that there will be a resolution to ensure that that border with Queensland is reopened between the two states.

Updated

Greg Hunt was asked about the Australian story that the South Australian Liberals were planning an event with 700 people.

As David Penberthy reports:

SA Liberals are under fire for holding a 700-strong dinner for its state women’s council in an exclusive function room at Adelaide Oval in the same week as the state government reintroduced limits on funerals and weddings and a 10-person cap on visitors to private homes.

Sources told The Australian there was “genuine outrage” that the party would send such mixed messages by holding Thursday’s event, which has been catered for 700 guests at the William Magarey Room in the Riverbank Stand.

State director Sasha Meldrum told The Australian the event would be held in line with social distancing rules, with one person seated every 2sq m.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Hunt says he can’t answer the question – because he doesn’t have any details:

As you say, that must have just come out. I’ll leave that to the South Australian Government to outline their circumstances and to make sure that everything is compliant and within the rules.

Q: But things might be compliant, but it’s also about messages and perception, isn’t it? You’d be hoping surely that people were setting examples from your own party?

Hunt: Well, look, I won’t comment on something where I don’t have the details.

Updated

Included in that cybersecurity plan are increased powers for the Australian Signals Directorate. Which is what the News Corp political editor, Annika Smethurst, reported, and was dragged over the coals for. The government loudly proclaimed the story to be wrong. Smethurst endured an AFP investigation, complete with raids, before it was announced that no prosecution would move ahead.

And now here we are.

Updated

It’s a bit behind schedule but there have been a few things going on.

Australia has a new cybersecurity plan, as Katharine Murphy reports:

Updated

The concerns around food shortages centre around the changes to Victoria’s on-site work arrangements.

Food production, including meat, seafood, dairy, fruit and vegetable processing businesses can remain open under the restrictions which came into force at midnight – but they have to be cut capacity by one-third.

What that looks like we don’t entirely know as yet – it’s a work in progress and is different for each industry.

Updated

Empty shelves in a poultry section of a Woolworths supermarket in Melbourne yesterday.
Empty shelves in a poultry section of a Woolworths supermarket in Melbourne yesterday. Shortages of meat products are occurring throughout supermarkets after a spike in coronavirus infections in the meat processing industry and an increase in panic buying after a stage four lockdown was announced. Photograph: James Ross/AAP
Signage for product limits at a Woolworths supermarket in Melbourne.
Signage for product limits at a Woolworths supermarket in Melbourne. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Meanwhile, there is some concern about how the national food supply will be impacted by the Victorian workplace restrictions.

Brad Hazzard was asked about that too:

Well, it certainly is a concern. I think a lot of our food supplies do emanate from Victoria, but, again, there’s a degree of each government having to be fleet of foot, if you like, and trying to respond to whatever problems come up.

This pandemic has certainly tested the systems across our country. I heard a particular journalist the other day being very critical of the Victorian government and I said later, you know, the problem is we all have systems operational, they have their health system and we only know when it’s stressed beyond belief as to what the shortcomings might be.

So in regard to our food supply, we’re now being tested on that, but we’ll find ways around it. The governments around the country will find ways around it. We’ll work together to make sure food supplies still get through.

Updated

But the NSW decision, which comes after it closed its border to Victoria, means there are not quite as many calls for Queensland to open its border now that it has decided to bar people from NSW and the ACT from entering again.

Brad Hazzard:

I think every state and territory government has its prime interest in looking after its citizens, its residents, and that’s what it should do.

Whether or not we like the decision that Queensland made is a matter for the Queensland government.

I have to say, one of the amazing things that’s come out of this is that we have all of these state and territory health ministers meeting regularly.

There’s no politics in it, we all work together and we all respect each other’s decisions and we listen to what’s happening in each state and territory and make sure it works for them and us.

Updated

'Don't come to NSW,' health minister tells Victorians

Brad Hazzard has been chatting to ABC News Breakfast about NSW’s decision to put all people returning from Victoria into mandatory hotel quarantine (which you will have to pay for yourself). He repeated his warning to Victorians to stay away:

What we’re saying to Victorians is – outside the border zone, don’t come to New South Wales.

It’s terrible. I think New South Wales at the moment is doing very well, our residents right across the state are making sure they get tested if they have any symptoms of a flu-like illness.

That certainly empowering the health staff, the tracers, to be able to track down those chains of transmission and cut them off.

So we’re having a consistently low rate at the moment but our Victorian friends, sadly, are having a much harder time and I do on behalf of our communities want to express to everybody in Victoria our sadness at what’s happening there and our hope that soon you’ll get through it.

Our big decision yesterday, of course, was very much off the back of, sadly, the increasing numbers back in Victoria.

I think it was 725 yesterday and 15, sadly, people lost their lives. So that made the New South Wales government have to reflect on that with our health people and our health advice was that we really needed to take that extra step, make it harder lockdown on borders.

Updated

There is now a list of permitted businesses in Victoria:

To avoid doubt, the following are Permitted Work Premises in the following circumstances:

  • Ancillary and support businesses are able to open on-site to ensure the necessary production, supply, manufacture, repair, maintenance, cleaning, security, wholesale, distribution, transportation or sale of equipment, goods or services required for the operations of a Permitted Work Premises, or for Closed Work Premises where there are safety or environmental obligations. The business cannot operate on-site for any other purpose.
  • Services and ancillary services that relate to the COVID-19 health response are Permitted Work Premises.
  • Services connected with animal health, husbandry or welfare, including the RSPCA, are Permitted Work Premises.
  • Union/peak body/employer organisation officials attending a worksite as permitted by law or for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) advice is permitted.

Updated

The ACTU boss, Sally McManus, says she is heartened by changes in Scott Morrison’s language which suggest the federal government paid pandemic leave may be made available to other jurisdictions without a state of disaster needing to be declared first. She told ABC News Breakfast this morning:

A disaster is after something really bad has happened. And that’s Victoria. At that point, it’s a bit too late, because now most people are at home. It’s still important, but you haven’t stopped the disaster in the first place.

The whole point with pandemic leave is a preventative thing, it’s to make sure people don’t go to work in the first place and spread the virus.

So, I’m very concerned about New South Wales and making sure that measures are in there, like paid pandemic leave, so that they get that.

And, really, it’s a really simple thing. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, everyone needs sick leave. That’s what we’ve gotta do. We’ve gotta make sure that that happens, so that in New South Wales and also in Brisbane that we don’t have workers going to work, like we did in Victoria, spreading the virus, and then we end up in this situation.

Updated

Daniel Andrews has denied his state rolled back contact tracing efforts, thinking it had the virus under control, before the hotel quarantine and meatworks outbreaks.

Nine News reported allegations Victoria had scaled back contact tracing in May/June which the premier denies.

The Nine reports says in mid-June there were 57 contact tracers in Victoria. That number grew to 2,000 by the end of last month.

Updated

Annnnd NSW has announced another school will be closed for cleaning – this time in Newcastle:

A Newcastle high school has closed after a student was diagnosed with COVID-19.

The principal of St Pius X at Adamstown has written to parents saying he was advised by NSW Health on Wednesday afternoon of a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the student population.

The school will be closed Thursday and Friday as authorities trace any close contacts of the boy amongst pupils and staff.

“All students and staff are required by NSW Health to self-isolate until you are notified you are not a close contact,” principal Robert Emery said.

Students are advised to get tested if they develop symptoms and deep cleaning of the school is underway.

(via AAP)

Updated

NSW has announced another school closure. As AAP reports:

St Margaret Mary’s Primary School in Merrylands is the latest NSW school to be attended by a COVID-positive person, prompting its closure for cleaning.

A primary school in Sydney’s west has been closed for deep cleaning and contact tracing after a COVID-19 case was identified in the school community.

All students and staff at St Margaret Mary’s Primary School in Merrylands were on Wednesday ordered to self-isolate until further notice after a COVID-positive case attended the school.

The Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta said in a statement on Wednesday that it was working with NSW Health and supporting their contact tracing efforts.

More information on the school’s COVID-positive case is expected on Thursday.

It follows the confirmation of two COVID-affected students from Greenway Public School on Wednesday and another Bonnyrigg High School student on Tuesday.

The Kids Learning Academy daycare centre in Busby, in Sydney’s southwest, has also closed for deep cleaning after a COVID-positive person attended on July 29.

Meanwhile, NSW residents will soon be banned from Queensland while those returning from coronavirus-hit Victoria will be forced into two weeks of hotel quarantine.

Updated

A lot of these police media updates involve people of “no fixed address”:

A man has been charged after police at a border checkpoint at Albury discovered he was trying to cross into NSW driving a stolen ute.

NSW Police manning the checkpoint stopped the utility on the Hume Highway at Albury about 7am today (Wednesday 5 August 2020).

The 27-year-old driver was unable to produce permits or ID, and further checks revealed the ute had been reported stolen from a business in West Melbourne yesterday (Tuesday 4 August 2020).

The man was arrested and was taken to Albury Police Station where he was charged three offences

• Receive property stolen outside NSW

• Not comply with noticed direction – COVID-19, and,

• Drive conveyance taken without consent of owner.

The man, of no fixed address, appeared in Albury Local Court today, where he was refused bail to re-appear in the same court on Friday 11 September 2020.

Updated

Good morning

Victoria is approaching the end of its first week with Melbourne under stage-four restrictions, and still reeling from yesterday, when 15 people, including a man in his 30s, died from Covid-19.

Work permits will be needed to head into the workplace under the next stage of lockdowns – and permits will also be needed to send your child to a childcare centre.

Meanwhile, the inquiry into what went wrong with the hotel quarantine system in Victoria has had its report delayed until November – although the head of that inquiry has said there is no reason Daniel Andrews and his government can’t answer questions about the issue.

Under all that is the economic warnings of the financial cost of the stage-four lockdown, with economists trying to put a figure on it.

As AAP reports:

Chief economist at consultants KPMG Brendan Rynne expects the stage four lockdown in Australia’s second largest state will see an $830 million economic output loss in August – a 2.5 per cent decline.

September could be even worse, particularly if the construction sector runs out of work in the next four weeks.

“My calculations are about 130,000 workers now caught in Stage 4 are in work types that won’t be able to work from home,” Dr Rynne said.

Of these about 75,000 are in manufacturing, while there is possibly around 50,000 construction jobs that may end up not working by the end of the shutdown.

“Overall, Australia will have a shallower recovery than it would have done,” he said.

AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver expects Victoria’s decision will delay the return to positive economic growth in the December quarter.

ANZ senior economist Catherine Birch had expected national unemployment would average eight per cent in the September quarter, rising to 8.5 per cent in the December quarter.

We’ll cover everything that happens today in Victoria and across the nation right here, and we thank you for joining us. You have Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day.

Ready?

Updated

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