Coronavirus updates LIVE: COVID-19 cases worldwide pass 3.3 million - The Age

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has called for the Morrison government to leave the responsibility of when to reopen schools to the states and territories.

The call comes after The Sunday Age revealed almost half of Australia's students will have their educational outcomes damaged if existing remote learning arrangements continue long term, according to an expert group convened by Australia's chief scientist.

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said there was a potential for children's education to be harmed by extended online learning and warned it “will be the vulnerable, poor, remote and Indigenous students who suffer the most."

Mr Albanese said the federal government needed to leave the matter to the states and territories that run schools.

Opposition Leader Anthony AlbaneseCredit:Alex Ellinghausen

“My concern here is the prime minister one day is saying it’s up to the states and territories, and the next day offering advice and making suggestions that are contrary to the advice of the states and territories,” the Labor leader told Sky News on Sunday morning.

“I think what parents want, and what they tell me, is they want clarity. They want clear advice about when schools will go back so they can plan their own lives.

“I think we should listen to the medical advice, I don’t think what we should do is have political leaders giving different advice different days.

“I think what that does is create confusion, it makes it impossible for parents to plan in terms of their own work patterns.”

Victorian’s sewage looks set to be monitored for COVID-19 outbreaks for years after the current pandemic, with the state’s effluent a potential early warning system for new outbreaks.

Illustration Matt GoldingCredit:The Age

Scientists from Melbourne Water have been quietly taking samples of sewage from around the city for weeks and working on a diagnostic test for the virus.

They hope this will lead to an early-warning system that senses an outbreak before it shows up in clinical testing.

The project team believes it could be just weeks away from a reliable method of detecting COVID-19 in sewage, with overseas experience suggesting surveillance of human waste can be a powerful weapon in public health officials' armoury against the virus.

Read the full story. 

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has backed the Morrison government’s calls for an independent global inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, calling it “completely unremarkable”.

The call by the Australian government has received a series of harsh rebukes from the Chinese government, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he will continue with the push.

“I regard the government’s call as completely unremarkable and just as a matter of course I would expect that would occur,” Mr Albanese told Sky News on Sunday morning.

“What Australia needs to do is to stand up to our national interest, we are allies with the United States, but we are friends with China and other countries in our region.

“Australia, though, can’t allow those economic relationships that are so important for us, to stop us being prepared to say what needs to be said.

“We do need to know what the origins were, not as an academic exercise, but so that we can ensure it never happens again.”

In case you missed it: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has named his newborn son Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson.

The 'Wilfred' and 'Laurie' parts of the name are taken from the British PM and fiancee Carrie Symonds's grandfathers, although the 'Nicholas' is a tribute to two intensive care doctors who saved the Prime Minister's life last month when he was battling coronavirus.

Channel Nine has the full story:

The jigsaw based of the 2019 Melbourne Map, an illustrated map of the city and surrounds, has been a huge success. With puzzles enjoying a resurgence at the moment because of social distancing restrictions, it appears it couldn't have been released at a better time.

Producer Melinda Clarke said she has sold "a 40-foot container" worth of the 1000-piece puzzle. Here is the full story.

The 2019 Melbourne Map is a redrawn version of a beloved illustrated map drawn in the early 1990s and was made possible thanks to crowdfunding. Reporter Carolyn Webb wrote about the plans for the new version a few years ago. Read the full story.

There has been a steady decrease in the number of Victorians who are in hospital due to COVID-19 over the past three weeks.

On Saturday there were 12 people in hospital for coronavirus statewide, and of those seven were in intensive care. (These are yesterday's numbers - these tallies will be updated later today).

This graph shows how the number of people in hospital has changed over time:

Nationwide there are 79 people in hospital because of a coronavirus infection, and of those 28 are in intensive care.

Demand for emergency food has risen to record levels, according to the nation’s biggest provider, with temporary workers and international students in the most desperate need.

Foodbank Australia chief executive Brianna Casey – whose organisation distributes food to 2400 charities and 2000 schools – said demand for food had gone through the roof since the pandemic.

“There’s an unprecedented spike in demand for food relief,” Ms Casey said.

“It is confronting. People have had such an economic shock ... they are really struggling at the moment and looking for the most basic of human needs, food and groceries.”

Amit Thapa (right), founder of the Friends of Nepal Association, gives a helping hand.

Amit Thapa, from the Friends of Nepal Association, said his organisation had provided food to more than 1000 Nepalese students in Australia including 300 hampers sourced from Foodbank. Those hampers were topped up with five kilograms of rice and would feed a person for up to a month.

“Our people aren't used to looking for help like this, there's that stigma attached to it,” Mr Thapa said. "They’ve found themselves in a precarious position. We don’t want anyone to go hungry.”

Read the full story. 

Here is the front page of today's Sunday Age:

The top coronavirus-related stories are:

Labor has called for Australia's immigration program to be overhauled and curtailed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, saying Australian workers must "get a fair go and a first go at jobs", in comments that form common ground with some Coalition MPs. Read the full story.

Almost half of Australia's students will have their educational outcomes damaged if existing remote learning arrangements continue long term, according to an expert group convened by Australia's chief scientist. Read the full story.

Borders are closed. Airlines are grounded. Overseas travel is banned. But travel agents and cruise lines are fielding inquiries and, in some cases, taking bookings from eager travellers. Read the full story.

Bringing you some pictures of Spaniards exercising outdoors for the first time in seven weeks.

People running and cycling through Madrid's Puerta de Alcala on the first day since Spain eased the COVID-19 lockdown measures to allow exercise.Credit:Getty Images

Spain has the world's fourth-highest death toll - 24,543 - although that figure does not include nursing home deaths. Spain has the world's second-highest mortality rate of 52.53 deaths every 100,000 persons.

A man skips with a skipping rope next to a closed beach in Barcelona, Spain.Credit:AP

However, the country's outbreak is abating, meaning for the first time Spanish adults are allowed outdoors for exercise.

The government set time slots in which age groups are allowed onto the street for different activities, with exercise allowed in the early part of the morning.

People exercise on a seafront promenade in BarcelonaCredit:AP

The next stage of the government's plan to phase out of the lockdown will start May 4, when restaurants, stores, bars and hotels are allowed to open under certain strict rules in four islands.

Victoria's zoos will share in $14 million of state government funding to help them keep operating through the coronavirus pandemic.

Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Phillip Island Nature Parks were given the financial lifeline after they were forced to close in March under stage three restrictions.

A photo of Melbourne Zoo's meerkats to help brighten your morning. Credit:Michael Clayton-Jones

The emergency support package is intended to keep 785 staff employed and will allow the zoos to continue their conservation work.

Phillip Island Nature Parks will be given the majority of the funding with $8.8 million because it is more dependent on international tourists.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigwFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3ZpY3RvcmlhL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXVwZGF0ZXMtbGl2ZS1jb3ZpZC0xOS1jYXNlcy13b3JsZHdpZGUtcGFzcy0zLTMtbWlsbGlvbi0yMDIwMDUwMy1wNTRwYTkuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5

2020-05-02 23:39:00Z
52780760376616

Bagikan Berita Ini