Coronavirus updates LIVE: Global COVID-19 cases surpass 3.4 million, western Sydney nursing home under investigation as Australia's death toll stands at 95 - The Sydney Morning Herald

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Summary

• The global death toll from coronavirus has passed 246,000. There have been more than 3.4 million cases but 1.1 million recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally. The Australian death toll stands at 95
• More than four million Australians have downloaded the COVIDSafe app, with state leaders encouraging downloads to meet the federal government's 10 million target 
• Two primary schools in Sydney and Melbourne are closed today after confirmed cases were present in classrooms. NSW schools will begin a staggered return to face-to-face learning next week
• US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said there is "enormous evidence" that COVID-19 emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Australian intelligence officials have been unable to find evidence to support the controversial theory, and the official position of US intelligence is that the virus began in a wet market
• Boris Johnson has spoken candidly about his battle against coronavirus, as the UK plans to introduce a 14-day quarantine period for overseas arrivals

With three new cases, Queensland schools to return from next week

By Toby Crockford

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk plans to send all Queensland students back to school by May 25.

The announcement comes after there were three new COVID-19 cases in the state overnight, all overseas travellers.

It brings the state's total number of cases recorded since the start of the outbreak to 1038.

According to the proposed plan, Ms Palaszczuk says kindy, prep and Years 1, 11 & 12 will return to school on May 11.

There will be another assessment on the situation on May 15 before the planned full reopening of schools on May 25.

Queenslanders 'amazing' at complying with new rules over weekend

By Toby Crockford

Queensland's top cop has said there were a handful of "blatant and reckless" breaches of relaxated social distancing restrictions over the weekend, but the state's residents "have done amazing" on a whole.

From 11.59pm on Friday, movement restrictions were eased, resulting in people flocking to beaches and parks with 146 fines handed out for breaches such as noisy house parties and repeated ignoring of social distancing requests.

“Queenslanders have done amazing this weekend, there were a lot of people out, we were expecting that," Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said.

"The majority of people were doing the right thing, I think we should continue with this, but if we have the blatant disregard [for the restrictions] it will jeopardise what we are trying to achieve. The proof will be in the pudding in two weeks’ time."

Large crowds gathering at Burleigh Hill on the Gold Coast on Sunday to watch the sunset, which was one of the disappointing events police had to deal with.

Extra signage and barricades will be put in place at Burleigh Hill on Monday in response.

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LIVE: Queensland Premier addresses the media

National cabinet to discuss relaxing restrictions on Tuesday and Friday

The national cabinet will meet twice this week to discuss the relaxation of restrictions as Australia's coronavirus spread continues to come under control.

However, federal Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has warned restrictions, such as those on the operation of retail businesses and other services, could be brought back if clusters emerge.

Speaking on Sunrise this morning, Dr Coatsworth said it was possible for restrictions to be returned on a regional basis.

“It’s going to be a matter of looking over the next four weeks and seeing what happens,” he said.

“There won’t likely be a threshold. If there was an increase in COVID-19, it’s likely it would be in a very confined geographic area or a region of Australia and so you would expect a regional response or quarantine.”

Addressing media this morning, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said "the beauty about national cabinet" is that it sets guidelines for the states to legislate based on local circumstances.

Ms Berejiklian said that, although getting the economy going would be a focus for NSW, she viewing the easing of restrictions as a monthly task.

"I like the idea of making sure we let people know what they can expect in the next few weeks so they can plan ahead," she said.

"And I've said previously that in May we can certainly expect schools to go back ... [and] we've already noticed an increase in retail activity, and I assume that will continue to increase as people get more confidence."

Teenage boy charged after allegedly spitting on train guard

A teenage boy will appear in court today after allegedly spitting on a train guard in Sydney's south-west.

Police will allege the 16-year-old boy spat in the face of a train guard working on a train stopped at Canley Vale station before 7pm on Sunday night, as the train was due to depart.

The boy then allegedly ran from the scene, across the tracks.

Shortly after, police stopped and spoke to the boy on Canley Vale Road.

He was arrested and taken to Fairfield Police Station where he was charged with common assault. He was refused bail and will appear in a children's court today.

Different border approach needed to eliminate virus: health official

Chief Health Officer Dr Brett Sutton said the plan from national cabinet was still to suppress the pandemic and flatten the curve.

"But elimination is still in scope, and if we happen to have a happy accident of elimination then we are able to have that as an ongoing strategy," he said.

Dr Sutton that elimination would require an "absolute assurance" of no chances of transmission, meaning Australia would need to take a different approach to its borders even though all returned travellers are placed in mandatory quarantine for two weeks.

He said the meatworks at the centre of the state's latest cluster – which recorded 19 new cases in the last reporting period – had gone into shutdown, though it needed minimum staffing on-site to ensure animal welfare.

"They went down to minimal staffing for the purposes of being able to transition to a full shutdown."

Dr Sutton said there was no public health risk associated with the cluster, and there was no reason for authorities to name the abattoir.

"There was very, very broad testing of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals."

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China hid coronavirus' severity to hoard supplies: US report

US officials believe China covered up the extent of the coronavirus outbreak – and how contagious the disease is – to stock up on medical supplies needed to respond to it, intelligence documents show.

Chinese leaders "intentionally concealed the severity" of the pandemic from the world in early January, according to a four-page Department of Homeland Security report dated May 1 and obtained by The Associated Press.

Pictures from the WeChat account of Chinese state-owned property developer Poly Australia, which sent medical supplies to China in January and February this year.

The revelation comes as the Trump administration has intensified its criticism of China, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying on Sunday that China was responsible for the spread of disease and must be held accountable.

Spike in Victorian cases as meatworks cluster grows

By Rachel Eddie

Victoria has seen a spike in coronavirus cases, with another 22 people diagnosed yesterday.

Nineteen of those are connected to the Melbourne meatworks cluster, which was already responsible for 15 cases.

Two new cases were returned travellers and the source of the other case is still being investigated.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said 13,000 Victorians were tested in the state yesterday, the most people who have been tested in a 24-hour period nationally so far this pandemic.

"That is an amazing result and I just want to say how proud, how pleased I am, and how grateful I am," Mr Andrews said.

The results of those tests won't be available for a day or so, he said.

Victoria is pushing to test 100,000 people within two weeks, and Mr Andrews said the state was already ahead of that aim.

He said widespread testing was needed before restrictions can be eased on May 11.

"We've got to have a really good look and know exactly how much virus is out there before we make decisions that we have to get right. There's no do-over here."

He said he did not want to see a "cycle" of second and third waves and harsher lockdown restrictions.

Labor's position on temporary migrants is inconsistent: Tudge

By Max Koslowski

Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge has accused Labor of inconsistency over the party's push to reduce the number of temporary migrants while at the same time urging the government to include the visitors in its $130 billion JobKeeper package.

Mr Tudge warned it is "going to be a long time yet" before migration levels return to pre-coronavirus levels, with an 85 per cent reduction in visitors predicted for next financial year.

"I'm not sure what Labor's position is because it came out this morning that Kristina Keneally was probably front-running her policy, and probably doesn't have the support of Anthony Albanese," the acting minister said.

"For weeks they've been criticising us for not offering the welfare payments and JobKeeper payments to temporary migrants," he added.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Kristina Keneally wrote in an op-ed for The Sun-Herald and Sunday Age that the government "must make sure that Australians get a fair go and a first go at jobs".

Several of Senator Keneally's colleagues privately voiced frustrations on Sunday about her decision to write an opinion piece, while other MPs publicly defended Senator Keneally, arguing that Australia's use of temporary migrants was a debate that needed to happen as the nation recovered from the coronavirus crisis.

"Our post-COVID-19 economic recovery must ensure that Australia shifts away from its increasing reliance on a cheap supply of overseas, temporary labour that undercuts wages for Australian workers and takes jobs Australians could do," Senator Keneally wrote.

Mr Tudge said this analysis was not precise, as our largest categories of temporary migrants are New Zealanders – who we have a free movement agreement with – and international students and tourists, who help boost the economy.

The minister defended temporary migrants as necessary workers in sectors such as aged care where there are not enough Australians to fill job vacancies.

LIVE: Victorian Premier gives a coronavirus update

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2020-05-04 00:13:00Z
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