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Summary
- NSW recorded zero new cases for the 11th consecutive day and Victoria recorded four cases, including one linked to a McDonald's cluster and three returned travellers
- The global death toll from coronavirus passed 395,000 and there are more than 6.7 million known cases of infection, according to Johns Hopkins University
- Tens of thousands of people joined rallies across Australia on Saturday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, ignoring warnings against mass gatherings
- The World Health Organisation updated their guidelines and endorsed the use of face masks by the public to reduce transmission of COVID-19
Watch: Deputy Chief Medical Officer COVID-19 update
The Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly is giving an update on Australia's COVID-19 response this afternoon.
Latest updates
NRL to debate expanding matchday squads after Sharks temperature scare
By Adam Pengilly
The NRL will debate whether matchday squads should be expanded to more than 20 players to avoid a repeat of the chaotic Sharks temperature-test scare in Townsville on Saturday night.
The biosecurity proposals which allow clubs to have three extra players in case of a last-minute emergency will be discussed by NRL executives and medical experts this week.
Too soon to tell but protests could delay re-opening
By Roy Ward
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly says its possible the Black Lives Matter protests could delay the easing of COVID-19 restrictions but it was too early to tell.
Professor Kelly said the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee would meet on Monday and all states were already on their own timetables for resuming regular activities.
Paul KellyCredit:Alex Ellinghausen
But if new cases emerged in the next two weeks, he admitted it could cause a delay.
“It is definitely a factor that we will take into account,” Professor Kelly said.
“But the most important thing would be if there were cases, community-acquired cases not otherwise linked to known clusters occurring in the next week or two, and then as we investigate those cases, we find they were at the protest. That would be a game changer.
“But at the moment, all we have are these mass gatherings, we don't know if anyone in those mass gatherings were infected or infectious, and so it is a wait-and-see approach.
“We are certainly on alert, we are putting up that strong message, anyone who has been at the protests or any other mass gathering should get a test as soon as possible if they were to develop symptoms. We are in a wait-and-see approach at the moment.”
Pushed on whether there would have to be a delay in easing restrictions, Professor Kelly said it would be up to various states.
“The states and territories have their timetables,” he said.
“Many of them have gone into their phase of releasing of restrictions on the last couple of days, and so they would already have that extra time already factored in for the next two or three weeks.
"Whether it leads to a delay in particular states views, that is really up to them, but we will be discussing that at the AHPPC tomorrow.”
Deputy CMO urges protesters who feel sick to get COVID-19 test
By Roy Ward
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly has urged anyone who attended the Black Lives Matter rallies on Saturday to get a COVID-19 test immediately if they have flu-like symptoms.
Professor Kelly said authorities believed the protest rallies, which saw tens of thousands of attendees, were a risk of spreading the virus around the country, especially with contact tracing so difficult from such a big event.
He admitted authorities would be nervously watching new cases in the coming weeks to see if there is a spike or any clusters that emerge from the rallies.
Black Lives Matter rally in Melbourne.Credit:CHRISTOPHER HOPKINS
Professor Kelly said he was happy to see so many people wearing masks but didn’t know how many protesters had the COVIDSafe phone app which would help with contact-tracing.
“We are now having to wait and watch and we have talked about vigilance before and that cautious approach. We will need to wait and watch out for cases that may occur in the next week or two around Australia,” Professor Kelly said.
“My message to people that were at the protest yesterday and this is not a blame game at all, there was a decision made and the protest happened and we cannot turn back time but anyone who was at the protest, if you do get sick with symptoms that we have talked about a lot, cold and flu like symptoms, it could be COVID-19, please get a test as soon as possible so that we can know if that is the case and start the process of contact tracing to try and decrease any outbreak that may occur.
“There is no need for people who are at that protest to get a test unless they feel sick but if you are sick, get a test quickly and stay home until the result is possible. This will protect your life, the lives of your families and lives further into the community.”
Professor Kelly said speaking with protest organisers beforehand was beneficial despite concerns about the rallies on medical grounds.
“Talking with organisers of protesters, as has happened in recent days, has been very beneficial,” Professor Kelly said.
“Getting them to suggest and to encourage people to download the app would be extra reassurance but realistically, mass gatherings of any reason including protests, at this time, are very risky and I really would prefer it on medical grounds not to go ahead.”
Watch: Deputy Chief Medical Officer COVID-19 update
The Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly is giving an update on Australia's COVID-19 response this afternoon.
Performing through the pane: Fire twirlers and belly dancers delight aged care residents
By Sherryn Groch
Lorraine Palmer has been staring out of the window a lot during the coronavirus lockdown at her aged care home. And it's not just to see loved ones smiling through the glass, or to laugh at the joggers pounding the streets in strictly spaced formation.
In recent days, a troupe of fire twirlers and belly dancers have started putting on a show just outside her living room.
Fire performer Chris James and resident Maggie Goller during the window show at Lifeview's aged care home The Willows.Credit:Chris Hopkins
Chris James is one of the performers who sparked up for a very animated crowd at The Willows aged care home in Wheelers Hill.
"When he was on fire, I was on fire," said resident Trudy Tunbridge, who made sure she lined up to nab a front-row seat well before the curtains were drawn back. "I do hope he comes back."
Acting NSW commissioner defends police actions after protests
Acting NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has defended the conduct of officers including the use of capsicum spray on a group of protesters in Central Station on Saturday night.
A women on crutches was among hit by the spray in a clash which came after the peaceful protest which saw tens of thousands of people march in Sydney and around the country.
Mr Lanyon on Sunday that "police attempted to quell the situation and move those persons on. One of the males chose to act aggressively towards police, at which time he was placed under arrest."
"I support the use of the capsicum spray and the way the police responded in order to ensure that there was no further violence," he said when asked if he stood by the use of capsicum spray.
The man was taken to Surry Hills Police Station and charged with resisting police and offensive behaviour, and granted conditional bail to appear in Mount Druitt Local Court in August.
Acting Commissioner Lanyon said that police were continuing to investigate several incidents from after the protest.
"A police vehicle had a half brick thrown towards it.... and a number of items were thrown at police officers. One struck with a can of drink, another struck with a bottle," he said.
"It's worth understanding that at any types of these protests there will be groups of people who seek pursue interests that are contrary to the rest of the protest group.
"We certainly believe there are groups that attend those types of protests with an interest to incite police and try to cause violence."
Social dis-dancing? Dutch club tries post-coronavirus layout
By Esther Verkaik
Nijmegen: Dutch youth hit the club on Saturday, sort of, in one of the country's first attempts to resume night life after the coronavirus outbreak, with social distancing rules still in place.
Clubbers at Doornroosje in the eastern city of Nijmegen booked ahead of time to enjoy short sets of electronic dance music in the afternoon, rather than around midnight, as they used to. During the show, they were restricted to chairs.
Clubbers party from their chairs. Credit:Facebook
But when the lights went down and the sound came up, almost everything fell into place.
"I expect amazing social dis-dancing!" said Nadie, a young woman who had come to see local favourite DJ Odin play.
"I think it's your perfect daily dose of music, like, 20 minutes is enough, yeah, sure." said Nuray Boga, 19. "It made me happy."
Reuters
WA Premier doesn't want to fire up more protesters to join BLM rally next weekend
By Roy Ward
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has asked potential protesters to “do the right thing” and not attend a Black Lives Matter rally in Perth next weekend.
WA Senator Mathias Cormann said the tens of thousands of people who attended rallies around the country on Saturday were “reckless” and “self-indulgent” and were jeopardising the sacrifices people have made during the COVID-19 pandemic to stop the spread of the virus.
WA Premier Mark McGowan.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
But Mr McGowan took a measured response to calls for him to ban the rally or speak more sharply as he believed stern words from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and a defeated legal challenge from the New South Wales government ended up encouraging more people to protest.
“I am requesting that people do the right thing. I am requesting that they do that,” Mr McGowan said in a joint press conference with Mr Cormann on Sunday.
“We have that 300-person gathering limits. We have the capacity to apply for an exemption if people want to, I would urge people if they want to do that to apply for that exemption for open air areas, but a mass rally in which lots of people in close proximity is not within the rules and I'd just urge people to understand that.
“So, these are not easy issues to manage. They are not easy issues to manage. As you saw in New South Wales and Victoria, the more people in positions of authority, the more people elevated the issue, the more people attended, so I'd just want to make sure that we don't elevate the rally, as opposed to the issue, too much.”
Mr McGowan said it wasn’t a double-standard that restaurant owners who breach capacity were being fined while mass protests were going ahead.
"It is not going above the gathering limit and if the organisers want to apply for an exemption, that's what they should do and they can,” Mr McGowan said.
“They can apply for the exemption. It doesn't mean they will receive it and it doesn't mean it will be as big as they might have liked.
“Western Australians have done a great job over the last three months, just a great job. Let's keep our record intact.”
Mr Cormann said he would leave Mr McGowan to make his own decisions on whether to ban the protest but was against it going ahead.
“This is a legitimate issue, of course, and if we weren't in a pandemic environment of course we fully respect the right to protest,” Mr Cormann said.
“But right now, many Australians have lost their jobs as we impose restrictions on the economy in order to save lives, to suppress the spread of the virus, people have been unable to attend funerals of their loved ones to help stop the spread of the virus.
“If you go to a cafe right now you have got to leave your name and your address to help stop the spread of the virus but we are going to have a mass gathering of tens of thousands of people incomplete breach of the rules, it is absolutely reckless and irresponsible and it shouldn't be happening.
“How do we say to a businessman that is not allowed to open, in order to help us stop, slow down or suppress the spread of the virus that we are going to have tens of thousands of people gather like they have on the east coast? There is a complete and utter double standard here.
“If it is good enough to impose restrictions on everyday Australians in their daily lives, their jobs, across the economy then it has got to be good enough in these circumstances that we have witnessed in the last few days.”
Watch: Acting NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon on BLM protests
Acting NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon spoke to the media about Saturday's Black Lives Matter protests across the state.
Courts ready to handle post-lockdown case backlog, top judges say
By Adam Cooper
Senior judges are confident the courts are equipped to handle the huge backlog of cases confronting Victoria's justice system when coronavirus restrictions further ease.
In interviews with The Age, the heads of the Supreme, County and Magistrates courts said they never considered halting the administration of justice through the COVID-19 crisis, even though it meant prioritising urgent cases, adjourning many others and enduring technology problems amid a new reliance on remote hearings.
County Court judge Trevor Wraight at a plea hearing last month with lawyers and the accused appearing via videolink.Credit:Joe Armao
"We understood from day one that we would never close our doors. I am so proud that 51 courts have remained open right across the state," Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan said.
The suspension of jury trials because of social distancing rules meant trials were adjourned from March, and the County Court – which hears most of them – estimates 750 cases will be affected. So far, only one accused person has sought and been granted a judge-only trial.
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2020-06-07 06:37:00Z
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