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Coronavirus updates LIVE: Victoria records 295 new COVID-19 cases as QLD border closes to Greater Sydney residents; Australian death toll jumps to 176 - The Sydney Morning Herald

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Watch live: Press conference with the Prime Minister, Vic Premier, NSW Premier or QLD Premier

As I write this there are three press conferences unfolding and one in Victoria about to start. You can watch them live below, but by the time you read this one or more of them may have concluded.

Victoria's daily coronavirus update with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will start at 11.45am:

There's a press conference with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian:

Or there is a press conference with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk:

A press conference with Prime Minister Scott Morrison:

Depending on your settings, multiple press conferences might start playing at once. To choose the one you want to watch, click 'don't play' on the other ones or pause them if they start to play automatically.

Latest updates

Victoria's Chief Health Officer praises state's 'tireless' contact tracers

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton has detailed just how tough the job is for the state's contact tracers, saying they have been "tireless".

"The work is absolutely gruelling, and of course it is clear that people on the phone would be very frustrated at times either because of their own state of health, their psychological state in isolation or quarantine," he said.

"It is tough to be on the phone day after day, time after time in those circumstances.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.Credit:Eddie Jim

"But they do literally some of the most critical work that is going on in the country right now, and they have my absolute support."

We're keen to interview anyone who has been contacted by contact tracers. If you'd like to talk to a journalist, fill out the form below:

Still too early to say whether Victoria's second wave has peaked

As you can see there has been a drop in case numbers over the past couple of days compared with the state's biggest single-day increase of 532 infections on Monday. Yesterday there were 384 cases and today there were 295.

But the state's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton is not prepared to call that the state has passed the peak.

"I will not make a declaration that we have passed the peak," he said. "We have to watch the numbers every day. So I certainly wouldn't say we have definitely passed the peak. We absolutely have to keep watching every day."

He said it was important to note there were limits to modelling and that outbreaks could spring up quickly that could produce "substantial" swings in the case numbers.

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Community transmission levels in Victoria 'relatively stable': state's Chief Health Officer

Community transmission cases in Victoria have remained "relative stable, but not at super high levels", the state's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has said.

Instead the growth in numbers has come from spread associated with outbreaks including at aged care, he said.

"It hasn't gone down as much as I would have liked. The number of cases that are so-called community transmission, where the acquisition isn't known, where the source isn't known, have remained relatively stable... but it's not going down as much as I would like," Professor Sutton said.

As of Tuesday afternoon there were 1363 cases in Victoria where community transmission was suspected, but the true number could be higher given there are 3350 cases still being investigated.

The daily number of community transmission cases was sitting at about 50, he said.

"Now, that doesn't sound like a lot, but we were at a point a month or so ago where we had single figures for community transmission," he said.

Premier Daniel Andrews says his relationship with Prime Minister Scott Morrison is 'productive, rational and respectful'

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said his relationship with Prime Minister Scott Morrison is "productive, rational and respectful".

"Any talk about fights and arguments is wrong. It might make good copy but it's wrong, couldn't be clearer," he said.

"The only fight I am engaged in is a fight against this deadly virus, and that will not change," he said.

Victorian Premier defends decision to restrict elective surgery

Mr Andrews has defended the speed of the state's decision to restrict Category Two elective surgery yesterday.

"There were discussions on Sunday night, a Cabinet decision on Monday, and in the intervening period, we were having conversations with the private sector and public hospitals and elective surgery cancellation was announced yesterday," he said.

"Short of taking people off operating tables, it could be done no faster," he said.

He said proof of the process was the fact more than 150 people had been transferred from aged care centres to hospitals to be looked after.

"There is a reason why the number of Victorians in hospital has grown, and that's because we are moving people into hospitals, our staff are doing an amazing job," he said.

More than 150 aged care residents relocated to hospitals in Victoria

Mr Andrews has described some of the moves around the aged care system including the relocation of residents to hospitals.

Mr Andrews said residents had been or were being moved out of St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner (80 people), Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping (34 people) and Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth (30 people) and Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North (21 people).

"I don't think anybody in the workforce will mind us giving up a shout out to Ambulance Victoria colleagues, they've done an amazing job and we will ask a lot in the days and weeks ahead in terms of transferring residents," he said.

Mr Andrews also praised health workers who have stepped in to help at outbreaks in Victorian aged care homes.

He said workers from the ADF, federal health departments and the private sector had already filled some 400 shifts.

"I often describe our health professionals as heroes, we know that, we don't need more evidence yet every day we see more and more examples that are very, very impressive, it's hard to find the words, define their commitment and courage and the work they do and these are very challenging environments."

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Thai Rock cluster in western Sydney now at 85 cases

Here’s a bit more of a breakdown of the latest case numbers from NSW:

  • Three new cases are linked to the funerals cluster in the Bankstown area
  • 10 are associated with the Thai Rock outbreak at Wetherill Park
  • Two are linked to Thai Rock in Potts Point
  • One is in a staff member of The Apollo restaurant in Potts Point
  • One is associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster
  • Two are in travellers in hotel quarantine.

Now, there are 85 cases associated with western Sydney’s Thai Rock, 57 cases linked to the Crossroads Hotel cluster, 18 associated with the western Sydney funerals, and seven in the Potts Point cluster. The Batemans Bay cluster remains at eight cases.

Wear a mask if you can't keep 1.5 metres: NSW Premier

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said the 1.5 metre social distancing rule has to be "part of our lives for the duration of the pandemic".

If that spacing cannot be maintained, or you are prone to forgetting about it, she said masks should be worn.

The 1.5 metre rule is not just for strangers – Ms Berejiklian said if you’re seeing friends or family who are not part of your immediate household you should maintain that gap.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said NSW residents must keep 1.5 metres apart, even with family and friends.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said NSW residents must keep 1.5 metres apart, even with family and friends.Credit:Brook Mitchell

"If I visit my parents or extended family members I still need to maintain that 1.5 metres," she said.

"The only way we will get through this is if all of us step up and do the right thing."

Ms Berejiklian also said the 1.5-metre rule was in addition to the four-square-metre rule for indoor venues – so if you’re at a restaurant with a group, your chairs must be 1.5 metres apart.

"If you’re out with friends, you’re sitting down at a venue, you should still have 1.5 metres between each of the chairs and each of you when you’re dining," Ms Berejiklian said.

"These are rules based on the health advice, and we find too often when cases are identified that one or two of these rules have unintentionally been broken and that’s why the disease is spreading."

Public health workers to door-knock every current coronavirus case in Victoria

Public health workers working with Australian Defence Force personnel would now knock on the door of every positive coronavirus case in Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews has said.

The move builds on a program where ADF and health department officials were visiting people who could not be contacted by phone or refused to co-operate.

"These efforts will be ramped up from tomorrow, with the teams now checking in on every Victorian who has tested positive for coronavirus," he said.

Mr Andrews said employers would also be required to notify WorkSafe immediately if they become aware that a worker has had a positive diagnosis.

"Over the past week we have seen that the ADF and DHHS going door to door has helped - so we are expanding those efforts to ensure every Victorian who tests positive has our support," he said.

Mr Andrews said the 58-strong team that had been conducting doorknocks would be increased to about 90 staff.

Of the 500 doorknocks conducted so far there had been about 29 occasions where people were not at home and those cases had been referred to Victoria Police.

"If you are supposed to be at home isolating, you are supposed to be at home doing just that," he said.

"It isn't just about checking where people are, it's an opportunity where we can say, 'what can we do for you?' and 'what do you need?'"

"There will be many and varied requests and we will do our level best to meet each of them," he said.

Victoria records 295 new coronavirus cases and nine new deaths from COVID-19

Victoria has recorded 295 new cases of coronavirus overnight taking the state's total to 9304.

A further nine people have died of the virus meaning Victoria's death toll now sits at 92.

Premier Daniel Andrews said seven of those nine new fatalities were linked to private sector aged care.

The deaths include two people in their 90s, five in their 80s, one in their 70s and one in their 60s.

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2020-07-29 02:49:00Z
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