Latest updates
Queensland police planning for border controls into new year
By Matt Dennien
Queensland’s police chief tasked with overseeing the COVID-19 response says planning is under way for border restrictions to remain in place into 2021.
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told Today that the response, which includes more than 1200 officers dedicated each roster, had been a “strain”.
“But we’re managing it, we’re planning ahead,” he said. “We realise we’re maybe going into next year with this type of approach and our planning is pretty thorough around that.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk flagged on Monday that Victorians could be locked out of the state until Christmas.
Criminal responsibility not ruled out in Ruby Princess probe: Police Commissioner
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has said his criminal investigation into the Ruby Princess will "only add to the recommendations of the inquiry" into the biosecurity bungle, which saw passengers disembark a ship while some were still awaiting the results of coronavirus tests in March.
Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB this morning, Mr Fuller said the special inquiry – which released its findings on Friday – "took a lot of the pressure off" the police probe.
"With criminal investigations it's not about the speed of it, it's about the quality of the outcome," he said.
Mr Fuller said his investigation would include occurrences well before the Ruby Princess sailing on its last voyage and the ship's owner, Carnival, had been "working well with the investigation".
Asked about the likelihood that criminal responsibility of NSW Health employees would be found in the investigation, after the special inquiry said it was unlikely such recourse existed, Mr Fuller said it had not been ruled out although the bar was set high due to the severity of the consequences.
"Have to be evidence beyond someone making a mistake, but it's important we don't just look at the recommendations of the special inquiry [and] we look at the evidence," he said.
"We've let [the special inquiry] run its race, and now we will move in and look at [that evidence] and see if it will assist the criminal investigation."
Twenty-eight passengers aboard the ship died from coronavirus, including nine in NSW.
Mr Fuller said a class action launched by the ship's passengers would not impact the investigation.
Auditor-General to scrutinise Victoria's mammoth coronavirus borrowing
By Sumeyya Illanbey
The Auditor-General will scrutinise the Victorian government over its plans to borrow up to $24.5 billion in emergency funding to deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Andrews government has already spent $9.7 billion of the debt facility it set up in April, when Treasurer Tim Pallas conceded it was likely the state would need to draw down on the entire sum.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien exchanging barbs in the chamber in June. Credit:Jason South
Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien had urged the Auditor-General in June to audit the government's budget management during the coronavirus crisis to ensure the pandemic was not being used to disguise poor financial management on a massive scale.
Even before COVID-19 ravaged the economy, state borrowings were expected to balloon by $29.7 billion (47.2 per cent) to $92.6 billion by June 2023. The net debt over the same period was projected to "rise significantly" to $43.4 billion, according to the Auditor-General's most recent annual assessment of the state's financial position tabled in Parliament almost a year ago.
Shorten says watching hotel quarantine inquiry was 'just frustrating'
Former opposition leader and shadow minister for government services Bill Shorten has said he found yesterday's inquiry into hotel quarantine in Victoria to be "just frustrating".
"Looking at some of the footage, I can't help but wonder: why are we still having an argument about PPE?" Mr Shorten asked on Today this morning.
"The aged care workers couldn't get it, they were told they didn't need it in hotels based on the evidence."
The Melbourne-based Labor MP went on to ask "why do we need guards to guard adults", questioning the need for such large security presences in hotel quarantine facilities.
Sydney bus drivers threaten strike over social distancing
By Tom Rabe
Sydney bus drivers have warned they will strike for 48 hours next week if the state government does not improve the enforcement of social distancing measures and mask use on public transport during the coronavirus crisis.
In a letter from the NSW Rail, Tram and Bus Union, sent to Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Monday, division secretary David Babineau accused the government of failing to provide and enforce legitimate regulations for commuters.
Bus drivers across Sydney's northern beaches and eastern suburbs plan to strike next week.Credit:Janie Barrett
The strike would impact State Transit Authority bus regions 7 (north western suburbs), region 8 (northern beaches) and region 9 (eastern suburbs), which are all slated to be franchised to private operators over coming years.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance on Monday said rates of face mask use had not lifted since last week, with about 30 per cent of commuters seen to be wearing them, despite encouragement from the state government.
Yesterday's quarantine inquiry, recapped: two hotels responsible for almost all infections
The Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry kicked off again yesterday, with a number of medical experts speaking about the science behind cluster tracing and giving their opinion on how Victoria's second wave began.
Genomic sequencing of Victoria's COVID-19 clusters by the Doherty Institute presented to the state's quarantine hotels inquiry on Monday confirmed returned travellers were the source of more than 99 per cent of the state's current COVID-19 cases.
The Rydges on Swanston and Stamford Plaza were the only quarantine hotels to record major outbreaks. Professor Ben Howden, head of the Doherty Institute’s genomic sequencing unit, told the inquiry that their genomic sample provided a sufficient cross-section to be confident that all of Victoria’s second wave was linked to returned travellers.
DHHS' advice on PPE dated June 8.
The $3 million inquiry also heard on Monday that Department of Health and Human Services advice to guards at quarantine hotels was "inappropriate" for use in a high-risk setting. In training notes shown to the inquiry guards were told that masks and protective equipment were not necessary provided they maintained a 1.5 metre distance from returned travellers.
The inquiry continues today, with hearings also expected for Thursday and Friday this week.
Perth man accused of hotel quarantine window escape to visit girlfriend
A man who was ordered to quarantine at Perth’s Mercure Hotel has been accused of fleeing through a window and climbing down a ladder on four occasions to visit his girlfriend.
Western Australian tyre-fitter Yusuf Karakaya flew into Perth from Sydney on July 30 when he began his 14-day quarantine at the inner-city hotel, Nine News Perth reported.
Within hours he emailed police asking if he could instead isolate at his Langford home, but the request was rejected.
It has been alleged Mr Karakaya then squeezed through the hotel window and used a ladder an acquaintance had brought to scale down to the ground before driving to his girlfriend’s house.
Police claim he performed the elaborate escape four times before they discovered him in her wardrobe. Mr Karakaya told them it was her birthday and that he would be in trouble if he didn't see her.
Lebanon needs two-week lockdown after 'shocking' COVID-19 rise, minister says
Lebanon must shut down for two weeks after a surge in coronavirus infections, the caretaker health minister said, as the country reels from the massive Beirut port blast.
The country's health ministry registered a record 456 new infections on Monday, with two deaths, taking the cumulative number of cases to 9337 since February, with 105 fatalities.
"We declare today a state of general alert and we need a brave decision to close (the country) for two weeks," Hamad Hassan told Voice of Lebanon radio.
Lebanon, already deep in financial crisis, was struggling with a COVID-19 spike before the August 4 blast that killed at least 178 people, wrecked swathes of the capital and pushed the government to resign.
Today's front pages
Here's what is making news on the front pages of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age this morning.
Melburnians reminded they are able to donate blood in stage four
The Australian Red Cross's Lifeblood has reminded Melburnians that they are still allowed to donate blood and plasma during the city's stage four restrictions.
The organisation said it has experienced a large spike in cancellations since the city's lockdown came into effect, and expects to experience shortages within a fortnight if nothing changes.
Every week Australia needs 29,000 blood donations to keep up with demand, and there are no confirmed instances of coronavirus being transmitted by blood.
"To meet the needs of Australian patients, we really need 10,383 additional people to donate over the next two weeks," Lifeblood chief executive Shelly Park said.
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2020-08-17 21:06:00Z
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