National Cabinet will discuss the extra burden on state and territory hotel quarantine systems after the Prime Minister announced the weekly cap of people allowed into Australia would increase by 2,000.
Follow Friday's events as they unfold.
Key events
Live updates
By Sophie Meixner
World surpasses 30 million coronavirus cases
The number of coronavirus infections around the world has passed 30 million.
Johns Hopkins University says the United States, India and Brazil have the highest number of cases, and Europe has experienced a steep resurgence in infections in recent weeks.
More than 943,000 people have died from the virus globally, with the US and Brazil recording the highest number of fatalities.
By Sophie Meixner
The Victorian numbers aren't out yet
Delayed DHHS numbers today?-Notion
I need the daily numbers.Starting to feel twitchy-Twitch
OMG. I freak out when the numbers are this late...-Melburnian
No numbers yet, but everyone just stay calm. We are watching closely and will bring them to you the second we can.
By Sophie Meixner
Deputy Opposition Leader Richard Marles says national borders 'are a mess'
On the Today Show, Richard Marles said the federal government had not adequately managed the issue of overseas arrivals into Australia.
"The national borders are a mess," he said. "If you are an Australian overseas right now, you are faced with a bill of thousands, north of $10,000 in some cases to just get home.
"And that is unquestionably the responsibility of the Federal Government. And the Federal Government seems unable to be able to actually manage a situation which is fair for those stranded Australians who are overseas.
"When it comes to our internal borders, the prime minister has completely vacated the field here. It is genuinely astonishing. John Howard wouldn't have done that. We have a complete lack of leadership when it coming from our Federal Government about both the management of our internal borders but also the management of our national borders."
By Jessica Riga
'Time to get back to work you are saying. Are there jobs out there, though?'
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the government isn't putting the same mutual obligation requirements in Victoria regarding the number of jobs JobSeeker recipients are expected to apply for.
"We put mutual obligation on hold through the worst of the virus but outside of Victoria, the jobs are coming back and restrictions are being eased," he said.
"And obviously we would like to see the borders open because that will create more jobs too.
"We are not putting the same mutual obligation requirements in Victoria, and that's obviously a reflection of the fact that there is still is a curfew in place and stage four restrictions.
"Outside of Victoria it is a better economic environment. It's only appropriate when you provide government support, that you expect in return mutual obligation and we where there is an appropriate and suitable job on offer somebody takes it."
By Jessica Riga
Treasurer expects 60 per cent of people on JobKeeper will be Victorians
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told the Today Show he expects 60 per cent of JobKeeper recipients in the December and March quarters will be from Victoria.
"We supported Victorians to the tune of more than $28 billion. Already. That's an enormous amount of money," he said.
"And when it comes to JobKeeper, the expectation is that 60 per cent of people who are on JobKeeper in the December and in the March quarters will be from Victoria.
"So there will be more people on JobKeeper than from all the other states combined. And in that quarter of December we are talking about $11 billion from the Federal Government going to support Victorians with JobKeeper.
"So we are standing by the Victorian people every step of this way, and what we would like to see is those restrictions eased, as soon as possible in Victoria and a COVID safe way because once restrictions are eased people can get back to work.
"You have had plenty of business leaders on this program talking about how important it is to have that map out, that road out of these lockdowns to get people back to work."
By Sophie Meixner
Some lockdown weekend fun ideas
What to do this weekend even in lockdown? Bird watching would be a fun and easy thing! Just walk to any areas where there are trees and/or water and start having a look for what birds you have in your area. Whether it is Australian Magpies, Australian Wood ducks or colourful Galah's and other parrots as well as some of our cute small birds, like Silvereye and thornbills. It's spring, so most birds will be starting nesting activities as well and you may see them gathering food or building a nest if you watch quietly for a bit. If there are water areas in your 5kms it is a good time to see ducklings and cygnets (baby swan). All in all, spring is bird watching at is best!-Kris
Hey there 'Counting the Days'! If you're looking for social fun in step one, I recommend using zoom to host a virtual game night. You can customize trivia for special occasions like birthdays, or 'share your screen' and play a standard game like jackbox. Wirecutter has some great 'how to' recommendations
-Zoom Master
Hi counting the daysI have been picking over my 5km radius circle, looking for a new area or park I haven't visited. My goal is to find a palm tree or tropical (ish) plant in someone's yard so I can imagine I'm in QLD!-Small pleasures
A wonderful group of parents from Brunswick North West Primary School ran a isolated scavenger hunt/walkathon last weekend. Parents and kids got out and left uplifting chalk messages on pavements, three maps were developed with fun things to see and take photos of while on the walk and send the photos to a private kudoboard. So although the community couldn't do it together there was all the fun of going to the same places and leaving a decorated stick at the end to make an ever growing community stick cubbyhouse (which was dismantled by the last families to do the path). Imaginative iso safe fun.-Safe Lockdown ideas
Counting the days ... I trust there is going to be lots of celebrations that people in your situation can take part in very soon. Maybe one thing you could do is to plan the various ways we should celebrate when we are able to. My other suggestion is the old reliable Jigsaw puzzle. We have only done one- moderately difficult but it helped pass the time for five days. Good luck-Grampy
By Sophie Meixner
Should Daniel Andrews be congratulated for low case numbers, Greg Hunt asked
Victoria reported 28 new cases yesterday. Greg Hunt is asked on ABC News Breakfast whether Daniel Andrews deserves praise for his leadership.
"Our view is that around the country, the public and the different tiers of government have done an outstanding job," he said.
"Victoria had a second wave, you know, really with two great challenges, one was the fundamental breach of the hotel quarantine, and the contact tracing challenges which have been very well documented. But it's improving.
"And that's so immensely important. We've seen significant improvements in the contact tracing and I have welcomed them. And the new announcements in regards to digitisation, adopting the local public health model that New South Wales has, we unreservedly welcome those changes. It will help protect Victorians going forward. And we have argued for and advocated for them and to the extent they're being adopted, I think we should be generous and should recognise that these new steps in contact tracing are really important to protect Victorians going forward."
By Jessica Riga
Hello from me
Hi there! I'm Jess and I'll be joining Sophie on the blog this morning. Keep sending in your questions and we'll try to answer as many as we can between updates.
By Sophie Meixner
Greg Hunt says government is working with states to extend hotel quarantine capacity
"The [arrival cap] numbers were higher previously and then were reduced," he said.
"The indication from [former secretary of finance, who has prepared a report into hotel quarantine] Jane Halton is there's capacity, massive hotel capacity around the country to bring Australians home, to bring our sons and daughters home, to bring our parents, to bring people who want to return to their own country, home.
"So the caps have been a function of the hotel quarantine levels. But we've been very clear that the advice from one of the toughest public servants ever to work in Australia, one of the finest public servants ever to work in Australia, is there's a clear capacity that can be increased and that means more Australians coming home before Christmas."
By Sophie Meixner
Greg Hunt says Telehealth could be permanent
Health Minister Greg Hunt was asked on Sunrise this morning whether it could be a permanent scheme:
"This is a goal to have it as a permanent thing going forward," he said.
"We know that it has provided over 30 million consultations through the pandemic. It was a reform we were able to bring forward in 10 days. We learned a lot from that. It has serviced patients, protected patients, protected doctors and nurses. We are extending it for six months, but our plan and our intention is for this to be an abiding legacy change to the health system."
By Sophie Meixner
German soccer team that socially distanced throughout game loses 37-0
The amateur team from the town of Ripdorf only fielded the minimum of seven players, because their opponents had recently come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
Ripdorf reportedly agreed to play so that they wouldn't face a fine, after their request for a postponement was denied.
The beginning of the match saw one of the Ripdorf players pass the ball to an opponent, before the entire team walked to the sidelines.
By Sophie Meixner
JobSeeker recipients required to search for up to eight jobs a month
The Government is planning to step up mutual obligations for people on JobSeeker, making unemployed people search for up to eight jobs a month in order to continue receiving the support payment.
The changes will come into effect from the end of the month, days after the payment is cut from $1,100 a fortnight to $850 a fortnight.
Mutual obligations were suspended at the start of the pandemic, but have been gradually phased back in since last month, with recipients currently required to search for up to four jobs per month.
The changes won’t apply in Victoria, where mutual obligations are still suspended.
By Sophie Meixner
Have we got some fun but permitted weekend ideas for this Victorian locked down resident?
Morning Sophie! Today is my 80th day in lockdown since my postcode/suburb went into restrictions in July. It's been so reassuring to see the numbers get so low yesterday, fingers crossed we head into the weekend on a high (with a low number). Any creative ideas from the ABC for something new I can do this weekend (sticking to my 5km of course)?-Counting the days
I'm going to delegate this out to the brains trust (blog readers) because I think they'll have some inventive (but safe) ideas. The Melbourne weather looks very nice this weekend so from my perspective, I'd be aiming for any way to get some sun on my (masked) face. A bike ride, a throw of the frisbee, or just sitting in a park with a book and some snacks (I hear that's permitted now).
But 80 days is a huge achievement and you should be doing anything whatsoever that makes you happy. If that's sitting on the couch ordering takeaway ice cream, then do that with zero guilt. You've done something epic and deserve all of our congratulations.
By Sophie Meixner
UK imposes further lockdowns as cases in Europe surge
Two million residents in north-east England have been banned from socialising as positive cases reached three times the national average.
The World Health Organisation says it's a trend being replicated across Europe with 50 per cent of nations having reported a greater than 10 per cent increase in the past two weeks.
Seven European nations have recorded a two-fold increase in the same period. The WHO says it should serve as a wake-up call that weekly cases are now exceeding those reported at the peak of the pandemic in March.
By Sophie Meixner
Staff at NYU Sydney campus paid JobKeeper while Australian university staff miss out
It's been revealed that staff employed by an elite American university in Sydney have been paid jobkeeper while thousands of local university workers missed out.
New York University is the the 11th highest ranked university in the United States and has a campus in Sydney.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi says the government paying Jobseeker to employees of a foreign university but not to Australian uni staff is a double standard.
In a statement the treasurer Josh Frydenberg said all universities were eligible if they met the threshold for revenue losses.
Mr Frydenberg said he wouldn't comment on the tax affairs of an individual JobKeeper recipient.
By Sophie Meixner
Casey municipality outbreak in Victoria
Health authorities are urging people in Melbourne's outer south-east to get tested, after a spike in cases.
Victoria recorded its lowest daily increase in almost three months yesterday, with just 28 new coronavirus infections.
However five of those cases were linked to the municipality of Casey, where there's a growing group of infections found mainly in the suburbs of Hallam and Narre Warren.
The cluster has now grown to 34 cases, and health authorities will again be looking to ramp up testing with three new pop-up clinics in Casey.
Despite the emerging cluster, Victoria's overall active cases have dropped by 50 to just 941. Melbourne's 14-day rolling average now sits at 44.4.
By Sophie Meixner
National Cabinet to discuss partially lifting arrivals cap
The Prime Minister's move will be discussed by state and territory leaders today in National Cabinet, but he has already said they will effectively be forced into accepting the new arrivals into their quarantine systems.
WA's Premier Mark McGowan goes into today's discussions saying he's unhappy with the way the issue was handled by the Prime Minister.
Mr McGowan says he first heard about the demand for WA to take in an additional 500 arrivals a week through the media.
He says it will put too much pressure on the state's hotel quarantine system which is already at capacity.
"We should have worked out cooperative arrangements jointly," he said.
"It's actually the Commonwealth's responsibility, they seem to be ignoring the law."
Mr McGowan says the state can't manage the request without a lot more help from the Federal Government.
By Sophie Meixner
Happy Friday and National Cabinet day
Hi there, I'm Sophie and I'll be your coronavirus blogger for today. I sense today's National Cabinet could be a busy one so my colleagues Jessica Riga and Nicholas McElroy will be joining me a bit later.
In the meantime, I hope you're having a lovely start to the day, wherever you are across Australia.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA5LTE4L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWF1c3RyYWxpYS1saXZlLW5ld3MtY292aWQxOS1uYXRpb25hbC1jYWJpbmV0LWNhcC8xMjY3NTgyMtIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjY3NTgyMg?oc=5
2020-09-17 20:48:00Z
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