Latest updates
Some more details on Victoria's cases today
Here are some more details on Victoria's cases today, from Rachael Dexter:
The 14-day rolling average has dropped today to 20.3 from 22.1 yesterday and the number of 'mystery' cases with an unknown source over the past fortnight (measured between September 12 and September 25) is 31.
Both numbers need to reach below five before the next stage of restriction easing.
Meanwhile, Craig Butt tells me this is the first time since June 16 that Victoria's single-day case growth has been in single-digit figures. Here's the trend on a graph (just be aware the 14-day average on this graph is not exact because it does not use the DHHS data which includes excluded cases).
Victoria records just five cases
Victoria has recorded just five new coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour reporting period, and three deaths.
Yes, you read that correctly: single digits!
The last time the daily new cases number was so low was on June 12, with four cases reported that day.
with Rachael Dexter
Queensland, NSW premiers announce press conferences
Queensland and NSW's premiers have announced their whereabouts this morning, as the states provide their daily coronavirus updates.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will be joined by Police Minister Mark Ryan to open a counter-terrorism centre at Wacol at 9am.
Then NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will be joined by her own police minister, David Elliott, to open a new emergency services training facility at Orchard Hills at 11am.
We expect both premiers will also be providing their daily case numbers and answering questions about the pandemic and, in particular, when restrictions will next ease. Stay tuned for live updates.
Victoria should show how contact tracing has improved: epidemiologist
By Rachael Dexter
The Victorian government needs to explain to the public exactly how contact tracing has improved as the state eases restrictions further, according to the Director of Epidemiology at the Doherty Institute.
Fast, effective contact tracing has been named by multiple agencies as absolutely critical to avoid a repeat of scale infections seen in Victoria's second wave as more businesses begin to re-open and more people begin to move around the community again. Doherty's Professor Jodie McVernon said while there had been a "massive scaling up of capacity" in contact tracing, the public needed to hear and see exactly what that looked like, and a clear plan for how to respond to inevitable outbreaks.
“I think what would be really helpful for the public to hear over the coming weeks is probably more of a dialogue about what that capacity looks like, but also if there is an incursion [outbreak], what is it that the public is going to do? What is the approach going to be? What will be expected of us?" she told ABC Radio National's AM program.
Professor McVernon said clear planning and communication about what would be required of the public happen in the event of new local outbreaks was key to keeping the virus at manageable levels.
“I think some of the government’s concerns has been that people will kind of go crazy when the restraints are lifted, but having that shared understanding that … you don’t need a model to show that there is a 100 per cent probability that we will have more incursions in the future so when those happen, how are we going to respond?” she said.
“It’s a bit like cleaning the house, you know? You can clean the house perfectly, but it’s going to get dirty again so what are we going to do next?"
When asked yesterday if he had assured himself that contact tracing was where it should be, newly instated Health Minister Martin Foley said "not yet".
"But give me another little while and I'm sure I will be getting briefings around how all of those key pillar elements of the suppression strategy will be delivered, because all of government is committed to the strategy."
States must lift borders to save aviation industry: Deputy PM
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has said Victoria's roadmap to recovery is not moving quickly enough, calling on all states to reopen their borders as the federal government announces more relief for the aviation industry.
"We want to get those planes up, flying again not just for the jobs in the aviation sector but [because] people want to travel," he told Today.
"As we head into the warmer months they want to be able to go on holidays in Australia. They want to be able to fly interstate. And they certainly want to have reunions with loved ones, which is always the case over Christmas. They won't be able to do it if the borders are still shut."
Speaking on Sunrise, Mr McCormack defended propping up state regional routes which few people would fly for another six months, saying the purpose of these flights was not just moving people.
"We can get key frontline medical personnel and protection equipment, that personal protection equipment, respiratory devices, the face masks, we can get those [in the air]," he said.
Under the package, to form part of next week's budget, domestic aviation's relief support package has been extended to January 31, with regional relief to continue until March 28.
Mikakos did the ‘honourable thing’ by resigning: Shorten
By Rachael Dexter
Former federal Labor leader Bill Shorten has said Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos did the ‘honourable thing’ by resigning from Premier Daniel Andrews’ government over the weekend.
Ms Mikakos resigned on Saturday after the Premier appeared before the inquiry in the the hotel quarantine programs - failures of which led to Victoria’s second wave of COVID-19 – and stated that responsibility for the program was held by Ms Mikakos and her department.
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos resigned on the weekend.Credit:Scott McNaughton
In a statement on Saturday Ms Mikakos disputed parts of Mr Andrews testimony, and said she could no longer serve in the Victorian cabinet.
Despite the ongoing, unanswered questions of specifically how the virus was able to seep into the community, and who made critical decision making, Mr Shorten said Ms Mikakos had done the right thing by resigning.
“It’s no small thing to be a health minister during a pandemic,” he told Nine’s Today show this morning.
“Minister Mikakos has done the honourable thing and resigned.”
Some members of the Socialist Left of the Victorian Labor party remain outraged by the circumstances surrounding the end of Ms Mikakos' political career, but sources within the faction have told The Age that the discontent was unlikely to create lasting internal problems for the Premier, who softened his stance towards Ms Mikakos on Sunday.
While some MPs and unionists paid tribute to Ms Mikakos, party sources said there was no appetite for punishing the Premier for his actions.
Mr Andrews said he was saddened by Ms Mikakos’ resignation and that she had tried to telephone him on Saturday morning, while he was on another call.
with Noel Towell
Trans-Tasman bubble could be 'much, much sooner' than Christmas
In the past 24 hours, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his New Zealand counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, have both made statements suggesting a travel bubble between the two countries could be in operation by Christmas.
But this morning on Today, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has said it could really be "much, much sooner".
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters on Today.Credit:Nine
"Apart from the end of the Auckland spike we have had, we are raring to go and the sooner to get going the better," Mr Peters said.
"Personally, if we can ensure that both in Australia and New Zealand we are safe in what we seek to do, it is very important that we get our tourism back on track as fast as we possibly can."
Mr Peters said his understanding was the bubble would operate without a quarantine requirement, likely starting with New Zealanders able to enter NSW. He said talks between the two countries on the matter were at an "advanced" stage.
"The talks are not the problem," he said. It is the empirical evidence about the data that has been the handicap; when you think about how cautious we have tried to be, given the disappointment of the Melbourne experience in particular."
Consider quarantine hubs for returning Australians: Shorten
By Rachael Dexter
The Morrison government could consider international quarantine hubs for Australians trying to return home, Shadow Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten has suggested.
Last week the cap on international arrivals was raised to 6000 returned travellers per week, due to most states taking on more responsibility for providing hotel quarantine places.
Bill Shorten on Today.Credit:Nine
NSW will take an extra 500 travellers per week, increasing their total to 3000. Western Australia can now process 725 people, up 200 and Queensland is now offering 500 quarantine spots, which is an increase of 200.
Mr Shorten said while the increase was welcome news to people stranded overseas, there was more the government could be doing.
"I've had a constituent say, ‘Why couldn't they set up a quarantine hub in Singapore?’ and another constituent contact me [saying] ‘there are defence bases across the country they could put people in’. I think the Government needs to sharpen its efforts," he told Today.
"Maybe some Australians here think those Australians overseas were on a holiday and couldn’t be bothered to come home.
"I have read hundreds of heartbreaking emails from people who have little families who were over[seas] on work, they were told not to rush home. Their contracts have expired, airlines have been putting up air fares, people with economy class tickets have been bumped for business class. This has been mentally distressing.
"And I still think that even with the slight increase there’s a lot of Aussies doing it really tough overseas."
Victorian primary students prepare for October 12 return to classrooms
In amongst the announcements in Melbourne yesterday was the news that primary school students would be able to return to the classroom from October 12, the start of term four.
The call was made on the basis of new research from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute found children aged under 10 were less infectious than older children.
Catherine Devine and her boys Lachlan ( Lochie) grade 2 (in pink shorts) , Joshua ( Joshie) prep at special needs school ( in stripey jumper) and Ben (Benny) 3-year-old kinder. She's looking forward to them going back to school.Credit:Penny Stephens
Parents Victoria executive officer Gail McHardy said the announcement was fantastic but urged parents to remain vigilant around COVID-19 precautions. She also acknowledged the change followed significant pressure placed on the government in recent weeks to reopen schools, as Miki Perkins and Erin Pearson report.
Ms McHardy said not including all high school students in the return to school from October 12 was likely though to disappoint many teenagers.
“The [coronavirus] numbers are reducing quite significantly, that's a big sign of hope,” she said “Fingers and toes crossed there are some more positive messages to come.”
Analysts urge Frydenberg not to scrimp on stimulus
Speaking of that pandemic budget, Shane Wright reports one of the nation's chief economic forecasters believes the recession has "bent but not broken" the federal budget, as economists urge Treasurer Josh Frydenberg not to scrimp on stimulus measures despite facing a deficit of $200 billion.
Deloitte Access Economics said it expected the Treasurer to unveil a deficit of at least $198.5 billion at his budget announcement on October 6, flagging ongoing issues with tax collection holes left by pandemic measures until at least 2022-23.
Deloitte Access Economics director Chris Richardson is predicting a deficit of at least $198.5 billion, but maintains the budget will recover from the recession.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Deloitte director Chris Richardson said that while the numbers were large, they had to be considering the amount of support the economy needed to extricate itself from the recession. "Today's emergency policy measures are temporary. When they're gone, the budget will still be running big deficits, but that will be because the economy is still weak," he said.
Mr Richardson, who said the planned tax cuts would assist the economy, urged the government to focus on measures to drive down the jobless rate, which Deloitte is expecting to average 8 per cent during 2021-22.
Most Viewed in National
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMimAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zbWguY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXVwZGF0ZXMtbGl2ZS1tZWxib3VybmUtcmVzdHJpY3Rpb25zLWVhc2UtbnN3LXNlZXMtbm8tbmV3LWNhc2VzLWRlYXRoLXRvbGwtc3RhbmRzLWF0LTg3MC0yMDIwMDkyOC1wNTV6czEuaHRtbNIBmAFodHRwczovL2FtcC5zbWguY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXVwZGF0ZXMtbGl2ZS1tZWxib3VybmUtcmVzdHJpY3Rpb25zLWVhc2UtbnN3LXNlZXMtbm8tbmV3LWNhc2VzLWRlYXRoLXRvbGwtc3RhbmRzLWF0LTg3MC0yMDIwMDkyOC1wNTV6czEuaHRtbA?oc=5
2020-09-27 21:03:00Z
52781078370124
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Coronavirus updates LIVE: Victoria records five new COVID-19 cases as Melbourne lockdown restrictions eased; NSW records no new cases as Australian death toll jumps to 875 - The Sydney Morning Herald"
Post a Comment