Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed that text messages sent to multiple Melbourne suburbs warning of nearby coronavirus infections are not a scam.
Follow today's events as they unfold.
Key events
Live updates
By Kelsie Iorio
Goodnight blog friends
That's all for the coronavirus blog this Wednesday evening — we'll be back bright and early tomorrow (and I will be back tomorrow arvo so come say g'day).
Before we go, we've touched a bit today on it being a tough time for many, many of you out there.
Help is always available — here are some handy resources for if you or someone you know needs them:
- Lifeline - 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline - 1800 551 800
- MensLine Australia - 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue - 1300 224 636
- Headspace - 1800 650 890
- ReachOut - au.reachout.com
By Kelsie Iorio
Cathay Pacific to cut about a quarter of its workforce
Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific is cutting 8,500 jobs and shutting regional airline Cathay Dragon as it grapples with the downturn in air travel due to COVID-19.
"The global pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on aviation and the hard truth is we must fundamentally restructure the group to survive," Cathay Pacific CEO Augustus Tang said.
Cathay Pacific Airways chairman Patrick Healy estimated that passenger levels would only return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024.
By Kelsie Iorio
Lots of Halloween fans around tonight
Hi, KelsieCan we go trick-or-treating in South Australia?-Spooky???
SA Health says Halloween and Trick-or-Treating is permitted, Spooky, as long as it's done in a COVID Safe way.
That means staying home if you're sick, staying 1.5m away from others, only giving out and taking wrapped lollies and sanitising regularly.
For all the anti-Halloween Aussies, stick a sign on your door that says you're not into it. Problemo solved.
By Kelsie Iorio
Your Grand Final weekend plans
I hadn't forgotten about this — we asked before what your plans are for this very different-looking GF weekend. Here are some of the responses:
For Grand Final day, I'll be drinking GOAT beers in honour of Gary (Greatest Of All Time) Ablett Junior's last game watching him win another flag-Go Cats!!
Big talk, Go Cats. All grand-final-celebraters — please drink responsibly.
We’re celebrating Thank You Day (aka Grand Final holiday) with a modern Thanksgiving feast, incorporating different food from around the world. I’m American and we normally celebrate Thanksgiving anyway, but this year there doesn’t seem like a lot to celebrate as far as the US is concerned, so we’re taking the holiday and making it our own.-Feeling feasty
Love this!!!
I'm going to get takeaway from my favourite restaurant which was outside my 5km radius. Double celebration for 25km radius and grand final weekend/"thank you day"?-Grand Final weekend ideas
Food and sport. Life's great pleasures.
Hi Carn Cats,Dan might’ve told us no grand final parties, but I am completely ignoring him and having a grand final party of one person and two cats. There’s nothing to stop you belting out Up There Cazaly just before 2:30, like it should be, and eating plenty of good things. I’ve already had a successful grand final party rehearsal so now I need to go shopping again :-)-Carn the Dees?
Sounds like my kind of party.
Our street is kicking the footy over our fences between us, before the NRL. What's an AFL?-Natty
Spoken like a true Queenslander, if I may be so bold as to assume.
By Kelsie Iorio
The Halloween conversation continues
Have they recruited a Halloween minister yet? If not, where can we apply? π-Interested in govt work
I don't think they have just yet, Interested in govt work — if they do it probably won't be Daniel Andrews though, after he admitted in a press conference not long ago that he has no idea what date the "American festival" falls on.
Why are we celebrating’ Halloween’ - it’s un-Australian.-Just asking
The magic of Halloween is that you don't have to celebrate it if you don't want to, Just asking.
By Kelsie Iorio
The 25km rule is conditional
Live on outskirts of Melb. If 25km drive puts me into Regional zone - can I keep going?-Outskirts
G'day Outskirts, sorry to be the bearer of bad news — The DHHS specifies that travel to regional Victoria is still only allowed for permitted purposes even if it's within your 25km. You can't travel into regional Victoria for exercise, recreation or anything that's not on the permitted list.
By Kelsie Iorio
Halloween in New South Wales
Hi Kelsie, just wondering do you know what, if any, covid restrictions there around trick or treating for Halloween in NSW?-Emily
Hi Emily, NSW Health has issued some COVID-safe Halloween advice — here's what they recommend for trick-or-treaters:
- If you're sick, do not go out. Stay home and get tested
- Stay in your suburb and keep your distance from people's front doors
- Stay in small household groups (the gathering limit is still 20) and keep at least 1.5m away from people you don't live with
- Only take individually-wrapped treats, don't share them with friends from other households, and use a disposable bag (or at least a bag you can throw in the washing machine after)
- Don't share costumes or masks
- Use lots of hand sanitiser while you're out, especially if touching common surfaces
This is just for NSW, friends — check out your state or territory's health department website to see what's allowed/not allowed where you are.
By Kelsie Iorio
Casino question
Any idea when pokie venues/casino will reopen?-Punter
Hi Punter, sorry — no casinos or gaming venues until the Last Step in Melbourne, and even then they're heavily restricted. Won't see much normality in those industries until the all-important 'COVID Normal'. Always gamble responsibly.
By Kelsie Iorio
Mind-blown by all these cat references
Gorgeous Tiger Cub gif!!!!! Love this!!!! Hey does anyone else think it's funny that the home of the Lions is hosting Tigers and Cats.-Purrrrrr or Roarrrrr :-)
^ live vision of me realising the cats/tigers/lions thing
By Kelsie Iorio
What's a casual 3 million COVID tests between friends
Enjoying all the numbers on here today. How many test results are needed to take Vic to over 3 million tests since the beginning of the year?-Numbers geek
Hi there , Dan Andrews said this morning that Victoria has racked up 2,984,494 tests in total — so just over 15,500 to go until the state hits the big 3-mil.
I wonder if the 3-millionth test person gets a cake or something? Maybe if you feel unwell you should make sure you go and get tested to find out.
Out of interest, Australia overall has conducted 8,332,247 tests between January 22 and October 20. Surely the 10 millionth test deserves a sticker or a lollipop or something. Time will tell.
By Kelsie Iorio
It's a zoo out there
Hey team, any news on when the zoos in Victoria will re-open? Seems to have been no real discussion of this. My 2 year old is all of a sudden really into tigers and would be great for him to see them in real life!-Keen ornithological birdwatcher
Sorry Keen ornithological birdwatcher, zoos, wildlife parks, petting zoos, aquariums and animal farms still closed for the duration of the Second Step — outdoor entertainment will be "heavily restricted" in the Third Step, whenever that is, which *hopefully* means a limited number of two-year-olds can wave to some tigers — but we'll have to wait for an official announcement to find out exactly what's allowed.
Apparently there will be some tigers on TV this weekend though. Or so the Victorians keep telling me.
By Kelsie Iorio
Total numbers around Australia
- NT: 33 (0 deaths)
- ACT: 113 (3 deaths)
- TAS: 230 (13 deaths)
- SA: 485 (4 deaths)
- WA: 739 (9 deaths)
- QLD: 1,165 (6 deaths)
- NSW: 4,356 (53 deaths)
- VIC: 20,323 (817 deaths)
For those who have had a long day and don't want to math, that adds up to 27,444 total cases and 905 deaths nationally. Just 227 of those cases are currently active.
By Kelsie Iorio
PSA: Retail workers are not punching bags
A friend in Melbourne works at Kmart. She's actually dreading a likely reopening next week as they're anticipating a heap of people returning incorrect 'click and collect' purchases from the last few months. Am so hoping that the humble floor staff at retail stores around town aren't about to cop a week of lock down frustration abuse directed at them from their customers.-Sparing a thought
@everyone in Melbourne — we know you're frustrated. We know you're tired. We know it's been a tough time. That does not give you a free pass to take out your anger on teenage checkout chicks or ANY retail worker. Not that you would ever do that because you're all such nice people. Thank you for your attention on this matter.
By Kelsie Iorio
Cheers to click and collect
Can we got and pick up furniture that we have ordered (click and collect)? The store is within the 25km radius. Thank you :) (I'm in Metro Melbourne)-Wondering
G'day Wondering, the DHHS's current metro Melbourne rules say you can travel up to 25km from your home to collect necessary goods and services, and pick-up can only be contactless click-and-collect. Happy assembling.
By Kelsie Iorio
Updated exposure sites in Victoria
This might also shed some light on the warning texts many of you received — these locations have been added to the list of COVID-19 exposure sites:
- ANZ Bank: Wyndham Street, Shepparton [9 October 9:30am - 10:30am]
- Freshplus: 250 Somerton Rd, Roxburgh Village [13 October 4:30pm – 5:00pm]
If you've been to these locations, get tested immediately if you start to feel any coronavirus symptoms.
By Kelsie Iorio
IMPORTANT: The DHHS have confirmed that 'the text' is real
A very helpful spokesperson from the DHHS has confirmed that warning texts received in some Vic suburbs are REAL, not a scam.
They weren't necessarily sent to people who live in those suburbs, just people whose phones pinged off the relevant towers.
If you did get a text, there's no need to panic — just monitor your symptoms and if you feel at all unwell, get tested straight away.
By Kelsie Iorio
Possible reinfection case
I need info about the 2 people that have retested positive (in media releases on 19th and 20th March). Is it the same person??-Pleeeeease respond
This detail from the DHHS was in TODAY'S media release (October 21):
"A previous case included in yesterday’s numbers continues to be reviewed and assessed by an expert panel of clinicians and epidemiologists to determine if this is a new infection or if the person is still shedding virus from their original infection."
Also, Daniel Andrews said this at his briefing this morning:
"I just want to talk for a moment on the case yesterday, the person from yesterday who tested positive twice, the first time back in July.
"He is currently regarded as a reinfection of coronavirus, so he will be recorded as a positive case, we have spoken a little bit about an expert panel to sit and look at all the detail of these complex cases."
Now, there was another possible reinfection case reported on Monday, but Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said they were indeed two separate cases.
By Kelsie Iorio
One new case in South Australia
Today's new coronavirus case in South Australia is a man in his 30s in hotel quarantine who recently returned from overseas.
By Kelsie Iorio
O Canada
How many cases in Canada?-Hi
A total of 206,349 cases, according to Johns Hopkins — with just under 10,000 deaths.
Any Canadian blog friends, best wishes to you.
By Kelsie Iorio
More big international numbers
- Ukraine has reported a record 6,719 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 315,826 cases with 5,927 deaths
- The Czech Republic reported 11,984 new cases of coronavirus for October 20, the highest daily tally on record
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 7,595 to 380,762, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute
- Idaho in the US is seeing its largest coronavirus spike since the pandemic began, with the number of new cases increasing 46.5 per cent over the past two weeks
- The UK recorded its highest daily confirmed increase in COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, with 21,331 cases in 24 hours according to the Department of Health and Social Care
Reporting with Reuters and AP
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTEwLTIxL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWF1c3RyYWxpYS1saXZlLW5ld3MtY292aWQtMTktbGF0ZXN0LXVrLXJlY29yZC8xMjc5NTQ5MtIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjc5NTQ5Mg?oc=5
2020-10-21 07:34:00Z
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