Latest updates
One new locally transmitted case in NSW as Sydney cluster grows
By Michaela Whitbourn
NSW has reported one new case of locally transmitted COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday.
NSW Health said on Saturday the new case from south-west Sydney attended the Flip Out Prestons Indoor Trampoline Park in Prestons at the same time as a known case.
The cases are linked to the new Hoxton Park cluster, which has grown to five.
Three cases were reported in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 4232
NSW Health said the case was reported on Friday but was included in Saturday's official numbers. Contact tracing and investigations are now under way.
Staff shortage for regions as domestic tourism booms
By Josh Dye
Regional tourism operators are bracing for a major nationwide staff shortage as domestic visitors flood regional towns this summer.
Some destinations are tracking to hit record numbers of travellers as Australians who would usually head overseas are forced to holiday locally.
But Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief executive Felicia Mariani said there are not enough workers to meet demand.
The Grampians tourism industry is expecting a busy lead-up to Christmas.Credit:Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn
"This is a national crisis facing the industry, because so many people have left tourism and hospitality to find better surety of work," she said. "The brain drain from our industry, the intellectual capital we've lost from the tourism sector is immense, not just in Victoria."
The G'Day Group, which runs 280 holiday parks around the country, is predicting that regional Australia will have its biggest influx of Christmas visitors on record.
"We're readying for the busiest school holiday period we've ever seen, and while there is still accommodation available, it won't be long until it's hard to get a booking," chief executive Grant Wilckens said.
Compared with this time last year, the group's holiday park bookings are up 180 per cent in NSW, 130 per cent in Victoria and 200 per cent in Queensland.
New national restrictions could lock down Britain
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering imposing new national lockdown measures next week amid concerns hospitals are overwhelmed by a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, The Times newspaper reported on Friday.
The new restrictions could be introduced on Wednesday and remain in place until December 1, The Times said.
Johnson is expected to hold a news conference on Monday to announce the new measures, under which everything could be closed except essential shops and "educational settings," the newspaper said.
However, the new measures were still under discussion, and no final decision had been made, The Times added, citing a senior government source.
Cabinet Office officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The United Kingdom on Friday reported 24,405 new cases of COVID-19 and a further 274 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to government data.
It has now recorded more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day on average over the last week.
Reuters
'They deserve a dead rubber': Blues boss slams Queensland Premier
By Christian Nicolussi
NSWRL powerbrokers hope Origin III at Suncorp Stadium becomes a "dead rubber" after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday announced the sunshine state's borders would remain closed.
Premier Palaszczuk's decision – which many suspected was made with today's Queensland election in mind – has wrecked Sydneysiders' hopes of heading north for the November 18 Brisbane blockbuster. Maroons supporters face the same dilemma trying to return from Sydney for Origin II on November 11.
The last thing the Blues want is a potential series decider in Brisbane, especially if they are confronted by a sea of 39,000 Maroons fans and next to no Blues supporters.
NSWRL boss Dave Trodden was disappointed Palaszczuk's decision had robbed the Sydney and Brisbane games of the all-important "tribalism" that exists at any given Origin game, especially given COVID cases had remained so low.
Trodden fears fans who are in the habit of attending big games may not return at all once the restrictions are lifted.
"I really hope we give them a dead rubber now,'' Trodden said. "They almost deserve for it to be a dead rubber up there, don't they?
Queensland records no new COVID-19 cases
By Lydia Lynch
Queensland has recorded another day of zero new COVID-19 cases.
Speaking outside a polling booth in a marginal north Brisbane seat on Queensland's election day, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced another "zero day".
"Can I thank Queensland for the great job that they are doing," she said.
"Everyone is keeping Queensland safe and that is the best news I have heard today."
No Daily Dan: Victorian Health Minister to face the press at noon
The much-anticipated Victorian daily coronavirus notification has just gone out. Today, Health Minister Martin Foley will front the press pack, accompanied by Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
After answering journalists' questions at 120 consecutive daily press conferences, Premier Daniel Andrews signed off yesterday with these words: "I will not see you tomorrow. The Minister for Health will conduct the daily briefing. I'm sure you're all very pleased to hear that news."
We'll bring you Martin Foley's first solo appearance live at noon.
Trump's election night party plans nixed by COVID safety rules
US President Donald Trump says he isn't sure where he will mark election night after District of Columbia officials signalled that a party planned for his luxury hotel in Washington could be in violation of rules limiting mass gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump told reporters that he may stay at the White House or pick another location to hold his campaign’s party as he expressed frustration with the city's coronavirus protocol.
"I think it’s crazy Washington DC is shut down," Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a day of campaigning in the Midwest.
Donald Trump campaigning in Michigan on Saturday AEDT.Credit:AP
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's office earlier this week sent a notice to operators of the Trump International Hotel, located in the historic Old Post Office building, reminding them of the city’s coronavirus rules, according to a Bowser administration official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly on the matter.
The city’s current guidelines prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people and dictate that restaurants, hotels and other commercial venues operate at 50 per cent of capacity or less. The Trump Hotel did not respond to the Bowser administration’s notice.
The Trump campaign has pushed out fundraising emails in the president’s name offering donors the chance to enter a drawing "to join Team Trump at the Election Night Party in my favourite hotel", in Washington, suggesting he would use his hotel as the backdrop for reacting to election results.
"November 3rd will go down in history as the night we won FOUR MORE YEARS. It will be absolutely EPIC, and the only thing that could make it better is having YOU there," Trump said in one of the fundraising solicitations.
The hotel faced a city inspection in July and was found to be in compliance with the District's coronavirus rules at that time.
Trump held his 2016 election party in his then-hometown of New York. But he booked his victory party at New York’s Hilton in Midtown Manhattan because his own nearby Trump International Hotel and Tower didn’t have a big enough room.
It’s unclear how much of a presence Trump himself will be in any election night festivities this time. With a significant portion of the electorate opting to mail in their ballots, that could delay tabulation of results. AP
You can follow our live US election coverage here.
Cashed-up Australians squirrel away $100 billion
By Shane Wright
Cashed-up Australians have squirrelled away $100 billion in their bank accounts since the start of the coronavirus recession as they remain fearful the pandemic will weigh on the economy and their own finances well into the future.
Data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority on Friday showed another surge in bank deposits held by households with the nation's lenders, jumping by $16.5 billion through September.
The authority noted the increase was likely due to JobKeeper payments and tax refunds flowing into accounts in the month. Deposits have also been boosted by increased government payments, mortgage repayment deferrals and the withdrawal of $34.5 billion from superannuation accounts.
Since the start of the pandemic in February, $100 billion has been put away by households waiting for a change in the economy.
The nation's biggest lender, the Commonwealth Bank, now has $295.1 billion in deposits from households, a near $31 billion increase on February. Between February and September last year, the bank's household deposits actually fell by $2.8 billion.
The cash is attracting next to no interest. Since the start of September, the big four major banks have cut their savings rates by an average 0.2 per cent. The base rate on flexible savings accounts offered by the four is now just 0.05 per cent.
Victoria's single daily case is 'a low positive'
Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says the state's single daily case is "a low positive" and will be considered by an expert panel today.
This means the infected person could have a very mild dose of the virus or could even have recovered from a previous bout of the illness but the virus is still in their system.
Which means... if it's reclassified, it could yet be another zero day of cases in Victoria.
How to safely trick or treat this COVID-19 Halloween
Halloween 2020 will be an event like no other. In a year of a pandemic, collecting lollies from strangers' hands doesn't seem like the brightest of ideas, especially in Melbourne as the city starts to emerge from a four-month lockdown.
But while Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews batted off questions about celebrating Halloween over several weeks, the state's health department eventually released a list of rules on how children could safely trick or treat.
NSW Health is also supportive of Halloween celebrations, subject to a range of conditions.
Josh Weier and Rhiannon Devine, pictured with their daughter Olwyn, love Halloween.Credit:Eddie Jim
Here are some tips on how to safely trick or treat this COVID-19 Halloween.
- Don’t use communal bowls for lollies or sweets. Putting lollies in a shared bowl will mean everyone is touching the same food and surfaces, which isn’t safe.
- Instead, put individually wrapped lollies or candy in bags for non-contact collection.
- Place bags on your fence, at your front gate or outside your home for collection.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before preparing the bags or individually wrapped lollies or candy.
Most Viewed in National
https://news.google.com/__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?oc=5
2020-10-30 23:49:00Z
52781155270918
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Coronavirus updates LIVE: Victoria records one new COVID-19 case; Qld border to open to NSW and stay shut to Greater Sydney; Australian death toll stands at 907 - The Sydney Morning Herald"
Post a Comment