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Eleven flight crew members test positive to coronavirus in Victoria
Eleven international airline crew members have tested positive for COVID-19 while in transit in Victoria, making the workforce one of the highest transmission risks, the state’s health authorities say.
Victoria recorded no new cases in the community on Sunday, but out of the six new positive cases in hotel quarantine, one was an airline crew member.
International airline crew face 14 days in quarantine if they test positive for COVID-19. Credit:Getty
The state’s COVID-19 response commander, Jeroen Weimar, said a total of 11 airline crew members had tested positive out of 1600 tested.
Pandemic fret: Australia's five biggest worries heading into 2021
'Critical' workers will get the vaccine first. Just who is that?
This morning, my colleague Nick Bonyhady looks at the growing list of sectors are angling for priority access to coronavirus vaccines.
Businesses and unions are lobbying for front-line workers such as bus drivers and checkout assistants to jump the queue for coronavirus vaccines. Under the government's rollout plan, critical workers from the emergency services and meat processing plants are second-in-line for the jab. But others previously described as essential, such as teachers, supermarket staff and public transport workers, are not listed.
Retail workers, who kept the country fed during the height of panic buying, are one group unions and business want to have early vaccine access.Credit:Janie Barrett
"Vaccinating medical personnel, aged care workers and quarantine hotel staff is critical," acting ACTU secretary Liam O'Brien said. "But what about the bus driver who gets these people home?"
What economics correspondent Jennifer Duke says: The vaccine rollout will be a shot in the arm for the global economy.
Queensland Premier due to provide case update at 9am AEST
More than 2.4 million Queenslanders will find out today if they will be in lockdown for longer than the snap three-day stay-at-home restrictions ordered by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday.
The Greater Brisbane lockdown was designed to give contact tracers some breathing space to find all of the close contacts of a quarantine hotel cleaner from Algester, in Brisbane's south, who tested positive to the highly infectious new strain of COVID-19 that first emerged in the United Kingdom.
The city of Brisbane resembled a ghost town on Saturday.Credit: Tertius Pickard
On Sunday morning Ms Palaszczuk said the lack of new cases was excellent news. She is due to hold a press conference at 9am local time (10am AEDT).
But do not expect a decision about lockdown to be announced this morning. The state's Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, said she needed to see the case numbers on Monday morning before any decision could be made about extending or lifting the three-day lockdown.
Federal Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said on Sunday the Commonwealth would wait another 36 hours before making any further decisions on revoking or extending the Greater Brisbane hotspot declaration.
Western Sydney emergency department closed overnight due to positive COVID-19 case
By Natassia Chrysanthos
In developing news, ambulances have been diverted from western Sydney's Mount Druitt Hospital overnight and its emergency department has been closed for deep cleaning after a positive COVID-19 case attended while symptomatic.
A Western Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman said a person with COVID-19 symptoms first presented to the hospital’s emergency department on Saturday.
"This individual was tested for COVID-19 and moved to an area of the Emergency Department reserved for suspected COVID cases," the spokeswoman said.
"A positive COVID-19 result was received on the evening of Sunday, January 10, and the patient was transferred to Westmead Hospital for treatment.
"Investigations are underway to assess potential close contacts, including staff and patients. Anyone determined to be at risk of possible exposure is being contacted by the Public Health Unit and health advice provided."
The spokeswoman said the Mount Druitt emergency department was undergoing deep cleaning, which was expected to be completed by 9am.
"Ambulances have been diverted to nearby hospitals, including Blacktown Hospital while this occurs … GPs who contact Mount Druitt Hospital are being asked to send patients to Blacktown Hospital," she said.
Doctors, nurses and security personnel have been available in a separate care space for any patients who presented directly to the emergency department.
Back to the border wars: Stranded Victorians to learn fate in 'next day or two'
Now more on the issue of interstate border closures, particularly for stranded Victorians.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton is set to review the rules governing the border by Tuesday, with any easing of restrictions dependent on NSW and Queensland's ability to satisfy Victorian health authorities they have successfully managed to suppress COVID-19.
The Victorian government insists it told NSW of its plans to close the border as soon as receiving health advice after Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it acted too quickly and without consultation.
"Please talk to us": NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.Credit:Christopher Pearce
In a veiled swipe at Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Ms Berejiklian said states needed to "talk to us in NSW before you close the border because we can explain to you the situation that's going on".
Victoria disputed Ms Berejiklian's suggestions that it did not inform NSW before the decision was made, and said NSW health authorities and ministers had been kept up to date.
Melburnians stuck in Queensland after the Palaszczuk government declared the Greater Brisbane area a hotspot, and the Victorian government banned Victorians from returning home at least until Monday, said confusion reigned over the weekend, and the Department of Health and Human Services provided unclear advice.
Ben, an accountant from Melbourne who asked that his surname not be used, was in Brisbane before travelling to the Gold Coast on Thursday, the day before the travel restrictions were announced.
An airline representative told the group they would have to pay for hotel quarantine if they flew home. "I cancelled my flight on the spot," Ben said.
He said he had contacted the Department of Health and Human Services five times in the past three days and received only general information.
"The hotline is useless because they just read exactly what's on the website."
Front pages of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald
Here's what is making front-page headlines on this Monday:
Victorians stranded in NSW and Queensland are growing increasingly frustrated with coronavirus restrictions that have indefinitely shut them out of their home state, as tensions escalate between the Andrews government and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian over the closure of the border.
The Victorian government insists it told NSW of its plans to close the border as soon as receiving health advice after Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it acted too quickly and without consultation.
Those stranded in NSW and Queensland hope to learn in the next day or two when they will be allowed to return home.
Meanwhile, Greater Brisbane residents will find out today whether their efforts to keep the new COVID-19 strain at bay have paid off enough for the snap three-day lockdown to be lifted at 6pm.
Global cases pass 90 million
First off, let's take a look at the global figures according to Johns Hopkins University this morning.
The global tally of COVID-19 cases has passed 90 million. The death toll has now exceeded 1.9 million, while nearly 50 million people have recovered from the virus.
You can explore our data centre below:
Welcome to Monday's coverage
Hello and welcome to Monday's live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. It's Marissa Calligeros here coming to you, not from Melbourne this time, but Brisbane, where the city is in its third day of lockdown.
Yesterday was a day in which the rhetoric over coronavirus restrictions was significantly more dramatic than the number of cases – here's a quick recap of where we are as we start the week.
Stick with us as we follow these and other stories throughout the day.
The border wars are back on.Credit:
Sunday, as it happened: Three new cases in NSW as lockdown lifts in northern beaches; Victoria, Queensland record zero local transmissions
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2021-01-10 20:20:00Z
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