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‘Stay put’ order for NSW MPs after Agriculture Minister tests positive
By Lucy Cormack and Jenny Noyes
Only 16 Coalition MPs will be required to attend the NSW lower house today in the wake of Sydney’s growing COVID outbreak.
In an email to MPs on Thursday, the government whip said only named MPs should attend Parliament as a result of updated health advice.
“If your name is not on this list, please do not come into Parliament House for any reason,” the email said.
“Staff are not permitted in Parliament House for any reason (including to collect their belongings).”
The names on the list include, among others, Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier John Barilaro, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and government whip Adam Crouch.
NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall says he has been isolating since Tuesday night after being informed he was at a potential coronavirus exposure site. He confirmed he tested positive to the virus earlier this morning.
Several MPs have expressed concern that Mr Marshall sat in a Coalition party room meeting and parliamentary question time on Tuesday.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard is among those now isolating after being told he may be a close contact of a confirmed case. Mr Hazzard told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Thursday morning that he wasn’t sure whether the close contact in question was Mr Marshall.
Greens MP David Shoebridge tweeted just before 8.30am that NSW Parliament was “all a bit of a mess”, with all staff told to stay at home.
Recently deposed Labor leader Jodi McKay tweeted that given Mr Marshall’s presence at the state’s recent budget speech, “one would think the advice should be to every MP ‘get tested’ and isolate”.
Sydney should go into lockdown: Epidemiologist
By Broede Carmody
University of Melbourne epidemiologist Tony Blakely says it would be beneficial for Sydney to head into some sort of lockdown given the city’s growing COVID-19 outbreak.
“If I was the chief health officer this is what I would be advising,” Professor Blakely said on radio station 3AW earlier this morning.
Melbourne University epidemiologist Tony Blakely.
“[NSW] has done really well and avoided lockdowns in the past and demonstrated that you can do things a little bit more gently.
“There’s still a smidgen of a chance of navigating your way through this without a lockdown. But I really think that’s where we’re heading.”
Professor Blakely’s modelling influenced the Victorian government’s response to last year’s second wave of COVID-19.
“Until we have a very high vaccination coverage of our population, we’re still going to have to occasionally dip into the toolbox and pull out lockdowns unfortunately,” he said.
Today’s federal politics stories at a glance
By Nick Bonyhady
Good morning, here’s some of the good, and unusual, reads from our federal politics team.
Recent lockdown cost Victorian economy $1.3 billion
By Sumeyya Ilanbey
Victoria’s recent lockdown cost the economy $1.3 billion, Treasurer Tim Pallas has revealed.
The Victorian government has been periodically easing restrictions after plunging the entire state into a stage four lockdown late May to contain the Whittlesea coronavirus cluster.
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas.Credit:Paul Jeffers
The first week of the snap lockdown cost the economy $700 million, while the second week, when restrictions in regional Victoria eased, cost about $600 million.
“By and large if you look at the contribution that the state made in terms of allocations, we put in about $500 million of support during that two-week period,” Mr Pallas said on Thursday morning.
Britney Spears asks judge to free her from conservatorship
By Broede Carmody
NSW Minister tests positive to COVID-19
By Jenny Noyes
NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall has tested positive to COVID-19.
Mr Marshall, the Nationals member for the Northern Tablelands, confirmed to us just moments ago that he was advised by NSW Health about 8am this morning that he tested positive after taking a second test yesterday.
NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall.Credit:Rhett Wyman
Mr Marshall told 2GB’s Ben Fordham he contracted the virus “no doubt from the pizza joint I went to on Monday evening”.
Mr Marshall attended Christo’s Pizza in Paddington on Monday night with three other MPs. A positive case from the Bondi cluster also attended, unaware they had the virus.
It comes as NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard was forced to cancel in-person television appearances on Thursday morning. He is isolating after receiving a text message that says he might be a close contact of a potentially positive case who works in NSW Parliament.
Melbourne shoppers claim millions in CBD renewal scheme
By Cassandra Morgan
People in Melbourne have claimed $2 million worth of free food and drinks from a state government scheme designed to incentivise local spending after COVID-19 lockdowns.
The scheme, called Melbourne Money, launched on June 11 and allows diners who spend between $50 and $500 at cafes, restaurants and bars to claim a 20 per cent rebate on their total bill, up to $100.
Melbourne’s Lord Mayor says businesses have received a much-needed shot in the arm thanks to a rebate scheme.Credit:Eddie Jim
The program was set up, according to the City of Melbourne, “to bring people back into the city and provide much needed support for our hospitality sector”.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp says people have claimed $2 million through the scheme so far, and there was about $6 million left to claim.
It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that many Melbourne business owners say they’re still struggling because of the COVID-19 crisis and the city’s repeated lockdowns even after available support measures.
Sydney’s COVID-19 restrictions at a glance
By Jenny Noyes
The numbers we see today and in the next few days will be crucial in deciding whether the NSW government imposes a lockdown.
Yesterday, 16 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were reported. Thirty-one cases are now linked to the Bondi cluster and others under investigation.
Masks are mandatory on public transport across Greater Sydney.Credit:James Brickwood
Premier Gladys Berejiklian indicated yesterday that Sydney is on the brink and she won’t hesitate to “go further and harder if we have to”. However, Health Minister Brad Hazzard says he doesn’t think a lockdown will happen.
For now, the new measures that came into effect from 4pm yesterday are:
- A five guest limit in homes, including children;
- Patrons must be seated in hospitality venues with the four square metre rule reintroduced in all indoor and outdoor settings;
- No dancing or singing at venues except for wedding dance floors, which are now restricted to 20 people;
- Masks are mandatory in all indoor non-residential settings, including workplaces, gyms and organised outdoor events, on public transport;
- Social distancing reintroduced on public transport (so sit on those green dots);
- And residents in the local government areas of Randwick, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West, City of Sydney, Waverley and Woollahra are not allowed to leave metropolitan Sydney.
Morrison won’t slam Qld border closures
By Broede Carmody
Prime Minister Scott Morrison was speaking on Seven’s breakfast show Sunrise a short while ago.
Co-host Natalie Barr was pretty fired-up when it came to asking about the people whose school holiday plans have been dashed by Queensland closing its border to residents of Greater Sydney.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says people who have been fully vaccinated can still pass on virus.Credit:Getty
Barr asked why the Queensland border closures, which applies to residents of Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour, would affect people who are vaccinated. (It’s worth remembering there has been some discussion about the possibility of a local and international ‘vaccine passports’.)
“What is the point of being vaccinated if you have people [are locked] out-of-state overnight when they’re fully vaccinated?” Barr asked.
Here’s the PM’s response:
“At the present time, people that are vaccinated can pass on the virus. What the vaccination does is prevents you from getting a serious illness. If the virus was wriggling through our country, we wouldn’t have more jobs today than before the pandemic. Our economy wouldn’t be bigger today than before the pandemic.
“That’s what we’ve got to keep going to keep the balance right, but I appreciate the broader issues are incredibly frustrating. Of course they are. That’s the challenge of dealing with a global pandemic.”
NSW Health Minister doesn’t believe state will go into lockdown
By Broede Carmody
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, who is currently isolating after being told he was a possible close contact of a potentially positive case, has hosed down concerns over a Sydney-wide or statewide lockdown.
“I don’t believe that we will go into a lockdown,” he told ABC TV earlier this morning.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard is currently in isolation. Credit:Nick Moir
“I saw some journalists saying that last night, but that’s the journalists drawing their own conclusions, which is not helpful. I think we actually need to take health advice. And the health advice is that the new orders that came into play yesterday afternoon are proportionate to our risk.
“But people do need to be extremely cautious. People need to understand that this particular variant is quite capable of getting [out of control]. And we need to be understanding that and follow the orders.”
Mr Hazzard confirmed there will be more COVID-19 cases announced by NSW Health later today. He added that he is isolating because the likely positive case attended his workplace (NSW state parliament).
“The location and details will be no doubt worked on by New South Wales Health this morning,” he said.
“But I’m quite confident that the majority of people in the New South Wales Parliament will be either no contact or casual contacts, so that won’t be a major issue.”
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2021-06-23 23:23:28Z
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