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Watch live: Qld’s COVID-19 update
By Broede Carmody
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is due to address the media from 10am AEST.
The Sunshine State recorded no new cases of COVID-19 yesterday.
Watch live below.
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Victorian minister responsible for hotel quarantine returns from leave
By Sumeyya Ilanbey
Senior Victorian cabinet minister Lisa Neville has returned from leave, after taking an extended break earlier this year to recover from bowel surgery.
Ms Neville was admitted to hospital with a flare-up of Crohn’s disease in February, and in June delayed her return after spending time in intensive care.
Victorian Minister Lisa Neville has returned from leave. Credit:Penny Stephens
In a statement this morning, Premier Daniel Andrews announced Ms Neville had returned from leave, but would drop her emergency services portfolio due to advice from her doctor.
She will remain as Minister for Water and Police, and return to coordinating ministers of cabinet – made up of the government’s most senior eight ministers including the Premier – as the coordinating minister responsible for the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. She will also retain her responsibilities for COVID Quarantine Victoria, responsible for the state’s hotel quarantine program.
“As part of her return-to-work planning, Lisa and I have discussed what she needs to do to ensure her health continues to improve and her recovery is sustainable,” Mr Andrews said in a statement.
“After considering advice from her doctors, she has been clear that some of the requirements of the emergency services portfolio – including regular travel around to remote parts of the state at short notice – are simply not compatible with managing her condition and recovery.”
Attorney General Jaclyn Symes will add emergency services to her portfolio, while Ms Symes’ resources responsibilities will be picked up by upper house member Jaala Pulford.
Vaccinations won’t launch NSW out of COVID-19 dilemma: epidemiologist
By Cassandra Morgan
While the COVID-19 vaccination strategy is “critical” for NSW, it’s not going to rapidly get the state out of its coronavirus dilemma, according to one expert.
Epidemiologist and public health specialist Professor Tony Blakely says “their dilemma will be mostly solved, or at least bridged over in a messy way, by ongoing restrictions”.
Melbourne University epidemiologist Tony Blakely
His modelling predicts that NSW could hit five COVID-19 cases a day by mid-November if it stuck to a hard lockdown, whereas if it went with a “soft” one, it would get there by about February next year.
Host of the program Fran Kelly put to Professor Blakely that the current growth rate of COVID-19 in NSW put it at 1000 cases a day before September 1. She asked the professor whether that put his estimates out.
“That would probably push it out by a couple of weeks or so,” Professor Blakely said.
“The key lessons out of the modelling still apply ... that vaccination is a good medium-to-long term strategy … but it’s not going to get you out of this rapidly, and the ongoing restrictions are important.
“The game has now changed for NSW, they might now have in their mind keeping the cases beneath 1000 per day … [and then] when the vaccination is high enough at 80 per cent, I say of both adults and children, that they can then start to relax at that point.”
CBA rolls out staff vaccine and testing program
By Charlotte Grieve
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia will open vaccination hubs across Blacktown, Cabramatta, Auburn, Liverpool and Campbelltown this week for staff and family members.
CBA began opening vaccination hubs in Sydney’s local government areas of concern last week, and will give priority to staff working in public-facing roles.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is rolling out vaccination hubs for its workforce. Credit:Yianni Aspradakis
The bank said the vaccination program was voluntary, but pointed to an internal survey from last week that found “almost 90 per cent” of CBA’s 11,000 staff “intend to get vaccinated”.
The country’s biggest bank will also use rapid antigen testing for branch staff in COVID-19 hotspots – nasal swabs that detect COVID in asymptomatic people within 15 to 20 minutes.
CBA human resources executive Sian Lewis said vaccination and testing are the “best courses of action” to protect her workforce as the federal government calls on the private sector to assist in the fight against COVID-19.
“As an essential service, with one of the largest workforces in the country, we are committed to implementing safety and support measures to help keep our people, customers, and in turn the broader community, as safe as possible,” Ms Lewis said.
Australia has now put 17 million jabs in arms: Home Affairs Minister
By Jennifer Duke
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has doubled down on the federal government’s hopes for a re-opening of the economy when 70 to 80 per cent of the population is vaccinated.
Ms Andrews, who was speaking from a press conference in Canberra, said the nation reached the “fantastic achievement” of 17 million vaccinations over the weekend that would lead to an eventual loosening of restrictions.
“That is the plan that state governments have signed onto,” she said. “So as we progress I am looking forward to the fact we will [lift restrictions].”
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews. Credit:Alex Elinghausen
She re-iterated that state and territory leaders had agreed to this plan at national cabinet.
“That is what they signed onto and that is what Australians want delivered to them,” she said.
Earlier this morning, NSW MP Dave Sharma told Sky News that it was a mystery to him why state and territory leaders would choose to lockdown after reaching high rates of vaccination.
“It’s not what the national cabinet agreed,” the Liberal MP said.
“Why you would want as a state to deny yourself and your residents all the freedoms we have missed during this time ... is frankly mysterious to me.”
He said the country can’t afford to keep emergency supports in place a week longer than is necessary.
“They shouldn’t expect the federal government will continue to underwrite those decisions [against the medical advice].”
Ms Andrews also provided an update on the situation in Afghanistan, where four Australian Defence Force flights rescued 472 people from Kabul on Sunday, including permanent residents and citizens. A second flight landed in Melbourne this morning.
“It is a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan but on the ground our officials … are doing everything they can.”
Victoria records 71 new cases of COVID-19
By Broede Carmody
Victoria’s daily coronavirus numbers are in.
The state has recorded 71 new, locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and zero in hotel quarantine.
The Department of Health says of today’s new cases, 49 are linked to known outbreaks. This means there are, at this stage, 22 mystery cases.
Health authorities have not yet revealed how many cases were out and about in the community for at least some of their infectious period. They say “further case information” will be provided this morning. So stay tuned for that.
There are now 495 active cases of coronavirus in Victoria.
Today’s numbers are off the back of yesterday’s 46,446 coronavirus tests.
NSW Police Minister ‘stunned’ by illegal church gathering
By Sarah McPhee
NSW Police Minister David Elliott says he was “quite stunned” to hear dozens of people had gathered at a church in Blacktown last night, in breach of the public health orders.
Thirty adults were fined $1000 after police say they participated in a sermon at Christ Embassy Sydney, which itself was fined $5000.
“The vast majority of the churches are doing exactly the right thing and I don’t understand, if cathedrals can stream online their services, I don’t know why suburban churches in Blacktown can’t,” Mr Elliott told radio station 2GB.
Approximately 60 people were found participating in the sermon, according to police. Credit:Nine News
He said everybody has had to make sacrifices under lockdown restrictions and we would “all prefer to spend our Sunday afternoons with extended family and friends”.
“[If] you think you’re going to be excluded from obeying the law based on the fact that you have one tradition over another, well, it just doesn’t wash with the community. It’s certainly not going to wash with police.”
Blacktown is in the Western Sydney Local Health District, which recorded 317 of NSW’s 830 new, locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Sunday.
Mr Elliott was also asked about the new statewide outdoor face mask mandate given NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian previously conceded there was “no strong evidence about outdoor transmission” of COVID-19.
“I don’t understand it either because I’m not a clinician ... but the clinicians and the medical practitioners tell us it’s a mitigating factor, it will reduce the risk,” he said.
Mr Elliott said he has his “eye on the prize” to reach the 70 and 80 per cent double dose vaccination targets, which are expected to lead to greater freedoms.
“I know we’re getting there at a rate of knots at the moment ... I’m happy to do whatever the clinicians recommend we do so that we can get out of this as quickly as possible.
“Then I’m going to have a ceremonial burning of the masks in my backyard.”
Qantas to hand out flight vouchers, points to vaccinated Australians
By Patrick Hatch
Qantas says it will give Australians $20 flight discount vouchers, 1000 frequent flyer points, or 15 status credits as a reward for being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The airline said frequent flyers who claim their reward from Tuesday – “to recognise their role in helping the country get out of lockdown” – will also go into a draw to win a year’s worth of flights, accommodation and fuel.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. Credit:Janie Barrett
Ten of those “mega prizes” are on offer, with a winner selected from each state and territory, and two selected through a national TV campaign.
“Getting vaccinated is an important step that every Australian can take that brings us that little bit closer to life as we knew it,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement.
“As the national carrier, we want to recognise those who have made the effort to protect themselves and the community.”
To enter the competition, customers need to download the Qantas smartphone app and then upload their COVID-19 vaccination certificate, which can be accessed through the Medicare app.
Qantas said it will delete vaccination certificate information once it has been verified.
The country’s largest airline continues to be battered by the pandemic. More than 2000 staff were stood down earlier this month in response to the NSW lockdown.
Positive cases close schools in Sydney’s west and south
By Sarah McPhee
Chullora Public School, in Sydney’s west, and Carlton Public School, in the city’s south, will be closed today after each recording a positive COVID-19 case in their school community.
“All staff and students are asked to self-isolate until they receive further advice,” a NSW Education spokesperson said.
St Marys Public School, Lane Cove West Public School and Leichhardt Public School will all reopen to staff and students today.
“Students and staff identified as close contacts have been notified and asked to self-isolate for the required period and follow the NSW health advice and protocols,” the education spokesperson said.
“Each school has been thoroughly cleaned and will reopen on Monday 23 August 2021 for any child who is unable to learn from home.”
Protest injuries ‘extremely disappointing’: Victorian Deputy Commissioner
By Broede Carmody
Victorian Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent says it is “extremely disappointing” to have people protest and injure police at anti-lockdown rallies.
Over the weekend, 21 police officers were injured after supervising the latest anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne’s CBD. Six officers were hospitalised. Some have fractured noses and another will require surgery to an ankle.
Victorian Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent speaking to media last week. Credit:Eddie Jim
“Overall, our members are going quite well considering,” Mr Nugent told the Today show earlier this morning.
“[However] it’s extremely disappointing. We’re all over lockdown and there is lockdown fatigue. But ultimately, we’re working really hard with the community to keep the community safe.
“Having that sort of event occur, with the possibility of someone in there being COVID-positive and the potential of a superspreader, just undermines all of what is being done in the state to keep everyone safe.
“We’ll continue to do our planning around protests to mitigate the numbers that come in. If we have to look at shutting down public transport systems and preventing access to the city, that’s what we’ll do.”
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2021-08-22 23:53:57Z
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