Life under social isolation or mandatory "stay home orders".

Western Australia is set to shut out travellers from New South Wales in an extension of its hard border closure as part of COVID-19 restrictions.

From midnight, the state will place the same restrictions on NSW residents that currently apply to people from Victoria.

Those measures include anyone who has been in NSW or Victoria within the last 14 days not being allowed into WA unless they meet strict exemption requirements.

Exemptions are being handed out for some government officials, military personnel, parliamentary staff, freight workers, flight crew and transiting aircraft passengers.

Anyone who arrives from NSW will also need to self-isolate in a hotel at their own expense for a fortnight and undergo a virus test on the eleventh day of their time in WA.

Returned Western Australians Nic and Skye Aloi, who have four children aged between four and 11, are one of the families forced to pay almost $7000 to quarantine at Perth's Novotel Hotel.The family of six are staying in two rooms – because, by the time they had arrived at Perth Airport yesterday from Victoria, the quarantine changes had been put in place by the state government.
"It wasn't until we got to the front of the line that we were told we were going into a hotel," Mr Aloi told 9News.
The family had travelled across the country to bury Ms Aloi's mother, who died within weeks of a cancer diagnosis."(We) just wanted to go home, get home, get the kids into some normality. The fact is they've just lost their grandmother… So they've got to deal with that as well," the couple said.

They say they understand why Premier Mark McGowan has had to take a tough stance against Victoria and NSW, given the recent coronavirus outbreaks in each state, but hope their case can be re-examined.

The move will come after WA reported no new cases overnight, which keeps the number of active coronavirus sufferers at 24 (all imported) and the total of cases in the state at 651.

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Victoria has 300 ICU beds in February , it now has 700 ICU beds and can triple this if need be .

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The portable tents developed at Monash Uni

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Come with it's own nano-air-fitration system to extra virus laden aerosols so the ward stays "clean"

Australian patients on ventilation have a 85% chance of surviving
In UK it's 60%.
In USA it's 30%.


DCMO says that Australia's aim is virtual elimination by zero community transmission in all states and territories.
This has been achieved in NT, QLD, Tas, SA and WA

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Victoria has close to 3,000 active cases of coronavirus, Premier Daniel Andrews says, as a woman in her 80s becomes the latest fatality recorded.

Mr Andrews said there were 275 new cases recorded in the state, he was "cautious" about Monday's figures, a drop from 363 on Sunday.

The latest fatality brings the state's death toll to 39. Mr Andrews said 147 Victorians were in hospital, with 31 in intensive care.

"Until we bring some stability to this, we won't be able to talk about a trend [towards flattening the curve]," he said.Mr Andrews said a day in the pandemic felt "like a month", and urged Victorians to comply with the state's lockdown restrictions, which are in place for at least six weeks.

"We still haven't reached the two-week mark. It won't be until Wednesday that we get to the full two weeks of the stay-at-home orders across all of metro Melbourne," Mr Andrews said.
"We shouldn't interpret this data as if we're in week five of a six week lockdown. It is only early and it takes some time.
"This is our new normal, at least for the next four-and-a-bit weeks and beyond that, I think that we will have to embrace things like masks."

Patience urged as home learning begins as about 700,000 students from prep to year 10 begin Term 3 from home.

Senior students and students at specialist schools have returned to the classroom, and Education Minister James Merlino said 1.2 million single-use masks would be distributed to state, Catholic and independent schools in the coming days.

Mr Merlino said the Department of Education would receive the first batch of a separate order of 1.37 million reusable masks.
"My message to parents is be patient — don't be hard on yourself," he said.
"Your teachers know what they're doing. They did a brilliant job last time, they will do a brilliant job again."

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3 Victorian schools outside the state's lockdown areas have closed due to COVID-19 cases.

Drysdale Primary School, near Geelong, last night sent a note to parents and carers telling them it had been informed of a reported case. The school grounds have been closed for 24 hours from today and all staff and students have been requested to stay home.

Grovedale West Primary School in Geelong has also closed for 24 hours today after a reported coronavirus case.

Coronavirus infections in Geelong continue to rise, with 11 active cases across the region. Geelong has 3 more virus infections than the Mornington Peninsula across the bay, which remains in lockdown.
Trinity College Colac has also shut down until Thursday after a Year 12 student tested positive to COVID-19.
The school community was made aware of the virus diagnosis on Saturday. The student's parent, a worker at Australian Lamb Colac, returned a positive coronavirus test on Friday. The Colac meatworks cluster has grown to six infections.
"We have received approval to close the school until Thursday to allow further tracing and testing to be conducted," Trinity College Colac posted on Facebook.
"The deep clean of the school is well underway. Stay safe and stay at home as much as possible."

A Year 12 student at Roxburgh College in Roxburgh Park has also reportedly tested positive to COVID-19, forcing the school to close today.
"Our school has been advised of a reported case of coronavirus (COVID-19)," a letter to parents read.
"This case has been reported to the Department of Education and Training (DET) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and DHHS is undertaking further investigation."

The Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre also went into lockdown over the weekend after a worker tested positive to COVID-19.
Other workers at the facility are now self-isolating and testing is being undertaken.

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Stricter rules have been put in place along the Victorian border, in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the southern state.
Fewer people who live and work in the Victoria - NSW border region will be allowed to travel across the checkpoints in order to reduce community spread .

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Huge numbers of very vulnerable aged Victorians are at risk of migratory casual aged care workers who work in several aged care facilities simultaneously and move from one to the other during their working week because they do not get assigned enough shifts in any one facility to survive off their earnings.
Moves afoot to force change to this industry labor force structure which is now deems hazardous and of a very high risk of spreading covid19 from one facility to several others in an area ,as has been observed in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

In the mean time 5M face masks will be provided to the nursing home industry to protect staff and residents.

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Melburnians have rushed into stores such as Spotlight and Lincraft to stock up on elastic, fabric and even sewing machines as the Victorian government's mandatory mask order prompts residents to have a go at making their own.

On Sunday, the state government announced all residents of Melbourne and Mitchell Shire would be required to wear a face covering from 11.59pm on Wednesday when leaving their house, with people caught without them facing a $200 fine.

The announcement resulted in a surge in demand for sellers of reusable face masks, with many online stores appearing out of stock on Monday morning.

In response, locals turned to DIY options. Dean Sunshine, owner of Brunswick-based textiles store Rathdowne Fabrics, had a line out the front of his store on Monday morning for the first time ever. "I've got 20 people out the front of my shop today. I have never seen that in my life," he said.
Mr Sunshine said he had been forced to implement supermarket-like buying restrictions on the amount of fabric he was selling to each customer and had also placed an order for another four thousand metres of elastic to keep up with demand.
"We just hope we can take care of everybody and that we're not going to upset people," he said.

It was a similar story at major retailers Lincraft and Spotlight, who had runs on materials and sewing machines. Posts on social media showed long queues outside and inside the stores.

John Maguire, Lincraft's managing director, said the surge in demand began almost immediately after the government's announcement on Sunday and had continued through to Monday morning.

"I suspect it'll go crazy for the next week," Mr Maguire said. "We're seeing people that would not normally sew or buy fabric come in and say, 'well if I've got to wear a mask, I'm going to at least add some personality to it'."

Sales of sewing machines have also "taken off", he said, with Mr Maguire suspecting some enterprising locals were planning to start selling their handmade masks online.

Lincraft's Melbourne stores are running low on stock for all mask components, though Mr Maguire said the business was working hard to replenish supplies.

He also called on customers to adhere to social distancing when queuing and to be patient, as cutting and selling fabric can take significantly longer than a typical retail transaction.

A Spotlight spokesperson said the company was replenishing its stock of sewing machines and fabric regularly and also asked customers to respect social distancing in-store.

Demand for ready-made reusable masks has also been strong, with Australian online custom apparel retailer Redbubble reporting a 9x increase in demand for masks. "Since launching masks at the end of April, we have sold more than 1 million masks worldwide as US, UK and EU customers have increasingly adopted their usage," Redbubble co-founder Martin Hosking said.

The company is planning to start manufacturing its masks locally in the coming weeks to keep up with the heightened demand.

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VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
1. Look for a face mask that's triple-layered
2. Don't put your reusable face mask in the microwave
3. Single-use masks should really only be used once
4. Avoid dampness
5. And remember, your face mask is only as effective as your hygiene and distancing

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A man who said he was travelling across Melbourne to go fishing was one of 127 people fined on Saturday for flouting coronavirus restrictions, as Premier Daniel Andrews warned that the chance of being caught has never been greater.

A driver stopped by police in Langwarrin said he was travelling from Keilor Downs, in the city's north-west, to a spot on the Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne, to go fishing. He was fined $1652 for breaching restrictions.

Fines were also issued to 9 adults after 30 people were found at a party at a home in Kyabram, in the state's north, and to 5 people caught gathering in a public place in Dandenong.

19 of the 127 fines issued were at vehicle checkpoints. In total, police issued over $209,800 worth of fines on Saturday.

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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there have been 20 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24-hours

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at a western Sydney church
NSW Health authorities are appealing for worshippers to immediately self-isolate IF who attended Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Harris Park across three days last week AND TO come forward for testing, even if they were not experiencing symptoms of the virus after two parishioners tested positive for coronavirus.
.
The dates are Wednesday, July 15 for the 5:30pm mass, Thursday, July 16, for the 6:00pm mass and Friday, July 17, for a 1:00pm funeral and 6:00pm mass.

2 parishioners who attended services on these days returned a positive result for COVID-19, NSW Health confirmed.

It comes after a person who contracted coronavirus as part of the Thai Rock restaurant cluster attended the Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral on three days before testing positive.

A pop-up clinic will be established tomorrow in the car park of Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, while people can also be tested at Stocklands Merrylands and Auburn Community Health Centre.In a statement, NSW Health said it continued to advise "against group singing and chanting in religious services, including choirs, given the high risk of transmission associated with these activities".

"This is particularly important at this time as NSW responds to a number of COVID outbreaks."

It comes as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the state was at a "critical point" after health authorities recorded another 20 coronavirus cases overnight, including 11 linked to known Sydney clusters.

Almost 50,000 COVID-19 tests were conducted at the weekend and in the 24 hours leading up to 8:00pm on Sunday night, 20 people were diagnosed with the disease.

All the newly-identified cases were from known sources, which the Premier said was "one positive take".

"Our state continues to be on extremely high alert," Ms Berejiklian said.

"But our state continues to be at a critical point — we have the opportunity to isolate the cases that we have to clamp down and to make sure we reduce the incidence of the virus spreading.

"Unfortunately, other places don't have that opportunity."

Of the 20 people diagnosed yesterday, three were related to the Crossroads Hotel cluster in south-west Sydney, bringing the total cases there to 48.

Another 8 were related to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park shopping centre and another 4 are connected to the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on the NSW South Coast.

Of the remaining cases, 4 were returning travellers in hotel quarantine and another was a person who contracted the virus in Victoria and has been self-isolating.

The state's chief medical officer Kerry Chant said health authorities were so far unable to determine if the clusters at Crossroads Hotel and Thai Rock were linked.

"There is obviously ongoing investigations and there are some tenuous links, but not sufficient for us to establish a connection at this time," Dr Chant said.

She also said authorities were continuing genome sequencing to determine how the cluster at Batemans Bay began.

NSW Health have also advised anyone who visited two Paddington pubs should immediately self-isolate and seek testing if they develop coronavirus symptoms.

The warning applies to patrons of Love Supreme from 5:30pm to 9:00pm on Tuesday, July 14, and The Village Inn from 6:30pm to 10:00pm on Saturday, July 11.

It's the first time a venue in Sydney's eastern suburbs has been placed on high alert since NSW hotels reopened for business in June.

Ms Berejikilian said it was a "personal choice" if NSW people chose to wear masks when leaving their home, as face coverings became mandatory in Melbourne amid the surge in cases. << THIS IMO is bad advice , I think there is enough hard scientific evidence to mandate NSWelshmen wear masks when ever they leave their homes from now on.

She said face masks were complementary to current health advice around social distancing, but particularly useful "in circumstances where you can't social distance or if you are unwell and are seeking health care."

While not part of the official figures, the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) confirmed a person who attended Sutherland Local Court last week, south of Sydney, also tested positive.

The court was closed today as a precaution for cleaning.

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Transport Minister Andrew Constance has urged returning students to avoid the NSW network as the state records its biggest spike in virus cases ( since the 1st Wave )

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Key points:
A trainer fell ill the day after working with an under-13 side
Clubs have been told to minimise the number of spectators at games
Competitions in south-western Sydney already had to be postponed for another two weeks

The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) has confirmed the trainer from the under-13 Sutherland Loftus United Junior Rugby League club had been working with the side on Thursday night.
He became ill on Friday and was tested, returning a positive result Sunday.
His team then played the Gymea under-13 team on Saturday, but the trainer did not attend.

"NSWRL was notified on Sunday afternoon when the man received confirmation that his COVID-19 test was positive," a NSWRL spokeswoman said.

2 players from the side also went on to play in an under-14 match against De La Salle junior rugby league on Sunday.

The teams that potentially were exposed to the virus are the Sutherland U13 and U14, Gymea U13 and De La Salle U14 (Gold).

"All 4 teams at this point are stood down for two rounds of competition and are not to train and all three clubs are undertaking deep cleaning of their premises and equipment," the NSWRL spokeswoman said.

Cronulla Junior Rugby League chairman Nathan Waugh urged all clubs and members to "remain calm and vigilant".
"Any and all participants including players, coaches, managers, trainers, ball boys and referees must self-isolate immediately and go and get tested.
"This includes family of the young players involved in those games."

The teams that miss games where COVID-19 rules apply will be given a point and the games classed as a draw.

NSWRL said the remainder of the competition games will proceed.
All parents, siblings and participants of the four teams that have been in close contact are urged to self-isolate and get tested as soon as possible.

Competitions in south-western Sydney already had to be postponed for another two weeks until August 1 because of an outbreak in that area.

NSW Health urged clubs to minimise the number of spectators at games because of the state's rising case numbers and the ongoing risk of community transmission.

Entry to indoor facilities and fenced venues was limited to one parent or caregiver at junior sport.

"It is really important that everyone in the Rugby League family takes the advice of NSW Health on board, if we don't follow the advice we are putting the entire community at risk," NSWRL chief executive David Trodden said.

Anyone with symptoms, people who have visited Victoria in the past 14 days or have been in hotspots identified by NSW Health are prohibited from attending games or training.

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Canberrans who visited the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club last week will be required to self-isolate from midday.

8 confirmed COVID-19 cases have now been linked to The Batemans Bay Soldiers Club — 4 members of the same family who dined there last week, one new staff member, 2 diners and a close contact of the family.

NSW Health has established pop-up clinics on the South Coast and ACT Health is helping with contact tracing.

While health authorities over the weekend had been urging visitors to the club to self-isolate, ACT Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman said it would become a requirement from midday.

Dr Coleman said patrons and staff who were at the club on Monday July 13, Wednesday, 15, Thursday 16 or Friday July 17, must immediately self-isolate for a fortnight, regardless of symptoms, and contact the COVID-19 helpline.
"We think it's probably the biggest risk to Canberra of us importing a case that we have," she said.
"The biggest chance that we have of getting on top of it is having someone already in quarantine and isolated if or when they become infectious."

Dr Coleman said ACT Health had already identified about 60 people who were now self-isolating.

But she said they had only completed contact tracing for two of the four days of concern.
"For every one person on the list there is at least one other person who has come to our awareness through another means," she said.
"So, I implore people: if you haven't been contacted and you did go on those days, please give us a call … it's really important.

Anyone who attended the BIG4 Batemans Bay East Caravan Park on Monday July 13 and Tuesday July 14 are also urged to closely monitor their health for any COVID-19 symptoms.

There are currently five confirmed active COVID-19 cases in the ACT — all linked to the Victorian outbreak — with more than 400 people in self-isolation.

Dr Coleman said the "highly precautionary approach" was essential, and police would continue to check on people in quarantine.
"We need to go in hard and fast and really wide with our net when we get a case," she said.

Dr Coleman said closing the ACT-NSW border was "not off the table" but would be a last resort.

Sydney hotspots also requiring self-isolation
Anyone returning to Canberra from Victoria or who visited these three pubs in south-west Sydney are also required to self-isolate for 14 days from the day they were there, even if they do not have any symptoms.

The three pubs and dates are:

Crossroads Hotel, Casula – between Friday July 3 and Friday July 10
Planet Fitness, Casula – between Saturday July 4 and Friday July 10
Picton Hotel, Picton – on Saturday July 4, Sunday July 5, Thursday July 9 or Friday July 10.

ACT Health is also urging anyone who visited the following locations to self-isolate immediately, get tested and contact the COVID-19 helpline.

Plus Fitness in Campbelltown - from 9:00am to 10:00am, Saturday July 11
Thai Rock Restaurant in Wetherill Park - Thursday July 9, Friday July 10, Saturday July 11, Sunday July 12 or Tuesday July 14
Wests Leagues Club in Campbelltown - from 8:00pm to midnight on Friday July 10, and from midnight to 2:30am on Sunday July 12

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The Imperial Hotel in Armidale was issued the infringement after police found more than 30 "young people" not abiding to social distancing rules on Friday night. The fine is $5000.

The customers were told to leave the hotel and the premises has since been spoken to by police regarding their COVID-19 safety plan.

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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was "disheartening" to hear about the out-of-control event that had to be shut down by police at a holiday Airbnb rental home over the weekend.
She warned that even if partygoers do not get sick, their loved ones could VERY LIKELY be impacted.

Officers were called to Nottingham Street in Schofields about 11.30pm on Saturday night after noise complaints.

A brawl then broke out between 15 people and police, and officers used capsicum spray.
"There was just people everywhere, little kids running wild," witness Lachie Giblan told 9News.
"I watched about 3 people get arrested just from not listening to them.
"It was really stupid."

3 men were taken to Blacktown Hospital, 2 for minor injuries sustained in the brawl and a third for the effects of alcohol.

Police intend to issue COVID-19 fines of up to $1000 to about 60 people, however that does not cover the damages bill for a shattered window and broken door.

Of this number, 30 people were also arrested and fined as well after refusing a move-on direction. 15 were taken to Riverstone Police Station, NSW Police said.

Under state Airbnb rules, only nine are allowed in rental properties and 20 under COVID-19 restrictions.

30 people will also be issued with a separate fine for failing to comply with a move-on direction.

The house is advertised on both Airbnb and Stayz - a minimum 2-night visit - with a strict no party policy.

Despite that, the property has been used twice in as many weekends for out-of-control parties, with neighbours now wanting the owners to stop renting it out.

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The agriculture sector is desperately seeking clarification on the new cross border rules after the New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced seasonal workers from Victoria will be banned from entering the state.

Tighter restrictions will apply in border zones from midnight tomorrow, while the entry of Victorians to NSW will be only be allowed for those travelling for education, health or employment purposes.

Citrus Australia chief executive officer Nathan Hancock said he was very concerned by the ban on seasonal workers.

"This is a knee-jerk reaction to the issues that are happening in metropolitan Melbourne," Mr Hancock said.

"Seasonal workers have been in regional areas going about their business working, and this broad brush approach to them is not appropriate."

Mr Hancock said the lockout could have an immediate impact on the citrus industry because many growers are in the middle of harvest.

"There are hundreds, if not thousands, of seasonal workers crossing the border between NSW and Victoria every day that have been employed for several months," he said.

"It's not like they have just arrived here and pose any more risk than anyone else in the community.

"We just don't understand what the purpose of this was and we are seeking clarification."

Commissioner unsure about limits
NSW Cross-Border Commissioner James McTavish said he was also seeking clarification as to how restrictions would be applied to seasonal workers employed across state borders.
"We are particularly conscious of the fact that horticultural enterprises are highly reliant on horticultural workers," he said.
"So we are seeking some advice on that right now."

Mr McTavish did confirm that freight, mining, agriculture and manufacturing were still deemed essential services.

He stressed that people had to reapply for an essential worker permit for those industries from midnight on Tuesday.
"But the change now is that when they are not providing those essential services they will be required to self isolate," Mr McTavish said.
"Everybody must stick by their COVID Safety Plan."

Mr McTavish said people needed to develop their safety plans online using the NSW Government website before they applied for an essential worker permit.

Victoria minister also confused
Victorian agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes said she had been working with her New South Wales counterpart, Adam Marshall, to ensure the agriculture supply chain was not impacted by tightened restrictions.

But Ms Symes was unsure of the implications the new border restrictions could have for contractors.
"I am hearing that seasonal worker permit holders will not be able to go across the border without 14 days' quarantine, and also that visa holders may not be able to go in at all," she said.
"From a NSW workers' perspective, they can still come into Victoria and workers can remain in Victoria, but for workers that want to go back into NSW for work, such as shearers, I am still seeking clarification on that.
"It would not be feasible for a Victorian shearer to isolate for 14 days going into NSW, because often those contracts are quite short, so I'm seeking clarification on that also."

Mr Marshall and Mr Hazzard have been contacted by the ABC for clarification.
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Queensland has recorded one new case of coronavirus after a man aged in his 20s on a cargo vessel from the Philippines carrying fertiliser tested positive on the weekend..
Queensland Health was notified about the case over the weekend and the man was quarantined onboard the vessel before being taken to hospital.

Ms Palaszczuk said the case was not a concern and the ship was being monitored.
"That's exactly what we're suppose to do — our protocols keep the cargo ships out at sea for a length of time," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"They don't come in until they've met their quarantine standard but because this person is positive, they have been taken to hospital."

A crew member reported cold and flu symptoms and subsequently tested negative for COVID-19.
However, an asymptomatic crew member returned a positive result.

All other crew members onboard the cargo ship, known as the Hokkaido Bulker, returned a negative test.

They will be tested again within the next 36 hours to ensure the virus did not spread onboard.

Dean Summers, national coordination of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, said he liaised with Queensland authorities after the ship's captain raised concerns with him over the weekend.
"Those seafarers are more isolated than anybody else in the community," Mr Summers said.
"They're on a ship, there's a small number of them — about 18 on board now — and they're being tested and monitored by Queensland Health.
"There's no way it can be spread under any circumstance." << unless they jumpship >>

The ship, bound for the Port of Brisbane with a load of fertiliser, was able to unload its cargo without crew leaving the vessel.

It will remain off the coast until more tests are done.

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Key points:
Annastacia Palaszczuk says moving the border checkpoint to the Tweed River would be "easier operationally"
Ms Palaszczuk will today write to the NSW Premier urging the border location be moved

Ms Palaszczuk said she would send a letter to the NSW Government today asking for the checkpoints to be moved to the Tweed River.

She said moving the checkpoints would alleviate stress and frustration for communities, and help ease traffic congestion.
"What we are trying here, is to work out how do we keep these border communities together," Ms Palaszczuk said.

She said the police ministers from each state discussed the matter in March. NSW declined at the time.

"I think in the spirit of cooperation it would be good if the New South Wales Government could, now that we're in July, give due consideration," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"It would make it much easier operationally.

"It would keep those two communities together and of course they will remain New South Wales residents."

'Border should be moved north'
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was happy to consider the proposal to move check points.
"I'm happy to consider all options, except I do not believe at any stage that we should move the border — if anything the border should be moved north," Ms Berejiklian said.
"I have no intention of changing things as of yet.
"I am unclear as to what the Queensland Government is asking us to do because they've not communicated that yet."

ADF (army) personnel have now been deployed to the border to assist police in vehicle checks and ease traffic delays.

Queensland police Gold Coast District Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said his officers stand ready to operate border checkpoints in New South Wales if an agreement could be reached between state leaders.

He said the border operation was still constrained by the design of the local roads.

"If the checkpoint was to the south of the Coolangatta-Tweed community, then there [would be] no need to have any secondary checkpoint in that area," Chief Superintendent Wheeler said.
"Of course it would free up traffic and congestion.
"The Queensland Police Service stands ready to have our checkpoints wherever required and wherever we can lawfully do that."

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Key points:
The pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic will operate on Townsville's foreshore three days a week
Townsville's drive-through testing clinic at Reid Park will be moved to Kirwan ahead of the Townsville 400 motorsport event
The pop-up facility is staffed by Townsville Hospital and Health Service nurses and aims to test 190 people each day

A pop-up coronavirus testing station has been established among the palm trees between the beach and Townsville's Strand Park.The free testing station will operate three days a week and will be operated by nursing staff from the Townsville Hospital.

The Strand walkway is a popular spot for both visitors and locals, with more than 7,000 people using the path each day.

The Townsville Hospital and Health Service chief executive, Kieran Keyes, said in conjunction with private hospitals and GPs, the testing station aimed to test 0.1 per cent of the local population each day, amounting to about 190 people.

"That is such an important measure to allow us all to continue enjoy the relaxed restrictions, which have eased recently," Mr Keyes said.

Testing station relocates ahead of Townsville 400
Townsville's drive-in testing station at Reid Park will be moved to the Kirwan Community Health Centre from Friday, as preparations for the Townsville 400 motorsport event commence at Reid Park.

Mr Keyes said the Reid Park facility has been testing about 100 people each day — more than 7,000 in total.
"The V8s are coming back to town, and we know that preparations commence well in advance of the big event, so we are vacating Reid Park so that the community can continue to have access to a drive-through COVID clinic," he said.

Results from the drive-though testing stations have often been returned on the same day, it it was expected that the turnaround at the pop-up testing clinic would be within 48 hours.

Mr Keyes said the health service was well prepared to respond should cases start to increase in the Townsville region."I am very confident that the community's health service will be there should it be required," he said.

The pop-up facility will initially operate Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9:00am and 2:00pm at Strand Park.

Its location and opening times may be changed if the need develops.

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South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens says he would support an option of imprisonment for people who breach state border restrictions imposed because of the Victorian coronavirus outbreak.

People entering South Australia from Victoria who are not locals or essential travellers currently face either an on-the-spot of fine of $1,000 or a possible penalty imposed by a court of $20,000.

Mr Stevens said jail time could be a deterrent.

"I think it's an opportunity to add some weight to it but I'm not sure this sort of thing is front of mind for the types of people trying to sneak across borders," Mr Stevens said.

However, he said $1,000 was not an "insignificant penalty" but one some people would still ignore, which was why so many police had been deployed to the border.

The police even have officers checking for boats entering on the Murray River.

"We're very cautious about who we let through our border checkpoints now," Mr Stevens said.

Last week, rather than fining four men who snuck into South Australia on a freight train, a magistrate placed them on 12-month good behaviour bonds, taking into account they had spent more than a day in custody following their arrest. << And the people all over Australia were outraged that they only got a slap on the wrist and were sent home with their tails between their legs < deterrent value = ZERO > and when interviewed on returning home at SA's cost they showed zero contrition and behaved like it was all a funny prank .>>

Another man who entered the state near Bordertown was fined $1,000 but remanded in custody on outstanding warrants.

More than 6,000 people have entered South Australia from Victoria since stronger border restrictions came in on July 9, along with a similar number of people from other states and territories, who face less constraints.

Meanwhile, a 52-year-old Mount Gambier woman has been charged for allegedly spitting on a nurse yesterday.

Police say the woman verbally abused the nurse in the Mount Gambier Hospital emergency department before spitting in her face.She has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker and will appear in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court today.

A man who allegedly coughed on police in Adelaide's southern suburbs on Friday was charged with assault and remanded in custody following a court appearance.

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SAustralians need to be aware the they need to pay by CC or online at the stadium in Adelaide which is restricted to 25k ( 50% capacity ) , and to at all times maintain social distancing.

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The Northern Territory Government has declared the Eurobodalla Shire in New South Wales a hotspot for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory.The announcement follows an outbreak of eight confirmed coronavirus cases now linked to the Soldiers Club in Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast.

Victoria, Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Eurobodalla Shire have now been declared hotspots by the Northern Territory Government.

Mr Gunner said he was "watching the ACT closely" to see if any outbreaks occur in the nation's capital.

"I also want to give fair warning to residents in Canberra, given the proximity to Batemans Bay and the regular travel that occurs there," Mr Gunner said.

Mr Gunner said 143 arrivals from hotspot areas had now entered mandatory supervised quarantine in the Northern Territory.

"We have had just over 5,000 people enter the Territory over the past three days. The overwhelming majority of these are by our roads," Mr Gunner said.

"So far, just 143 people are from, or have been in, a hotspot area, and most of these people have been put into supervised quarantine in Howard Springs Quarantine Camp ( an ex/mothballed FIFO workers camp )."

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Tasmania's 65-day run of being coronavirus free has ended with a new case confirmed by authorities.

On Monday, Dr Scott McKeown, acting director of Public Health, Public Health Services, confirmed the case was a "young woman" who had been in hotel quarantine after returning to Tasmania from Victoria.

"The woman is currently receiving treatment at the Royal Hobart Hospital, and Public Health Services are conducting contact tracing," Dr McKeown said in a statement.

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Despite warnings about social distancing at Sunday night's western derby, AFL fans crowded onto the first few trains departing Perth Stadium after the match, according to the Public Transport Authority (PTA).

It follows last week's warning from the WA branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) that one infected fan sitting in the stands could make the derby the "dumbest" game of football ever played.

PTA spokesman David Hynes said aside from the overcrowding issue, transport for the Eagles-Dockers game otherwise worked well with train carriages cleaned before, during and afterwards.

"I know that some people did leave as soon as they could after the game and crowded onto the early trains, which was silly," he said."There's plenty of trains there and some of the trains that came through later were, not empty, but there was heaps of space, even some seating space.
"If people can just keep that in mind, a bit of patience, a bit of respect and everything runs smoothly."

Despite capacity at Perth Stadium being capped at roughly 30,000, not all ticket holders went to the game and the final attendance was recorded at 25,306.

From 'exciting and fun to dangerous and risky'
The president of the AMA's WA branch, Andrew Miller, said he understood why the 50 per cent capacity rule for stadiums was introduced when it was several weeks ago.

But he said he now feared it was inappropriate in light of the Melbourne outbreak and he had particular concerns about the crowding seen on public transport.

"I think the lack of masks, the lack of hand hygiene, and the general crowding was something that might have been acceptable a few weeks ago when we didn't know about what was happening with Victoria," Dr Miller said."But I think the game has changed and that's how quickly it changes with COVID.
"All of a sudden things that seemed exciting and fun, now look quite, very dangerous and quite risky.

"I hope we don't look back on it as a super-spreader event and think, 'Yes, that was really silly.'"

Dr Miller said for the number of people who were able to enjoy attending the game, far more had been potentially placed at risk by it.

"Unfortunately, when you roll the dice like that, you're not doing it just for the people who attend the event, you're doing it for the whole community," he said.

"You're doing it for every small business, you're doing it for every aged care home, every hospital, every disabled person, every person on chemo, they're all at risk when you run an event like that.

"So, we have to, as a community, have a serious conversation about, 'Is it acceptable to continue doing that?' Because a lot of us like phase four and we could probably get by without needing such a huge crowd to be at an event."

Don't wait until 'horse has bolted'
While a number of people did wear masks at the game, the vast majority did not.

University of Western Australia public health researcher Barbara Nattabi said West Australians needed to become comfortable with the idea of wearing masks.

"We've been very fortunate to not only have good leadership [and] a cooperative population, but we have also had the element of geographical isolation, which makes it much easier to set up a hard border and maintain it," Dr Nattabi said.

"There's no indication that we should be wearing masks yet, however I think we need to be ready. We should be in preparation mode.
"We shouldn't have a situation like in Victoria where the cases are really high and we try to wear masks. "It's like closing the gate when the horse has bolted." << like in many covid19 overrun countries overseas where community spread is widespread and uncontrolled >>

Dr Nattabi said with no evidence of community transmission of coronavirus in WA, the risk of contracting the disease at mass gatherings, like last weekend's AFL game or music festival, was negligible. << this is assuming none of the essential workers ( truck drivers, train drivers, FIFO workers on their break, politicians from the "east" , and interstate holiday makers and greynomads ) are infected asymptomatically whilst being contagious .>>

But she said the situation could change overnight and people needed to be ready to mask up, particularly those in aged care homes, on public transport and in schools.

"It's very hard with schools, and that's something other people need to have discussions about, but that's also another area where people come close to each other," Dr Nattabi said.

"The Government should be thinking about what types of messages will be passed to people when we need to wear masks. The messaging should be very clear.

"If Mark McGowan, the Premier, decides to open the border, we should be ready to go."

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The future of the schemes keeping food on the table of millions of Australians has been announced, with JobSeeker to continue to the end of the year, and JobKeeper to extend beyond that.
There are a lot of facts, figures, numbers and key dates around when you'll be affected.
Here are the most important ones:

If you're on JOBSeeker, the current payment rate is only guaranteed until the end of the year.

It's not clear what will happen after that, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison heavily hinted some support would be continued into 2021.

JOBKeeper will help 3.5 million, 1.4 million, then later 1 million
Treasury projections suggest that between now and the end of the year, 2.1 million Australians will be taken off the JOBKeeper payment SIMPLY BECAUSE the criteria ( bar is being lowered, currently 30% fall in trade , will become 50% and " eligibility will be tested monthly " .
<< Most of these unfortunate people will end up either forced onto JOBSeeker , or a disability support pension ( if they meet the very tight criteria ) or into early retirement , very unlikely the economy will pick up enough to "need" many of the workers currently in zombie jobs , or on the books of zombie employers / companies ( who are on life support ATM c/f JOBKeeper) >>

As part of Tuesday's changes, eligibility requirements for the payment will be reinforced so that at the end of September, businesses and other organisations on JOBKeeper will need to reassess their turnover to see if they meet the threshold for the payment. Those that do not meet the turnover test will lose the eligibility for the payment. << so LOTS will simply fold and let go the employees currently tethered to them who will end up unemployed .>>
"As the economy gradually improves, Treasury expects that the number of JOBKeeper recipients will reduce substantially, with around 1.4 million people remaining eligible in the December quarter, 2020 and 1 million in the March quarter, 2021," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said.

Just to avoid any (understandable) confusion, the December quarter begins at the start of October, and the March quarter begins in January 2021.

So that means the number of people on JOBKeeper should be expected to drop from the current 3.5 million to 1.4 million in the months after the first round of changes come into effect.

That encompasses employees of businesses that no longer require JOBKeeper, and businesses that buckle under the economic strain and fold as government support eases.<< VERY likely most these 2.1M people will end up joining the dole queue >>
345,000 new JobSeekers are expected by December
With 2.1 million people expected to come off JobKeeper in coming months, it is not clear how many of those are expected to return to work.

The Government is expecting 345k new people will access JOBobSeeker in the last three months of the year.
"Of course we will see some people move from JOBKeeper to JOBSeeker — I expect that," Mr Frydenberg said.

"But JOBbSeeker will be there for them. The additional training places will be there for them."
<< This is an optimisitic projection , IMO it's delusionally optimistic , even so it's a huge increase in unemployment for Australia and will on the face of it push the effective rate up from about 12% to closer to 16% - 18% , a rate not seen in Australia since the 1920-1930s >>

JOBSeekers can NOW earn $300 a fortnight
If you're on Jobseeker, from September 28 you'll be able to earn $300 each fortnight without impacting your payments.
Mr Morrison said that would allow recipients some room to make up for the $300 cut to the fortnightly coronavirus supplement.
"Where you may have been getting $550 before, you can earn $300 and then there's the $250 supplement that will come through the COVID supplement," he said.
<< Beyond that you the allowance is reduced at 50c / $ before PAYE tax >>
Still a POVERTY TRAP that deincentivizes getting a casual or parttime job , and many jobs are now just casual / parttime and not permanent .

The reintroduction of mutual obligations will see people on JOBSeeker required to search for work four times a month in order to continue receiving the payment, and penalties apply if they refuse a job offered to them. << Adds to the trauma of loosing their jobs as they will find jobs are very hard to find and hundreds will be applying for every job vacancy ( sole sapping, degrading , demeaning and highly stressful and corrosive to your self worth , social networks wont help in the covid19 world , they'll become one the people many of them were derisive of and labelled as DOLE BLUDGERS and treated as 3rd class citisens , dealing with Centrelink and the JobNetwork (case managers who have a one size fits all mentality and are not there to help you , they are there to enforce the requirements ONLY and make money for their company ) is a horrible experience ) >>


Lower JOBKeeper rate for those on 20 hours a week
Much has been made of the fact some people currently on JOBKeeper are being given more than they earned when their employers paid their wage.
That's because everyone signed up to the scheme was paid $1,500 per fortnight, regardless of whether they worked 4 hours a week or 40.

In an attempt to lessen that disparity, the Government's brought in a two-tiered approach to JOBKeeper.

It'll remain the same for now, but from September 28, only people who work more than 20 hours a week will be entitled to the full payment.

People working less than that will receive $750 per fortnight through to the end of the year, and from January 4, the payment will again be lowered to $650 a fortnight.
<< WRONG ANSWER , increase the minimum wage for those on 20 per week would be RIGHT ANSWER >>

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Experts say the supplement has been vital in raising many Australians, including children, out of poverty for the first time. Its effect on the economy has been positive, with the extra $663m in cash being spent by consumers supporting small business, as well as keeping the housing sector afloat by allowing people to keep up rent and mortgage payments.

And it is popular: most Australians are opposed to reducing the payment[/b
<< I AM one of these who believe The Dole IS TOO SMALL , I've had the misfortune to have to go on the dole and speak from experience and am very glad I am not on it now >>.

There has been pressure from the coalition backbench ( full of ULTRA RIGHT WINGERS ) and some business groups to lower the rate, claiming it acts as a disincentive to work.
Even the prime minister, Scott Morrison, has argued there is “anecdotal evidence from small businesses, even large businesses” that “some are finding it hard to get people to come and take the shifts because they’re on these higher levels of payment”.

The old Newstart allowance rate – around $287 a week, including the energy supplement – was unconscionably low. It’s well below any measure of adequacy you care to choose: the OECD’s relative poverty line, the Henderson Poverty Line, and estimates of the budget needed to meet basic needs. It’s the least generous unemployment benefit in the developed world for newly unemployed people. Jobseeker must not return to that old, inadequate level.

Stories from the frontline of those living on benefits can read like something out of a Dickensian novel. Stories of missed meals, inadequate heating and homelessness are not uncommon.

There is absolutely no doubt that the jobseeker rate needs to be permanently increased, and that additional, meaningful support should be out in place for the long-term unemployed to help them gain skills, where that is possible.

Cutting the coronavirus supplement is not just devastating for the individuals who rely on it to survive. It will have a detrimental effect on the wider economy. We know that low income earners are the best people to target stimulus at. Reducing JOBjobseeker would reduce demand. Less demand means businesses need less workers, which will add to the already swelled ranks of unemployed. << Every person laid off , results in 4 to 5 more also laid off as a result because their spending power disappears from the economy >>

More people being pushed into poverty will also impact the housing market. If the coronavirus supplement is removed, about a quarter of a million extra renters who were not in poverty before the pandemic will now be in poverty. This means they will struggle to make rent payments, putting pressure on the rental market. Those that own rental properties should be seriously concerned about the government’s current plans to scrap the supplement.

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Victoria has recorded 374 new coronavirus cases overnight and three elderly women have died from the virus, but the Chief Health Officer says a levelling of cases in recent days is an "encouraging" sign that restrictions are working.
<< Actually , there is no sign of leveling in the daily cases statistically ( based on Six Sigma methods ) or by looking at the semilog cumulative curve either - this is wishful thinking on the part of Vic CHO >>

The deaths of the three women, aged in their 80s, 90s and 100s, takes the state's death toll to 42.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said 2 of the deaths were linked to aged care outbreaks.

Professor Sutton said authorities had not recommended further restrictions in regional Victoria, but were watching closely for infections without a known source. "If there's increasing evidence of community transmission that's not coming under control, then I think that's when there's a consideration [of implementing] further restrictions," he said.

There are 174 Victorians being treated for coronavirus in hospital, 36 of whom are receiving intensive care.

Melburnians have been scrambling to get their hands on masks, before wearing a face covering in public becomes compulsory for people in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire from 11:59pm on Wednesday.The Premier said he wanted to congratulate Melburnians for "having taken up the call" to wear masks.

[ Melburnians rush to get masks ahead of new face-covering rule
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-australia-live-news-melburnians-rush-to-get-masks-ahead-of-new-face-covering-rule/ar-BB16YPY3?ocid=msedgntp ]
"It is heartening to see so many people listening to those messages, changing their normal habits and embedding mask and face covering-wearing as part of just the normal daily routine," he said.
"A small thing, but again a bit like coming forward and getting tested, it makes a significant contribution."

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said more information on which Victorians would get access to some of the more than 1 million masks ordered by the Government would be available in "coming days".
Yesterday the Victorian Government announced schools in Metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire would be among the first priority areas.

But he said it was "a bit disappointing" to see commentary about civil disobedience and people not wanting to wear them. << Fine them every time they are caught without a mask on >>

Pressure builds on medical staff and contact tracing team
On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said 429 healthcare staff had contracted the virus since the pandemic began, with 164 of those cases currently active.

[ Where Victoria's key coronavirus outbreaks are located
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/where-victoria-s-key-coronavirus-outbreaks-are-located/ar-BB16Z1Ed?ocid=msedgntp ]


Recent outbreaks have included workers
at the Royal Melbourne Hospital,
The Alfred and the Northern Hospital which had to send about 40 per cent of its emergency nursing staff into isolation at one point due to its outbreak.

[ Victorian doctors call for more transparency around health workers infected with Covid-19
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/victorian-doctors-call-for-more-transparency-around-health-workers-infected-with-covid-19/ar-BB16YhJO?ocid=msedgdhp ]

Mr Andrews said he was "confident" that sufficient planning was in place to backfill staff who were in isolation due to either testing positive to the virus themselves or coming into close contact with someone who had.

He said Victoria's contact tracing team would need to be expanded again as it battled to stay across more than 3,000 active cases.
"It's the biggest team it's ever been and it will need to get bigger again, and I'm confident we've got the plan in place to do that," he said.

When asked about reported delays in people being notified they were a close contact of a case or being given their test results, Mr Andrews encouraged Victorians to use initiative.

"The key point here … is if you are waiting for a result of a test, without there being a … compulsion, you should do the most appropriate thing which is stay at home until you get the result," he said.

Schools, aged care homes and abattoirs among key outbreaks
Meanwhile,
Northcote High School
and Fitzroy High School
are the latest schools to close after cases were recorded there.

A dozen Victorian schools were closed for cleaning and further investigation on Monday after notification of cases in their communities.

Outbreaks have also been growing at meatworks including
Somerville Retail Services in Tottenham,
JBS in Brooklyn
and Australian Lamb Company in Colac.

More than 40 Victorian aged care homes have recorded outbreaks since the pandemic began, with several aged care residents among the state's COVID-19 deaths in recent days.
Professor Sutton said it remained "super challenging" to manage aged care home outbreaks, but workers had been told to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in all circumstances. "We're sending squads out for every outbreak on a daily basis and getting across to see if there are any issues that need to be worked through," he said.

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Experts have questioned the state’s policy of not sending all infected residents to hospital.

At least 40 aged care homes in Victoria now have at least one positive Covid-19 case, and there are more than 200 active cases connected to aged care facilities.

Last week, all Covid-19 positive residents of Melbourne’s Menarock Life aged care home were transferred to hospital, then all the remaining residents were evacuated. << This organization learnt from the NSW experience and did this unilaterally for the best interests of their residents , staff and communities >>

But Victoria’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, has said not all infected residents would be moved from aged care homes. “Sometimes the safest place for them is to remain in that facility … it’s really done on a case-by-case basis,” he said.
<< this was the same approach used at the desasterously lethal cluster at in March and April in Sydney at two aged care facilities , no matter how many RNs and doctors can brought in to assist , an aged care facility is NOT a hospital and not set up to provide an ICU for each sick resident and infection control is next to impossible in a community where a significant number of residents don't understand what is needed ,what is being done ( to them and their fellows ) and where there are no resources and poorly trained regular staff >>

Experts have cautioned that keeping positive cases where they are risks putting other residents in danger, and that infection control is much more difficult in an aged care home than in hospital.

Sydney’s Newmarch House, where 19 residents died from Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, was criticised for its “hospital in the home” approach.
Only 16% of infected patients were sent to hospital from Newmarch House and this was done very late in the day and "under sufferance" and due to the public outcry at the time.

Whereas Dorothy Henderson Lodge, the site of another (LARGER) cluster , sent 80% of patients to hospital ONLY 6 residents died.

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On Tuesday, the Department of Justice and Community Safety confirmed to SBS News a prison officer at Ravenhall Correctional Centre in Melbourne's west has the virus.

"The GEO staff member has been self-isolating since 16 July 2020 after being notified they were a close contact of a positive case," a spokesperson for the department said.

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A 25-year-old covid19 infected woman who was ordered to self quarantine travelled from Glen Waverley to Orbost has been issued a $1652 fine for breaching COVID-19 restrictions.
<< UNBELIEVEABLY STUPID AND SELFISH behavior by this woman !! >>
A police officer in Orbost is currently in self quarantine after coming in contact with this stupid woman over the weekend.

Victoria Police will work closely with DHHS as they conduct contact tracing to determine whether anyone else was in casual or close contact with the police officer.

"We were advised there was a positive case in the area that had come from Melbourne and had travelled to Marlo and spent some time in the area and travelled around the region," Orbost Health Service CEO Vicki Farthing said.

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Key points:
The Victorian Government says there's no need to lockdown regional areas yet
There are calls for lockdowns in some regions to help with contact tracing
Chief Medical Officer Brett Sutton says regional lockdowns will be considered if community transmission get out of control

There were 103 active COVID-19 cases in regional Victoria outside the lockdown zone on Tuesday — last week there were 32.
27 cases sit within the Colac Otway Shire area following an outbreak at the Australian Lamb Colac abattoir in the state's south-west.

Colac Otway Shire Mayor Jason Schram wants the Government to lock down the region so extensive contact tracing can take place to help contain the spread of the virus.

Premier Daniel Andrews said a lockdown was not off the table, but was not yet necessary.

"It's a significant challenge, but I don't think we're at a point yet where we'd move to a whole-of-local-government-area or a whole-of-township public health measure," Mr Andrews said.

Worried regional towns take matters into their own hands
Several businesses in Colac have closed voluntarily and the local council has shut its customer service centre and library until further notice.

Trinity College Colac closed on Monday after a student there tested positive to the virus, but state and primary schools have been forced to remain open.

Among them is Colac's Sacred Heart Primary School, but only a handful of students have turned up since the outbreak.
"Normally we have 430 children in our school," principal Jack Lenaghan said. "We had 10 yesterday and six today.
"We were closed when Victoria had 12 or 20 cases, and now there's 12 or 20 in Colac and we're not closed, which I inconsistent."

Lockdown leaks into East Gippsland ( Lakes Way to NSW Far Sth Coast )
In the East Gippsland towns of Marlo and Orbost a number of businesses have closed after a visitor to the region later received a positive COVID-19 test. Police said the woman was fined $1,652 for breaching the Chief Health Officer's directives. ( see other report , unfortunately she is not the only Melbournian who has travelled this path since lockdowns were flagged in Melbourne , some who even travelled into NSW and onward to QLD before the state borders were closed and even have snuck though since ).

Orbost Regional Health CEO, Vicki Farthing, said the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was carrying out contact tracing to work out where the person had been.

A mobile testing point will open on Wednesday at the Orbost football ground to test close contacts of the patient.

Marlo Beachside Takeaway & Kiosk owner, Brendan Coghlan, said local businesses had not been contacted by the DHHS but many had closed as a precautionary measure.

"I think everyone in town is just frustrated, angry, [and has] mixed emotions until people do and are able to get some testing done," Mr Coghlan said. "I'd like to be able to go and get tested myself, and obviously staff, and make sure that we're OK to continue business.
"But until then, unfortunately, we'll have to keep doors shut and take another hit along with the bushfires and everything else this year."

Checkpoints 'too weak', Drum says
The Federal Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum, says he's heard stories of residents from locked-down areas slipping through checkpoints and heading to regional tourism hotspots << and beyond to NSW and QLD , and ACT and SA >>

Mr Drum described the checkpoint between the infection areas and northern Victoria as "weak" and too porous ( leaking like a sieve ) and said his own staff had been waved through without being checked by police.
"We have an absolute soft marshmallow checkpoint, so soft you can drive through it whenever you want," he said.

He said it was worrying to see a tougher border for effectively "clean" regional residents on the Victorian-NSW border.
"I don't think there's anywhere near enough being done to stop the spread of the virus from those hotspots into regional Victoria," Mr Drum said.
"Why Daniel Andrews won't put such a hard, firm, serious lockdown around Melbourne and Mitchell has most people in the regions scratching their heads."

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Petrol stations in Victoria are providing customers with a hands-free way to refuel their cars, (re)introducing dedicated attendants to fill up customers' tanks and arrange contactless payment amid renewed coronavirus lockdowns in the state. Common during the 1950s and '60s, 'driveway assistance' – as it's known – was largely phased out in later decades due to the costs associated with staffing (and likely also due to the added profit potential in having customers discover a purchase opportunity in-store). However, as residents of Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire are asked to observe strict social-distancing restrictions, service stations in those areas are reinstating the practice, tasking attendants with filling up cars and bringing Eftpos machines to drivers for payment. << PayWave chips in many cards now , and some even pay using a wave from their smart phone , no cash needed . I hope this idea take off Australia wide and is here to stay , will certainly speed up refilling and cut petrol theft , no reason why the staff can't check the fluids , clean the wipers and windscreen , and even duck inside to grab that bag of bait , or drink , or pack of chips , or bag of lollies or the ice-cream bars too , thereby reducing the risk of customers mingling and passing covid19 to everyone in the "shop" [ most petrol stations are now the equiv of the old fashioned corner shop come chippy come stationary shop , which have mostly vanished in most urban areas in the last few decades ] >>


Those interested in contactless refuelling should consult the VACC website or the map at the bottom of this article to see their closest location – but be sure to call ahead. "Give them a call at the garage to confirm it's still on offer, then tell them your registration number and tell them when you're coming so they know to come out," Mr Gwilym advised.

The same goes for those looking to visit a mechanic or service centre. "Call the service centre or mechanic and ask if they can pick the car up and drop it off, as well as whether they disinfect and clean the car before they return it, because lots of people are doing that," Mr Gwilym said.
Service stations in Victoria offering driveway assistance

<< I've been using Mobile Mechanic , and at home car electricians and auto-aircon techs for several years , and it's very convenient , I book the service ,they show up and do the job, and take the car away if need to put it on the lift or over a inground trench , and it comes back and I pay either by Visa Debit Card , or over the phone or even online by BPay or PayPal, I don't even have leave the house and it costs me no more than it did when I drove to the mechanic and then had to cab it back home ( or to work ) and return later by cab to collect the serviced car and pay .>>

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Targeted shutdowns such as the closure of pubs and restaurants are likely before any total lockdown, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian saying the state is on "extremely high alert" for further coronavirus outbreaks.

Ms Berejiklian said NSW was at a critical point of the pandemic with a nervous few weeks ahead. The state recorded 20 new COVID-19 cases as of 4pm on Monday, all from a known source. However new hotspots could emerge with cases surfacing in Batemans Bay on the South Coast, and inner Sydney.
"If we get through the next few weeks and the next month we will have confidence that we can keep moving forward in NSW," Ms Berejiklian said.

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COVID-19 cases linked to venues in Paddington and Chippendale have not yet been linked to existing Sydney outbreaks. The source of a case in a receptionist from a western Sydney medical centre also remains unknown.

13 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the 24-hours to 8pm on Monday, down from 20 cases reported in the previous period. Tuesday's new cases include two parishioners from Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Harris Park which were reported on Monday.

A third previously reported case from the cathedral has been linked to the Thai Rocks restaurant outbreak, and all parishioners who attended certain services on July 15, 16, and 17 have been directed to self-isolate and get tested.

Separate cases have been linked to
the Holy Duck restaurant in Chippendale,
Paddington's Love Supremepizzeria
and the Village Inn in Paddington.
However, NSW Health has not linked these to any existing outbreaks.

When asked whether those cases had been linked to known clusters, a NSW Health spokeswoman said cases who attended those venues, as well as a case who went to Westfield Mount Druitt, were "detected due to members of the community coming forward for testing."

It comes after the licensee of the Village Inn revealed he learnt his venue had been exposed to the coronavirus through media reports and not NSW Health.
Jack Carter said he did not know one of his patrons had attended his venue while potentially infectious until it was reported by The Sydney Morning Herald at 9.40am on Monday.
The patron attended the venue nine days earlier from 6.30 to 10pm on July 11. "We've got a very strict COVID plan and we really do go above and beyond," Mr Carter said. "We've upheld our end of the bargain and acted very proactively and NSW Health have dropped the ball."

On Monday the Crossroads Hotel cluster grew to 48. The outbreak linked to the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, the source of which remains under investigation, doubled to include eight cases.

The outbreak linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in south-west Sydney's Wetherill Park doubled in size to 16 cases. A NSW Health spokeswoman said the source of that cluster is also still under investigation.

The spokeswoman said to date investigations had not shown the receptionist from Astley Medical Centre in St Mary's had been to the Thai Rock restaurant. "Contact tracing is under way to determine the source of her infection," she said. The receptionist last worked on July 15. The health spokeswoman said patients from the medical centre were considered casual contacts and asked them to monitor for any symptoms.

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The Auburn Hotel in Sydney's west has been fined $5000 for coronavirus safety breaches after patrons were found sitting too closely at poker machines.

Plain clothes officers went to the pub on Saturday night and found the register guests were asked to sign was full of fake names and phone numbers missing digits.
In the pokies room, gamblers were sitting side-by-side and the venue's COVID-safe plan was insufficient, according to authorities. "In addition, the pub wasn't registered as a COVID-safe business and was not creating a digital record of its customers," Liquor and Gaming NSW Director of Compliance, Dimitri Argeres, said.
"This really isn't good enough, especially as Auburn Hotel is in Sydney's west which is currently linked to a number of COVID cases.
"No premises should be willing to risk its ability to continue trading, least of all in areas where clusters are appearing."

For the first breach of a public health order venues can be fined $5000.

They will be forced to close for a week for a second offence, and a third breach could see them shut down for a month.

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Key points:
Businesses in Batemans Bay are voluntarily closing amid fears a COVID-19 cluster could grow
8 people linked to the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club have tested positive to the virus
100s of people queued to get tested at a pop-up clinic in the town on Tuesday

Business owners at Batemans Bay, on the New South Wales South Coast, say a COVID-19 cluster is having a huge impact on the town's economy.
Many venues and shops voluntarily closed on Tuesday after eight people linked to the local Soldiers Club tested positive for the virus.
JJs at the Marina owner Jake Cooke has been forced to close the cafe to while his staff are in isolation. "The effect on the businesses is dramatic," he said. "Every time you have to shut it down it's like a train crash. "Then you have to fix the train and get everyone back on board."

Lengthy delays for test
NSW Health is urging anyone who attended the soldiers club on Monday, July 13, 15, 16 and 17 to get tested and self-isolate for 14 days.
The department is also warning those who attended the venue on July 14 — or anyone else who has been in the Batemans Bay area in the past week — to be on the alert for symptoms.

More than 400 people heeded the advice on Tuesday and flocked to a pop-up testing clinic that opened in the town.
John Heycox said he waited several hours before receiving a swab. "We had nothing to eat or drink," he said.
Claudia, who did not want to use her surname, said the testing process was inefficient. "People are feeling confused, because they don't know if they're being tested today," she said. "There were people here until 9:00pm last night."It is really hard when there are so many elderly people here."

There have been no new positive cases linked to the Soldiers Club in the last 24 hours.

Neighbouring towns on alert
Further south, a number of businesses in the tourist town of Mogo have also chosen to close while staff get tested.The closures follow an announcement from NSW Health that a person who tested positive had visited a cafe in the town last week.

The recent cases have prompted authorities to open a testing clinic at Ulladulla, north of Batemans Bay.
The Ulladulla Respiratory Clinic will provide free testing between 8:00am and 7:00pm for anybody who has symptoms or visited a venue exposed to COVID-19.
<< I have a LOT of life long square dancing friends in and around Ulladulla , my wife and I often travel south for their local "convention" and special weekends, often stayed with the caller or friends who also danced in their homes , and even holidayed with them for the fishing in late summer and over winter , lots of them now getting on in years ( in their 80s and 90s who I've know since I was a teenage comp square dancer ) , I'd hate to hear of any of them becoming infected >>

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Key points:
A coronavirus cluster at the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park has expanded overnight
Only 1 new case in NSW is from a traveller in hotel quarantine
NSW Health is reminding residents that transmission of the virus has now occurred in a wide variety of locations

Symptomatic visitors to a pub in the Hunter and a Port Stephens shopping centre are being urged to seek testing after a man who visited both venues was diagnosed with coronavirus.

The 60-year-old man visited Salamander Shopping Centre on July 15 while infectious, and health authorities warned visitors should be on high alert for coronavirus symptoms.

In addition, patrons at Windsor Castle Hotel in East Maitland on the evening of July 13, were urged to monitor for "even the mildest" symptoms and seek testing immediately if they occurred.

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Newcastle residents have been urged not to travel to Sydney over fears coronavirus clusters are spreading in parts of the city.

Hunter New England Health says residents should avoid the capital city unless it is "absolutely necessary".
"This virus, if you give it half a chance can spread very, very rapidly," HNE Health Public Health Controller for COVID-19 Dr David Durrheim said in a statement.

Yesterday, a 34-year-old man from the Hunter region returned a positive test while in hotel quarantine in Sydney.

Today, Lord Mayor of Newcastle Nuatali Nelmes echoed the health advice on her Facebook page after NSW recorded 13 new COVID-19 cases.

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People who breach any coronavirus restrictions could be jailed for up to two years, under legislation going before South Australia's parliament today.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens yesterday said he supported the move even though he did not think it would deter "the types of people trying to sneak across borders" from offending.

People who breach the current laws, such as by entering South Australia from Victoria when not a local or essential traveller, face either an on-the-spot fine of $1,000 or a possible penalty imposed by a court of $20,000.

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman told ABC Radio Adelaide a jail term might be suitable for people who "acknowledge they have coronavirus then continue to have social intercourse with others and cause a threat to them".

She said she would introduce a bill this morning to allow for a maximum two-year sentence for any breach of the commissioner's directions as state coordinator during the pandemic.

The bill will also allow pharmacists to conduct COVID-19 tests and the State Government to charge $3,000 for returning international travellers to stay at hotels while in quarantine.

South Australians who fail to quarantine properly at home when returning from Victoria, NSW or the ACT could also be charged for their hotel stay.

Labor to introduce similar legislation
Shadow Attorney-General Kyam Maher agreed possible prison sentences would send a stronger message to would-be offenders.

Labor will introduce its own similar legislation today after calling for the move last week. "We should send the toughest possible signal," Mr Maher said.
"And it's not just border restrictions, our idea would apply to any breaches of the COVID rules — whether it's border breaches or other directions, we think there should be the possibility of jail time."

But SA Council for Civil Liberties chairwoman Claire O'Connor said imprisonment was not appropriate.
"One of the biggest places where people are more likely to get it, if there is a spread, is a prison," she said.

<< IMO - Tough luck if they catch covid19 while serving a custodial sentence they brought onto themselves. >>

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Two men have faced court charged with breaching COVID-19 directions after allegedly sneaking into South Australia from Victoria by driving between two trucks car in a truck lane. They claimed they did not see the checkpoint on the Dukes Highway at Wolseley. << Yeh right . They did however know the border was closed>>

Gagan Gola, 35, and Lovnish Mediratta, 44, contested the charges in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today and applied for bail.
The court heard the men had applied for an exemption to enter South Australia to make a delivery to Roxby Downs in the state's north.
The exemption application was still pending when the pair set off, and the court was told they had planned to speak to police at the border.
A truck driver noticed their car drive into the truck lane near the border checkpoint and drive straight across the border.

The court heard the men were wearing gloves and face masks when they were arrested at Mount Barker, in the Adelaide Hills.
Because imprisonment is not a penalty for the offence, police prosecutors said they could not oppose bail.

Magistrate Koula Kossiavelos said looking after the public's health was her number one priority.
"We are one step away from killing someone if we don't look after the law and make sure it is enforced properly," she said.

If bail is granted, the court heard the men would be transported in an SA Health van to the Victorian border under police escort.
Once in Victoria, they will have to find their own way home. The matter has been adjourned.

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From tomorrow it will be "strongly recommended" people staying in quarantine hotels in Tasmania have voluntary coronavirus tests at days five and 12 of their stay, Premier Peter Gutwein says. However, he stopped short of making the tests mandatory.

On Monday, Tasmania recorded its first new coronavirus case in 65 days.

The case was a young woman who had travelled from Victoria to Tasmania and was in a quarantine hotel in the state's south. The woman was on Tuesday in a stable condition in the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Deputy Director of Public Health Scott McKeown said the woman was infectious towards the end of her quarantine, but that the risk of spread was low.
No close community contacts had been identified but as a precaution other guests and staff at the hotel would be checked for symptoms and offered testing, he said.

Dr McKeown said there was no need to provide details of the flight the woman came back on, or to contact people on that flight.

There are about 700 people in 9 hotels around the state.

New rules for quarantine hotel guests
People staying in the Best Western in Hobart received letters from the Department of Communities informing them that the positive case had been detected in the hotel.
"I reassure you that given the quarantine arrangements at the hotel, the likelihood of transmission is considered low," the letter said.

Guests also received a separate letter from hotel management informing them of new booking systems for smokers, and for exercise.

One guest told the ABC the quarantine process was confusing. Erin, who asked that her surname be withheld, arrived on Monday on a plane with about 30 other passengers. "We'd been social distancing on the plane, but were then put on a bus together," she said.
"That was the confusing bit.
"Instead of just coming into contact with the health officer at the airport and the person coming to pick me up, I've probably now just come into contact with about 30 other people, all from the plane, as well as a bunch of police officers, plus the bus driver."

Tasmania's borders remain closed, with non-essential travellers required to complete 14 days' quarantine.
Anyone travelling from Victoria, or who has been in Victoria in the past 14 days, must complete their quarantine in a hotel.
Those who wish to enter the state must use a new online travel registration system called the G2G Pass, or Good to Go, which replaces paper-based processes.

Suspected cases could be forced to take coronavirus test
Under the new policy, if someone is assessed as being a risk but refuses a test, the Government will use powers under the Public Health Act to force them to have one.
"We expect all people to agree to have a test, we expect that the uptake [will] be very high," Dr McKeown said.
"If we felt that there was an assessment that a person posed a risk but they were refusing testing we would consider using those powers."
"It is important to understand that our hotel quarantine has protected Tasmania very well to date, the testing that we are recommending now is just for the additional public health control that the risk of people from Victoria may pose in our hotels," he said.

Mr Gutwein said testing was available to people in quarantine at any time they requested.

The Premier is due to announce on Friday whether state borders will remain closed but he said the situation was being reviewed on a day-by-day basis.
"Its not necessarily about what's occurring here, it's what's happening on the other side of the fence," he said.

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Western Australia's resources sector is contemplating on-site COVID-19 quarantine hubs as
few FIFO workers from virus-stricken Victoria and NSW now able to obtain exemptions to travel to WA, they are turning to Queensland and South Australia for fly-in fly-out workers.

Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA director Rob Carruthers says mining and oil and gas companies are largely able to fill roles locally, but have to search further afield for certain skills involving shutdowns and commissioning. << Very specialized skills are refineries, mines, ports, and smelters >> .

Some scheduled work that has been put off for months cannot be deferred any longer, Mr Carruthers says, and resources companies are now considering quarantine bubbles as they prepare for a long period of restrictions.

Many have the capacity to manage quarantine with their own accommodation facilities and chartered aircraft.
"If it is really specialist work that's going on in particular areas of the site, perhaps they can isolate that area and those workers from the rest of the workforce," Mr Carruthers told Network 10.

But Premier Mark McGowan says he's "not keen" on the idea.
"The FIFO workforce from the east, I think it's time that ended," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"I understand FIFO from Perth to a mine site, if there's no town nearby, but I don't understand FIFO from Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. "We need to come to a new arrangement."

Thousands of FIFO workers who regularly travel to WA have made it their temporary home, some with their families, and there was a recent rush from Victoria and NSW before restrictions for arrivals from those states tightened.

Mr McGowan wants them to make the move permanent while the sector does its utmost to hire as many West Australians as possible.

The state government has announced discounted flights to Broome and Kununurra in the far-north Kimberley region, starting at $199 and $229 one-way, respectively to facilitate this Perth - regions FIFO worker commuters , and boost regional SA , QLD and WA tourism .'
<< These small jets also stop over at Hedland and Newman airports to service FIFO worker's in Pilbara mining and refining and ports .>>

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Key points:
The messages included COVID-19 patient names and other details
Police have visited the child's home and shut down the website
Vodafone says paging services are not encrypted, unlike mobile phone networks
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has apologised after a 15-year-old boy intercepted confidential Health Department messages and published them online.

The internal messages were originally transmitted using a pager service and included the names and details of people being treated for COVID-19.

Mr McGowan said police have visited the child responsible and have shut down the website.
"It was a person under the age of 16 who obviously spends a lot of their life online, and did this sort of thing as some young people do," he said.
"If anyone's private information has been published, of course I'm sorry.
"That obviously shouldn't have occurred, and to those people we'll get to the bottom of who they were and make sure we contact them."

Mr McGowan said a full investigation would also look into what other agencies might be using paging services and whether sensitive information was being transmitted.

The Premier said he had been unaware of the personal details being compromised until a television news report on Monday night.
Mr McGowan also said he thought pagers had all but disappeared after the 1990s, and he was not aware they were still being used by some Government services.
"Apparently you can still buy them, and some people still use them," he said.
"The fact they were used for secure information and could be hacked, I didn't know, but some people out there obviously knew this.

"SMSs [text messages] apparently are far more secure, and Health will move to that, and we're going to look to whether other Government instrumentalities that may use pagers need to go to that system."

The paging service has been used by the Government for the past 12 years and Mr McGowan said the Health Department and other agencies had continued using it as it was more reliable than SMS.
"They said that it is a more certain way of transmitting information than an SMS, so they're confident the information gets through," he said.

Sometimes SMS's don't get through — now, that was news to me — but that is the reason they were doing it.

"The fact there was secure information being transmitted in that way, I think is a problem, if it was publicly available information it wouldn't be that big of a deal."

Government databases not compromised: Police
A WA Police spokesman said the Technology Crime Services unit received a complaint about the website on Sunday and executed a search warrant at a home on Monday.

The spokesman said the 15-year-old boy was spoken to, the website was taken down, and the interception of messages had ceased.

He said detectives established the messages were being intercepted in a random manner and there had been no intention to compromise privacy.

Police have said the investigation also established the boy had not accessed or compromised any government websites or databases, nor had he attempted to.

The statement also noted there had been no deliberate targeting of COVID-19 messages.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the state government is considering declaring more NSW postcodes hotspots.

Ms Palaszczuk said Deputy Premier Steven Miles could provide a coronavirus update later today. "There is a possibility that more hotspots in NSW could be declared by Queensland but we are not going to pre-empt that decision," Ms Palaszczuk said.

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Key points:
The 2020 school year could finish two days earlier
The Queensland Teachers' Union described the wage increase deferral as "a huge slap in the face"
The Government has agreed to lobby other states for alternatives to NAPLAN testing

All public servants in Queensland will have their scheduled wage increases deferred until 2022, when they will be paid their 2.5 per cent per annum pay rise for both 2020 and 2021 — effectively a 5 per cent rise in 2022..

Queensland Teachers' Union (QTU) president Kevin Bates said teachers would consider the Government's proposal on Friday and be encouraged to vote yes.

If teachers vote in favour of the proposal, it will mean schools in the north and west of the state will break on December 2, while those in South East Queensland will break on December 9.
Earlier this month, the Queensland Police Union struck a deal for its members to receive a one-off $1,250 payment, and two weeks of additional leave.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk rejected the QTU's assertion that the two days of additional leave for teachers was a concession following an outpouring of anger over the wage deferral.
"It's called pandemic leave — is anyone going to criticise our police and teachers for getting pandemic leave? I don't think so," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"It was always my intention, and it's my intention to look at health professionals as well, who I also believe deserve some pandemic leave for the extraordinary work they're doing."

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loljelloclowdz":3184g6ct said:

I live kinda by NYC so I’ve been in my house (with very rare outings - face masks every time!) since March 14. It’s kinda sad because I miss how the world was back before any of this started. I was a freshman at uni (now I’m a sophomore) and I would go to Target ALL the time and just get a pizza and an icee, as well as an arts and crafts kit to do every Friday afternoon. Or my sister would text me “come get me from the train, mom is in traffic in [insert town],” and I’d go to our campus diner, order a chocolate milkshake, Drive 5 minutes to the train station, and give her the milkshake and say “it’s poop flavored.” (I commuted so the train, my house, and my uni are all close together.) my sister is 16 and appreciates poop jokes as if she were only 3.

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