30 July in Victoria
Record spike in coronavirus cases OF 723 new cases overnight in Victoria , 14 deaths
A large fraction of Victorians not complying
ADF doorknocking finds COVID-19 patients are still going to work while infected
NSW - Vic and Vic - SA border issues
Cross-border travellers left in lurch as lack of SA COVID-19 testing sites creates confusion
The Victoria Covid Aged Care Catastrophy
Aged care intervention continues in Victoria
Hospitals
Hospital Covid19 Fears driving increase in home births as Victorian COVID outbreak grows
Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne COVID-19 outbreak came as baby Barnaby fought for his life and he has been infected and is now fighting for his life in ICU
Schools
Victorian coronavirus schooling rules for year 11 and 12 VCE students 'inflexible', unions say
Major Melbourne employer refuses Covid safe work conditions
Melbourne Cleaning Company SPOTLESS withdraws its Fair Work case against staff over coronavirus outbreak
Coronavirus scare at huge shopping centre as two staff test positive
Coronavirus case sees popular ABC News Breakfast team Michael Rowland, Lisa Millar, Nate Byrne report from home
Record spike in coronavirus cases OF 723 new cases overnight in Victoria , 14 deaths
https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/wellbeing/australia-reports-record-spike-in-coronavirus-cases-13-deaths/ar-BB17lDrl?ocid=msedgdhpAustralia recorded its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday with 14 deaths and 723 new infections in Victoria state, where the government ordered all residents to wear face-coverings outside.
The toll takes the country's total fatalities from the novel coronavirus to 190, more than half of which have occurred in Victoria, the second-most populous state, and its capital Melbourne, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Australia had prided itself on rapidly containing the initial COVID-19 outbreak but a second wave which began in Victoria last month has forced Melbourne back into lockdown and sparked outbreaks in other areas including Sydney.
"We've now been in this lockdown (in Melbourne) for some weeks and we are not getting the results we would hope for, and as a result the further measures that are taken are certainly necessary," Morrison told reporters, backing the restrictions announced by the Victorian government."On some days the virus wins, on other days we beat it. But I think we've got to be careful not to slip into some idea that there's some golden immunity that Australia has in relation to this virus."
Further restrictions on movement would deal a blow to the economy which is already in its first recession for 30 years, but failure to control the latest outbreaks would do more economic harm in the long run, Morrison added.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said everyone in the state of more than 6 million people would be required to wear a mask when outside from Sunday, widening a requirement already in place in Melbourne.
Masks to be mandatory across regional Victoria
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/masks-to-be-mandatory-across-regional-victoria/ar-BB17lmgZ?ocid=msedgntpFrom midnight Sunday, masks and face coverings will be mandatory across regional Victoria.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also announced new restrictions for six local government areas from midnight Thursday.
Residents in Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Moorabool, Golden Plains, Colac Otway, and Queenscliff will not be able to host visitors.
Hospitality venues will however remain opened.
He also extended social distancing restrictions, with residents in communities southwest of Melbourne no longer allowed to have visitors to their homes from late Thursday.
Cafes, pubs and restaurants would be allowed to stay open, however, because these were controlled environments where social distancing rules could be enforced.
"Having friends over to your house is not a controlled environment," Andrews said.
The previous record daily count of new infections in Australia was 518 reported on Monday. The country has confirmed a total of 16,298 cases since the pandemic began.
Andrews said that while the latest spike in cases was concerning, the majority of them were at known hotspots such as aged-care homes and the number of untraceable infections was "much smaller".
Australia's most-populous state, New South Wales (NSW), reported 18 new cases, with six from unknown sources.
The northeastern state of Queensland, which had effectively eliminated the virus, said it had found three new cases, two of whom were believed to have contracted COVID-19 while in the NSW capital Sydney. Queensland closed its borders to people from Sydney on Wednesday.
Queensland police allege that two 19-year-old women who brought the virus into the state after returning from a trip to Victoria had falsified travel documents and lied to authorities about their movements.
Both now faced criminal charges but one was continuing to refuse to tell officials where she had been, amid a spike in cases south of Brisbane where the pair reside.
“They went to extraordinary lengths to be deceitful and deceptive and quite frankly criminal in their behaviour and that is what has put the community at risk,” Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll told reporters.
Queensland earlier this month denied entry to anyone who had been to Victoria in the previous 14 days.
A large fraction of Victorians not complying
ADF doorknocking finds COVID-19 patients are still going to work while infected
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/adf-doorknocking-finds-covid-19-patients-are-still-going-to-work-while-infected/ar-BB17lXSF?ocid=msedgdPeople are still going to work after testing positive for COVID-19, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says, as the state's coronavirus cases spike to a record 723 new infections.
Key points:
Victorian Premiers says confirmed positive COVID-19 cases must stay home
People who breach the chief health officer's directions can be fined $1,652
Experts say people have not locked down as hard the second time around
Australian Defence Force personnel have been doorknocking and checking on people who are supposed to be self-isolating after contracting the virus.
Mr Andrews said 30 ADF teams have doorknocked almost 800 properties so far, with 269 visited on Wednesday.
"Now, I don't want this to be seen as criticism or blame, but I'm obliged to point out that there were a number of people who were not home," he said.
"They will be referred to Victoria Police."
People who breach the chief health officer's directions can be fined $1,652.
Mr Andrews described a joint ADF and Health Department team looking for a person with a confirmed diagnosis, but found they were not at home.
"They weren't home, but a family member was, and the family member helpfully pointed out that that person, a positive coronavirus case, was, in fact, at work," he said.
"To have found even one person who had disregarded their diagnosis and instead had decided to go to work is very disappointing."
In other cases, there were a number of people who needed prescriptions filled or were running low on basic household items, including groceries and toilet paper.
"Because of that visit, we have been able to source all of those things for those people," he said.
"This is not just about compliance, it's also about us visiting and saying: 'What can we do for you? What do you need?' And I think that's a really important point.
"That doesn't mean, though, that you are allowed to be out of your home or at work, or at the shops, if you are positive.
"If you're a positive case, then you need to be at home and you need to be isolating, and that is a very important message."
Mr Andrews said, in some cases, people were unclear about what they needed to do, and doorknockers were able to inform them.
People who do not have sick leave or who are in insecure work can apply for a $300 payment while they wait for their test result and isolate at home.
Those who test positive can receive a $1,500 payment.
"If you've got symptoms, the only thing you can do is get tested," Mr Andrews said.
"You just can't go to work. Because all you'll be doing is spreading the virus."
He added that restrictions would not be lifted if people continued to go to work while sick and infections continued to spread.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-30/adf-door-knocks-checks-on-people-isolating-covid-19/12507366Tested Covid19 POSITIVE or have symptoms or waiting results of test should be staying home and social isolating from community and family :
"Now, I don't want this to be seen as criticism or blame, but I'm obliged to point out that there were a number of people who were not home," he said.
"They will be referred to Victoria Police."
People who breach the chief health officer's directions can be fined $1,652.
Mr Andrews described a joint ADF and Health Department team looking for a person with a confirmed diagnosis, but found they were not at home.
"They weren't home, but a family member was, and the family member helpfully pointed out that that person, a positive coronavirus case, was, in fact, at work," he said.
"To have found even one person who had disregarded their diagnosis and instead had decided to go to work is very disappointing."
In other cases, there were a number of people who needed prescriptions filled or were running low on basic household items, including groceries and toilet paper.
"Because of that visit, we have been able to source all of those things for those people," he said.
"This is not just about compliance, it's also about us visiting and saying: 'What can we do for you? What do you need?' And I think that's a really important point.
<< very lame excuse as it's very easy to arrange online supply orders home delivered in a contact free manner online , and chemists will collect your script and fill it and the refill It as needed by phone order and home deliver payment is over the phone or online >>
"That doesn't mean, though, that you are allowed to be out of your home or at work, or at the shops, if you are positive.
"If you're a positive case, then you need to be at home and you need to be isolating, and that is a very important message."
Mr Andrews said, in some cases, people were unclear about what they needed to do, and doorknockers were able to inform them.
People who do not have sick leave or who are in insecure work can apply for a $300 payment while they wait for their test result and isolate at home.
Those who test positive can receive a $1,500 payment.
"If you've got symptoms, the only thing you can do is get tested," Mr Andrews said.
"You just can't go to work. Because all you'll be doing is spreading the virus."
He added that restrictions would not be lifted if people continued to go to work while sick and infections continued to spread.
Counterfeit N95 masks being sold by some retailors and online
Fake N95 face masks fail safety standards at Queensland coal mines following coronavirus high demand sworldwide and in Victoria have invaded the market
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-30/fake-face-masks-risk-coronavirus-shortages-concern-union/12506164Key points:
Fake and substandard masks have been detected in Queensland following shortages
Workplace Health and Safety says the masks do not provide an adequate facial seal
Some masks have certification documents from unaccredited testing facilities
In a safety alert, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said it can be very difficult to spot a fake or unaccredited mask from the real thing.
It said some of the masks were marked as P2 or came with packaging indicating that they had been tested.
But WorkSafe New South Wales found some of the documentation was provided by unaccredited testing facilities and some did not have any licence numbers.
Internationally, some companies have been using the approval number of accredited companies, without their permission.
"They were packaged the same, but they were fake, it's very deceptive."
Under Australian consumer law, companies can be fined up to $10 million and individuals $500,000 for making false or misleading representations about goods.
Border runner
COVID-19 denier arrested in Melbourne
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/covid-19-denier-arrested-in-melbourne/ar-BB17ltvb?ocid=msedgdhpA COVID-19 denier who caused public outrage has been arrested in Melbourne, after refusing to speak to police when challenged at a Victoria - NSW border station .
Eve Black - a conspiracy theorist who believes COVID-19 is a hoax - first made headlines last week after she filmed herself refusing questions at a border crossing.
Coronavirus denier Eve Black has been arrested after another standoff with police as new video emerges of another anti-masker in a clash with police.
Police said they were forced to smash through her car window to arrest the 28-year-old, with police saying they had to do it after she refused to speak to them, refused to wind down her window and refused to get out of her vehicle.
Police said they were forced to smash through her car window to arrest the 28-year-old, with police saying they had to do it after she refused to speak to them, refused to wind down her window and refused to get out of her vehicle.
Ms Black has since been released on court summons for failing to produce a licence, breaching the Chief Health Officer’s orders and has been heavily fined .
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-anti-masker-arrested-after-stand-off-with-police/vi-BB17lcyG?ocid=msedgdhp
'Lockdown fatigue'
Nick Golding, an associate professor at the School of Public Health at Curtin University, is part of the team that provides daily tracking numbers to the Victorian Government.
He said the rate at which people changed their behaviour — such as staying at home, not going to work, and not meeting up with people — appeared to have changed during the latest lockdown, with some more relaxed the second time around.
"People haven't switched to that behaviour so quickly this time, and it doesn't seem like they've gone quite as far as they did the first time around.
"And it's certainly something we've been expecting. People get a little bit fatigued with lockdown."
He said the reproduction number in Victoria is hovering around one, meaning every positive case is infecting one other person.
"If it's at one, it's not going to decrease," he said.
"So it seems like we haven't locked down quite as hard, and you can see this in the publicly-available health data on people moving around."
Fines for fishing and face masks
Victoria Police have issued 88 fines to people breaching the chief health officer's directions in the past 24 hours.
Of those, 26 were for failing to wear a face covering, which attracts a $200 fine.
Victoria Police said "a number of these fines were issued after people still refused to wear a mask, even after being offered one from police or PSOs [protective services officers]."
Karen from Brighton challenges Daniel Andrews to a FIGHThttps://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/karen-from-brighton-challenges-daniel-andrews-to-a-fight/ar-BB17kKcH?ocid=msedgdhpKaren from Brighton has challenged Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to a 'fight' after he criticised her breach of lockdown regulations.
Jodi Grollo has embraced her viral nickname ( Brighton Karen ) after she attracted online fame for a video in which she justified travelling outside her district for her daily walks because she was bored of the streets in her affluent coastal suburb of Brighton.
She is even using an Instagram account to poke fun at herself after becoming a minor celebrity, and to take potshots at the Victorian premier.
Her latest attack came in the form of a fashion showdown on Wednesday when she shared an image of the pair side by side both wearing black jackets designed by high-end outdoor brand 'The North Face'.
'Karen’s next opponent is Lord Daniel of House Andrews in the battle of the Northern Face,' the post reads.
'I’ll dodge him faster then he dodges questions about hotel quarantine. I’ll lock him down like Victoria.'
Her use of the terms 'Kween of the North' to describe herself, and 'Lord Daniel of House Andrews' for the premier were references to the HBO hit television series Game of Thrones.
She said the winner would become the new ambassador for The North Face.
Karen’s record 1-0 Andrews record 0 wins from 15304 cases,' the post reads, referring to the escalating number of coronavirus cases in the state.
She said her 1-0 record came from a victory over 'Karen from Bunnings', who was challenging her for the most high-profile 'Karen' to complain about lockdown laws in Victoria.
She posted a video to her Instagram story, which had since been deleted, of her working the heavy bag at a gym before slamming a can of Victoria Bitter and then throwing the empty tin to the ground.
The now-famous Melbourne mum now goes by the Instagram handle 'therealkarenfrombriiighton' and since the account was set up a week ago it had quickly accrued 12,900 followers.
Jodi Grollo is the daughter of pokies king Bruce Mathieson, and the husband of Gianni Grollo, whose family controls the prominent Grollo construction empire.
She initially went viral when she said she had trudged through all of the streets of Brighton and therefore was ignoring instructions for people not to travel across town for exercise or any other outing.
'Well, you get sick of walking the same streets. You know, I've done all of Brighton,' she told Nine News while walking the city's Tan Track.
<< this lady seems to be trying to get off her fine based on "mental health issues" , obviously taken legal advice and it's all an act >>
<< so very weathy and a $200 fine is pocket change to her and she'll never miss it , IMO Jodi Grollo needs to be sent to prison or involuntarily committed to the loony bin >>
I've got a very clear message to every single Victorian, particularly some of those featured on social media: whether you are in Broadmeadows or Brighton, stay at home means stay at home,' The Premier and the Vic Health Minister both said last Saturday.
'And if walking your local streets is boring, well, being bored is much better than being in intensive care. That's my clear message.'
Ms Grollo said she was not bothered by Mr Andrews' rebuke, or the hundreds of angry comments online, and hadn't seen them anyway.
'I'm not on social media so I didn't see any [of the backlash]. To be honest, I found it funny – it made my weekend,' she earlier told The Herald Sun.
Six men at a short term rental property in Mornington Peninsula were issued penalty notices.
"Upon police arrival, they stated they were there for a work-related meeting however, when police arrived, they were drinking alcohol and watching television," according to Victoria Police.
They also fined four people in the Wyndham area who stated their reason for travelling was "to go fishing in Geelong", and another man was fined after travelling "from Dandenong to South Yarra for a convenience store coffee".
Police have done more than 187,500 spot checks in Victoria since March 21, with 5,650 spot checks on people at homes, businesses and public places conducted on Wednesday.
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos urged every Victorian to do their part in order to bring the virus numbers down.
"All the research tells us that we need at least 90 per cent of people doing the right thing," she said.
NSW - Vic and Vic - SA border issues
Cross-border travellers left in lurch as lack of SA COVID-19 testing sites creates confusion
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/cross-border-travellers-left-in-lurch-as-lack-of-sa-covid-19-testing-sites-creates-confusion/ar-BB17lUnC?ocid=msedgdhpThere are growing calls for a mobile COVID-19 testing clinic to be established at the South Australia-Victoria border in the Mallee region, as essential travellers are being left in the lurch after a new police direction came into effect on Wednesday.
The direction states cross-border travellers must produce evidence of a COVID-19 test every seven days.
The zone for cross-border community members to get a mandatory test has also been narrowed, with those residing in Victoria only allowed to travel 40 kilometres into SA.
Mallee Border Health Centre nurse practitioner Di Thornton works between the communities of Murrayville in Victoria and Pinnaroo in SA.
Her private practice is one of the only places currently conducting COVID-19 tests in the region and she is calling for more testing sites to be established, and clearer information to be released.
"I would've thought as one of the local health practitioners we may have had some warning [about the new rule]; that wasn't to be," Dr Thornton said.
She said she was run off her feet conducting 17 tests at Murrayville yesterday and sent her practice manager to the border to get information after receiving no further clarification from SA Health.
"It's still very difficult to get succinct, clear information about what's going on," Dr Thornton said.
"As far as I know we're the only [local] service offering COVID-19 tests to both South Australian and Victorian residents at the moment."
Nowhere to go
Tiffany Atze has been operating a cross-border shearing contracting business and ran into trouble yesterday when police instructed her shearers to get a test within 24 hours.
After calling Pinnaroo hospital along with a state-run medical clinic and a private practice, all within 40km of the border, she found there was nowhere her shearers could get tested within the set time period.
"I rang the Pinnaroo hospital because according to the SA Health website you can do testing there, which is incorrect," Ms Atze said.
"I rang again to check this morning and they're definitely not doing COVID-19 tests at Pinnaroo hospital."
After calling the hospital to confirm, the ABC was directed back to SA Health.
SA Health said COVID-19 tests are available at Pinnaroo and Lameroo hospitals, including for cross-border travellers who required mandatory testing without showing symptoms.
But Ms Atze said the Lameroo hospital was more than 40km from the border, which meant the Victorian shearers could not go there.
The private clinic advised Ms Atze her shearers would need to wait several days for a test due to a growing list of people that required testing.
This morning, police allowed the Victorian shearers to cross into SA without a COVID-19 test, after the workers explained their situation.
The shearers have been booked for testing tomorrow morning at the state-run Mallee Medical Practice in Pinnaroo, where a drive-through clinic has been established today.
Expansion needed for border testing
Both Ms Thornton and Ms Atze agree the Mallee district needs a mobile testing clinic at the border checkpoint between Pinnaroo and Murrayville.
"They've got them at Bordertown, [Yamba, Mount Gambier] and Naracoorte," Ms Thornton said.
"I think the simplest and easiest place for people to go and know where they can go would be to have a testing station at the border."
Ms Atze estimated there were "hundreds of people" who needed to travel across the border each day.
"If this is mandatory, [a mobile testing clinic] needs to be available. SA Health have completely dropped the ball on this and not provided the services needed," she said.
"I see [it] as completely wrong and inefficient and puts a massive stress load on communities.
"I think it was a good directive but the information wasn't passed on clearly — it wasn't planned clearly."
Chief Public Health Officer apologises
SA Health said it was closely monitoring the situation and would work with SA Pathology to provide additional resources where needed.
Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier admitted there were problems this morning with too many people turning up at the Tailem Bend clinic in the state's south-east, resulting in long queues.
She said it was likely those getting tested were South Australians returning to the state from Victoria before the cut-off or people living near the border who are required to be tested regularly.
Professor Spurrier thanked people for their patience.
"I do apologise but it really shows how South Australians have got on board with this," she said.
The Victoria Covid Aged Care Catastrophy
Aged care intervention continues in Victoria
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-aged-care-intervention-continues-in-victoria/vi-BB17kVXs?ocid=msedgdhpSpecialist medical teams will arrive in Victoria today to help coronavirus plagued aged care homes.
Victoria coronavirus response boosted by first Australian Medical Assistance Team personnel as cases in aged care continue to rise
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victoria-coronavirus-response-boosted-by-first-australian-medical-assistance-team-personnel-as-cases-in-aged-care-continue-to-rise/ar-BB17l8Vt?ocid=msedgdhpJim and Peter Staffieri found out their 92-year-old mother Luisa in the Epping Gardens nursing home tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday morning.
They waited outside the nursing home for hours until they saw her taken to hospital in an ambulance on Wednesday night.
"We're just so happy to see her — because we don't know when we'll see her again," Peter said.
She waved to her sons and spoke to them briefly, from a distance, before the ambulance drove away.
The Epping Gardens nursing home in Melbourne's north is among the worst-affected aged care coronavirus clusters in the state, with about 61 residents and 22 staff infected.
34 residents were transferred out of the Epping Gardens nursing home on Tuesday, and more residents were taken to hospital yesterday.
Peter said he was glad to see his mother transferred out of Epping Gardens because he had "no confidence" she would get the care she needed in the home.
"At least in the hospital she'll get the care that she needs, I think it would be too late if she got sick here," he said.
Luisa is just one of many aged care residents being moved to hospital as the number of coronavirus deaths continue to rise.
Of recent deaths connected to aged care, 11 were linked to St Basil's in Fawkner, two were linked to Epping Gardens, and one was linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth.
Victoria is working to contain 87 outbreaks at aged care homes, which have claimed more than a dozen lives in the past few weeks.
'SAS of the medical world' arrive in Victoria to help fight growing coronavirus outbreaks
Meanwhile, the first Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) personnel, usually sent to overseas disaster zones, will start work in Victoria today.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt dubbed the assistance teams the "SAS of the medical world" last weekend.
"They have assisted with quarantine, they have assisted in Western Australia, they have assisted in activities around the country and they are the best of the best," he said.
5 AUSMAT senior expert nurse leaders are being deployed to Victoria from other states, and two Victorian-based specialist logisticians will be deployed in support of the nurse deployment and Aged Care Response Centre.
A spokesperson from the Federal Department of Health said more than 450 temporary workforce surge staff had been deployed to providers experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria to date.
The Federal Government is also supplying 500,000 reusable face shields for staff in aged care services across Victoria, and releasing a further 5 million face masks from the National Medical Stockpile for aged care providers.
Peter Staffieri said he was glad the Federal Government was sending health workers in to help.
"Let's hope they clean it up and it gets better now," he said.
Premier Daniel Andrews renewed his plea for people experiencing any coronavirus symptoms to stay home and get tested, saying the spread of the virus was being fuelled by workplace outbreaks.
All employers are now required to immediately notify WorkSafe once they become aware that an employee, contractor, or contractor's employee has tested positive to the virus and has attended the workplace during the infectious period.
Families reunited after Victorian aged care home creates visiting podhttps://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/families-reunited-after-victorian-aged-care-home-creates-visiting-pod/ar-BB17lvFn?ocid=msedgdhpFamilies have been reunited after an aged care centre created special 'visiting pods' to allow people to interact face-to-face separated by a glass partition.
Multicultural Aged Care Services in Geelong, south-west of Melbourne, came up with the innovative idea to allow families to see one another.
The aged care centre has converted a shipping container into a visitors pod, dividing two rooms where people can spend time with their family member.
Families are separated by a glass partition but there are microphones and speakers installed to help people with hearing problems.
Chief executive of MACS, Joy Leggo, said the pods have made an 'amazing difference' and kept 'human connection' at the aged care centre.
'It's allowed our families to come in and see and have a visit and have a chat in our pod,' she told the Today Show on Thursday.
'We've got two sections to it. We've got a hearing loop install sowed our residents who are hard of hearing can have a conversation.'
The pods are wheelchair and comfort chair accessible and runs seven days a week from 10am until 7pm at night.
'To see the joy on the residents' faces as they come out, but also the families as well,' Ms Leggo said
Ms Leggo said the pandemic was the most challenging time the aged care sector had faced.
She continues to monitor cases closely and MACS has not had a positive case but given the spike in Melbourne - 72km away - the centre remains ready to lock down.
'The numbers in Geelong, the active cases in Geelong are quite low, but we are watching that very closely on a day-to-day basis,' Ms Leggo said.
'It's the unknown that we are dealing with and we're just pleading with everyone to wear those masks do that social distancing all of those sorts of things.'
Figures released by the Victorian government on Thursday show 913 active cases linked to aged care, including workers, with 87 facilities having active outbreaks.
Former chief medical officer Brendan Murphy, now secretary of the federal Department of Health, said more elderly people will die from the virus.
'There will be more deaths with the number of aged-care recipients that are infected,' he told reporters in Canberra.
'We know that it is a certainty. We will see deaths every day - and that is a tragedy.'
.Premier Daniel Andrews is also expected to report an additional 13 deaths amid more than 80 outbreaks at aged care facilities.
Hospitals
Hospital Covid19 Fears driving increase in home births as Victorian COVID outbreak grows
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/increase-in-home-births-as-victorian-covid-outbreak-grows/vi-BB17lD7B?ocid=msedgdhpVictorians are very fearful of seeing their doctors at the surgery , in their rooms , in the hospital because of the high number of people in the community who are identified as positive for covid19 and fears of coming into contact with someone who is asymptomic amongst the staff or a symptomic patient waiting to be tested or under observation or waiting to be admitted or as a walk-in.
So many Victorian mother are opting for home birthing using a midwife or RN or NP. This is an expensive option with inherent risks involved too.
But with limited state funding for home births, many are being forced into debt.
This is because it is not covered by Medicare ( under the safety net ) and there are large deductibles if the mother has private health insurance that covers home birthing.
Some soon to be and new mothers have drawn on their Superannuation under the Federal Govt's Covid Hardship provisions to take one or two hits of up to each $10000 from their superannuation to cover this expense and setting up for the newborn.
Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne COVID-19 outbreak came as baby Barnaby fought for his life and he has been infected and is now fighting for his life in ICU
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/royal-children-s-hospital-melbourne-covid-19-outbreak-came-as-baby-barnaby-fought-for-his-life/ar-BB17lJfd?ocid=msedgdhp
Barnaby Craw has been fighting for his life in the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.
Launceston couple Dylan and Lisa Craw were already stressed and anxious packing their bags for their first plane trip with their newborn son, Barnaby.
They were headed to Melbourne, the epicentre of Australia's coronavirus outbreak — but they had no choice.
12-week-old Barnaby was born with a hole in his heart and needed urgent surgery at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.
"It was the last place we wanted to be heading, but the way we thought about it was if we didn't come over here, then his life was in danger," Mr Craw said.
With limited flights out of Launceston, the couple had to drive to Hobart to catch a plane.
"Obviously it's a tough journey for us anyway with Barnaby, but COVID-19 has made it twice as bad — both of us can't be together in the hospital, let alone at the bedside, so that means it's really tough to support each other, let alone him," Mr Craw said.
Ms Craw said it was an extremely frightening situation.
"He's our first baby," she said.
"He's a very sick baby."
'Complication after complication'
Barnaby, who weighed just 1.625 kilograms at birth, had surgery to repair a ventricular septal defect (VSD) in his heart two weeks ago.
"For the amazing surgeons over here it's fairly routine, but Barnaby had quite a few issues post-op and in ICU he went downhill quite badly," Mr Craw said.
"He had to have his chest reopened for a couple of days to relieve the pressure on his heart and internal organs, so he had to have a second surgery to do that, then they closed it after four days, and then he had a few more hiccups."
The baby spent 8 days in paediatric ICU instead of the 2 that had been predicted.
"We really should have been home by now but it's just been complication after complication," Mr Craw said.
"We're lucky we've still got him … it's been quite a journey.
Ms Craw said the restrictions increased in the pressure.
"Not being there together was just that added extra emotional toll — that certainly has tested us." Ms Craw said.
2 floors below a coronavirus outbreak
Earlier this week Victorian health authorities confirmed a COVID-19 outbreak at the hospital after a baby,2 parents, and a healthcare worker returned positive tests.
"That's on the 5th floor and luckily we're a few floors below that," Mr Craw said.
"To be honest, there's not a lot of talk of it inside the hospital … even though there is an outbreak, I still feel relatively safe."
Mr Craw said there were a lot of procedures and hoops to jump through just to get inside the building.
"Overall it's a very scary situation, but they're doing everything they can to keep everyone safe and taking every precaution possible," he said.
A spokesperson said the Royal Children's Hospital had not allowed visitors on site since March, before visitor directives were issued.
"Any parent, guardian or staff member entering the hospital undergoes health screening and temperature checking before being allowed access," the spokesperson said.
"Under the Government's visitor restrictions, parents/guardians are not considered visitors.
"Even so, we have insisted that only one parent/guardian is allowed with their child at any time.
"While this has caused upset for many families, there is no intention to strengthen this any further as this would mean our patients would not ever see their parents — this is not an outcome anyone would want."
The spokesperson said 17 staff, seven patients and three parents identified as close contacts were undertaking mandatory quarantine requirements.
Nervous about hotel quarantine in Tasmania
The Craws are hoping to return to Launceston as soon as Barnaby is feeding again and strong enough to travel.
"We are definitely counting down the days," Ms Craw said.
"We think each day we're a little bit closer to home and when we get that all-clear it'll be a celebration."
But the new mother does not expect getting home to be easy.
"Where we'll have to quarantine will be another challenge and we're hoping that with everything our beautiful little newborn has been through, and to help with his healing process, we're hoping we can quarantine in our home environment," she said.
"It's in our best interests not to expose Barnaby to anything and to help him in that recovery."
The Craws had nothing but praise and admiration for the hospital and its staff.
"We wouldn't to be anywhere else in terms of the care we've received from the Royal Children's," Ms Craw said.
Health authorities said all 7 babies at the RCH who were classified as close contacts of an infected patient and staff had tested negative.
Schools
Victorian coronavirus schooling rules for year 11 and 12 VCE students 'inflexible', unions say
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/victorian-coronavirus-schooling-rules-for-year-11-and-12-vce-students-inflexible-unions-say/ar-BB17m6Pn?ocid=msedgdhphpThe Victorian Government's requirement for all year 11 and 12 students to attend school in person is causing anxiety for school principals and making staff concerned for their safety, unions representing the education sector say.
Prep to year 10 students in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire have been learning from home since July 20.
Currently Victoria's VCE and VCAL students, as well as special school students, are required to attend school in person.
But the Australian Education Union (AEU) and the Independent Education Union (IEU) say the policy is inflexible and "failing our school communities".
There are 72 schools across Victoria which are currently closed due to coronavirus:
61 government schools,
9 Catholic schools
and 2 independent schools.
Plus
19 early childhood services are closed.
The unions want the State Government to give school principals more flexibility and the power to implement home learning programs for their students when required.
AEU Victorian branch president Meredith Peace said many union members were concerned about their safety and the safety of their students.
"It is leaving our principals with the responsibility to manage incredibly difficult circumstances for their schools, without having the capacity to make important decisions," she said.
The Victorian Government's rationale for keeping year 11 and 12 students on campus was to avoid VCE students falling out of step with their counterparts outside of the locked-down areas.
But Ms Peace said many parents were keeping their children home because of health concerns anyway, particularly in special schools.
"So we already have significant inequity, because those students who are at home are not receiving a formal learning program — our kids with disabilities, in special schools, are receiving no learning program," she said.
Departmental guidelines were getting in the way of principals doing "the right thing", the general secretary of IEU Vic-Tas Debra James said.
"Too many people are required to be on campus when they could easily be working from home, and principals who are trying to minimise the number of staff or students in the senior secondary area are getting pushback," she said.
Ms Peace said some secondary schools had tried to implement flexible arrangements for their VCE students, such as keeping year 11s at home for part of the week.
But she said the Department of Education and Training told those schools to reverse those decisions, and other proposals put forward by the union had been rejected.
"We cannot have a circumstance where principals are trying to manage the growing anxiety and stress among their staff and students and parents, and yet they are not trusted to make very sensible decisions about how to manage their staff on site."
'This is serious': Unions say contact-tracing delays causing stress for schools
Ms James pointed to a senior secondary school in Melbourne's western suburbs which had recorded positive cases among students and staff and where a partner of a staff member was in ICU.
"This is serious stuff … we believe there is a different way, a better way, and this should be seriously looked at," she said.
The union leaders also said delays in contact tracing were causing a high level of "stress and anxiety" for schools.
"We've heard stories about people sweating over email all weekend, wondering if they should be preparing remote learning classes for their kids or whether they should be preparing to be on site, face to face," Ms Peace said.
"We can't sustain those kinds of workloads, we can't sustain that stress for our school communities."
Education Minister James Merlino said the settings in place at schools in Victoria were based on the Chief Health Officer's advice.
"Schools already have the flexibility at the local level for staff to work remotely and to provide learning support for students on extended absences," he said.
"Having VCE and VCAL students and those with a disability onsite ensures that those most impacted by remote learning still have access to face-to-face learning."
Major Melbourne employer refuses Covid safe work conditions
Melbourne Cleaning Company SPOTLESS withdraws its Fair Work case against staff over coronavirus outbreak
https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/markets/melbourne-company-withdraws-its-fair-work-case-against-staff-over-coronavirus-outbreak/ar-BB17mfx9?ocid=msedgdhpA Melbourne cleaning company has withdrawn a case it brought to the Fair Work Commission after its staff refused to turn up to work due to a coronavirus outbreak.
About 35 staff from Spotless laundry in Dandenong, owned by Ensign Services, did not show up to work on Wednesday after two people from the workplace tested positive to coronavirus in less than a week.
The United Workers Union (UWU) said the staff did not believe enough had been done to prevent the outbreak from spreading and decided it was safer to stay at home.
It led Ensign Services to launch a case in the Fair Work Commission to compel the staff to return to work.
The hearing on Wednesday afternoon was adjourned to Thursday but the company subsequently dropped the case.
A statement issued by the Commission said staff from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) were onsite on Thursday to "directly assess" the situation "regarding the range of safety measures in place in response to the detection of COVID-19 at the site".
The Commission said in the statement that Ensign Services had been working with the DHHS before Thursday.
"The UWU have agreed to make all reasonable efforts to advise their members that they are not advising them to not attend to work for the day shift [on Thursday]," the statement said.
The DHHS have been approached for comment on the result of the inspection at the laundry.
Workers felt 'moral obligation' to protect community, union says
In a statement, UWU executive director Godfrey Moase said the withdrawal of the action did not resolve workers' concerns and the union wanted to see pandemic leave offered to the workers.
"Low-wage migrant workers have done the right thing by taking a stand for the safety of themselves, their families and the entire community," he said.
"The question now is who pays. Time and time again, corporations shift their responsibilities to stop the spread onto low-wage migrant workers; many of whom don't qualify for JobKeeper or JobSeeker."
The union said a worker had told them a majority of employees at the site lived in extended family households with elderly parents and in-laws with pre-existing health conditions.
The union quoted the unnamed worker as saying they felt a "moral obligation" to protect their community by preventing spread to other family members who also worked in large, industrial workplaces.
Coronavirus scare at huge shopping centre as two staff test positive
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-scare-at-huge-shopping-centre-as-two-staff-test-positive/ar-BB17lF5W?ocid=msedgdhp2 staff members at a Melbourne shopping centre have tested positive for COVID-19.
Northland Shopping Centre in Preston in Melbourne's northeast announced the 2 confirmed cases on Wednesday.
A Myer employee tested positive and last worked at the store on Wednesday, July 22 and a Nike worker who also has the virus last worked on Friday, July 17.
The Myer employee was potentially infectious while working from July 20 to July 22, according to the department store.
In a statement, Northland Shopping Centre tried to quell fears of infection.
'We’ve received no advice which indicates there was any risk to our customers or retail team members who visited Myer on 22 July or Nike on 17 July,' the statement read.
'All team members who have been identified as having been in close contact with the affected team members have been contacted, will undergo testing and will self-isolate until they receive test results.'
Both the Myer and Nike stores in Northland mall have undertaken a deep clean and sanitisation in line with the Department of Health and Human Services' advice.
The latest cases are not the first at the shopping centre as a H&M employee tested positive last month, forcing the store to close down for deep cleaning.
An infectious person also watched Jumanji 2 at the centre's Hoyts cinema, sparking another COVID scare.
Earlier this month, Northland Shopping Centre began limiting its hours to 'adjust to the unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19'.
'The safety and wellbeing of our customers, retailers, team and community continues to be our top priority,' the centre announced.'We’re taking extra precautions to ensure our centre is clean and hygienic every time you visit, including more frequent cleaning, encouraging healthy physical distancing and good hygiene.'
Coronavirus case sees popular ABC News Breakfast team Michael Rowland, Lisa Millar, Nate Byrne report from home
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-case-sees-abc-news-breakfast-team-michael-rowland-lisa-millar-nate-byrne-report-from-home/ar-BB17lk4A?ocid=msedgdhpThe ABC's News Breakfast team's members have appeared on screens around the country from home this morning, following a coronavirus scare in the Melbourne studio.
Usual hosts Lisa Millar, Michael Rowland and Nate Byrne were not in their usual seats this morning and have been temporarily replaced by Madeline Morris, Ben Knight and Georgie Tunny.
The decision to keep the usual presenters at home was made by ABC management on Wednesday after the wife of the team's floor manager, Joe, tested positive to coronavirus.
While the team waits for his results, ABC management decided anyone who worked closely with Joe should not come to work.
Morris, Knight and Tunny will continue to host News Breakfast for several days until the presenters are cleared of the virus.
Rowland and Millar were not entirely absent and appeared via their home offices to explain their absence to viewers.
"Things moved very very quickly and full credit to the ABC for taking quick and decisive action," Rowland said.
"It's a lot to take in.
"I wasn't up at the usual time of 2:00am but tossing and turning and up about 5:00am … so sort of a sleep-in."
Millar said people had already contacted the ABC to say thank you for being overly cautious.
"[They said], 'Thank you for going above and beyond … because we know workplaces are the real issue,'" Millar said.
Rowland said many precautions were being taken by the ABC to separate news readers into different studios, with some, such as 7.30 host Leigh Sales, broadcasting from home.
"It applies to programs all through the ABC. This is the ABC making sure every i is dotted and every t is crossed because, sadly in Victoria, coronavirus is still out there," Rowland said.
"We have been reporting on this for more than six months or more now, every single day, and it's gloomy some mornings but it's not until you have a deep personal confrontation with this disease … that it really strikes home for you."
In a tweet, Rowland said the measure went "above and beyond the Health Department's requirements".
"But this precaution is being taken for the wellbeing of other ABC staff in Melbourne," the tweet said.