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

[kingofnobbys]

23 AUGUST NSW
Four new cases of coronavirus in NSW, health authorities say

Key points:
Two new cases were acquired overseas, one is linked to the Apollo Restaurant cluster
The fourth case, a security guard reported on Saturday, is under investigation
NSW Health warns that while case numbers are low, the virus is circulating in the community

There have been four new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in New South Wales, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 3,796, authorities say.
Of the four new cases reported in the 24 hours to 8:00pm last night, two cases were acquired overseas and are in hotel quarantine.

One case is a household contact of a previously reported confirmed case linked to the Apollo Restaurant cluster.

NSW Health says the source of the remaining case — a hotel security guard reported on Saturday — is currently under investigation.

Health authorities urged anyone who visited Burwood's Westfield on Thursday, August 20 between 6:00pm and 7:00pm to monitor for symptoms after a confirmed case visited Kmart and Woolworths.

Anyone who visited Service NSW in Burwood between 2:30pm and 3:00pm on Friday, August 21 was also placed on high alert.
NSW Health said in a statement that they were pleased case numbers have remained low this week but warned "the virus continues to circulate in the community".

"It is vital that high rates of testing continue in order to find the source of the cases still under investigation and to identify and stop further spread of the virus," a spokesperson said.
NSW authorities are continuing to investigate any link between two security guards who became infected with COVID-19 after working in Sydney hotel quarantine.

The pair both worked at the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel but had limited interactions aside from a couple of shifts on August 3.

There is no indication of additional risk to the community from the hotel, NSW Health said.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said more than 700 people who worked at the Marriott Hotel for "an extensive period" after July 31 had been contacted.

"We are still following up and crosschecking all of our lists to ensure we have processes in place to ensure everyone on that list has been tested and clear of infection," Dr Chant said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-23/four-new-cases-nsw-coronavirus-nsw-health-reports/12586840

No clear link between two security guards at Sydney hotel quarantine diagnosed with coronavirus

Key points:
NSW Health said the two guards weren't social contacts, but shared one shift at the hotel
A previously reported case attended the Westfield shopping centre in Mount Druitt, in Western Sydney, earlier this month
68 fines worth over $304,000 have been issued to hospitality venues for breaches so far

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant says authorities have been unable to establish an "immediate connection" between a pair of Sydney hotel quarantine security guards who were infected with coronavirus.
Dr Chant said the second security guard at the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel tested positive to COVID-19 around midnight and contact tracers were unsure of how he contracted the virus.

The diagnosis comes days after another security guard, who worked at the same quarantine hotel, was diagnosed with COVID-19.

She said outside of a pair of August 3 shifts at the Marriott Hotel, they had limited interactions.

"The advice I have is that they are not known to each in terms of social contacts or close contact," Dr Chant said.

"Overtly, we don't have any links established."
She said the second security guard also worked a shift at the Sheraton Grand at Hyde Park on August 16.

The first security guard also worked at Parramatta Local Court and Sydney Flemington Market whilst infectious.

NSW Health said genome sequencing showed the security guard appeared to have a strain of virus similar to one found in a returned traveller at the hotel.

"The obvious conclusion [is], he was the exposed to same virus strain the other guard was," Dr Chant said.

Since the first guard was diagnosed on Monday, health authorities have contacted over 700 people who worked at the Marriott Hotel for "an extensive period" after July 31.

"We are still following up and crosschecking all of our lists to ensure we have processes in place to ensure everyone on that list has been tested and clear of infection," Dr Chant said.

"It is reassuring we have [only] determined that one case."


<< IN CASES LIKE THIS , SINCE THE AIR IN THE QUARANTINE MOTEL IS CENTRALLY AIRCONDITIONED AND THERE IS NO NATURAL AIR FLOW, THEN I'D BE LOOKING AT ESTABLISHING VIRAL AEROSOL MONITORING IN THE HALLS AND LOBBY AND IN THE AIR CON DUCTWORK TO ESTABLISH IF THIS IS THE HOW THE GUARDS ARE BEING INFECTED , AT MEAL BREAKS ( THIS BEING THE ONLY TIME THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO TAKE OFF THEIR MASKS )>>

After an "intense investigation" including interviewing several hotel guests and reviewing CCTV footage, NSW Police said it found no evidence the first guard had wilfully breached public safety.

The second guard was not counted in today's nine new COVID-19 cases which were recorded overnight, which included two mystery cases.

Of the new cases, four were close contacts of previous cases whose source is under investigation.

One is a household contact of a case linked to the Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook cluster, two were linked to the funerals cluster.

For the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic read our coronavirus update story.
One of Saturday's cases, NSW Health said, attended the Cabramatta Family Practice on August 20. The practice has been closed and contact tracing is underway.

The state's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jeremy McAnulty said a previously reported case attended the Westfield shopping centre in Mount Druitt whilst infectious.

He said anyone who was at the shopping centre on Wednesday, August 12, between midday and 12:30pm or on Friday, August 14, between 11:00am and midday should monitor for symptoms.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-22/nsw-second-security-guard-positive-coronavirus-marriott-hotel/12585526

Increase of suburbs pulled into COVID-19 alert

More suburbs across Sydney have been pulled into Sydney's COVID-19 alert with contact tracers racing to find out how six infected people with no obvious links to existing clusters came to be.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-increase-of-suburbs-pulled-into-covid-19-alert/vi-BB18guzX


QUARANTINE
Second Sydney security guard tests positive to COVID-19

A second security guard who worked at a Sydney hotel quarantine facility has tested positive for COVID-19.

Both of the guards who contracted the coronavirus worked at the Sydney Harbour Marriott.

An investigation is underway to understand how the men acquired the disease and if there were any security breaches.

Infected guards worked together
The second guard to test positive was contracted to the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel while it was operating for overseas returned travellers in quarantine, NSW Health said yesterday.

He worked five shifts at the hotel; on August 3, 5, 9, 10 and 11.

He also did an overnight shift at the Sheraton Grand in Hyde Park on August 16.

Over 700 contacts of the two security guards have been tested for coronavirus since the first worker returned a positive result on August 17.

The guard and the first security worker to test positive worked together on August 3 at the Marriott Hotel.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/second-security-guard-among-four-new-nsw-covid-19-cases/ar-BB18gBao

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/sydney/second-sydney-security-guard-tests-positive-to-covid-19/ar-BB18gnk1

SCHOOLS
Formals banned in NSW schools due to COVID-19

Professor Adrian Piccoli is from the Gonski Institute for Education and was the NSW Education Minister for six years. He says there shouldn't be a blanket ban on social events, when much of the state is coronavirus-free.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/australia-records-246-new-coronavirus-cases/vi-BB18b9st

BORDER ISSUES
‘Forgotten Australians’: regional areas need solution to state border closures, David Littleproud says

Agricultural minister David Littleproud has made another plea for “common sense” to prevail in regards to border restrictions, to clear a path for agricultural producers to navigate Australia’s closed states.

The Queensland minister accused state politicians of making coronavirus restriction decisions around capital cities and not taking into account the impact on regional communities, which have so far escaped the brunt of the pandemic.

Littleproud wants farmers to have freedom of navigation for agricultural production, which would allow them to cross closed state lines. The New South Wales and South Australian border closures to Victoria has created issues, as has the closure of the Queensland borders with NSW.
“We should do it in a safe way, and I think that we can do it if we’re listened to. Out here, we feel like we’re the forgotten Australians,” he told the ABC’s Insiders program.

“These decisions have been made and predicated on capital cities, not on regional Australians.

“It’s really distressing not only for businesses, but when you see the human toll of people not being able to access medical attention because that’s where they get it from the other side of the border.”

Regional communities were among the first to be closed off during the beginning of the pandemic, with communities worried their vulnerable healthcare systems would be overwhelmed. Travel restrictions were put in place to stop people from more populated areas traveling to smaller communities to isolate.

The national cabinet has agreed to develop a national code for cross-border travel for agricultural workers, which is expected to look similar to the way freight drivers operate, with the issue to be discussed at the next meeting in two weeks’ time.

But Littleproud now wants the states to move now to ensure farmers can travel freely, and that their livestock and produce remain cared for.

“Let me make this clear – they don’t need to wait two weeks for this. States can act unilaterally on this,” he said.

“Because two weeks will still see severe outcomes for agricultural production systems and particularly animal welfare.

Following the most recent national cabinet meeting, Australia’s medical expert panel has agreed to define what constitutes a coronavirus “hotspot” in an attempt to get uniformity across the nation.

But there is nothing binding states to blocking out regions from entry, even with a national definition.

Queensland has declared New South Wales a hotspot because it still has low levels of community transmission of the virus, while also declaring the ACT, which has no known cases of community transmission, because of its proximity to NSW.
The most recent border closures have seen a war of words erupt between political parties, with Labor leaders Michael Gunner and Annastacia Palaszczuk accused of closing off the Northern Territory and Queensland respectively for “political” reasons, a claim both have denied.

Western Australia has no border opening in sight and Tasmania’s borders will remain closed until at least 1 December.

Australians trying to fly home will have to remain patient after a decision not to increase international arrival numbers.

Acting chief medical officer Paul Kelly said on Saturday the cap on arrivals was to do with capacity and resources in quarantine hotels.

About 4,000 people are still returning to the country each week, and consular officials are supporting around 15,000 Australians abroad.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/forgotten-australians-regional-areas-need-solution-to-state-border-closures-david-littleproud-says/ar-BB18h1jX
BREACHES

The Red Lion Hotel in Rozelle has been hit with a $10,000 fine by Liquor and Gaming NSW, after footage of the event was seen by inspectors.
The popular city pub fined for hosting a birthday party for a former politician's son.

A spokesman for Liquor and Gaming said when police went to the venue, everyone attending the party was seated and observing COVID-19 rules.

But when they viewed CCTV footage, it was clear that guests had been mingling, shaking hands and hugging and standing while drinking before police arrived.

The booking was for four groups of 10 people, but the Red Lion had "skirted" the rules by splitting the booking, Liquor and Gaming Director of Compliance, Dimitri Argeres, said.
It's these sorts of social get-togethers that can spark a cluster and, when it comes to events like birthday parties and weddings, we've seen how quickly people are tempted to forget the rules and throw caution to the wind," he said.

"Extra conditions were imposed on hospitality premises because they are higher risk spaces: people consume food and drink there — they stay longer and they touch more surfaces, which means there is more opportunity for the virus to spread."

The hotel was also fined for other issues found by inspectors, such as having an out-of-date safety plan and patrons seated too closely at other tables.

Bars, cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs across NSW have so far been fined $304,000.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-22/nsw-second-security-guard-positive-coronavirus-marriott-hotel/12585526

 

[kingofnobbys]

23 AUGUST QLD

Queensland records two new coronavirus cases linked to Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster

Key points:
Nine people with COVID-19 are linked to the detention centre cluster
111 inmates and 202 staff have tested negative so far, with more tests pending
Police have tested about half the 86 former inmates who recently left the centre

Queensland has recorded two new cases of coronavirus overnight, a day after nine new cases were recorded in the state.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said both new cases were linked to a COVID-19 cluster at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.

Ms Palaszczuk said there were now 16 active coronavirus cases in Queensland.

She described the two new cases as a "good result".

Queensland Health said in a statement the latest cases were a woman in her 30s and a "baby boy".

At the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre, 202 staff have tested negative for coronavirus.

It was plunged into lockdown on Thursday when a woman in her 70s who worked a number of shifts there tested positive for coronavirus.

Yesterday, Queensland recorded six new cases linked to the centre.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said 111 young inmates of the centre had tested negative, with further staff and inmates to be tested as a priority.
Dr Young said the cluster of cases connected to a worker at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre was now at nine, including the original case, four other staff members and four family members.

But she said authorities had not yet detected any sign of the cluster spreading into the broader community.

Queensland COVID-19 snapshot:
Confirmed cases so far: 1,105
Deaths: 6
Tests conducted: 782,421

"We don't have any expansion of that cluster, which is good news, but it's far, far too early for us to relax," she said.

"For the next week, it is just so critical that if anyone is unwell they immediately get themselves tested so we can confine this new cluster as much as we possibly can.

"Police colleagues have done a brilliant job over the last 24 hours going out across the state to find any of the youth who've been discharged from that facility since the 22nd of July.

"We're gradually finding all those and testing them, none of those youth have tested positive, which is really good news."

Person at Bunnings 'wore face mask'
A comprehensive list of locations the positive detention centre workers and their family members visited has also been released to aid contact tracing.

"They've been to many, many different places, as one would expect," Dr Young said.

"For a while now we've not had community transmission, so people have been moving around the community broadly, which is very appropriate, and we hope to get back to that position soon."

The workers and family members who have tested positive for coronavirus live in Bundamba, Marsden, Carindale, North Ipswich and Forest Lake.

Bunnings spokeswoman Margaret Walford said they had been advised by Queensland Health a customer who spent 30 minutes in their Browns Plains store on August 14 had since tested positive to COVID-19.

"The customer was wearing a face mask during the visit and our team were also all wearing masks on this day," Ms Walford said.

"Queensland Health has advised that there is no need for customers or team to self-isolate."

She said the store had undergone nine "deep cleans using disinfectants" since the visit.

Visits to Indooroopilly shops
Indooroopilly Shopping Centre centre managers AMP Capital sent a letter to retailers on Sunday saying two people who had tested positive for coronavirus visited the centre last Monday and Wednesday.

The shopping centre is not on Queensland Health's list of places involved in contact tracing due to the latest cluster.

The letter to Indooroopilly retailers named Origin Kebab and Bupa Health as stores that cases had visited between 11:00am and 1:00pm on Monday.

David Jones, Myer, Sweets From Heaven and Touch of India were visited between 1:00pm and 4:00pm on Wednesday.

"Metro North Public Health have advised people if you become or have already become unwell with any symptoms of COVID-19, please isolate yourself and get tested," the letter said.

Dr Young has urged any Queenslanders with symptoms to visit a clinic and get tested for coronavirus.

"We've got all of those clinics open, they're ready to have people … the queues were not long, so please come forward and get tested if you've got any symptoms at all," Dr Young said.

Health Minister Steven Miles said more people should come forward to be tested.

"We need to do a lot more testing, particularly over the next week to two weeks," Mr Miles said.

"In the past 24 hours we did 6,875 tests, of which 3,089 were across those hospital and health services' areas we're concerned about, Metro North, Metro South and West Moreton.

"In our rapid response phase to the last outbreak we peaked at around 20,000 tests a day.

"We need to test a lot, lot more people to be confident that we are finding any cases that are out there."

Detention centre to get new staff
Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said about half of the 86 former inmates who had left the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre since July 22 had been located and tested.

The rest are expected to be found and tested within the next 24 hours.
Youth Justice director-general Bob Gee said his thoughts were with the staff and family members at the centre who had tested positive for coronavirus.

He said the department would bring a whole new workforce into the centre.

"This week, mid-week we will swap in a completely new workforce led by the department of youth justice," Mr Gee said.

"An executive director will come down from Townsville, there'll be well over 100 department of youth justice staff to move in."

He said police, the Department of Corrective Services and other agencies would be assisting.

"The young people are moving in and out of their cells in a very structured and targeted way so that they are not just in their rooms," he said.

"They're back indoors in their little sections doing activities like table tennis … they are getting the very best support."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-23/coronavirus-queensland-two-new-covid-cases-detention-centre/12586880

Queensland youth detention coronavirus cases — here's the list of where they visited and when

The Queensland Government has released a list of venues visited by confirmed coronavirus cases from the youth detention centre in Brisbane's west.

The Government is calling on anyone who was at the following places at these times to monitor their health and get tested "if they develop even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms".

The list covers dozens of places across many suburbs on Brisbane's southside and Logan.

Browns Plains
August 9: 11:00am-12:10pm
August 10: 10:15am-11:25am
August 14: 2:20pm-3:30pm
August 15: 10:25am-11:35am
August 16: 1:20pm-2:30pm
August 9: 11:00am-12:00pm
August 10: About 11:00am-12:30pm
August 19: From about 9:30am
August 10: About 9:30am-9:45am
August 12: From about 7:15pm
August 14: Between 10:00am and 11:00am
August 16: About 10:30am-11:00am
August 14: About 10:00am-10:10am
August 14: About 2:30pm-3:00pm
August 15: About 9:30am-9:45am
Forest Lake
August 9: About 6:30am-6:40am
August 10: Unknown times
August 12: About 4:30pm-5:00pm
August 21: About 10:30am-10:45am
August 13: About 11:00am-12:00pm
August 13: After midday
August 13: 11:00am-3:00pm
August 10: About 10:00am-10:15am
August 14: About 4:00pm-4:30pm
August 12: About 4:30pm-5:00pm
August 13: About 12:00pm-unknown
August 14: About 4:00pm-4:30pm
August 21: About 10:45am-11:15am
August 21: About 10:45am-11:15am
Greenbank
August 10: 5:30pm-5:40pm
August 17: About 6:30pm-6:40pm
Wacol
August 11: About 6:00am-6:15am
August 18: In the evening
Mt Gravatt
August 11: About 11:25am-12:05am
August 11: After midday
Carina Heights
August 12: 6:00pm-6:15pm
Slacks Creek
August 14: 11:00am-2:00pm
Marsden
August 14: About 11:15am-11:30am
August 16: About 10:00am-10:15am
August 20: About 10:00am-10:15am
Greenslopes
August 18: About 12:30pm-1:00pm
August 19: 10:30am-11:45am
There is another contact-tracing alert for The Jam Pantry for August 16, from 9:45am-11:00am
August 18: 1:00pm-unknown
Crestmead
August 18: In the afternoon
Birkdale
August 19: 8:00am-9:30am
Carindale
August 19: About 1:00pm-3:00pm
Camp Hill
August 19: About 5:30pm-5:40pm
Sherwood
August 19: 12:30pm-about 1:00pm
August 19: 1:10pm-about 1:20pm
Indooroopilly
August 17 (particularly Bupa and Origin Kebabs): About 11:00am-1:00pm
August 19 (Myer, David Jones, Touch of Indian, Sweets from Heaven): 1:00pm-4:00pm
Ipswich
August 16: Morning
August 16: Morning
August 16: Morning
August 19-August 20: 11:00pm-6:19am
Bundamba
August 17: Afternoon
Brassall
August 18: 5:45pm-6:15pm

Venues affected.

This map shows the local government areas currently impacted by the latest restrictions following a COVID-19 outbreak in the community

The following local government areas are subject to new gathering restrictions:

Effective immediately, gatherings in private homes and public spaces were limited to just 10 people in the above localities.

The limits do not apply for businesses in the regions which operate using a COVID-safe plan.

Hospitals were asked to restrict visitor numbers and implement additional health and safety precautions for staff and patients.

Similarly, aged care facilities and disability housing have implemented restrictions on visitors and day trips for residents.

Gatherings have been restricted to 30 people throughout the rest of Queensland.

The Sunshine State had previously enjoyed an easing of all restrictions after appearing to entirely eradicate community transmission of the deadly respiratory infection.

Even after two women allegedly lied on their border declaration passes and spent more than a week in the community before testing positive for the virus, contact tracers appeared to successfully contain the outbreak.
But on Thursday, a 77-year-old employee at Brisbane Youth Detention Centre in Wacol - near where the women lived and spent the week in the community - tested positive.

Two days later, that six other staff tested positive.

Dr Young announced a further two cases linked to the detention centre on Sunday and explained the primary concern is that employees often work at other facilities throughout south east Queensland.

'We don't have any expansion of that cluster which is good news, but it is far too early for us to relax,' she explained.

'The next week is critical for us... Police are hunting for any of the youth who have been released from the facility since the 20th of July.'

Contact tracers have been busy testing anybody linked to the facility - including some 500 staff and all of the detainees.

So far, all of the detainees have tested negative but results are still pending for a handful of the youths.

Queensland Health conducted 6,875 tests in the 24 hours to Sunday, but Deputy Premier Steven Miles said that number needed to grow substantially to accurately indicate the spread of the virus.

There are 16 active cases throughout the state on Sunday.

Ms Palaszczuk warned the detention centre cluster would likely grow.
'We're concerned about this (detention centre) cluster because people have been out and about in the community,' she said on Saturday.

'We do expect there could be even more cases linked to this cluster but we will not know those until further results come in.'

Former Queensland Chief Health Officer Gerry FitzGerald agreed the detention centre cluster could grow if it's not brought under control - and that it could rapidly deteriorate even beyond the outbreaks in New South Wales.

'Seven people have been in contact with X number who have been in contact with X number of people … a number of those are likely to have been infected as well,' he told the Sunday Mail.

'If you look at the cluster that arose out of the Crossroads Hotel in New South Wales it is now in the order of one hundred or so.'

Mr FitzGerald said it was worrying that the origin of the cluster remains unknown as contact tracers work to find a link.

One of the cases linked to the detention centre had also worked at a disability accommodation service.

Griffith University medical doctor Dinesh Palipana, who has quadriplegia, said there was a significant risk for people with a disability of contracting COVID-19.
Infectious disease expert Nigel McMillan said it was particularly worrying how many people could be walking around asymptomatic.

'Up to 80 per cent of people don't even have symptoms so they wouldn't even think to go and get tested,' he said.

Contact tracers have been 'working through the night' to identify any close contacts or links related to the clusters.

The new cases on Saturday mark Queensland's first cases of locally-acquired transmission in more than a month.

The youth detention centre has cancelled new admissions, face-to-face visits and court appearances until the situation has been handled.

Dr Young said the detention centre-linked cases were residents of Bundamba, Marsden, Carindale, North Ipswich and Forest Lake.

'Because in Queensland we jump on things after seven cases, I sincerely believe we'll get on top of it,' she said.

There are fears the new cluster is genomically linked to the outbreak which was triggered by two woman who allegedly lied about visiting Melbourne when returning to Queensland.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-places-29-new-venues-on-high-alert-amid-covid-19-outbreak/ar-BB18gENV#image=BB18gENV_1|1

Supermarkets, gyms, shopping plazas and a Bunnings are among the locations across Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan visited by positive COVID-19 cases in the past fortnight.

The list of locations has been released by Queensland Health this morning, after two more coronavirus cases linked to a growing cluster at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre in Wacol.

Anyone who has visited these locations at the times listed should monitor their health and, if they develop even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms, get tested. Some times given are approximate.

Anytime Fitness, Village Square in Browns Plains – August 9, 11am-12.10pm; August 10, 10.15-11.25am; August 14, 2.20-3:30pm; August 15, 10.25-11.35am; August 16, 1.20-2.30pm
Woolworths, Browns Plains Grand Plaza – August 9, 11am-12pm; August 10, 11am-12.30pm; August 19, 9.30am-unknown
Spotlight, Browns Plains – August 10, 9.30-9.45am
Greenbank Takeaway, Greenbank – August 10, 5.30-5.40pm; August 17, 6.30-6.40pm
Woolworths, Forest Lake Shopping Centre, Forest Lake – August 10, time unknown; August 12, 4.30-5pm; August 21, 10.30-10.45am
BP Wacol (corner Boundary and Progress Roads, Wacol – August 11, 6-6.15am
Mt Gravatt Swimming Pool, Mt Gravatt – August 11, 10.30-11.45am
Dami Japanese Restaurant, Mt Gravatt – August 11, 12pm-unknown
Thai Antique, Carina Heights – August 12, 6-6.15pm
Coles, Browns Plains Grand Plaza, Browns Plains – August 12, 7.15pm-unknown
Australian Nails, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – August 13, 11am-12pm
Forest Lake Shopping Centre, Forest Lake – August 13, 11am-3pm
Nandos, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – August 13, after 12pm
Officeworks, Browns Plains – August 14, 10-10.10am
Coles, Browns Plains Grand Plaza – August 14, after 10am-before 11am; August 16, 10.30-11am
Ikea, Slacks Creek – August 14, 11am-2pm
Woolworths, Marsden on Fifth Shopping Centre, Marsden – August 14, 11.15-11.30am; August 16, 10-10.15am; August 20, 10-10.15am
Bunnings, Browns Plains – August 14, 2.30-3pm
Coles, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – August 14, 4-4.30pm
Kmart, Browns Plains Grand Plaza – August 15, 9:30-9.45am
BCF, Greenslopes – August 18, 12.30-1pm
Chemist Warehouse (Waratah Drive), Crestmead – August 18 in the afternoon
BP Wacol (cnr Boundary and Progress Rds), Wacol – August 18, evening
12 RND Fitness, Birkdale – August 19, 8-9.30am
The Jam Pantry, Greenslopes – August 19, 10.30-11.45am
Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre, Carindale – August 19, 1-3pm
Bras 'n' Things, Westfiend Carindale – August 19, 1-3pm
Ghanda Clothing, Westfield Carindale – August 19, 1-3pm
Myer, Westfield Carindale – August 19, 1-3pm
Baskin Robbins, Camp Hill Market Place, Camp Hill – August 19, 5.30-5.40pm
Pho Inn, Camp Hill Market Place, Camp Hill – August 19, 5.30-5.40pm

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/full-list-of-locations-visited-by-positive-covid-19-cases-in-queensland/ar-BB18gHmH

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/brisbane/queensland-youth-detention-coronavirus-cases-here-s-the-list-of-where-they-visited-and-when/ar-BB18gF4X

Queensland Premier rules out further coronavirus restrictions for now, family homes key target for authorities

Businesses and sporting venues across Queensland are set to continue operating as usual for the time being, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk shutting down speculation more restrictions are on the way.

On Saturday, the State Government reimposed a limit of 10 people at private gatherings at homes and in places such as parks throughout South-East Queensland.

Elsewhere in the state, the limit is 30.

On the question of whether tougher restrictions were likely to be imposed, Ms Palaszczuk simply said "no".

"We have no concern about that at the moment at all," she said.

"So please do not be alarmist about that because the businesses have COVID-safe plans in place."

Ms Palaszczuk said because businesses in Queensland had already adapted to social-distancing and hygiene requirements, they could continue to operate as they had been.

"This is a much different environment to when the pandemic first started … businesses have done a lot of work with the Chief Health Officer and we are confident with the plans they have in place," the Premier said.

The same could not be said for the practices inside private homes, Ms Palaszczuk said, which was why family gatherings had been targeted.

"What we have seen in southern states, especially like in Victoria, a lot of transmission happened in the family homes where large families were gathering," she said.

"That's why we have immediately reduced those gathering numbers in homes.

"So we've looked at the evidence and we're acting on the evidence in the best interests of people."

'Confusion' over gatherings
Despite the new limits on gatherings, pubs and clubs opened as normal in Brisbane and many were busy on Saturday night.

Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said police acknowledged there had been some confusion when new restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings were sprung on Queenslanders.

"Our officers and other parts of government have been out making sure that people get the message around what's required of them," he said.

"Overall the compliance has been very good. We encourage the community to make sure that you stay connected with the message with what's happening."

Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said two on-the-spot fines had been issued in the past 24 hours for people "misusing" border exemption passes.

Ms Palaszczuk acknowledged there was still "crowding" occurring at places such as shopping centres, but she remained adamant this was not a concern because centre operators had COVID-safe plans in place.

"If you're going into a shopping centre and it's crowded — avoid the crowds," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"What's very important is that people continue to do their social distancing when they're in public places."

LNP backs Government approach
Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said the LNP supported the Government's approach to the latest cluster.

"It's important to listen to the medical advice, and we shouldn't panic when there's an outbreak like this," Mr Mander said.

"Without a vaccine, we're going to see outbreaks from time to time and it's important we isolate them and address those issues as quickly as possible."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-premier-rules-out-further-coronavirus-restrictions-for-now-family-homes-key-target-for-authorities/ar-BB18gWa5

BORDERS

Plea for 'common sense' on state borders
Borders remain a top priority for the federal government, which has asked the states asked to apply 'common sense' to coronavirus restrictions on farmers.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says 'arbitrary restrictions' placed on regional and rural Australia are having serious impacts.

Premiers need to figure out practical solutions to get food on tables, and also consider the wellbeing of those in the agricultural sector, Mr Littleproud told ABC news on Saturday.

'I'm just asking them to use common sense,' he said.

Australia's medical expert panel continues its attempts to define a coronavirus 'hotspot' to provide clarity on when states should close their borders.

The term is being used to restrict travel but there are no guidelines on its meaning and the measures are having impacts including on people accessing health care, and agricultural supply chains.

National cabinet is due to develop an agricultural workers' code for cross-border travel - similar to arrangements already in place for truck drivers - when leaders meet again in two weeks' time.

Tourism businesses have also said they're at boiling point over the lack of clarity on closures.

Western Australia has no border opening in sight and Tasmania's borders will remain closed until at least December 1.

Queensland has warned its borders could remain sealed for several months or until its infections have fallen to zero.

Meanwhile, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said his state will exceed its share of national COVID-recovery stimulus spending.

The Labor leader of the state worst-hit by the pandemic on Saturday vowed 'people who have lost the most will get the support they need'.

National cabinet was told by the Reserve Bank on Friday that states should lift their fiscal investment to two per cent of GDP, or $40 billion, over the next two years.

'Our share of that would be about 10 (billion dollars),' Mr Andrews said.

Victoria reported another 182 virus cases on Saturday, and 13 deaths, bringing the national toll to 485.

Queensland and NSW each reported nine new cases on Saturday.

An additional NSW case emerged later on Saturday after a security guard working at the Marriott Hotel in Circular Quay tested positive.

Six of the latest Queensland cases are linked to a youth detention centre cluster, prompting an immediate lockdown of aged care homes in the state's southeast and caps on social gatherings in the area.

Australians trying to fly home will have to remain patient after a decision not to increase international arrival numbers.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said on Saturday the cap on arrivals was to do with capacity and resources in quarantine hotels.

About 4000 people are still returning to the country each week, and consular officials are supporting around 15,000 Australians abroad.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-places-29-new-venues-on-high-alert-amid-covid-19-outbreak/ar-BB18gENV#image=BB18gENV_1|1

Tough state closure rules border on the ridiculous for farmers and families

A farmer told to fly hay to a property 25km away, another told to fly her sheep to the saleyard, and a mother barred from seeing her newborn son are among some of the bizarre stories to emerge from tough border closures in place between Australian states.

At the national cabinet meeting on Friday the prime minister, Scott Morrison, appealed to state and territory leaders to develop uniform guidelines for border communities and professions to rely on.

While larger Australian states including Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales all have varying policies that treat entry from certain jurisdictions differently, leaders agreed to develop a consistent approach to help the agricultural industry.

The agriculture minister, David Littleproud, welcomed the commitment, calling the issue “a flashpoint for the federation” where cross-border communities had been the victims of “arbitrary city-centric decisions”.
His comments built on pressure from the rural and regional-oriented Nationals after the NSW deputy premier and Nationals leader, John Barilaro, challenged the premier, Gladys Berejklian, to ease the tough limits for entry into the state from Victoria, asking for a travel bubble to be expanded to 100km and claiming the permit system wasn’t working efficiently.

Despite the progress towards clarity for cross-border agriculture, anomalies in border restrictions have resulted in less than straightforward solutions posed by various state governments.

‘It obviously just does not work’
Chris Taylor is a sheep farmer who is based in the north-western Victorian town of Warracknabeal, but manages a property near Euston, 25km into the NSW border.

After the property had suffered a dry winter, Taylor wanted to send 43 tonnes of hay to the property to feed the 1,500 sheep he has there.

But he could not drive the 270km to the property, and was instead advised by a NSW government official to freight the hay south to Melbourne, fly it up to Sydney and quarantine with it there for 14 days, and then freight it down to Euston – a trip of 2,150km or about eight times the distance required according to farmonline.

“I thought she was joking for starters,” Taylor said. “So 14 days later the sheep would get some feed and the hay would have a joy flight to Sydney and sit in quarantine.”

A Victorian sheep producer, Shirley Sprenger, went viral after she was told last week to put 40 sheep on a plane to get them to a NSW sale yard.

“I’m saddened for the agricultural industry that we have to experience this kind of ignorance in order to get action,” Sprenger said.

Friday’s national cabinet commitment will aim to prevent situations like this.

‘It’s very saddening for the family’
Chantelle Northfield was separated from her newborn son Harvey last week after he was flown for urgent medical treatment to Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospital in Queensland from the family’s home in the northern NSW town of Lismore.

Harvey was born with extremely low oxygen levels.

Chantelle and husband, Glen, couldn’t fit on the helicopter. They were then refused entry into Queensland because they would have to quarantine for 14 days at a hotel – a requirement resulting from the Queensland government’s decision to deem all NSW a Covid-19 hotspot.

“We would have been more than willing to do that if there was a guarantee that Harvey would be there for that long, but no one is 100% sure and the second he no longer needs such extensive treatment he will be flown back to Lismore,” Northfield said.

Australian Capital Territory
Earlier this month some ACT residents were unable to return home from Victoria.

As Melbourne entered its highest lockdown, NSW tightened border access from the southern state, including requiring permits to enter and later requiring returning NSW residents to fly via Sydney to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days.

However, this meant territorians attempting to drive home from Victoria did not qualify for the border region quarantine exemption but couldn’t enter NSW in any legal way by road.

Scenes of Canberrans trapped at the border for days were finally resolved with an agreement to let the returning drivers transit through the state, via a specific roadside stop which could be patrolled and would not risk drivers mingling with NSW residents at other service stations.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/tough-state-closure-rules-border-on-the-ridiculous-for-farmers-and-families/ar-BB18gxh4

 

[kingofnobbys]

23 AUGUST WA
oronavirus didn't kill off the town pedestrian mall, it was already dead

From the boarded-up windows, graffiti and smashed glass, you would be forgiven for thinking the COVID-19 pandemic all but wiped out the businesses in the Jull Street shopping mall.

But the situation was bad before COVID, and it is only getting worse.

"It's a Bermuda triangle for business," said local businessman Michael Facey.

"It's telling when property owners are reducing the rents by 75 per cent and you still have empty buildings."

There are 20 different businesses and agencies in the outdoor pedestrian-only mall in the heart of Armadale, in Perth's south-east corner.

Half of those shops are permanently closed.

"There's nothing to keep you in here and there's nothing to invite you in here," said Dome Cafe franchisee Graeme Hill.

"You look around the railway line and past the taxi rank, train station and bus station and it just says 'get me out of here'."

Pedestrian-only shopping malls were once the pinnacle of any Australian city and town.

But what happens when most of the businesses close?

Crime rife after dark
According to business owners, the Jull St mall's biggest problem is its high concentration of crime.

Every year for the past decade, Armadale has consistently recorded the most criminal offences of anywhere in the Perth metropolitan area — aside from Perth's CBD itself.

Mr Hill is the only Dome franchisee in Western Australia who closes his doors before the sun sets.

"My biggest stress running this business is — can our staff get to and from work safely?" he said.

"We go against franchise agreement. There's way too many incidents that are uncontrollable.

"The anti-social behaviour has just gotten worse and worse."

A tavern that had operated in the mall for decades recently closed its doors, despite spending millions on renovations.

Mr Facey, who is leading a push to renovate the street, said it could not attract any customers after dark.

"People are scared to come into the Jull St area because of the problems," he said.

"Yet every time we talk about the problems, all that does is scare more people away.

"But if we don't talk about the problems, nothing will change."

The undesirable activity was not just relegated to the cover of night.

Ashleigh Jennis said she regularly witnesses drug deals in the mall from her office window at the local childcare centre.

"I see that every day. They can't see in but you can see out," she said.

"They're passing stuff to each other. It happens at least at least three times a day."

Mr Hill said he was unsure what he would do once his lease expires.

"It actually gets to you after a while. I've had a gutful," he said.

"I'm sick of banging my head on the same bloody brick wall and no one listening."

Patrick Kahn remembers a time when the Armadale town centre was a place he enjoyed visiting.

"It was beautiful. The shops were always occupied. Now there's nothing here," he said.

"People just come and sit around — it's stupid. It's unsafe."

The anti-social problems the Jull St business owners face were predicted at the time the once-busy thoroughfare was converted into a mall in 1992.

Archived planning documents said the absence of vehicular traffic might encourage anti-social behaviour.

However, it was expected it would eventually be stamped out with "increased community involvement" in the mall as it became a vibrant civic space.

Mr Facey said that hadn't been the case for years.

It begs the question:

Do pedestrian malls still work in 2020?
Julian Bolleter, the co-director of the Australian Urban Design Research Centre, said he believes the best days of the pedestrian mall are behind it.

"They're a little bit out of fashion, frankly," he said.

"New urbanism, which is the dominant urban design movement around the Western world, is all about shared spaces — cars, cyclists, pedestrians, public transport."

"There's nothing inherently wrong with malls, it's just you require considerable density to make them work, or you need to really keep them on a life support system and just keep programming events to be held in there.

"Given bricks and mortar retail are struggling generally, particularly because of online offerings, it's been hard enough to activate your traditional high streets — let alone a place like Armadale."

Mr Bolleter said there was no quick-fix to reinvigorate a mall that had lost its way.

"The problem is by just turning it back into a street, you're not dealing with a lot of the economic and social problems which underpin the vitality of the area," he said.

It is a view shared by the City of Armadale which was pinning its economic hopes on a long-term strategy that takes into consideration the entire town centre.

That vision includes the redevelopment of the railway station precinct, the creation of a new central piazza and the construction of a tree-top walk through the city's streets, leading into the mall.

The council has spent money on the mall in the past on the advice of several reports and consultants.

It was now subject to a further report by a local urban planning firm, but the details of that are under wraps for now.

But Mayor Ruth Butterfield said activating the mall and the town centre required a large amount of investment over a long period of time.

"The issues impacting the Jull Street Mall cannot be considered in isolation from the broader and more complex issues impacting on the Armadale City Centre," she said in a statement.

Ms Butterfield said council was focussed on things like increasing residential density and attracting private investment.

"We need to change this narrative and have reasons for people to bring their children and come to the city and when they do, they will see that it is absolutely beautiful," she said.

What can be done to fix a struggling town mall?
It was a question Marcus Westbury asked himself in the mid-2000s when he realised the main drag in his hometown of Newcastle, New South Wales had become a wasteland.

"I counted 150 empty buildings in the two main streets over the course of a weekend," he said.

"There were entire blocks that were more or less boarded up.

"Some were smashed in and some were just like someone walked out of there a week or two before and never came back.

"It was a pretty intimidating place. People who had somewhere to go probably went somewhere else."

Mr Westbury spent the next decade of his life working to breathe life back into the Hunter St mall through a start-up he formed called Renew Newcastle.

"The idea was that we'd go to the owners of the buildings and we'd borrow them while they're empty and lend them to someone who's got a creative or community project," he said.

"They'd take the space effectively on a rolling 30-day basis.

"If the owner gets a better offer, they can have the building back but in the interim, someone's starting a shop or a gallery or a workshop."

Mr Westbury said over the life of the project, 250 projects were launched and 80 properties in the city were re-opened.

"You could see the effect that had. Rather than for-lease signs in the window, we had signs and activity of life," he said.

"You're taking someone's passion, enthusiasm and drive and marrying that with a space that would otherwise be going to waste.

"Times that by 50 to 100 spaces and suddenly you're seeing this huge investment — not necessarily money — but of energy and creativity and imagination, which inevitably has a transformative effect."

Mr Westbury said the financial investment from government then followed.

"If people aren't seeing the place, they tend to have the worst version of it in their imagination and people don't tend to get out and walk down a strip where everyone's telling them not to," he said.

A shopping mall without shops
In the city of Mandurah, south of Perth, Raylene Blythe knows first-hand the effect negative public perception can have on business.

For 22 years, she has run her gift shop on the Smart Street Mall, a place well-known in local circles for its concentration of crime and violence.

"It was turning people off because you'd have something happen at night-time and people would go, 'don't go to the mall," she said.

"Of course, that affected business, then with having less people around you seem to have more nonsense happen."

She and other business owners are ecstatic the City of Mandurah was spending $2.5 million to re-construct the mall.

"Most of the time, if you had a construction site at the front of your business, you would be absolutely horrified. We're elated," Ms Blythe said.

"We are so excited that something is actually happening out there. It's so good, you can see light at the end of the tunnel."

But it was not just the aesthetics that had improved life on the mall.

So far this year, the City of Mandurah has spent more than $50,000 on security officers to conduct foot patrols in the town centre.

Ms Blythe believed that was money well spent.

"If there are any dramas, you're straight on security and they are there within a heartbeat," she said.

"It used to be we call police. We don't need to call police anymore.

"Ugly scenarios and ugly places create ugly behaviour.

"If you've got a beautiful bright place, it does seem to curb some of that unattractive behaviour."

It was something the business owners of the Jull Street mall could only hope for.

"Jull St should be the diamond in the Armadale CBD. Unfortunately, it's just a lump of coal," said Mr Facey.

"It's been ignored and neglected for years and now it's the small business owners paying the price.

"We're a shopping mall without shops. What do you call that?"

https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/markets/coronavirus-didn-t-kill-off-the-town-pedestrian-mall-it-was-already-dead/ar-BB18gBQ4


Regional WA records some of the highest application rates for JobKeeper in the country

A new report has revealed local governments in regional Western Australia have some of the highest application rates for JobKeeper in the country.

According to Federal Treasury data, five local governments — Exmouth, Shark Bay, Dundas, Augusta-Margaret River and Denmark — had 50 per cent or more businesses apply for the payment.

That was the highest number of all the states and territories.

In comparison, Queensland had only two shires where 50 per cent or more of their businesses applied, followed by New South Wales and Tasmania, which each had one.

The Shire of Shark Bay in WA's Gascoyne region was ranked third in the country for the percentage of JobKeeper applications — 63 per cent of businesses applied for the payment.

Byron Bay in NSW took the top spot at 67 per cent.

Tourism impacted
The report was compiled by economic and demographic specialist company REMPLAN, which analysed postcode data released by the Federal Government.

REMPLAN principal economist Matthew Nickel said it was obvious places like Sydney and Melbourne would have the highest number of businesses apply for the payment.

But he said to understand the impact COVID-19 restrictions had on local economies the data needed to be analysed as a proportion.

"The pattern we observed is there's a really strong overlap in terms of the proportion of businesses that have applied for JobKeeper and areas that are reliant on tourism," Mr Nickel said.

"Even states like Western Australia, where there are very few active cases and you're not seeing the same level of social lockdown restrictions as in places like Victoria, there's a large amount of demand that's missing from our economy.

"To varying degrees it's impacting most industries."

'Butcher, baker, candlestick maker'
The Shire of Exmouth, on WA's north west cape, is the gateway to the nearby Ningaloo Marine Park, one of the state's biggest tourist drawcards.

Exmouth ranked fourth in the country with 61 per cent of businesses applying for the JobKeeper payment.

One of those businesses was Live Ningaloo, a tourism operator specialising in whale shark and humpback whale swimming and boat tours.

Live Ningaloo co-owner Sonia Beckwith said when COVID-19 restrictions first hit her business was "decimated".

"At the very beginning we applied for everything we thought we could qualify for, but there was a bit of lag time in implementation," she said.

"We were so grateful that my partner and I could get onto JobKeeper — but none of our staff could because they were on a seasonal transition."

Ms Beckwith said the foundation of Exmouth is tourism.

"It's not just about the tourism operators here," she said.

"The business that we bring in fuels the actual fuel station, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker.

"It's why the town survives and it's what has been keeping it thriving."

Extension 'desperately' needed
Ms Beckwith said since intrastate border restrictions were lifted the accommodation and hospitality industry had bounced back, but that had not been the case for tourism operators.

"I've been hearing all over town that accommodation has booked out towards the end of October, which is great," she said.

"But tourism experiences are the facet of tourism which is still struggling."

The JobKeeper wage subsidy will continue until March next year, which Ms Beckwith said was "desperately" needed.

"We're winding down now and getting fewer and fewer bookings, which is normal, but even less bookings than normal, because we only have WA folks that are coming to see us," she said.

"We're just going to hang on with our fingernails.

"We're used to living on a shoe-string budget."

'Becoming toilet stops'
With 50 per cent of its businesses having applied for the JobKeeper payment, the Shire of Dundas, in WA's Goldfields region, was ranked number 10 in the country.

The shire's main township, Norseman, is the first stop for travellers crossing the Nullarbor Plain from South Australia.

Norseman's economy is largely dependent on tourism, as are the roadhouses along the Eyre Highway, which links the two states.

Shire of Dundas chief executive Peter Fitchat said he was not surprised to hear so many businesses in his shire had applied for JobKeeper.

"We're sort of cut off from the rest of Australia," he said.

"Even with all the internal restrictions being lifted, from a regional perspective we don't just get people driving down the Nullarbor to visit Eucla or the fuel stations along the road.

"Businesses are down to a few customers and are becoming basically toilet stops."

Mr Fitchat said if the state border remained closed he hoped the Federal and State Government would look at an alternative model in supporting businesses.

"Even with JobKeeper, I don't think it ticks all the boxes," he said.

"It certainly helps, but it doesn't tick all the boxes in the sustainability of business."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/regional-wa-records-some-of-the-highest-application-rates-for-jobkeeper-in-the-country/ar-BB18gCgr

BREACHES
Covidiots caught sneaking out of hotel quarantine to attend party

Two covidiots who were caught sneaking out of their hotel quarantine to party with a rapper and 'hang out with mates' have given media the middle finger as they left Western Australia.

Isata Jalloh, 19, and Banchi Techana, 22, flew into Perth without permission on Monday and were told they would need to quarantine before returning to Adelaide.

The pair instead left the Novotel Perth a few hours later and caught a taxi to the party at a unit block in Coolbellup, south Perth.
The women were sent back to Adelaide on Friday morning and made rude gestures on their way to the airport.

Both women had ignored orders from security guards and escaped through Novotel's emergency stairwell around 1.30am on Tuesday, WA Today reported.

Police called Jalloh's mobile phone to ask where the women were located but she laughed and hung up on the officer.

The mobile phone signal was then used to track both women to the Coolbellup flat occupied by amateur rapper Siri Kidd and a male friend.

Both women were arrested around 8.30am and taken into custody for two days.

They appeared in Perth Magistrate's Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to the breach.

Jalloh was handed a $5000 fine and Techana, who also admitted to obstructing an officer while in custody, given an eight-month sentence, suspended for 12 months.

WA Police said the women arrived in Perth intending to holiday and visit family but were directed to quarantine until return flights could be arranged.
The court heard Techana, a dancer, had moved to Perth for a 'fresh start' and planned to bring over her one-year-old daughter.

Jalloh's lawyer also argued the 19-year-old had travelled from Queensland to South Australia without self isolating and didn't understand WA's coronavirus measures.

Magistrate Ben White said he believed the women were aware of the border restrictions.

'It's difficult to think anyone in the current climate could be in the dark about those sorts of things.

'There's risks to health, there's risks of this sort of behaviour resulting in further lockdowns,' he said.
The women were filmed arriving back in Adelaide airport on Friday, where they claimed they had been on a 'vacation' and were glad to have avoided jail time.

Amateur rapper Siri Kidd said he didn't know the women would be visiting him.

'I don't know, it's so crazy, I didn't even know this was all happening, this is surprising me too.

'I've met them once before, that was it, I didn't even know they were coming because they told us they wouldn't be able, or be allowed,' he told Nine News.

WA Premier Mark McGowan announced there would be a crackdown on quarantine surveillance on Thursday after a series of incidents.

He said WA had requested an additional 134 defence force officers, including 20 to be trained in COVID-19 contact tracing and a doubling of the personnel already supporting state authorities in quarantine hotels.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/covidiots-caught-sneaking-out-of-hotel-quarantine-to-attend-party/ar-BB18dAbH


23 AUGUST TAS

Sailors stranded in Tasmania due to coronavirus happy with their predicament

When Carina Juhhova and Christophe Mora first hit land in Tasmania in December, they were very ready to settle on dry ground.

The couple had sailed 8,000 nautical miles from Queensland, around the Top End and Western Australia and through the Great Australian Bight.

Ms Juhhova said they did not expect to still be in the state eight months later, thanks to coronavirus.

"It didn't frustrate us too much," she said.

"We were rather happy because somewhere inside we missed the seasons we thought, 'why not, we'll spend our winter in Tasmania'.

"We are like coronavirus refugees, in a way."

Mr Mora set off from France in 2013, sailing singlehandedly to South America.

Mr Mora said he met Ms Juhhova, from Estonia, the following year as he sailed through the Patagonian Channel.

"And after we sailed both together the Pacific Ocean for three years to reach your country, Australia, and now Tasmania," he said.

Their first Australian destination was the Great Barrier Reef last winter, but Queensland was too hot, said Mr Mora, who hails from the French Alps.

"For us, our goal in Australia was to rush quickly to Tasmania to enjoy the cold weather," Mr Mora said.

"So, we quickly toured around Australia via the north and west coasts to reach the west coast of Tasmania."

Touring Tasmania
The couple spent three months in Strahan, exploring the region's mountains.

The local supermarket's offerings stretched their meagre budget so they hitchhiked once a month to the closest major supermarket, which was a 400-kilometre round trip to Burnie.

"Sometimes it wasn't easy to get a ride because we'd be dropped in a place where cars would go past really fast," Ms Juhhova said.

"We thought that people would think our backpacks were full of camping gear but, no, they were just full of cheese and potatoes."

They sailed to Port Davey in Tasmania's remote south-west wilderness, just as the state recorded its first coronavirus infection in March.

Then Tasmania shut down.

"So we went into Port Davey thinking all is good then we discovered Tasmania was in lockdown," Ms Juhhova said.

"The charter boat anchored next to us mentioned that we wouldn't find any toilet paper nor rice in the shops anymore.

"And he kindly gave us rice and toilet paper."

During the lockdown, the couple continued living on the yacht.

Ms Juhhova said living on L'Envol meant they could stop in scenic spots.

"We were privileged to be residents on our own boat," Ms Juhhova said.

"We self-isolated in the most beautiful places, the Wineglass Bay, Port Arthur, Fortescue Bay."

Living a simple life
Their 25-foot French-built boat is minimalist, especially for a round the world voyage.

It has only an outboard motor and few creature comforts in the tiny interior.

Mr Mora said having a simple boat helped to reduce maintenance work and equipment failures.

"We don't have a complex toilet system — just a bucket — we don't have a hot shower on board, we don't have a heater," he said.

Despite the sometimes harsh conditions, their adventure had been relatively smooth sailing until Mr Mora recently injured his thumb helping chop firewood in Murdunna.

Ms Juhhova said the accident led to costly surgery.

"Which was an expense of four months budget for us," she said.

"So that was a very big blow, we did not expect that."

Ms Juhhova said their future is unknown while the pandemic continues, but being stranded in Tasmania is not a problem.

"It's beautiful, the best place in the world, really," she said.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/sailors-stranded-in-tasmania-due-to-coronavirus-happy-with-their-predicament/ar-BB18gEX0

Round-the-world sailors wait out COVID-19 in Tasmania

It's the kindness of strangers and the state's natural beauty that have made it a good sport for the European couple to stay put for now.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/round-the-world-sailors-wait-out-covid-19-in-tasmania/vi-BB18gAmQ

23 AUGUST NT
NT Labor's Gunner survives tough year

It's been a challenging year for the Northern Territory's chief minister with a heart attack, the COVID-19 crisis, the birth of a son, and an election.

And as Michael Gunner points out: it's not over yet.

Vote counting continues on Sunday but the Labor leader is confident his party will form the next NT government.

"This has been a hard fight in a tough year. 2020 - bloody hell," he told an adoring group of a couple of hundred party faithful overnight.

Darwin's Waratah Football Club was a sea of Labor red shirts on Saturday night.

They chanted "four more years" after it became clear the party had staved off the Country Liberal Party and newcomers, Territory Alliance.

"I am very confident Labor will form the next government of the Northern Territory," Mr Gunner said.

The former Big W shelf-stacker, aged 44, campaigned hard on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, telling voters he's the man to see the NT through the crisis.

"The most important battle of 2020 is not a contest between political parties. It is a bigger fight, a fight that affects all of us that requires all our effort to keep protecting Territorians," he said.

During his 10-minute address, the leader thanked his deputy and treasurer, Nicole Manison, who comfortably retained her seat.

"The best wing-woman I could ever ask for, you are a champion human being," Mr Gunner said.

"Let's celebrate tonight, a beer or two, then tomorrow it is back to work for the people of the Territory and for the next four years."

The likely victory comes eight months after Mr Gunner suffered a heart attack while at home with his pregnant wife, ABC journalist Kristy O'Brien.

"It came from nowhere, there were no warning signs," he wrote on Facebook in January.

He was rushed to a hospital and later underwent surgery.

Three months later the chief minister returned to hospital for better news - the birth of his son Hudson Gunner over the Easter long weekend in April.

But Hudson arrived amid the coronavirus crisis, just weeks after Mr Gunner ordered the Territory's borders closed.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nt-labor-s-gunner-survives-tough-year/ar-BB18goQ8

23 AUGUST SA CONNECTED WITH VIC

SA nurse who worked on front line of Victoria's aged care coronavirus crisis tests positive for COVID-19

A South Australian nurse who worked on the front line of Victoria's coronavirus crisis has been diagnosed with COVID-19 after returning to Adelaide.

The middle-aged woman had been working to assist with the outbreaks in Victorian aged care facilities.

SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the woman had no symptoms.

"It really just shows that even with our very, very most experienced nursing staff and wearing all of the PPE [personal protective equipment] required, that this is a very transmissible virus," Dr Spurrier said.

She said eight nurses who travelled back to Adelaide with the woman were considered "close contacts".

However Dr Spurrier said each of them wore masks and PPE at all times, including on the flight back to Adelaide, and they had been quarantining in one of the city's medi-hotels.

There are now three known active cases in South Australia.

Queensland travellers urged to get tested
SA Health has reiterated advice for anyone travelling from Queensland to be extra vigilant about coronavirus, given the open borders between the two states.

"We do have open borders with Queensland and there are quite a significant number of South Australians coming back from Queensland every day," Dr Spurrier said.

"It's quite a complex and unfolding situation.

"Please get tested if you have been in the Greater Brisbane or Ipswich areas."

Dr Spurrier said SA Health was considering introducing quarantine measures for travellers from Queensland.

She urged any aged or disability care professionals returning to Adelaide from Queensland to self-isolate for 14 days and get a negative test before returning to work in SA.

.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/sa-nurse-who-worked-on-front-line-of-victoria-s-aged-care-coronavirus-crisis-tests-positive-for-covid-19/ar-BB18h1Lm

 

[kingofnobbys]

23 AUGUST FEDERAL'

Australia wrestles with coronavirus second-wave, 17 more dead

Australia recorded a further 17 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday but infections in the hard-hit state of Victoria, the site of all the latest deaths, are showing a downward trend, authorities said on Sunday.

Other than in Victoria, which accounts for over 80% of Australia's COVID-19 deaths due to a second wave of infections, the country has largely avoided the high casualty numbers of many nations with about 24,500 infections and 502 deaths.

Globally, nearly 5,900 people are dying every 24 hours from COVID-19 on average, according to a Reuters tally, with the United States, Brazil and India leading the rise in fatalities.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the state, which is almost halfway through a six-week lockdown, had confirmed 208 new infections in the preceding 24 hours. That was higher than the 182 new cases reported on Saturday, but was still lower than the weekly average, he said.

"We're going to defeat this second wave," Andrews told reporters. "And then we'll be able to begin the process of opening up. Exactly when that is, we can't give people a definitive date. But ... my aim is to round out the year with something - a COVID normal."

Andrews said 11 of the 17 deaths confirmed in the 24 hours to Sunday were linked to virus outbreaks at aged care facilities.

The neighbouring state of New South Wales, the most populous, and the north-eastern state of Queensland reported five new cases combined on Sunday. Western Australia reported one new infection, the first confirmed case since Wednesday.

As the spread of the disease slows, state and federal governments have been discussing easing the cap on returning Australians of 4,000 per week to help repatriate those stranded overseas, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sunday.

A spokeswoman for the prime minister's office did not immediately returned requests for comment.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/australia-wrestles-with-coronavirus-second-wave-17-more-dead/ar-BB18gN7J


AGED CARE

Keneally and Morrison trade barbs over aged care crisis

Senator Kristina Keneally has accused the Morrison government of overseeing a coronavirus response which neglected the aged care sector.

She criticised Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck who appeared at a Senate Inquiry on Friday and apologised for mistakes made by the Coalition during the pandemic.
“Scott Morrison’s got to put aside his stubborn pride, he’s got to admit he made a mistake in appointing Richard Colbeck aged care minister,” Ms Keneally said.

“He has to develop a plan to assure the thousands of Australians who live in residential aged care and their loved ones that they have a plan to keep them safe”.

The Prime Minister has since defended his colleague, saying we should “play the issue and not the man”.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/keneally-and-morrison-trade-barbs-over-aged-care-crisis/ar-BB18gBBO

The spread of coronavirus in Australia is not the fault of individuals but a result of neoliberalism

Neoliberalism is spreading coronavirus faster than any “reckless teenager” ever could. Privatised guards at quarantine hotels, private aged care centres that put profits ahead of staffing levels, and the fact that those in charge neglected to have their health professionals appropriately evaluate the risk of the Ruby Princess, are the major causes of Covid-19 transmissions and deaths in Australia.

Put simply, if Australia relied on a well-paid, well-trained and well-resourced public sector to protect us then there might have been no shutdown in Victoria, no restrictions on interstate travel and no forecast of double-digit unemployment. For decades, advocates of the outsourcing and privatisation of public services have boasted of the cost savings of doing so. Today, we are counting the cost. We will be counting it for years to come.

When you don’t care about the future, cost-cutting is easy. If you stop getting your car serviced, insuring your house and going to the dentist you can save thousands of dollars a year. But, contrary to decades of neoliberal rhetoric, there is a big difference between saving money and increasing efficiency. Some short-term savings can cost you a fortune in the long run.

In 2018 Scott Morrison announced the royal commission into aged care quality and safety, after shocking evidence of abuse and neglect were reported. While the royal commission is ongoing, the 2019 interim report found:

We have seen images of people with maggots feeding in open sores and we have seen video and photographic evidence of outright abuse.

The combined impact of the evidence, submissions and stories provided to the Royal Commission leads us to conclude that substandard care is much more widespread and more serious than we had anticipated.”

Among the serious problems found were “Dreadful food, nutrition and hydration, and insufficient attention to oral health, leading to widespread malnutrition, excruciating dental and other pain, and secondary conditions.”

Australia is one of the richest countries in the world and while our governments spend more than $50bn a year on the aged pension and $43bn on tax concessions for superannuation – to provide “dignity” for older Australians – high levels of mismanagement and profit mean that even $20bn in commonwealth funding isn’t enough to keep maggots, let alone Covid-19, out of Australia’s privatised aged care system.

Most aged care homes in Australia are privately owned and operated, but in Victoria, there are 178 government-run centres. And unlike their private “competitors”, the government-run aged care centre are burdened with “red tape” – such as minimum staffing levels. At the beginning of August, five of the Victorian cases involve one publicly run home and the remaining 923 cases were in private and not-for-profit homes.

f course, the private sector hasn’t just done a poor job of keeping Covid-19 out of aged care homes, it’s done a poor job of keeping people infected with the virus contained in their quarantine hotels too.

Victoria’s reliance on a poorly trained and poorly paid pool of private security providers seems likely to be a major cause of Australia’s largest Covid-19 outbreak and it’s now been revealed that a private guard at a Sydney quarantine hotel not only contracted the virus, but worked shifts at a court house and food market after he was infected.[Neoliberalism] has undermined the foundations of the modern welfare state that Australia spent the 20th century building.

And then there is the Australian Border Force. Australia’s parliamentary democracy was built on the premise of ministerial accountability for the delivery of services by a strong and independent public service. How old fashioned and “inefficient” was that!

In 2015, the Coalition government created Border Force by merging the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service with the immigration detention and compliance functions of the then Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

The minister for home affairs, Peter Dutton, spelt out the rationale for this enormous consolidation of (his) power, in a speech lauding the formation of this new mega-agency. In Dutton’s words, his preferred structure “removes unnecessary duplication and enables the deployment of a greater proportion of resources into the front line. It also contributes to a more efficient government footprint that will assist in achieving fiscal repair and ensuring the sustainability of government operations.”
Dutton went on to declare that “By removing the traditional silos of immigration and customs, my department – and within it the Australian Border Force – will deliver an improved capability that truly focuses border policies, strategy and operations in an integrated and holistic way.”

Despite mouthing banal neoliberal platitudes about footprints, fiscal repair and silos, when the Ruby Princess allowed passengers with Covid-19 to disembark, neither Dutton nor his agency showed any kind of remorse for the debacle that resulted in deaths and economic destruction. The entire rationale for creating Border Force was to remove “silos” and increase efficiency, but the minister for home affairs’ only excuse for the most deadly failure of border protection in modern history is to blame other departments.

One of neoliberalism’s best tricks is to blame “the market”, “the bureaucracy” or “rogue individuals” for the predictable consequences of government decisions. But sadly, even before Covid-19 came along, there were allegations that the companies who employed security guards do not put enough effort into training or monitoring their staff.

Likewise, with aged and disability care. While there are shocking examples of individuals neglecting and even abusing those in their care, there is also enormous evidence that some of the lowest paid workers in the country work unpaid overtime to provide the best care they can in some of the worst facilities you could imagine. If a company is well managed, how could the poor performance of a single staff member go unnoticed for months or years?

Neoliberalism hasn’t just undermined the quality of specific sectors like aged care and security but, by undermining the centrality of secure jobs that come with sick leave, career leave and annual leave, it has undermined the foundations of the modern welfare state that Australia spent the 20th century building. People without sick leave feel the need to go to work when they are sick because they have no other choice. People with full-time work don’t need to cobble together an income working shifts at multiple sites. And people with stable employment are more likely to have been given the training they need and be surrounded by others who have received that training.
It’s not the fault of individual security guards, aged care nurses or Border Force officers if their employers haven’t given them the training they need to do their important work well. It’s the fault of their employers, and ultimately, of governments that are willing to contract out some of the most important, sensitive and intimate work in Australia to whatever private company offers the lowest price or the largest donations.

It’s not the market’s fault that there are no minimum staffing numbers or minimum training standards in commonwealth-funded and privately run aged care homes. It’s the Morrison government’s. And it’s not the market’s fault if the private security guards protecting us from Covid-19 are poorly trained.

As individuals we have a responsibility to wash our hands, respect social distancing rules and wear masks when appropriate. But if we really want to protect ourselves from this pandemic, and future threats, we need to ensure we hold government ministers responsible for the outcomes they deliver.

The biggest threat of neoliberalism isn’t further funding cuts or more deregulation. It’s the ability to convince Australians that the minister for home affairs isn’t responsible for Border Force, and Border Force aren’t responsible for protecting our borders.

• Richard Denniss is the chief economist at independent thinktank The Australia Institute

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/20/the-spread-of-coronavirus-is-not-the-fault-of-individuals-but-a-result-of-neoliberalism

RUBY PRINCESS QUSRANTINE BREACH
Federal Minister David Littleproud says he is 'very sympathetic' to families after Ruby Princess coronavirus deaths

Key points:
Mr Littleproud says he is "open" to making changes as he orders a departmental review
At least 28 people died after passengers were allowed to disembark the Ruby Princess in Sydney
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has apologised after a special commission of inquiry
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has stopped short of apologising for his officials' failures during the Ruby Princess debacle but says he is "very sympathetic" to the families of those who died.
Mr Littleproud has also ordered a review of his department's involvement, saying he was "open" to making changes.

At least 28 people died from COVID-19 after passengers were allowed to disembark from the cruise ship in Sydney despite a growing number of them reporting flu-like symptoms.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian apologised following a special commission of inquiry by Bret Walker SC, which found the state's health department had made "inexcusable" and "inexplicable" mistakes in its handling of the outbreak.

It has also been revealed Department of Agriculture officers did not follow proper processes when inspecting the Ruby Princess, neglecting to complete health checklists as required by a national protocol.

"I'm very sympathetic to the 28 families that have lost loved ones out of this," Mr Littleproud told Insiders.

"The Australian Government is sorry for any loss of life during this COVID-19.

"But we are working off the Walker inquiry that quite clearly, in its recommendations and its findings, found quite clearly that it was the failure of NSW Health expert panel that caused this, that they were in charge of human health."

NSW Health had incorrectly assessed the Ruby Princess as "low-risk" before it came dockside, which meant there were no health officials to greet the ship.
A Department of Agriculture biosecurity officer also did not conduct her own health checks on passengers, nor did she complete a Traveller with Illness checklist.

"There were local arrangements in place in Sydney that were heavily reliant upon the interplay between my department, the Department of Health in NSW and the doctors on the ship," Agriculture Department secretary Andrew Metcalfe told a Senate committee on Tuesday.

"In hindsight, the national protocol was not followed and the officers believed that they were exercising their responsibilities appropriately through the communication that did occur with the NSW Health Department."

Mr Metcalfe told the hearing that oral permission for passengers to disembark was given by the biosecurity officer about 6:30am.

This is despite that fact that such permission — or "pratique", as it is known — was not recorded as having been given until 7:39am.

The Commonwealth's submission to Mr Walker's inquiry suggests a Border Force officer may have been the first to give permission for passengers to disembark."At the conclusion of ABF's customs and immigration checks, someone from the Ruby Princess crew asked whether the vessel had clearance to disembark and (Officer O) responded 'yes'," the submission says.

"[Agriculture's biosecurity officer] does not recall being asked for clearance to disembark passengers or baggage or ABF being asked for clearance to disembark."

But the ship's port official gave evidence to the Commission that clearance to disembark passengers came from "ABF and Agriculture".

Mr Littleproud said he had asked the Inspector-General of Biosecurity to review what had happened on the Ruby Princess.
"To make sure there is nothing that's been missed, either by Mr Walker or the Senate inquiry that's going on at the moment, and that the department secretary looks very, very closely at the department and anything else that may be gleaned out of this," he said.

"We shouldn't be prosecuting people or individuals or departments that have done no wrong and have not been found to do any wrong at this point in time.

"But I am still open, make it clear, I am still open that if I find anything else I will fix it and I'll fix it quickly and I will hold those to account if they've done something wrong."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-23/david-littleproud-lessons-been-learned-ruby-princess-coronavirus/12586962

VACCINE
COVID-19 vaccine won't be allowed to 'sidestep' medical regulations, deaths pass 500 in Australia

Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan says she is confident in Australia's strict safety and efficacy checks, despite the push for a fast-tracked coronavirus vaccine.

Meanwhile, Victoria records 208 coronavirus cases in a day as more cases are linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-australia-live-news-new-victorian-covid-19-cases-back-above-200-as-brisbane-cluster-grows/ar-BB18gnrm
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-23/coronavirus-australia-live-news-covid-19-latest-qld-vic-outbreak/12586344

BORDERS
Ongoing coronavirus border closures take their toll as families separated for months

Key points:
Mr Ortega was on a work trip in Europe when the pandemic hit
He lodged more than 10 applications for permission to return to Australia
He has now been authorised to travel back into the country

Richard Ortega hasn't hugged his daughters in more than five months — but that's finally about to change.
"It breaks my heart and it's breaking my spirit. I can't sleep, I can't focus," he said last week.

"My life has stopped without my children beside me."

Mr Ortega came to Australia with his wife, Yahima, and two daughters in 2018 after his wife landed a study scholarship at a Sydney college.

They are Swedish citizens and arrived on a subclass 500 student visa, which is valid until October 2021.
In March, Mr Ortega was on a work trip to Europe when the pandemic swept the globe and the Australian Government shut the borders to anyone except citizens or permanent residents.

"I was intending to leave Sweden in March to ensure I was home for the Easter holiday with the girls," he said.

"I had promised them I'd be there for the egg hunt."

But by then, he was stuck.
Mr Ortega lodged more than 10 applications for permission to return to Australia but was denied each time.

"My children ask me, 'Daddy, what happened? Why don't you come back here with us?'

"I can accept that the country must be protected. I know. But it can be protected without cruelty."

A report from a psychologist in Sweden, which Mr Ortega used as part of his application for exemption on compassionate grounds, found he was suffering from "ongoing stress and grief" due to the separation.

He had considered bringing his family to another country where they could reunite, but said that wasn't practical: his daughters were settled in school in Sydney and he didn't want his wife to give up the scholarship she earned.
The ABC contacted the Department of Home Affairs about Mr Ortega's case on Friday.

On Saturday, he received the news: his application had been revisited and approved. He can come home.

"I feel very happy … now, I'm finally fine," he said, adding that he hopes to travel in the next two weeks.

The border lockdown
The Federal Government announced the strict border closure on March 19 as the scale of the virus threat became clear.

At the time, about 80 per cent of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country were either people arriving from overseas or those who had been in contact with someone who had.

Five months on, that number has flipped, with about 21 per cent of confirmed cases coming from returned travellers.

There are exemptions to the incoming travel ban for a range of people beyond citizens, including airline crew, diplomats and New Zealanders who usually live in Australia.

But there is no specific exemption for visa holders.

Instead, the Commissioner of the Australian Border Force may grant an individual exemption on one of the following grounds:

A non-citizen travelling at the invitation of the Government
Someone providing critical or specialist medical services
A non-citizen with critical skills or working in a critical sector
A non-citizen whose entry would otherwise be in the national interest
Military personnel
A student completing year 11 and 12, with support from the relevant state and territory government
Someone travelling for compassionate and compelling reasons
It was on the last point that Mr Ortega had been seeking to return to Australia.

"Compassionate and compelling reasons include, but are not limited to, needing to travel due to the death or critical illness of a close family member," the Department of Home Affairs advice reads.

"If you are not granted an exemption, you should not continue with your travel plans, as you will not be permitted to board a flight to Australia."
he ABC contacted the department, asking if there were plans to review or change the exemptions for visa holders, and for details on how many applications for exemptions had been granted. It did not provide a response.

Meanwhile, the toll of international border closures also cuts the other way, with some parents stuck in Australia unable to return to their families overseas.

Indonesia border closure hits home
Australian expat Bec Yik has lived in Bali with her husband Marcus Boyle and daughter Sabre for a few years now.

Yet, much like Mr Ortega, Mr Boyle was caught out travelling in March when the pandemic hit.
He was in Peru at the time and, although he managed to secure a flight to Australia, he hasn't been able to make it back to Indonesia since.

"It will be six months on September 2," Ms Yik said.

"Between Australia and Indonesia, there were just such moving goalposts all the time."

Mr Boyle's work visa for Indonesia expired in February. Weeks later, the country mirrored Australia's move and banned foreign tourism.

Australians already in the country were allowed to stay on for free, but this week that scheme ended too.

Meanwhile, Mr Boyle is seeing his daughter grow up on video chats.
"She doesn't actually understand why he can't just come back," Ms Yik said.

"From when he was here in February to her now, she's almost a completely different child."

Indonesia has recorded more than 147,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 6,400 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.

Since mid-March, more than 371,000 Australians have returned to the country from overseas.

Ms Yik said she considered flying to Australia on a daily basis, but she had no home, work or roots here.

In Bali, she has a business and commitments.

"We have a home, we have dogs, cats, I have an office," she said.

"I have people that I'm supporting here in terms of salary. If I leave them, they have literally no way of supporting their own family.

"So it's not just about me."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-23/coronavirus-border-closures-take-toll-as-families-separated/12564488

PUBLIC MIFFED = Businessman given approval to leave Australia for yacht

The exemption process for overseas travel is under harsh scrutiny this morning, amid revelations a Sydney businessman was approved to fly to Europe to pick up his yacht.

<< I AM HARD PRESSED TO SEE A VALID REASON TO ALLOW THIS TRIP >>
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/australia-records-246-new-coronavirus-cases/vi-BB18b9st

Unemployment surges in states that have closed their borders

Australia's unemployment hot spots are in states that have closed their border to other states or territories with very few or even no COVID-19 cases.
Mandurah, south of Perth, has the dubious honour of having the highest jobless rate of 18 per cent.

The West Australian coastal city's jobless rate has more than doubled since February, when it stood at 6.9 per cent before the coronavirus lockdowns.

Queensland's Wide Bay region north of Brisbane, covering the cities of Bundaberg and Hervey Bay near Fraser Island, has Australia's second highest jobless rate of 17 per cent - a surge from 8.8 per cent in just five months.
Both areas have a jobless level that is two-and-a-half times the national average of 7.5 per cent - itself the worst unemployment level since early 1994.
Australia's jobless hot spots
1. Mandurah, WA: 18%

2. Wide Bay, Queensland: 17%

3. Melbourne north-west, Victoria: 12.6%

4. Coffs Harbour-Grafton, NSW: 11.6%

5. Queensland outback: 10.9%

6. Moreton Bay south, Queensland: 10.5%

7. South Australia outback: 10.4%

8. Ipswich, Queensland: 10.1%

9. Sunshine Coast, Queensland: 9.8%

10. Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, NSW: 9.7%

11. Adelaide north, SA: 9.7%

12. Logan and Beaudesert, QLD: 9.5%

13. Sydney Inner West, NSW: 9.4%

14. Brisbane east, Queensland: 9.3%

15. Sydney south-west, NSW: 9.3%

16. Melbourne west, Victoria: 9.3%

17. Moreton Bay north, QLD: 9.2%

18. Sydney city, inner south, NSW: 9.2%

19. Perth south west, WA: 9.1%

20. Gold Coast, QLD: 9%

Sources: CommSec, Australian Bureau of Statistics

A CommSec analysis of Australia's 20 worst areas for unemployment showed 13 of them are in states that have closed their borders, even to people from other states with very few or zero COVID-19 cases.

Queensland dominates this list, with nine areas having particularly high unemployment, from the Gold Coast, Logan and Beaudesert in the state's south to the vast outback in the west - with a 10.9 per cent jobless rate.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, facing an election on October 31, has banned all residents from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory - which has had no active cases since July 10.

Regional NSW has very few cases, with zero on the Mid-North Coast, just one in the state's coastal north, one in the west, five in the Hunter and New England region and zero on the central coast.

Only Sydney has high case numbers, with 183 in the west and south-west, followed by another 11 in the city's north.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said tourism operators were suffering as some interstate visitors were banned from places with very few coronavirus cases.

'Some destinations are severely affected,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Our basic desire is to see the borders opened.'

Mr Gschwind said his state needed a 'more nuanced and targeted' approach to the border closures to combat COVID-19.

'We must anticipate that there will be cases for months, possibly years in the community,' he said.

'What we have asked and urged the Queensland government to do for weeks is to give us greater clarity of what the triggers are, what the measures are, and address coronavirus cases and outbreaks - that's what we want to see rather than we're going from all open to all closed.'

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, a Queenslander, has accused his state's Labor government of shutting out people from NSW and the ACT so it could win the election in ten weeks.
'Lives are really being disrupted and you've got to ask why when the medical advice is not saying that is what is needed,' he told the Today show.

'If we've got premiers who are pursuing an elimination process, the country will go broke.'

Understandably, all states are closing their borders to Victoria, which has 4,864 active cases - keeping Melbourne and the neighbouring Mitchell Shire in a strict, Stage 4 lockdown.

Melbourne's north-west, the epicentre of COVID-19 cases, has Australia's third-highest jobless rate of 12.6 per cent.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is pressuring the states to reconsider closing their borders to people from other states, even where there is no COVID-19 transmission.

Western Australia has closed its border to all travellers and even its own residents trying to re-enter their state, unless they obtain a written exemption on work or compassionate grounds.

The state has two areas in list of 20 unemployment hot spots, including Mandurah and Perth's south west, which includes the industrial hubs of Kwinana and Rockingham.

South Australia has two areas of particularly high unemployment, including Adelaide's north and the outback.

The state is requiring everyone entering from NSW and the ACT to self-quarantine for 14 days.

The Commonwealth Bank's Purchasing Managers' Index of business activity found state border closures had caused freight and delivery delays and disrupted supply chains.
Peter Dutton warns state border closures will send Australia broke
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton unleashed on state premiers who refuse to open their borders for as long as the next year.

'Lives are really being disrupted and you've got to ask why when the medical advice is not saying that is what is needed,' he said on the Today show.

'If we've got premiers who are pursuing an elimination process, the country will go broke.'

He accused Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of using the border closure with NSW to win votes for the upcoming election.

'You've got to ask why when the medical advice is not saying that is what is needed - the more you push her, the more she digs in and the more popular she becomes,' he said.

'There is an election in October and I think Palaszczuk is concerned about that.'

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has also been accused of using the state's popular hard border to win votes for the March state election.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/news/unemployment-surges-in-states-that-have-closed-their-borders/ar-BB18gsXr

SUPPORT SCHEMES TO BE EXTENDED (APPARENTLY)
Government to extend support schemes when parliament resumes

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the Government's priority over the next fortnight is to extend coronavirus support for those who need it.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/government-to-extend-support-schemes-when-parliament-resumes/vi-BB18h1Jq

NEW WHO GUIDENCE ON MASKS
WHO says children aged 12 and over should wear masks like adults

The World Health Organization (WHO) said children aged 12 and over should wear masks to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic under the same conditions as adults, while children between six and 11 should wear them on a risk-based approach.
Children aged 12 and over should particularly wear a mask when a one-metre distance from others cannot be guaranteed and there is widespread transmission in the area, the WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a document on the WHO website dated Aug. 21.

Whether children between six and 11 should wear masks depends on a number of factors, including the intensity of transmission in the area, the child's ability to use the mask, access to masks and adequate adult supervision, the two organisations said.

<< IN THESE CASES I THINK THE GUIDENCE IS ALL ADULTS STAFF, BUS DRIVERS , TEACHERS SHOULD WEAR MASKS AND TRY TO GET TO KIDS TO WEAR THEM TOO >>
The potential impact on learning and psycho-social development, and the interactions the child has with people at high risk of developing serious illness, should also play a role.

Children aged five years and under should not be required to wear masks based on the safety and overall interest of the child, the WHO and UNICEF said.

Studies suggest older children potentially play a more active role in transmission of the new coronavirus than younger children, the WHO and UNICEF said, adding more data was needed to better understand the role of children and adolescents in the transmission of the virus, which causes COVID-19.

The WHO first advised people to wear masks in public on June 5 to help reduce the spread of the disease, but had previously not issued specific guidance for children.

More than 23 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally since it was first identified in China last year and 798,997​ have died, according to a Reuters tally.

<< MOST KIDS ENTIRE YR6 AT 12 YEARS OLD , BUT SOME ARE IN YEAR 5 OR YEAR 7 , SO I THINK THE GUIDENCE FOR PARENTS AND SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ALL CHILDREN IN YR 5 THROUGH YR 12 TO WEAR MASKS AT ALL TIMES IN CLASS , HALLWAYS , LOCKER - ROOMS, GYMS, PAYGOUNDS, WHILE AT ASSEMBLY AND IN CAFETARIA AND EATING AREA>>
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/who-says-children-aged-12-and-over-should-wear-masks-like-adults/ar-BB18grhp

23 AUGUST SCIENCE
Restaurants have been identified as coronavirus hotspots, so is it safe to dine out?

Key points:
Some conditions in a restaurant setting can increase the risk of COVID-19 infection, according to an expert
There are ways to mitigate the risk, including washing hands five times or more in one seating
The longer diners spend in a restaurant, "the greater the risk of contracting COVID-19"

Going out for a meal is a simple pleasure but, with several restaurants identified as COVID-19 hotspots across the country, what can you do to stay safe?
<< IMO IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK , EVEN TO ORDER IN TAKEAWAY OR HOME DELIVERED MEALS , THE ISSUE THEN BECOMES WHAT IS BROUGHT HOME ON THE CONTAINERS >>
Experts say there are ways to minimise the risk of contracting the virus in a restaurant or cafe, but the very nature of dining out — staying in one place for a while, sharing food, talking, even having a laugh in these tough times — means we need to be very careful.

Director of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health at the Queensland University of Technology, Lidia Morawska, said a number of conditions could increase transmission risk at restaurants.

"A large number of people sitting relatively close together and it's usually quite loud, so [they are] talking or shouting over background noise, ventilation conditions are often non-existent and time spent in this environment might be one or two hours," she said.

"These are absolute textbook conditions for an outbreak."

Restaurants have had to change their operating practises to mitigate some of these risks.

They are required by law to have a COVID-19 safety plan or checklist and in states other than Victoria, they are doing their best to keep the doors open.
What are the main risks when dining out?
By now, a lot of us know we need to avoid coming into contact with droplets of coronavirus.

The virus can be spread by directly breathing in airborne droplets or by transmission from surfaces.

As the ABC has previously reported, it is possible a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has coronavirus on it and then touching their own mouth or nose.

Clinical chair of infection prevention and disease control at University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital Ramon Shaban said surfaces were a big concern in restaurants.

"The main risk is coming into contact with the virus from respiratory droplets that other people with the infection, such as staff or fellow customers, shed onto surfaces and objects such as tabletops, door handles and other high-touch contact surfaces," he said.
A widely accepted study in the New England Journal of Medicine found the virus could still be detected on stainless steel and plastic after 72 hours.

Think about the communal surfaces in a restaurant or cafe and how often you might touch them.

Professor Shaban said there were five key moments when you should wash your hands.

"On arrival, after touching common-use items such as menus, before eating, after going to the toilet and upon leaving the restaurant," he said.

You should also use hand sanitiser regularly throughout the time at the restaurant or cafe.

Another key risk is the amount of airflow in the venue, according to Professor Morawska.

She said a lack of air movement was a problem.

"If everything is closed up … if someone is infected in the restaurant and keeps exhaling virus-laden particles, well they will be lingering in the air in the restaurant and others will be infected," Professor Morawska said.

Professor Shaban said the risk of transmission was lower in open environments and outside settings.

"Sitting by an open window might provide some risk benefit but this is not usually practical," he said.

Does time spent in a restaurant affect the chance of contracting COVID-19?
Quite simply, yes.

"The longer you are in a restaurant, the greater the risk of contracting COVID-19," Professor Shaban said.

The pandemic has changed a lot of our habits and it needs to change our expectations of dining out, too.

Things like not having anywhere to go anywhere — or staying in one venue — for a few hours or maybe more while sharing food and drinks with our friends.

Or the hum of conversation and kitchen noise that means we lean in a little closer and talk a little louder.

Before the pandemic, that might have been a good time but when COVID-19 can be spread both by contact and by airborne droplets, we have to do it differently.
Restaurants and cafes are required to record the personal details of diners to aid any possible contact tracing efforts.

If a case is identified, tracing efforts will aim to find all close contacts of the infected person.

NSW Health considers a "close contact" to be someone who has been face-to-face with a confirmed case for at least 15 minutes or in the same closed space for at least two hours while that patient was infectious.

Is it OK to share food?
The "our plates are designed to be shared" philosophy has had to change.

Professor Shaban advised against sharing food and utensils and said "common-use items" like salt and pepper shakers should be avoided unless they have been cleaned.

"Better still, ask that they are cleaned when you receive them," he said.

Remember, existing food standard regulations mean, even before COVID-19, restaurants and cafes were going to a lot of effort to keep spaces clean and contamination low.

What else can help diners stay safe?
All the social distancing practices we've learnt throughout this pandemic apply when you sit down to eat.

Remember:

Do not attend a restaurant if you have even the mildest symptoms
Stay 1.5 metres away from other people
Do not touch your face with your hands unless they are clean, ideally after sanitising with an alcohol-based solution
Cough and sneeze away from other people and while covering your face
While not eating, consider wearing a mask in situations where you are unable to physically distance from others
Make sure the restaurant has a COVID-19 safety plan
Make sure your details are collected so effective contact tracing can be undertaken
There are some scenarios where Professor Shaban recommended diners rethink a restaurant altogether.

"If the restaurant is crowded and does not demonstrate physical distancing, then reconsider your attendance," he said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-23/restaurants-cafes-coronavirus-hotspots-is-it-safe-to-dine-out/12570600

23 AUGUST NZ
Kiwis mock man who calls New Zealand 'hellhole' amid COVID-19

ew Zealanders are hilariously mocking a critic who described their country as a 'hellhole' because of the country's strict response to the pandemic.

A Twitter account called No Lockdown cited New Zealand's second wave of coronavirus - after 102 days without community transmission - and the decision to reimpose restrictions for describing the nation as a 'hellhole'.

'You can't leave. And you can't easily have people in. And you're back in lockdown in major parts of the country. And the quarantine camps are public knowledge. Your country is a hellhole,' the person wrote in a comment.

But they were soon bombarded with hundreds of responses from defensive Kiwis who hijacked the post to share beautiful photos they've taken since lockdown started.

Using the hashtag #NZHellhole, Kiwis told the stubborn foreigner that they were quite enjoying being 'stuck' so far away from the rest of the world.
<< MAKING VERY GOOD USE OF THAT VERY DEEP AND WIDE MOAT THAT SURROUNDS NZ / LOL >>

The photographs include trips to the beach, the mountains and dozens of hiking adventures, demonstrating just how many freedoms Kiwis have despite being in stage three or stage two lockdown - depending on their regions.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reimposed a stage three lockdown in Auckland on August 11 after new cases of the virus were discovered.

Since then, New Zealand has consistently recorded low levels of community transmission and contact tracing is underway to determine where the virus originated.
In spite of the threat of the virus, Kiwis have managed to lead relatively normal lives according to the photographs shared on the thread.

One New Zealander explained: 'Down here in New Zealand, we've had to endure the pretentious sunset and sunrise from our balconies and decks, from behind closed (or open) windows and isolated benches on our local beach — for weeks!

'The struggle is real, PLEASE, help us already! #nzhellhole'.

Another person used the post to comment on President Donald Trump's handling of COVID-19. 'Soooo embarrassing living in a country where our leader sticks to an evidence based approach to fighting Covid.
'#NZHellhole disastrous morning: favourite café had sold out of my favourite cake, so I had to settle for a perfectly warmed berry Danish with my coffee while watching families & friends walk, cycle, scoot, skateboard down the slightly less busy than normal road. Oh the humanity,' another Kiwi Twitter user shared.

'Awful day here in the #NZHellhole. The Nelson Market was cancelled so had to get fresh-baked bread and organic sausages from the Farmers' Market instead. Off for a stroll in native bush this afternoon and maybe go to a movie. Oh the tyranny of this jackbooted regime,' another New Zealander posted.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/kiwis-mock-man-who-calls-new-zealand-hellhole-amid-covid-19/ar-BB18gXoT

 

[kingofnobbys]

24 AUGUST

STILL ISSUES WITH DATA , ANOTHER SITE NOT UPDATED TODAY SO AGAIN ONLY PARTIAL DATA TO UPDATE.

Of more than 18,591 infections confirmed in Australia since June 1, 17,712 have been in Victoria, compared with 733 in NSW.
Only 0.5 per cent of cases in Victoria are returned travellers in hotel quarantine, compared to 39 per cent in NSW.

 

[kingofnobbys]

24 AUGUST VIC

VICTORIANS BREATH A SIGH OF RELIEF AS DAILY CASES APPROACHES JUST 100 NEW CASES PER DAY.

Victoria records 116 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours and 15 deaths

Victoria has reported its lowest rise in COVID-19 infections in seven weeks with 116 new cases and 15 additional fatalities on Monday.

The number is the embattled state's lowest amount of new COVID-19 cases since July 5, when 67 people were diagnosed.

The latest fatalities bring the state's COVID-19 death toll to 430 and the national figure to 517.

The number of new cases is almost half Sunday's figure of 208.
But halfway through lockdown Victoria's chief health officer defiantly declared he won't let the state's hard-fought COVID-19 gains slip.

Brett Sutton had predicted on Sunday that numbers could dip below 150 this week.

He added although the daily case numbers had been 'jumping around', he expected a continued downward trajectory, and was still upbeat when new cases went back above 200 on Sunday.

'We're not going to see 300 and 400 (cases) again in Victoria under my watch, at least,' he said.

'We're applying a strategy that is driving cases down.'

With 3,920 so-called mystery cases, Prof Sutton warned restrictions would not be lifted in full until community transmission is eradicated.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the weekend's bad weather was an 'absolute blessing' and hoped it meant more people stayed at home.

The premier also warned that Victoria will be smashed by a 'third wave' if lockdowns are lifted too early.

The crippling Stage Four lockdown is scheduled to end on September 13, but the government has refused to rule out extending it.

Melbourne residents still have at least another three weeks of stage four restrictions including an overnight curfew, while regional Victorians are living under slightly less onerous level three restrictions.

As new case numbers tumble while Victorians are confined to their homes, Mr Andrews is fending off calls to relax restrictions early.

The premier acknowledged everyone wanted to get back to 'something approaching normal' as fast as possible, but it couldn't be too soon.

'Whether we like it or not, we have to acknowledge this key point: if we start opening up before we have defeated this second wave, then we'll just be in the beginnings of a third wave,' he said.

Republican ex-lawmakers back Biden on first day of Trump convention
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Victoria has reported its lowest rise in COVID-19 infections in seven weeks with 116 new cases and 15 additional fatalities on Monday.

The number is the embattled state's lowest amount of new COVID-19 cases since July 5, when 67 people were diagnosed.

The latest fatalities bring the state's COVID-19 death toll to 430 and the national figure to 517.

The number of new cases is almost half Sunday's figure of 208.


But halfway through lockdown Victoria's chief health officer defiantly declared he won't let the state's hard-fought COVID-19 gains slip.

Brett Sutton had predicted on Sunday that numbers could dip below 150 this week.

He added although the daily case numbers had been 'jumping around', he expected a continued downward trajectory, and was still upbeat when new cases went back above 200 on Sunday.

'We're not going to see 300 and 400 (cases) again in Victoria under my watch, at least,' he said.

'We're applying a strategy that is driving cases down.'

With 3,920 so-called mystery cases, Prof Sutton warned restrictions would not be lifted in full until community transmission is eradicated.

It comes as halfway through lockdown, Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton has defiantly declared he won't let the state's hard-fought COVID-19 gains slip
Premier Daniel Andrews said the weekend's bad weather was an 'absolute blessing' and hoped it meant more people stayed at home.

The premier also warned that Victoria will be smashed by a 'third wave' if lockdowns are lifted too early.

The crippling Stage Four lockdown is scheduled to end on September 13, but the government has refused to rule out extending it.

Melbourne residents still have at least another three weeks of stage four restrictions including an overnight curfew, while regional Victorians are living under slightly less onerous level three restrictions.

As new case numbers tumble while Victorians are confined to their homes, Mr Andrews is fending off calls to relax restrictions early.

The premier acknowledged everyone wanted to get back to 'something approaching normal' as fast as possible, but it couldn't be too soon.

'Whether we like it or not, we have to acknowledge this key point: if we start opening up before we have defeated this second wave, then we'll just be in the beginnings of a third wave,' he said.

'That is of no benefit to anybody. It will just mean that people – we might all feel a little bit better for a very short amount of time and then the numbers will grow and we'll be back to where we are now.'

Mr Andrews again signalled restrictions will remain until there is a vaccine, and the goal was few cases not elimination.

'We have got to beat this thing and get these numbers down to such a low level that we can keep a lid on them,' he said.

'Not just for a week or two, but indeed have them suppressed, have it extinguished to the greatest extent possible, but have it suppressed with every likelihood that we can maintain those low numbers until of course the ultimate vaccine arrives.'

But his statement indicated that even if Melbourne got out of Stage Four on time, it would be stuck in Stage Three for weeks or months longer.

While Prof Sutton predicted numbers could dip below 150 this week, he said restrictions would not be lifted in full until community transmission was eradicated.

He also said Melburnians would be wearing face masks in public beyond the easing of Stage Four.

Mr Andrews said masks would remain part of life for a long time, along with careful hand-washing and physical distancing.

Hearings for the state's inquiry into the failed hotel quarantine program will resume on Monday with more testimony from hotel security staff.

The inquiry last week heard poor-performing security guards were moved between the quarantine hotels, while returned travellers feared catching COVID-19 during their stay.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victoria-records-116-covid-19-cases-in-the-past-24-hours-and-15-deaths/ar-BB18hJi3

Vic. on track to record double digit cases soon

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos says that if Victorians continue following social distancing orders and getting tested, the state's COVID-19 cases will continue to fall.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/mikakos-vic-on-track-to-record-double-digit-cases-soon/vi-BB18hXvd

<< SO THE VIC GOVT HAS LEARNT THE LESSON MANY OTHER COUNTRIES AND STATES HAVE NOT >>

Premier faces parliamentary battle over plan to extend state of emergency

Victoria recorded 116 new cases of coronavirus in the past day, and 15 more people have died, all of them in aged care.

Premier Daniel Andrews faces a tough fight in state Parliament as he pushes ahead with plans to extend Victoria's state of emergency by another 12 months.
Opposition to the proposal was growing on Monday afternoon, in the wake of the Premier's announcement that he would seek the unprecedented extension, with the Coalition and significant numbers of key crossbench MPs declaring their vehement opposition.

The government would need to recall parliament, probably in early Septemeber, to pass the legislation needed for another year of state of emergency powers, and win the support of at least three non-government members of the upper house, where Labor does not command a majority.

If disgraced former minister Adem Somyurek breaks his self-imposed exile from Parliament and returns to vote against his former Labor colleagues, the government will need four crossbench votes to prevail.
The situation is further complicated by the advice of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton that regional and country MPs should stay away from Melbourne and not attend Parliament.

Mr Andrews stressed the state of emergency extension was not the same as the state of disaster and that he was not proposing stage four measures such as the 8pm curfew be extended.

The Premier said the extended state of emergency would prolong "commonsense" rules on face masks and social distancing, which he said had driven down transmission numbers.

"We've got to protect public health, there can be no economic rebuilding until we fix this problem," he said.

"That's what these rules are for, nothing more, nothing less," he said.

Mr Andrews said the most logical and prudent thing to do was to ensure the rules aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus would still be in place after September 13.

"I think we are going to engage with all parties in the Victorian Parliament quite soon to talk about those changes and hopefully we can both have a very important agreement about how and when the Parliament sits and then we can have an orderly process to make those necessary changes," Mr Andrews said.

But Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said politicians should never have the level of control over people's lives that the Premier was proposing.

"This is not the act of a democrat - this is the act of a Premier whose power has gone to his head," Mr O'Brien said.

"The only reason Daniel Andrews is going to allow the Parliament to sit is to give himself this massive amount of power.

"He's tried to stop the Legislative Assembly sitting for months. He doesn't want to face question time, he doesn't want to have debate, he certainly doesn't want to involve any other political party - he simply wants to grab the power for himself. We are saying no. We are drawing a line. The Premier has gone too far."

The Coalition has argued that prolonging the state of emergency should be "strictly time limited" and for a "very small point in time", as opposed to granting the government a 12-month extension.

Reason Party MP Fiona Patten, Liberal Democrats MPs David Limbrick and Tim Quilty, and Sustainable Australia MP Clifford Hayes have said they oppose extending the state of emergency for prolonged periods of time.

"Victorians can be trusted to take sensible precautions without being treated like criminals," Mr Limbrick said.

"This pandemic can be managed by voluntary action."

Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick, Rod Barton of the Transport Matters Party, the two Hinch Justice Party MPs and Jeff Bourman of the Hunters Shooters and Fishers party are all yet to declare their positions.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victoria-records-116-new-cases-of-coronavirus-15-deaths/ar-BB18hULr

Why does Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews want to extend the coronavirus state of emergency?

Victoria's state of emergency is due to expire in three weeks' time.

Premier Daniel Andrews says he'll be appealing to the Victorian Parliament to give his Government the power to extend the state of emergency for another year.

So what is the state of emergency, and will extending it meet political roadblocks in the Upper House?

What is the state of emergency and what does it do?
The state of emergency gives the Victorian Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, extraordinary legal powers.

It allows him to issue legally enforceable public health directions, in this instance to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including rules about quarantine, face masks, and the number of people allowed in a pub.

The state of emergency also allows him and authorised officers — appointed by Department of Health and Human Services secretary Kym Peake — to detain any person "for the period reasonably necessary to eliminate or reduce a serious risk to public health".

They also have the power to restrict movement, search premises without a warrant and "give any other direction that the authorised officer considers is reasonably necessary to protect public health".

Perhaps the most dramatic demonstration of these powers during the pandemic so far has been the hard lockdown imposed on public housing towers at Flemington and North Melbourne last month.

Premier Daniel Andrews has described the state of emergency as the "legal instrument" that allows for rules about COVID-safe work plans, limits in cafes and restaurants, and the legal requirement for a person who tests positive to isolate at home for 14 days.

"Those sorts of rules are all a product of the state of emergency and the provisions within the Public Health and Wellbeing Act need to be changed to reflect the fact that whilst we'd all love this to be over by September 13, which is when the act says the state of emergency must end, that's just not going to be the case," he said.

There's a more detailed breakdown of the state of emergency here, and the legislation is outlined here.

What does the Government want to do?
The Public Health and Wellbeing Act allows for a state of emergency to run for a maximum of six months.

Victoria's state of emergency was first declared on March 16, and after several four-week extensions, is due to expire under the act on September 13.

That's why the Victorian Government wants to change the act, to allow it to extend the state of emergency for another 12 months, bringing it to 18 months in total.

The state of emergency would still have to be declared by the Government in four-week blocks, as it is now, and the Premier stressed he was not seeking an "unlimited" extension.

"We simply can't have those important rules, and the legal framework that sits behind them, we can't have that end [on September 13]," Mr Andrews said.

"It could be less than another 12 months, we certainly hope so.

"If a vaccine were to appear next year, then many of those rules will not be needed. But we have to assume that vaccine won't be here."

He said there were a few other "minor changes", but the bill would be made available when it was ready.

The Government is expected to introduce the new bill into Parliament next week.

Opposition won't support 'power grab'
Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien has said his party won't be supporting Mr Andrews's bid for a year-long extension on the state of emergency.

"The Opposition — the Liberals and Nationals — will be opposing this power grab with everything we've got," he said.

"This is not the act of a democrat. This is the act of a premier whose power has gone to his head."

He said if there needed to be an extension at all, it should have a strict, smaller time limit, and there must be accountability mechanisms in place.

"We understand that in a pandemic, sometimes there need to be restrictions. But there's a reason why the state of emergency, in law, is limited to six months," he said.

"Because no premier, no politician, should have that degree of power over the lives of Victorians indefinitely.

"We are seeing the case numbers falling, but Daniel Andrews wants to extend his power over Victorians. Why does that make any sense?"

Plan B if crossbenchers don't back bill
Labor has a majority in the Lower House, but in the Upper House, it holds just 17 of 40 seats, after losing disgraced former Labor MP Adem Somyurek to the crossbench following a branch-stacking scandal.

Eleven seats belong to the Liberals and Nationals, while the rest are shared among other parties and independents.

There is some frustration among crossbenchers over the Government's handling of the issue, after MPs only received a briefing on the bill after it was announced.

Independent MP Catherine Cumming is opposed to a blanket 12-month extension, while Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick and Transport Matters Party MP Rod Barton are yet to take a position.

Reason Party leader Fiona Patten said she hadn't yet seen the bill and the emergency powers were "incredibly broad".

"Let's be clear, the state of emergency is not just about enforcing mask-wearing, or enforcing COVID plans in workplaces," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.

"It expands the ability of the Government to make rules without [tabling] them in Parliament, without actually passing legislation."

Sustainable Australia Party MP Clifford Hayes is also unlikely to support the blanket extension.

But Justice Party founder Derryn Hinch tweeted that his party supported the plan.

The Greens will wait until they see the bill before deciding their position, but their Upper House MP, Samantha Ratnam, is currently on maternity leave.

Mr Andrews was asked what was at stake if he didn't have the support of the crossbench. He said there was no need to be "negative" and he would mount a well-argued case for the changes.

When asked if he had a "plan B", he said there were "different options" he could employ.

"The state of disaster sits above the state of emergency," he said.

"But again, the most logical, the most prudent thing to do, is to simply accept the fact that we have a need for rules … they're not about individual liberty, they're about public health. They're about protecting everyone."

Distinct from the state of emergency, the state of disaster is legislated under the Emergency Management Act, and gives police the power to enforce nightly curfews and the 5-kilometre travel limit.

It grants additional powers to Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville to respond to the pandemic. The state of disaster was declared three weeks ago on August 2, and is due to end on September 2.

The Emergency Management Act says additional states of disaster may be declared "before, at or after the end" of a four-week period and makes no reference to a six-month limit.


Mr Andrews, a former health minister in the Brumby government, said the notion of a global pandemic was "probably not seen as something that was necessary to countenance" when the laws were written 15 years ago.

When asked whether he would consider supporting amendments to give Parliament a say in the monthly extension of a state of emergency, Mr Andrews suggested he would not.

"We want the scientists absolutely committed to the science, not having to necessarily engage in a political process every two or three weeks," he said.

"It's my sincere hope that there is a majority of people in both houses who say look, this is a fair thing, let's follow the advice, let's see this thing off."

The state of emergency declaration, made under Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, allows the chief health officer to issue enforceable public health directions – like the stay at home orders, rules around mass gatherings, the requirement that people with the virus self-isolate, and the requirement to wear face masks.

The requirement for international travellers to self-isolate for 14 days is also enforced under the state of emergency powers.

“We simply can’t have those important rules and the legal framework that sits behind them, we cannot have that end on 13 September because this will not have ended on 13 September,” Andrews told reporters.

Andrews said it was “not an unlimited extension” and the government would continue to have to apply the order in four-week blocks. But he said that if a vaccine is not found by September 2021, it may need to be extended again.

“If there is a vaccine before then, or if circumstances change dramatically, you would always adjust your rules, according to that,” he said. “But I think we have to accept that this is with us for a considerable time in one form or another.”

Isabelle Reinecke, the executive director of the Grata Fund, which is part of a group monitoring the laws introduced under Covid-19, said that while she believed the Andrews government was acting with public health in mind, the underlying principle of emergency powers is that parliaments should enact “the most limited possible option” to minimise the impact on human rights.

Reinecke said the government could ask parliament to allow it to extend the state of emergency for a further six months, and then ask for another extension in March should it prove necessary. That would be less efficient, she said, but preferable to being in a situation where the parliament “let things slide for convenience rather than really holding itself strongly to the highest standard of democracy”.

“What we don’t want is for them to give themselves 12 months, it only goes for another four months, and then it is on the government themselves to give up the power,” she said.

Anthony Kelly from the Police Accountability Project said he had seen “too many incidents of discriminatory policing,” including the hard lockdown of nine public housing towers, to be comfortable with a 12-month extension. “Until the government is able to guarantee a genuinely respectful, health-led response to the crisis, that fully complies with international human rights standards, then short-term extensions will be safer for all of us,” he said.

The proposed extension would not apply to the more serious state of disaster laws, which Victoria has been living under since the stage four lockdown was introduced on 2 August.

The state opposition has indicated it will not support the proposed extension. Andrews has appealed to crossbenchers to “protect public health”.

The health minister, Jenny Mikakos, said the Victorian government would start releasing public data about the location of coronavirus outbreaks and naming “high risk locations,” rather than just general figures on the number of active cases per local government area. It will bring Victoria in line with other states, which have for months been publicly listing locations visited by active Covid-19 cases.

“For example, people will be able to search and see if a known case has been in the local shopping centre, local cafe, workplace or another location,” Mikakos said.

There are now 3,731 active Covid-19 cases in Victoria, of which 1,568 are connected to aged care and 476 are healthcare workers. Andrews again delayed the release of data around whether healthcare workers contracted the virus at work or in the community, which was due to be released last week, saying it was a “considerably bigger piece of work” than originally thought and would be released “over the next few days”.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victorian-plan-to-extend-state-of-emergency-by-12-months-prompts-human-rights-concerns/ar-BB18iPAI

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/why-does-victorian-premier-daniel-andrews-want-to-extend-the-coronavirus-state-of-emergency/ar-BB18iElh

QUARANTINE
Melbourne hotel quarantine guard tells inquiry of PPE shortage, delivering food while showing coronavirus symptoms

A security guard who tested positive for COVID-19 after working at a Melbourne quarantine hotel says he was instructed to stash used gloves and masks in his pockets, out of view of CCTV cameras, so the equipment could be used again.

The guard, known as Security 16 for legal reasons, also said he completed food deliveries while waiting for test results because he was "bored", and then worked at a warehouse days after being diagnosed as positive for a second time.

Security 16 told an inquiry into Melbourne's hotel quarantine program that there was a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) at the Rydges on Swanston hotel in mid-May.

About 90 per cent of Victoria's current COVID-19 cases have been been linked to an outbreak at the hotel after a family of four tested positive following their return to Australia on May 9.

Security 16 said guards were initially told to discard masks and gloves when they entered the hotel lobby, and to take a new set when they went back to monitor floors where returned travellers were staying.

However that policy changed a few days after he began to work at the hotel, Security 16 told the inquiry.

According to Security 16's witness statement, he was told "to put my mask and gloves in my pocket when I went for a break".

"[Name withheld] told me not to put my mask and gloves in my pocket in front of the hotel's security cameras," he said.

"I also saw guards smoking together — not sharing cigarettes, but not social distancing. Some guards put holes in their gloves so they could use their mobile phones."

Security 16 said he was recruited via WhatsApp to work in the quarantine program for subcontractors hired by big security firms running operations at the Marriott Hotel, Novotel on Collins and the Rydges on Swanston.

Sections of Security 16's witness statement were redacted, with names, dates and other details blacked out in exhibits.

Infected guard completed food deliveries, thinking he had 'common cold'
Security 16 said he developed cold-like symptoms during an overnight shift at the Rydges, leading to a fever and chills.

He went to a hospital for a COVID-19 test and was told to stay home while the results were being processed. But after feeling "a bit better", Security 16 dropped off three or four orders for a food delivery company.

"Why did you do that?" counsel assisting the inquiry Ben Ihle asked.

"I felt pretty good and I was getting bored at my house," Security 16 replied.

Security 16 received a call from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) the next day confirming his positive test result.

He experienced a fever, throat and chest pains and a cough for the next two weeks.

In early June, Security 16 said the department told him he was free to leave his home if his symptoms eased.

He completed more food deliveries, but was then struck down with more symptoms and needed to be hospitalised.

Security 16 said he tested positive for a second time, but was allowed out "because it had been 14 days since my first positive test".

"That week, I worked at my regular job at the warehouse. As far as I know, nobody at the warehouse contracted COVID-19," he said.

Security 16 told the inquiry he did not know the DHHS was running the quarantine operations at the hotel or had staff present.

"I did not tell anyone at the Rydges hotel that I felt unwell — I thought it was just a common cold and nothing to worry about," he said.

Guest felt 'humiliated' after pleading for food
Meanwhile, a Muslim man detained in another hotel told the inquiry he was wrongly fed food that was not halal, and he and his partner had to make phone calls to plead for meals each day.

Kaan Ofli, a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, said he was left feeling "humiliated" during his 14-day stay at the Pan Pacific hotel between April 9 and April 23.

Mr Ofli said a mix-up meant Pan Pacific staff and the DHHS did not realise he was staying at the hotel, despite filling out forms requesting halal foods and making numerous phone calls to the department.

The mistake was only picked up after 10 days, Mr Ofli said, and it then became apparent the meals he had been eating were not halal — food permissible under Islam that is prepared according to religious requirements.

"It hurt me … it was really disappointing," he said.

But simply getting food at all was an even bigger issue for Mr Ofli.

"From our first meal, we just noticed there was a shortage of food," he said.

"It was pretty much one meal we were receiving. One piece of fruit. We weren't getting any bottles of water.

"We found it humiliating we had to call and plead for the basics."

Eventually, Mr Ofli said he was told he could order food from UberEats, but he said promises that the costs would be reimbursed were never fulfilled.

Mr Ofli also said he and his partner completed their stay in quarantine without being tested for COVID-19, despite asking to be checked by nurses.

Fresh-air breaks began after guest's suicide
Mr Ofli said he made repeated requests for fresh-air exercise breaks at the start of his stay, but they were only granted after a suicide at the hotel on April 11.

"I vividly remember having a conversation with a security guard that was taking us down, and we had asked him, 'We're allowed to go for walks now. What's changed?'" Mr Ofli told the inquiry.

"He said someone had just committed suicide, 'So, we're now taking everyone out for breaks to go outside.'"

DHHS lawyer Claire Harris said the change in policy for exercise breaks was not linked to the death, and that they had been planned before the incident.

Mr Ofli also claimed a DHHS staff member threatened to call the police on him, after he opened his hotel door and called out to guards to request a fresh-air break because he felt claustrophobic.

"He said, 'You should feel lucky because people at Crown aren't getting walks,'" Mr Ofli said.

Guards fired for speaking to journalists, falling asleep
Another guard, referred to as Security 2 for legal reasons, provided a witness statement to the inquiry stating he fired three guards, before he himself was dismissed the day before Corrections Victoria took over security operations of the hotel quarantine program.

One was sacked for speaking with a reporter from The Age newspaper, Security 2 said.

"It was really distressing for her, as she felt that she was not properly briefed on the confidentiality requirements," he said.

Another was fired for failing to adhere to personal protective equipment requirements, while the third lost their job for falling asleep on shift.

"It was difficult for guards to be sitting on a floor, which was no bigger than a hallway in a house, opposite a lift, in a mask and goggles, and attempt to stay awake for 12 hours straight," he said.

Security 2 said he worked at the Pullman hotel and another hotel he described as "a COVID hotel", where infected guests stayed.

Security 2 said PPE measures at the COVID hotel were "very strict", and described the infection control procedures as "army-like".

Government departments to come under scrutiny
Former judge Jennifer Coate, who is chairing the inquiry, called for "timely and effective responses" from government departments that will have witnesses called in the weeks ahead.

The inquiry will have a two-day break before resuming on Thursday.

Counsel assisting, Mr Ihle, said it would hear from witnesses pertaining to the role of the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR) in setting up the hotel quarantine program.

Friday's witnesses will consist of hotel representatives, before the focus will return on August 31 to DJPR's contracts and structure of the program.

The day-to-day involvement of DHHS, DJPR and Victoria Police will be examined on September 1.

Security firms and sub-contactors will come under the spotlight in the following two days, Mr Ihle said.

A detailed witness list is yet to be released.

Ms Coate is expected to present findings in November.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/melbourne-hotel-quarantine-guard-tells-inquiry-of-ppe-shortage-delivering-food-while-showing-coronavirus-symptoms/ar-BB18i3sp

AGE CARE CATASTROPHY INQUIRY CONTINUES
Newmarch House (Sydney) : confusion over who was in charge during Covid-19 outbreak worsened outcome

Confusion about which state or federal government health authority had decision-making power plus a lack of staff worsened the deadly Covid-19 outbreak at the Newmarch House aged care home in Sydney’s west, an independent review has found.

In a blistering final report on the outbreak – 19 residents died and there were 71 cases among staff and residents between early April and mid June – the facility’s hospital-in-the-home approach was found to have been “compromised by inadequate staffing”.

The review, conducted by infectious diseases physician Prof Lyn Gilbert and health and aged care consultant Alan Lilly, also blasted the leadership of Anglicare, Newmarch’s operator, as being “generally invisible to external parties interacting with them”, which ultimately justified the intervention of the regulator, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

It found the situation inside Newmarch was “disorganised and chaotic” during the first three weeks of the outbreak. By 21 April, 10 days into the outbreak, “confusion, lack of clarity about the hierarchy of authority, unstable internal leadership and inadequate human and physical resources had taken an enormous toll on Newmarch House residents, their families, staff and managers”.

“Open and frank disagreements … added to rising tensions” between health authorities and Anglicare about how to contain the outbreak and whether to transfer infected residents to hospital, and “onerous” daily teleconference meetings diverted staff away from their duties and gathering updates for residents’ families.

“Anglicare managers who participated in these teleconferences reported frustration about conflicting advice from different agencies and the lack of clarity about the hierarchy of authority. Teleconference participants failed to identify themselves or the agency they represented and no minutes or action items were distributed to confirm or clarify the information or actions required.”

There were failings in communication to residents’ families – who were made to feel “disempowered, helpless and let down” – which led to a heightened sense of isolation among residents who were already suffering from “severely depleted” staff shortages.

Related: Newmarch House operator tells of Covid-19 'dysfunction' between state and federal officials

Shortcomings in infection prevention and control “identified in the early, crucial phases” of Newmarch’s outbreak were also found, and exacerbated by the facility’s architectural and interior design.

The review recommended a specific infection control expert be assigned to aged care facilities.

One medical professional who worked at Newmarch as part of the surge workforce provided by Aspen Medical told the review: “I couldn’t believe this was happening in my country.”

The review also found Anglicare could source only four “suitable” staff from the 64 expressions of interest made via the federal government-provided Mable staffing platform.

It highlighted how significant the effect of Newmarch’s staffing shortages was on the success of hospital-in-the-home approach, infection control and resident isolation. Staffing shortages were at their worst nine days into Newmarch’s outbreak, when 87% were furloughed because of isolation or quarantine.

Staff shortages reached their heights because full personal protective equipment was used only by staff interacting with confirmed Covid cases, so if a resident returned a positive test all carers who had interacted with them were immediately considered close contacts and forced into isolation.

The review also found that support staff sourced from outside agencies probably spread Covid among themselves by sharing taxis and buses to travel to Newmarch, and standing less than 1.5 metres apart when lining up to be tested for coronavirus at the beginning of a shift.

“There was crowding and frequent neglect of physical distancing in communal areas,” the report said.

“The skills and experience of staff provided by different agencies were highly variable and the numbers available unpredictable from day to day.

“Some staff were not aware that there was Covid-19 at Newmarch House and left soon after arriving for duty.

“Whilst most remaining staff continued to provide care, it was reported consistently that many were fearful of entering a Covid-19 outbreak workplace. This led to increased absenteeism.”

The aged care minister, Richard Colbeck, who made headlines last week when he was unable to tell the Senate select committee on Covid-19 how many aged care deaths had occurred as a result of coronavirus in Australia, said on Monday: “We continue to integrate the learnings from Newmarch and infections in Victoria into the national response as outbreaks occur.”

Labor’s aged care spokeswoman, Julie Collins, said the report “confirms the Morrison government learnt nothing from tragic outbreaks of Covid-19 in New South Wales before the disease tragically tore through Victorian aged care homes”.

“It is heartbreaking and completely unforgivable that history has repeated itself across multiple Victorian aged care homes,” she said. “It is time the prime minister took full responsibility for this failure.

“Issue after issue identified in the report … was not fixed by the Morrison government in the critical weeks before Covid-19 hit Victorian aged care homes.”

The review also recommended other aged care homes prepare for “a minimum of 50% of its staff” to be furloughed in case of an outbreak, and urged the health department to consider expanding its surge workforce.

Although the report noted the hospital-in-the-home approach “has many advantages for elderly residents and the health system”, it found it will be effective only “if the outbreak is limited to a small number of cases in residents and staff”.

It said staff were diverted away from the routine care of uninfected residents, and called for an expert panel to be convened and make decisions about transferring individual residents to hospital when an outbreak occurs.

“Emergency response and interagency operations were characterised by a lack of clarity in the relationships and hierarchy among government health agencies, including Nepean-Blue Mountains local health district, NSW Health, the commonwealth Department of Health and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission,” the review found.

“This created confusion for Anglicare board and managers who were unfamiliar with the state agencies and the hierarchy of decision-making in the context of a Covid-19 outbreak.

“Leadership and management at Newmarch House and in the broader Anglicare organisation was generally invisible to external parties interacting with them.”

Pat Sparrow, chief executive of Aged and Community Services Australia, said the review highlighted “critical lessons” about the importance of transferring infected residents to hospital in future outbreaks.

“We urgently need all states to follow the lead of Queensland and South Australia where the first covid positive cases in aged care facilities are transferred to hospital. Aged care homes are not hospitals. They aren’t staffed like hospitals. They are not funded like hospitals. They are homes,” Sparrow said.

Food services were threatened and meal quality was affected as contractors who supplied food required Covid-19 workplace compliance documents to allow labour hire chefs to fill roster gaps.

The review also noted a “temporary loss of the electronic resident record system” impeded the containment effort at Newmarch, as surge staff struggled to understand the needs of residents that regular staff knew.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/newmarch-house-confusion-over-who-was-in-charge-during-covid-19-outbreak-worsened-outcome/ar-BB18i6lv

MORE DOWNSIDES OF FIGHTING COVID
AFL set for significant job cuts

Close to 20 per cent of roles across the AFL nationally will disappear as part of a significant restructure due to the financial effects of COVID-19.

The AFL announced details of its planned restructure - with a new structure to come into effect on November 1 - on Monday, which included multiple changes to and reductions in its staffing.

The league had previously stood down about 80 per cent of its workforce in March.
"For our industry and game to emerge stronger from this ongoing COVID-19 challenge and the increased uncertainty we face over coming years, we need to significantly change our business model for not only the AFL but the wider football community," AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said.

"We have very clear priorities that we need to focus on, and I am confident that we have made the right decisions around the structure needed to deliver on those key priorities."

The governing body's impending job cuts follow football department redunancies across AFL clubs in recent weeks.

AFL executive Darren Birch is among those to depart while Ray Gunston will transition to an advisory role.

Steve Hocking, Travis Auld, Andrew Dillon, Tanya Hosch, Kylie Rogers, Sarah Fair, Walter Lee and Brian Walsh will serve on the executive under McLachlan.

"The reality is that we will lose talented, committed, passionate football people from our organisation and that is incredibly difficult, but this pandemic has forced every business, every family and every individual to take steps that no-one had planned," McLachlan said.

"The necessity of operating differently during the pandemic, along with experiencing a reduction in revenue, has forced us to explore and understand what we can do differently and what we are capable of, and also what we need to continue to achieve to keep the industry strong."

The changes will also see state offices in Victoria, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory integrated into the national organisation, with former North Melbourne coach Brad Scott to head up AFL Victoria.

The AFL also flagged a revised model for second-tier and elite junior competitions, while McLachlan said the league would look to appoint a new senior national talent diversity manager to lead Indigenous and multicultural talent programs.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/afl/afl-set-for-significant-job-cuts/ar-BB18id44

BREACHES - SOME STILL LOOSING THE PLOT
Elderly man run out of business in COVID free country town fronts cops

An elderly business owner in a COVID free town in country Victoria has fronted police head-on in a brazen stand against lockdown restrictions.

Glenn Floyd walked into Castlemaine police station - 120km north-west of Melbourne - and asked police to charge him for failing to wear a mask.

The outspoken local, who until recently ran The Painter & Writer Gallery in Maldon, filmed his protest which he plans to use in court.
Canada presses Iran for answers on downed Ukrainian jetliner
Mother whose dog attacked intruder was previously shot at by the cops

An elderly business owner in a COVID free town in country Victoria has fronted police head-on in a brazen stand against lockdown restrictions.

Glenn Floyd walked into Castlemaine police station - 120km north-west of Melbourne - and asked police to charge him for failing to wear a mask.

The outspoken local, who until recently ran The Painter & Writer Gallery in Maldon, filmed his protest which he plans to use in court.

a person sitting on a table: Glenn Floyd is a 74-year old grandfather who claims his business has been destroyed by COVID lockdown in country Victoria© Provided by Daily Mail Glenn Floyd is a 74-year old grandfather who claims his business has been destroyed by COVID lockdown in country Victoria
a man holding a glass door: A policeman at Castlemaine reads through some documents dumped on him during Mr Floyd's protest© Provided by Daily Mail A policeman at Castlemaine reads through some documents dumped on him during Mr Floyd's protest
The protest appeared to gain some approval from at least one policeman, who is captured on the video declaring: 'I like what you're doing'.

Maldon has a population of about 1500 people and as of Friday, when Mr Floyd carried out his protest, had no active cases of COVID-19.

In an eight minute video, uploaded to social media, Mr Floyd brands Victoria a Gulag - a reference to the government agency in charge of the Soviet network of forced-labour camps set up by order of Vladimir Lenin in the 1930s.

As of August 6, until at least September 13, regional Victorians are only allowed to leave home for four reasons — to go shopping for food and essentials, work and study, caregiving, and exercise.

They are also now required to wear masks when they venture outside of their homes.

Mr Floyd said the COVID-19 lockdown, which remains in Stage Four in Melbourne, had cost him six months of income, which he claimed had been destroyed by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

'This evil ghoul, Premier Denial Andrews, has destroyed our town and my life,' he said.

The 74-year old, who is pushing ahead as a federal Senate candidate in 2022, claims the mask wearing laws have no legal binding under the Federal Biosecurity Act.

Before walking into the police station, Mr Floyd said he planned to take his fine all the way to the High Court if need be.
Biosecurity Act 2015
During the human biosecurity emergency period, the Health Minister may:

Issue any direction to any person (section 478)

Determine any requirement (section 477)

That the Minister considers is necessary to:

Prevent or control the entry to, emergence, establishment, or spread of COVID-19 in Australia

Prevent or control the spread of COVID-19 to another country or

Implement a WHO Recommendation under the International Health Regulations.

The Minister must also be satisfied that the direction/requirement is:

Likely to be effective in, or contribute to, achieving the purpose for which it is to be given

Appropriate and adapted to achieve the purpose for which it is to be given

No more restrictive or intrusive than is required in the circumstances

If the direction/requirement is to apply during a period—that period is only as long as is necessary.

These requirements and directions may be given 'despite any provision of any other Australian law'. Section 474 requires the Minister to exercise these powers personally, they cannot be delegated.

'Rise up fellow patriots. Do not wear masks. Defy every unlawful law of this Denial Andrews megalomaniac,' he said.

Video captured by Mr Floyd shows police immediately ask him to put on a face mask upon him entering the police station.

'No, that's why I'm here,' he responds. 'I'm actually here protesting, if I have to be fined I will be fined. I'm wishing to register a protest.'

'Why?' the confused officer asks before heading out back to get his sergeant, who asks the same question.

'I refuse to and I wish to be fined sir,' Mr Floyd responds.

'You're joking,' the sergeant says.

Mr Floyd argues that under the Biosecurity Act, only a federal authorised biosecurity officer has the right to issue a biosecurity order.

'Not the police, not Daniel Andrews. And he didn't do it by law. He actually issued it as a edict. So actually to issue it conflicts with the Federal Biosecurity Act 2015. It's in conflict,' he says.

'So just about every ticket we've written is going to be withdrawn now are they?' the sergeant asks.

'If what you're saying is right, they're all going to be withdrawn. They're untested in court yet anyway.'

However, Mr Floyd isn't just a frustrated gallery owner, but the leader of a kooky pseudo-political group that's campaigning to end psychiatry.

Mr Floyd claims to run the 'Abolish Psychiatry Party' and on a website he operates has posted a photo of renowned Professor Patrick McGorry with a swastika painted on his forehead.

On the video, he launches into a rant about about some dubious 'COVID-19 facts' - and makes the bizarre claim the lockdown is part of a global conspiracy to get seven billion people to be vaccinated.

'I've got three children and seven grand children and I will not tolerate this massive tyranny,' he says.

The video ends with the sergeant telling Mr Floyd to stop filming him so they can have an off-camera conversation.

The protest has been applauded on a social media site that is rallying against the lockdown laws.

It has received almost 400 comments and been shared more than 700 times.

'This man should be the prime minister,' one supporter posted.

'Absolute gentleman. Went about it the right way. I suspect the cop probably agreed with him after he switched the camera off,' another wrote.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/elderly-man-run-out-of-business-in-covid-free-country-town-fronts-cops/ar-BB18i5yx

 

[kingofnobbys]

24 AUGUST NSW

NSW records three new coronavirus cases, one through community transmission

New South Wales has recorded just three new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced.

Two of these cases are in hotel quarantine, and one is a community transmission.

Despite the low figures people are urged to get tested with the mildest of symptoms, especially in south-west Sydney.
"It is important for us to really deal with any community transmission that we are not aware of," Ms Berejiklian said.

"New South Wales, to this point in time, has got the balance right. We are able to go about our business in a safe way while controlling the virus."

The one case of community transmission in NSW today is linked to Liverpool Hospital, Dr Kerry Chant said.

The patient is a close contact of a healthcare worker at Liverpool Hospital.

They were in self-isolation for the infectious period as they had been identified as close contact of someone with the virus.

NSW reached a testing milestone yesterday, with more than 2 million swabs taken since the start of the pandemic.

A total of 20,720 COVID-19 tests were completed in the 24 hours to 8:00pm yesterday, taking the state's total to 2,016,293.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people in Sydney's west or south-west to get tested if they have symptoms.

Those areas remain the main locations for new infections in NSW.

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1297702418277208064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Push for people to get tested, reminder it is free
Dr Chant has reminded people that coronavirus tests are free in NSW, and asked people to get tested even if they have the mildest of symptoms.

"Can I mention a couple of points to reassure the community that even if you have not got Medicare eligibility, COVID testing is free," she said.

"So, come forward for testing in any of our public clinics, any of our hospitals, or go to our website for those clinics and treatment for COVID and the tests associated with COVID our free."

Ms Berejiklian has also urged people to contact their doctors, community leaders or health officials with any concerns about the virus or test.

"This is to protect you and your loved ones," she said.

Still more than a dozen mystery cases
Ms Berejiklian has said while NSW is "at the tail end" of a crucial time during the coronavirus pandemic, the state is not out of the woods yet.

"When you have 15 or 16 cases you can't link to an existing cluster that's potentially 16 different outbreaks," Ms Berejiklian said.

"We're certainly not out of the woods".

state government launched a testing blitz in south-west, west and east Sydney in an effort to track down any undetected chains of community transmission.

"We know there is community transmission lurking in and around south-western and western Sydney," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday morning.

"NSW... has got the balance right. We are able to go about our business while controlling the virus. NSW has fared the last six or seven weeks as best as we can," she said, encouraging the community to come forward for testing.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-records-three-new-coronavirus-cases-one-through-community-transmission/ar-BB18hVBK
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-coronavirus-cases-rise-by-three-police-fine-security-guard-for-not-isolating-after-testing/ar-BB18hVw0

Sydney on alert after infectious COVID-19 shopper visited a Westfield

Sydney residents are on high alert after a shopper with COVID-19 visited several locations in the city's west including a Westfield shopping centre.

NSW Health issued a warning after the infected person went to the Westfield shopping centre in Burwood, west of Sydney, between 6pm and 7pm on Thursday, August 20, before visiting the Kmart and Woolworths stores inside.

The same person also visited the Service NSW centre in Burwood between 2.30pm and 3pm on Friday, August 21.
Anyone at those locations within the time frame is considered a casual contact and should monitor for symptoms and immediately isolate and get tested if they appear.

The warning comes as NSW recorded another four coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the state's total to 3,796 with 54 deaths.

Of the four cases confirmed on Sunday, one is a hotel security guard who was previously reported as a case on Saturday.

He worked at the Marriott Hotel in Sydney and tested positive after a week-long testing blitz on contacts after another security guard tested positive on August 14.

The other cases reported on Sunday included two travellers in hotel quarantine and one linked to the Apollo Restaurant cluster in Potts Point.

'While case numbers have remained low this week, the virus continues to circulate in the community and vigilance must be maintained,' a NSW Health statement read.

'It is vital that high rates of testing continue in order to find the source of the cases still under investigation and to identify and stop further spread of the virus.'

There are currently 90 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health with seven in the ICU and five on ventilators.

Meanwhile 86 per cent of cases being treated by NSW Health are in non-acute, out-of-hospital care.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/sydney-on-alert-after-infectious-covid-19-shopper-visited-a-westfield/ar-BB18ic8A

NSW Covid-19 hotspots: list of regional and Sydney outbreak locations

List of outbreaks in NSW
If you were at the following venues on these dates you must get tested and self-isolate for 14 days, even if your test is negative.

Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club, Lidcombe: 5pm on Friday 7 August to 6.30am on Saturday 8 August; 4.30pm to 11.30pm on Saturday 8 August; 1pm to 9pm on Sunday 9 August; 12pm to 9:30pm on Monday 10 August
With the growing number of cases in the area, NSW Health is asking all people who live in, or have visited, the following areas in the past two weeks to get tested if they have any symptoms of Covid-19 at all, even the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat.

Campbelltown local government area (LGA)
Canterbury Bankstown LGA
Fairfield LGA
Liverpool LGA
Parramatta LGA
City of Sydney (East) LGA
Hornsby Shire LGA
The Hills LGA
Woollahra LGA
Guildford (suburb)
Merrylands (suburb)
If you were at any of the following locations on these dates, monitor yourself for symptoms and self-isolate and get tested if symptoms occur.

Service NSW, Burwood: 2:30pm to 3pm on Friday 21 August
Westfield Shopping Centre, Burwood: 6pm to 7pm on Thursday 20 August, including Kmart and Woolworths from 6:30pm to 7pm
Cabramatta Family Practice, Cabramatta: 9am to 10:15am on Thursday 20 August
Aldi, Fairfield West: 9:45am to 11am on Sunday 16 August
Sydney Markets Flemington, Homebush West: 8am to 4pm on Sunday 9 August;10:30pm on Tuesday 11 August to 6am on Wednesday 12 August; 10:30pm on Wednesday 12 August to 01:40am on Thursday 13 August
Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool: 7am to 3pm on Thursday 6 August; 7am to 3pm on Friday 7 August; 5am to 1.30pm on Saturday 8 August; 5am to 1.30pm on Sunday 9 August
Westfield, Mount Druitt: 12pm to 12:30pm on Wednesday 12 August11am and 12pm Friday 14 August
Parramatta Local Court, Parramatta: 8.30am to 12.30pm on Tuesday 11 August; 8.30am to 12.3opm on Wednesday 12 August
Chopstix Asian Cuisine, Smithfield RSL, Smithfield: Friday 31 July to Saturday 9 August
5th Avenue Beauty Bar, Wetherill Park: 2pm to 3pm on Saturday 8 August

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-covid-19-hotspots-list-of-regional-and-sydney-outbreak-locations/ar-BB18hZEd

Health authorities failed to disclose NSW Central Coast COVID-19 cluster

Key points:
Health authorities did not disclose a cluster linked to a Central Coast hydroponics farm for five days
Only after repeated enquiries from the ABC did Central Coast Health confirm the cases
A global expert in COVID-19 policy says the revelations raise issues of transparency and trust in health authorities

Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) knew about a cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to a Peats Ridge hydroponics farm for almost a week in early August, but did not release the information publicly.
Seven people from south-west Sydney who worked on the farm tested positive to coronavirus after sharing private transport to the Central Coast.

Health authorities only confirmed the cases after repeated requests from the ABC on Friday, August 7, five days after contact tracing had begun and seven days after the farm had closed due to coronavirus concerns.

Central Coast Health says it informs the community when COVID-19 is confirmed in local residents.

Professor of Epidemiology at UNSW Mary-Louise McLaws said nothing justified non-disclosure.

"In a pandemic such as this we need to be told about every case and every cluster," she said.

"It helps us to cooperate with the authorities, to understand how individual responses can cause a cluster."

Reports of the cluster linked to the hydroponic farm, which the ABC has decided not to name, first came to light in a leaked internal email.

The ABC has since learnt that the farm closed on July 30 after a farm employee was found to have been in close contact with a confirmed case.

Two days later on Sunday, August 2, several farm employees had tested positive to COVID-19.

The business then began liaising with NSW Health and Central Coast Health on contact tracing.

Two managers that reside on the farm tested negative and self-isolated for fourteen days as a precaution.

Public confidence undermined
Professor McLaws, who advises the World Health Organisation on COVID-19 policy, said the non-disclosure undermined public confidence in authorities.

"If we find out we have not been told about a cluster or numbers then we cannot have full confidence in the numbers that we're being told, or the level of risk for the public, and therefore the importance of cooperation," she said.

"Let's hope that this is the first and the last time that they haven't had this overtly shared at a time when it is occurring."

Professor McLaws said she hoped important public health lessons were taken from the outbreak.

"If you're going to share a ride you have to wear a mask and you have to be able to sit in a vehicle where you have enough space. That doesn't mean four or five people in a car," she said.

Local member didn't know of cluster
The hydroponic farm is in the Gosford electorate and local member Liesl Tesch knew nothing about the COVID-19 link to the Central Coast.

"When the government's withholding information it just feels like we're not all in this together," she said.

"If they're coming in and out of our postcodes with COVID, working, and it's delivered in our post codes — let's hear about it."
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast Adam Crouch has defended the approach of health authorities.

"I have complete faith in the [CC]LHD staff to communicate the necessary health advice and precautions to our community when required," he said.

"One of the LHD's roles is to inform the community when local COVID-19 cases are confirmed."

Neither Central Coast Health, nor the law firm representing the farm, responded to questions from the ABC concerning whether masks were being worn during transportation, or if any new procedures have been implemented since the outbreak.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-24/failure-to-disclose-nsw-central-coast-covid-19-cluster/12582628

QUARANTINE BREACHES
Quarantine hotel security guard fined for COVID-19 breaches

A Sydney security guard working at a quarantine hotel has been handed two fines for breaching self-isolation directions.

The 22-year-old had a coronavirus test on August 20 after working at the Mariott Hotel in Circular Quay and was told to go home and isolate for 14 days, NSW Police said.

It is believed the man instead travelled to Westfield Burwood, where he allegedly attended a number of stores in a two-hour visit.

The next day, the man allegedly left home and attended a Service NSW building on Elsie Street, Burwood.

The man underwent a secondary test at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on the Friday and about 8am on Saturday 22 August, was informed he had returned a positive test result for COVID-19.

He was transferred to a NSW Health COVID-19 quarantine facility where he will stay for the remainder of his quarantine period.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-records-three-new-coronavirus-cases-one-through-community-transmission/ar-BB18hVBK

NSW Police fine security guard for not isolating after testing POSITIVE.

A security guard who contracted coronavirus at a Sydney quarantine hotel has been fined twice by NSW Police for failing to isolate after his test.

The 22-year-old guard was tested after working at the Sydney Harbour Marriott, where another guard had earlier tested positive for the virus.

Police allege the man failed to self-isolate after he was swabbed.

A public health alert has now been issued for Westfield Burwood and the nearby Service NSW centre, which the man visited after having his test.

Anyone who visited the Kmart and Woolworths there from 6:30pm to 7:00pm on Thursday, August 20, or the Service NSW in Burwood from 2:30pm to 3:00pm on Friday, August 21 were asked to monitor for coronavirus symptoms.

Health authorities in NSW confirmed three new coronavirus infections in the 24 hours to 8:00pm yesterday.

Two of those are in hotel quarantine, while the third was an employee at Liverpool Hospital who was a close contact of a previous case.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said he was "absolutely disappointed" by the security guard's breaches of health protocol, saying the man should have known better.

The Marriott Hotel security guard identified by NSW Health on Saturday as having the virus has been issued with two $1000 fines for failing to self-isolate as he awaited his test results.
The 22-year-old man from Campsie had a coronavirus test last Thursday afternoon and "was informed to go directly home and commence a 14-day self-isolation in accordance with current Ministerial Directions", NSW Police said on Monday morning.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/guard-fined-for-self-isolation-breach-as-nsw-records-three-new-covid-19-cases/ar-BB18hZed

"You have people working in high-risk locations that have induction processes and everyday are reminded about the seriousness of this," he said.

"To have that person be told that they were positive to COVID and then to immediately go home and self-isolate and then not just on one occasion but on a second occasion not comply.

"The issuing of the tickets last night as an indication of how serious it was."

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said the security guard who was fined was not particularly infectious.

"Further testing has indicated his level of infectiousness at that time was very low and it is unlikely we are going to be able to isolate any virus from his samples given that low level of infectiousness," she said.

He was the second security guard to test positive after working at the Marriott.

Dr Chant said it was difficult to tell if the two infections were linked.

Instead, he allegedly travelled to Westfield Burwood on Thursday afternoon and a Services NSW branch in the same suburb on Friday.

NSW Health on Sunday said anyone who had been at Marriott Hotel, Westfield Burwood and the Services NSW branch in the same suburb at the same time as the guard was considered a casual contact and should monitor for symptoms.

"The man underwent a secondary test at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and about 8am on Saturday 22 August, was informed he had returned a positive test result for COVID-19," NSW Police said on Monday.

"He was transferred to a NSW Health COVID-19 quarantine facility where he will stay for the remainder of his quarantine period."

He has since been issued with two fines for failing to self-isolate.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/guard-fined-for-self-isolation-breach-as-nsw-records-three-new-covid-19-cases/ar-BB18hZed

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-coronavirus-cases-rise-by-three-police-fine-security-guard-for-not-isolating-after-testing/ar-BB18hVw0

OTHER BREACHES

On the weekend, NSW Police also fined a 46-year-old man from Eden on the state's far south coast who it alleges travelled to Victoria "on a permit that he did not meet the requirements for".

Potts Point strip club Bada Bing was also fined $5000 on Saturday night.

"Officers observed multiple breaches of the Public Health Order, including an incorrect COVID-19 safety plan, no marshal and mingling patrons with no physical distancing," NSW Police said.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/guard-fined-for-self-isolation-breach-as-nsw-records-three-new-covid-19-cases/ar-BB18hZed

 

[kingofnobbys]

24 AUGUST QLD
Do I need to wear a mask in Queensland? Five key points amid the Brisbane COVID-19 cluster health alert

There are now 10 cases linked to the outbreak at a Brisbane youth detention centre, bringing Queensland's number of active COVID-19 cases to 18.

The outbreak has resulted additional restrictions, authorities urging people to maintain social distancing and calls for people to get tested for coronavirus if they feel any symptoms, however minor.

Here are five key points from Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young's Monday press conference.

Do I need to wear a mask in Queensland?
Everyone should consider wearing a mask if they are in a crowded situation they can't get out of, according to Dr Young.

"I think that this is the time because we know we have got the masks out," she said.

"If they can't maintain social distancing, then it's time to use a mask."

Queensland is not at a point where masks are mandatory, like in Victoria.

"I don't believe we have broad-spread community transmission, but certainly we're in a risky period at this time," Dr Young said.
She also said it was time to start wearing masks for those working in hospitals or primary care in the greater Brisbane area.

She said that included workers and patients in the Metro North, Metro South and West Moreton Hospital and Health Services.

For the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic read our coronavirus live blog.
"[For] those three hospital and health services, this is the time to implement mask usage broadly within the facilities," Dr Young said.

She said the precautionary measures were possible because Queensland had secured a large stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE).

How many people are allowed in my home?

A map showing the Greater Brisbane region where coronavirus restrictions have been reimposed

There can be no more than 10 people in your house, including the people who normally live there, if you live within the Greater Brisbane area.

This area takes in eight local government Areas: Brisbane City, Ipswich, Logan, the Scenic Rim, Somerset, Lockyer Valley, Moreton Bay and Redland City.

"We know that spread within households is what you always will see at the start of a new cluster, which is why we put in place that requirement to limit gatherings to 10," Dr Young said.

Elsewhere in Queensland, you can have a maximum of 30 people in your house or 30 people gathering outside.

What other restrictions have changed in Queensland?
Nothing much. Dr Young said the COVID-safe plans established by businesses and organisations were adequate — as long as the new restrictions were followed.

"Now, for the rest of our society, as long as people follow those COVID-safe plans — I have been through all of them, I know how good and solid they are — then I think they are fine," Dr Young said.

"If people don't follow the COVID-safe plans, that's when we'll have to consider what else might need to be done.

"But at this point in time, I'm very confident that with those plans rolled out — they have all been in place for quite a while now so people know what they're doing — that we don't need any further restrictions."

Has Brisbane-Ipswich been declared a hot spot?
No. The region has been declared a restricted area, not a hot spot, according to Dr Young.

It might have been difficult to follow during the press conference, but this is what she said.

"I have essentially declared all of Brisbane and Ipswich a hot spot, a restricted area, whatever terminology you want to make … so it's Greater Brisbane, out to Redlands, including Logan, going out to Ipswich," Dr Young said.

"It's not a declared hot spot, it's a restricted area.

"An area where I have put restrictions in place in terms of hospitals, in terms of gatherings and in terms of getting people to be more alert and come forward and get tested.

"There's no restrictions in travel at this point in time."

Is the Wacol cluster connected to the Melbourne outbreak?
We don't know yet.

But Dr Young said we should find out some time this week.

Genomic sequencing is still taking place to work out if there is a connection between the two hot spots.

"We're waiting on the genomic sequencing of these cases and those cases that came from Melbourne," she said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-24/coronavirus-queensland-covid-19-restrictions-masks-brisbane/12588552

Advocates seek immediate release for children in Brisbane youth detention centre amid rising Covid cases

Advocates for children inside a Brisbane youth detention centre are preparing a series of bail applications seeking their immediate release, as the number of coronavirus cases linked to the compound reaches double figures.
On Monday, Queensland authorities said they had detected one additional case of Covid-19, which was linked to a worker from the youth detention centre at Wacol.

Five workers at the centre are among those to test positive. The other cases are understood to be close contacts of those workers.

The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, told reporters on Monday that all of the children and teenagers detained at the centre had been tested and only a few results were not yet known.

In response to the outbreak, any new detainees have been sent to Queensland’s only other youth detention centre, 1,300km away in Townsville.

The entire workforce at the Brisbane centre will also be replaced temporarily this week.

Related: Queensland Covid-19 hotspots: list of Brisbane and south-east Qld outbreak locations

However, concerns remain that children have been left in vulnerable circumstances and advocates are calling for their release.

The parents of one detainee told Guardian Australia they were “fearful” for their child, with whom they had had little contact in recent days.

“We are very anxious but we just can’t seem to get any answers, other than assurances the kids are safe,” the detainee’s mother said.

“They aren’t going to keep him there forever, so I just don’t understand why they can’t come back where they are safe. If they want him back when things have calmed down, then so be it.”

Debbie Kilroy, who runs the prisoner advocacy group Sisters Inside, said the group was attempting to secure the release of as many children as possible.

“We are pulling a legal team together this week to undertake as many bail applications as we can to get as many children out as we can,” Kilroy said.

“I’m very concerned about the children’s welfare. I was in a youth prison for years on and off. They would be terrified, the trauma would be horrific.

“This is supposed to be a health response to a pandemic. But in prison, the response is about keeping children locked in.

“Inside you can’t social distance. There’s not enough sanitiser. They’re like cruise ships and aged care facilities. But even worse because you’re being locked into an isolated cell and an isolated unit.”

Kilroy said each child should be released into “safe, appropriate” accommodation.

“We know the majority are kids in care of the state, the majority are on remand, the majority can’t get accommodation because the state is not providing that.

“Seventy per cent are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Set them free.”

All visits to the centre have been postponed until further notice, and all group activities cancelled while the facility is in quarantine.

On its website, the Queensland Department of Youth Justice said children could engage in individual activities such as “reading, playing games [and] listening to music”.

Related: Hundreds have died in US prisons from Covid-19. Will Australia act before it's too late? | Nerita Waight for IndigenousX

The director general, Bob Gee, told reporters at the weekend that some inmates had been allowed to undertake structured indoor activities “like table tennis”.

“I can assure their families they are getting the very, very best support,” Gee said.

“They’re well looked after, they have been talking to families. As staff results come in we will be able to do more to let those young people have more access to activities.

“They have been particularly patient and well behaved and I wanted to thank them for the behaviour they’ve shown.”

There are 18 active coronavirus cases in Queensland, including 10 linked to the youth detention cluster.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/advocates-seek-immediate-release-for-children-in-brisbane-youth-detention-centre-amid-rising-covid-cases/ar-BB18iKG5

North Queensland operators say tourism drought 'backfilled' by regional visitors

After a poor start to what is usually a bumper season for north Queensland tourism operators, businesses are regaining lost income from a surge of regional visitors.

It comes as thousands of people are expected at two major events in Townsville this week.

In early April, the streets on Magnetic Island were deserted due to firm coronavirus restrictions.

Four months on, Magnetic Island Ferries general manager Angus Campbell reports that business is booming again with ticket numbers meeting pre-coronavirus standards.

"It's good to see a lot of people taking advantage of domestic travel," he said.

"As far down as Mackay and Bowen, out to Charters Towers and north, [people] are making their holiday destination Magnetic Island.

"We're back to our same figures as last year which is really good for everybody.

"We've been able to put all of our staff back on and give them the hours that they need to live and work.

"So, we're pretty much back to where we were."

Grey nomads boost caravan parks
Grey nomads are the bread and butter for caravan parks within the Charters Towers region.

Mayor Frank Beveridge says businesses are now more than compensating for what they lost.

"The numbers are up and far exceeding what they have in previous years," Councillor Beveridge said.

"We're getting 10 to 30 per cent upwards of what we have in previous years on a regular basis.

"We had a very slow start to the year but hopefully we will go a fair way towards compensating for this by having a season running into the hot weather."

Thousands of visitors are expected in Townsville this week ahead of two major sporting events.

Brisbane boxer Jeff Horn will take on Sydney-based Tim Tszyu, son of world champion Kostya Tszyu, at the north Queensland stadium in Townsville on Wednesday night.

Following the highly anticipated bout there will be two back-to-back weekends of Supercars events at Reid Park.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/north-queensland-operators-say-tourism-drought-backfilled-by-regional-visitors/ar-BB18hVGK

Four cargo ships off Queensland may have COVID-19 onboard, but what of the thousands of others?

Key points:
Just three COVID-19 cases have been confirmed on cargo ships in Queensland waters
Authorities estimate 150,000 sailors on 7,500 ships have entered state waters since January
Maritime Safety Queensland says strict protocols minimise any risk of the virus spreading

Along Queensland's 7,000km coastline, four cargo ships have confirmed five COVID-19 cases among them, with each crew being tested and re-tested by authorities before being allowed to sail on.

In the state's north, three have been ferried from the hulking Globe Electra to Townsville Hospital for treatment.

Two crew members onboard another bulk carrier — the Duhn, anchored south of Mackay — have also tested positive, and are waiting for transport to a hospital.

The seafarers on both ships, plus those aboard two others under suspicion, the Kilian Oldendordf and the AAL Newcastle, are each being monitored as tests are given, and results returned.
The first confirmed COVID-19 case on a cargo vessel was detected on a Brisbane-bound ship last month as it passed the Sunshine Coast in the state's south-east.

Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) estimates that 150,000 international seafarers have entered the state's waters since the start of the year on more than 7,500 ships — many from nations being ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Philippines supplies most of the world's ocean-crossing sailors — a nation of 110 million people and with more than 130,000 confirmed cases of the deadly virus.

That looming threat is not lost on MSQ general manager Angus Mitchell, who said he appreciated "the enormity of what happens if you get it wrong".

"The seafarers who have been infected, we've caught them early, we've managed to get them off the ship through medevac, and get them treated ashore in a hospital," he said.

If an outbreak was linked to a seafarer, any one of Queensland's 21 ports or even a yachtie fleeing a southern hotspot — the buck would stop with him.

Why you can't stop the boats
Unlike much of the world's international flights, the stop button cannot be pressed on shipping without paralysis coming next.

The flow of fuel, pharmaceuticals and supplies sent through containers would cease.

"And our economy would collapse if we couldn't get our coal, or beef, aluminium, copper, or whatever it may be, out of the state," Mr Mitchell said.

To protect the community and allow Queensland to function, MSQ has its workers, foreign sailors and others to abide by strict protocols, supported by Queensland Health, the Australian Border Force and police.

When international seafarers need to leave a ship for general medical care or to fly home, the MSQ is responsible for ensuring they are not potentially spreading the virus, or at risk of contracting it from locals.

Mr Mitchell said these "change-outs" occur about 100 times a week.

"That has required very strong protocols, not only to receive the seafarers off the vessels, but get them through to Queensland on to a plane and home without the risk of contamination from both sides," he said.

Not all sides believe the MSQ is always striking the right balance.

Industry lobby group Shipping Australia questioned the MSQ's decision to delay ships from docking if they had recently visited a foreign port.

That rule was later overruled by a National Cabinet ruling, which meant cargo ships could continue to work if crew did not leave the ship.

Sailors already living in isolation at sea
Seafarers would usually work nine-month contracts, but a COVID-threatened world, that is blowing out to year-long or 15-month stints at sea.

Shore leave is rare, so as the International Transport Federation puts it, the workers are almost in quarantine anyway.

"Those seafarers are more isolated than anybody else in the community," said national coordinator Dean Summers after a seafarer tested positive last month.

"So, 15 months at sea away from your family, in the worst pandemic the world has ever seen — is just like a sentence," he said.

"The seafarers have done nothing wrong, other than to try to keep the world trade open."

COVID-positive sailors detected in Queensland waters so far have been isolated cases — entire crews haven't been affected.

But if that happens, the situation would shift rapidly.

"We've seen that in some of the cruise ship scenarios overseas, where it does spread around an entire ship," Mr Mitchell said.

"And then I'm not dealing with two or three (COVID-19 cases) from a ship. We're dealing with 15 or 20 from a ship, or multiple ships.

"So, it's important we get this right."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-22/four-cargo-ships-being-monitored-for-covid/12582802

QLD - NSW BORDER ISSUES
Queensland grants border exemptions for NSW agricultural workers

Farmers in Queensland and New South Wales will be allowed to cross the border under new exemptions announced at the weekend.

Under the direction of the Queensland Chief Health Officer (CHO), workers in the agribusiness or commercial fishing sector are now considered essential and eligible to apply for an exemption.

Goondiwindi Regional Council Mayor Lawrence Springborg said he was confident the changes would cover most of the region's businesses.

"If you look at the broad definition of agribusinesses — machinery operators, sellers that are involved in that — there's a whole range of other support industries which appear to be covered," he said.

Cr Springborg said farmers, even those outside the border bubble, could apply for an exemption and needed the following items:

proof of property ownership/lease/agistment agreement;
a copy of a letter of exemption from the Queensland CHO; and
proof of identity.
He said people could obtain the letter of exemption from council offices or a border police station.

For those who received an exemption:

Queensland residents must remain isolated, to the extent reasonably practicable, from the general public at the agribusiness or farm until the person returns to Queensland; and
New South Wales residents must remain isolated, to the extent reasonably practicable, from the general public at the agribusiness or farm until the person departs Queensland, or for 14 days, whichever period is shorter, and only remain in Queensland for the time necessary to perform the essential agribusiness or farming activities.
Cr Springborg said people wanting an exemption had to apply in person with the online system not yet active.

"You'll be flat out finding online, at the moment, any information or reference to this particular change, but our border police are aware of it," he said.

"I think hardly anyone knows about it because of the complexity of the system."

Exemptions vital
Fruit growers on the Granite Belt said the exemptions will be a great help to the region's farmers.

Granite Belt Growers Association's Angus Ferrier said it would be critical.

"We've got say half a dozen major businesses that farm either side of the border, but then we've got NSW-based producers who have Stanthorpe as their nearest local town," he said.

The exemptions do not apply to seasonal workers.

Cr Springborg said that could become a problem heading into spring.

"That's one of the issues in particular for the horticultural industry," he said.

"That will become more of an issue as we head into the growing season and towards the picking season, and I would hope this would be resolved by then."

Any exemption granted to agricultural workers is valid until September 22.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-grants-border-exemptions-for-nsw-agricultural-workers/ar-BB18hOhq


BREACHES
Brisbane kebab shop fined after impromptu dance party circulates on social media

A Brisbane kebab shop has been fined $6772 for breaching a COVID-19 health direction after video of an impromptu rave was widely circulated on social media.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-brisbane-kebab-shop-fined-after-impromptu-dance-party-circulates-on-social-media/vi-BB18iHww

 

[kingofnobbys]

24 AUGUST SA
Coronavirus control centre boosted as SA prepares for long haul in fight against pandemic

Key points:
SA has doubled the size of its control centre to aid the state's coronavirus recovery
The State Government says "it will take years" to recover economically
People returning from Queensland are encouraged to seek testing if they develop symptoms

The "nerve centre" of South Australia's fight against coronavirus will double in size, as authorities warn it will "take years" for the state to recover from the global pandemic.

SA Premier Steven Marshall said the State Control Centre, which coordinates emergency response efforts, would undergo a "very significant" expansion.

Mr Marshall said the decision followed moves in Victoria, where Premier Daniel Andrews is seeking to extend the state of emergency for another 12 months

"This heralds what we already know, and that is that we are going to be living with this major emergency declaration in South Australia and a global pandemic for a considerable time to come," he said.

Mr Marshall said the expansion of the centre would be crucial as South Australia — which did not record any new COVID-19 cases today — moved to the next phase of its response to the pandemic.

He said the centre currently employs 40 staff, and up to 40 additional people would be hired on a permanent basis to help with state operations, planning and logistics.
"This is essentially the nerve centre of all of the operations for the State Government's response here in South Australia to this global pandemic," he said.

"This will be a doubling in the size and almost a doubling in the number of personnel who are going to be working there."

The centre is responsible for a number of functions, including coordinating medi-hotels, delivering cluster advice and updates, and giving logistical support to medical staff.

It works with state and Commonwealth health agencies, GP networks, SA Police and government departments such as education and human services.

Health Minister Stephen Wade said the centre's COVID-19 work would not be a "short-term task".

"We know that this is going to take years to recover from," he said.
"For the next two years, we'll be continuing to operate the pandemic response.

"We're very keen to see a strong, continued economic recovery in South Australia."

South Australia yesterday recorded one new COVID-19 case — a nurse who returned to the state after helping with Victoria's battle against the virus.

The woman had been working to assist with the outbreaks in Victorian aged care facilities and has experienced no symptoms.

Eight nurses who travelled back to South Australia with the woman are considered close contacts and have been placed in quarantine.

Queensland travel 'rethink' urged
Earlier this morning, Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier urged anyone who had visited the greater Brisbane and Ipswich areas recently to "look out very closely for symptoms".

People who had visited any of about 40 venues connected with the youth detention centre cluster should self-isolate and get tested for coronavirus, she said.

"If you have been to any of those places during those specific times we would very much like you to self-isolate for 14 days since you were there and get tested obviously if you develop any symptoms," Dr Spurrier told ABC Radio Adelaide.

Transport Minister Corey Wingard holidayed in Queensland over the past week, but a representive said he only visited the far north of the state.

Premier Steven Marshall visited Brisbane earlier this month but did not visit the affected areas and tested negative.

Dr Spurrier said people planning to go to Queensland should "rethink their travel plans", but that there was no ban on travel.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-24/government-says-sa-coronavirus-recovery-will-take-years/12589332

Mount Gambier COVID-19 medi-hotel operational for travellers to SA

South Australian police and security staff have come from Adelaide to help with the medi-hotel

A so-called medi-hotel, for use by essential travellers and cross border community members who have an exemption to come across the Victoria-South Australia border, is up and running in Mount Gambier.

The Southgate Motel welcomed its first guest on Friday. It is understood a two-week stay will cost about $4,000.

The hotel could also be used to accommodate Year 11 and 12 students and those who transport them.

Ngaire Buchanan, Limestone Coast Local Health Network chief executive, said the hotel had very strict protocols in place to ensure the public's safety during operation.

"The guests, who are there, will be tested regularly, within the first 24 hours and then on day 12 of isolation," Ms Buchanan said.

"We've got all of the same processes in place as the Adelaide medi-hotel."

SA Police (SAPOL) and security staff have been brought from Adelaide, with the hotel and nursing staff sourced from the state's south-east.

Ms Buchanan said all supplies for the hotel including catering and personal protection equipment (PPE) were arranged prior to contracting the property.

"Both SA Health, SAPOL and the Defence Force have got all of the PPE that we require, so there's no problem with the supply," Ms Buchanan said.
'I feel like a guinea pig'
Eliza Berlage, a senior journalist with the Naracoorte Community News, expects to check in to the medi-hotel soon, after being granted permission to move to South Australia for a new job.

Currently, only pre-approved essential travellers can enter South Australia.

"It was really great on Saturday morning to wake up to an email from my boss, Michael Waite, telling us that our exemption to move to South Australia from Horsham [Victoria] for my job had been approved," Ms Berlage said.

"But it was bittersweet because in the exemption being approved, there was a letter saying that we would have to go and do two weeks of hotel quarantine paid at our expense."

Ms Berlage said the requirement was odd as her approved place of residence would have been appropriate for her to self-isolate at, at no cost or complication.

"It seems a bit unfair that myself or my employer will have to pay for that $4,000 hotel quarantine, plus pet boarding because we have a dog, plus storage of furniture — it adds a lot of extra fees to a move," she said.

The hotel's daily rate is expected to be covered by the individual staying at the medi-hotel according to the Limestone Coast Health Network.

"That's the problem with the communication problems — we just got this letter saying we're allowed to go, but it had no details on the hotel, no detail on the fact that we're relocating and what happens with all those arrangements," Ms Berlage said.

"I'm just waiting on some answers.

"I feel like guinea pigs basically, and I think there'll be more of these guinea pig cases."

Ms Buchanan said it was too early to say what the duration of the medi-hotel arrangement would be.

"It's very dependant on what happens from SA Health and also what's happening at the border."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/mount-gambier-covid-19-medi-hotel-operational-for-travellers-to-sa/ar-BB18ikIR

BORDER ISSUES
Victorian woman refused entry into SA for cancer

VIDEO'
Many residents along the South Australian Victorian border have been impacted by coronavirus restrictions.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victorian-woman-refused-entry-into-sa-for-cancer/vi-BB18i9JQ

SAD STORY OF CARER NEGLECT
Inside house where disabled woman was left to die in her cane chair

U.S. postmaster tells House committee he will resume cost-cutting after election
Mother whose dog attacked intruder was previously shot at by the cops

A family home where a disabled elderly woman was left to rot in her own excrement in squalid conditions has been put on the market.

Ann Marie Smith died in the Royal Hospital in Adelaide on April 6 from septic shock, multiple organ failure, severe pressure sores and malnourishment.

The 54-year-old had cerebral palsy and relied on carers under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

She lived along in a house on Bradman Court, which was advertised for sale on Saturday for $929,000.
Her former carer Rosemary Maione was charged with manslaughter after allegedly leaving Ms Smith stucka cane chair in the living room.

The three bedroom home has been described by realtors as 'light, bright and airy' and 'the perfect home base for work and play'.

An open plan design stretches between three living areas, with a gourmet kitchen, double garage and separate laundry.

The master bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe, with built-in wardrobes in the other two bedrooms, as well as air conditioning, gas hot water and a rainwater tank.

Ms Smith inherited the house and a large estate after her father passed away in 2009.
Doctors lodged a complaint to the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner about the lack of care Ms Smith was subject to before her death.

'Unable to care for herself, she was living her days and sleeping at night in the same woven cane chair in a lounge room for over a year with extremely poor personal hygiene,' Detective Superintendent Des Bray said.

'That chair had also become her toilet and there was no fridge in the house and investigators were unable to locate any nutritional food in the house.'

The concrete slab beneath the carpet where Ms Smith was left to rot was stained after being left for so long.

Maione was granted bail to remain under home detention and will appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court in April 2021.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/inside-house-where-disabled-woman-was-left-to-die-in-her-cane-chair/ar-BB18iARx

24 AUGUST NT
NT Labor's Michael Gunner RETURNED to form majority government
<< TERRITORIANS ARE PRETTY PLEASED THEY LIVE A LONG WAY FROM SYDNEY, MELBOURNE AND ALL THAT COVID FLOATING ABOUT IN THE SE STATES AND HAVE REWARDED THEIR LEADER FOR KEEPING THEM SAFE AND PROPEROUS - A LESSON TO BE LEARNT HERE FOR OTHER LEADERS IN AUSTRALIA AND BEYOND - HIT COVID VERY FAST WITH WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER AND ELIMINATE IT, AND THEN PUT IN PLACE TIGHT BORDER CONTROLS TO KEEP IT OUT AND YOU'LL BE REWARDED. >>

The ABC's chief elections analyst Antony Green says NT Labor, led by Michael Gunner, will have the numbers to form a majority government now the party is expected to retain Arnhem and win the seat of Fong Lim.

The result ends almost three days of waiting for Territorians to learn the make-up of the next parliament, with Labor now returned to government with at least 13 seats out of the 25-seat NT Parliament.

In a statement, Mr Gunner said the Labor Party would return to power and govern "for all Territorians".

"There are still votes to count in some close contests, but today I can tell you that Labor will form majority government in the Northern Territory for a second term," he said.

"I do not see our victory as a reward, but as a renewal of our responsibilities to Territorians.

"I asked Territorians to stick with me and my team so we can stay the course and see this through.

"In backing Labor, you chose the future over the past. You chose stability and certainty. You chose strong and secure borders. You chose jobs, not cuts."

The CLP Opposition has also conceded defeat.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said she had called Mr Gunner to congratulate him on Labor's election win

"I called Michael Gunner a short time ago to congratulate him and the Labor Party on winning the election and urged him to move immediately to take real action on the economy," Ms Finocchiaro said.

Labor entered the day having won 11 seats and needing two more to secure majority government.

Earlier today Green called the electorate of Arnhem for Labor's Education Minister Selena Uibo, then the seat of Fong Lim for Mark Monaghan, handing the Government its 13th seat.

Labor is also a strong chance to win more seats. It is currently ahead in close counts in the Palmerston seat of Blain, the vast Central Australian seat of Barkly and is narrowly leading in the redistributed seat of Namatjira.

Green said some of those counts would come down to the wire.

"[In] Blain, [Labor is] still ahead, but it's far too close to call, only 20 votes," he said.

Green said while Labor might win the bush seat of Barkly, the election was won in the urban seats in Darwin

"Labor holds all nine seats in Darwin and it holds one of the four seats in Palmerston — the twin city of Darwin. Labor has done well in holding all the seats," he said.

"It's been a patchy result. There was an election in Darwin and [an election in] the rest of the Territory, but Labor certainly held a strong grip on Darwin."

In other close contests, the CLP leads in Braitling and Brennan, and Territory Alliance's Robyn Lambley is ahead of the CLP's Damien Ryan in Araluen by 20 votes.

Earlier on Monday afternoon, Green called the rural Darwin seat of Daly for CLP candidate Ian Sloan, who will succeed Garry Higgins, the retiring CLP member and former party leader.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nt-labor-s-michael-gunner-to-form-majority-government/ar-BB18it5y

 

[kingofnobbys]

24 AUGUST FEDERAL'

AGED CARE
Prime Minister and Aged Care Minister apologise in Parliament over coronavirus response

The Prime Minister and Aged Care Minister are facing growing pressure in Parliament over the spread of coronavirus infections in aged care homes, with both men enduring a grilling in Question Time.

Scott Morrison has again apologised for failures in the Government's handling of the aged care crisis, while the responsible minister, Richard Colbeck, offered his own apology in the Senate for not being able to say how many aged care residents had died of COVID-19.

It came after a questionable performance in front of a Senate committee last week in which he could not answer a question about the number of deaths in aged care homes.

"I should have had the data on Friday and I apologise for not having done that," Senator Colbeck said today.

"To my colleagues [for] whom I have successfully taken the attention off of what it should be, which is our efforts to combat the virus, but also to the Senate. I should have had the information.

"My fault, my responsibility and I take full responsibility for not having that information available to me at that time."

Senator Colbeck said the aged care death toll now stood at 335, with seven people dead in home care and 328 dead in residential care homes.

There are currently 126 aged care homes with active coronavirus cases, all of them in Victoria.

While state and territory governments are responsible for on-the-ground responses to COVID-19 outbreaks, the Federal Government is charged with funding and regulating the aged care sector.

In the Lower House, Mr Morrison, who has previously apologised for the aged care system "falling short", again said he was sorry to families and affected residents.

"In four [homes] the impact has been severe and completely unacceptable," Mr Morrison said.

"Again, I offer my apologies to the residents and families of those affected in those facilities. It was not good enough.

"Investigations and reviews are underway as appropriate, including by the royal commission into aged care that I established."

However, Mr Morrison again rejected suggestions the Government did not have a formalised and specific plan for the aged care sector in the pandemic, despite claims made in the aged care royal commission.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Senator Colbeck's performance showed he was "not up to the task" of being a minister.

"I don't know what it takes to lose your job on the frontbench of this government," he said.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/prime-minister-and-aged-care-minister-apologise-in-parliament-over-coronavirus-response/ar-BB18inD7

Masked MPs return to parliament as aged care furore rages

Federal parliament has returned after more than two months, with strict measures in place for the next fortnight.

MPs were seen in masks as they attended a string of media doorstops, before parliamentary proceedings began.

Others contributed remotely for the first time, via a secure video link from their electorate office.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for parliament to sit this year but it needs to, in order to pass changes to extend JobKeeper and the coronavirus supplement for JobSeeker recipients until March 2021.

The government is keen to try and legislate the extension this week.

The aged care crisis dominated proceedings and Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck apologised in the Senate after he was unable to recall how many aged care residents have died from COVID 19 during an inquiry last Friday.

Senator Colbeck said he takes full responsibility for what happened.
"Can I express my sincere condolences to every family who has lost a loved one during the pandemic into aged care. Can I also say I should've had the data on Friday and I apologise for not having done that," he said.

Senator Larissa Waters and Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles were among those who appeared via videoconference, due to COVID-19 restrictions in Queensland and Victoria.

Senate President Scott Ryan warned state and territory COVID-19 quarantine requirements could have "dangerous" consequences for parliamentary democracy.

"In the current pandemic, an important principle is at stake – notably the ability of the executive or its officers (no matter the jurisdiction) to control attendance at parliament, or constrain the work of members of parliament when it is directly related to parliamentary proceedings," Senator Ryan said.

Victorian MPs had to quarantine for 14 days in the lead up to the sitting fortnight, Queensland MPs will be required to do so afterwards and Western Australian MPs have exemptions to travel to Canberra for parliamentary sittings.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/masked-mps-return-to-parliament-as-aged-care-furore-rages/ar-BB18iGiZ

JOBS
JobKeeper not extended to businesses that have recovered from COVID-19

Businesses which were hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic but have bounced back should expect to be excluded from the extended JobKeeper scheme.

The federal government has softened plans to extend industrial relations exemptions to companies no longer eligible for JobKeeper, and plans to exclude those which have fully recovered from the pandemic crisis.

The backdown comes after the Australian Financial Review revealed a third of listed companies on JobKeeper recorded profit growths.

They included Premier Investments, the company that owns popular retailers Smiggle, Portmans, Just Jeans and Peter Alexander, despite temporarily laying off 9,000 staff for two months in the height of the pandemic.
Finalising the last details of JobKeeper 2.0 will be high on the federal government's agenda when parliament resumes this week.

Labor has called on the government to abolish plans to lower the job subsidy rate of the revamped scheme in the wake of Melbourne's Stage 4 lockdown which has forced thousands of businesses to close their doors.

The $1,500 per fortnight JobKeeper rate will be replaced a two-tiered system with a $750 subsidy for those who worked fewer than 20 hours a week before the crisis struck, and $1,200 for all others.

The government wants to include industrial relations exemptions which allowed companies eligible JobKeeper to change staff hours and duties without breaching the Fair Work Act.

It proposed the new legislation would also apply Fair Work Act exemptions to all employers who qualified for the first round of JobKeeper but not the second and still needed ongoing flexibility.
The government appears to have softened its stance following strong opposition from the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Businesses were eligible for the original JobKeeper scheme if they could show they suffered a 30 per cent plunge in revenue in early 2020 compared with the same month in 2019.

Under the revised JobKeeper 2.0, businesses with an annual turnover of less than $1 billion must demonstrate turnover has dropped more than 30 per cent between this September quarter and the same quarter last year.

A source told the Australian Financial Review businesses that failed the 30 per cent turnover test but no longer qualified for JobKeeper would be subject to a new, turnover test to determine whether they were still financially 'distressed''

They would then qualify for Fair Work Act exemptions but remain ineligible for JobKeeper.
Starting September 28, the six month JobKeeper extension until the end of March will cost an additional $16.6billion.

The legislation would scale back JobKeeper payments from $1,500 to $1,200 at the end of September, and then down to $1000 from January to March.

Labor frontbencher Julie Collins called for the JobSeeker subsidy to be retained at existing rates for six months

'The decisions made to the rates were made prior to the outbreak in Victoria. It is up to the government to consider whether the new rates are sufficient or not.'

ACTU secretary Sally McManus agreed.

'We would urge them to reconsider that because for quite a long time we are going to be in a situation where there's high unemployment and obviously with the Melbourne lockdown, people need that support and they're going to need that support in an ongoing way,' she added.
But Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has refused to back down and is focused on passing legislation to reduce and extend JobKeeper wage subsidies and the JobSeeker dole payment.

'That's obviously important to give businesses and working Australians who rely on these payments certainty that the arrangements remain in place,' he told reporters.

'At some point we need to get back into a situation where viable, profitable businesses pay for the wages of their employees out of their income rather than on the basis of taxpayers' support.

The original JobKeeper of $1,500 a fortnight for 3.5 million workers cost $70billion, revised down from $130billion.

How are the support payments changing from September?
JOBKEEPER

* The $1500 fortnightly wage subsidy will continue until September 27

* From the end of September to January, JobKeeper will be reduced to $1200 for full-time workers and $750 for people working 20 hours or less

* From January to March, the full-time rate will be $1000 and part-time will reduce to $650

* Businesses turning over less than $1 billion will have to requalify for the program at both stages through showing a 30 per cent drop in revenue.

* Businesses with more than $1 billion in turnover have to demonstrate a 50 per cent fall

JOBSEEKER

* The elevated unemployment benefit will remain at $1100 a fortnight until September 24

* From that date until the end of the year the $550 coronavirus supplement will be cut by $300 to make the overall fortnightly payment $800

* People will be able to earn up to $300 without having their payment reduced

* The mutual obligation rules requiring people to search for four jobs a month will restart on August 4

* Penalties for people refusing a job offer will be reintroduced

* Job search requirements will increase in September when the assets test will also return

* The permanent JobSeeker rate to take effect from January next year will be announced in the October 6 budget.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/jobkeeper-not-extended-to-businesses-that-have-recovered-from-covid-19/ar-BB18ifBo

Australia's effective unemployment to exceed 13% by end of September

Effective unemployment in Australia will climb above 13% by the end of September, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Sunday, as nearly half a million people lose their jobs due to a full lockdown of the country's second most populous city.

Releasing modelling from Australia's Treasury Department, Frydenberg said effective unemployment totalled 9.9% at the end of July, down from the record high of 14% in April when large parts of the country's economy were ordered to close to slow the spread of COVID-19.

But demonstrating the economic impact of Australia's second wave of COVID-19 infections, Frydenberg said the number of people out of work will swell by 450,000 during August and September amid a lockdown of nearly five million people in Victoria state capital, Melbourne.

“We know the road to recovery will be bumpy as we have seen with the setback in Victoria, however, the jobs recovery across the rest of the country gives cause for optimism," Frydenberg said in an emailed statement.

Once heralded as a global leader in combating COVID-19, Australia has seen a surge of new infections in the past month.

Desperate to contain the spread, Victoria state earlier this month imposed a nightly curfew across Melbourne, tightened restrictions on movement and ordered large parts of the state's economy to close.

Australia has largely avoided the high casualty numbers of many other nations, it has recorded nearly 25,000 COVID-19 infections and 502 deaths.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/australia-says-effective-unemployment-to-exceed-13-by-end-of-september/ar-BB18hlve

Thousands of jobs up for grabs in Australian mini jobs boom ( IN THE REGIONS AND THE BUSH AND REMOTE AREAS NSW )

Up to 5,000 jobs need to be urgently filled across the New South Wales agriculture sector.

Farmers have posted job ads for mechanics, truck drivers and fruit pickers on the Help Harvest website - but they also need sales and marketing staff, researchers and merchandising specialists.

Strong growing conditions have provided a bumper harvest season but COVID-19 state and international border closures have left farmers struggling to find workers as most of their staff usually come from overseas.

'My message to the increasing number of people looking for a job at the moment is this, get off your bum and get into agriculture – we need you,' said NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall.

The New South Wales government has launched the Help Harvest website to help connect employers with people willing to take on roles usually filled by seasonal workers.

The financial impact of COVID-19 restrictions pushed Australia's unemployment rate up to 7.5 per cent in July, the highest jobless rate since November 1998.

'At a time when we are just beginning to emerge from drought, our State’s farmers cannot afford to miss out on the financial uplift that comes from a strong harvest,' said Mr Marshall.

People who have lost their jobs are being urged to re-skill if necessary - with a range of short courses available.

There are courses on drone operations, business management, book keeping and heavy machinery, auto electrics and chainsaw operations.

The positions are open to Australian citizens or anyone with a relevant visa including overseas students, working holidaymakers and temporary work visa holders.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/thousands-of-jobs-up-for-grabs-in-australian-mini-jobs-boom/ar-BB18iK12

24 AUGUST NZ
Masks mandatory on NZ public transport as restrictions extended

New Zealand has extended level three lockdown restrictions in Auckland until at least midnight on Sunday.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement today after meeting with cabinet to determine whether community transmission of coronavirus had been contained.

"These extra four days are necessary for us if we want to eventually move to a lower level," Ms Ardern said.
The New Zealand Government had originally planned to revise the level three restrictions in Auckland and the level two restrictions in the rest of the country this Wednesday.

But Ms Ardern said keeping New Zealand at level two was important because she anticipated many Aucklanders would want to travel regionally once restrictions were eased.

She acknowledged the impact it would have on the economy but said the risk of infection spreading further was too great.

"We are aware of the impact this will have on the economy and are constantly keeping in mind the cost to business," Ms Ardern said.

"It's a finely balanced decision, but the right one, I believe."

Ms Ardern also announced face masks would be mandatory on all public transport and rideshare services across the country from Monday.

"They limit the chance for COVID-19, when it is often harder to distance yourself and trace people," she said.

She said the amount of people using public transport meant it was difficult to protect passengers and drivers from infection and it made contact tracing harder.

New Zealand recorded nine new cases of coronavirus overnight, including one returned overseas traveller who is in quarantine.
Tomorrow marks 14 days since the re-emergence of coronavirus outside quarantine facilities in New Zealand.

When level two restrictions come into place for Auckland after midnight on Sunday, mass gatherings will be restricted to 10 people and 50-person limits will be allowed for funerals and tangi, a traditional Māori funeral rite.

Ms Ardern said the level two restrictions for Auckland and the rest of the country would be revised on September 6, depending on infection numbers after the latest actions have been implemented.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/masks-mandatory-on-nz-public-transport-as-restrictions-extended/ar-BB18ieBC

New Zealand extends coronavirus curbs in largest city

New Zealand will extend the current coronavirus restrictions in its largest city of Auckland until Sunday night, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

An abrupt resurgence of COVID-19 about two weeks ago in Auckland prompted Ardern to put the city's 1.7 million residents in a lockdown, forcing businesses to close and schools to shut. The lockdown was due to expire on Wednesday.

Ardern said everyone using public transport under level two restrictions or above will be required to wear masks or any face covering to contain the spread of the virus.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/wellbeing/new-zealand-extends-coronavirus-curbs-in-largest-city/ar-BB18hYKn


24 AUGUST SCIENCE
Doctors warn against 'rushed' coronavirus vaccine

Doctors have warned a coronavirus vaccine may create dangerous side-effects and argued against a 'no jab, no play' policy.

Vaccine development is typically a long and complex process that can take up to 15 years.

Because of the urgency of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers are fast-tracking their testing, hoping to produce a safe and effective innoculation by next year.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has locked in a deal with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to secure a potential coronavirus vaccine, if its Oxford University phase three trials prove successful.

Australian Medical Association president Omar Korshid said even positive phase three trials would not prove the vaccine candidate is safe.

'We have to acknowledge it is a rushed approval process and even if the phase three trials on this Oxford vaccine go really well, it's still not absolutely proven that it is safe, not as proven as is normally the case,' he told The Age newspaper.

'That does increase the risk that there might be rare side effects ... that we just don't know about.'

Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has been involved in fast-tracking the testing of the Oxford University candidate vaccine.

In May, the CSIRO said it was already at the stage of pre-clinical trials - a position that typically takes up to two years to reach.

In ordinary times, a vaccine must pass through the pre-clinical stage, animal testing, then two phases of human trials to study the safety, immunogenicity, proposed doses and method of delivery.

If the vaccine passes these hurdles it moves to larger Phase III trials typically involving tens of thousands of people to catch any rare side-effects. Only then is it submitted for approval.

The Oxford University AstraZeneca vaccine candidate is already undergoing phase three trials.

To reach a vaccine within 15 months would be record time as the average vaccine takes 10 years to develop, according to The Lancet medical journal.

Once a safe and effective vaccine is produced, herd immunity can be achieved by vaccinating the population, and life can return to normal.

Herd immunity means enough people have antibodies to the virus so it cannot spread.
Ho = (Ro - 1) / Ro

Dr Korshid said Australia's peak doctors' association is very supportive of vaccines generally as they have normally been through rigorous and extensive scientific testing.

That cannot be said of the coronavirus vaccine candidates, however, of which more than 100 are in development around the world as scientists, governments and other organisations race to find a vaccine.

In June The Lancet reported that 10 vaccine candidates had already advanced to clinical trials, as companies including Moderna, Pfizer, Inovio and Sinopharm all race to be the first with a working vaccine.

In August, Russian President Vladimir Putin sensationally declared that Russia had granted regulatory approval to a vaccine candidate named 'Sputnik V' after less than two months of human testing, without even finishing its final trials.

Only about 10 per cent of clinical trials are successful and scientists fear Moscow has put national prestige before safety.

Dr Khorshid said it was expected the Oxford coronavirus vaccine would only be approved for adults in Australia at first.
He said the Australian Government's proposal of forcing people to take the AstraZeneca vaccine by tying it to services such as childcare, school or social security payments could not be justified because it had been rushed through clinical trials.

Mr Morrison has said he wants to make an approved vaccine 'as mandatory as possible', bu it is not going to be compulsory.

Deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth said possible punishments for unvaccinated people could include not being able to go to restaurants, travel internationally or catch public transport.

Monash University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor Colin Pouton told The Age it was important that people should have the right to refuse.

University of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Professor Heidi Larson, said it was precisely the 'no jab, no play' policies that had sparked the anti-vaccination movement worldwide.

Professor Larson said scientists needed to explain to the public how the new coronavirus vaccine candidates are able to be developed so fast.

Coronavirus vaccine research began several years ago done on the earlier Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.

Professor Larson said research begun years ago had given scientists a head start on the vaccine for the new covid-19 coronavirus.

Australia's chief nursing and midwifery officer Professor Alison McMillan said any vaccine approved for use in Australia would be subject to strong regulation to make sure it is safe and effective.

'We will be ensuring we provide clear, accurate, concise information to all Australians about the nature of the vaccine and how safe it is, and we hope and encourage all Australians seek out the information from a reliable source,' she told reporters on Sunday.

Professor McMillan also warned people to be careful to get their vaccination information from reliable sources after a string of conspiracy websites have promoted vaccine fears without evidence.

Australia's new coronavirus infections rose by 216 on Sunday night, for a total of 24,619 across the nation.

Victoria is still the nation's worst-hit state with a total of 18,231 cases of which 4012 are active, Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services said on Sunday night.

Most of the nation's new cases (208) were from Victoria, although Queensland is now on high alert as its Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster continues to grow, adding two more cases for a total of nine.

Worldwide the spread has now infected 23.4 million people with 808,856 deaths and 61,663 in a critical condition according to Worldometers statistics on Sunday night.

The US is still the country with the most cases at 5.8 million infections and 180,174 deaths as of Sunday night.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/doctors-warn-against-rushed-coronavirus-vaccine/ar-BB18hrq2

 

[kingofnobbys]

25 AUGUST

 

[kingofnobbys]

25 AUGUST VIC

Victoria records 148 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths

Key points:
Premier Daniel Andrews said it was pleasing that the number of active cases was falling
Mr Andrews said poor weather over the weekend might have contributed to lower rates of testing
The Chief Health Officer said aged care residents were getting better care in their homes and were less likely be taken to hospital


Victoria has recorded 148 new cases of coronavirus and eight further deaths, as Premier Daniel Andrews asks Parliament to give his Government the power to extend the state of emergency powers for a further 12 months.

The latest fatalities include two men in their 70s, four women and one man in their 80s and a woman in her 90s.

They take the state's COVID-19 death toll to 438.

Seven of the eight deaths are linked to aged care outbreaks, Mr Andrews said.

The number of active cases in Victoria has fallen to 3,651, which Mr Andrews said was "very pleasing".

The number of active cases in regional Victoria, where stage 3 restrictions are in place, has also fallen, to 215.

Mr Andrews said there were 475 active cases in healthcare workers and that number also continued to fall.
"Even one infection amongst our health heroes is a real concern to us," he said.

Victoria's Chief Medical Officer Andrew Wilson today revealed "70 to 80 per cent" of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 during the state's second wave caught it at work.

Follow our live blog for the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Wilson said more than half of the infections among healthcare workers occurred in aged care.

In hospitals, 70 per cent of infections were among nurses.
There are currently 1,530 active cases linked to aged care, including residents as well as staff.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the number of people being hospitalised for coronavirus had been stabilising as the rate of new infections declined.

The number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 is 617, a decrease of 12 since yesterday.

He said aged care residents infected with coronavirus were now being better cared for in their homes rather than needing to be taken to hospital.

"Clearly we've got a tail [of infections] that comprises both community cases … but also aged and healthcare workers," he said.

At least a third of today's new cases were healthcare workers and aged care workers, Professor Sutton said.

The state's 10 biggest aged care home outbreaks by case numbers are the following:

211 cases have been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping
195 cases have been linked to St Basil's Homes for the Aged in Fawkner
166 cases have been linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee
159 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer
138 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth
120 cases have been linked to Cumberland Manor Aged Care Facility in Sunshine North
118 cases have been linked to Twin Parks Aged Care in Reservoir
113 cases have been linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North
110 cases have been linked to Japara Goonawarra Aged Care Facility in Sunbury
109 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg
Mr Andrews said the "settling" in the aged care system was a result of all governments working together.

There are 55 active cases in Victorian residential disability accommodation, comprised of 13 residents and 42 staff.

Other key outbreaks with new cases include 84 cases linked to the Australian Lamb Company in Colac, 58 cases linked to Peninsula health and 33 cases linked to Diamond Valley Pork in Laverton North.

Yesterday's total of 116 new cases was the state's lowest in more than seven weeks.

Professor Sutton said while today's numbers were higher than yesterday, the seven-day trend was "clearly heading down".

"It is encouraging to see these numbers," Professor Sutton said.
"They will go up and down. We do have some lower testing numbers that might mean that this number even increases in the next couple of days if people can come forward for testing today and tomorrow."

The number of tests conducted on Sunday, 13,060, was lower than normal, which Mr Andrews suggested might be due to poor weather.

He encouraged Victorians to get tested, even if they had only mild symptoms.
Professor Sutton said he did not know what life in Melbourne and Victoria would look like after September 13, when the current set of restrictions are due to expire.

"We will get there when we get there," he said.

Mr Andrews yesterday announced his Government would seek to change laws so that Victoria's state of emergency could be extended by another 12 months.

The move has been criticised by the Opposition and crossbench members of the Upper House.

Expiry of state of emergency would be a health risk, Minister says
But Mr Andrews today defended the move, calling it an "insurance policy" rather than an attempt to extend the stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne.

"We are all going to have to have some kind of COVID-19 rules until we get a vaccine. Between now and then … we have to make sure that we have various rules that are simple, that are logical, that are working," he said.

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos this morning urged Upper House MPs to endorse the changes.
Victoria COVID-19 snapshot
Confirmed cases so far: 18,464
Confirmed active cases: 3,651
Deaths: 438
Suspected cases of community transmission where the source is unknown: 4,061
Cases in hospital: 617
Intensive care patients: 35
Active cases in healthcare workers: 475
Active cases linked to aged care outbreaks: 1,530
Tests since pandemic began: More than 2.1 million
Updated Tuesday, August 25

"Those Members of Parliament need to understand they will be putting Victorians' health at risk if they do not support this legislation," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.

"There's a lot at stake here. No-one wants a third wave, no-one wants a fourth wave, no-one wants a fifth wave," Ms Mikakos said.

She said if the state of emergency expired, "every person who's currently diagnosed with covid-19 who's legally required to stay home would be free to leave their home".

She said she would be required to report to Parliament every time the state of emergency was extended.

"This is not the Government making these decisions unilaterally. It's had to be based on the public health advice and will continue to be," she said.

The Victorian Parliament will sit in some form next week but Professor Sutton said regional MPs should not physically attend.

Mr Andrews confirmed Labor MPs would follow that advice.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victoria-records-148-new-coronavirus-cases-and-eight-deaths/ar-BB18kzCH
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-25/victoria-coronavirus-cases-rise-by-148-as-state-records-8-deaths/12592086
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/victorian-coronavirus-cases-up-by-148-with-eight-lives-lost/ar-BB18kB51

High-risk coronavirus locations revealed in Victoria

A list of high-risk locations for contracting coronavirus in Victoria have been revealed by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

The locations include places where someone infected with COVID-19 has attended. The list has been published as part of the state's new data dashboard of coronavirus figures on the DHHS website.

The high-risk locations include:

Danny's IGA X-Press – Armadale: 15/08/2020
Bendigo Marketplace: 12/08/2020 - 13/08/2020
Chadstone Shopping Centre: 8/08/2020, 10/08/2020 and 11/08/2020
Woolworths Docklands: 11/08/2020 - 15/08/2020
Fairfield Bunnings: 12/08/2020
Hallam Coles: 15/08/2020 - 17/08/2020
Ginifer train to Sunshine: 17/08/2020 and 18/08/2020 at 8am

List to be updated as new information comes to light

According to the DHHS website, it is "not a complete list".

"The locations listed are where there is a higher risk you may have been exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19)," it read.

"The information is based on advice provided to the department by people who are confirmed cases."

Risk locations will remain on the list for 14 days from the most recent exposure.

The locations are not a current risk to the public and people can visit them in line with current restrictions.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/high-risk-coronavirus-locations-revealed-in-victoria/ar-BB18kMfT

Three Coles stores hit with coronavirus cases with staff in isolation

After block, new Facebook group criticising Thai king gains 500,000 members
Google can afford a slice of its billions to help sustain journalism, Labor says

Three Coles supermarkets in Melbourne have staff members with confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Coles stores in
Hallam,
Avondale Heights
and Reservoir
have had staff members test positive to COVID-19.

The Reservoir staff member last worked on August 16, with the Hallam worker last in store on August 18 and Avondale Heights worker on August 21.
The three infected staff members are in isolation and contact tracing has commenced.

Hallam and Avondale Heights Coles were deep cleaned on Sunday night, while the Reservoir store is frequently sanitised.

A Coles spokesperson told 7News a 'small number of team members' were told to isolate after the trio's diagnosis and the risk of community transmission is very low.

'Coles will continue to work with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services to finalise contact tracing,' the spokesperson said.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/melbourne/three-coles-stores-hit-with-coronavirus-cases-with-staff-in-isolation/ar-BB18kCNH

Epidemiologist says 'the end is in sight' for Victoria as case numbers fall

Sky News host Paul Murray says Professor Adrian Esterman from the University of South Australia has suggested COVID-19 numbers in Victoria would likely be down to 100 or less per day by next weekend.
“WELL DONE VICTORIA!” Epidemiological Professor Adrian Esterman tweeted.

“116 news cases today, which fits beautifully on my trend line.

“Effective reproduction number down to 0.7 again.

“Should be down to 100 cases or less by next weekend.

“The end is in sight.”

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/epidemiologist-says-the-end-is-in-sight-for-victoria-as-case-numbers-fall/ar-BB18lv2b

HEALTHCARE
About '70 to 80pc' of Victorian healthcare workers with COVID-19 caught it at work, Government reveals

Key points:
The new data came today after Victorian Government previously estimated only "10 to 15 per cent" of COVID-19 cases in healthcare workers had been acquired at work
So far this month an average of 33 healthcare workers a day have been infected with COVID-19
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he was introducing new personal protective equipment measures to help protect healthcare workers

The Victorian Government says about "70 to 80 per cent" of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 during the state's second wave of infections caught it at work.
In what one medical advocate group described as "frightening" and "alarming" numbers, Victoria's Chief Medical Officer Andrew Wilson today revealed the long-awaited data as the number of healthcare workers who have contracted COVID-19 climbed to 2,692.

Dr Wilson said more than half of those infections reported by healthcare workers across the state occurred in aged care. In hospitals, 70 per cent of infections were among nurses.

The State Government previously estimated only 10 to 15 per cent of COVID-19 cases among the state's healthcare workers had been acquired at work.

It said the rest of the infections happened in the community.

The data, part of a nine-page document released by the Victorian Government today, shows only about 20 per cent of healthcare workers who caught the virus during the first wave, earlier in the year, contracted it at work.

The data also revealed 117 healthcare workers were hospitalised during the pandemic so far, 12 were admitted to intensive care and there was one death, a disability nurse.

Australian Medical Association Victoria president Julian Rait said the latest data validated their concerns.

"The Government has been complacent," he said.

"It's very disappointing that despite calls from many in the health sector to strengthen protocols [regarding personal protective equipment], they only began to do it more recently.

"Healthcare workers have been pointing to this as a problem for two to three months."
Victorian Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said while she was pleased to see infection rates among healthcare workers falling recently, she said she wanted to see more detailed data.

"We want to see [whether] those infected picked up the virus from patients or whether the disease was transmitted among staff members," she said.

"In order to progress strategy and direction, that detail is going to be critical.

"Nonetheless, it is a frightening and alarming number."

Many workers in the sector have spoken to the ABC over the past two weeks, criticising the Victorian Government's previous estimate that only 10 to 15 per cent of COVID-19 cases among the state's healthcare workers had been picked up at work.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the lower numbers in its previous estimate came as many cases were still "under investigation".

"For the cases that had been determined, of all of those under investigation, they represented a minority," Dr Sutton said.

"But as we've got the fuller picture and determined for all of those cases the great majority of those cases [we now know] the setting where it's been picked up.

"[And] it shouldn't surprise us."
Dr Wilson said aged care workers and nurses were, by far, the most common group.

"There's more of them in our system [and] they provide much closer care to the patients."

On the back of the data, the Victorian Government announced a range of measures to reduce healthcare worker infections.

Workers will have greater access to N95 masks in emergency departments, intensive care units, aged care facilities and COVID-19 wards, it said.

Designated spotters will also help monitor the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the measures were designed to better protect healthcare workers.

"My message to every healthcare worker [is]: If you get coronavirus at work, put in a WorkCover claim straight away," he said.

"It will be fast-tracked and we will get you the support you need."

The ABC understands many healthcare workers want personal protective equipment to be properly fit-tested to make sure masks work for each individual.

But Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said fit-testing was a subject of some debate.

"We are going to have a pilot program at Northern Health [in Epping, in Melbourne's north] to look at fit testing being used there," she said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-25/health-workers-covid-coronavirus-case-numbers-victoria/12582468
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/about-70-to-80pc-of-victorian-healthcare-workers-with-covid-19-caught-it-at-work-government-reveals/ar-BB18kOgG

Melbourne coronavirus outbreak sees interstate nurses fly in to join COVID-19 frontline

Key points:
Nurses are volunteering from across the country to help on the COVID-19 frontline in Melbourne
More than 2,700 healthcare workers have tested positive to the virus
Many of those who have had the virus are struggling with returning to work

The Perth suburb of Duncraig is a long way from locked-down Melbourne.
Masks aren't mandatory and there's no curfew.

It is where nurse Justin Holland calls home.

The 24-year-old usually works in the trauma unit at the Royal Perth Hospital, and has been watching the outbreak in Melbourne unfold.

"What happened in Melbourne … could easily happen in WA," he told 7.30.

"I think WA is in a little bit of a bubble at the moment."

He is one of more than 90 West Australian nurses who have volunteered to fly across the country to help out on the COVID-19 frontline, most will be deployed in aged care homes.

"They need our help now but, who knows, tomorrow we might need their help, so it's only fair to help out."

A risky assignment

More than 2,700 Victorian healthcare workers have tested positive for coronavirus and many are isolating after being exposed to the virus.

After a callout from the Victorian Government, volunteers have also travelled from South Australia and Queensland to boost healthcare worker numbers.

Mr Holland acknowledged it was a risky assignment.

"Obviously, you know, there's a risk of catching COVID," he said.

"I've kind of told my friends and family quite recently, so they're a little bit shocked, but they're very happy for me.

"Yeah, they're very proud of me.

"Seeing what's happening in Melbourne, seeing it firsthand, will be a bit confronting."

Mr Holland will be in Melbourne for up to six weeks and when he returns to Perth he'll have to quarantine in a hotel for a fortnight.

'Thank you, you are really appreciated'

The arrival of interstate reinforcements is welcome news for Melbourne nurse Emily Morris, who works in the emergency department at the Royal Melbourne hospital.

"Thank you, you are really appreciated and, unfortunately, needed at the moment," Ms Morris told 7.30 when asked about the interstate reinforcements.

Ms Morris has recently returned to work after recovering from coronavirus and said she had noticed a drop in her energy levels.

"I am experiencing what I call my COVID-19 hangover, in that I have incredible levels of fatigue," Ms Morris said.

"Physically, it's been exhausting.

"I'm so tired still. I'm tired but it's been OK."

BRAIN FOG
'Sam Martin and Sarah Robson are nurses and midwives at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne.

They both had COVID-19 but are now testing negative.

The past month has been challenging for the young couple.

"I think it's going to be a long time before either of us are doing full shifts in the hospital," Mr Martin told 7.30.

"Knowing that there are still healthcare workers out there testing positive, it's always quite confronting for us."

After speaking to 7.30 in July, the pair took part in a Victorian Government advertisement, but shortly after filming, Sarah's condition deteriorated and she was hospitalised again.

"To see her pain so out of control again, to see her respiratory function to be so poor, it was, yeah, really scary," Mr Martin said.

Mr Martin is also struggling; he's working from home in an online training role but can only manage a few days a week.

"So this sort of brain fog, as I tend to describe it, it feels like you just don't have that mental clarity on any level," he said.

"It's a real struggle to get those thought processes firing and actually doing something productive."Brain fog' and fatigue a challenge
A bright spot for the pair after a long period of isolation was being reunited with Ms Robson's two young sons.

"Just seeing their smiling faces and having them latch on and give us a massive hug and not let go for an hour, those are moments that we will carry with us forever," Mr Martin said.

He also welcomed the interstate healthcare volunteers.

"To know that people are willing to help, regardless of what the situation is, I think that's something that we can all take a bit of comfort in," he said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-25/melbourne-coronavirus-outbreak-sees-interstate-nurses-offer-help/12592960

Vic Health implements evidence-based strategies to reduce staff infections

Victorian Chief Medical Officer Andrew Wilson has outlined the conclusions reached and strategies implemented following research into Victoria’s health sector in a bid to reduce the risk of infection to staff in health settings.
As of August 23, just over 2,600 coronavirus infections had been recorded among Victorian health care workers.

Mr Wilson said most cases were reported in July and August in two distinct waves.

“In hospitals about 70 per cent of people who were infected are nursing staff while a much smaller number are medical staff,” he said.

He said the evidence from the research suggested poor infection practices, an environment of contamination and staff members traveling between facilities were some of the primary drivers of outbreaks in nursing homes.

In hospitals, some outbreaks occurred in busy wards while other infections were linked to putting on and removal of personal protective equipment.

“There’s a whole series of different things that we’re learning and that we’re acting on to try and prevent infections," he said.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/vic-health-implements-evidence-based-strategies-to-reduce-staff-infections/ar-BB18kZNT



WHAT IS A STATE EMERGENCY
What powers do states of emergency give Australian authorities during the coronavirus pandemic?

Victoria has just passed the halfway mark of stage 4 lockdown, but Premier Daniel Andrews' proposal to extend the coronavirus state of emergency by another 12 months has been met with backlash from various sectors of the community.

Mr Andrews has stressed the move would not automatically keep Victorians in lockdown, but would provide the Government with a legal framework to do things such as enforce the wearing of masks and regulate hotel quarantine restrictions.

Other state of emergency declarations were rolled out across the country earlier this year as the virus tightened its grip. But just how much power does a state or territory government have over your life at the moment?

What happens if Victoria's state of emergency expires?
Victoria's state of emergency will expire on September 13.

If that happens, authorities will lose the legal framework that allows them to enforce health measures such as requiring anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home.

Mr Andrews has said there are "other options" and different legal avenues his Government can employ if the state of emergency is not extended, but he says taking the case to Parliament is the most logical way forward.

The state's Health Minister, Jenny Mikakos, says Victorians should brace for a third wave if the state of emergency is not extended.
If it is extended, Victoria authorities will still have less power than their western counterparts.

WA can use electronic quarantine monitoring
If you live in WA the Government can force you to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet as part of quarantine enforcement measures.

This was something introduced in April when the WA Government was rushing through its state of emergency laws in the early days of the pandemic.

The Government now wants to extend those laws so it can force potential criminals entering the state to wear the bracelets.

Under current legislation, there is also still no appeal process over police decisions on exemptions for people wanting to move to WA for work.

This basically means if authorities say no, you have to start the application process all over again.

The state of emergency actually has to be renewed by the Government every fortnight, but it is looking likely to remain in place until the end of the year.

There is a little legislative loophole where some powers, like forcing people to disclose their travel and health history, can be extended indefinitely.

Qld maintains tough border restrictions, but masks are not required — yet
Queensland has extended its public health emergency until October 2, but it may be pushed out further.

The Sunshine State drew ire from its southern counterparts when it slammed its borders shut firmly and early.The Government has developed a Roadmap to Easing COVID-19 restrictions, but it's a document that is quite fluid and is amended regularly in response to changing circumstances.

Social gatherings were again limited recently, and the wearing of masks — while currently only recommended — could be enforced if active case numbers grew.

NSW wonders what this state of emergency fuss is all about
The New South Wales Government doesn't even need to declare a state of emergency to deal with a public health issue.The state's Health Minister, Brad Hazzard, can make any direction he needs to reduce or remove the risk of COVID-19 in an area, to segregate or isolate people, or to block access to any part of NSW.

Other authorised officers can do things such as:

Enter and inspect any premises relevant to public health
Take samples, photos or videos and inspect documents that might relate to the pandemic
Compel anyone to answer questions relating to public health

Canberra has extended its emergency order because of problem neighbours
The ACT last week extended its public health emergency order to November 19 because of risks posed by recurring coronavirus outbreaks in Victoria and New South Wales.

The order, which restricts gatherings and imposes quarantine restrictions on people returning from certain parts of the country, is working.

The ACT has not recorded a new COVID-19 case since July 10, and everyone has now recovered.

South Australian authorities can use any force necessary
South Australia also has broad powers under its major emergency declaration, which has recently been extended until September 19.

Authorised officers can:

Break into any land, building, structure or vehicle using whatever force necessary
Direct or prohibit the movement of people, animals or vehicles
Put people in quarantine
Order people to undergo medical exams, tests or treatment
Compel people to give information
Police in uniform don't have to show their credentials before exercising these powers.

Non-uniformed officers need a certificate of authority, but only have to show it if requested.

What about the Northern Territory?
The NT's emergency declaration ends on September 24 but it can be repeatedly extended for 90-day periods.

The Health Minister, Natasha Fyles, recently warned the strict border restrictions could be in place for years.

As in other states and territories, authorities can compel people to give information relating to public health and can restrict the movement of people.

Authorised officers can use whatever force is necessary to:

Remove someone from somewhere
Prevent someone from entering a place
Search for and seize anything related to public health
Examine and remove documents relating to the health emergency
What's more, they can do it at any time of day and without notice or a warrant.

And last, but not least, how is Tasmania managing?
The Apple Isle's state of emergency expires at the end of August, but it can be extended for further 12-week periods.

There are similar powers granted to Tasmanian authorities to restrict the movement of people at risk, enter premises, compel people to answer questions and close public places.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-25/australia-state-of-emergency-declaration-victoria-restrictions/12592714

AGED CARE ROYAL COMMISSION
Morrison govt outlines federal response to St Basils aged care outbreak

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has outlined the federal government response to the COVID-19 outbreak at St Basil’s in Victoria as the Commonwealth and state government seek to shift responsibility for the aged care crisis.
A number of people have spoken out against the poor conditions residents were forced to endure at the facility which has been linked to over 100 cases of coronavirus.

Mr Hunt said “On the 10th of July as part of a survey of facilities right across Victoria, the aged care quality and safety commissioners’ staff were advised there had been a first case at St Basil’s”.

“They were also advised … that the public health unit was responsible.

“The public health unit in Victoria as per the agreement between the Commonwealth and the state has principle responsibility for advising, and in addition to that, the facility has responsibility for advising.

“The subsequent time at which that was advised to the Commonwealth was the 14th of July.

Mr Hunt said actions taken by the Commonwealth from July 14 included on site testing, the activation of a surge workforce and additional personal protective equipment supplied from the national medical stockpile.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/morrison-govt-outlines-federal-response-to-st-basils-aged-care-outbreak/ar-BB18l2Mt

ECONOMIC IMPACTS
Victorian jobs slump amid stage 4 coronavirus lockdown, but 'COVID recession' bites elsewhere

Paula Evans, owner of boutique Tierra Alma in beachside Mordialloc, didn't need the Australian Bureau of Statistics to tell her about the epic economic pain of Melbourne's August lockdown.

"It's been a really huge impact this time around with the stage 4 hitting Melbourne," she said.

"I would say my business is down by 70 per cent."

New data submitted to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) from payroll systems around the country show jobs fell 1 per cent in the month to August 8. But in Victoria, the hit was much harder.

"Over the month to 8 August, payroll jobs fell by 2.8 per cent in Victoria," Bjorn Jarvis, head of Labour Statistics at the ABS, noted in the report, warning there might be even more bad news to come.

"Some of the initial impacts from the stage 4 restrictions are shown in the latest weekly data as they came into effect."

Previous estimates put the cost to the national economy of Melbourne's plunge back into stage 4 restrictions, which severely limit people's movements and how businesses can operate, at almost $10 billion.

It is expected to lengthen what is already Australia's first recession in almost three decades.

The new research found the rollercoaster of going into restrictions in March, largely out of them in May, and back into them again in July before a hard lockdown in August had taken a toll.

"Around 39 per cent of jobs lost in Victoria by mid-April had been regained by 27 June," Mr Jarvis added. "But by early August this had reduced to 12 per cent."

Compared to mid-March, when Australia recorded its 100th confirmed COVID-19 case, 'jobs', as seen in payroll information, were down 4.9 per cent nationwide.

The data shows there was a recovery between mid-April and mid-June — when most of Australia had successfully dealt with the first wave of coronavirus infections and slowed the spread of the disease — but that fell away again as the second wave hit.

ANZ's senior economist, Catherine Birch, said the impact on Victorian employment was clear: payroll is down almost 8 per cent since March. For the rest of the country, it is closer to 5 per cent.

"The ABS noted that 'some of the initial impacts' from the stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne and stage 3 in regional Victoria were captured, but it's likely the impact will be larger and clearer in coming weeks," she added.

Young people, women recover jobs
Economically, the virus has pummelled young people and women. The new information provides some hope, with the recovery in employment driven by those groups.

The bureau found close to half (52 per cent) of jobs worked by women had been regained, compared to 19 per cent for males.

Payroll jobs worked by people aged under 20 increased 1.5 per cent nationally in the month to August 8, but there was a 5.6 per cent decrease in Victoria, understandable given the restrictions on sectors like retail and hospitality that employ a lot of young people.

"Female jobs recovery was greatest for those aged under 20, who also experienced the largest fall in jobs through to mid-April," Mr Jarvis said.

The Weekly Payroll Jobs and Wages in Australia report, for the week ending August 8, 2020, shows some of the impact of what is currently among the most restrictive conditions for a major city globally, as Victoria fights to suppress a second wave of coronavirus infections.

'Impact of the COVID recession'
Even though Tierra Alma's online store has been busier since Ms Evans has been unable to open her doors, she is losing custom from regulars and people walking along what is normally a sunny, thriving retail strip.

"I know across the country a lot of people are unemployed, but in Melbourne, in particular with stage 4, there's a lot of people who have lost their jobs and they just don't have that excess income to be shopping online and purchasing clothing and handbags," she said.

"They're buying the essentials that they need to survive."

Terry Rawnsley, national leader of economic and social analysis at SGS Economics, said the figures showed a stark split.

"Victoria's doing twice as badly as the other states. New South Wales has some numbers that show it's starting to recover, Queensland is patchy and the other states are mixed," he said.

Of greater concern are that parts of the economy not particularly held back by stage 3 restrictions — in the way that, for example, cafes and restaurants were.

"When you look at the industry sector breakdown on employment, under stage 3 restrictions, you're starting to see things in construction, administration … they're starting to feel the impact of the COVID recession, not the COVID restrictions," Mr Rawnsley said.

Three lost years of economic growth
The renewed lockdowns in Victoria and their effect on the national economic and jobs recovery has caused one of Australia's largest banks to slash its forecasts.

National Australia Bank, whose forecasts are closely watched because of its monthly business survey that tracks the health of corporate Australia, now expects to see economic output (GDP) fall 5.7 per cent nationally this year.

NAB senior economist Tony Kelly also does not expect a speedy rebound.

"With the withdrawal of current fiscal stimulus in early 2021 we don't really see a rebound in growth till mid 2021," he wrote.

"As a result, we see GDP rising by around 3 per cent through 2021, but less than 1 per cent in year-average terms, with GDP not returning to its end-2019 level until early 2023."

NAB's economists are forecasting unemployment to peak around 9.6 per cent in early 2021, but remain at 7.6 per cent by the end of 2022.

The bank is also bracing for a 10-15 per cent fall in house prices, with the biggest falls in Sydney and Melbourne, which are being hit hardest by the double whammy of slowing population growth and rising supply.

NAB warned that price falls for commercial property, especially retail and office space in the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs, are likely to be larger still.

But Mr Kelly warned the effects will be felt across the nation.

"No state/territory is immune from the fallout of COVID-19," he observed.

"While high-frequency indicators such as NAB's internal data and Google mobility have notably weakened in Victoria, they have softened in the other states as well."

Hard lockdown
At the start of August, Australia's second-most populous city began a hard lockdown that included an 8:00pm curfew, no travel beyond 5 kilometres of your home, the compulsory wearing of masks when outside and severe restrictions on businesses that could open.

This practically shut all retail stores not related to food or medicine, closing manufacturing and shuttering most construction sites.

Victoria, outside of the capital, is on stage 3 restrictions that still ban social visits and restrict leaving your house to four key reasons: to shop for food and essentials; to provide care, for compassionate reasons or to seek medical treatment; to exercise; or to do work or study, if you cannot do it from home.

Since March, the directive of the State Government and health officials has not changed: if you can work from home, you must.

For Ms Evans, and her two staff, the future is uncertain.

"Oh, it's really difficult," she said.

"I'm on my own and I struggle to pay my bills, I'm struggling to pay my house rent. But I'm soldiering on."

The stage 4 restrictions are scheduled to end in three weeks, but loosening them will rely on medical advice from the state's Chief Health Officer.

"It's really tough, we just have to sit tight and adjust things and work with what we've got," Ms Evans added.

"The mental aspect of it is really, really difficult — we don't know what the future holds."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/markets/victorian-jobs-slump-amid-stage-4-coronavirus-lockdown-but-covid-recession-bites-elsewhere/ar-BB18kXke

STAGE FIVE LOCKDOWNS ( IN THE TOWERS )
Coronavirus hard lockdown of Melbourne public housing towers left residents feeling like 'criminals', inquiry hears

Victoria's hard lockdown of some of Melbourne's most vulnerable residents last month left the community feeling anxious, fearful and as if they were being "treated like criminals".

The chaos and confusion at nine public housing towers is detailed in reports to a Victorian Ombudsman inquiry, revealing residents slept rough in their cars, ran out of food and supplies, while others reportedly self-harmed.

7.30 has obtained two legal submissions by the Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre and Inner Melbourne Community Legal which are now representing residents.

"The extreme police presence was re-traumatising for residents with lived experiences of war or persecution, and stoked racist community sentiment that further stigmatised already marginalised people," according to Inner Melbourne Community Legal.

'Extreme stress and anxiety'
On July 4, hundreds of police were deployed to contain residents in Flemington and North Melbourne for at least five days.

The lockdown was later lifted except for residents at 33 Alfred Street, North Melbourne, who couldn't leave their homes for a further nine days.

"Throughout the lockdown, the inability for people to leave their homes for any reason caused extreme stress and anxiety," Inner Melbourne Community Legal said.

It said there was a lack of access to medical treatment including "immediate access to life-saving medication" and "vital medication for chronic mental health issues".

Residents were "confronted by other residents' deteriorating mental health when they could hear them screaming from their homes or in the corridors".

According to the submission, COVID-19 spread through families because they were unable to isolate in "severely overcrowded conditions", while some who were unable to return to the towers were left temporarily homeless, having to pay for their own hotel accommodation despite "facing severe financial hardship".

In some cases, Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was disorganised and unresponsive, with some residents calling the dedicated phone hotline but failing to hear back for days, if at all.

Lockdown triggered 'unimaginable trauma'
Girmay Mengesha is a member of the Ethiopian community in Flemington, and he questions the way the lockdown was handled.

"The way the Government conducted themselves was very, very wrong," he told 7.30.

"Most of the community members in this area are people who have escaped a traumatic experience back home so they don't have a good understanding or acceptance of police.

"They escaped torture, they escaped kidnapping.

"The trauma that was triggered was unimaginable.

"We are Melburnian, we are Victorian, we are Australian, and yet we've been treated differently."

When the lockdown happened, Mr Mengesha took it upon himself to help translate public health messages from English to the local languages, Amharic and Tigrinya.

He said the Government's initial communications that provided crucial information about infection control were in English only.

The Government has now put up new signs but other languages were not immediately apparent — residents must scan a code that directs them to a website.

"This is very cumbersome and very complicated," Mr Mengesha said.

He hoped the ombudsman inquiry would lead to more engagement with the Government.

"The only way to move forward is together. You cannot decide everything for us, you have to talk to us," he said.

'Treated as if they were criminal'
Some residents were allowed out to exercise but only in an outdoor area enclosed by temporary fencing, which the Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre described as a "prison yard".

7.30 understands this was designed to manage infection control but the DHHS later decided it was not required.

"Our concern around that was why, again, were these people treated as if they were criminals," said Daniel Nguyen from Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre.

Victoria Police has acknowledged that "the presence of police may have made some residents feel uncomfortable" but maintained the community response it had received was positive.

The DHHS said it would fully cooperate with the ombudsman and would carefully consider any recommendations it made.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-hard-lockdown-of-melbourne-public-housing-towers-left-residents-feeling-like-criminals-inquiry-hears/ar-BB18kZ2l

BREACHES

'Worker' fined by police for breach of public health orders
Over the 24 hours to this morning, Victoria Police issued 143 fines for breaches of the Chief Health Officer's orders.

Among them were 42 people being fined for breaching the curfew between 8:00pm and 5:00am, including a number of people who went to convenience stores in Melbourne to buy food and cigarettes.

Another man was fined after being stopped at a police checkpoint and claiming he was going to work.

The man was unable to show a worker's permit and the company he claimed to work for confirmed he was not employed by them.

Fines were issued to 25 people for not wearing a mask.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-25/victoria-coronavirus-cases-rise-by-148-as-state-records-8-deaths/12592086

Victorian man trying to enter NSW leads police on chase for 200km

A hoon ( aka rev-head ) allegedly led police on a wild chase for 200km after trying to escape coronavirus-riddled Victoria into New South Wales.

The 51-year-old was stopped at the Hume Highway, South Albury checkpoint about 11.40am on Monday and told admitted to police he did not have a permit but wanted to drive to Canberra.

This is his car , will soon become a nice cube of scrap metal .

Officers soon discovered the driver had previously tried to cross the border several times without a permit.

The man was ordered back to Victoria with a police escort, but allegedly sped away from police in his Mazda MX5 - prompting a 200km chase.
Police immediately pursued the man, claiming he was driving at 172km/h in a 110km/h zone to evade capture.

Road spikes successfully deflated one of the car's tyres, but the driver continued to speed away.

After almost 200km the car finally ran out of fuel and stopped near Jugiong in the Hilltops Region of New South Wales where he was arrested, police said.

The man was charged with reckless driving, not stopping for police, speeding and not comply with COVID-19 dirctives.

He was refused bail and is due to appear at Gundagai Local Court on Tuesday.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/melbourne/victorian-man-trying-to-enter-nsw-leads-police-on-chase-for-200km/ar-BB18kW6v

Man lashes Melbourne police as he's detained for not wearing mask

An irate pommie (British) man has hit out at police as he was put in handcuffs and given a fine for not wearing a mask in Melbourne during its draconian stage four lockdown.

Handheld footage showed the pedestrian being detained and fined by six officers who surrounded him on Barkly Street in St Kilda in Melbourne's inner-city when he refused to tell them why he was exempt from wearing a mask.

'You need to prove I haven't got one - I don't need to prove it to you,' he told police gathered on the pavement when told he needed to give them a valid reason.

'I'll tell you what we will do - we will issue you an infringement and you can argue it in court. How about that?' a masked male police responded.
Melburnians must wear a mask in public or face a $200 fine after Premier Daniel Andrews made them mandatory across the Victorian capital and neighbouring Mitchell Shire on July 30 during the state's deadly COVID-19 second wave.

Authorities have made exceptions for those exercising or who have a medical condition preventing them from wearing a mask.

But despite police repeatedly asking the man to tell them what his reason was for not covering his face, he refused to give details other than to say he had an exemption.

He gave officers his UK driving licence but then accused them of 'harassing' him when they started to handcuff him.

'What's your exemption,' the officer asked.

'It doesn't matter its not your business,' the angry pedestrian responded.

When told he could argue his case in court, the man appeared to suggest the officers were acting outside of the law.
'I don't need to go to court mate - you're going to get done for this,' he said.

'Well if you tell us what your exemption is you probably wont [need to go to court],' the officer responded.

'I don't need to tell you anything mate I'm just walking down the street and you've put handcuffs on me,' the man said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victoria Police for comment.
The footage comes after Mr Andrews announced Victoria's State of Emergency would be in place for 18 months and lockdown restrictions would be extended beyond September.

This is despite the state recording its lowest rise in COVID-19 infections in seven weeks with 116 new cases and 15 additional deaths on Monday.

Mr Andrews said the state could not afford to lower the restrictions, and would extend the State of Emergency to 18 months in September, giving the government the power to impose further lockdown restrictions.

'It is not an unlimited extension, it is nothing more than a recognition that this virus won't be over on September 30,' the premier said.

'I would love nothing more for there to be no need for any rules on September 14, but I don't think that is the reality.'

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/melbourne/man-lashes-melbourne-police-as-he-s-detained-for-not-wearing-mask/ar-BB18kDlB

Rich Victorians leave using private aircraft to dodge lockdown

Wealthy Victorians trapped under Premier Daniel Andrews' draconian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions are escaping in private aircraft - with pilots even turning off the plane's transponders to flee unnoticed.

Daily Mail Australia has been told aircraft movements continue to flow out of small airports across the state - with the planes landing in remote airports interstate.

This means passengers are able to avoid the standard 14-day quarantine - and could be potentially spreading the virus from Australia's COVID-19 red zone.

While Qantas has been forced to park its international fleet in the Mojave Desert in California and cancel international flights until July 2021, private operators have been accused of flouting the laws for rich, who are prepared to pay $1,000-an-hour to leave Victoria.
A well-placed source within the airline industry has told Daily Mail Australia pilots are able to easily escape Victoria simply by turning of their aircraft transponder.

The device is a radio transmitter in the cockpit that works with ground radar to identify its position, altitude and call sign to ground flight controllers.

'All you need to do is switch it off and you can pretty much fly across the border and land at a little airfield out of the way,' a source said.

Fat-cat executives working out of Melbourne are believed to be utilising the rogue services to continue working interstate as required.

Others are simply escaping a Melbourne winter made all the more miserable by Dan Andrew's controversial Stage Four restrictions.

'One bloke flew his teenage kids into northern NSW,' the insider claimed.

Under the current COVID-19 State of Disaster, Melburnians are only allowed to leave their homes to shop for essential items, exercise within a 5km radius from their homes and must adhere to an 8pm-5am curfew unless they have a work permit.

In regional Victoria, communities are trapped in Stage Three lockdown, which allows private airfields to continue recreational and training flights.

A Melbourne businessman told Daily Mail Australia he had sought out the high-flying escape plan in an effort to see his children across the border.

Under the current lockdown laws imposed by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, many Victorians with interstate families have been unable to see them for most of the year.

'It's like being trapped in Stalag 13 (the German prisoner of war camp) and trying to break out,' the businessman said.

So desperate are some Victorians to escape that they are bundling themselves into boxes and being carried by road in trucks, which are permitted to keep freight moving across the country.

The businessman claimed a pilot could fly him across the border for $900 an hour, but that price could escalate depending on 'the heat' of the job.

He compared the operation to legendary Star Wars character Han Solo, who was paid to smuggle Luke Skywalker and friends into Alderaan.

On Monday, Premier Andrews extended the state's emergency warning despite COVID numbers steeply declining in recent weeks.

The premier argued that more needed to be done to ensure the trend continued downwards, and warned the State of Emergency could be in place for a further 12 months.

The announcement was savaged by former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett on Monday, who accused Mr Andrews of attempting to seize 'dictatorial powers' during the crisis.

'Are we all going to be locked up at the whim of the premier? Without any checks and balances? This is an act of a megalomaniac,' he said.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson told Daily Mail Australia he was unaware of any pilot attempting to escape Victoria illegally.

'Turning off the transponder in controlled airspace while flying under instruments would be a breach of regulations and risk action from CASA,' he said.

'Pilots like everyone else have to abide by the relevant COVID restrictions. Policing those restrictions is a state matter and not within our jurisdiction.'

A spokesperson for the government's Airservices Australia refused to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/melbourne/rich-victorians-leave-using-private-aircraft-to-dodge-lockdown/ar-BB18l6Ff

<< THEY ARE ALSO SAILING INTERSTATE AND PERHAPS INTERNATIONALLY IN THEIR YAUCHTS AND OCEAN GOING CABIN CRUISERS AND BIG GAME BOATS >>]
<< AND THE LESS WELL HEALED ARE GETTING OUT OF VICTORIA IN TRAWLERS , AND IN THEIR OWN FISHING AND PLEASURE BOATS BY HEADING TO NSW OR SA , THEY ONLY NEED TO GO FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM LAND TO NOT BE SEEN BY LANDBASED COPS OR LIGHT HOUSES ( RUN WITH LIGHTS OFF , GIVE LOCAL TRAWLERS A WIDE BERTH , AND NO ONE WILL BE ANY WIZER, AND THEN TRAVEL 30 TO 50 KM PAST THE BORDER AND THEN COME IN TO DISEMBARK AT A BOAT RAMP OR PUBLIC JETTY OR PUBLIC WHARF , TOO EASY.
DRUG RUNNERS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR DECADES >>

 

[kingofnobbys]

25 AUGUST NSW

NSW coronavirus infections rise by three, Victorian border restrictions to be eased

Travel restrictions for residents on the NSW-Victoria border will be eased, allowing some agricultural workers to travel 100 kilometres north of the Murray River.

Currently, border residents with permits to enter NSW must stay within a 2.5km zone, but Deputy Premier John Barilaro today revealed that would be extended to 50km, with a 100km exemption for agricultural workers.

The announcement comes as NSW recorded three new coronavirus infections, and police charged a Victorian man who allegedly crossed the border illegally and lead them on a 200km car chase.

One of the three new COVID-19 cases is in hotel quarantine and the other two are linked to known cases.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she expected the number of new coronavirus cases to fluctuate in her state over the coming weeks.

"You will notice a yo-yo effect," she said.

"Of course, we are certainly in a much better position today than we were some weeks ago and we want that situation to continue."

Chief medical officer Kerry Chant said one of the cases linked to a known source was a healthcare worker at Liverpool Hospital and the other was a student of Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta.

Meanwhile, Mr Barilaro said he hoped the easing border restrictions would make life easier for people in communities that straddle the state line.

"I understand the uniqueness, the anomalies, that often in normal circumstances make it difficult to live in these communities [and] you put a layer of COVID over the top of this community and restrictions, it really makes it difficult," he said.

Victorians who live in border communities are eligible to get a permit to enter NSW for work, education, medical care and supplies or to provide or receive care.

Meanwhile, a man from Warrnambool, Victoria has been charged after he allegedly unlawfully drove into NSW and led police on a 200-kilometre pursuit.

Police say the 51-year-old was trying to reach Canberra and the chase only came to end when he ran out of fuel.

Officers had stopped the man's convertible at a checkpoint on the Hume Highway and discovered he had no permit to enter the state and had attempted to cross the border without a permit before.

Police say they were escorting the man back to Victoria when he sped away, and, at one stage, was travelling 172kph.

The man faced Wagga Wagga Local Court this morning, where a mental health assessment was ordered.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nsw-coronavirus-infections-rise-by-three-victorian-border-restrictions-to-be-eased/ar-BB18kEgT

NSW coronavirus infections rise by three, Victorian border restrictions to be eased

Key points:
The changes are designed to make life easier for people in border towns
There were three new COVID-19 cases in NSW in the 24 hours to 8.00pm yesterday
The source of all of them is known

Travel restrictions for residents on the NSW-Victoria border will be eased, allowing some agricultural workers to travel 100 kilometres north of the Murray River.

Currently, border residents with permits to enter NSW must stay within a 2.5km zone, but Deputy Premier John Barilaro today revealed that would be extended to 50km, with a 100km exemption for agricultural workers.

The announcement comes as NSW recorded three new coronavirus infections, and police charged a Victorian man who allegedly crossed the border illegally and lead them on a 200km car chase.

One of the three new COVID-19 cases is in hotel quarantine and the other two are linked to known cases
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she expected the number of new coronavirus cases to fluctuate in her state over the coming weeks.

"You will notice a yo-yo effect," she said.

"Of course, we are certainly in a much better position today than we were some weeks ago and we want that situation to continue."

Chief medical officer Kerry Chant said one of the cases linked to a known source was a healthcare worker at Liverpool Hospital and the other was a student of Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta.

Meanwhile, Mr Barilaro said he hoped the easing border restrictions would make life easier for people in communities that straddle the state line.

"I understand the uniqueness, the anomalies, that often in normal circumstances make it difficult to live in these communities [and] you put a layer of COVID over the top of this community and restrictions, it really makes it difficult," he said.

Victorians who live in border communities are eligible to get a permit to enter NSW for work, education, medical care and supplies or to provide or receive care.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-25/nsw-coronavirus-infections-rise-by-three/12592154

'Maria from Mosman' blasts Millennials for complaining about COVID-19

Morrison government to bring forward $1bn of defence spending in Covid…
COVID-19 has gutted global tourism and it's costing Australia $10b every month

A proud Baby Boomer has slammed 'entitled Millennials' for complaining about life during the coronavirus pandemic, claiming life was far harder in the 1950s.

Maria Hreglich, who lives in Sydney's affluent harbourside suburb of Mosman, spoke out during Q&A's panel discussion about 'Generation COVID' on Monday night.

'Why are all these young people complaining?' she asked.

'I am the first generation of the Baby Boomers. We did not have very much. We worked hard and saved.

'Not this throwaway society the young live in now. They are not prepared to sacrifice; whatever goes wrong, it's not their fault; and they are not prepared to do whatever it takes to get on.'

Morrison government to bring forward $1bn of defence spending in Covid…
COVID-19 has gutted global tourism and it's costing Australia $10b every month

A proud Baby Boomer has slammed 'entitled Millennials' for complaining about life during the coronavirus pandemic, claiming life was far harder in the 1950s.

Maria Hreglich, who lives in Sydney's affluent harbourside suburb of Mosman, spoke out during Q&A's panel discussion about 'Generation COVID' on Monday night.

'Why are all these young people complaining?' she asked.

'I am the first generation of the Baby Boomers. We did not have very much. We worked hard and saved.

'Not this throwaway society the young live in now. They are not prepared to sacrifice; whatever goes wrong, it's not their fault; and they are not prepared to do whatever it takes to get on.'

a man and a woman walking down the street: Millenials have been slammed for complaining about life during the coronavirus pandemic (pictured: Young women wearing face masks in Melbourne)© Provided by Daily Mail Millenials have been slammed for complaining about life during the coronavirus pandemic (pictured: Young women wearing face masks in Melbourne)
Melbourne youth advocate Ahmed Hassan, who was one of seven young panellists on the show, hit back at Ms Hreglich.

He said many young people had been forced to make sacrifices by giving up sport and hobbies during the past few months.

'Young people are suffering so much. They're sacrificing as much as they can. They've sacrificed their education, their jobs; their mental health is in a very dire state.

'What else do you want them to do? We should work together and say how can we beat this virus.'

Farmer Kate McBride, who was also on the panel, said there was no need to point the finger or discredit how others were feeling.

She said many people across the globe were making sacrifices to reduce the risk of spreading he virus.

'This is a hardship no one has experienced before and we are all being affected in different ways, whether you're rural or from the city.

'I think we need to listen to how everyone is feeling.

'It doesn't matter if you're young or old, we're sticking by each other.'

Others spoke out about what they had struggled with over the past six months, which included job loss and missing out on graduation.

Ms Hreglich's comments sparked a heated debate online as well, with many pointing out how she lived in one of the wealthiest suburbs in Sydney.

'Maria from Mosman looks like she benefited from free uni, low interest rates and home prices that allowed her to buy in *checks notes* Mosman...' one person wrote on Twitter.

'How about you sacrifice your Mosman home Maria,' another wrote.

'Maria married well and has a house IN MOSMAN!!! She lived through a time where unions protected workers and her husband could afford a house to raise children in that her kids are now waiting to inherit...' wrote another.

However, one man agreed with Ms Hreglich.

'There are far too many young people that consider sport as something important in their lives and a valid career choice. We all need to forget about sport and socialising for a while and focus on what us important in life,' he wrote.

Monday's show also spoke about how the pandemic was impacting mental health and university fees and the impact of dipping into superannuation early.

During the nationwide lockdown in March due to the coronavirus pandemic almost 500 million jobs were destroyed, most being in the hospitality and retail sector.

Large queues of mostly young people were seen outside Centrelink offices across Australia as many had to resort to government handouts to survive.

The move hit the Australian economy, impacting consumer demand on almost all levels.

And while there are signs of an economic bounce-back, government officials have warned the impact of pandemic will be felt for years to come.

Treasurer Frydenberg said the government's recently announced JobMaker plan was designed to rebuild the economy.

'We know the road to recovery will be bumpy as we have seen with the setback in Victoria,' Mr Frydenberg said.

'However, the jobs recovery across the rest of the country gives cause for optimism that through containing the spread of the virus and reopening the economy we will get through this.'



Morrison government to bring forward $1bn of defence spending in Covid…
COVID-19 has gutted global tourism and it's costing Australia $10b every month

A proud Baby Boomer has slammed 'entitled Millennials' for complaining about life during the coronavirus pandemic, claiming life was far harder in the 1950s.

Maria Hreglich, who lives in Sydney's affluent harbourside suburb of Mosman, spoke out during Q&A's panel discussion about 'Generation COVID' on Monday night.

'Why are all these young people complaining?' she asked.

'I am the first generation of the Baby Boomers. We did not have very much. We worked hard and saved.

'Not this throwaway society the young live in now. They are not prepared to sacrifice; whatever goes wrong, it's not their fault; and they are not prepared to do whatever it takes to get on.'

a man and a woman walking down the street: Millenials have been slammed for complaining about life during the coronavirus pandemic (pictured: Young women wearing face masks in Melbourne)© Provided by Daily Mail Millenials have been slammed for complaining about life during the coronavirus pandemic (pictured: Young women wearing face masks in Melbourne)
Melbourne youth advocate Ahmed Hassan, who was one of seven young panellists on the show, hit back at Ms Hreglich.

He said many young people had been forced to make sacrifices by giving up sport and hobbies during the past few months.

'Young people are suffering so much. They're sacrificing as much as they can. They've sacrificed their education, their jobs; their mental health is in a very dire state.

'What else do you want them to do? We should work together and say how can we beat this virus.'

Farmer Kate McBride, who was also on the panel, said there was no need to point the finger or discredit how others were feeling.

She said many people across the globe were making sacrifices to reduce the risk of spreading he virus.

'This is a hardship no one has experienced before and we are all being affected in different ways, whether you're rural or from the city.

'I think we need to listen to how everyone is feeling.

'It doesn't matter if you're young or old, we're sticking by each other.'


Others spoke out about what they had struggled with over the past six months, which included job loss and missing out on graduation.

Ms Hreglich's comments sparked a heated debate online as well, with many pointing out how she lived in one of the wealthiest suburbs in Sydney.

'Maria from Mosman looks like she benefited from free uni, low interest rates and home prices that allowed her to buy in *checks notes* Mosman...' one person wrote on Twitter.

'How about you sacrifice your Mosman home Maria,' another wrote.

'Maria married well and has a house IN MOSMAN!!! She lived through a time where unions protected workers and her husband could afford a house to raise children in that her kids are now waiting to inherit...' wrote another.

However, one man agreed with Ms Hreglich.

'There are far too many young people that consider sport as something important in their lives and a valid career choice. We all need to forget about sport and socialising for a while and focus on what us important in life,' he wrote.

Monday's show also spoke about how the pandemic was impacting mental health and university fees and the impact of dipping into superannuation early.


During the nationwide lockdown in March due to the coronavirus pandemic almost 500 million jobs were destroyed, most being in the hospitality and retail sector.

Large queues of mostly young people were seen outside Centrelink offices across Australia as many had to resort to government handouts to survive.

The move hit the Australian economy, impacting consumer demand on almost all levels.

And while there are signs of an economic bounce-back, government officials have warned the impact of pandemic will be felt for years to come.

Treasurer Frydenberg said the government's recently announced JobMaker plan was designed to rebuild the economy.

'We know the road to recovery will be bumpy as we have seen with the setback in Victoria,' Mr Frydenberg said.

'However, the jobs recovery across the rest of the country gives cause for optimism that through containing the spread of the virus and reopening the economy we will get through this.'

Source: Treasurer Josh Frydenberg
JobMaker includes a $1 billion JobTrainer fund to help create 340,700 new training places and a further $1.5 billion in support for small and medium businesses to retain their apprentices.

The coronavirus effective employment rate is a Treasury estimate based on the number of unemployed people looking for work, plus those employed and working zero hours, plus those who gave up and left the labour market since March.

The new effective rate is being used because the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the pandemic means the official unemployment rate conveys even less useful information about spare capacity in the labour market than usual.

The participation rate, which measures the number of working aged people actually in full-time work is regarded as a better indicator as it captures those who are not registered as unemployed or who are hidden by unemployment programs such as the Community Development Program or Transition to Work.

JOBS RECOVERY IN YOUR STATE
NEW SOUTH WALES

- Strongest recovery since April

- 315,000 people gaining effective employment since April

- Recovered 69.4% of those unemployed in April compared to March

- Effective unemployment down from 15.8% in April to 8.5% in July

VICTORIA

- Nearly half of those employed but working zero hours for July are in Victoria

- In April before the second outbreak only 30% of zero hour workers came from Victoria

- Treasury expects lockdowns to hurt the labour market in future months

- Effective unemployment rate expected to increase above 13%

- Predicted increase of 450,000 people effectively unemployed in August and September over July

- Effective unemployment rate down from 14.6% in April to 10.5% in July.

QUEENSLAND

- 100,000 people gained effective employment since April

- 39.2% recovery in April over March

- 14.5% of people stood down on zero hours going back to work

- Effective unemployment rate down from 15.1% in April to 11.4% in July

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

- 67,000 people gained effective employment since April

- 51.1% per cent recovery in April over March

- 9.7% of people stood down on zero hours going back to work

- Effective unemployment rate down from 14.4% in April to 9.8% in July

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

- 51,000 people gained effective employment since April

- 62.2% recovery in April over March

- 7.4% per cent of people stood down on zero hours going back to work

- Effective unemployment rate down from 15.3% in April to 9.8% in July

TASMANIA

- 17,000 people gained effective employment since April

- 68% recovery in April over March

- 2.5% of people stood down on zero hours going back to work

- Effective unemployment rate down from 14.1% in April to 7.9% in July

<< YES SHE'S RIGHT, BABYBOOMERS HAVE SEEN DEEP RECESSIONS, HIGH INFLATION ( MY MORTGAGE WAS AT 18.5% FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN THE MID 198O , MASS LAYOFFS , ENTIRE INDUSTRIES SHUT DOWN ( STATE DOCKYARD , COMM STEEL , BHP NEWCASTLE STEELWORKS, BOOLAROO SMELTER, KURRI KURRI ALUMINIUM SMELTER, COAL MINES CLOSED, CAR MAKING CLOSED, PRIVATISATION OF UTILITIES ==> MASS LAYOFFS TO MAKE THEM PROFITABLE WHEN THE STATE GOVTS SELL OF PUBLIC OWNED ASSETS , A LONG LIST ), AND THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS NO BUSINESS IS TOO BIG TO BE ALLOWED TO FAIL ( RAGONOMICS ) AND THE EROSION OF THE PUBLIC SAFETYNETS ( AMERICANISATION OF THE ECONOMY ). >>


QUARANTINE
Sydney Travelodge hotel removed from coronavirus quarantine program after police audit

Key points:
Guests at the Travelodge Hotel told the ABC several guards were not wearing masks
The rooms were described as unhygienic, with some having cockroaches
A guest said leaving the hotel was "like winning the lottery"

The NSW Government is moving 366 returned overseas travellers out of a Sydney hotel after dumping it from the quarantine program.
The ABC understands the Travelodge Hotel in central Sydney was found to not meet the expectations of authorities during an audit carried out by police, an assertion the hotel rejects.

Travellers who were staying there have begun being relocated to other hotels in the city, in a move expected to take around 12 hours to complete.

"Hotels that do not meet the expectations are rotated out of the hotels roster," NSW Police said in a statement.

"On Tuesday … NSW Police ascertained that one such hotel did not meet the expectations required as part of the quarantine program.

"A decision was made to relocate all 366 guests to another, more suitable accommodation."

A spokesperson for Travelodge has told ABC the company is not aware of any COVID-19 breaches.

"Since March, Travelodge Sydney has continuously hosted around 2,000 rooms as part of the NSW Government's mandated hotel isolation program," the spokesperson said.

"Our most recent site inspection with police and health authorities was conducted on July 28, and we were deemed compliant and retained on the isolation program. We are not aware of any subsequent audit, nor are we aware of any COVID-19 related concerns.

"The Travelodge Sydney has strict protocols in place around COVID-19 cleaning and these have not been brought into question by the NSW authorities."

Passenger didn't feel 'physically safe' in 'dirty' room
Kelsey Burrows, who landed in Sydney from Dublin on Saturday, said she was suddenly awoken at 5:30pm by a voice over the PA instructing guests to evacuate within two hours.

"I was taking a nap, because I was still quite jet-lagged … there was a building-wide announcement that we were changing locations," she told the ABC while "furiously" packing.

"There was no indication as to why or where we were going."
Lauren Farmer, who landed from Scotland, said the conditions of rooms were so deplorable, she did not "feel physically safe in that space".

"Even though I knew the Travelodge is a budget hotel, I arrived and the room that hadn't been cleaned properly," Ms Farmer said.

"The tables were sticky, there was white powder all over the carpet, there were clumps of someone's hair on the couch.

"The bathroom was so dirty, I didn't even feel like walking into it."

She said she also observed many guards not wearing masks.
Ms Burrows said during her short stay at the Travelodge, she found cockroaches in her room and was given bug spray by the concierge after complaining.

She said breakfast at times did not arrive until 11:30am in the morning.

Ms Farmer said she heard similar complaints from dozens of other guests and leaving was "like they've won the lottery".

"I just can't even explain how happy they are," she said.

"I want to emphasize that no-one is expecting luxury or needs anything near that. We just need a place that's clean and where we feel like we'll leave with our mental and physical wellbeing."

Police said they worked closely with NSW Health and the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission to ensure hotels used for the mandatory 14-day quarantine period "comply with the highest standards".

Although police did not disclose why standards were not met at the Sydney hotel, they said hotels were expected to have "robust infection control measures".

"The health, safety and comfort of all quarantined travellers remains a top priority for NSW Police," the statement said.

TFE Hotels, which operates Travelodge Sydney, was reached for comment.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-25/sydney-travelodge-dumped-from-nsw-coronavirus-hotel-program/12594866
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/sydney-travelodge-hotel-removed-from-coronavirus-quarantine-program-after-police-audit/ar-BB18lpwR?li=AAgfYrC&ocid=iehp

BORDERS
Major change to New South Wales-Victoria border announced

A major change for people living in towns along the New South Wales-Victoria border has been announced by Deputy Premier John Barilaro.

He said people will be permitted to travel within a 50-kilometre radius of the border again, rather than the current 2.5-kilometre limit.

It means people can travel for work, education, care and also to see family and friends.

https://twitter.com/LizGwynn/status/1298092985016446977
"What we're announcing today, and we'll work towards over the next seven to 10 days, is that we will lift the border restrictions from the current tight two-and-half kilometre border zone back to the 50-kilometre border zone," Mr Barilaro said.
"(It will) give more freedom for communities on both sides of the border to work, play and actually function as a community and in itself that is a significant change to what the current restriction is."

Mr Barilaro said quarantine hubs would be set up along the border to house agriculture workers crossing the border for work.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/major-change-to-new-south-wales-victoria-border-announced/ar-BB18kPKt

BUSINESS
Berejiklian government to pursue its own uranium push
<< SO NSW WILL JOIN NT , SA , AND WA IN URANIUM ORE MINING >>
<< ALL THE TIME IGNORING THE MASSIVE ( BIGGEST ON EARTH ) DEPOSITS THORIUM ORE IN THE STATE - THAT'S EVEN BETTER THAN URANIUM FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION WITHOUT LINKAGES TO PLUTONIUM AND WEAPONS GRADE URANIUM >>
<< PLUS A HEAPS OF NG , COAL AND OTHER EASIER TO COVERT TO POWER ENERGY SOURCES IN THE STATE >>

The Berejiklian government will pursue its own push to allow uranium mining in NSW, after cabinet ministers backed away from supporting One Nation's nuclear power bill in the upper house.

The bill, introduced by Mark Latham, would lift the 33-year ban on uranium mining and nuclear power, but on Monday night cabinet agreed that it would consider its own bill.
In March, Deputy Premier John Barilaro stunned colleagues when he said his party would support Mr Latham's bill, despite not taking the issue to the Nationals' party room.

Mr Barilaro, a long-time supporter of nuclear power, said the government should "lift the ban on nuclear energy" and confirmed his party would support it.

But the move angered several senior ministers, with one saying: "I did not get into Parliament to support a One Nation bill", while another said: "Crossbenchers don't set the government's agenda".

A shift in policy around uranium mining in NSW has still not been considered by the Coalition joint party rooms, which will not meet this week because only the upper house is sitting.

Mr Barilaro has now been tasked with commissioning more research around uranium mining and will report back to cabinet before any policy decisions are made.

A senior minister said Transport Minister Andrew Constance told cabinet that he could not support the One Nation bill because it could significantly impact electorates, including Bega.

Another minister told cabinet that there needed to be strategic and economic merit and community consultation around uranium mining.

Asked about the bill before it was presented to cabinet on Monday, NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean said uranium was not a viable resource.

"Right now the uranium price is about $30 per pound, that is well below the price needed to extract this from the ground. I think this is more about headlines than actually going to see anything result from digging it out of the ground," Mr Kean said.

A senior minister, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the issue was before cabinet, said "uranium mining will never happen so it's just about letting Barra [Barilaro] have a win."

"Sometimes the fights with Barra are just not worth it," the minister said.

Mr Latham could bring the bill on for a vote this week, after the Legislative Council was recalled for another week of sitting days. The bill has been sitting on the business paper for more than a year.

The upper house is also expected to focus this week on troubled public insurer icare.

Environmental groups have been critical of the government's consideration of Mr Latham's bill, with the Nature Conservation Council warning uranium mining would threaten water supply.

The council's chief executive Chris Gambian said the "sweetheart deal with One Nation yet again places multinationals ahead of the people of regional and rural NSW".

A parliamentary inquiry report recommended the government support the nuclear power bill.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/berejiklian-government-to-pursue-its-own-uranium-push/ar-BB18iQUl

 

[kingofnobbys]

25 AUGUST QLD

Queensland records no new coronavirus cases overnight after Brisbane youth detention centre cluster

Queensland's Chief Health Officer says she is investigating a "missing link" between the Melbourne trio and the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster as the state records zero new coronavirus cases overnight.

More than 8,000 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours.

It comes as the state's Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, said early genome sequencing indicated the cluster of coronavirus cases at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre could be linked to one of the women who returned from Melbourne earlier this year.

"It looks like this cluster has the same viral strain as one of the young women who went down to Melbourne," Dr Young said.

"I need more information, which is being done over the next 24 - 48 hours to be able to prove it.

"But at this stage, it does look like they could be linked."

Health Minister Steven Miles said the theory was not yet proven.

"That strain, the B1125 strain, is the most common strain currently circulating in Victoria, therefore there could be other sources of that strain here," Mr Miles said.

"Further genomic testing will be able to confirm if the two are indeed linked, we hope."

Mr Miles said although no new cases was good news, Queensland still had a "long way to go before we know we have controlled this possible outbreak".

Was a coronavirus case missed?
Dr Young said the case linking the two clusters had not yet been identified.

"We have the cluster related to that Melbourne Logan group, those five people, and we have the cluster related to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre, 10 people, there's a missing link between the two," she said.

The cluster at the detention centre at Wacol began when a prison worker tested positive for coronavirus last week, prompting widespread testing and restrictions to be reimposed across the state.

There are a total of 10 cases linked to the outbreak, five of which were workers at the centre, while the other five cases were relatives and immediate contacts of workers.

Dr Young said it was too soon to rule out whether Queensland would see community transmission as a result of the outbreak.

"It is still a little bit early, though, to be seeing those community cases, so it is really important that everyone with any symptom at all come forward and gets tested," she said.

She said it was important testing levels were ramped up to ensure every possible case of COVID-19 was found to stop the potential for another outbreak in the future.

"The cases we don't find are the ones that can lead to community transmission," Dr Young said.

"It's still really important that anyone with any symptoms at all comes forward and gets tested."

"We'll need to continue those testing levels for the next week to just make sure that there isn't a case that we've missed, because I'm beginning to think that is what has happened with this detention cluster."

Equipment concerns dismissed
Dr Young rejected claims that general practitioners were experiencing a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

"There is plenty out there, if they really can't find it, they should contact their local PHN (Primary Healthcare Network)," Dr Young said.

"Queensland is now manufacturing its own PPE so there should be no problem with all those primary healthcare practitioners, whether they be GPs or pharmacists, accessing PPE."

'Arrogant and dangerous' COVID breach
Meanwhile, a 28-year-old man who told police he walked over the Queensland border after being refused entry into the state three times has been ordered to serve 200 hours of unpaid community service.

James Steven Nech pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a COVID-19 direction in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

The court heard he was refused entry back into Queensland on three occasions after visiting the Tweed area on August 20.

He was arrested on Monday after police found him at his Indooroopilly home.

Nech was fined $4,003 on the third attempt to re-enter Queensland and will be subject to a quarantine order once he is released from custody.

His defence lawyer told the court her client arranged for a general pass for the day and thought he would be able to return to Queensland, but when told he could not, he "panicked" and was now remorseful.

Magistrate Andrew Moloney said Nech's conduct was "arrogant and dangerous".

"There was a way to come back to Queensland lawfully and you chose not to do it, putting potentially the community at risk," Magistrate Moloney said.

It comes after Queensland police checked a total of 68 flights carrying 3,199 passengers in the past 24 hours and a total of 14 people were refused entry.

At the road borders, 3,109 cars were checked and 107 people were refused entry, while 554 people were directed to quarantine.

The state currently has 18 active cases, leaving a total 1,106 cases.

Of the total 8,059 tests conducted in the last 24 hour period, 6,278 of those were conducted in the Great Brisbane region of concern related to the youth detention centre outbreak.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-records-no-new-coronavirus-cases-overnight-after-brisbane-youth-detention-centre-cluster/ar-BB18kA0x

Qld health officials search for 'missing link' between Brisbane clusters

Queensland’s chief health officer has confirmed the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre coronavirus cluster could be linked to one of the Logan women who allegedly flew illegally into Brisbane from Melbourne last month.
“At this stage it does look like they could be linked but we don’t have the case between the two clusters,” Dr Jeannette Young said.

“There’s a missing link between the two.”

The final genomic test results were expected this week.

Zero new cases of the virus were recorded overnight, with 10 active cases – five staff members and five relatives – linked to the detention centre cluster.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/qld-health-officials-search-for-missing-link-between-brisbane-clusters/ar-BB18kcNf

Queensland outbreak possibly linked to Victoria border jumpers

Queensland has "breathed a sigh of relief" after no new cases of coronavirus were identified overnight.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was "tremendous news" following the growing number of cases connected with the detention centre cluster over the weekend.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the cluster is showing early signs of being linked to the young women who allegedly flouted quarantine restrictions and headed back into the state from Victoria.

"It looks like this cluster has the same viral strain as one of the young women who went down to Melbourne," Dr Young said.

Early genomic sequencing has been carried out and further confirmation of the link could occur in 48 hours, she said.

"I need more information ... but at this estimate, it does look like they could be linked."

Dr Young said no-one is so far at risk in the youth detention centre.

"We're not keeping anyone in there who shouldn't be in there," she said.

"(But) this is a detention centre."
Queensland's borders continue to be busy, with many still trying to enter the state illegally.

Police said 68 flights landed in Queensland yesterday, with 14 passengers refused entry.

On road borders, police stopped 3109 vehicles and turned around 107 people.

In the past 24 hours, 554 people were placed into quarantine.

The state's total number of cases remains at 1106 and there are 18 active cases.

More than 8000 Queenslanders were tested yesterday.

Residents of south east Queensland are being urged to wear masks whenever they go to crowded places.

Yesterday there was one new case, which was linked to the Brisbane youth detention centre cluster.

Fight fans warned not to attend event
Fight fans planning to attend the Jeff Horn-Tim Tszyu boxing match in Townsville have been warned about coronavirus risks.

Queensland Health teams will be checking people coming off the flights into Townsville to check they have no symptoms, Ms Palaszczuk said.

"This is because we have a large number of people from Indigenous communities that are coming to the fight.
"It is very important that no-one goes to the Jeff Horn fight if you have any symptoms."

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk refused to divulge any details about discussions that could see Queensland hosting the AFL Grand Final.

Ms Palaszczuk said the state was capable of holding a "world class" sporting event.

The AFL was in active discussions with the premier's office and AFL teams Gold Coast Suns and Brisbane Lions, she said.

"These are very, very early days," she cautioned.

Queenslanders reassured state has 'plenty' of PPE
Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has declared Queensland is now covered for PPE but admitted it had been caught short at the start of the pandemic.

"Queensland is manufacturing its own PPE," she said.

"There is plenty of PPE out there.

"At the start of the pandemic we did not have enough PPE, we definitely do now."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-outbreak-possibly-linked-to-victoria-border-jumpers/ar-BB18kBTR?li=AAgfLCP

PROTECTING INDIGENOUS QLDERS ( WHO HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF COMORBIDITIES )
Qld Premier announces new COVID-19 health measures to protect indigenous during boxing match

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced new health measures will be implemented in her state as a "precaution" for large numbers of indigenous people attending a boxing match in Townsville.

The Premier said extra precautions would be put in place ahead of the Jeff Horn and Tim Tszyu fight to help protect indigenous communities who will be coming to watch the match.

“We are putting in this extra level of precaution just to make sure that everyone is safe at that event,” she said.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said the state had recorded no new overnight cases of COVID-19 leaving the total number of cases recorded in the state at 1,106 and the number of active cases at 18.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/qld-premier-announces-new-covid-19-health-measures-to-protect-indigenous-during-boxing-match/ar-BB18kJh7

MASKS
Queensland health officials recommend wearing face masks to combat the Brisbane coronavirus cluster.

ueensland has added 15 new locations to the health alert list as the government ramps up advice on wearing masks.

Health officials in Queensland have recommended people in the Greater Brisbane area wear face masks amid a coronavirus outbreak.

With 18 active cases state-wide, new guidelines have made masks mandatory for health workers, patients and hospital visitors in Brisbane and surrounding districts.

More widely, Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young recommends that people in Greater Brisbane should wear masks if they are in situations where they cannot practise social distancing.

But with masks mostly optional, will people actually wear them?
Victorians and some people in New South Wales have been wearing face masks for months, but we asked our Queensland subscribers on ABC News Messenger, as well as our ABC News live blog readers, how they felt about the new recommendation.

Specifically, whether they would wear a face mask if it wasn't mandatory.

Here's what they said …

Some people have already been wearing masks for months
As an asthmatic situated in Brisbane, I have been wearing a mask to the shops since community transmission started happening again in late July. I'm glad that it is now being recommended as voluntary participation hasn't been high from what I've seen. — Rosie T, Messenger

Brisbanite here: For months now, I've been using face masks any time I go somewhere that might be crowded or plan to catch public transport. I don't begrudge people not wearing masks, but I feel a lot safer when I see other people with masks as well, because I trust that those are also the people doing regular handwashing, maintaining distance and the like … masks for me both remind me not to touch my face, and to remain vigilant. The incubation period means that you may not know if you're part of a new outbreak until after you've been infectious; I would rather wear masks unnecessarily than find out too late that I might have infected someone else. — LB, from the blog

Many thought it was a good habit to get into now
Yes I'm going to wear a mask when I go grocery shopping or anywhere there are crowds of people. I work in human services and I will start wearing a mask at work too. I think it's important to create a norm and that means adopting a new behaviour that will hopefully catch on. — Ingrid M, Messenger

The risk of increased infections in Brisbane means we should start wearing masks, if only to get us in the habit of taking better precautions. — Philip C, Messenger

Everyone in my house including myself have already bought masks. I think we all have the intention to wear them regularly outside the house once they get delivered to us. This announcement is making me want to find a mask even sooner though, so that I don't have to risk going outside without one. — Rosie S, Messenger

People should wear masks in public. You will never be able to fully social distance when people are in a hurry pushing past you in crowded places. — Reggaeh R, Messenger

A couple of blog readers said they wouldn't wear one
As Dr Young states "That 1.5 metres is more effective than a mask. Masks are not totally foolproof — they will not protect you totally". So I will continue to keep my 1.5m distance and I will NOT be wearing a face mask. The most effective option is the best option. — Socially Distanced Queenslander

I would not wear a mask, except where it was impossible to enact social distancing (e.g. public transport). It leads to complacency, and I think it will also make lockdown fatigue worse — as well as causing problems for our mental health, as we struggle to remain connected with each other as a society. Dr Young is doing the right thing here. — SEQlder on masks

A few other blog readers said masks were a good deterrent
Wear a mask to the shop and everyone avoids you. Proved it yesterday. So wearing them probably reminds people to social distance if nothing else. — Redlands 'citizen'

I have seen a lot of people avoiding those wearing a mask in shopping centres, while grocery shopping, etc because of the assumption that they are sick. With the new directions from our CHO, along with the proximity of my work and residence to COVID clusters, I definitely will be packing a mask with me wherever I go. I think we have to work on removing the stigma to wear a mask here in Qld. Looking on the bright side, it's another way to add some flare and personality to your outfit! — SouthBris

One person pointed out masks can cut off communication for deaf people
I have family members and friends who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing. Masks completely cut off communication and expression. I have difficulty understanding people who wear a mask when they speak. It muffles their voice and I can't pick up what they are saying. People tend to be very stubborn-minded about removing a mask so that their voice can be clearly heard and their lips and faces visible. But we need you to do that so we can communicate. — No Masks Please, from the blog

One blog reader said they couldn't wear one without having a panic attack
Due to past trauma I have a panic attack as soon as I put on a mask (have had to do this twice — ripped it off minutes later and needed a lot of psychological help for weeks after). I just can't wear one!! Mentally and emotionally I can't do it!! I know from the DHHS website I have a valid reason for not wearing a mask. What really scares me though is, if masks become mandatory, having to explain and re-live that trauma every time I go out without one. I'm already really struggling emotionally if I see a man wearing a mask. I have to remind myself to look away and I make sure I keep as far away as possible. The more masks are encouraged the more I am going to be at home because I can't deal with the trauma they bring — Scary Qld Masks

Some said it would take getting used to
Yes! It will feel weird at first wearing a mask but am so prepared to do it for the sake of everyone in Qld, including myself!! — Carenza L, Messenger

It would actually be easier for people to start doing so if it were made mandatory. That way no-one feels silly wearing one when so few others are. I wore one on for the first time today and felt really self-conscious, even though I don't think other people look strange wearing a mask. When not many people are wearing them in Queensland, I think there is a psychological element that comes with wearing one — getting used to having it on your face and also wondering if people are assuming you are contagious. — Mask up in QLD, from the blog

Parents said it was a struggle to get young children to wear masks
While we're considering it, with small children it becomes more difficult. They often refuse to wear them and are very frightened by others wearing masks as well. Sewing colourful masks will be my choice if we do, to try to lessen the anxiety for our kids. — Evelyn M.R, Messenger

And then there were some having fun with it
Was nervous wearing them for the first time as so few others were, but soon got over it. Great to personalise them to show nice things to try to make up for no smiles. — Duncan, from the blog

I fully support the idea! My engineer/apprentice teacher/handyman partner and I bought material, elastic and iron-on interfacing a couple of months ago with intentions of using an old borrowed sewing machine to run up our own masks.

In short, the machine was of an age where it had limitations so we lost interest until an interstate friend in NSW asked me to make masks, some for her and her girls.

Then two weeks ago on our way back from a teaching job in Dalby, an art teacher friend at Toowoomba gifted us an overlocker she wasn't using.

My partner has been wanting to buy a sewing machine for about two years. With his tax return he invested in a new sewing machine and is going to go get lessons on how to run both!

We mailed some prototypes to my HSC-studying daughter in northern NSW last week, and are trying out the child-sized pattern on my neighbour's four-year-old daughter today. Now we're getting expressions of interest from family in Melbourne and others here.

At least he'll have something to occupy himself if we end up in lockdown! — Alexandra C, Messenger

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-health-officials-recommend-wearing-face-masks-to-combat-the-brisbane-coronavirus-cluster-here-s-what-you-think/ar-BB18kRLb

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-push-to-wear-masks-in-queensland/vi-BB18ktJv


BREACHES

Brisbane club fined for health breach
A club in Brisbane's east has been fined for breaching a COVID-19 public health direction at the weekend.

Police investigated reports of a large gathering of people at The Brisbane Portuguese Club in Pinkenba on Saturday night.

The club president was issued with $6,772 fine for failing to comply with the Chief Health Officer's direction.

Investigations also established the club did not have a liquor licence, so a Liquor Infringement Notice and a separate $2,669 fine was also issued.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/queensland-records-no-new-coronavirus-cases-overnight-after-brisbane-youth-detention-centre-cluster/ar-BB18kA0x

Bundaberg business owners frustrated at people lying on COVID-19 contact forms

Restaurant and cafe owners in Bundaberg are frustrated and concerned with patrons who fill out incorrect details or leave contact tracing forms empty before entering their venues.

Licensees are currently required to collect the contact information, including the names and addresses, of sit-down patrons to assist with tracing if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19.

The ABC has seen examples of obviously false submissions that have been shared by local publicans on private social accounts.

Patrons who fail to provide accurate information can be fined $1,334, while corporations face fines of up to $6,672.50.

But Bundaberg Chamber of Commerce president Tim Sayre said the onus for providing the correct information should be on patrons.

"There is an onus on our pubs and clubs to make sure the data is accurate," Mr Sayre said.

"In most cases that is impossible.

"We expect people to do the right thing — it's not going to be used for anything other than COVID tracing.

"We would expect that the onus has to be put back on the public.

"We want all our businesses to be prepared and ready, which means having things in place should they need to have contact tracing."

No local cases, but vigilance urged
Queensland Police said there was no significant risk to the community after a couple from New South Wales were accused of breaching the state's border and travelling to Hervey Bay.

The 59-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman were arrested on August 18 and are now in hotel quarantine in Maryborough.

Inspector Tony Clowes said a community tip off alerted them to the alleged breach.

"Please, if you become aware of anyone you suspect has illegally crossed the border or is not complying with directions, notify Queensland Health, CrimeStoppers or the Queensland Police Service," Inspector Clowes said.

"I think it's a timely reminder that no area of the state, no community is immune from this.

"We all need to be united and fight this together."

The couple are accused of lying on their border declarations and face fines of up to $4,000.

Queensland Health said there were no active COVID-19 cases in the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service area.

'They just don't care'
University of the Sunshine Coast psychologist Rachel Sharman said unit the virus affected someone close to those who lied on forms they would continue to downplay its significance.

"They just don't care," Dr Sharman said.

"They want to do what they want to do and they are willing to take the risk.

"If you can't see it, you can't feel it, you assume it won't affect you."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/bundaberg-business-owners-frustrated-at-people-lying-on-covid-19-contact-forms/ar-BB18kRL9

Two people walk across Queensland border

Police have intercepted two people attempting to walk across the Queensland border while the state enforces strict coronavirus closures.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coronavirus-two-people-walk-across-queensland-border/vi-BB18kypC
<< PRETTY EASY TO DO , LOTS WILL BE DOING THIS I EXPECT >>

Melbourne millionaire who cruised to Queensland has coronavirus travel exemption revoked

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has revoked a coronavirus travel exemption for Melbourne multimillionaire Mark Simonds and six other people who cruised from Melbourne to the Gold Coast in a luxury yacht.

The Lady Pamela — which is owned by Mr Simonds — left Melbourne on August 9 for a 15-day voyage.

It stopped at several locations along the New South Wales coast, which is a coronavirus hotspot, before arriving at a marina at Coomera on the Gold Coast on Monday morning.

Mr Simonds is the executive director of development company Simonds Group and it is understood he was on the yacht with members of his family.

Earlier on Tuesday, Dr Young said the family had been granted a travel exemption to enter Queensland, but by Tuesday night it had been revoked.

In a statement, Queensland Health said new information had been provided which indicated the owner of the Lady Pamela obtained an exemption approval based on incomplete information.

It said any attempt to bypass or manipulate Queensland's border directions was unacceptable.

All seven people are now required to pay for 14 days quarantine in a government-approved hotel.

Queensland and New South Wales police are investigating the matter.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the state's emergency operations controller Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys would be looking it.

"There's one rule for everyone in COVID-19 and I've found when individuals think that they're better then the next person then people get upset," he said.

"Whether it is a protest or a person driving a truck or bringing a boat … people are suffering, we're all making some big lifestyle changes and we want everyone to be treated equally in this."

Superyachts granted exemptions
Speaking at a media conference earlier, Dr Young said Queensland Health had given exemptions to anyone who has been on a sea vessel for 14 days and not visited a hotspot area during that time.

"I do know about a number of superyachts that have come into Queensland," Dr Young said.

"We're quite an important place for repairs for a lot for those superyachts — we have a significant industry in that."

Dr Young said Queensland Health was working closely with Maritime Safety Queensland to ensure sea travellers had not been to coronavirus hotspots or, if they had, they were also required to enter hotel quarantine for 14 days.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/melbourne-millionaire-who-cruised-to-queensland-has-coronavirus-travel-exemption-revoked/ar-BB18lE8d

 

[kingofnobbys]

25 AUGUST WA

WA Police have enjoyed extraordinary powers amid the coronavirus crisis. But will they last?

It already has the nation's toughest border entry rules and no community transmission of coronavirus, but Western Australia is beefing up its hardline approach even more by preparing new rules around the electronic monitoring of people in quarantine.

While this action has been prompted by some high-profile quarantine breaches in recent weeks, as well as Victoria's coronavirus outbreak, it also highlights the extraordinary powers of governments and their police forces during a state of emergency.

Few people would realise that under fast-tracked changes to laws in the early days of the pandemic, WA Police have the power to make every person in quarantine wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

It's one of the wide-reaching powers available since WA entered a state of emergency in March — the first in the state's history and one with no clear end date in sight.

Last week, WA Premier Mark McGowan said he would like to see potential criminals entering the state being forced to wear the bracelets.

"If we think someone is a flight risk or a potential criminal or a former criminal, well they're the sorts of people they would go on," he said.

'Borders save lives': The case for a hardline stance
States of emergency are rarely introduced in democratic states — let alone for long periods of time — because the extraordinary powers they give governments can restrict many civil rights, such as freedom of movement.

But the dangers of coronavirus prompted many governments around the world, including all of Australia's states, to declare states of emergency earlier this year to manage a dangerous and fast-changing health crisis.

It allowed the states to enforce quarantine and social distancing, close their borders and make directives about when places like cafes and gyms could open.

These powers have time limits and are regularly reviewed, although Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced plans on Monday for laws to allow for an 18-month state of emergency, prompting calls of a "power grab" by the Opposition.

All the Australian states have different ways of running a state of emergency, with WA declaring both a state of emergency and public health state of emergency to tackle the pandemic.

This state of emergency situation hands extraordinary powers to the State Emergency Coordinator, who is WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson, with advice from the Chief Health Officer.

The WA Government strongly argues its border policy has been key to preventing community transmission of the coronavirus.

"Our borders save lives," Mr McGowan said.

"People are alive today because we put our borders in place."

Laws rushed through as once-in-100-year pandemic hit
To handle the crisis, the WA Government had to update its own state of emergency laws in the early days of the pandemic.

These changes, including the option to enforce quarantine with electronic monitoring, were introduced in April, a time when the coronavirus-riddled cruise ship Artania was refusing to leave Fremantle and the death toll in Italy was mounting.

Nobody knew how long the state of emergency would need to last or what impact the coronavirus would have on the state.

In agreement with all the other WA political parties, the law changes were rushed through with significantly shortened times for debate and scrutiny.

They included removing the right to remain silent, so people could be compelled to say where they had travelled and who they had been in contact with.

While this law will end when the coronavirus state of emergency ends, many of the others introduced will remain in place for future disasters.

Terrorism laws show need for caution: legal expert
Five months on, these historic laws concern some observers, like Greens MP Alison Xamon.

She said while the laws were fast-tracked to help police deal with new challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis, they should be reconsidered once the pandemic is over.

"If you have got legislation which has been rushed through in that way, I think it's all the more important that it's not there as a permanent legislative provision," she said.

Law Society of WA president Nicholas van Hattem said it was crucial that states behaved responsibly with their state of emergency powers.

"To me, it's also reminiscent to responses to terrorism threats which were more prominent in years past," Mr van Hattem said.

"Even international governments have passed extraordinary laws with extraordinary powers which all seemed pretty reasonable at the time and then years later all those powers remained and were not removed.

"I think it's fair to say we'd prefer to see sunset clauses, review clauses or parliament just revisiting these powers from time to time."

Frustrated residents point to lack of transparency
The Human Rights Law Centre has warned states to be transparent about how these new police powers are exercised.

It has also called for independent investigations of misconduct to be allowed, and has urged sunset clauses to be introduced — meaning the powers end when the state of emergency ends.

Like many people who have become frustrated with the way WA's border is being managed, Margaret River couple Lee and Rene Matteeussen certainly agree with the first point.

They've lived in WA their entire lives but now jokingly call themselves refugees.

Like many people, they are frustrated by the lack of transparency of police decisions to grant exemptions for people to enter the state.

The semi-retirees are working at a caravan park at Mission Beach in Queensland and, after having their applications to return to WA rejected several times, are thinking the town might have to become their new home.

"Are we going to be able to come home?" Mrs Matteeussen asked.

They had made a short-term move to regional Victoria to run a caravan park and applied to return to WA after they were offered jobs in Esperance in June.

But their applications were caught up in the tightening of WA's border laws after the coronavirus outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria.

"We did have jobs to go to and we were willing to abide by the rules of quarantine," Mrs Matteeussen said.

No right of appeal on exemptions
This week's news that police plan to give more consideration to people moving to WA for work is good for people like the Matteeussens.

But there is still no appeal process over police decisions on exemptions, with failed applicants told to keep resubmitting.

WA Police said the usual processes for raising concerns were still operating under the state of emergency.

You can make a complaint about police via the website.

You can also raise concerns with the WA Ombudsman, while the role of the Corruption and Crime Commission is unchanged by the introduction of the state of emergency.

The CCC will continue to investigate allegations of police corruption and misconduct, including the excessive use of force.

The new powers have also brought a dramatically increased workload for police officers, who are processing and assessing thousands of applications to enter WA.

Assistant Police Commissioner Gary Dreibergs said there were 4,000 people in home quarantine this week, as well as 1,500 isolating in hotels.

Mr van Hattem said it was also a difficult environment for governments to manage because the situation changed so frequently.

"I think it is crucial that the state behaves responsibly and that the people have confidence that the measures they have undertaken are reasonable," he said.

"A lot of these measures depend on the reasonableness of the measure. And what we're seeing is that every week what might be reasonable might change.

"It's a really fast-moving landscape."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/wa-police-have-enjoyed-extraordinary-powers-amid-the-coronavirus-crisis-but-will-they-last/ar-BB18kB2s


WA wins Federal Court bid to keep interstate border closed

Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge concedes the closure has helped WA stay virus-free, but says it's created considerable practical problems for border communities.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/wa-wins-federal-court-bid-to-keep-interstate-border-closed/vi-BB18l55N

BREACHES
Woman who snuck into WA by hiding on a truck is jailed for six months

A woman who snuck into Western Australia on the back of a truck from coronavirus-plagued Victoria has been jailed for six months - the harshest penalty yet for a COVID-19 breach.

Asher Faye Vander Sanden travelled back to the state by road between July 30 and August 11 because she didn't want to pay the mandatory hotel quarantine fee of $2,500.

The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with a direction of the Emergency Management Act on Tuesday.

She was sentenced to six months behind bars and will be eligible for parole after three months.

Magistrate Andrew Matthews told Vander Sanden her actions had the potential to undo 'what this government has done to prevent community spread', The West Australian reported.

Vander Sanden was in Victoria for a month while she was visiting her sister and applied for an exemption to get back into WA.

She was granted an exemption to enter WA on a flight from Melbourne but instead met a truck driver in Mildura on July 31 who agreed to smuggle her into the state.

Perth Magistrates Court heard she hid in a car that was being transported by the truck and did not declare herself at Eucla.

When she failed to arrive at Perth airport as expected on August 11 police immediately commenced an investigation.

Police were aware of her arrival into the state but Vander Sanden refused to quarantine as she did not want to pay the hefty $2,500 fee.

Instead she contacted her boyfriend who picked her up from a petrol station in Midland.

They went back to his Scarborough home where the 28-year-old claims to have self-quarantined.
Police prosecutors told the court they were searching for Vander Sanden but she was deliberately hiding from them.

She was eventually arrested at her boyfriend's home on August 11 and has been in custody at Bandyup Prison ever since.

Her lawyer John Hammond told the court the sentence should be decreased as she had pleaded guilty immediately and cooperated with police.

Mr Hammond said Vander Sanden understood she did the wrong thing but she had self-quarantined at her boyfriend's house so there was 'no contact with the outside community'.

However, police prosecutors insist a prison sentence was appropriate for the woman's 'complete disregard' for border restrictions.

Mr Matthews agreed and told her she put the community at a greater risk as she travelled from Victoria, a known hotspot.

Vander Sanden is believed to have tested negative to coronavirus.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/woman-who-snuck-into-wa-by-hiding-on-a-truck-is-jailed-for-six-months/ar-BB18kZRj

25 AUGUST SA
SA to consider travel buffer zones with Vic

South Australia Premier Steven Marshall says he will give serious consideration to border buffer zones with Victoria amid complaints of disruption from regional communities.
Reinstating the buffer zones will top the agenda today as SA health officials meet and reassess their hard borders as the coronavirus caseload in Victoria continues to fall.

If implemented, the buffer zones would allow travel between cross-border communities.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/sa-to-consider-travel-buffer-zones-with-vic/ar-BB18kaeG

South Australia to reverse coronavirus travel restrictions on Victorian border towns

South Australia's tough new border restrictions intended to combat the spread of coronavirus from Victoria will be relaxed just days after coming into effect, the SA Premier has confirmed.

A 40-kilometre buffer zone will be reinstated by midnight on Friday morning, allowing residents to cross the border for work, shopping and medical appointments, and students to go to school.

"The buffer zone that previously existed with Victoria will be reinstated as of Thursday night at midnight," Premier Steven Marshall said.

"As of Friday, school students will be able to return to school in South Australia. Businesses will be able to resume as they were.

"There is one caveat on this and that is that we don't have further community transmission in that western part of Victoria between now and [then]."

Home gathering limits will also be relaxed, with the number of people permitted to again increase to 50 from Friday.

Airport arrivals who travel through Canberra or Sydney airport en route to Adelaide from Tasmania, Western Australia, the Northern Territory or Queensland will not have to isolate for 14 days.

Earlier this month, South Australia announced it would be imposing much tougher restrictions on Victorians in border communities.

That prompted backlash, with distraught locals on the Victorian side of the border expressing concern about the impact on their daily lives and access to medical treatment.

Mr Marshall said "significant improvement" in the situation in Victoria led to today's announcement.

"They have been able to significantly reduce the number of new infections in Victoria," he said.

"We're not seeing a continuing escalation, we're not seeing seeding in regional SA, we're seeing active cases along the border reducing down and that's given the Transition Committee confidence."

No change yet for NSW, ACT, Qld travel
Mr Marshall acknowledged the difficulty the restrictions had caused for border communities, but said SA was following the best health advice.

"We don't want stage 4 lockdowns in South Australia," he said.

"We know it's been hugely disruptive, we've always said we won't keep [the rules] in place for one day longer than we need to."

However, border arrangements with the ACT and NSW will continue unchanged for now.

"We are going to continue to look at this closely … if we continue to see low levels it is quite possible that we will remove the requirement for 14 days' isolation in the next two weeks," Mr Marshall said.

Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said Queensland authorities were still working on a cluster linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.

Dr Spurrier said while no new cases were recorded in Queensland today, border arrangements with South Australia would not change.

"We still don't know the outcome of those people being out and about in their community," Dr Spurrier said.

She said SA Health had been given much more detailed data about the cases in Victoria's Glenelg Shire and other border regions, allowing the Transition Committee to relax border restrictions from Friday.

She rejected suggestions of a delay in receiving information from Victorian authorities, saying contract tracing efforts had been extensive and time-consuming.

"The reason we're saying Thursday is that it will be 14 days, a full incubation period, since the last case was diagnosed in the Glenelg Shire. The other, more northern local government areas are less of a concern," she said.

"We've been able to get the information that we require, when we require it and we're now able to make this decision which will support both the South Australian and Victorian border communities but also be safe from a South Australian perspective."

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the number of officers at the border would not decrease.

"We still need to make sure that people crossing the border have the correct permits," Mr Stevens said.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/south-australia-to-reverse-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-on-victorian-border-towns/ar-BB18kK9L

25 AUGUST FEDERAL'
Australia reaches 25,000 coronavirus cases, officials urge more testing

Australia surpassed 25,000 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, tipped over the milestone by the recent outbreak in Victoria state and prompting a warning from authorities about declining test numbers.

Australia recorded 151 new infections over the past 24 hours, up from 121 a day earlier, with Victoria responsible for the bulk of the cases and New South Wales accounting for the remainder.

The daily numbers were well down from a peak during Australia's second wave of more than 700 in a single day earlier this month, but officials expressed concern about a drop-off in the number of people presenting themselves for COVID-19 tests.

"We are seeing some decrease in the amount of testing ... please, if you have symptoms, do go and get tested," national Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan said during a televised media conference in Canberra.

The new cases took Australia's tally since the pandemic began to 25,067 cases, including 525 deaths.

Melbourne, the capital of Victoria and the country's second largest city, is the epicentre of the renewed outbreak. The city is just over halfway through a six-week strict lockdown, which requires residents to remain at home unless on essential business. Businesses have been forced to close and a nightly curfew imposed.

Premier Daniel Andrews is attempting to push legislation through state parliament to extend Victoria's state of emergency declaration by another year, giving him the ability to extend or reimpose restrictions over that period.

NEW ZEALAND TESTING BLITZ

In neighbouring New Zealand, officials announced a testing blitz as they reported seven new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours. Health Minister Chris Hopkins said 70,000 tests were planned over the next week.

"We haven’t quite got this cluster completely identified yet, we do need people to take that test when asked," Hopkins said in Wellington, referring to a group of cases in the city of Auckland that earlier this month ended the country's months-long run with no locally transmitted cases.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday extended a lockdown in Auckland until the end of the week and introduced mandatory mask wearing on public transport across the nation.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/wellbeing/australia-reaches-25-000-coronavirus-cases-officials-urge-more-testing/ar-BB18kbGR

Qantas set to cut another 2400 jobs by outsourcing ground handling

Qantas plans to axe another 2400 jobs by outsourcing all ground handling work at Australian airports, in a further blow to its workforce after already announcing 6000 redundancies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement comes after Qantas last week revealed it fell to a $1.9 billion full-year loss and would face "tough decisions" during a slower-than-expected recovery from the health crisis.

Qantas on Tuesday said that it was proposing to outsource work including baggage handling and aircraft cleaning at 10 airports where it is currently done by around 2000 Qantas staff. Existing staff can "bid" to keep the work under the terms of their workplace agreement, Qantas said.

The company's low-cost arm Jetstar has meanwhile decided to outsource ground handling at six airports, resulting in a loss of 370 jobs. Fifty bus drivers at Sydney Airport are also set to lose their jobs.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/company-news/qantas-set-to-cut-another-2400-jobs-by-outsourcing-ground-handling/ar-BB18kO3o

Virgin Australia may have traded while insolvent; Bain offers $3.5b in buyout, administrator Deloitte reveals

Virgin Australia may have been trading while insolvent in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic's impact on airline travel, according to a report by Virgin's administrator Deloitte.

"Our preliminary analysis indicates the group was insolvent from 22 March 2020 and possibly as early as 18 March 2020," Deloitte said in report to creditors ahead of a vote on Bain Capital's proposed buyout of the airline.

Virgin Australia was not placed into voluntary administration until April 21, with debts of $6.8 billion.

Under corporations law, company directors have a duty to prevent a company from trading while insolvent.

If a director is found to have contravened the law, he or she may be ordered to pay an amount of compensation to the company equal to the amount of loss or damage suffered by creditors of the company.

"We estimate there have been trading liabilities incurred of between $17m to $35m, depending upon whether the date of insolvency is 22 March 2020 or 18 March 2020, up to 25 March 2020," Deloitte's report said.

But it then goes on to advise that: "As we have formed the view that the Virgin Group was insolvent by at least 22 March 2020, the directors are able to avail themselves of the relief from insolvent trading under section 588GAAA, provided debts incurred whilst insolvent were done so in the ordinary course of business and during the six-month period commencing 25 March 2020."

The report notes that on March 25 a change was enacted to insolvency laws in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing temporary relief to directors from potential insolvent trading claims.

Deloitte said its investigations had "not found any material debts that may not be considered to be reasonably incurred in the continuation of the business" and that "it is anticipated that the [Virgin Australia's and Virgin Group's] directors would strongly defend any claims."

Even for debts incurred prior to March 25, Deloitte said the directors would still likely have a strong defence to any insolvent trading claims.

"For example, the directors may seek to raise the defence that they had a reasonable expectation up until 13 April 2020 (when major shareholders had indicated their inability to support), that major shareholder support may be provided, and that up until the date of administration, that government funding may be forthcoming," Deloitte said.

"Ultimately, the question of the availability of defences would need to be decided on the available evidence that could be presented to the court."

Bondholders miss out on full returns
The report also revealed US private equity firm Bain Capital is offering $3.5 billion for Virgin Australia, with the return to the airline's unsecured creditors estimated between 9 and 13 cents on the dollar.

Virgin has more than 10,000 creditors, the bulk of which are its 9,000 employees, but which also include bondholders and aircraft lessors.

Bain's offer includes the payment of all $450 million in worker entitlements and all $2.3 billion of debt Virgin owes to secured creditors.

Deloitte estimated the return to unsecured bondholders would be between $462 million and $612 million.

There will be no return to Virgin's major shareholders which include Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, China's Nanshan Group and HNA and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

Bain has committed to honouring all customer travel credits.

Creditors will vote on the sale at a meeting on September 4.

Like its rival Qantas, Virgin has instituted mass redundancies as a result of international airline travel halting due to the coronavirus pandemic and a dramatic reduction in domestic flying.

Earlier this month, Virgin said it would make about a third of its workforce redundant, with about 3,000 jobs expected to go under Bain Capital, while 6,000 staff will remain.

Joint voluntary administrator Vaughan Strawbridge said that the deal would provide certainty for employees and customers, and some return to creditors.

"And it can be completed sooner, and at less cost than other alternatives," Mr Strawbridge said.

"Now we just need to bring the airline out of administration as soon as possible."

Moving to full-service left Virgin with too much debt
Deloitte said Virgin Group's difficulties were largely due to the inability of the company's balance sheet to withstand the immense financial impact caused by COVID-19.

This had been weakened from cumulative losses incurred almost year-on-year from 2009 to 2020 of about $2.2 billion.

"During this period revenue had continued to grow, however it was not profitable growth," Deloitte said.

It noted this period encompassed a change in the Virgin Group's business — under its former CEO John Borghetti — from a budget to full-service airline.

"As evident by the year-on-year losses, the Virgin Group was unable to derive sustainable profits from this change in strategy," Deloitte said.

With the appointment of chief executive Paul Scurrah in March 2019, the company undertook a strategic review designed to simplify the business and drive cost reduction, but then COVID-19 hit.

Just months prior to COVID-19, the Virgin Group has raised an additional $325 million in debt from bondholders to help fund the acquisition of the balance of the Velocity Group, which owns the airline's frequent flyer program.

"This added further debt to the balance sheet just prior to the time when the business would be severely impacted by COVID-19," Deloitte said.

"This would not have been foreseen by the board or management at the time of raising this debt."

It concluded that without support from shareholders or the Federal Government, the company was forced into voluntary administration.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/news/virgin-australia-may-have-traded-while-insolvent-bain-offers-3-5b-in-buyout-administrator-deloitte-reveals/ar-BB18kJ1u

25 AUGUST NZ
NEW ZEALAND TESTING BLITZ

In New Zealand, officials announced a testing blitz as they reported seven new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours. Health Minister Chris Hopkins said 70,000 tests were planned over the next week.

"We haven’t quite got this cluster completely identified yet, we do need people to take that test when asked," Hopkins said in Wellington, referring to a group of cases in the city of Auckland that earlier this month ended the country's months-long run with no locally transmitted cases.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday extended a lockdown in Auckland until the end of the week and introduced mandatory mask wearing on public transport across the nation.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/wellbeing/australia-s-covid-19-daily-cases-creep-higher-but-below-record-levels/ar-BB18kbGR