Summary
We will close the blog for this evening. Thank you for your company and contributions.
A summary follows of Australia’s Covid-19 situation on the evening of Good Friday 2020.
This long weekend, stay home, stay well, save lives.
Australia’s new infection rate continues to slow
The commonwealth deputy chief health officer, Paul Kelly, says that “the curve is definitely decreasing”, the result of the border closures of a little over a fortnight ago and the social distancing measures enacted.
I would really urge caution there. Most of the cases we’ve seen so far have and still remain related to overseas travel and so our local epidemic is very early. There’s only a couple of thousand of those 6,000 cases are actual local transmission.
A total of 6,203 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Australia, and there have been 54 deaths. New South Wales remains the state hardest hit, and Sydney in particular.
NSW minister resigns after fine for breaching public health order
Don Harwin, the NSW arts minister, was fined $1,000 for breaching the state’s coronavirus public health order. It emerged on Thursday that Harwin had been living at his million-dollar Central Coast holiday home, which is more than an hour’s drive from his east Sydney primary residence. The premier, Gladys Berejiklian, accepted his resignation.
Doubt cast over NRL’s return
A day after the NRL revealed it intended to restart the competition on 28 May, the league’s plans showed signs of unravelling. The NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard, said he had not been consulted on the league’s plan to resume play in seven weeks’ time, while the commonwealth deputy chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, warned the league would need permission from authorities and expressed his concern over the risks of returning to action too soon.
Australians warned not to travel over Easter
State governments are taking a hard line against people looking to travel over the Easter holidays, with police patrolling routes to popular getaways, and employing helicopters and number plate technology to catch those breaching social distancing laws by travelling.
Queensland highlights ‘Covid-19 hot spots’ in NSW
Authorities in Queensland have stepped up border measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the sunshine state. The state’s chief medical officer posted a list of “Covid-19 hot spots” in NSW. Anyone who returns to the state from those locations will be forced to quarantine for 14 days. It marks the first time Australians have been required to quarantine for travelling from a specific part of the country.
Chef Pete Evans’ recipe to treat Covid condemned
Peak medical groups have criticised the Australian celebrity chef Pete Evans for suggesting that a $15,000 “subtle energy platform” could be used to treat coronavirus, saying such claims are baseless, ill-informed and dangerous.
Evans, a television host and paleo diet enthusiast who has previously promoted anti-vaccination ideas, was selling the BioCharger NG Subtle Energy Platform – dismissed by the Australian Medical Association as a “fancy light machine” – for $14,990 on his website.
Evans’ ad said the machine was a “subtle energy revitalisation platform”.
Covid-19 has so far infected more than 1.6 million people globally and killed 95,000. It has ground economies to a halt all over the world and has the potential to force hundreds of millions into poverty.
There is no evidence that it can be treated or cured by coloured lights.
Hard-pressed GPs face rent reduction requests from pathology giants
GP practices are under pressure to accept a 50% reduction in rental payments from major pathology corporations. It follows news that doctor-owned general practices are on the brink of financial collapse due to revenue losses from Covid-19.
Updated
NSW premier accepts minister's resignation over Covid-19 breach
The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has accepted the resignation of her arts minister, Don Harwin, after he was fined $1,000 for staying at his Central Coast holiday home, breaching a Covid-19 public health order.
While Harwin maintained he had sought, and followed, official advice on whether he was allowed to relocate to his holiday home, he accepted the controversy surrounding his move – as the government was urging people to stay home over Easter – was a “distraction”.
Berejiklian accepted Harwin’s resignation, issuing a statement:
During this health crisis my government has asked the community to make greater sacrifices than all of us have ever had to make before.
These sacrifices are saving lives, and I am proud of the people of NSW for continuing to uphold the law in the interest of public health.
Late last night I was advised minister Don Harwin had been fined $1,000 for breaching a public health order.
The police, who have been tasked by my government with enforcing these health orders, came to the conclusion that minister Harwin breached the order.
Whilst minister Harwin has served the people of NSW well, and he continues to assure me that he did not break the rules, the orders in place apply equally to everybody.
Accordingly, minister Harwin has appropriately resigned from cabinet.
Updated
Internationally now ... aerial footage shows a mass grave being dug on New York’s Hart Island to deal with the surge in deaths caused by the coronavirus.
A warning: this video contains sensitive material.
As New York deals with a mounting coronavirus death toll and dwindling morgue space, the city has shortened the length of time it will hold unclaimed remains before they are buried in its public cemetery on Hart Island.
Aerial video captured workers digging graves on the island, a one-mile, limited-access strip near the Bronx.
Normally, about 25 bodies a week are interred on the island, mostly for people whose families can’t afford a funeral, or who go unclaimed by relatives.
Operations have now increased from one day a week to five days a week, with around 24 burials each day.
Updated
NSW arts minister Don Harwin resigns over Covid-19 social distancing breach
NSW arts minister Don Harwin has resigned from the government after he was fined $1,000 by police for staying at his Central Coast holiday home, breaching a Covid-19 public health order.
As governments around Australia were urging their citizens to stay home over Easter, Harwin was spotted earlier in the week at his Pearl Beach house, more than an hour’s drive from his east Sydney primary residence.
Harwin maintained he sought formal advice that his living arrangements complied with the direction for people to stay at home, and that he acted in accordance with those orders.
But he says the controversy over his getaway was a “distraction” for the government at a critical time.
He has offered his resignation to the premier.
His statement in full:
Today I have offered my resignation to the premier as a minister in her government.
There is nothing more important than the work of the government in fighting the coronavirus crisis.
I will not allow my circumstances to be a distraction from that work and I very much regret that my residential arrangements have become an issue during this time.
At all times I have sought to act in accordance with public health orders and I sought advice that my living arrangements complied with those orders.
I remain confident that I have acted in accordance with those orders.
I know however that perception is just as important during these times.
The premier and her team are doing an outstanding job during the biggest crisis our state and nation have faced during our lifetimes.
It is absolutely vital they should be able to focus entirely on the health and economic issues facing our community.
Updated
It’s had a very good run today, but worthy of repeating.
Game of Bones:
Some sports are slower. More about the strategy. pic.twitter.com/JMBaGJ1tSd
— Andrew Cotter (@MrAndrewCotter) April 9, 2020
And while the focus has been on Sydney, the NSW government is seeking to roll out rapid testing for Covid-19 in regional areas to reduce waiting times. So far, 70% of tests in NSW have been in Sydney, which has identified clusters in the capital. But if you don’t test, you don’t find …
Again, our beloved friends at AAP:
Regional NSW towns will soon have access to rapid coronavirus testing, meaning samples won’t have to be sent to Sydney for analysis.
Broken Hill health workers will over Easter repurpose a machine used to rapidly test flu samples so it can detect the novel coronavirus.
It should be operational by Monday and more regional areas will follow as specific hardware is imported.
“That is really important, particularly for the more distant sites,” the NSW chief health officer, Kerry Chant, said on Friday.
“Having that point-of-care testing, or testing that comes back in about an hour, is very useful because it gives us more rapid identification of cases.”
St Vincent’s hospital is already using its repurposed GeneXpert machine in its emergency department and will also begin trialling another molecular test in the coming days.
Of the 137,000 people tested for coronavirus in NSW since January, 70% have been in Sydney or on the Central Coast.
Just 322 people in far western NSW have been tested while northern NSW and the Murrumbidgee are the two regions were there have been fewer than one test per 1,000 residents.
Those three regions account for 100 positive cases.
Chant defended the current turnaround time for testing – which can see results for Sydney-based cases returned within 24 hours.
“The issue for rural and remote areas is the time it takes for specimens to come down to Sydney,” she said.
“As we get more [novel coronavirus] cartridges for our GeneXperts, we will be looking at deploying this test across various sites.
“We’ll have a mind to supporting rural and regional communities so we can give them access to the testing that is much more prompt in the metropolitan area.”
Updated
NSW is the state with the most Covid-19 infections in the country.
(It should be noted that, by international standards, Australia and NZ have very low numbers of cases, low rates of community transmission, and low death rates. See here from Eleanor Ainge Roy in Dunedin and some other reporter:
But there is an interesting breakdown of cases in NSW, provided by NSW Health.
In the 24 hours to 8pm Thursday, an additional 49 cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed in NSW.
The total number of cases is 2,822
Deaths: 22
Cases tested and excluded: 134,619
Total people tested: 137,441
A total of 543 of NSW’s cases - nearly one-fifth - have originated from a cruise ship (in particular the Ruby Princess, which was controversially allowed to dock at Circular Quay in March).
Of NSW’s 2,822 cases;
Overseas acquired: 1,677
Locally acquired (contact of confirmed case and/or known cluster): 682
Locally acquired (contact not identified): 427
Under investigation: 36
The largest number of infections, by age group, is among people aged 20 to 29, with 611 confirmed cases.
Updated
This is interesting, from AAP:
A group of 18 Queensland drivers has been hit with fines for disobeying coronavirus regulations after police stopped a noisy burnout gathering.
Officers were called to an industrial area in Loganholme, south of Brisbane, where they cordoned off a street about 11pm on Thursday.
More than 10 vehicles were intercepted and 18 infringement notices of $1,334 issued for failing to comply with a Covid-19 direction, police said on Friday.
It seems the burn-outs were fine – if needless, noisy and self-defeating (they’re your tyres after all) – you just can’t do burn-outs in a group. I’m reminded of that age-old philosophical question: if you do a massive burn-out, but none of your mates are around to watch, have you really burnt out at all?
Updated
In case you missed this earlier, it’s very good. Do try this at home.
Stay home. Save Lives. Take the Bins Out*.
Hundreds of thousands of people are enjoying 'Bin isolation outing', where Australians post videos of themselves taking out the wheelie bin, because leaving the house is a rare treat these days https://t.co/Qc79ANQmGu pic.twitter.com/Pyd9AArnED
— Guardian Australia (@GuardianAus) April 9, 2020
*only on bin night
The Western Australia minister for health and deputy premier Roger Cook has reported seven new cases of Covid-19 in the state, as well as four new cases linked to the cruise ship Artania. The 11 new cases are in people aged between 25 and 78, and bring the state’s total to 506.
The total number of cases linked to cruise ships is 191, more than one-third of the total.
Six people have died in WA.
Also in Western Australia, several hundred passengers who had been on board the Vasco da Gama cruise ship are due to end their quarantine today. The West Australian passengers have been held on Rottnest Island, they will be ferried back to Perth this afternoon.
But hundreds of others from the east coast and other parts of Australia are coming out of quarantine, today and in coming days, without a way home because of mass cancellation of flights across the country.
Cook said the state government would continue to accommodate those passengers, while finding a way to get them home.
The state government is aware that there are limited flights available for people returning home following their 14-day isolation in Western Australia. The department of health is liaising with other agencies and airlines to determine viable solutions to get these people home as soon as practicable.
While flights are being arranged to transport people home, they will continue to be accommodated by the state. We want to reassure people who have been in isolation that we will be working to make the transition home as smooth as possible so they can return to their homes and families as quickly as they can.
We understand those in isolation and quarantine have enjoyed difficulty and stress and appreciate the sacrifice they and their family and friends are making to keep our communities safe.
The state’s deputy chief health officer Robin Lawrence said those who had completed their quarantine, but who were still waiting to fly home, would be allowed out of their hotels.
For the passengers from the Vasco da Gama, that would be in a few hours.
As of 4:30pm they will have some increased freedom to move around the local area and the city as long as they maintain social distancing, as required.
We are very grateful for their patience and consideration during the 14 days they have been undertaking quarantine.
For all other future passengers, we will be in contact to work out where they have come from and how they can get home and we thank them for their patience in keeping the state of Western Australia, themselves and their families safe this time.
Queensland’s chief medical officer has posted a list of “Covid-19 hot spots” in NSW and ordered anyone returning to the state from those locations to quarantine for 14 days.
It has been one week since Queensland closed its border to New South Wales for the first time since the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1919. Police have been enforcing the “hard closure” at three checkpoints between the towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads on either side of the border.
The gates have also been shut on the state’s two other shared borders between the Northern Territory and South Australia.
Queensland residents are exempt from the ban, but from Saturday those returning home from a list of designated inter-state “Covid-19 hot spots” will be forced to undergo two weeks quarantine.
Updated
Good afternoon, Ben Doherty here, my thanks to my colleagues for their work today. And thank you for your company this afternoon. Please feel free to get in touch via twitter @BenDohertyCorro or email ben.doherty@theguardian.com .
Social distancing, how important is it? This, from the Ohio department of health in the US, is excellent.
Social distancing works. We are all #InThisTogetherOhio. https://t.co/jU4ZAkm3Py pic.twitter.com/uKJtfi4cuP
— Ohio Dept of Health (@OHdeptofhealth) April 9, 2020
They’ve wrapped up the press conference in Adelaide. And I’m going to wrap up here, too.
I’ll leave you with my excellent colleague Ben Doherty who will take over from here.
Updated
Cusack says at this stage there is no case to close the state’s beaches. Marshall is asked about photographs local media published apparently showing groups of people.
Marshall says: “I have spent time down at the beach myself today and I can tell you that there were a lot of people enjoying their time but the most important thing is we are trying to guard against large numbers of people congregating in close vicinity, but not people walking the dog, going for a jog.
“We do not want to see reporters, with all due respect, or members of the public try to separate people. They could be people of the same family, people living together.”
Updated
Cusack says there are 15 people in South Australian hospital. Six are in ICU and four are in a critical condition.
SA update
Michael Cusack, the SA Health executive director of medical service, says that the state has recorded seven new cases overnight. There are 428 in the state.
The cases range in age from 23 to a person in their 80s.
He says:
“At this point in time there is no link we have found between any of the cases in schools or any residential aged care facility, and importantly there are no additional cases where we think that there has been local transmission. In terms of good news, the number of people that are known to have recovered has increased ...”
Updated
The South Australian premier, Steven Marshall, is addressing the media as we speak.
Marshall says the former Wakefield hospital is now ready to take patients. It has been transformed into a Covid-19 facility.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, will address the children of Australia in a special broadcast on the ABC, the network has announced.
The ABC says in a statement that Morrison will answer questions from children on the Monday bulletin of its flagship children’s news program, Behind The News.
An ABC statement said the broadcast would include questions such as:
- “My question is, what’s your advice to the population who have lost their jobs as their workplaces have shut down?”
- “How long do you think it will take to find a cure for the coronavirus?”
The program will air 6.25pm on Monday.
Advocates for the unemployed have called on the government to extend the $550 per fortnight coronavirus supplements to disability support pensioners and carers.
The Guardian reported last month that people on these payments would now receive a lower base rate of income support than a jobseeker or a person receiving parenting payment who did not have a disability.
“[The Australian Unemployed Workers Union] has been flooded with calls and messages from our members who have been unfairly excluded from the $550 supplement, and thousands of people have signed our petition to #RaiseTheDSP,” a statement read.
“The minister has been granted extraordinary new powers that mean she can do this without going back to parliament. No legislation is required.”
A Greens motion to include these welfare recipients in the coronavirus supplement failed to win the support of the government or Labor this week.
However, the minister, Anne Ruston, can extend the supplement without legislation.
“I’m on DSP, not parenting payment but I’m the only person raising my children, why is it I’m not seen to have extra costs/needs,” said Emma, a respondent to an AUWU survey.
Of the outbreak at the Northwest hospital, Courtney says: “All staff who worked at the Northwest regional hospital in the medical or surgical wards will be asked to quarantine for 14 days. We will be providing accommodation for those staff who are unable to quarantine in their own homes.”
Courtney says that staff will be tested, regardless of whether they are showing symptoms.
Updated
Tasmania records fourth death
A fourth person has died in Tasmania, the state’s health minister has just announced. Sarah Courtney says the man was elderly and died at Northwest hospital. She extends her condolences to his family.
Courtney says there were four more Covid-19 cases confirmed overnight, bringing the state’s total to 111.
Updated
Northern Territory police have issued a statement outlining the fines issued yesterday for social distancing rules.
Police said they fined a 32-year-old woman who “absconded from mandatory quarantine in Darwin”.
“The woman arrived in the NT on 7 April 2020, travelling from Adelaide and was required to remain in a hotel for 14 days,” a police statement said. “Police located the woman and issued her a fine before returning her to her hotel.”
Police also said a 22-year-old man in Araluen also “breached quarantine by leaving his house to register his new vehicle at the MVR”. “The man had returned to the NT by road from South Australia on 29 March 2020.”
A further six people were issued with infringement notices relating to mass gatherings.
Police said 3,630 compliance checks had now been completed with 17 fines issued.
Updated
Preston: A cavalcade of refugee protesters have defied police orders to stay home. Police have taken the details of more than a dozen activists, issuing them each a $1652 fine. @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/DkSJVi6RtO
— Brianna Travers (@briannatravers) April 10, 2020
Just to recap deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly’s comments on the NRL’s decision to restart.
Kelly said emphasised that we all have a responsibility to continue with social distancing measures.
He said that although the league’s players were not at high risk, others who are involved in the game would be.
Kelly specifically named two coaches, Wayne Bennett and Ricky Stuart, as being vulnerable to Covid-19.
“To be really frank about this, we all have a place in this and if we loosen the social distancing measures at the moment it can have an implication down the track,” he said.
He added that it “remains to be seen” whether May is the right time to restart the league, but that the NRL would “definitely need to get some permission to do that”.
The NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard, confirmed today that he hadn’t been consulted prior to the league’s announcement of a planned restart date.
Updated
Kelly reiterates that the health advices on schools remains the same. That is that the schools can remain open.
But he notes that “we’ll be having more to say about schools in the coming weeks.”
And with that, the press conference has concluded.
Updated
League must 'think carefully' about restart, even on 'NRL Island', says deputy CMO
Kelly is asked by a journalist, and we are thankful to her: what about about NRL Island?
He says:
“It sounds like a reality show they might continue it on, not just the playing, but what happens for the rest of the week, the mind boggles. If they’re by themselves and they’re away from the rest of society, then that is a thing.
“But I just reiterate the young men and women who play the game won’t be the only ones there. They need to think carefully about their coaching staff and other supporters. And think about their social responsibility, even on the island.”
Updated
Is the NRL risking the community by saying they will return to the game?
Kelly says:
“The other part I say about the NRL, they’re general very fit young men and women, so they – they themselves are not at high risk and if they were just part of the – I understand the proposal is to play -continue to play in empty stadium, so they could be their own microcosm.
“For them, it may not be a big problem. There’s other people around the teams, Wayne Bennett is in his 70s, he would be in a vulnerable group, Ricky Stuart with the mighty Raiders, he would potentially be in a vulnerable group, so thinking about the team, not just the players, but those – the support staff around them, is important. And, look, they’re making their plans for the road out I encourage them to do so in other sports. But whether May is the time will remain to be seen and definitely they’ll need to get some permission to do that.”
Updated
Kelly is asked about the NRL’s plans to restart the game next month. He is asked whether the NRL would need permission from state government or whether they are, for want of a better word, “a law unto unto themselves in this regard”?
He says:
“I don’t think they’re a law unto themselves. Some of the players and coaches may think so, but they’re part of society and they have a part – as we have all done, to support not only safety for themselves but for all of us. To be really frank about this, we all have a place in this and if we loosen the social distancing measures at the moment it can have an implication down the track.
“I’ve said here before on average, what we know about this virus, if we don’t have these social distancing measures, one person can lead to 400 other cases within a month. And so, that is the sort of explosive epidemic we’ve seen in other countries. And we just cannot afford at this stage to be considering that happening.”
Updated
Kelly says border closures will be a component of what happens into the future.
“But we also do need to our trade both back and forth, to continue in the society that we love. So these are all elements that will be part of the road out, as the Prime Minister said. It’s too early to talk about that road out for the time being.”
Kelly says that “the curve is definitely decreasing”.
“I would really urge caution there. Most of the cases we’ve seen so far have and still remain related to overseas travel and so our local epidemic is very early. There’s only a couple of thousand of those 6,000 cases are actual local transmission.
“So, we need to see what happens with those and to learn from other countries that have going through a much more difficult time with much larger epidemics to see what happens as they pass that peak and see what happens from there, about being guided, what to do to get back to some sort of normality, a new normality, I would suggest, at least in the shorter term.”
Kelly said that it would be a great “achievement” if the virus began to die out in parts of Australia.
But he adds: “It does bring with it a challenge, of course, it would mean the most of us would not have been exposed yet. So we would remain susceptible to the virus if it was re-introduced.”
The deputy chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, has started speaking in Canberra.
He is asked if about the possibility that people can became immune to the virus.
“Yes, that would be a very important thing to know. At this stage, we’re only - I calculated this week - 14weeks into the virus. Only the first cases in Australia were in mid-to-late January. So it’s only very early. So at this stage, if we were able to look at people that might have been exposed at that time or indeed were diagnosed with the virus and see if they can immune now, it would be very short-term immunity still.
“It remains to be seen what happens in the longer term. There’s studies done in China, there will be studies here in Australia as well, looking at that immune element. But at this time we can’t tell.”
Summary
Let’s wrap up some of today’s developments.
- NSW recorded its 22nd death and Victoria its 13th. It takes Australia’s death toll to 53.
- Embattled NSW minister Don Harwin was fined $1,000 for breaching social distancing laws.
- Authorities are urging people to stay home for Easter, and police are turning people around who are heading to holiday spots.
- NSW health minister Brad Hazzard is yet to discuss the NRL’s restart date 28 May with the league.
Updated
Tasmanian police have told 15 people on their way to holiday spots to go home during Covid-19 patrols over the past 24 hours.
AAP reports that the force intercepted more than 35 people in cars - including some towing caravans and boats - and turned them back as needed.
Three people have been arrested or summoned to appear in court over Covid-19 related offences, the force confirmed on Friday.
“This Easter, if you are away from your primary residence and try to go to your shack and you don’t have a valid excuse, you will not only be turned around, but you could be charged and face a substantial fine,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Jo Stolp said.
Premier Peter Gutwein told residents on Thursday not to leave their homes unnecessarily, with fines of up to $16,800 or six months’ jail.
Helicopters are monitoring people’s movements, hovering over regional communities including Bicheno, Friendly Beaches, Coles Bay, Dunalley and Primrose Sands.
Officers are also patrolling on foot in Bridport, St Helens, Longford, Great Lake, Port Sorell, Somerset and Smithton among the areas.
Tasmania had recorded 111 cases of the virus as of Thursday night, with 48 of those people recovering.
Updated
This was the @VirginAustralia departures board at Melbourne Airport this morning. Australia's second largest airline is now operating just one return commercial domestic flight each day (Melbourne-Sydney-Melbourne) @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/MnH0sbMGiv
— Andrew Lund (@andrew_lund) April 10, 2020
EASTER BUNNY IN TASMANIA 🐰
— Jacqui Lambie (@JacquiLambie) April 10, 2020
Tas Premier declared the Easter Bunny an 'essential traveller' this weekend, but we wanted to make sure he was in the state nice and early. So the Premier allowed the Easter Bunny to hide out at my house for a few days!#auspol #StayAtHomeAndStaySafe pic.twitter.com/NRBbsNYqx8
The NSW government has announced that healthcare workers would now benefit from free parking at public hospital carparks during the Covid-19 crisis.
“Our healthcare workers are on the frontline of our battle with Covid-19 and we need to do whatever we can to support them during this difficult time,” the premier, Gladys Berejiklian said.
“We hope this new measure makes life a little easier for our doctors, nurses and other hospital staff who are working hard to keep us all safe.”
The free parking begins from today.
Some good news for the more than 100 Australian and New Zealand residents who were aboard the Antartica cruise that was anchored of the coast of Uruguay.
AAP reports that the group are expected to land in Melbourne over Easter after Aurora Expeditions, the operator of the Greg Mortimer ship, chartered a flight from Montevideo.
The news was confirmed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told AAP on Friday.
Of the more than 200 people on the vessel, 96 are Australian passengers and crew, along with roughly 16 New Zealand citizens.
Five Australians have already been taken off the Greg Mortimer and admitted to hospital in Montevideo, DFAT said.
Updated
Thanks to Michael for his efforts this morning. I’ll be with you for the next few hours.
That’s where I’ll leave you for today. Thanks for your company. I’ll hand over to my colleague Luke Henriques-Gomes, who will take you through the afternoon.
Updated
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has issued a statement slamming celebrity chef Pete Evans, after the Channel Seven star and reality television host posted a video falsely suggesting a $15,000 light machine could be used treat Covid-19.
In a live video posted to his Facebook page, the My Kitchen Rules judge said the BioCharger NG Subtle Energy Platform “is a pretty amazing tool” and claims there are “a thousand different recipes” including “a couple on there for Wuhan coronavirus”.
Evans is selling the product on his own website for $14,990. It states the product is “a hybrid subtle energy revitalisation platform” with “four transmitted energies” which “stimulate and invigorate the entire body to optimise and improve potential health, wellness and athletic performance”.
The post has been condemned by RACGP president Harry Nespolon, who said Evans, who has in the past promoted anti-vaccination views, “needs to stop”.
Nespolon said he had suggested several months ago Evans should “leave vaccinations alone”.
“Well, he should also steer well clear of peddling devices which he claims use ‘subtle energy’ to counter Covid-19. He just needs to stop it right now.
“It is a reality that many people look up to Mr Evans in his roles as a popular chef and television host. I once again urge him to book an appointment with his local GP to learn about the damage he is doing on social media.”
Updated
Quickly to the ACT, where three new cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours. The ACT’s total is now 103.
The new confirmed cases are two women and one man, aged between 26 and 51. One is a close contact of a previous confirmed case and the other two are under investigation.
Kerry Chant says the 69-year-old man who died in Newcastle overnight likely contracted the virus “during a recent trip interstate”. The man had travelled to Queensland.
Obviously, we are watching locally acquired cases, and I think from the beginning I’ve explained that they raise the major concern for me, because they reflect areas where we might need to have that focused testing to establish there’s not broader transmission in the community.
So, earlier this week, I called upon the community to increase testing in some of those areas, where we had identified cases. We will continue to update and call on the community to come forward to have increased testing in areas where we identify local transmission.
Asked about the $1,000 fine levelled against arts minister Don Harwin last night for breaching public health orders, he says:
Look, as I said yesterday in relation to Mr Harwin, it doesn’t matter who you are, there are very strict rules to try and keep us all safe. And the imposition of a fine, if that’s what the police consider appropriate, is a matter for them. I can’t comment beyond that. That’s not my purview.
Updated
Hazzard is asked about the NRL’s announcement yesterday that they will restart the competition on 28 May.
He says he has only had one meeting with the game, which was about four weeks ago before it was shutdown.
If the NRL want to go ahead, happy to have the chat and make sure, with medical advice, as to whether or not it’s appropriate.
The only meeting I’ve had that I can tell you about is around about a month ago, with [chief executive] Todd Greenberg and [chairman] Peter V’landys to talk about the issue. But that was before they actually made a decision to shut the game down. So, I haven’t had any discussions with them at this stage.
Updated
Hazzard has recovered from his coughing fit and is back taking questions.
He’s asked about new $5,000 on-the-spot fines in NSW for people who cough or spit on health workers.
If I had my choice, I would be locking them up pretty quick-smart. But the police will hand them, in the first instance, a $5,000 fine. There is another option. And that is that if the police choose to they can actually enforce a court attendance notice and a charge, which would allow an $11,000 fine and $6,000. But this is an on-the-spot $5,000 fine. I can’t remember any fine like this in the past history, where a police officer could hand over a $5,000 fine on the spot. It’s quite unprecedented.
He’s asked about a McDonald’s worker who was allegedly spat on yesterday, and whether the fines should be extended. Says they will look at it.
Updated
The NSW police have issued almost 50 new fines for breaches of public health orders in the past 24 hours.
Chant thanks the people of NSW for helping to slow the spread, and urges people not to neglect their normal medical needs.
Yesterday we reported that GP clinics across the country are reporting a major drop in patient numbers due to the pandemic, either because of Covid-19 fears or problems transitioning to telehealth services.
It’s been pleasing to see that we’ve continued to see an increase in testing numbers. And my message to the community is to please, our services are open over the Easter period and I would urge you to continue to access those services.
I’d also like to [send a message] to the community that our services are safe and available, so it’s very important that you don’t neglect any other underlying chronic diseases, or if you develop symptoms that need - that you need to access urgent care, please continue to do so.
Updated
Hazzard has had to hand over mid-sentence to the NSW chief medical officer Kerry Chant because he’s having a coughing fit.
NSW records 22nd Covid-19 death
New South Wales health minister Brad Hazzard is speaking in Sydney.
He’s announced that a 69-year-old man has died at the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle overnight, bringing the total number of deaths in NSW to 22.
He says NSW has 49 new cases of Covid-19. That’s very slightly more than the day before, when there was a three week low of 39 new cases.
211 cases are in NSW hospitals. 29 of those are in ICU. Of those 29, 23 are ventilated.
Updated
If you haven’t already watched Scottish sports broadcaster Andrew Cotter’s commentary of his two labradors, Olive and Mabel, and their quiet battle over an orange rubber bone, I need to strongly insist you do so right now.
It is, I assure you, an absolute tonic. My colleague Steph Harmon has written about it:
Updated
The Gold Coast Airport has closed its terminal because there are no regular scheduled commercial flights to the tourism hotspot for the foreseeable future.
AAP reports the terminal closed on Friday after the last Qantas and Virgin flights departed on Thursday.
The operation of the runway and airfield operations will continue for general aviation and other activities.
Gold Coast Airport boss Marion Charlton says the terminal will open when regular passenger flights resume.
“The aviation industry is at the front line of this crisis, with passenger numbers falling steadily since the beginning of March,” she said in a statement.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners throughout this challenging time.”
A few scenes of the Easter long weekend in Australia.
Victoria records its 13th Covid-19 death
Victoria has recorded another Covid-19 death, taking Australia’s national death toll to 52.
The latest death is a man in his 80s who died in hospital, the state government confirmed on Friday. It marks the 13th person to die from the virus in the state.
Victoria also recorded 13 new cases in the past 24 hours. Forty-three people remain in hospital, with 13 of those in intensive care. Seven people have been released in the last 24 hours.
Updated
Queensland’s health minister, Stephen Miles, is speaking in Brisbane. The state has recorded 13 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours.
He’s also confirmed that the state has issued 289 fines for breaches of public health orders. The fines begin at $1,300.
Miles also revealed that one person in the state has been charged for allegedly spitting at a nurse.
I was of course disgusted to hear that report [and] concerned for the wellbeing of that particular nurse, but nobody should treat our health workers like that. Everyone should know that the police will enforce the law and I understand charges have been laid.
Updated
Hard to fathom, really.
Devastating US job loss figures from AP:
— Helen Sullivan (@helenrsullivan) April 10, 2020
- 16.8 million Americans have lost their jobs in three weeks
- In the Great Depression, it took 44 weeks, or 10 months for there to be as many unemployment claims
– The figure represents 1 in 10 American workers
The trade minister, Simon Birmingham, appeared on one of the commercial breakfast TV networks and admitted to feeling “a degree of frustration” with Australians stranded overseas.
Thousands of Australians remain scattered overseas, and on Thursday the foreign affais minister outlined plans for charter flights for people trying to get home from various parts of the world. A special Qantas flight from Peru landed in Australia overnight. Birmingham said:
There are frustrations, no doubt about that. We were one of the early countries in the world to urge Australians reconsider their need to travel, and to urge them to come home and to ultimately to urge them to or to tell them that travel was not to be undertaken and to enforce quite strict arrangements in place.
There is a degree of frustration there. But our diplomats have been working day and night around the world to come up with solutions to help Australians be able to safely get home. That is why we have stepped in to make sure there are some regular flights available over the next few weeks. We can’t guarantee that it will go on beyond that.
But you can get home from places if you can connect in to London or Hong Kong or Singapore or San Francisco because we put in place those regular flights. We are also looking at exceptional circumstances where we do need to work to get aviation capacity into places such as Peru, where there is a flight that has come in overnight. It is the second one that has come out of there in a space of about a week.
We have circumstances in Uruguay that we are working through, in South African and the Philippines. These are incredibly complex arrangements given the travel restrictions that other countries have imposed and the collapse in international aviation. It is not unreasonable that Australians who are overseas, some of whom will have ignored the travel warnings, will have to make a contribution to their return.
Updated
Police in Victoria have issued 98 fines for breaches of public health orders in the past 24 hours. The fines include nine children who were fined “for gathering in a private residence” and a man who received four warnings before he was fined.
Unlike in NSW, police in Victoria have refused to release data about the locations of the fines. We also don’t know any demographic indicators about the people who have been fined. So, for example, their housing status or ethnicity.
Victoria police say they conducted 754 spot checks at homes, businesses and non-essential services in the past 24 hours. Since 21 March they have conducted a total of 18,386 spot checks.
Updated
Once upon a time, when I was a journalist at a regional newspaper, my colleagues and I used to joke about the carbon-copy stories we’d be forced to write on an annual basis.
People working on Christmas Day, police warnings about double demerits and, of course, lines at the fish co-op on Good Friday. Well, Covid-19 has at least added a bit of spice to the latter yarn.
AAP reports that the Sydney Fish Market will still open its doors for what is usually one its busiest days but this year strict social distancing measures and temperature checks will be in place.
More than 40,000 people usually flock to the market on Good Friday to snap up seafood for the Easter weekend but this year only 400 people will be allowed on the site at one time.
People will have their temperature checked on arrival, be given hand sanitiser and be asked to follow social distancing rules to limit the spread of Covid-19.
“Obviously it’s going to be a very different Easter down at the fish market this weekend,” a spokeswoman, Stephanie Margrain, told AAP.
“There’ll be no oysters on the boardwalk ... Come down, shop quickly and get home.”
The market has been working with NSW police and NSW Health to develop a plan that ensures people who have made a tradition out of going to the fish market on Good Friday can continue to do so safely.
“We’re not trying to encourage lots of people to come down like we normally would, but we’re conscious for many it is a tradition,” she said.
Updated
A 31-year-old man Palm Beach will face drug charges after Queensland police allegedly found 93kg of cannabis during a stop at a state border checkpoint on Wednesday.
In a statement this morning Queensland police said officers at the checkpoint intercepted a Ford Ranger utility with a trailer trying to enter Queensland about 5.30pm on Wednesday.
It will be alleged that during a search of the vehicle police found 93kg of cannabis and $4,300 in cash. Police say the drugs have a street value of about $450,000.
A 31-year-old Palm Beach man was arrested and charged with the possession of dangerous drugs and the possession of property suspected of be used in connection with a drug offence.
He has been bailed to appear at the Coolangatta magistrates court on 6 July. The man was also issued a $1,334 infringement notice for breaching the state’s public health orders.
Detective Inspector Chris Ahearn from the Gold Coast criminal investigation branch said “any person attempting to enter our state, even if they are a Queensland resident, should expect a heightened level of scrutiny”.
“In addition to the current biosecurity risks, police will remain vigilant to disrupt any criminal activity,” Ahearn said.
Updated
The federal opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, has released his own Easter message.
Like the prime minister he’s urged people to stay home during the “once-in-a-generation health crisis” caused by Covid-19.
Easter is traditionally a time when Australians gather together. For Christians, they go to church services. For other Australians, they spend time together with family, with friends, and with other members of their local community.
But this Easter is different. We need people to stay home. To stay home in the interest of their own health. But also, the health of others.
The COVID-19 crisis is a once in a generation health crisis. And we need to take it seriously. Whilst overwhelmingly we want Australians to stay home, some people will be working.
Our health workers, our police and emergency services, our transport workers. Some who work in industries like our supermarkets who will continue to work over the Easter break.
We need to give them our thanks.
They are keeping us safe and doing an extraordinary job in difficult times. This age of social distancing and self-isolation means that we are all keeping 1.5 metres apart. But in so many ways, we as Australians have never been as together as we are now.
So, I wish all Australians a peaceful Easter at home. The good news for kids is that the Easter bunny is allowed to visit your home this Sunday.
I wish you and your family all the best this Easter.
Updated
The New South Wales Labor opposition has, perhaps unsurprisingly, seized on the $1,000 fine issued to the arts minister, Don Harwin, overnight.
The shadow arts minister, Walt Secord, has issued a statement calling for Gladys Berejiklian to sack Harwin:
The premier has no choice but to sack the arts minister. Yesterday, she defended him. An apology is not enough.
Mr Harwin is a personal friend of the premier and a factional ally, but he is not above the law. He has been travelling back and forth to Sydney from Pearl Beach. Pearl Beach is an elderly community. These health orders are there to protect the most vulnerable.
Updated
Man charged after alleged threats outside Chinese consulate in Sydney
A man wearing an Akubra and brandishing a whip has been charged after allegedly threatening people outside the Chinese consulate in Sydney.
After footage of the alleged incident was shared widely on social media, police said a 55-year-old was arrested at Dee Why on Thursday and charged after allegedly cracking the whip outside the consulate on 31 March.
“Police will allege in court that the man threatened several members of the public while cracking the whip,” they said.
Updated
Let’s take a look at what’s in the other papers today.
The Sydney Morning Herald leads on Covid-19 clusters inside New South Wales hospitals after the state’s health department revealed on Thursday that 12 new cases have been discovered at Gosford hospital. Two were hospital patients, six staff and four family members or friends.
The paper is also reporting the concerns of retail workers, who say they are “scared and desperate” about catching Covid-19 and are begging for businesses to stop in-store trading.
The Age in Melbourne lead on the education minister Dan Tehan’s threat to cut funding to independent schools if they close during the pandemic.
The Australian reports that the University of Melbourne will take a $500m revenue hit this year because of Covid-19, as the vice-chancellor, Duncan Maskell, and his executive team take a 20% pay cut. The Oz also says more than 600,000 Australians have registered their interest in drawing down as much as $20,000 from their superannuation funds.
In Sydney the News Limited tabloid Daily Telegraph leads on Don Harwin, in Melbourne the Herald Sun goes coronavirus-free on the front page, instead reporting on the Good Friday cancer fundraising appeal, and the Hobart Mercury splashes on the Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein’s message that “the gloves are off” in police enforcement of public health orders over the Easter long weekend.
#Frontpages 🗞Friday @smh pic.twitter.com/jv8oM0GiAc
— John (@John_Hanna) April 9, 2020
#Frontpages 🗞Friday @dailytelegraph pic.twitter.com/3NicS5Oq72
— John (@John_Hanna) April 9, 2020
#Frontpages 🗞Friday @theage pic.twitter.com/OssPIn8E1l
— John (@John_Hanna) April 9, 2020
Updated
The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, has been moved out of intensive care. In a statement a few hours ago a spokesman said:
The prime minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery. He is in extremely good spirits.
You can follow our UK live blog here:
Updated
As the rate of infection in Australia continues to fall, authorities are nervous about the potential for the Easter long weekend – when many people usually travel – could seet off a new wave of Covid-19 cases.
They’ve been urging people to stay at home over the break, and state premiers have warned police will be out in large numbers enforcing lockdown rules.
Drawing on his faith, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, used his Easter message to drive home the importance of social distancing:
I hope it is a time as you come together in your homes, together with your immediate family, that it will be a strong reminder about what’s most important.
For Christians, not being able to gather does not diminish the hope that we have through this important Easter period.
This year, we will live out our faith by doing the right thing. That means staying at home, making sure we’re checking on our neighbours and supporting our communities and families, our friends.
Updated
NSW arts minister fined $1,000 for breaching lockdown laws.
First up, a little bit more on that Don Harwin news.
Late last night the New South Wales police issued a statement saying they had issued a fine after being “alerted” that a 55-year-old man had “relocated to a holiday home at Pearl Beach, in contravention of current Ministerial Direction under the Public Health Act”.
“As part of inquiries, investigators from Central Metropolitan Region attended the Elizabeth Bay home unit and spoke with the man,” NSW police said. “Following further inquiries, the man was issued a $1000 PIN via email just before 9pm.”
The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has resisted calls to sack Harwin, saying he didn’t break the rules because he moved to his Central Coast home on 13 March, before the state lockdown came into effect. But multiple reports on Thursday indicated Harwin had travelled back to Sydney for appointments while staying at the Central Coast property.
“No one individual or corporation is above these laws – anyone suspected of breaching the orders will be investigated and if a breach is detected, they will be dealt with in accordance with the Act,” said the police commissioner, Mick Fuller.
“On behalf of the community, I strongly urge those with information about breaches to contact police.”
Updated
Good morning. It’s Friday, 10 April. Welcome to today’s coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia. I’m Michael McGowan. I’ll be bringing you all of today’s Good Friday news, but first here’s how we left things last night:
- Australia reported its lowest number of new cases in three weeks on Thursday, with 96 people diagnosed since the last update, nationally. It was the first time in three weeks Australia’s new cases have dropped below 100. One 76-year-old South Australian man died, bringing the country’s death toll to 51.
- The New South Wales minister for arts, Don Harwin, has been fined $1,000 for breaching the state’s strict public health orders. Harwin got himself in strife after it emerged he had left Sydney for his property on the Central Coast, despite the Berejiklian government urging the public to delay non-essential travel.
- The federal education minister, Dan Tehan, ordered independent schools to reopen and provide in-person education to children whose parents want it in term two. Tehan said he would make independent schools’ funding contingent on complying with the order.
- The Block star Scott Cam has agreed to forgo his $345,000 salary as Australia’s “national careers ambassador”. The employment minister, Michaelia Cash, said Cam had agreed to give up his salary given his “role has fundamentally changed” due to Covid-19.
Updated
