Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Luke Henriques-Gomes and Matilda Boseley (earlier)

Andrews extends lockdown while NSW reports record cases – as it happened

What happened today, Monday 16 August 2021

We’ll leave it there for now. Here are today’s main developments.

  • Victoria recorded 22 local cases, as the government introduced extended lockdown by two weeks, introduced a curfew, closed playgrounds and tightened mask rules to clamp down on illegal “pub crawls”. The premier, Daniel Andrews, hit out at rule breakers, including an engagement party of nearly 70 people now linked to three cases.
  • New South Wales had a record 487 cases, and eight deaths, with the premier, Gladys Berejilkian, warning the numbers were “disturbingly high”.
  • A three-day lockdown was called for Darwin and Katherine after an asymptomatic case was recorded in the Northern Territory.
  • The ACT also extended its lockdown by two weeks following a spike in cases, with 19 infections recorded today.
  • In non-Covid news, Australia will send 250 troops to Afghanistan to rescue more than 130 Australians in the area, as well as those who have been granted humanitarian protection by the federal government. However, it is not known when the troops will be able to land in the country.

Thanks for following along. It’s been a tough day for many people across the country, for a variety of reasons, so please take care of yourself and be kind to others.

Stay safe, stay home if you’re supposed to, and we’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow.

Updated

Epidemiologist Prof Tony Blakely has said the Victorian government’s decision to impose a curfew and close playgrounds is likely to help it curb the current outbreak.

Though he said he wasn’t going to “defend it to the death”, he added that it “makes sense theoretically”.

Blakely told the ABC:

It is about the total package, so curfew is not going to tip the balance by itself but it will help. But when you have super-spreader events it will help and it will dampen down the mobility and number of people connecting with each other, that will help. But so will closing playgrounds. For example, I went for a bike ride yesterday on my 5km loop and it was a lovely Melbourne day and everybody was out and parents were pushing their kids on the swings, masks down, drinking their latte – it was a lovely Melbourne moment, if it weren’t for Covid.

These are the sacrifices we need to make. Why make them? Because if we stay at the settings we are now, where we’re not reducing those mystery cases and not reducing the number of cases of people infectious in the community, we’ll end up drifting towards New South Wales.

Updated

Vic Liberals oppose curfew, playgrounds closure

The Victorian Liberal leader, Michael O’Brien, doesn’t support the new curfew announced in Melbourne.

He’s also opposed to the decision to close playgrounds.

The chief health officer, Brett Sutton, said earlier today he believed the curfew had been an important part of the restrictions imposed last year.

Mick Fuller, the NSW police commissioner, is on the ABC, speaking from Kiama, where a police road checkpoint operation is under way.

He says police have already issued 500 tickets in the past 24 hours.

It’s going extremely well. As you can see behind me tonight, we have the state’s highway patrol and other areas of government that are checking for those people travelling into regional New South Wales. It is just one of the different types of operational strategies that we will roll out over the next 21 days. Of course, this is to protect the region from the Delta variant, but we will also have many types of other operations. We have issued 500 tickets in the past 24 hours, which is disappointing, but you certainly can’t say I didn’t give the community fair warning.

Fuller is asked if he has asked the government for a curfew. His response:

We look worldwide in terms of what is works and we don’t believe a curfew is what will work.

Updated

Australia to send 250 troops to Afghanistan

The Defence Department has confirmed a deployment of 250 troops, though it’s unclear when they will land in Afghanistan.

It says in a statement:

The Australian Defence Force will be deploying more than 250 personnel to support urgent Australian government efforts to evacuate Australian citizens and visa holders from Afghanistan.

A KC-30A departed Amberley today (16 August 2021) for Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East and will commence refuelling operations in support of the wider US-led operation later this week.

Two C-17A Globemasters will also depart for the Middle East later this week.

The situation in Afghanistan remains highly volatile and dangerous.

Defence is taking all necessary precautions to protect its people and those authorised for evacuation. The mission will be constantly assessed against the latest developments.

Australia’s evacuation efforts are being closely coordinated with international partners.

Complaints made about doctors at engagement party

Asked about reports there were medical professionals at the engagement party in Melbourne that was strongly criticised by Daniel Andrews today, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency has confirmed it has “received of number of complaints about registered health practitioners” who attended.

We are aware that Victoria Police have stated that they intend to take action with respect to individuals who attended the event. We will liaise with them in relation to any registered health practitioners who were present.

National Boards remind health practitioners their professional behaviour extends to acting in accordance with the law. All health practitioners should ensure that they are aware of their legal obligations and act in accordance with them. National Boards can and will take action for failing to comply with legal obligations in your state or territory.

Privacy provisions in the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law limit what we can say publicly about any action we are or may be taking regarding individual practitioners.

Updated

Some criticism from Liberal MP Jason Falinski for Matt Canavan’s tweet about the Taliban and net zero.

He says on the ABC:

He shouldn’t have made that comment today, let’s be honest, but his point is indeed a broader one and potentially could have been left until later.

Labor senator Jenny McAllister says she doesn’t want to dignify it with a response, except to say “another exercise in attention seeking and an increasing trend in the Coalition backbench”. But she also would “expect” Scott Morrison to say something about it.

Updated

PM 'working' to bring Australians home from Afghanistan

I’ve received a joint statement from the prime minister, Scott Morrison, defence minister, Peter Dutton, and foreign minister, Marise Payne.

They say there are more than 130 Australians in Afghanistan and the government is working to bring them home.

It is also assisting those who have been granted a humanitarian visa or are applying for one.

Here is the full statement:

The situation on the ground in Kabul, as in the rest of Afghanistan, is evolving rapidly.

As in any crisis situation, the Australian government’s priority is to ensure the safety of its citizens. We have over 130 Australians in Afghanistan, working in the UN, NGOs, and elsewhere, and we are working to bring them and their families home.

We are also assisting those who have been granted humanitarian visas, and others who are in the process of applying for protection.

We are closely connected to the US, UK, Canada, and other allies and partners.

As a partner committed for many years to helping Afghanistan build its future, we are deeply concerned at the potential for further loss of life and suffering.

The Taliban must cease all violence against civilians, and adhere to international humanitarian law and the human rights all Afghans are entitled to expect, in particular women and girls. The Taliban will be held fully accountable for any killing or other mistreatment of Afghan military and other security forces who have surrendered or been captured. Afghan government officials and elected political leaders are fully entitled to be treated with safety, respect and dignity.

The Taliban’s leadership is responsible and accountable for the conduct of its forces.

Those preparing to leave the country must be able to do so without threat or hinderance. We will continue to work with key partners in the days ahead to enable this safe passage.

Updated

Here’s a look at the markets at the close of play.

Mixed reaction to the latest company earnings and the extending of coronavirus lockdowns have weighed on the ASX.

Beach Energy, Bendigo Bank, Lend Lease and Seven West Media all had their shares dive by 7% or more on Monday after publishing earnings.

BlueScope Steel and JB Hi-Fi’s profits were well received.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed lower by 46.4 points, or 0.61%, to 7,582.5.

The All Ordinaries closed down 48.1 points, or 0.61%, to 7,849.6.

The extending of lockdowns in the ACT and Melbourne, as well as new ones for parts of the Northern Territory, did not help the outlook.

The Australian dollar was buying 73.37 US cents at 16.20 AEST, the same as at Friday’s close.

Updated

Government reportedly approves Afghanistan evacuation

The Australian foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, has popped up on Sky News. She says it’s a “very difficult day” for the people of Afghanistan, and for the families of 41 Australians who “made the ultimate sacrifice” in Afghanistan.

Payne says the Taliban’s rapid-fire advance through Afghanistan is particularly disturbing for women and girls. “For women and girls I fear this is devastating.”

Does the federal government intend to recognise the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan (or take heed of Boris Johnson’s call to shun it)?

“I think it’s premature to engage in that discussion.”

Payne says her focus right now is on supporting Australian citizens and permanent residents and visa holders, together with Afghan locally engaged staff and their families.

She says Australia is focused on working with the international community, particularly the US, which has taken a key role in securing Kabul’s international airport, to support people to leave in a safe and orderly way.

But she is not pressed for details about Australia’s plans. The ABC has reported that cabinet’s national security committee has approved a military evacuation plan – including use of a C-17 aircraft – but that the operation is on hold given the “deteriorating security environment”.

Updated

Chester is asked about this tweet from his Nationals colleague Matt Canavan.

I reacted straightaway to that Twitter and called out for what it was. I thought it was disrespectful, offensive, showing no compassion to the 41 Australians who have died in Afghanistan for the families continued to grief for their sons, the people who served in that conflict and the Afghan people here in Australia worried about family and friends back at home and for the Afghan population. I called out for what it was.

The former veterans affairs minister, Darren Chester, is on the ABC discussing the situation in Afghanistan.

He says the images would be distressing for past Australian servicemen and women.

The important thing to remember is what is occurring now is not an issue about what they did. They did their job to the best of their ability and with professionalism. What is occurring now is not their fault. We need to be supporting Australian veterans feeling uncomfortable with the unfolding situation. It is a troubling situation in Afghanistan and Kabul.

He’s asked about Afghan locals who helped Australian forced but remain in the country. Surely they can’t be left behind?

Chester notes some people have been repatriated.

I understand that there are conversations now and you have seen the media coverage as much as I have, operations on the way to try to get more people out of Kabul at the moment. I cannot really comment anymore than that... Veterans are keen to see people like those interpreters and locally engaged staff, who helped them with intelligence on the ground and help save lives, they would like to see them repatriated to a safe location.

State Liberal MP David Southwick and federal Labor MP Josh Burns have issued a statement on the situation in the St Kilda East/Caulfield area.

“Our message to those who have attended or hosted gatherings is to please cooperate with public health authorities, to come forward and get tested and isolate to protect yourselves and to protect the entire community.”

Updated

This is an important point about the pub in Northcote that is in the background of videos of the “pub crawl” Daniel Andrews has criticised today.

The Northcote pub has been closed for the entire sixth lockdown, with owner Andrew Gibson saying the venue has now lost functions, bookings and their Google reviews are being flooded with abusive comments after it was wrongly targeted.

He said music was played by an apartment opposite the pub with people gathered outside on the street, and “we had no idea that was happening at the time”.

“We didn’t know people were hanging out at the front of the pub. For our name to be put out there as if we’ve organised a street party is just so inaccurate, it’s ridiculous,” Gibson told AAP.

“The Peacock hasn’t had anything to do with any gatherings. We haven’t been open for takeaway at all. We’ve been shut since the 5th of August.”

Tasmanian border shut to Darwin, Katherine

Updated

Mutual obligations suspended in Darwin and Katherine

The federal government has suspended mutual obligation requirements for job seekers and participants in the greater Darwin and Katherine regions in the Northern Territory.

It has also extended the suspensions already in place for the Australian Capital Territory and metropolitan Melbourne after confirmation today of Covid-19 lockdown arrangements in those areas.

The suspension in greater Darwin and Katherine regions apply from today until Tuesday 24 August 2021 inclusive.

In ACT and greater Melbourne, the suspension will last until 7 September 2021 inclusive.

It applies to job seekers in Jobactive, Online Employment Services, Disability Employment Services, and participants in ParentsNext and the Community Development Program who live or are serviced in these areas.

Updated

This is an interesting insight.

A change of pace just briefly – here is some better news.

Australia’s economic downturn is going from bad to worse as virus lockdowns in the nation’s biggest states become broader and are set to run even longer, reports AAP.

Whether it results in a second recession in as many years remains to be seen, but one prominent economist says the next few months are going to feel like one for many.

Economists have been predicting a downturn in the September quarter for some weeks, but anticipated the economy recovering in the final months of the year.

A technical recession is usually the result of two consecutive quarters of economic contraction.

“Whether it is a technical recession, for a lot of businesses and a lot of individuals it is going to feel like one,” Market Economics managing director Stephen Koukoulas told AAP.

Figures to be released this week include labour force figures for July, which are expected to show the unemployment rate nudging up to 5% after dropping to a decade low of 4.9% in June.

However, that report will only capture the first few weeks of the lockdown in Sydney, the nation’s largest city.

Updated

With large parts of the country in lockdown, the Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union wants more income support.

In particular, it says in a statement:

As a matter of immediate urgency, state and territory leaders must start extending the $1,500 isolation payment to everyone who has been diagnosed with Covid, or is a close contact. As it stands, welfare recipients are excluded from this payment - a needlessly cruel decision that is already harming people.

It also says it would like the government to reintroduce the coronavirus supplement, which it says should be extended to “everybody on social security: disabled people and carers, pensioners and students, as well as any people living in Australia regardless of the work they do or their visa status”.

We must start paying people to stay home. Whether we’re in the grip of a pandemic or not, social security should mean we’re all above the poverty line.

Updated

Australia in 'close consultations' with allies over Afghanistan

Australia says it remains in close consultation with its allies and security partners over potential evacuation operations.

Asked to clarify the status of any Australian Defence Force involvement in evacuation from Afghanistan, a Defence spokesperson said:

“The Australian government is deeply concerned about the evolving situation in Afghanistan. Australia is in close consultations with our allies and security partners, as we always have been since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001. Defence will not comment further for operational security reasons at this time.”

Earlier today, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said cabinet’s national security committee would meet to “review the various operations” but he would not reveal the details “for the protection of those we’re engaged in seeking to provide for their safety”.

Updated

Turning to Afghanistan, the Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne, says she discussed the “deteriorating situation’’ there in a call with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, this morning. Payne says the pair “reflected on our respective contributions over many years”.

It remains unclear precisely what evacuation efforts Australia may be involved in, but Payne endorsed a statement backed by the US and dozens of countries with a message for the Taliban. The countries “call on all parties to respect and facilitate the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country”.

After chaotic scenes at Kabul airport, the Australian government posted that Australians should “not go to the airport unless told by the Australian Government”:

Updated

They’ve just wrapped up in Melbourne, after two hours. Certainly one of the longer press conferences during the pandemic that I can remember.

Updated

Weimar is asked: where do we need higher testing?

He nominates the south-eastern suburbs (St Kilda and Caulfield area) and the Middle Park area in particular.

There are more than 500 exposure sites now, Weimar says.

Updated

And on the engagement party:

Jeroen Weimar, the Covid commander in Victoria, has stepped up. This really is a marathon press conference.

My colleague Calla Wahlquist has a good summary of his comments.

Daniel Andrews believes that other jurisdictions should be asked why they haven’t adopted a curfew too. He doesn’t name who he means, but I think we know.

“It’s worked here. We’re doing it again because it worked here.”

Updated

Victorian parliament won’t be sitting this week as a result of the updated health advice.

Updated

Just leaving Victoria for a moment, the NSW Aboriginal Legal Service has warned the stricter Covid rules may result in over-policing of Aboriginal communities out west, where relationships with the police are already very strained.

During last year’s Covid lockdown in Sydney, the ALS said, police handed out the most fines in in Mount Druitt, Liverpool, Green Valley, Blacktown and Redfern – suburbs with a high Aboriginal population.

“This is no surprise – statistics demonstrate that Aboriginal people are typically subject to over-policing,” said Anthony Carter, deputy CEO of the ALS.

“Now that police have extra powers and are joined on the ground by 800 members of the Australian Defence Force, we are extremely concerned about the potential for Aboriginal people to again be targeted and intimidated.’’

The ALS is also calling on the NSW government to provide clearer public communication on Covid rules and support Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to protect their clients.

“The vast majority of people want to do the right thing. We’ve seen how determined Aboriginal communities are to protect one another – they set the bar for locking down last year. The Close the Gap report noted the rate of Covid-19 infection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was six times lower than the rest of Australia,” Carter said.

The ALS said it has urged Aboriginal people to seek ALS assistance if they receive an infringement notice.

Updated

Andrews is being asked why other people who have broken the rules (by having home visits) and spread the virus have not been fined, but the people at the engagement party incident will be.

His argument, which he takes a while to get to, appears to be that there is a video – which means there is no need for leniency to encourage people to be honest with contact tracers.

His argument appears to be that because there is a video, there is a need to send a message to the public.

The fact that if you criminalise having this virus, people will not get tested. If they don’t get tested we can’t contact trace, if we can’t find with the virus is until starts presenting at the hospitals... There is more than just a crime and punishment element to this, there is also getting out of this. And you can’t have a good public health response if you criminalise having this virus. Where, however, there is a video that rather makes contact tracing a little easier, police always have, not me, it’s a matter for police ... to either issue a warning or go further, the Chief Commissioner has made it clear what he has done in this case and I think most Victorians would support him with that.

Updated

Here is the Victorian Greens’ view on the latest lockdown extension.

Daniel Andrews appears to be laying down a marker about NSW’s plans on restrictions.

He says he’s not complaining about the fact NSW is getting half of the additional one million Pfizer doses, but that’s because there’s a national “framework”.

The reason I’m not complaining about that, it’s because we have a framework, while all of us are locked into the framework, at 70% we do certain things, and 80%, we do certain things, it’s not one state, it’s across the nation. I’m not quibbling with them [NSW] getting more support right now. Just to flip that, if people start doing things off their own bat, making decisions that affect the whole nation, I will reserve the right to have a different view and I won’t be the first minister to make that point.

Just to try and interpret that for a second – Andrews is essentially saying he’s fine with NSW getting the extra doses, provided the NSW government sticks to the 70% and 80% vaccination thresholds for opening up.

Updated

The Victorian premier says “it’s too early to say” whether there will be crowds at games at the AFL finals game.

What I am most concerned about now is all of us pulling together, finding it within ourselves to drive these numbers down. And that gives us options to have kids at school, to have businesses open, to have people back at work, football games with crowds and a million other things. We have lots of options once we drive these cases down: if we don’t drive them down, we will finish up like sitting, locked-in, for ... months.

Updated

Andrews says there are no plans to reduce return traveller numbers coming through hotel quarantine at this point.

Not at this stage, I think I have demonstrated awareness to use that if I have to. I don’t think we have to do that right now.

Updated

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says the way to get kids back in school is to drive case numbers down.

We will drive these numbers down and then we can have children back at school - that is where we want them and that’s with parents want them, I’m certain of that, as well as teachers and staff. I give a shout-out to every mother and father homeschooling the children, and I give a shout-out to all the students for the extraordinary two years they have had. And to teachers and staff [for] the work they are doing. The best thing to do is to get cases down: I am confident we will achieve that, this next couple of weeks, we will work together and get kids back.

Updated

Brett Sutton says they are yet to identify the link between this outbreak in Melbourne and the previous one. He says the “probability remains it was out of southwest Sydney”.

Updated

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton is emphasising that Covid cases are now spread out across Melbourne.

He says:

The reason people say ‘I will just see my family member’ or just jump over the fence ... is because they think the risk is not in the neighbourhood or doesn’t apply to them. [It’s another] population group and ethnic group or other age group. I just say: please understand that you will be surprised if you think the risk doesn’t apply to you. You’ll be surprised if you think it is just a runny nose. It is mild, how could that be Covid-19? It puts people in ICU and some in hospital. But for others it is just a scratchy throat and just a mild headache. Or just a runny nose. If you think that doesn’t apply to you, and that couldn’t be Covid-19, you are wrong.

Updated

Sutton says he is worried about people being “over it”.

There is such a strong sense that we have made such sacrifices and here we are again, facing another battle. I hope that we can be energised by the success in the past and understanding it is utterly possible, and getting to an aggressive suppression state again with no community transmission means we can do all the things we want.

Updated

Sutton continues on curfews:

It also makes [the] compliance element more straightforward. That shouldn’t be dismissed. It is another part of making sure people who are out after 9pm or before 5am are only doing so for those emergency reasons or [because they are] essential workers.

The measure is also “reinforcing exactly how serious that stay-at-home direction is and needs to be”.

Updated

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton is being about the curfew. Will it lead to crowding at supermarkets?

I’m not convinced it will increase attendance at supermarkets. There are lots of places you can go and we encourage a full shop to be done when people do it, not the small amounts that people can do too frequently. This is a message about minimising all those trips outside home and for one person to do that shopping when it is required.

More broadly, on the evidence on curfews, he says:

The evidence around curfews is not dissimilar to evidence around a whole bunch of other interventions. They are hard to tease apart from the suite of interventions that happen but between stopping small gatherings and large gatherings, density quotients, social distancing and the like, it is one of a suite of interventions that was very successful last year in Victoria and there are published studies on curfews and people are free to look at them.

Sutton says it was part of the strategy last year and was “part of that success”.

Updated

Hi all, I’ll pick up where Matilda left off. Thanks to Matilda for her excellent work today.

Updated

With that, I’ll leave you for the day and hand you over to that fantastic Luke Henriques-Gomes.

See you bright and early tomorrow for some more doom-scrolling.

Updated

Given that the family at the centre of the engagement party incident is from the orthodox Jewish community, the premier has been asked about online anti-Semitic hate that has been present this morning.

I wasn’t going to raise the issue because that can be seen as a commentary [but now] that you raised it, I’ve spoken with a number of Jewish community leaders and I want to thank the Jewish community and the leadership of the way they have called this out.

This is not the Jewish community, this is not an act of faith, this is not part of any cultural practice, this is just bad behaviour.

And I know for a fact, we all do, the vast majority of the Jewish people in Melbourne and the Melbourne proud Jewish community are doing the right thing and that’s why they are so angry as well.

They have shared their views with these people, this particular group: we can’t change what has occurred, we can only make better choices for the future.

Updated

Since the footage of the engagement party surfaced, the family involved has come forward, expressing regret and speaking about the aggressive cyberbullying they have faced.

Premier Daniel Andrews has been asked about these comments, but he doesn’t seem to feel too sorry for them:

[I’m not] comfortable necessarily appealing to Victorians to be dobbing people in but, if the house four doors down from you has half a dozen cars upfront or your next-door neighbour, it is clear they are having people over,they are not doing the right thing by you, not doing the right thing by anyone, they are doing the wrong thing. There are many calls to the police assistance line and police act on them.

The notion you can have a party and a gathering and not finish up in trouble, that is not a smart judgment, as I’ve said a few times, you will be found, fined and, as one particular family is learning, you become famous. I’m not here today to cop that they are the victim in this, seriously. Seriously.

They have done the wrong thing, and people have views about that, especially when so many are doing the right thing, and as the chief commissioner said: how many engagements have been postponed? How many weddings and funerals have happened with handful of people? It is selfish - they are silly choices and they will keep us all locked down for longer than we should be.

I am angry and we are all angry, most of all because it takes away from the brilliant work that millions of Victorians are doing every single day.

Updated

Victoria is going the same way as NSW, with police instructed to issue fines to those breaching lockdown orders as the default and to let people off with a warnings only in exceptional circumstances.

Shane Patton:

I have been reassessing where we are at in trying to apply discretion, trying to be fair, and we have been fair with a mixture of enforcement infringements and warning.

If anyone gets a warning moving on here they will be very lucky - the time for discretion is over, we will be issuing infringements, and I am advising all my offices today that’s an expectation where it is a deliberate and blatant breach.

I can’t totally remove discretion and there will be some occasions where that is appropriate but it will be a very small window.

Updated

Victorian’s police commissioner Shane Patton says he has directed police to charge every adult attendee at the engagement party in the St Kilda/Caufield area over the weekend.

Last night I was made aware of an engagement party that occurred last week where there were 69 people in attendance, in what appears to be a total breach of the CHO guidelines.

I said before about selfish and disappointing outrageous, I don’t think you could describe those in any other words. The reality is I’ve said [to] my investigators last night, I said I expect that everyone of those people will be getting an infringement unless they are a child, and will assess that on the basis...

It is five-and-a-half thousand dollars, if you take off a few for each child, over $350,000 worth of fines. An expensive engagement party, that’s what we’re going to be moving forward.

Updated

And Melbourne will once again bring in limits on construction sites.

Andrews:

The construction sector. Large projects will be reduced to 25%. Smaller projects will have a maximum of five workers.

There will be additional restrictions in relation to movement between sites where trades work multiple sites. I won’t go through all the detail of that. The sector will be briefed and there will be a lot of hard work go in over the course of the afternoon to make sure that everybody across that sector knows and understands what those changes mean.

Updated

Essential worker permits to be reinstated in Melbourne

Daniel Andrews says permits will once again be required for essential workers who can’t work from home.

Fines will apply for workers who do not carry their permit.

Permits for authorised work will come back, not from tonight, but there will be a little bit of leeway so we can move to that system, but that’s from 11.59pm tomorrow night.

If you are an essential worker, you will need a permit, just like you did last year. Also, for the purposes of higher education, for the purposes of attending - some students need to attend their tertiary institution - then you will need a permit.

We’ve done this before, we know it is challenging, but we will do it again because we have to limit the number of people who are moving around, many of whom are choosing to go to work when they don’t need to go to work. They can work from home and they must work from home.

Updated

There will also be changes to religious broadcasts.

Andrews:

Religious broadcasts, they will be further limited. Same crew. You can’t have a revolving crew every week. It has to be the same people who produce those broadcasts, as important as they are, each and every time.

Updated

Next, outdoor recreation activity will be closed.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews:

Playgrounds, basketball courts, skate parks and exercise equipment - despite the fact that it is outdoors - will be closed from 11.59pm tonight. This spreads amongst kids and we can’t have the potential transmission sites open.

Updated

Thirdly, Melburnians can no longer remove their masks to drink alcohol.

This comes after a pub crawl was organised over the weekend, with people gathering and drinking takeaway alocholic beverages in large groups.

Andrews:

There will be no removal of masks to consume alcohol outdoors. You will no longer be able to remove your mask to drink a cocktail at a pop-up beer garden on a footpath as part of a pub crawl.

The [state alcohol authority] and I understand Victoria Police are looking at what occurred at a weekend at a number of licensed venues. There are reviews being conduct into the terms of those licences and whether any of those licence holders have done the wrong thing.

Again, that makes you angry. But why am I angry about that? Because it devalues the work that thousands of publicans and restaurant owners and bar owners, the good work they are doing, diligently following Covid-safe protocols regarding take-away. Take away. Not turn around and turn the footpath into a pub.

Updated

The next rule to change is to do with exercise.

Andrews:

Exercise is just that, it is not an opportunity for seven families to catch up in the park. It is exercise.

So it’s you and one other person from your household or dependants.

Kath and I can go for a walk. If our kids were younger, we could take our kids with us. It is not Kath and I going for a walk and then five other families all catching up in the park and having a picnic. It is not.

Note that Andrews is being very specific that the curfew was a direction from the Chief Health Officer. That’s because last year it wasn’t, and the state government came under significant fire for the policy.

Updated

Curfew to be reinstated in Melbourne

Okay, we are onto how the Melbourne lockdown will be extended.

First up, a curfew from 9pm to 5am.

Andrews:

We are strengthening the lockdown as well from 11.59pm tonight.

There will be a curfew on advice from the Chief Health Officer from 9pm to 5am each and every day. That comes into effect from tonight. I am asking people to curfew from 9pm....

That is on direct advice from the Chief Health Officer and he will be the next to speak and he can explain to you why he has provided that advice and more.

Updated

Daniel Andrews has urged Victorians to comply with lockdown rules so as to not end up like Sydney.

I know people are weary and I know people are sick and tired of this, but each of us have to find it in ourselves to make good choices for these next couple of weeks, to drive down these case numbers, and to be in a position so that we can reopen.

I don’t want us to finish up like Sydney, where it has fundamentally got away from them. They are not reopening any time soon. They are locked in until they get pretty much the whole place vaccinated. That will take months.

We have an option, we have an opportunity to do differently and to do better than that. But we can’t do it on our own. We need every Victorian to play their part in that.

Updated

ACT chief minister does not want federal parliament to return next week

The ACT chief minister Andrew Barr says he would prefer that federal parliament does not return next week. He has spoken with Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese this morning about the issue.

They need to consider the urgency of a federal parliamentary sitting and whether it is required.

My preference would be that they don’t, unless they absolutely have to. And if they did, it would need to be under a minimal setting and absolutely Covid safe.


Barr then has a dig at NSW.

He is asked what he made of deputy premier John Barilaro citing the risk from Canberra to justify the regional lockdown.

Barr said he supported the regional lockdown, and then adds:

It’s a pity it didn’t happen seven weeks ago.

Updated

Andrews:

But what makes me really angry about that event is that each of those 69 people will have to be interviewed. They are close contact also have to be spoken to, tested. [Then] their close contacts will have to be spoken to and tested.

Our contact tracers who are working their guts out for all of us will have to spend literally thousands of hours dealing with hundreds and thousands of people connected to that engagement party. That is the work that they must do, but it is all entirely preventable. That is what makes me angry and disappointed.

That is what events like that cost all of us, because while our dedicated contact tracers are doing that work, they are not chasing down other cases. They are not driving down other cases. All of us have to make the best choices to limit the spread of this virus, not making selfish choices that add to its spread. It is very simple. But above all, the thing that makes me angriest is that that event, that sort of conduct - some of the behaviour we’ve seen over the weekend - it takes away and it devalues the amazing work that millions and millions of Victorians are doing.

The Victorian premier has confirmed that a number of lockdown measures will be strengthened.

But first, he is has expressed his “anger” at the St Kilda East engagement party incident:

Now, I want to make a couple of comments about one particular event, but I don’t for a moment suggest that it is the only event. We have seen people turning the footpath into an impromptu beer garden and doing pub crawls. We’ve seen people gathering in parks in large numbers. We’ve seen lots of different people flouting these rules...

But because there is video footage of a particular engagement party, I think it’s only fair that I make a couple of comments and explain to you why I’m angry about that event. I know many, many people across Victoria are angry, and some of the commentary in the video is just pretty blatant.

What makes me really angry about it is that there are 69 people at that event and, don’t - no matter what you are told or what you read - the facts are these: There has been transmission at that event. There has been transmission at that event. The only question is whether it will be a super-spreader event. It is already a transmission event. No matter what you are told, they are the facts.

Updated

Victoria 'at a tipping point', with lockdowns extended by two weeks

Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed that lockdown for greater Melbourne will be extended for two weeks, through to 2 September.

Our performance more broadly is not good news. We see too many cases, we see too many mystery cases.

We now have 12 or 13 different chains of transmission. The origins of some are unknown to us. That means that this is spreading in an undetected way across the community.

We are at a tipping point. There is simply no option today but to further strengthen this lockdown and to, on the advice of the Chief Health Officer, extend it for a further two weeks. That is these arrangements, and I will go through the tougher conditions, the more onerous requirements as part of a strengthened lockdown will be in place until 2 September.

Updated

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews:

First, 22 new locally acquired cases of coronavirus in Victoria. Seventeen of them are linked to known outbreaks. Fourteen have been in isolation - just 14 of those 22 have been in isolation during their infectious period.

There were, just under 30,000, some 29,986 test results that were received overnight. There are six cases in hospital, one person is in ICU.

Updated

“Everybody right to go?”

No, not really Dan, but I think you are going to tell me anyway.

We are going now to the Victorian press conference.

We are standing by for Victorian premier Daniel Andrews. He is expected to announce that a curfew will be reinstated in Melbourne, along with a potential extension to the current lockdown.

Updated

Infected ACT aged care worker had one dose of vaccine

ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman is speaking about the aged care worker who unknowingly worked at a facility in the city’s south while infected. Coleman says the worker had one dose of vaccine. She is hopeful that may limit the spread within that facility.

Chief minister Andrew Barr said there were still 1,000 aged care workers in the ACT waiting for their first dose of vaccine. In relation to the vaccination status of aged care workers, it is roughly at the same level as the general population.

The numbers we’re talking about are about 1,000 aged care workers thereabouts who are yet to have a first dose... there are obviously thousands of aged care workers, but at least half have had their first dose.

Barr says the ACT’s vaccination rates more generally remain high. But, like leaders of other jurisdictions, he is “limited by available vaccine supply”.

Coleman is asked how she arrived at her decision to extend the lockdown by two weeks. Did she consider the ACT’s high rates of vaccinations, particularly for older residents?

In the response, at this point in time we have to take every precaution. So I’m taking a [cautious] approach here.

Coleman says she is “confident” that in seven days new cases will all be in quarantine. She says the cases were picked up early, which put the ACT in a good place.

Updated

ACT press conference -

ACT press conference

Chief minister Andrew Barr says there is no evidence to suggest that the first case identified in the current outbreak had travelled to Sydney against public health orders. He is asked if the first case met someone from Sydney or regional NSW, but says he has nothing to add.

Barr also defends the ACT’s testing capacity, which has been poor during this outbreak, causing huge queues and delays of more than six hours.

Sydney took seven weeks to get to the capacity that they’re at. And in the first few days of their outbreak people were waiting 18 hours to get tested, in Fairfield, for example...


He says the government cannot instantly stand up new testing facilities. He says there are more testing sites coming online and the current sites will be expanded.

Earlier, the chief police officer Neil Gaughan said about 8,500 Canberrans were in quarantine. That number is expected to rise. Police have stopped 1,000 cars and checked 145 businesses and houses, issuing eight fines. He said there had been many reports to police on people breaching health orders. But he also offered the following advice:

I’d like to remind people that triple-0 is for emergencies, it’s not to check whether you can cross the border to buy bacon and eggs.

Updated

Here is a breakdown of the NT exposure sites.

Those considered close contacts have been asked to call the Covid-19 hotline to organise testing rather than going to a public facility.

Chief minister Michael Gunner:

There are five close contact exposure sites, four in Darwin, within Katherine.

On Friday evening, the 13th, the Darwin Mini Mart in Smith Street in the CBD...

On Saturday 14th, that Outback Steak and Curry restaurant on Mitchell Street between Mitchell Street in the Darwin CBD between 1.45 and 3pm and the Darwin Mini Market ...

Finally, the Knox Crossing resort in Katherine between 1.15 and 2pm. Those are the five close contact sites and specific times.

And here are the casual contact locations where one must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.

There are four casual contact locations: The ... car rental at Darwin airport, and Hilton Hotel ... we will advise specific areas in the hotel and specific times later today.

Finally, on Sunday 15th, the Woolworths in Katherine between 12.30 and 1pm.

There are also a number of low-risk locations that are not exposure sites.

The Darwin airport last Thursday night, early Friday morning around midnight and RDH testing clinic on Sunday morning. We are reviewing all CCTV footage to ensure there was no high-risk contact. But if you were there at those times, monitor your symptoms, test and isolate.

For the flight that landed in Darwin late on Thursday night, QF1429. We are contacting all the passengers on that flight. They will all be contacted.

Updated

There may potentially be a lockdown extension to accompany Melbourne’s new curfew.

More from Melbourne:

Melbourne expected to reimpose curfew between 9pm and 5am

Multiple media sites are reporting the Melbourne curfew is set to return.

We will get confirmation at 12.30pm AEST when state leaders stand up for a press conference.

Children in the NT will get three days off school, with only children of essential workers allowed on campus:

Our last lockdown happened in the school holidays. This one is during term.

For now, we are directing that schools shut. Students stay home and schools only stay open for the children of essential workers with schools keeping on critical skeleton staff for this purpose only.

If the lockdown has to go for longer, we can make decisions then about how we keep our kids learning but for now it is three days off for our kids.

Updated

Wow, just in case there weren’t enough press conferences going on at once for you.

The Victorian update will be at 12.30pm AEST and the police commissioner will also be speaking.

Updated

Michael Gunner says there is only one major change restriction in NT:

In order to further limit movement, for everything that isn’t groceries, food or medicines, where possible, you will be required to use the click-and-collect service to get your essential goods. For example, Bunnings will not be open for the purposes of entering the store and browsing.

If you need goods from Bunnings or other essential goods providers that are not food, groceries or pharmacy outlets, you must order the goods online first. You are then permitted to visit the store and collect them.

This measure is being introduced to further limit all unnecessary movements and interaction.

I know that every time we tell you not to panic buy, some people ignore it. I am hoping no you that we have been through this once before, those people will know that panic buying is stupid – a waste of your time. The click-and-collect policy is the only change.

Updated

The ACT’s chief health officer Kerryn Coleman has warned that case numbers will continue to grow until the lockdown takes effect. She says that has been the experience of other jurisdictions.

Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith says testing capacity, which has been sorely lacking in the ACT, has been boosted. Stephen-Smith warns that delays are still being experienced at testing sites, though wait times vary throughout the day.

We are all aware that this is a confronting time for the community.

She says the Greenway Views Village aged care home, where the outbreak has spread, has been locked down and says health staff are on site conducting testing.

Updated

Michael Gunner:

Like last time, we have made the decision to lock down fast because of what we do not know. We do not know yet the variant of this virus. We are assuming it is the Delta strain.

Critically, we do not know the source of his infection. We do not know if he caught it in hotel quarantine, during his time at the Canberra airport or at any other time during his transit.

And while his contact in the community both in Darwin and in Katherine was limited, it was extensive enough to greatly concern us. That includes two close contacts in Darwin, a taxi driver and Uber driver who had been working in the community.

There is a very real risk that this virus has been transmitted to others. There is a very real risk that those people have travelled elsewhere in the community and there is a very real risk that this includes contact with our vulnerable populations.

When we don’t know everything, we have to start by assuming the worst – we have to. Remember why we do this. Remember why we go hard and fast. It is to buy time until we know more. Until we can be sure this has not spread. We need to stop everything in its tracks until we get on top of this.

Updated

NT may not open up in line with vaccination targets

Michael Gunner says the Northern Territory had asked the Doherty Institute for further modelling as to whether it would be safe for the territory to ease Covid restrictions when the nation hit vaccination targets.

Of particular concern is the NT’s population profile. Its median age is 32, compared with 36 nationally.

Gunner said the median age in remote Indigenous communities was about 21.
What that means is a larger percentage of children aged under 12, who Gunner said were not able to be vaccinated.

The NT chief minister said he had advised the national cabinet that he’d sought advice from the Doherty Institute specific to the territory context:

There is a group of Australians that simply cannot be vaccinated. We do not have, right now, the ability to ... vaccinate children under 12.

Any stepping out, has to involve a plan around our under-12s, they will become a vulnerable group.

Updated

Michael Gunner says the infected man is asymptomatic:

On Sunday morning, the man attended the Royal Darwin hospital pandemic clinic for a Covid test. This is a requirement we have for everyone who arrives in the territory after exiting hotel quarantine. They are required to take a test on the third day.

Following his test, he drove his hire car to Katherine where he was required for his work. He arrived at his hotel in Knox Crossing just after midday on Sunday.

He met a friend and they travelled together to the Woolworths in Katherine. Last night we received his positive test result. He is in isolation in his hotel in Katherine with the assistance of health staff and police. He is asymptomatic.

He has been transferred to the Centre for National Resilience today.

Updated

Michael Gunner:

The positive case is a man in his 30s, who travelled to the territory for legitimate work purposes on Thursday 12 August. As a recent international arrival, he had been in 14 days ...

He transited from Sydney to Darwin via Canberra airport. The ACT was declared a Covid-19 hotspot at the time but, as per our usual policy, airports are not considered part of the hotspot. We understood he wore a mask during his transit.

He landed in Darwin very late Thursday night, just before midnight, and travelled via taxi to the Hilton Hotel on Mitchell Street.

Later on Friday morning, he travelled back in the airport in an Uber car to collect a hire car. The man visited various locations in the Darwin CBD over the next few days for a limited period of time. There are a number of exposure sites.

Updated

I’m going to jump over to the NT press conference now and bring you a more in-depth recap of everything that was said.

Here is NT chief minister Michael Gunner:

We have an urgent and important update for the residents of greater Darwin region and Katherine.

The NT has recorded one new case of Covid-19 overnight. Because of the circumstances of this case, we have had to make a difficult decision this morning to escalate our pandemic response.

From midday today, the Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin rural area and Katherine will enter a full lock down for 72 hours. We are in lockdown until midday Thursday.

Updated

Gladys Berejiklian says even if the state achieves 80% full vaccination, extremely high case numbers will still significantly limit the state’s ability to open up:

If you read the Doherty Institute report, that is based on the premise of 30 to 40 cases in relation to all the things you can do. You can live more freely than what you are today but the extent of your freedom depends on case numbers. If case numbers are where they are now and we get to 80% double doses, we won’t be able to do everything that we won’t to do ...

There is a difference between a lockdown and restrictions. We will need to live with restrictions so long as Delta is around. So long as Delta has a presence in the world, even if we had zero cases and we were at 80% double dose, you would still have to respect rules that exist around vaccinations, around social distancing, around mask wearing, so long as Delta and deadly Covid is around, we will always need to live with a measure of restriction.

Updated

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is speaking fairly openly now about the need to eventually live with the Delta variant. But it is clear this won’t be until vaccination rates are much higher:

At the end of the day, we know that we can’t have society living the way we are now forever. The way out of this is high vaccination rates and lower case numbers and we have been saying that from day one.

Our aspiration to have as close to zero as possible in terms of infectious people in the community remains what we want to achieve. I want to make that clear. To suggest that we will have zero all the time across Australia with Delta is something people talk about but we also have to be real. Whenever you are welcoming home Australians, the likely strain that they will have is Delta. Whether it is in the quarantine system or elsewhere we’re likely to see cases pop up.

Even other states who are grappling with a handful of cases know how stubborn this thing is. Even states that have locked down, are still getting a handful of cases and it is really stubborn.

We need to desperately get the number down and we have been clear about this from day one. People at home get it. We need to reduce case numbers and we need to get the vaccination rates up to protect people and prevent them from going into hospital.

Updated

This will take the ACT lockdown through until at least 2 September.

ACT lockdown extended for two weeks

ACT chief minister Andrew Barr has extended the ACT lockdown by two weeks. This will encompass much of the next sitting of parliament:

One of today’s cases includes an aged care worker.

Updated

ACT reports 19 new local cases of Covid-19

Updated

Three day lockdown for greater Darwin and Katherine

Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner has announced a three-day lockdown of the greater Darwin and Katherine areas, after a single asymptomatic Covid-19 case arrived in the Top End.

Gunner said expressed concern for the territory’s “vulnerable populations” and said authorities were “assuming the worst” after detecting the case, in a man who had returned from overseas.

It is not yet known how the man, in his 30s, contracted the virus or what variant he has.

Gunner said the man had been in hotel quarantine in Sydney and tested negative on 10 August. He left the Sydney hotel on 12 August and flew to the Northern Territory, via Canberra airport.

After arriving in Darwin, the man stayed at a CBD hotel – the Hilton on Mitchell Street. He took a taxi to the hotel and an Uber back to the airport on 13 August to collect a hire car.

Yesterday the man attended the Royal Darwin hospital for a Covid test – a requirement in the NT for anyone who has been through hotel quarantine and subsequently arrived in the territory.

He then drove to Katherine, met a friend and visited the Woolworths supermarket.

The lockdown will apply to Darwin, Palmerston and Katherine local government areas and the Darwin rural area.

Gunner:

Like last time we’ve made the decision to lock down fast, we do not yet know the variant. Critically we do not know the source of the infection. We do not know if he got it in quarantine.

There is a very real risk [the man’s movements] includes contact with our vulnerable populations. When we don’t know everything, we have to start by assuming the worst. It is to buy time until we know more.

NT chief health officer Hugh Heggie said public health officers were assuming the man had the Delta variant:

Hopefully this will be a short sharp lockdown.

Territory authorities have also sought to restrict people from any non-essential shopping. Hardware stores like Bunnings will only be open for click-and-collect purchases and not “for the purposes of entering the store and browsing”.

Updated

Mick Fuller has confirmed that he has requested police to be more proactive about issuing fines not warnings for those breaching health orders, but said individual officers still have “the power of discretion”.

Reporter:

Have you asked officers to provide an explanation when they give a warning instead of a fine?

Fuller:

We ask the police officers to go hard, not in those terms. We were issuing four cautions for every ticket leading up to the Delta variant, which is great community-based policing but it reaches a point where you say, ‘People aren’t getting this.’

In fairness, I have asked officers to be active in terms of taking strong action. They still have the power of discretion. I have asked them to do what they should be doing, which is recording the reason why they take action or they don’t take action.

Updated

Police commissioner Mick Fuller says he is not considering requesting additional powers (such as curfew enforcement) from the NSW government:

As I said on Saturday, I won’t be asking for any additional police or health orders at the moment because we need to give the strategy a chance. Every strategy takes seven to 14 days, whether it is a police strategy or a health strategy to see what impact that has on the Covid numbers. At the end of the 21 days, as I have on many occasions, I would go back to the premier and/or cabinet crisis to ask for what I think we need to assist.

Updated

Hmmm, this is interesting, Gladys Berejiklian seems to be leaving the decision on enforcing curfews to the NSW police force ... which feels like a chief health officer decision, surely.

She was just asked if curfews were being considered:

I will ask the police commissioner to address this issue but all of those issues are considered and canvassed and police have given us their advice on what we must do to reduce people doing the wrong thing. It comes down to us. No matter what rules are in place, if people are choosing to ignore them, we will continue to be in serious trouble.

Updated

John Barilaro:

To make it clear, you can’t go to your grocery store 5km down the road in many cases in the regions. Within a local government area you are permitted to move about to get your shopping and groceries. We want you to minimise that movement but we know it is more than 5km.

There is no distance rule within an LGA. If you have to go to the neighbouring LGA to go grocery shopping, there is no limit if that is the only option that you have. It says that within the exemption in the rules.

We want to limit people going into other LGAs as much as we can. Especially for exercise. Those exemptions are there. The flexibility is there, understanding the very different arrangements and the distance in regional and rural New South Wales.

Updated

John Barilaro is giving a bit more detail on the new regional permit system that will now be required for people from greater Sydney to enter regional NSW:

We have made a decision about a permit system for greater Sydney for access to the regions and we will have a limited list of reasons why you can go.

There have been many examples of people who have left Sydney to go and tend to a second residence. We will limit that to one person only. There are a number of changes we will make but we will make that clear this week ...

It is a system that I am confident, with the extra surveillance also and the resources on the roads, outside of Sydney and into the areas like Dubbo, I am confident that we will get on top of this in a very different way.

Updated

Kerry Chant has urged people not to think that everyone will have to wait five days for a Covid-19 test result, as wait times blow out in some of the state labs:

In terms of the turnaround time, we are looking at a range of strategies to reduce the turnaround times and working closely with the private pathology labs.

Can I indicate that those turnaround times ... are not evenly distributed across providers. It is really important to not give a message that everyone will take five days to get a test.

Updated

Kerry Chant:

Can I just say, the thing that gives me joy every day is looking at the vaccine coverage data ... It has been amazing, we have been lifting our vaccine coverage rates ...

The thing that stresses me is if you go to the [commonwealth] website, you will see it broken down by various age groups and it distresses me that the 70-plus second dose is still, from memory, only around 40 to 50%.

We really need to get our second dose up as well as our first dose. We now have so many channels for accessing vaccines. We have pharmacies rolling out vaccines, we have GPs working so hard. GPs, even on Saturday, gave record volumes of vaccine.

Vaccination is part of the solution and I want to see those vaccine coverage rates get up as high as possible but, similarly, we have to follow the public health orders and stay at home because we can’t have escalating case numbers in the presence of vaccine.

In the end, the vaccine and getting that vaccine coverage will help us but we know we need to get very high levels of coverage as quickly as we can and we are very privileged that we have the tools available.

Updated

A reporter has asked if Kerry Chant believes public health messaging has been negatively impacted by Gladys Berejiklian “getting up day after day saying we will open things up”.

The chief health officer doesn’t agree, and is talking more and more about vaccines being a path out of this lockdown:

I don’t think that there is a disparate message.

I think clearly, from my perspective, we have to get case numbers down. This level of case numbers is not where we want to be, where we need to be and I and my team and the government is committed to doing everything we can to drive these case numbers down but I think the issue ...

We will never eliminate Covid from the world. We have the privilege now of having a vaccine. My comments yesterday were clear – I do not see vaccination as a silver bullet.

We have to work hard to get those levels up and even when we have the high vaccine coverage, we will still have to move around in society in a way, acknowledging the threat of Covid but we will hopefully have incredibly – this is into the future – incredibly low levels of transmission.

Kerry Chant
Kerry Chant: ‘We will never eliminate Covid from the world.’ Photograph: Brook Mitchell/AAP

Updated

Questions have turned the (pretty disastrous) way the regional NSW lockdown was announced on Saturday, with the message going out after the daily press conference, mostly via politicians’ tweets.

Gladys Berejiklian has been asked if she thinks that was acceptable. She was pretty unapologetic:

Can I make this point very clear: When we announced the various health updates at 11 on Saturday, we went immediately upstairs and Dr Chant advised me there were additional local government areas of concern.

We consulted the deputy premier and our other colleagues and it was apparent to us that as a precaution, there would have only been a handful of local government areas that weren’t affected in regional New South Wales.

It’s important for us to make sure we get the message out as quickly as possible. There were various channels where the communication was made through community leaders and we have to appreciate that there are so many communities in regional New South Wales that rely on their local networks, their local leaders, their local information and health districts to get the message out and all those channels were used.

It is apparent that everybody knows the serious situation we are in and people know that when we need to take immediate and decisive action we will, it doesn’t matter what day it is.

Updated

NSW deputy premier John Barilaro has given a breakdown of case numbers in regional communities.

The focus is Dubbo, where we are concerned, and Walgett. There were 35 cases overnight. That remains a concern for our health network and those communities.

My message for those in Dubbo, we know how interconnected the regions and communities are, please follow the health orders, the stay home orders and try and minimise mobilisation.

The Hunter New England has stabilised, even though with 16 cases, they were all either close contacts or in isolation.

The Central Coast, only two cases.

North Coast, Tamworth and Armidale, no new cases, which is a good sign that in parts of the state we are on top of it.

The sharp lockdowns do work.

Updated

NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller is speaking about the ramped-up police operation across the state:

The New South Wales police force and Australian defence force Operation Stay at Home commenced at midnight last night. Nearly 18,000 police and what will build up to 1,800 members of the Australian defence force will be enforcing the health orders, not just in the greater Sydney area but across the state of New South Wales.

You can expect to see high-visibility policing across the state. Yes, there will be a focus on those LGAs of concern and that is about trying to stop the spread of the virus, particularly those people who are positive Covid moving around.

Can I say that from my perspective, overnight, we have seen nearly 500 infringements written for a range of health orders; 120 were people for not wearing masks and other were a mix of the health orders.

Over the next 21 days, the New South Wales community need to know we are out there enforcing these health orders to stop the spread of the virus so we can come out of lockdown. I don’t apologise for that. We all want the same thing but we need a circuit breaking from a law enforcement perspective and that started at midnight last night.

Updated

ACT residents warned to brace for 'a number of new cases' today

In the Australian Capital Territory, the government is warning residents to brace for new confirmed cases after a high school student tested positive.

The student, who went to Lyneham High in the city’s inner-north, was at school for four days while infectious. The new case brings the total number recorded in this outbreak to 10.

Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith was on ABC local radio earlier this morning. She warned Canberrans to “expect we will have a number of new cases to announce today”.

Those connected with the school have been contacted and a large number of close and household contacts have been told to quarantine for 14 days.

The Australian National University has had to send some of its campus residents back into isolation. Hundreds of students at Wamburun Hall, Toad Hall and Bruce Hall have been identified as close contacts of a new positive Covid-19 case.

Last week, when the outbreak first emerged, the ANU sent students at eight of its campus halls into isolation. Fears of a Covid outbreak on campus then eased, but this latest case has sent the students back into isolation and under close monitoring.

Updated

Kerry Chant:

In terms of Nepean Blue Mountains, we have seen no new cases at Nepean hospital but we have seen about 30 cases across the Nepean Blue Mountains hospital across two different exposures.

There has clearly been an outbreak in the mental health facility there and also across some other wards in Nepean hospital.

I want to confirm that Nepean hospital, including the emergency department, remains open. All precautions have been put in place to protect both health and staff and the health of patients presenting to that facility.

Updated

Here is a breakdown of the rolling seven-day average cases numbers in NSW:

Updated

Man in his 40s among NSW Covid deaths

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has given details about those who have died overnight:

It is important that we understand the true impact that Covid is having on the community and why it is so critical we all pay a key role in protecting our loved ones from disease.

There was a man in his 80s from south-western Sydney who died at Campbelltown hospital. He wasn’t vaccinated.

A man in his 40s from south-western Sydney who had severe underlying health conditions and was not vaccinated.

A woman in her 70s from Sydney’s northern suburbs died at Royal North Shore hospital.

A woman in her 80s from Sydney’s inner west died at Royal Prince Alfred hospital. She was a resident of the Wyoming residential aged care facility and is the third death linked to this cluster and she was unvaccinated.

There was a man in his 70s from south-western Sydney and he died at Liverpool hospital. He was a patient on the geriatric ward at that hospital and was the eighth death linked to that outbreak. He had had one dose of AstraZeneca.

A man in his 80s from south-western Sydney died at Campbelltown hospital and he was not vaccinated. He had a number of comorbidities that sadly contributed to his death.

There was a man in his 80s from western Sydney at died at Nepean hospital. He was not vaccinated. He also had severe underlying illness.

There was a young boy tragically, a 15-year-old from south-western Sydney, died at Westmead Sydney Children’s hospital. I can confirm that he died from pneumococcal meningitis and he was also a positive case. He had been vaccinated against pneumococcal disease as a child.

The death of anyone is tragic and it stresses the gravity of the situation that I have announced the seven deaths and can I extend my personal sympathies to the families and friends of the patients.

Updated

Only 97 of today’s cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period.

Thirty were in isolation for part of their infectious period, 61 cases were infectious in the community and 290 remain under investigation.

Updated

Here is the breakdown of NSW cases based on isolation status:

Updated

Chant:

I’m particularly concerned at the moment around Dubbo and the impact Covid is having on Aboriginal communities in Dubbo. Also that the fact that Aboriginal vaccination levels are not as high as I would like to see them. Just to be aware, we are working with the commonwealth to increase opportunities for vaccination in impacted areas in western New South Wales.

Also, I want to just advise people that even if you’re fully immunised, you still have to follow all of the rules.

Updated

Here is chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant:

Disturbingly, we saw 478 locally acquired cases of Covid to the 24 hours to 8pm last night. Too many people are infectious in the community.

It is critical that we all heed and take part in the actions we’re required to undertake. Stay home and leave your home for the most minimum of time and every time you’re out and about, assume you have the infection or that you will come in contact with someone may have the infection.

Updated

The premier says communities in south-west and western Sydney and the west of the state are still of the highest concern:

South-western Sydney and western Sydney remain the areas of most concern. The suburbs I will read out are the ones that are continuing to have escalating cases. Marylands, Guildford, Granville, Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Yagoona, Greenacre and Bankstown. These are the suburbs where the growth is continuing and we need people in those communities to just stay home. Don’t leave your house. Don’t cut corners, unless you absolutely have to, we just want people to stay still.

In western New South Wales, we are very concerned about communities in west Dubbo and the Walgett area and the remote communities in far western New South Wales.

Updated

Eighth death recorded in NSW

Berejiklian has gone on to confirm an eighth death since yesterday’s cut-off:

Tragically, since that time, we also had that eighth death of the very young teenager and Dr Chant will go through those details as well. We know the vaccines are working.

It is important for us all to protect our loved ones and ourselves by getting vaccinated. When you do get vaccinated, there are still – it takes two to three weeks for that first dose to take effect, so don’t assume you’re protected as soon as you get the jab.

Updated

NSW reports 'disturbingly high' 478 local Covid-19 cases and seven deaths

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is speaking now:

Our community transmission numbers are disturbingly high.

We had 478 cases of community transmission to 8pm last night and we can’t stress enough how hard all of us have to work to reduce these numbers, to reduce the growth of the spread and make sure we are all staying home unless we absolutely have to otherwise.

Can I also extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to seven families who have lost a loved one to 8pm last night. Seven deaths in New South Wales.

Updated

We are just standing by now for the NSW daily press conference and potentially a press conference from the NT chief minister at 11am AEST.

The ABC is reporting that Michael Gunner could announce a three-day lockdown after a positive Covid-19 case was recorded in Darwin. This has not been independently confirmed by Guardian Australia at this time.

Updated

MP and former Nationals party leader (and current MP) Michael McCormack has joined in on criticising Matt Canavan’s tweet.

(Chester and McCormack were both on the opposite side to Canavan during the leadership spill so perhaps this is not totally surprising – but is still pretty wild to see this play out in public.)

McCormack said Canavan’s comments questioning if the Taliban would institute a “net-zero” emissions policy the day they took control of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul was “disappointing, insensitive & unnecessary”:

To compare climate policy with the bloodshed on the streets of Kabul is out of place & unworthy of a member of the Australian Parliament. Our thoughts today should be for the Afghan people & the families of our brave fallen Diggers.

Updated

Well, let’s hope this one isn’t true. (Not that there is much to do outside your home at night anyway). Curfews have reportedly been put to the Victorian public health team to be considered to help curb the outbreak there:

Updated

NT reportedly records Covid-19 case, lockdown on the table

The ABC is reporting that the NT has recorded a case in Darwin overnight and a lockdown is now expected to be announced.

That will be at 10.30 ACST, so the same time as the NSW press conference at 11am AEST.

I will try to confirm that for you now.

Updated

Australian television pioneer Ernie Sigley dies at 82

Australian television pioneer and radio personality Ernie Sigley has died at the age of 82. He had Alzheimer’s.

In a statement released by Channel Nine on Monday, the network paid tribute to “the little Aussie Battler”, who died in residential care on Sunday surrounded by his family, third wife Glenys O’Brien and his four adult children.

Our heartfelt sympathy goes to his family and friends ...

Ernie entertained millions of Australians. He was an Australian TV pioneer, who began his career in SA and at Nine, a man who brightened our lives and brought laughter into our homes. We remember him fondly.

Sigley began his career in television in 1957, a year after it arrived in Australia, and amassed multiple Logies over the years, including the Gold Logie for most popular personality on Australian television in 1975.

Ernie Sigley with Denise Drysdale
Ernie Sigley with Denise Drysdale. Photograph: Nine

Updated

Fellow Nationals politician slams Canavan's 'net zero' Taliban tweet

Nationals senator Matt Canavan is getting now heat for his (extremely inflammatory and slightly nonsensical) tweet about the Taliban from inside his own party.

On Twitter the Nationals MP Darren Chester has condemned the comments, saying they were “totally lacking in compassion”:

Matt Canavan doesn’t speak for me. This tweet is offensive, disrespectful and totally lacking in any compassion for the 41 brave Australians who lost their lives, the families who grieve for them, the 39,000 Australians who served in this conflict, and the people of Afghanistan.

Updated

NSW police must now get permission to issue warning rather than fine for lockdown breaches

The Australian newspaper is reporting that the NSW police commissioner has ordered all officers not to issue warnings or cautions to those allegedly breaching lockdown orders.

According to an email reportedly obtained by the paper, officers have been told they must first seek permission from a superior officer if they are considering “using discretion” to issue a warning:

[The] Operation is focused on enforcement of the Public Health Orders and any breach identified should be prosecuted to the letter of the law ...

Warnings and Cautions during the next few weeks of the operation should be limited and if used will need to be authorised by a Supervisor or Inspector and recorded in the event.

This is basically unprecedented and will likely lead to a sharp increase in the number of fines and penalties issued.

Just a reminder that many of the hardest-hit areas in the NSW outbreak have a high density of culturally and linguistically diverse residents.

Hopefully we can learn more at today’s press conference.

Updated

And it wouldn’t be good news in Queensland without a terrible Canva graphic from the premier.

Everyone take a big sip of your coffee for some wild graphic design!

(It’s not actually that terrible today, but honestly, I need the caffeine.)

Queensland records no Covid-19 cases

Huzzah! Another Covid-19 free day for Queensland!

Updated

OK, so Australian national treasure Peter Bol won first place in a race in Poland overnight.

The same night Poland ships 1m Pfizer doses to Australia.

Did Bol win us the vaccines?! I’m choosing to believe he did.

Thank you, Bol!

Updated

They could have like ... picked any other time for a press conference?

I’ll bring you what I can from this:

Updated

Delays approaching an hour on Queensland border

Delays of up to 45 minutes are predicted to get longer at Queensland’s border on the Gold Coast as police tighten controls in response to a statewide Covid-19 lockdown in NSW, reports AAP.

The past 24 hours have seen more than 600 cars turned around, compared with less than 100 a day last week, Queensland police deputy commissioner Steve Gollschewski told Channel Nine this morning:

The problem is people are turning up not sure what to do and not having the right exemptions; they’re getting turned around.

Queensland strengthened its border zone restrictions on Saturday, telling NSW residents they could only enter to obtain essential goods and services they couldn’t get otherwise.

Restrictions on workers entering from NSW have also been tightened to exclude teachers, childcare workers and construction workers on “non-critical” projects:

It is a big operation but it’s for a very important purpose so we need people to work with us on this ...

The good news is we haven’t had to fine anyone, so mostly it’s people not understanding what’s required of them and, unfortunately, they’re getting turned around.

Updated

As expected, the NSW press conference will be at 11am:

Updated

In encouraging SA vaccine news, anyone aged over 16 can now book an appointment:

Updated

Here is Guardian Australia’s full report on former Wallaby player Toutai Kefu being seriously wounded in an alleged home invasion in Brisbane:

Updated

Just a reminder that we are still waiting to hear the Covid NSW numbers for today –they’re expected at 11am. Then usually around noon we hear from the ACT chief minister about the territory’s numbers.

Updated

OK here’s a look at the trend in local v overseas transmission of Covid-19 in Victoria, again thanks to the fantastic Josh Nicholas:

Updated

Ooooooft! And the prize for the worst Afghanistan “hot take” goes to ...

Updated

Here’s a breakdown of all the latest Victorian Covid-19 cases based on isolation status, courtesy of Josh Nicholas:

Updated

Forgetful, confused and a bit cranky? Here are some scientifically proven ways to lift your lockdown mood.

Rifling through his cupboards for an unopened ballroom dance class DVD was an evidence-based decision for Brett Hayes.

A professor of psychology at the University New South Wales who focuses on cognition, Hayes was reviewing the literature that has emerged from waves of coronavirus lockdowns and saw the positive impact that both exercise and socialising had on people’s cognitive health during extended periods of isolation.

In Sydney’s lengthening lockdown he and his partner have been practising ballroom dancing every Friday and Saturday night. Hayes says dance, alongside exercise-based video games, are physical as well as social:

They really get you engaged with another person. We found that quite useful.

You can read the full story below:

Updated

The Victorian government has given consent for a gas company to produce gas extracted from beneath a national park in the state’s south-west, near the celebrated tourist site the Twelve Apostles.

Protesters against gas exploration at the Twelve Apostles in Victoria in July
Environmental activists protest against gas exploration at the Twelve Apostles in Victoria in July. Photograph: Matt Hrkac

Documents tabled in Victorian parliament this month show Lily D’Ambrosio, the state energy and climate change minister, gave consent for an existing exploration gas well underneath the Port Campbell national park to be developed into a production well.

The South Australian oil and gas company Beach Energy has had permission to explore for gas just outside the national park in south-west Victoria since May 2019. The onshore drill site is 450m outside the park but the bore extends 3.5km out into the ocean, including a 1.3km stretch passing underneath the national park.

You can read the full report from Royce Kurmelovs and Adam Morton below:

Updated

Former Wallabies rugby player Toutai Kefu is undergoing surgery after being seriously injured during an alleged home invasion in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo this morning.

Some media outlets are reporting that Kefu – capped 60 times for Australia and the current coach of the Tonga rugby team – was stabbed while trying to defend his family.

Three other people – reported to be Kefu’s wife, son and daughter – are also being treated in hospital.

Queensland police are due to hold a media conference this morning but said in a statement two men had been arrested. They described the incident as a “burglary and wounding”.

Police said they had been called to the Buena Vista Avenue home about 3am.

Early information suggests a number of males were disturbed breaking into a dwelling there and a violent altercation left four members of the house injured ...

One male was restrained and taken into custody at the scene. Further offenders fled in a car toward Woolloongabba.

Toutai Kefu
Toutai Kefu. Photograph: Dave Rowland/Getty Images

Updated

If you want to stay up to date on the rapidly unfolding Afghanistan situation throughout the morning, you can check out the Guardian’s global live blog, headed by Helen Sullivan:

Updated

On upcoming ACT news:

So with those Victorian numbers it’s, I guess, marginally good news.

The total local cases are down slightly – 22 today and 25 yesterday.

The proportion of cases in isolation is slightly up – 14 out of 22 (64%) today and 12 out of 25 (48%) yesterday.

Updated

Scott Morrison has spoken to 2GB Radio to discuss the 1m Pfizer doses from Poland (“how good is Poland”, yes, I’m not joking) but as with several of these interviews he has been asked if we were dudded by the US, which hasn’t given us any of its spare doses:

I really wouldn’t put it that way. Let’s not forget 700 people died in the US yesterday because of Covid, they’re dealing with a voracious next Delta wave. And they’re also dealing with demands from many many developing countries both in their region as well as in ours, in south-east Asia and Indonesia. They’re the vaccine bank for pretty much the rest of the world with the vaccines that we know are highly effective, Moderna and Pfizer. So, they have many calls on them. I focused on where we can get an outcome – and that proved to be Poland. But we have many more coming in the months ahead [from the US]. So, it was more of a timing issue on this one.

Broadcaster Ben Fordham also asked about anti-vaxxers allegedly booking GP appointments to waste their time to administer vaccines to others, and booking and cancelling appointments.

Morrison:

Yeah I find that very disappointing. I find that most disappointing because it’s disrespecting their fellow Australians. We have free speech ... but we don’t do harm to others. It is disrespecting their fellow Australians, it’s quite selfish. And it’s self-defeating too. More and more Australians are ignoring all that, they’re seeing it for what it is – very extreme views. It undermines hope. The idea you can let this thing rip is absurd, as is that you can get to Covid zero. They’re both absurd.

While Morrison has disavowed Covid zero by saying Australia’s strategy has always been suppression – this is quite an escalation of rhetoric, implicitly comparing zero Covid to anti-vaxxers.

Updated

Authorised workers in Sydney hotspots offered priority vaccinations

Thousands of authorised workers in Sydney LGAs of concern will be offered priority Covid-19 vaccinations at certain vaccine hubs and clinics from today.

This morning NSW Health announced this new vaccine blitz for certain essential workers. Workers in the following industries are eligible:

  • Healthcare, aged care and disability care
  • Construction
  • Freight and transport, including bus drivers
  • Meat processing
  • Food production/processing/retail
  • Primary, secondary and early childhood school staff

NSW Health has worked with Business NSW to identify and invite workers from these LGAs ...

Eligible workers will receive a unique link to book their vaccine appointment and will be required to bring photo ID as well as proof of their place of work to receive their vaccination.

NSW Health has established a number of priority clinics where authorised workers can get vaccinated as part of this campaign.

The media release did not explicitly state if these workers would be offered a Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine.

Updated

Victoria records 22 local Covid-19 cases overnight

This morning Victoria recorded eight new Covid-19 cases who were infectious in the community. In total, 22 new cases were discovered, 17 were linked to known outbreaks and 14 were in isolation for their entire infectious period.

Updated

Rugby legend Toutai Kefu seriously injured in an alleged home invasion

Here is Queensland police’s statement on the violent alleged home invasion in Coorparoo in Southern Brisbane which reportedly resulted in the stabbing of former Wallabies rugby player Toutai Kefu.

Police say two men have been arrested:

Police have two males in custody following a burglary and wounding in Coorparoo this morning.

Police were called to Buena Vista Avenue at around 3am in relation to an incident.

Early information suggests a number of males were disturbed breaking into a dwelling there and a violent altercation left four members of the house injured.

One male was restrained and taken into custody at the scene.

Further offenders fled in a car toward Woolloongabba.

The four injured residents were transported to the Princess Alexander Hospital for treatment. A man in his 40s has serious injuries.

Investigators urge witnesses to contact police.

Updated

Just on that allegedly illegal Melbourne engagement party:

I’ll bring you more details on this as soon as I can but there are reports that former Wallabies player Toutai Kefu has been seriously injured in an alleged home invasion in Brisbane early this morning.

Toutai Kefu in 1999
Toutai Kefu, pictured here in 1999. Photograph: Chris Bacon/PA

Updated

Melbourne Jewish leaders urge Covid compliance

Melbourne’s Jewish leaders have urged community members to follow lockdown rules amid reports of illegal gatherings.

A mother and son from St Kilda East, the heart of the city’s Jewish community, tested positive to Covid-19 at the weekend despite not having known links to other cases, reports Liz Hobday from AAP.

The cases have been discovered amid unconfirmed reports on social media that an engagement party was held by community members with about 100 guests, which one Covid case may have attended.

The newly elected president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, Daniel Aghion, has called for calm and said anyone concerned about exposure should contact authorities:

We are disappointed to learn that a small group have not been following mandatory lockdown restrictions ...

We too feel the immense frustration at the current situation, and are focusing our support on significant efforts being made to contain the virus.

Victoria’s Covid response commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters yesteray he believed St Kilda East pair had been infectious in the community for a number of days.

He described the developments as part of a tipping point in the latest outbreak, and said health officers had been meeting with community leaders since Saturday:

They are working hard, they are very concerned, they are keen to understand what the exposure may have been.

The council has warned of several exposure sites frequented by Melbourne’s Jewish community, including supermarkets and pharmacies in Balaclava, Haymisha Bakery, Daneli’s Deli and Dom’s Balaclava Fruit Mart.

Updated

Earlier on Channel Seven’s Sunrise program, Scott Morrison was asked about how Australia managed to secure 1m Pfizer doses from Poland.

Asked if Australia paid big bucks for the doses, the PM described it as a “normal transaction” but didn’t disclose the price:

Our officials did a tremendous job in identifying the opportunity, and we were very quick on the phone, but because we had an existing relationship that obviously helped, and there was a great affection for Australia and everyone knows Sydney is our biggest city and when I was able to see that Sydney was in lockdown [that resulted in] great support.

On Afghanistan, Morrison said Australia had got 1,800 people who had worked with Australia out of Afghanistan since 2013, including 430 locally engaged employees since April. He also tried to spin defeat at the hands of the Taliban as victory:

Let me remind everyone that the reason we went there was to track down Osama bin Laden. The reason we went there was to stop al-Qaida and stop the mounting operations, and so many Australians have lost their lives in the cause and ultimately that is the cause of freedom from that, we are forever thankful.

Updated

Just jumping back to Scott Morrison’s chat with the ABC before, he was asked if NSW’s struggles to curb the spread of the Delta variant spelled an end for Covid zero in Australia.

But for some reason, the PM is still pretending that Australia was never going for Covid zero (maybe he wasn’t but seven out of the eight states and territories certainly were):

It has never been the job to get to zero Covid. Seeking to minimise community cases, cases transmitted in the community of course has been a goal. But the idea that you have zero Covid in any country has never been Australia’s plan.*

We’ve been embarked on a suppression strategy. And right now, we’re in phase A of that national plan of hope. That’s the plan of hope that Australians are looking to achieve those 70% targets.

We have one in four [eligible] Australians fully vaccinated this week. One in two [eligible] Australians will hit the mark who have got the first dose. We have a million doses that have already arrived. The first shipment from Poland and that’s going straight into the most important areas in south-western Sydney for 20- to 39-year-olds to support the lockdown that is in place in New South Wales. But those doses will also go right across the country because I’m not complacent about any other part of the country.

As you say, Victoria is extending lockdowns and we’re here in one in the ACT. The Delta strain is incredibly difficult and causes a further wave of Covid around the world. And Australia is no different and we’re battling it just like everybody else.**

*You sure?

**Yeah, but we didn’t used to be “just like everyone else”. That’s the whole thing.

Scott Morrison
Scott Morrison: ‘We’re in phase A of that national plan of hope.’ Photograph: Lukas Coch/EPA

Updated

Here were some of those 1m Polish Pfizer doses arriving overnight, in case you were desperate to know what a box being unloaded off a plane looks like.

Updated

Teenage boy dies while infected with Covid

The ABC is reporting that a 15-year-old boy with meningitis has died after contracting Covid-19.

Authorities confirmed on Sunday that while that the teenager had tested positive for the virus, the reason for his admission was because he had pneumococcal meningitis. He still remains the youngest person in Australia to die while diagnosed with Covid-19.

I will bring you updates as soon as I can.

Updated

One of the greatest areas of concern in Afghanistan is the future of women in the country.

Under the Taliban’s previous regimes, girls were unable to attend school, women were generally banned from appearing in public without full-body coverings and male escorts, and those who broke the rules were punished harshly.

ABC News Breakfast host Lisa Millar asked the prime minister how he felt about the fact women and girls are once again under the thumb of violent fundamentalists.

Scott Morrison:

Devastated. Absolutely devastated about it. It’s a terrible – it’s a terrible situation.

Millar:

Has this been a catastrophe? Has it been ... I mean, it just seems that this is not how the allies and the US anticipated things would go. That you have been basically caught out here?

Morrison:

It’s a very challenging situation in Afghanistan. Always has been. When you look at the history and that is the story of Afghanistan. It is a tragic place, it is a tragic country that has borne such terrible hardships and catastrophes over a very long period of time. And, sadly, that story continues.

Updated

ABC News Breakfast host Lisa Millar has asked the prime minister what the news of the Taliban strolling into the Afghanistan capital and taking over means to the families of the 41 Australian soldiers who died in combat.

Scott Morrison:

Freedom is always worth fighting for it. Whatever the outcome. But importantly, the reason that we went there was to track down Osama bin Laden and to ensure that we denied al-Qaida a base of operations out of Afghanistan.

And there has been so much blood and treasure lost in this very difficult campaign over 20 years. And our thanks are always to Australians who serve. They don’t get to decide the mission. They don’t get to decide the place.

Those decisions are taken at another level and they go and serve and they faithfully serve and they do it with great courage and great commitment to their country and the values that Australia represents, which is freedom.

Millar:

Were their deaths in vain when you see already people discussing whether this is going to leave Afghanistan open to becoming a breeding ground for terrorism again?

Morrison:

No Australian who has ever fallen in our uniform has ever died in vain – ever.

Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul yesterday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country
Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul yesterday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Photograph: Zabi Karimi/AP

Updated

Scott Morrison says many of those in danger from the Taliban takeover for their cooperation with Australian troops have already been evacuated:

Since April, 430 locally engaged employees, Afghans and their family, we’ve been already able to bring to Australia and resettle anticipating this deteriorating situation*.

We closed our embassy in May and moved Australian personnel at that time. We’re continuing with our operations in conjunction with our partners in what is a very dangerous part of the world and a deteriorating situation. We’ve been working with that in the recent days. This morning, the foreign minister will speak with secretary Blinken and I had a discussion with [New Zealand PM] Jacinda Ardern last night and the national cabinet will meet this morning. But I can’t go into detail of what is there, for the safety of those involved?

*The Australian government has come under significant fire for not approving visas for some Afghan locals who helped our mission.

Updated

The prime minister is speaking to ABC News Breakfast about the situation in Afghanistan now.

Updated

NSW deputy premier John Barilaro was on ABC radio this morning. He spent the top half of the chat defending the government’s *interesting* decision to announce the statewide lockdown via social media on Saturday.

But towards the end of the chat he was asked if Covid cases could still go up despite the new restriction and enforcement operation.

His answer: “Absolutely.”

He said it was likely numbers would still rise given the 200+ cases recorded yesterday who spent time in the community while infectious, and although he alluded to vaccinated people potentially being given more freedoms in the future, he declined to disclose what these may be as they were still being mulled over by the crisis committee.

Updated

Good morning everyone and welcome to the new week. It’s Matilda Boseley here, ready to take you through the twists and turns of this Monday.

Obviously the biggest headlines are coming out of Afghanistan but here is everything you might have missed closer to home.

In NSW, thousands of police will enforce tough new Covid-19 regulations for the locked-down state, which recorded 415 new cases yesterday and four deaths.

Deputy police commissioner Mick Willing said from today 1,400 highway patrol officers will work with the Australian defence force to ensure city folk don’t venture into the regions and regional residents comply with the statewide lockdown orders.

There is some good news for NSW residents, with an additional 1m Pfizer vaccine doses arriving in Australia after the Morrison government bought them from Poland.

Half of the doses will go to those aged 20 to 39 in the local government areas of Sydney that have been hardest hit by the Delta outbreak.

The rest will be distributed around the country on a per-capita basis, including 175,500 going to Victoria, 17,550 to Tasmania and 14,000 destined for the ACT.

With that, why don’t we jump into the day? It’s bound to be a massive one.

Updated

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Stop waking up at 3 a.m. — these sleep gadgets promise to add an hour of rest and actually make you feel fresh in the morning
Beyond tracking, a new generation of sleep gadgets are here to help you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling more refreshed. Here's our guide to the tech that's shaping our sleep.
Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Guy shoots rap concert using a GameBoy camera. Don't believe me? Read this…
A man has used a GameBoy camera to photograph a rap concert, using a 3D-printed rig to attach his phone to the console to video himself
Digital Camera World
Digital Camera World
How Long Would It Take a Millennial To Buy Archie Bunker’s House Today?
How in the world did Archie Bunker afford that house, and how long would it take a Millennial to buy it off of his heirs today? Forever. It's forever.
GOBankingRates
GOBankingRates
‘Honestly a PSA’: Woman forgets to pack underwear for a trip. Her ‘trick’ has people vowing to never drink hotel coffee again
A St. Louis woman posted a disgusting and unsanitary life hack that has people questioning every cup of coffee they have ever had in a hotel room. 
The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
Kelly Osbourne describes grief as a 'quiet weight' - seven months after dad Ozzy Osbourne's death
Kelly Osbourne has described grief as the "quiet weight you learn to carry" - seven months after her dad, Ozzy Osbourne, died.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
If Bond 26 Is An Origin Story, I Have A Wild Idea For The Movie
There’s an oft-overlooked bit of Bond history that could work here.
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play