Summary
With that, we’ll be closing the blog for today. Thanks for reading, and thanks to Matilda Boseley and Nino Bucci for their work running it earlier today.
Here’s what happened today:
- The prime minister, Scott Morrison, said “I’m sorry” over the slow pace of the vaccine rollout, a day after he refused to apologise on radio.
- New South Wales recorded 124 new local Covid-19 cases, Victoria recorded 26, and South Australia recorded two new local cases.
- Queensland recorded no new cases and said restrictions were set to relax from 6pm Friday, though the mask mandate was extended by seven days, and the state closed its border to all of NSW.
- The NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard, said that yesterday over 9,000 Pfizer vaccines and only 50 AstraZeneca vaccines were administered at Sydney’s largest state-run vaccination hub.
- Morrison also announced that pharmacies would be able to administer AstraZeneca vaccines from August. He also revealed that more than 76,000 under 40 had received the AstraZeneca vaccine after a discussion with their GP since 28 June.
- He also told Triple J’s Hack program that he was “not happy” with the state of the vaccine rollout currently and Australia was “two months behind where we hoped to be”, but the government had “turned it around in the last couple of months”
- A 44-year-old man from Tasmania and a 48-year-old woman from Victoria died from blood clots following their first dose of AstraZeneca, the TGA revealed.
- The allied health workforce in NSW, which includes audiologists, psychologists, radiation therapists and others, is now being trained to administer vaccines.
- Australia and NZ withdrew from the rugby league World Cup over Covid concerns in the UK.
We’ll be back tomorrow morning with all the latest news, as it happens.
Liquidators of the company that sits atop the failed global finance empire formerly run by Bundaberg sugar farmer Lex Greensill (with advice along the way from Julie Bishop and David Cameron) have released a new report.
The new report covers the affairs of Greensill Capital, which is an Australian company that owned the company’s subsidiaries overseas, including its main trading entity in the UK and a bank in Germany.
Liquidators Matt Byrnes, Philip Campbell-Wilson and Michael McCann, of Grant Thornton, say its likely the 30-odd employees who worked for the Australian company will get paid their entitlements.
However, they say they’re unable to determine whether other creditors will get a cent, because this depends on the progress of the liquidation of the UK companies.
Because of the uncertainty around the UK group they’ve also not been able to determine if Greensill was trading while insolvent for any period of time.
The company went into administration in early March, shortly after insurers refused to extend billions of dollars in policies covering Greensill’s exotic financial products - and a court refused to make them.
Nor are liquidators sure how much of a 2bn euro claim against the company by German banks who participate in a scheme that covers deposit losses at Greensill’s bank there will ultimately come home to roost - that also depends on what happens in the UK.
However, they have determined that they can stop looking into a US$174m payment to a trust associated with Lex Greensill’s brother, Peter. They said the money was merely passing through Greensill’s bank accounts on its way from Softbank, which was buying shares in Greensill Capital, to the trust.
In the transaction, in October 2019, Softbank, a Japanese investment fund, paid about US$444m to buy shares from 11 different Greensill Capital shareholders, the liquidators said.
The shares are now probably worth nothing.
Morrison is asked why people on Youth Allowance are not eligible for disaster payments.
He says that the payments are “not designed” to replace someone’s income.
“The government is not replacing everyone’s income”.
Morrison says he is “not happy” with the state of the vaccine rollout currently.
“We are two months behind where we hoped to be, where we planned to be,” he says.
“I’m not happy with where we are right now. That’s why we turned it around in the last couple of months”
“That’s why I brought in Lieutenant General John Frewen.”
He says the vaccine program was impacted by “three million doses not appearing from overseas” and the Atagi guidance on AstraZeneca.
Updated
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, is speaking live to Triple J’s Hack program.
He is asked by host Ange McCormack when all young people will be able to be vaccinated with Pfizer.
“Right now, they can get vaccinated right now with AstraZeneca”, he says.
He says that young people will be able to be vaccinated with Pfizer by September.
“Right now, the AstraZeneca vaccine is approved by the TGA,” he says.
Updated
The captain of the Australian Olympic mens basketball team, Patty Mills, has praised the Matildas’ public display of pride in the Aboriginal flag, AAP reports.
The Matildas posed behind an Aboriginal flag prior to their 2-1 win over New Zealand on Wednesday night.
Mills commended the Matildas for what “seemed like it was a team thing, that everyone had gotten behind”.
“In team sport I think it’s very common for successful teams to come together to do certain things that help build the camaraderie of a team, to be able to perform on the pitch,” Mills said.
“If that helps you compete then that’s what should be done.”
He also praised the prominence of Indigenous flags and artwork throughout Australia’s base at the athletes village.
“It gave me chills just to see how much it was incorporated throughout our entire team,” he said. “It’s something that’s very unifying, as the Olympic Games is.”
Allied health professionals being trained to give NSW vaccines
To help boost vaccination capacity, the allied health workforce in New South Wales is being given intensive training to give vaccinations, and will also help staff the special health hotels. NSW Health confirmed the news to Guardian Australia in a statement.
“NSW Health is constantly expanding our workforce as we continue to safely deliver record numbers of vaccinations to people across NSW.
“By using well trained, medical practitioners and senior students and allied health staff who have been through a range of vaccination administration training, we are bolstering our clinical numbers as we continue to expand vaccination access across the state.”
In NSW, allied health professionals are diverse and include audiologists, genetic counsellors, art therapists, psychologists, pharmacists, radiation therapists and others.
Updated
Australia and NZ withdraw from rugby league World Cup over Covid
Australia and New Zealand have withdrawn from the rugby league World Cup due to be held at the end of the year in England, citing player welfare and safety concerns, AAP reports.
In a joint statement on Thursday afternoon, the Australian Rugby League Commission and NZRL urged the tournament to be postponed until 2022 to avoid the risk of a player catching Covid-19.
It comes just a week after tournament officials confirmed the event would go ahead with or without defending champions Australia.
Updated
A Northern Territory policeman’s long-awaited trial for allegedly murdering an Indigenous man during an outback arrest has been postponed due to Covid-19.
AAP reports:
Const Zachary Rolfe, 29, is accused of murdering Kumanjayi Walker, 19, who was shot three times during an arrest in the remote community of Yuendumu in November 2019.
Rolfe was supposed to stand trial in the NT supreme court from Monday but the crown’s interstate prosecution team hasn’t been able to travel to the Top End.
Philip Strickland SC and Sophie Callan SC are stuck in NSW where 124 new local Delta variant cases were reported on Thursday and a lockdown in greater Sydney continues.
Acting justice Dean Mildren adjourned the trial to a future date yet to be fixed, presumably when the NSW outbreak is contained.
“This is because prosecuting counsel has been affected by Covid-19 travel restrictions and are presently unable to make their way to Darwin,” a court spokesman said on Thursday.
The trial was expected to run for four weeks in Darwin which is about 1,500km from Yuendumu.
Updated
Australian shares have closed at a record-high level today.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed higher by 77.7 points, or 1.06%, to 7386.4 on Thursday.
The previous record was 7386.1.
The Australian dollar was buying 73.65 US cents at 1622 AEST, up from 72.98 US cents at Wednesday’s close.
Updated
Barnaby Joyce has commented on the AOC president John Coates’s behaviour towards Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, saying it was “a bad look”.
Coates issued a statement earlier today saying it had been misinterpreted.
Asked to comment, Joyce told the ABC: “Good luck with that one Mr Coates. I don’t think premier Palaszczuk is going to take it.
“You got yourself into this trouble, you can talk your way out.”
The ABC’s Patricia Karvelas asked him, “Was it a bad look?”
“It was,” Joyce said.
“Human beings make mistakes. If he needs to give an apology, give an apology.”
Earlier, Joyce was asked about Scott Morrison’s apology today for the speed of the vaccine rollout. The ABC’s Patricia Karvelas asked whether Morrison should have apologised earlier.
Joyce:
The prime minister wants to focus on the future ... We’ve don’t want to dwell in some sort of political space where it is all about ‘Let’s make you say sorry’, when that is important but it’s not as important as what you do next.
The best way to show contrition is to do a better job in the future.”
Updated
Barnaby Joyce is asked whether the vaccines should have arrived sooner, given that regional areas are now in lockdown in NSW.
“There is vaccine there if you want to sign the waiver,” he says.
“As I said, there’s only one place you live and that’s the future.”
Eariler, he said that half the population will “definitely have had one shot” of a vaccine by the end of 2021. He says that vaccine supply by the end of the year will be “abundant”.
Updated
The deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, has denied that the federal government has “failed in its communication job in relation to the vaccines”.
Joyce tells the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, that in fact, there has been more messaging and information “than we’ve ever seen in the history of Australia”.
I think that we’ve all been basically bombarded, I would say to a greater extent than we’ve ever seen in the history of Australia.
We turn on the television and we have one premier after another giving speeches and giving descriptions, giving prescriptions, even the prime minister is doing it. You tell me a day where that hasn’t happened.
He adds:
I would go so far as some people are out there who think maybe they shouldn’t, who are getting sick of hearing this every day.
World number one and recent Wimbledon champion Ash Barty has been drawn against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in her first match at the Olympics.
Sorribes Tormo is the current world number 48, and the pair have never played each other.
Second-seeded Naomi Osaka is set to take on 52nd-ranked Zheng Saisai of China.
Updated
Community mourns after Covid death of Sydney removalists' mother
An important story here.
The Green Valley community in Sydney’s south-west is mourning the death of Saeeda Akobi Jjou Stu – the 57-year old mother of two Sydney removalists – who died in her home of Covid-19.
Her two sons allegedly travelled to regional NSW for work after contracting Covid-19, but they have previously said there was a miscommunication between them and NSW Health.
While they were away, and charged by NSW Police, their mother’s condition worsened.
Saeeda Akobi Jjou Stu immigrated with her family from Iraq in 2016, and was a member of the Batnaya Chaldean Association, a branch of the Catholic church that originated in northern Iraq.
Updated
A former dean of science at the University of Technology Sydney has been found guilty of sending fake threatening letters to herself, AAP reports.
Dianne Jolley was found guilty of 10 charges of conveying information likely to make a person fear for their safety, knowing that it was misleading, over the material sent to UTS and her home between May and November 2019.
The academic was also found guilty of one charge of causing financial disadvantage by deception to her work, after UTS spent more than $127,000 in security measures protecting her.
Judge Ian Bourke had previously ordered the jury to find Jolley not guilty of nine other charges following a lack of evidence.
Updated
And here is the video of Scott Morrison apologising for the speed of the vaccine rollout.
The president of the AOC, John Coates, has issued a statement saying his comments to Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, when he ordered her to attend the opening ceremony, have been “completely misinterpreted”.
Coates has been criticised for the comments, made at a public press conference, where he told Palaszczuk: “You are going to the opening ceremony...You’ve never been to the opening ceremony of an Olympic Games have you? You don’t know the protocols.”
Coates has since said:
My comments regarding the Premier and the Opening Ceremony have been completely misinterpreted by people who weren’t in the room.
Absolutely I believe the Premier should come to the Opening Ceremony and she has accepted.
I am thrilled about that. Attending the Opening Ceremony has always been her choice.
My view has always been all three levels of government should come to the Opening Ceremony.
The Premier and I have a long standing and very successful relationship. We both know the spirit of my remarks and I have no indication that she was offended in any way.
Those in doubt should ask her.
Updated
A man has been shot dead in Newcastle, AAP reports.
Emergency services were called to a unit on Darby St, at Cooks Hill, at 12:45 on Thursday, following reports of shots being fired.
Police found a man inside the unit with a gunshot wound to the chest.
He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died at the scene.
The man is yet to be formally identified, police say.
Updated
Some news you may have missed during that lunchtime presser.
Eddie Obeid, his son Moses, and Ian Macdonald, have been permitted to remain on bail at their homes until they are sentenced later this year after being convicted on conspiracy charges earlier this week.
Updated
Hi all, it is Naaman Zhou here. Thanks again to Nino Bucci for that stellar innings.
Prime minister Scott Morrison is finished in Canberra ... and so am I. Here is Naaman Zhou, back, back again, (just like Marshall Mathers) to take you through the afternoon.
Updated
Morrison also uses a question about the infectiousness of the Delta variant – and whether it might require Australians to shift their view of how to manage outbreaks because of this – to urge people to get an AstraZeneca jab ASAP:
The Delta strain is proving a much tougher combatant than the Alpha strain and other strains of Covid-19, and that is why right now, whether it is what they are doing in South Australia or in Victoria or what is being done in New South Wales, each of those jurisdictions ... are looking to ways we can be most effective in combating the Delta strain.
Can I tell you, there is not a country in the world that has cracked it ... So it is a big challenge for all of us around the world.
That is the challenge that we have now and to work together to find the most effective [ways] to be able to suppress this while we remain in this suppression phase. So that is why it is important because of the risks that you highlight. That is why it is so important that people, particularly older people, go and got that AstraZeneca vaccine.
Updated
Morrison adds a little more nuance to his previous comments regarding the advice of Atagi. These comments were strongly criticised by Victoria’s health minister Martin Foley earlier:
I completely respect the advice of Atagi. That is why we followed the advice of Atagi. It is any job as prime minister, not just to simply accept advice uncritically. Whether it is sitting in cabinet meetings or in other forums, of course I challenge the advice that I receive. I ask questions. I drill into it. You would expect me to do that.
I think Australians would not expect me to just take this advice simply on the face of it. We must interrogate it. Leaders should do that, ministers should do that. That always has been my approach, whether as a minister and as a prime minister, and there are plenty of officials who work in this town who know that very, very well, but I respect them all. I respect the job they do and I respect the way they engage with me on it.
What I am simply have been raising in relation to the AstraZeneca advice is when it was provided initially and subsequently in relation to those over 60, is that when that advice was provided they said it was based on the balance of risk, of people getting Covid. Now, my simple point is that the balance of risk has shifted and therefore, based on the balance of that risk shifting, what, if any, is the change in the advice that Atagi would provide?
Because I am very concerned, very concerned, that of course the advice that had come previously has caused some hesitation amongst people, particularly older people. Those people are now at risk in south-western Sydney, in particular, but more broadly across Sydney and I need AstraZeneca vaccines in their arms to protect them and their lives.
Updated
Morrison says about the two people in their 40s who died after suffering a rare blood clotting condition after taking their first dose of AstraZeneca:
I feel for their families in those situations and this is the terrible impact that pandemics have when you are responding to pandemics, but I do know that if vaccination rates, as we see particularly for those who are older, are not where we want them to be, then people’s lives are at risk.
Updated
Pharmacies to be able to administer AZ vaccines from August, Morrison says
Morrison has also said that from Monday pharmacies across the country can register to administer AstraZeneca vaccinations. The program is expected to start in August.
Updated
Morrison says Services Australia is processing more claims than it is receiving for Covid-19 financial relief (I’m not sure how this is possible but sure). It processed just under 70,000 yesterday.
Morrison says Covid deaths of unvaccinated people distressing and urges vulnerable to get jab
Morrison says it is “deeply distressing” to see people who are unvaccinated dying from Covid-19 as a result of the greater Sydney outbreak.
He says some of those who died have been eligible for a vaccine for months.
The comments also touch on his view that the NSW government is “keeping the lid” on the outbreak but that it will be some time until it’s contained.
In New South Wales and particularly in the Sydney area, it is very vital that all those in those vulnerable populations aged over 70 in particular, but I’d say aged over 60, please go and get your AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as you possibly can. The numbers that we’re seeing coming out of New South Wales show that the lockdown is keeping a lid on this.
It’s going to be some time though clearly, from what the premier has been saying and the numbers that we’re seeing, to see these numbers go down to where we’d like to see them go. But the risk that is there means that it is vital, absolutely vital, and I implore not just those themselves who are over 60 to go and do this.
Have the conversation in your family. Talk to your parents. Talk to your relatives who are particularly in that age group. Have the discussion. Offer to book it for them. Take them along. It’s important that you get your family, particularly the more elderly members of your family, vaccinated.
Updated
More than 76,000 under 40s have had AZ vaccine since late June
Morrison says that since he made comments on 28 June saying that people who were not yet eligible for the Pfizer vaccine could ask their GPs about AstraZenena, there have been 76,595 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine administered to people under the age of 40.
Updated
Morrison says sorry for sluggish vaccination program
It was quick, but it was there. Morrison:
Now, as I said yesterday, I take responsibility for the vaccination program. I also take responsibility for the challenges we’ve had. Obviously some things within our control, some things that are not. And I am keen to ensure as we have been over these many months that we’ve been turning this around. I’m sorry that we haven’t been able to achieve the marks that we had hoped for at the beginning of this year. Of course I am. But what’s more important is that we’re totally focused on ensuring that we’ve been turning this around.
A record 184,000 people vaccinated on Wednesday, Morrison says
Morrison says the Covid-19 national security committee met again today. He is really happy with the record 184,000 vaccinations recorded yesterday.
The vaccination program today hit another historic record, 184,000 vaccines done in a day. That is the equivalent per head of population of 2.36 million doses in the United States a day or 481,000 in the United Kingdom when you express it as a per head of population. So we are really hitting these marks now. More than a million doses being done a seven-day period, 184,000 a new mark for a daily record.
Updated
Morrison says there’s estimates the Games will provide an $18b economic boost.
Updated
Morrison starts by championing the decision to award the 2032 Olympics to Brisbane.
The securing of the 2032 Games for Australia in Brisbane and south east Queensland taking in, of course, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast is a great result for Australia and a great boost at a time when Australians around the country, particularly in southern states, are doing it tough as we battle through this most recent episode we’re going through in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There’ll be kids who are turning up at the Valley Pool in Brisbane this morning and all around the country doing their training knowing they put those laps in that they – they might be able to compete in an Olympic Games held in Australia, and that is just such a thrilling idea, a thrilling notion. That kids around the country, whether they’re playing hockey or are swimmers or whatever they happen to be, that they can look forward to that. It’s a great boost for Australian sport.
Updated
Prime minister Scott Morrison speaking in Canberra
He is providing an update on Covid-19.
The NSW parliament’s public accountability committee will restart its inquiry into Covid-19 outbreaks and the management of the state government, given the recent wave caused by the Delta variant.
It will be holding further hearings into the following issues, according to this statement from committee chair David Shoebridge:
- The circumstances and the cause of the recent outbreak of Covid-19
- How the quarantine and transport protocols in place prior to the recent outbreak were assessed and set
- Lessons learnt from the transportation of Fed Ex workers
- The steps that have now been taken to ensure that such an outbreak cannot happen again, including any changes to state and national health, quarantine or transport protocols since the outbreak
- The nature and content of the health advice relating to the imposition of additional restrictions and lockdown, and the timing of such additional restrictions and lockdown
- The future management of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Updated
The prime minister Scott Morrison is due to speak in Canberra.
Will bring you that when it happens (twas quite late yesterday).
Updated
Mostly just sharing in the off chance that someone in the lands of the Unincorporated Far West will contact me:
Here's the list of NSW local government areas that will be inside the Queensland border bubble:
— @MartySilk (@MartySilkHack) July 22, 2021
Ballina
Bourke
Brewarrina
Byron
Clarence Valley
Inverell
Glen Innes-Severn
Gwydir
Kyogle
Lismore
Moree Plains
Richmond Valley
Tenterfield
Tweed
Unincorporated Far West
Walgett pic.twitter.com/mZDRl84n0Z
Updated
Dating apps will allow users to badge their profiles to indicate whether they’ve got a Covid-19 jab or not (but won’t independently verify if they actually have):
Updated
Five blood clotting deaths after 6.1m AZ doses, TGA says
Here are some interesting slabs from the just released TGA Covid-19 vaccine weekly safety report about the rare blood clotting condition thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS):
Sadly, this week we were notified that two confirmed cases of TTS after the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine were fatal. One was in a 44-year-old man from Tasmania and the other was in a 48-year-old women from Victoria (this case was reported as probable TTS in last week’s report). The TGA extends its sincerest condolences to their families and loved ones.
Since the beginning of the vaccine rollout in Australia, a total of five deaths from TTS have been reported out of 6.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. All of them were related to a first dose of the vaccine.
And also:
This takes the total Australian reports assessed as TTS following the AstraZeneca vaccine to 87 cases (53 confirmed, 34 probable) from approximately 6.1 million vaccine doses.
We continue to investigate three probable TTS cases which appear to be related to the second dose. These cases, which have presented with less serious symptoms will be considered by an external panel of experts in the coming week to determine whether they are related to vaccination or not.
In Australia, severe cases of TTS appear to be more common in women in younger age groups. Nearly half of the TTS cases in women required treatment in intensive care. Cases meeting the criteria for Tier 1 [serious cases] were also twice as likely to occur in women compared to men. Four of the five deaths occurred in women aged 48 (two cases), 52 and 72-years-old. The other death was in a 44-year-old man.
Updated
Some more Atagi news, not that we’re wanting for it:
Associate Professor Nigel Crawford replacing Allen Cheng and Christopher Blyth as the chair of ATAGI, in a move planned before this week's debate about its advice on AstraZeneca. Professor Michelle Giles taking over as deputy chair. 1/
— Tom McIlroy (@TomMcIlroy) July 22, 2021
With that, I will be handing over the blog to the vivacious Nino Bucci – whose posts you would have been reading more of in the past hour anyway.
I’ll be back later in the afternoon.
The Victorian Covid-19 update has ended.
Just before it did, the state’s acting chief health officer, Ben Cowie, was asked the perennial “press conference in lockdown” question: when will it end (the lockdown, not the presser)?
He basically deadbatted it, saying that chief health officer Brett Sutton would be back in the chair on Tuesday when a decision is made on whether to lift restrictions. It is encouraging there are no mystery cases and so few cases in the community while infectious, he said.
But it was too difficult to say whether lockdown would lift if daily case numbers stayed in the 20s, even if the mystery case and infectious in the community case numbers stayed low.
My view is that these are important metrics but we weigh variables into consideration so I can’t speak to that at this point, but I can tell you that every day those particular parameters, that increase in the proportion of isolation is incredible and it was where we want to be.
Updated
Victoria’s acting chief health officer Ben Cowie has had this to say about the deaths of two people in their 40s from the extremely rare blood clotting condition thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after receiving the first dose of AstraZeneca:
Any loss of life is tragic, and particularly so when it is associated with protecting ourselves and our community against something that has led to the loss of hundreds of Victorian lives last year, but every loss of life is tragic. I think what I would emphasise is that we note that TTS is a risk. It is a very rare side effect, particularly associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. That would bring it to five, the total number of people who have lost their life in association with EDS, and that is out of approximately 5.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine administered so far nationally ... It is one in a million. One is too many, but what we are trying to achieve is a balance between that rare but serious side effect and the absolute fundamental good that is vaccinating our community against Covid-19.
Updated
Hi all, it is Naaman Zhou here.
Thanks to Matilda Boseley and our various correspondents for their incredible work on wrangling all those simultaneous pressers.
With that absolute marathon of a five press conference day, I shall leave you.
The effervescent Naaman Zhou is your news bestie for the rest of the day, and I shall see you all on Sunday.
Peace out!
Updated
Two people in their 40s die from blood clots following first AZ dose, TGA says.
The TGA has put out its weekly report.
In this, they have noted two people have died after receiving the first dose of the AZ vaccine:
Sadly two people with confirmed TTS following the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine died in the last week. One was a 44-year-old man from Tasmania and the other was a 48-year-old woman from Victoria. We extend our sincere condolences to their families and loved ones.
This Tasmanian death was also just confirmed at the Tasmanian Covid-19 update.
Updated
Ahhh OK, the Tasmanian presser is also on. Let me grab you updates in one second.
Updated
VIC press conference:
Foley is asked about the Sydney removalists who sparked this outbreak when they worked unmasked at a Maribyrnong apartment complex. Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has previously said those who broke the rules would be made famous.
These removalists are not to be confused (as Foley did) with the other Sydney removalists who travelled around NSW (and whose mother died of Covid-19 earlier this week) after they were told they were positive.
Foley:
In regards to this matter. Because it has been handed to Victoria Police, the operational side of things has to be due process, arm’s length from government. Victoria Police going through that process and when they have finalised that, I am looking forward to the full weight of the law applying to those people who ... breached the arrangements and started this current cluster.
Updated
VIC health minister slams PM's appeal to vaccine advisory body
Martin Foley is asked about prime minister Scott Morrison’s comments yesterday about his “constant appeal” for the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) to change its advice relating to AstraZeneca.
Foley says:
I saw the prime minister’s comments. They did strike me as unusual. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is an advisory group, as is implicit in its name, and they are the most pre-eminent physicians and experts in their field and they respond to the inquiries and the issues that governments put to them. So I’ve got nothing but praise and support for what Atagi have been doing throughout this whole pandemic. I just thought was an unnecessary shot at professionals doing their job.
Asked later to elaborate as to whether his point was that the federal government could ignore the Atagi advice if it didn’t like it, he says:
No, the point I’m making is that governments ask Atagi for advice [about] how to respond within a framework that is set up around what their remit is. It is up to governments to work through what that advice that they seek is, and if there’s further work to be done, rather than blame-shift, work with Atagi. Atagi have always - in my limited dealings, throughout the course of this pandemic - been solution-focused in their advice to government. If there is a problem, work through it with them, don’t blame them for doing their job.
Foley later adds:
I’m not an immunologist or virologist. I have to take the advice of established national bodies that are built for this purpose. Atagi has served Australia well for many, many years, and the current people on Atagi operate [within] the constraints of their system of remit, their terms of reference, what governments ask them to do - that’s what they do. If government has an issue with that, constructively engage with them. Seek a solution. Don’t seek to blame people for doing their job. If we all did our job, we may not be in this position we are today with very low vaccine rates.
Updated
VIC press conference -
Vic Health minister @MartinFoleyMP says the Comments from the PM’s about an “appeal” to ATAGI to change its advice on AZ was “unusual”. Says it’s an advisory body that is there to advise. @abcmelbourne @abcnews
— Richard Willingham (@rwillingham) July 22, 2021
"Rather than blame shift, work with ATAGI ... don't blame ATAGI for doing their job," says the Victorian health minister Martin Foley in response to Scott Morrison's comments over the past couple of days #auspol
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) July 22, 2021
Updated
There is some update on the South Australia singles/intimate partner bubbles, but I didn’t quite catch the details so I’ll have to double back on that for you.
Updated
Regional VIC aged care home in lockdown
Testing commander Jeroen Weimar has confirmed an aged care facility in Sale, a town in Victoria’s east, has gone into lockdown.
He says this is because of a close contact definition and is “precautionary” given the vulnerability of the setting.
Updated
According to the Queensland premier, Australia’s oldest man, 111-year-old Dexter Kruger, has died.
She sent her condolences to his family.
Queensland's Dexter Kruger, Australia's oldest man, has died aged 111.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 22, 2021
He lived a long and fruitful life, & it's fitting that we will have a permanent record of his remarkable life in his books which are now part of the @slqld collection.
I extend my condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/7D3Yjhz5Zp
Updated
Another quick update from Canberra, and this time a bit of a case number flex from the chief minister.
ACT COVID-19 update
— Andrew Barr MLA (@ABarrMLA) July 22, 2021
Thursday 22 July
▪️ Cases today: 0
▪️ Active cases: 0
▪️ Total cases: 124
▪️ Recovered: 121
▪️ Lives lost: 3
▪️ Test results (past 24 hours): 1,342
▪️ Negative tests: 259,820
▪️ Total ACT Gov administered vaccinations: 116,492
ℹ️ https://t.co/VhB7JOuITl pic.twitter.com/AYBu9vn0xD
Quick update from Canberra.
In an attempt to stop nesting in the foliage on the forecourt of PH, netting and cutout cats have been deployed, early days however bird reaction seems to be “yeah nah” pic.twitter.com/DEKn4X5M0G
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) July 22, 2021
NSW press conference (now finished) -
NSW Health Minister: "We're awash with AstraZeneca but because of messaging that's come out from both the advisory body and then translated by the federal government over the last few months, it's made people very hesitant to go and take the AstraZeneca." @SBSNews #auspol
— Shuba Krishnan (@ShubaSKrishnan) July 22, 2021
SA press conference -
Just a little summary.
DAY 2 LOCKDOWN:
— Harvey Biggs (@HarveyBiggs) July 22, 2021
2 new COVID cases in SA
- a brother & sister in their 20s who caught the virus at Tenafeate Creek Wines on Sunday
- a record 17,592 tests yesterday
Premier: I’m hopeful we’ll be able to stop the spread in 7 days@9NewsAdel pic.twitter.com/3VAip8uGPr
VIC press conference -
Covid Commander Weimar says at the moment - yes it is everyone (workers/stallholders included) who was at Prahran Market on Saturday morning will need to isolate immediately and stay home for 14 days.
— Heidi Murphy (@heidimur) July 22, 2021
May change as more information comes in.
VIC press conference -
Weimar adds that the AAMI Park case also visited a coffee shop. There were 900 people who checked in to the market at the same time as the positive case.
Obviously we are interviewing the case ... around their exact movements. The more detail we can get, if we can make a judgement as we go through to release parts of market, but at this point in time we are taking a very cautious approach. We’ve seen with Delta over the last 11 days, it isn’t about where you’ve spent significant time, it is the brush-past contact.
On the Ms Frankies (“very good restaurant, from all accounts,” Weimar says) cluster, which is now out to 13 cases, the primary case was particularly infectious and also sparked cases at AAMI Park and Trinity Grammar “through no fault of his own”.
Weimar says the Ms Frankies cases remind him of the Black Rock outbreak from earlier this year.
Updated
Only 44% of SA super spreading close contacts tested so far
SA press conference -
SA chief health officer Nicola Spurrier says only 50% and 37% of people at the Greek restaurant and the winery respectively have so far been tested. Both of these locations are considered super-spreading events. Because of this, all close contacts will now be moved to hotel quarantine.
I just wanted to update you as to how we’re going with the testing so far on those people, and it’s the one thing that is giving me some concern this morning and I’ll let you know what I’ve instructed.
So, there were 91 people from the Greek on Halifax, and we have 53 of those people tested so far, so it is over 50%, but it’s not 100%.
From the Tenafeate Creek winery - which of course we’ve only recognised more recently to be a high-risk transmission site - there are 125 people that we have identified at this point in time, but only 34 of those have been tested so far, or at least, we’ve been able to find that in our system.
Of course, there might be people that have come out and have been tested overnight, we haven’t got all of those numbers and this is very critical for me. And because of these being high-risk locations, what we’re doing at the moment is moving all of those people into the Medi hotel facility.
Updated
Vibe.
"Haven't finished yet, Premier" @GladysB leaves the press conference while @BradHazzard answering questions
— Gavin Coote (@GavinCoote) July 22, 2021
NSW press conference:
NSW health minister Brad Hazzard says his state government has discussed rolling out its own ad campaign to encourage residents to get vaccinated, but acknowledges they would be advertising vaccines not available for everyone.
Hazzard says this is ultimately a dilemma facing the federal government, and calls for a campaign that also targets younger people.
He says almost 60% of Delta infections are in people aged under 35, adding:
The federal government have made an effort to, albeit somewhat belated, to get an advertising campaign out there. I think the federal government are in a bit of a tricky spot because they haven’t got the vaccine that they know that everybody needs. They tried to get it, they haven’t got it. And I guess their dilemma has been how far do you go in terms of advertising when there’s not the vaccine available.
The NSW Covid update has now ended.
Updated
SA press conference:
Chief health officer Nicola Spurrier says the winery super spreading event was not a single group but spread across multiple tables:
Now we have had those two new cases come in overnight and that in fact they will be countered for today’s cases. And so we obviously haven’t got to the end of today, and we will have full recording of today’s cases at tomorrow’s press conference.
But in terms of these two people, they are involved with the Tenafeate Creek winery, and as the premier said they are in their 20s and siblings, and their parents also (it is my understanding) also attended the winery, but at this stage are negative, which is good news.
Now I was asked yesterday did I know anything about the groups of people. So I have a little bit more information about that. So the cases, the seven cases who are linked at the Tenafeate Creek winery, are not all related to each other. They were not all at the same gathering or at different tables but I do believe that they were all people that were dining there and were dining indoors.
So, we will be able to obtain CCTV footage. We need to find out if there were outside dining areas as well ... but our key consideration, my key problem, at the moment is getting everybody from the Greek on Halifax and everybody from the Tenafeate winery.
These are our highest risk locations to get tested and come forward and that’s my absolute priority.
Updated
Victoria’s Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar says the case linked to the Prahran market exposure is particularly interesting.
The person sat on the same side of AAMI Park as a positive case but well outside the area originally designated as tier one.
They got tested under the tier two definition and were negative. But after the definition of the venue was upgraded to tier one, they tested again and were positive. As previously mentioned, they were only in the community for one day, but visited the Prahran market.
Weimar says that after reviewing CCTV footage from AAMI Park it appears clear the person contracted the case while attempting to enter the ground.
Updated
SA premier Steven Marshall says it’s too early to say if the lockdown will be extended or not:
It’s way too early to say.
I’ve got to say that the results at the Tenafeate Creek winery are very encouraging.
We haven’t seen an explosion but it is very likely to be further cases. What I’m hopeful is that these are cases being experienced by people who are already in a quarantine situation.
And if they’re not, they’re with people that are very, very much locked down and not moving around.
Updated
SA press conference:
Reporter:
We’ve heard from a family who lost a loved one, yesterday, and the parents haven’t been allowed to visit the morgue, to see that person has passed away. Is there a Covid restriction on people visiting a loved one?
SA premier Steven Marshall:
Look, the reality is we are very concerned about mental health and wellbeing at the moment. And that’s why, within the direction put in place by the State Coordinator, it allows sensible movement in terms of providing care or compassion.
In fact, last night we further expanded that direction because we are really concerned about people who are isolated, increasing levels of anxiety and we don’t want to exacerbate the health situation we have with coronavirus with health concerns around mental health.
So I think we’re trying to be as flexible as we possibly can but what we’re doing at the same time is asking people, this is not an opportunity to game the system to reduce the restrictions and increase mobility, we’re really asking people to understand the highest level of order, or principle, that we’re trying to put in place here, that is to reduce mobility ...
As part of that direction, you can actually visit family members for care and compassionate reasons, so that’s in there. With regards to that specific one, I’m sure the police commissioner will give you a specific direction
In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978
Updated
The percentage of people in isolation in Victoria while infectious has gone from 6% three days ago to 73% yesterday and 92% today.
Foley confirms that a large number of people who are in isolation as a result of attending sporting events at the MCG and AAMI Park will have their day-13 tests in coming days, in preparation for ending their isolation.
Acting chief health officer Ben Cowie is outlining a little more detail about the case who stopped at the petrol station. He said the person was so cautious that they even disinfected their credit card before it was handed to staff.
Updated
For my own sanity please enjoy this fun terrible graphic design post from Annastacia Palaszczuk with a record four different fonts.
We need people to keep doing the right thing to protect our way of life in Queensland.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 22, 2021
If you live in one of the 11 local government areas, please keep wearing a mask whenever you leave home.
Stay safe, Queensland. pic.twitter.com/t4atBXntPz
Reminds me of simpler times, thanks blog-reader Sam for tagging me.
Now back to presser-gedon.
NSW health minister Brad Hazzard has labelled the disproportionate uptake of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines in Sydney “a shocker”.
Hazard said that at the vaccination hub at Sydney Olympic Park on Wednesday, 9,000 Pfizer vaccines and just 50 AstraZeneca vaccines were administered.
Hazard said:
I think that’s obviously come off the back of advice that came out of Atagi, and also then translated by the federal government. I just think we need to take a step back and say, well, right now we are in the middle of a very serious outbreak here in NSW and we can’t afford, generally most of us can’t afford, the luxury of sitting back and saying I don’t want to have the vaccine that has actually been taken by almost every country in the world and kept other countries safe.
Updated
Two 'wild' Victorian cases weren't in the community for entire infectious period
Some great news coming out of Melbourne.
Foley:
Three days ago, some 6% of the daily cases were isolating for the entirety of their infectious period. Yesterday that was 73% and today it is 92%.
This shows that our combination of measures that we have put together in our public health toolkit are starting to work in the direction that we want, and are giving our contact tracers the time and the resources and the opportunity they need to get ahead of this virus.
Of the remaining two, they weren’t infectious during their entire period. One of the exposures was limited to a single transaction at a petrol station in regional Victoria, as they made their way back to metropolitan Melbourne to isolate, and that person did an outstanding job in following all the required measures to minimise transmission.
The other is a new case related to the AAMI Park, and was in the community for one day in their infectious period.
Updated
Victorian health minister Martin Foley is up to speak in Melbourne about “the Sydney incursion of Covid-19”. He is joined by Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar and acting chief health officer Ben Cowie.
Foley says that of the two cases in the 26 reported today that were not in isolation for the entirety of their infectious period, one was in the community for a day and visited the Prahran market. The other only visited a single site - a petrol station in regional Victoria on their way travelling back to Melbourne to isolate.
Foley said:
We are doing what we can to limit the movement of people with the help of all Victorians during this lockdown, and the fact that we have had the Victorian population so supportive of those restrictions of movements, we remain confident that we can still get ahead of this. But please, if you were at the Prahran market during that period of time last Saturday morning, you need to get tested, you need to isolate for the 14 days from that exposure period and you need to do so immediately.
Updated
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has shed some light on what the first loosening of Covid restrictions for Sydney might look like from 31 July.
They are unlikely to be significant changes.
Moving out of a form of lockdown appears unlikely. Berejiklian said “the last thing we want is to be in a stage where we keep going in and out of harsh lockdown”.
She said “low-risk” settings – things that can occur outdoors, with little to no human contact – would likely be the first to have restrictions loosened.
She said restrictions for “high-risk” settings, which include human interactions specifically of people from different areas of Sydney coming together, would not be relaxed anytime soon.
Our real key to freedom is having a high percentage of vaccination.
Updated
A quick break for this tongue in cheek apology from cabinet minister Darren Chester, who was booted in the Nationals leadership spill last month.
#BREAKING: Recently-sacked Cabinet Minister Darren Chester has apologised for the Federal Government's vaccine rollout in a lengthy Facebook statement ... via @RioDuSoleil pic.twitter.com/QPizTfzAoy
— Oliver Gordon (@olgordon) July 22, 2021
Marshall:
We’re also very concerned about mental health and wellbeing, at the moment.
Can I say that we know that there are increased anxieties right across South Australia, with greater levels of isolation as well as anxieties just generally about the coronavirus. And what I can say is there are just so many different ways that people can help, looking after friends and relatives, staying in contact with them, making sure that you get some exercise, eat healthy meals and look out for your friends and stay in contact with them, as you can ...
We have our own services within SA Health and our urgent mental health care centre that is going to be fully operational.
Updated
Marshall:
I’m cautiously optimistic but a huge number of results have come in over the last 24 hours, and that’s what our report is to you today but we’re not out of the woods yet.
There’s still a huge number of test results to come in, a huge number of people who are in quarantine at the moment, and of course our primary goal is to slow and stop the spread of this disease as quickly as we can.
Updated
South Australia reports two new local cases overnight
SA premier Steven Marshall:
Today, in terms of the count today, there are two new cases to report and they are linked to the Tenafeate Creek winery and [the CHO] will go through that with you soon. A brother and sister in their 20s who attended the Tenafeate Creek winery on the weekend.
Updated
FYI, the VIC and SA press conferences are about to start.
Updated
Berejiklian:
Can I say the vast majority of the population, our citizens, are doing the right thing and most people when they ring Service New South Wales are worried about getting in trouble, so they’re ringing to ask what they can do to avoid getting in trouble.
We know the majority of people are doing the right thing. I want to say to citizens you won’t get in trouble if you’re trying to do the right thing, but the handful of people who are knowingly doing the wrong thing are not only compromising their own safety and wellbeing but those of others.
Both the ministers for health and police are working closely to tighten anything we can to ensure compliance.
Updated
Reporters are asking at what point Berejiklian might consider reviewing the target of zero cases infectious in the community before lifting lockdown.
We have to find the right balance of settings because we don’t want to go in and out of lockdown. I think that’s the last thing anybody wants because it doesn’t provide certainty.
We want to get to a healthy position where we can manage the cases, manage the rate of infection in the community and have our population live as safely and freely as possible. We’re not there yet but from July 31 we hope to be able to explain to the community what we can do in relation to adjusting those settings. That’s what’s important.
Our real key to freedom is having a high percentage of vaccination, both doses. Even one dose gives you great protection. If you haven’t had any doses of the vaccine, even a first dose gives you a lot of protection and one of the green shoots is that both doses of the vaccine are a huge protection against serious illness and we need that in the future. If people appreciate what the situation has been saying for a long time, when we have a large proportion of population vaccinated we won’t be talking about case numbers anymore.
We’ll talk about the people who have serious illness in hospital because the vaccine prevents serious illness.
Updated
Berejiklian:
I’m looking forward to the day that I can, with confidence, tell you we’re on the decline but we’re not there yet. In fact, I suspect [the numbers] will get worse before they get better.
Updated
NSW residents will learn lockdown fate 'this time next week'
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian says she will tell NSW residents what the plan is for the lockdown covering large areas of the state late next week.
The lockdown is notionally slated to end next Friday, but few believe it will actually end then.
Well, obviously we’ve said there will be still, of course, be a level of restriction on July 31, but the extent of that we can’t convey until we have more information closer to that date.
We’ll be able to tell the community this time next week or thereabouts what July 31 looks like and we’ll rely on the information we have up until that time to make those announcements. But please know, as I’ve said, that we’ll be living with some level of restriction - obviously we want it to be less than we have today - until the majority of the population is vaccinated.
That’s why, whether it’s health experts or ourselves, we urge everybody to get vaccinated. It’s really important.
Updated
Berejilkian has said again that the state isn’t quite seeing the effects of the harder lockdown just yet (brought in on Saturday), given the lag in the data caused by the days the virus remains dormant before someone tests positive.
This is feeling eerily similar to press conferences in Melbourne as their second wave was climbing before stage four restrictions were put in place.
Berejiklian has been asked what more can be done in terms of restrictions:
Well, it’s very important to note, unfortunately, those that are infectious in the community are in the main derived from critical activity - buying groceries, going to the pharmacist, having to undertake critical work. We’re finding transmission in areas where people have to be where they’re at and that’s why it’s important to make sure that if you’ve been asked to have a test every three days, you do so. If you have the mildest of symptoms, do not come to work.
Unfortunately, we get recurring cases of people who have symptoms and turn up to work thinking they’re not infectious and of course then we have unfortunately people who think they have no symptoms and visit people outside their household and spreading it, so the messages are the same. We just need everybody to please stick to the rules we’ve provided. We want the infectious rate to go down. We haven’t completely ... we haven’t had the results of what the harsher lockdown restrictions may have had and that won’t happen until early next week.
Updated
Just on that aged care case I mentioned earlier.
McAnulty:
The workers at the aged care facilities were not vaccinated ... But the worker and residents at the disability home had received one dose of the vaccine.
Updated
Here are the hospitalisation numbers for today.
McAnulty:
There are currently 118 people in hospital, with 28 in intensive care, 14 of whom are ventilated.
... 42 people admitted to hospital at the moment ... are under the age of 55 and of those, 15 are under the age of 35.
So this is a serious disease for people of all ages and, importantly, you can spread it even if you don’t have a serious disease.
Updated
NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty:
I’m going to give you the areas where we’re particularly concerned that people come forward for testing if they have even the mildest of symptoms.
This is the Cumberland LGA, including Merrylands and Guildford, Toongabbie, Seven Hills, Pendle hill, Mount Druitt and Rooty Hill, Wollongong, Fairfield LGA, Liverpool and Bankstown, Lakemba, Narwee, Campsie and Earlwood, Georges River, Bayside, Sutherland, Haymarket and Orange and Coffs Harbour in the country.
Updated
Here are those numbers in graph form, courtesy of Nick Evershed.
Updated
70 Covid-19 cases infectious in the NSW community.
Only 37 cases in NSW were in isolation for their entire infectious period.
Berejiklian often announces the rosier figure when it comes to community exposure.
Yes, there are 48 cases who were in the community for the whole infectious period, but there were also 22 in the community for part of it.
That’s 70 in total and 17 still under investigation.
Thirty-seven cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 22 cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Forty-eight cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 17 cases remains under investigation.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 22, 2021
Updated
Only half of NSW cases are linked to known clusters.
NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty is breaking down today’s numbers.
We recorded 124 locally acquired cases in New South Wales to 8:00 last night. 67 of the locally acquired cases are linked to known cases or clusters. There were no new overseas-acquired cases yesterday. There have been now 1,648 locally acquired cases linked to this outbreak since the beginning of ... since 16 June, when this began.
Updated
Berejiklian:
The other bit of positive news is ... there’s nobody currently in intensive care who has had two doses of vaccine. We know the vaccine prevents serious illness.
There is currently nobody in intensive care who has had both doses of vaccine at any age. That means the vaccine works in preventing serious illness and we really need people to remember that and feel confident when they’re getting vaccinated.
Updated
Berejiklian:
Please get vaccinated. The vaccine is key to our freedom. The more people we have vaccinated, the quicker we can live life as freely as we would like.
Please know that if you’re over 60, obviously, AstraZeneca is available. If you’re over 40, New South Wales Health can provide you with AstraZeneca but even if you’re under 40 and you really want to get the vaccine, please ask your GP. Your GP may give you the green light and people of any age can get the vaccine.
Please, please, come forward and get vaccinated.
Updated
OK, the Victorian press conference is set for 11.30am today. Three pressers at once again. Buckle in.
Updated
Berejiklian:
Unfortunately, when our health experts are interviewing families within households, we’re learning that they have visited families in other households and the disease is spreading through that way but unfortunately also in workplaces.
We’re finding that when people are going to buy their groceries or going to the pharmacist or other critical retail or other critical workplaces that, unfortunately, the disease is spreading and recent cases have demonstrated it’s not just between workers, which it was before.
But we’re also noticing now workers and patrons are picking up the disease and taking it home to their families and, unfortunately, if your household chooses to visit another household, which you shouldn’t be doing, that virus is spreading to the additional household.
Updated
NSW Covid-19 outbreak spills from Fairfield to surrounding LGAs
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian:
There’s no doubt, again, that we anticipate case numbers will continue to go up before they start coming down and we need to brace ourselves for that and, as Dr McAnulty will report today, it does mean more presentations to hospital.
I also want to say that, unfortunately, our fears of having spillover from the Fairfield local government area and all the suburbs in that local government area, into the Canterbury-Bankstown local government area and into the Cumberland local government area, have proven to be materialising or proven to be occurring so we’re asking for people in those communities to be alert and come forward for testing and Dr McAnulty will read out the suburbs in particular where we want people to come forward and get tested.
Updated
NSW records 124 local Covid-19 cases overnight.
Berejikian announces 124 local Covid-19 cases recorded in NSW overnight.
At least 48 of these were infectious while in the community.
Just a reminder I’m going to have to dip out of this Queensland press conference soon when NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian steps up to give us the state’s case numbers in a couple of minutes.
Queensland has also up mask requirements in large stadiums and have limited crowd capacity to 75% in the largest venues.
Young:
This is really important when you go into a stadium. Now, I’ve said once you sit down in your seat, but you can take the mask off, I now need you to keep the mask on the entire time you’re in the stadium unless you’re... eating and drinking, then you can take the mask off while you’re eating and drinking, but then pop it back on.
And the reason I’m asking for that is because we’re seeing a number of transmission events happen in Melbourne in stadiums, outdoor events, and they’ve had transmission...
And I’ve also asked stadiums that have 20,000 or more seats to limit the numbers to 75% capacity. And the reason for that is that we know we’ve asked stadiums throughout Queensland people can often come from a long way away, go to the stadium, and then disperse, so it’s a real risk as we’ve seen in Victoria.
Young:
I’m positive that the people in the border zone are fully aware of the types of things that it would be sensible for them to continue to cross the border [for] and the things that.
While New South Wales gets out of control, we can be sure that we won’t have risk of spray coming into Queensland from parts of New South Wales, so that is really important.
And then, it’s great to see the restrictions ease from 6am tomorrow, but I have for an additional week for people please wear their masks, we know that has protected us. I’m positive the reason we’ve not had community spread recently is because people have been genuinely wearing their masks.
Updated
Here is the Queensland chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young:
Very good news that we have no new community-acquired cases.
We didn’t have any yesterday or today, which means that our contact tracers have had the opportunity to really get in there and find all of the close contacts of our most recent cases and have them all now in quarantine, so should any of them become positive, which is still possible for the 14 days of course, they’re already isolated.
So that is a fantastic piece of work by all of those people, I’ll just go through the numbers because they’re quite astounding.
Updated
Queensland mask mandate extended by seven days
Miles:
In order to be able to lift these restrictions, even less than 14 days from when we have somebody in the community that [was infectious], we’ve asked if people can continue to wear masks for seven more days.
Masks have proven effective in allowing us to mitigate the risk of those infectious cases. So continue to wear masks at all times that you’re around others except, except for when you’re seated, eating and drinking, or [during] strenuous exercise.
Updated
Coffs Harbour will be included in the border bubble with Queensland, despite fears about Covid-19 exposure in the regional community.
Miles:
That includes Coffs Harbour.
There are some risks there that the chief health officer is concerned about. Police will be installing checkpoints at key locations along the border and the deputy commissioner will outline in the southeast.
QLD to close border to all of NSW
OK, it isn’t all good news from this Queensland press conference.
Deputy premier Steven Miles says Queensland will now close the border to all of NSW from 1am Friday.
We can’t ease here without greater assurance of greater protection from the risk of people travelling from other states with the virus into our state, and so we need to be able to reduce that risk.
We’ve seen in recent days, ongoing escalations in case numbers, and numbers infectious in the community in New South Wales, increases in case numbers in Victoria and escalations in South Australia.
Also, thanks to the lockdowns currently in place in Victoria, South Australia and Greater Sydney that we have reciprocated, our border is effectively closed to those people already, but in order to be able to ease these restrictions as I’ve outlined, we need to close the border to the rest of New South Wales.
That will mirror the arrangements currently in place in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
There will be a border zone in place for people who live and need to travel within the communities around the border so the [border] pass that those border communities will be familiar with will be available, and allow that travel for essential purposes.
It will extend itself to Clarence Valley and west to the South Australian Border. It will allow people to move around those communities for essential reasons, all of the things that you would expect things like schools, to go to school to go to work out for healthcare, or to care for others.
Updated
Queensland restrictions to relax from 6pm Friday.
Miles:
[Containing the two most recent cases] gives the chief health officer a level of confidence that those risks have been managed, and we want to be able to tomorrow ease as many restrictions as possible here in the south-east.
And so from 6am tomorrow, whereas at the moment there is a restriction on gatherings of up to 30 people, that will increase to 100 people in homes with no limit for people gathering in outdoor public spaces, indoor premises, this is the hospitality density rule.
We’ll go from one per four square metres to one per two square metres, will be able to lift some of the restrictions on visitation at hospitals, aged care and disability care.
Weddings are currently restricted in the southeast to 100 people with 20 dancing at one time, they will be able to increase to 200 people, with unlimited dancing provided people comply with a one-person per two square metre rule, and funerals will also increase from 100 to 200.
Updated
Queensland records no new local Covid-19 cases overnight
Deputy premier Steven Miles is speaking now. He says there are no new cases of Covid-19 in the state overnight.
We can also report that the context tracing for the two most recent cases who were infectious in the community, the student who travelled from Melbourne and the 12-year-old boy from last week, has been very successful.
There are now 358 close contacts from the Melbourne student, 316 close contacts of the 12 year old, all now safely in home or hotel quarantine, we have not seen any further infections.
Updated
Hmmm, the Queensland premier says there is an “important update on Queensland’s COVID-19 restrictions” starting soon.
I’ll bring you all the updates here on the blog.
BREAKING: Important update on Queensland's COVID-19 restrictions. #covid19 https://t.co/pbb0eVi4Iz
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 22, 2021
Pop-up vaccine clinics for Victoria's homeless population
People experiencing homelessness and disadvantage will be able to get vaccinated against Covid-19 at pop-up clinics across Melbourne, reports Benita Kolovos from AAP.
Health minister Martin Foley on Thursday announced community health organisation CoHealth has begun mobile pop-up clinics in the city centre, Collingwood and Footscray.
Each vaccination team includes two community health nurses, a social worker and a worker who has experienced homelessness, and will have the capacity to immunise 40 people a day.
The mobile clinics will also visit homelessness services, drop-in centres, crisis accommodation facilities and rooming houses across the inner north, inner west and city in the coming weeks.
Foley:
We know that people without a secure home are highly vulnerable to Covid-19, so we are removing any barriers they may have in accessing the vaccine to ensure they can get vaccinated quickly.
Meanwhile, Pfizer eligibility has been expanded at the state-run vaccination centres.
All healthcare workers, hotel quarantine and international border workers and residential aged and disability care workers and residents are now eligible for Pfizer, regardless of their age.
Household contacts of hotel quarantine and border workers aged over 16 are also eligible.
More than 1.4 million doses of vaccine have been administered at state-run hubs to date, including more than 500,000 doses in the past month.
Updated
Hmmm ... no Queensland numbers so far this morning.
The state’s leaders usually speak around 10am, although maybe the whole Olympics situation has them running a little behind this morning.
Updated
NSW update confirmed for 11am, by the way.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Health Minister Brad Hazzard, NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty and NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys will provide an update on COVID-19, 11am #nswpol
— Political Alert (@political_alert) July 21, 2021
Updated
Oooop!
Based on some media contact in the last couple of hours, I understand AOC boss John Coates is about to go global. And not in a good way.. #Brisbane2032
— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) July 22, 2021
But to that new big exposure site in Melbourne.
COVID cleaners wipe down Market Lane Coffee at Prahran Market. A confirmed case visited this store on Saturday. Entire market now a tier 1 site. @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/AZecoM8YkT
— Reid Butler (@reid_butler9) July 22, 2021
Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates has insisted that Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk attend the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony, in an awkward exchange just hours after Queensland won the hosting rights for the 2032 Games.
Palaszczuk had previously said she would not attend the ceremony, in the face of growing domestic concern about her international trip.
But at a press conference on Wednesday night, Coates – also vice president of the International Olympic Committee – issued a stern rebuke with Palaszczuk, sitting next to him.
“You are going to the opening ceremony,” Coates said. “I am still the deputy chair of the candidature leadership group [for the 2032 bid]. So far as I understand, there will be an opening and a closing ceremony in 2032, and all of you have got to get along there and understand the tradition parts of that, what’s involved in an opening ceremony.
“None of you are staying behind hiding in your rooms, alright?”
You can read the full report below:
Updated
SA premier Steven Marshall has come under fire since announcing a snap seven-day hard lockdown for the state for not ramping up testing capacity fast enough.
He promised things would smooth out in the next few days but it seems it’s still a rocky road this morning.
Queues for a covid test are again snaking around Victoria Park. These cars have been here all night - waiting 13/14 hours. @TheTodayShow @9NewsAdel pic.twitter.com/07TMzGMK1i
— Ollie Haig (@ollie_haig) July 21, 2021
As South Australians wait hours for a covid test, water is being handed out. @TheTodayShow @9NewsAdel pic.twitter.com/iKxtUaYQCN
— Ollie Haig (@ollie_haig) July 21, 2021
Thanks for sending me these tweets, blog reader Liam!
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This isn’t Australian news but it’s still worth getting across the situation in Zhengzhou at the moment.
At least 25 people have died so far in the floods.
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Nine news is reporting that NSW case numbers will be more than 120 today. This hasn’t been independently confirmed by us yet but Chris O’Keefe has been pretty reliable so far with numbers.
We will find out for sure in about 90 minutes.
Hearing NSW case numbers above 120 today. A jump in the number infectious in the community too, another tough day. Testing rates are incredible though. @9NewsAUS
— Chris O'Keefe (@cokeefe9) July 21, 2021
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How beautiful is this?! 🇦🇺🥰🇼🇸
— ABC Hobart (@abchobart) July 21, 2021
Around 200 seasonal workers from Samoa are about to finish two weeks quarantine in Hobart, before heading to work on farms around the country.
They sang this song from their balconies, as a thank you to Hobart for hosting them. Amazing! 😍 pic.twitter.com/BiaiR12hCg
Wow! That person in the middle there looks like a great boss! She gives off the vibe of someone who runs a brilliant Australian media organisation, but more than anything she seems like she would have great taste in picking someone to run a daily new live blog:
This Sunday on #Insiders @David_Speers will be joined by @andrewprobyn @lenoretaylor and @J_C_Campbell #auspol pic.twitter.com/0T5OYaCfPC
— Insiders ABC (@InsidersABC) July 21, 2021
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A private boys’ school in Perth that charges up to $27,000 a year in fees received more than $7m in jobkeeper subsidies in 2020 while declaring an operating surplus of more than $8m.
The Hale school in Perth counts cabinet minister Christian Porter and Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith as alumni.
According to the school’s annual report, it received $7.45m in jobkeeper payments last year. At the same time, the school declared an operating surplus in 2020 of $8.31m and also offered discounts to parents.
Jobkeeper subsidies were the second-largest source of income for the private school in 2020, contributing more than commonwealth funding, state funding and boarding fees.
You can read the full report below:
Updated
A nursing home in Sydney’s south is in lockdown after a nurse tested positive for Covid.
NSW Health says visitors and non-essential staff should not enter The Palms in Kirrawee, and affected staff – some of whom are not vaccinated – have been isolated and will be tested within the next 24 hours, according to AAP.
The home released a statement last night:
Thankfully, most of our residents are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 ...
We are treating all residents as close contacts of the affected staff member whilst we assess the situation in more detail.
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OK, let’s talk about the press conferences today.
So far it looks as though we are going to have NSW at 11am AEST and SA at 11.30am AEST. (This is 11am for those in SA.)
No word on the Victoria press conference time yet but, if they schedule it anywhere between 10.30am and 12pm, I will begin to scream and I may never stop.
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'No doubt' vaccine rollout would have been more successful without Atagi's AZ warning, Morrison says
Scott Morrison has hit the radio waves in Brisbane to say various formulations of “how good are the Olympics” but he’s also been asked about Atagi’s advice on AstraZeneca, and what Australians should do now that he is publicly barracking for the advice to change.
On 4BC Radio, Morrison said “no doubt” Australia would’ve been in a better position if the Atagi warning had not been applied to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Morrison said he respects Atagi, and the government has “acted consistently with their recommendations”, but, given the greater risk of Covid-19 now, he was querying how the Delta outbreaks would impact their advice.
Asked about Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young and her warning against AstraZeneca, Morrison said:
Rather than specifically talking about that – I’d more say that the impact of this advice over time has been for people to have some hesitancy, [AstraZeneca] is an approved drug by TGA. This is the vaccine that has substantially vaccinated the UK and is approved for use in Australia.
Morrison said Atagi had made “some suggestions” (that Pfizer is preferred for those 59 and under) and that others should consider whether the benefits outweigh the costs. That is why the government had encouraged people to talk to their GP, and exercise “informed consent”, which means “we don’t mandate” people to take vaccines but “we don’t prevent you from taking them either”.
The PM revealed that 60,000 people under 40 had received the AstraZeneca vaccine since he encouraged them to talk to their GP in late June.
He then made a full-throated appeal to Queenslanders:
Don’t wait for what’s happening in another state to potentially happen in your state …
This is the thing with the Delta variant – it can move very quick and no system is 100% foolproof, the whole world knows that.
Please, Queensland, particularly if you’re in the older population – please go and get that AstraZeneca, it’s a totally safe vaccine for you. The Therapeutic Goods Administration would not have approved it if it were not.
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Yesterday Victorian chief health officer Prof Brett Sutton said people should draw confidence from the proportion of daily cases isolating for their entire infectious period rising from just 6% on Monday to 73% on Wednesday.
Well, I just did some quick maths and today that has risen to 92.3% of cases who were in isolation the whole time.
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On the downside, this is the highest number of cases Victoria has seen since September, and the testing number is down by more than 10,000 from yesterday.
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Victoria records 26 local Covid-19 cases overnight
As expected, Victoria’s numbers are up slightly today, with 26 local cases overnight.
The good news is that 24 out of the 26 cases were in quarantine throughout their entire infectious period and all of the cases are linked to known outbreaks.
Reported yesterday: 26 new local cases and 2 new cases acquired overseas (currently in HQ).
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) July 21, 2021
- 14,230 vaccine doses were administered
- 43,674 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/7j1ACJv4i7
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Here is that opening ceremony exchange in video – for if you want the whole experience:
‘You are going to the opening ceremony.’ Here is that awkward exchange between AOC President John Coates and Queensland Premier @AnnastaciaMP at a media conference in Tokyo last night. #Brisbane2032 @BreakfastNews pic.twitter.com/bQqvFYyQla
— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) July 21, 2021
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The anxious wait for the Victorian numbers has started, everyone.
As a Melburnian, I will be a nervous wreck until they come out.
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Lisa Millar:
So all is good with John Coates?
Annastacia Palaszczuk:
Yeah, yeah, absolutely...
He’s fantastic. If we didn’t have John Coates, this would not have happened.
John Coates has been the driving force behind us securing the Olympics. He has been able to get all levels of government to work together for us to have this bid and his engagement with the business community, his networks are absolutely phenomenal.
And, look, I’m going to give credit where credit is due. It’s great for him that he was with Sydney and now he’s ushered in this opportunity for Brisbane and Queensland. I’m very, very proud Queenslander.
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Here is what the Queensland premier had to say about it this morning when asked by ABC News Breakfast host Lisa Millar:
It’s a bit tricky to work out what’s going on when you’ve got masks on and we don’t know what’s happening behind those masks. You didn’t look happy about the exchange. What was it all about? ...
Annastacia Palaszczuk:
I’ve known John for years. So what’s happened now is that the lord mayor and the federal minister and I are expected to go. So I will leave that to John Coates and Thomas Bach. But let me make it clear – I am not going to offend anyone now that we’ve just been awarded the Games.
Millar:
Why weren’t you going to the opening ceremony in the first place?
Palaszczuk:
In the first place? That was before we were even awarded the Games ...
I think that you’re just talking semantics here. Honestly – there wasn’t even an invitation that had been issued.
So my understanding is that now John Coates has said that there is an expectation by both himself as the head of the AOC and the vice-president of the International Olympic Committee and Thomas Bach the president.
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Hmmmm, this is interesting. So yesterday there was an awkward exchange between the Queensland premier and Australia Olympic Committee president John Coates when he publicly ordered Annastacia Palaszczuk to attend the Tokyo opening ceremony.
She has been asked about it on ABC just now but, before I get into that, here is the transcript. A warning, it’s a little tricky to know exactly what’s going on and, honestly, the video doesn’t help much either:
Coates:
You are going to the opening ceremony. I’m still the deputy chair of the leadership group and, so far as I understand, that there will be an opening and a closing ceremony in 2032. And all of you will get along there and understand the traditional parts of that. What’s involved in an opening ceremony and none of you are staying behind and hiding in your rooms. All right?
*silence*
Palaszczuk:
I don’t want to offend anybody, so ...
Coates:
You’ve never been to an opening ceremony in an Olympic Games, have you? You don’t know the protocols. I think that it is a very important lesson for everybody here.
The opening ceremonies cost in the order of $75m to $100m. It’s a major exercise for any organising committee. It puts the stamp on the Games. It’s very important to the broadcasts that follow ...
My very strong recommendation is that the premier and the lord mayor and the minister be there, and understand it.
Honestly, seeing this I understand a bit better why Palaszczuk was saying it was imperative that she went to Japan to attend the Games. I wouldn’t want to cross Coates either.
Updated
Annastacia Palaszczuk:
We’re all having our fingers crosseded that we’re not in a pandemic in 11 years. Let’s have some faith and optimism.
If you just think about it for a moment – think about who has hosted the Olympic Games in the past and who is hosting now. Tokyo. Next is Paris. You’ve got Los Angeles. You know, these are world cities. Brisbane is a mid-sized city and what the Olympic movement is saying is that with their new norm protocols, mid cities can actually apply for the Games and get them under the new protocols.
So we have already 84% of the existing venues. This was seen as a huge positive to the Olympic movement. From the Commonwealth Games, we had a lot of our infrastructure already created. And the fact that we worked very well with south-east Queensland, but also incorporating Cairns, Townsville, Toowoomba, our regional centres, to present a really cohesive plan about how we could put on a different kind of Games.
So it’s gonna put Brisbane, Queensland, firmly on that international world map and the tourism benefits down the track would be absolutely phenomenal. The trade investment that comes with it. It’s something like $17bn of economic benefit that Queensland will reap, and already, banks are putting out statements welcoming the fact that we’ve got the Games and saying that that is going to add to confidence and investment as well into Queensland.
Updated
Just so you know, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is 10/10 pumped for Brisbane to host the Olympics in 2032.
Here she is reacting to the news on ABC News Breakfast:
What an amazing night. A historic night and I’m just so proud of my state. It still hasn’t really sunk in.
But it’s happened. I’ve seen the footage so it did happen and it’s going to be amazing.
Interestingly, it doesn’t look like the Prahran Market hasn’t been added to the official Victorian exposure site website yet.
The only exposure site listed for Prahran is the Goodlife Health Club Prahran on Chapel Street: anyone who visited it between 12.45pm and 2.25pm on Wednesday 15 July must isolate for 14 days.
Updated
A heads up to Melbourne blog readers, prahran market is now a tier one exposure site.
It looks as though a positive case visited the popular fresh food market in the city’s inner east on Saturday 17 July.
Here is what a spokesperson for the market just posted on Instagram:
We have just been made aware by the DHHS that a confirmed COVID-positive shopper visited Prahran Market on Saturday the 17th of July between 9.40 am and 11.15 am.
DHHS advises us that the customer visited a number of traders including Pete n Rosie’s Deli, Q le Baker, Prahran Seafoods, John Cester’s Poultry and Game, Gary’s Quality Meats, Reliable Fruit and Veg and Market Lane Coffee. Due to the broad geographic spread of the traders, DHHS has taken the step of classifying the whole of Prahran Market a Tier 1 exposure site.
All staff working within the market during the exposure period will be immediately tested and quarantine for 14 days from the exposure date ...
If you visited the Market during the exposure period, you should immediately seek a test and then quarantine yourself in accordance with current DHHS requirements ...
As such, the Market will be temporarily closed tomorrow, Thursday 22nd of July 2021 in order to undertake the deep clean and receive further advice from DHHS ...
We will update our valued customers and community as soon as we have more information.
We are devastated by this news and our thoughts and well wishes are with all of our traders, customers and the Market community as a whole.
Updated
Vic lockdown 1.0: How many new cases are there?
— Benita Kolovos 🐯 (@benitakolovos) July 21, 2021
Vic lockdown 2.0: How many mystery cases?
Vic lockdown 3.0: How many tennis player cases?
Vic lockdown 4.0: How many Delta cases?
Vic lockdown 5.0: How many wild cases?
Oooh, this will be fun. We will hear from Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in about 15 minutes, speaking to ABC News Breakfast from Tokyo.
Updated
'No serious escalation' in SA's Covid-19 numbers today
SA premier Steven Marshall says there has been “no serious escalation” in the state’s Covid-19 situation overnight but he said there “are a couple of cases we will take a closer look at before any announcements”.
Premier: "There good news in that there is no serious escalation overnight. The Greek on Halifax and the Tenefeate Winery are both hotspots. Prof Spurrier will be providing a mid-morning update. There are a couple of cases we will take a closer look at before any announcments."
— FIVEaa (@1395FIVEaa) July 21, 2021
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NEW THIS MORNING: @JoshFrydenberg tells @sunriseon7 Treasury estimates the lockdowns in three states is costing the economy $300m a day, $2bn a week @7NewsCanberra
— Taylor Aiken (@tayloraiken_) July 21, 2021
This is becoming a bit of a pattern in the last few days: a senior member of the federal government going to great lengths to avoid saying “sorry” for the Australian vaccine rollout.
This time it was ABC host Lisa Millar trying to pin down the treasurer Josh Frydenberg:
Millar:
But you’ve got three academics today saying it’s one of the worst public policy rollouts. It’s a failure to procure sufficient vaccines, it’s an over-reliance on AstraZeneca, and it’s a lack of vaccine awareness initiatives. And that all comes down to the federal government. Why is it so hard to say “sorry”?
Frydenberg:
Well, the prime minister yesterday accepted responsibility for the vaccine rollout and has put a great deal of focus on the new solutions that we’re putting in place to get more supplies. And as you know, he has spoken to the head of Pfizer and we’ve got an agreement to bring forward some of those orders. But if you look at the case of New Zealand ...
Millar:
But why is it so hard to say sorry? You’ve got so many frustrated Australians out there, treasurer.
Frydenberg:
Well, Lisa, I share their frustrations ...
Millar:
Are you sorry?
Frydenberg:
... and I know how difficult it is. More importantly, I accept, the prime minister accepts, the government accepts the responsibility for our health and economic response. But I want to point out to you as well, just as the vaccine rollout has had its challenges, we have also saved some 30,000 lives from being lost.
Updated
Commonwealth treasurer Josh Frydenberg has been asked on ABC News Breakfast how long Australia can go with more than half of its population in lockdown before the country may be plunged into a second recession:
Well, we don’t know what we don’t know is the obvious response to that.
And this pandemic has always been full of surprises and difficulties. And right now with more than 13 million of fellow Australians in lockdown, these are very trying times. Businesses are closed, kids are being homeschooled, and, of course, families are apart. And it’s gonna have a hit on the economy.
We’ll see that in the future jobs data as well as in the GDP growth numbers. But our expectation is that these lockdowns are costing around $300m a day, which is a very high price. And, of course, we’re not out of it just yet.
Updated
And over to Kieran Pender for big sports news from last night:
The Olympics will return to Australia for a third time with Brisbane formally awarded hosting rights for the 2032 Games after a vote of International Olympic Committee member nations in Tokyo.
Wednesday’s decision was a foregone conclusion given Brisbane was the only bid city still in the running and it was firmly endorsed by the IOC.
Celebratory fireworks lit up Brisbane’s night sky as the Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, and the Australian delegation – who had travelled to Tokyo to make their case in person – signed contracts and took photos in Japan.
Here is personally my least favourite tweet in reaction to this announcement:
I advise you not to work out how old you will be in 2032.
— Richard Carroll (@Richard_Carroll) July 21, 2021
After you recover from that, you can read the full report below:
Updated
Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg has just told Sunrise that he expects Australia’s September quarter to be in the red, which is somewhat unsurprising given that more than half of the country’s population is in lockdown:
We were probably expecting that the September quarter is a negative – let’s wait and see what happens in the weeks ahead. To have your two biggest states, New South Wales and Victoria, in lockdown is a big blow.
Treasury estimates that having these three states with South Australia in lockdown, is costing around $300m a day. Again, that is going to play out in many ways, but that’s why our economic support is there.
If you look at the economic performance, with respect to this whole recession that we faced, we bounced back quickly. Faster, stronger than either the reserve bank or Treasury had been expecting, so I’m confident that if we can get on top of the virus we will see a strong bounce-back in the economy.
Updated
Victorian case numbers reportedly expected to rise today
According to the ABC, Victoria can expect a slightly higher number than yesterday’s 22 new local Covid-19 cases.
That number was already the highest the state had recorded in 10 months but there is hope that the majority of these new infections will be from close contacts who were already in isolation.
A few more cases today in Victoria compared to yesterday (was 22)
— Rafael Epstein (@Raf_Epstein) July 21, 2021
Mostly personal close contacts of previous contacts,
mostly isolated,
& some new cases connected to the rugby game - transmission going into stadium
Updated
Federal Labor frontbencher Kristina Keneally has raised the alarm that Scott Morrison will personally decide how to allocate $800m of manufacturing grants.
Labor’s government accountability spokesperson on Wednesday night warned that the Coalition’s modern manufacturing initiative would “bake-in” partisan spending and normalise recommendations that weren’t independent, as occurred in the sports rorts controversy.
Keneally used a speech to Deakin University’s accountability and rule of law workshop to renew Labor warnings that the latest budget contained 22 discretionary funds that allowed partisan spending.
The speech follows weeks of controversy about the $660m commuter car park fund. The Australian National Audit Office found its 47 project sites were handpicked by the government on the advice of its MPs and candidates.
You can read the full report below:
Updated
Hello everyone and welcome to Thursday.
It’s Matilda Boseley here. Why don’t we start today’s news coverage in South Australia, where a Covid-19 cluster of six grew to 12 yesterday afternoon.
Five of the latest cases are linked to the Tenafeate Creek winery at Yattalunga, north of Adelaide, with the sixth, a child under five, linked to a Greek restaurant in the city, where a number of infected people dined at the weekend.
After one of the cases – a man in his 40s – attended the winery, he went to a school campus in the town of Gawler on Monday, raising concerns for other staff and students.
The state’s chief health officer, Nicola Spurrier, said both the winery and the restaurant were now considered super-spreader sites.
In NSW health officials are worried that Sydney’s cluster is on the move again, leaking into vulnerable communities in the city’s west.
The lion’s share (50) of yesterday’s 110 cases still came from the south-west, but health authorities said they are particularly concerned about the 29 newly infected people in the western Sydney local health district.
NSW Health’s Jeremy McAnulty warned residents:
We’ve seen this focus of cases initially in south-east Sydney, then south-west Sydney and we’re now seeing cases in western Sydney increase ...
People should be particularly vigilant and don’t hesitate to come forward for testing at the slightest symptom.
Oh, and also Brisbane won the 2032 Olympics or something, but we will get to that later. Let’s jump into the day!
If there is something you reckon I’ve missed or think should be in the blog but isn’t, shoot me a message on Twitter @MatildaBoseley.
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