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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Michael McGowan (now) and Ben Smee and Matilda Boseley (earlier)

New South Wales announces 112 new infections, new vaccine hubs; positive removalist travelled to Vic, SA – as it happened

What we learned, Monday 12 July.

That’s where I will leave you for tonight. Here’s what we learned today:

Updated

One new overseas acquired case of Covid-19 in Western Australia, none in the community.

Updated

Staff at the privately-run Parklea jail in Sydney have used “chemical munitions” on inmates after 14 people climbed on to a roof and fires were lit at the prison.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for MTC-Broadspectrum, the private operator of the jail, said that at about 2pm 14 inmates climbed onto a roof at the jail and refused to come down.

About 50 inmates also refused to comply with directions from the guards.

The spokeswoman said security officers at the jail “deployed chemical munitions to clear the yards” while the men on the roof were taken down at about 5pm. Guards are now “accounting for and securing all inmates”, the spokeswoman said.

“Chemical munitions” refers to tear gas.

Inmates within wings lit fires and Fire and Rescue NSW have responded to put out all fires.

The jail’s governor Paul Baker said guards “have done an excellent job, utilising their specialised training, to resolve this situation safely”.

Corrective Services NSW is investigating the incident.

Updated

Expert Covid-19 panel 'continues to review its advice' around AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Australia’s Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation appears to have confirmed a report from that ABC that the expert panel is reconsidering its advice recommending AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine to only people aged over 60.

The broadcaster reports that Atagi is meeting tonight to consider whether it will relax some of the health advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine given the deteriorating coronavirus situation in Sydney.

In a statement, Atagi confirms it will meet today and “continues to review its advice around AstraZeneca, along with updating materials and advice for health practitioners”.

AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine
Atagi says it continues to review its advice around AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA

Updated

Second member of removalist trio tests positive for Covid as interviews prove 'challenging'

Victoria Health says interviews with the removalist who travelled from Sydney to Melbourne on 8 July and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 are proving to be “complex and challenging”, Victoria Health has said.

The state health department has issued a statement with some further details on the case, who was infectious in the community in Victoria on 8 and 9 July. It confirms that a second member of the group has also tested positive.

The positive case entered Victoria on the morning of 8 July in a party of three for work, the health department says.

They departed Victoria and entered South Australia on the morning of 9 July.

Households visited by the case for work are isolating and have been tested.

Interviews, which are ongoing, are proving complex and challenging. The Department is also using other methods of validation to determine their movement.

This afternoon, the Department was advised that another individual in this travelling party has returned a positive result.

Public exposure sites will be published as soon as possible once confirmed and validated.

Updated

Tasmania is offering one-off financial payments to people forced to isolate as a result of precautionary coronavirus tests linked to a health worker overseas, AAP reports.

The worker tested positive in London on 4 July after returning a negative test in Tasmania prior to their departure.

There is no indication they were infectious or contracted the virus in Tasmania, but state authorities have urged people who were at more than 30 “exposure” sites to get tested.

“This has been a precautionary approach but in these situations it is necessary and responsible,” deputy premier Jeremy Rockliff said on Monday.

The state government would provide payments of $250 for workers who have lost wages while isolating during the testing process. Small businesses impacted by the testing directive can apply for assistance, Mr Rockliff said.

More than 1400 people have been tested since the list of venues was revealed on Saturday.

“It’s my hope by later this week we’ll have enough information to be confident there’s not missed transmission in Tasmania,” public health director Mark Veitch said.

Rockliff said the state government would have no hesitation in putting up a hard border with all of NSW if the mainland state’s outbreak worsens.

Tasmania has banned travel from more than 30 NSW local government areas and hundreds of high-risk premises in the state.

Updated

Inmates climb on roof at Sydney's Parklea jail

Here’s the statement from MTC-Broadspectrum, the private managers of the Parklea Correctional Centre.

The security operations group and correctional officers are currently responding to an incident at Parklea Correctional Centre after 14 inmates climbed onto the roof of an accommodation wing about 2pm.

Parklea’s immediate response team officers and the security operation group are managing the situation to safely bring the inmates down from the roof.

Updated

Some more footage from the unfolding incident at Parklea jail via Nine.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan is also critical of the advertisement, but, erm, for slightly different reasons. Canavan says the ad is “not realistic” because “we know that Covid doesn’t affect young people that much more than the flu”.

We don’t run ads around the flu like this. I mean, there are people who are impacted obviously by this virus, as other viruses, but I think it’s way over the top. It’s not connected back to the real facts on the ground. Any kind of scare campaign that’s not connected to the facts ultimately will fail.

Currently in NSW there are 14 people under the age of 35 are in hospital with Covid including two people in ICU.

An actress depicting a Covid patient is hooked up to a breathing machine
A screen grab from the Australian federal government’s Covid vaccine campaign. Photograph: Australian Government Department of Health

Updated

Bill Shorten has been on ABC TV this afternoon, with a few choice words about Australia’s vaccine rollout.

“The vaccine rollout in Australia is a shitshow,” Shorten tells host Patricia Karvelas.

Shorten was also critical of the government’s new Covid awareness advertisement, which features a young woman gasping for air in a hospital bed.

We should probably use someone of the age group ... we want to get vaccinated first, someone older than the actress. In terms of social marketing, we’ve got a whole library of real life experience. It’s called Victoria. Why not get some of them, surely there’s enough inspiration and wisdom in Australian marketing to get some quick real life stories about what happens, rather than relying on an actor?”

The advertisement has been widely criticised for encouraging people to get vaccinated while featuring a woman who appears too young to be eligible under the scheme. Shorten says that makes the ad “useless”.

We do want to encourage young people to get vaccinated but you can spend all the money you like advertising ... If people are reading on Facebook or Twitter, reading in the newspaper or watching this show and we know there’s not enough vaccines, then you’re just pouring good money after bad.”

Updated

Seven News is reporting on an unfolding situation at Parklea jail. We’ll get you some more details, but as the vision shows inmates have climbed onto the roof of the prison complex.

Good afternoon from locked down Sydney!

NSW Health has just issued a long updated list of new venues of concern. As you might expect, the majority are centred around Fairfield and the south-west.

Updated

I’m now handing this blog over the Michael McGowan in Sydney. He’ll take you through beyond sunset and into the evening. Thanks for your company this afternoon.

That statement certainly had a sting in the tail.

Updated

A spokesperson for Kevin Rudd has just issued the following statement:

Mr Rudd wrote to Scott Morrison on 30 June to update him on the outcome of a personal conversation with [the] chairman of Pfizer earlier that day.

Mr Rudd sought this meeting at the urging of senior Australian business leaders, who were deeply concerned by the government’s failure to lobby Pfizer at its most senior levels as many other world leaders have over recent months.

Prior to speaking with Dr Bourla, Mr Rudd directly notified Mr Morrison and asked if there was anything he could say, or not say, that would benefit Australia’s efforts to accelerate the vaccine rollout. Mr Morrison provided some advice and later thanked Mr Rudd for his letter summarising the conversation.

As the letter records, Mr Rudd spoke with Dr Bourla in a personal capacity as a concerned private citizen – not as a representative of the federal government.

Mr Rudd also indicated that he was not seeking to negotiate on the government’s behalf and any contractual arrangements needed to be made with officials.

Mr Rudd’s letter is entirely consistent with public statements by Pfizer.

Mr Rudd has not claimed responsibility for decisions by Pfizer and – as he made clear to Mr Morrison – all negotiating powers rested with the federal government

Mr Rudd would definitely not seek to associate himself with the Australian government’s comprehensively botched vaccine procurement program.

Updated

From our Melbourne chief of staff, Calla Wahlquist...

Weimar says Victorian authorities are following up with everyone who has entered the state from NSW on “red zone” permits.

We are following up with everyone ... who arrives on a red zone permit. There were 744 people arriving yesterday on red zone permits. We are sending SMS messages and phoning people. We are checking that results are coming through. We are making home visits to red zone arrivals. We are consistently seeing at least 80% of people returning negative results. We continue to follow up with the remainder.

We are very focused on these two incursion events we have seen. We will follow up anyone who has any potential contact with these cases. But remember we have another 8000 people out there who have (entered the state on permits).

Updated

Weimar:

We know for the first household they are new arrivals into our state. They had very limited exposure out in the community they had just arrived ... If they are positive it will be a short window. We know their movements. We are in reasonable shape on that one.

Updated

Victorian authorities are concerned about exposure of two families who may have had contact with Covid-positive removalists.

The first household are recent arrivals with “very limited exposure in the community”, isolating and with tests dating back to 9 July.

Weimar says:

Both households were home when those deliveries took place. I am concerned that the information has not been as crisp and clear and consistent as I wanted to be. Admittedly, we are five hours into the investigation so the day is still young and we will go all night long if we have to do to get the information we need to get this under control.

Updated

Victorian Covid commander says state is concerned about 'incursions'

Here now is Jeroen Weimar, the Victorian Covid commander.

The state is concerned about “incursions” where people brought Covid into Victoria from Sydney, he said.

These include a removalist who arrived in Melbourne from Sydney as part of a crew of three on 8 July, then went to Adelaide the following day.

Updated

Scott Morrison also says he met with a senior Pfizer executive when he was in Europe for meetings after the G7 summit.

Like the health minister, Greg Hunt, he does not use Kevin Rudd’s name.

Updated

Morrison was asked about whether Kevin Rudd helped secure additional vaccine supply from Pfizer.

Well I can only go by what Pfizer said. I welcome the support from anyone who wants to exist and that’s fine. This is a contractual relationship between the federal government and Pfizer.

Did he speak to the head of Pfizer?

I’ve spoken to the head of Pfizer in Australia.

Updated

The prime minister on criticisms about the speed of the vaccine rollout:

The situation has changed ... and that’s why we’re ramping things up. At no stage was there ever envisaged under any scenario where Australia right now would have had a critical mass of vaccines in the community.

The suggestion that Australia was not going to be in a suppression phase at this point of the year is simply incorrect.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, is speaking to Sky News.

On the controversial new advertising campaign, which features a young woman gasping for breath:

There’s always criticism of any advertising, I know that. It was only a few weeks ago that our critics said the advertising needed to be stronger, much stronger.

But what about the criticism from young people that they can’t get a vaccine?

Morrison says the advertisement encourages people to stay at home, and urges young people to speak to their GP about AstraZeneca.

Updated

Victoria’s Covid commissioner Jeroen Weimar is briefing in about 20 minutes.

If I was a betting man (actually, I am, but I digress) I’d say that given Weimar is billed to stand up without any ministers or the newly-returned premier, Dan Andrews, there’s little reason for Melburnians to be anxious.

Other than the ongoing Italian celebrations on Lygon Street, of course, where five people have been arrested.

Some news from across the Tasman, New Zealand will welcome Queensland back into the trans-Tasman bubble, leaving crisis state NSW the only outlier.

“The health risk from Queensland is now low,” NZ prime minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters this morning.

“Quarantine-free travel from Queensland to New Zealand can resume from 11.59pm tonight.”

South Australia to introduce higher level checks for people returning from Sydney

AAP has some news from South Australia, which is bolstering its border measures:

From midnight on Monday, anybody returning to SA from greater Sydney will not be able to simply apply online and will be subject to a higher level of checks.

About 950 people returned last week, but the premier, Steven Marshall, says authorities want to “seriously turn that tap off”.

“Exemptions will be approved but on a much narrower basis. There will be high level of scrutiny,” he said.

Mr Marshall has also given details of a removalist who tested positive in Sydney to the virus shortly after returning from a job moving a family of four to SA.

He said the family members were all in isolation and tested negative to the virus on both days one and four.

The premier said it was believed the three removalists involved had not stayed overnight in SA, but had returned to NSW immediately after completing their delivery.

There are no SA sites of concern in relation to their activity.

The death of a 72-year-old woman has also been confirmed in Adelaide after she developed blood clots following administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Obviously this is a very sad situation,” Mr Marshall said.

Updated

Laura Tingle, who authored the Rudd-Pfizer story, is speaking about now on the ABC:

Greg Hunt said that they chuckled and that they were taking bets about how long it would be before Kevin Rudd leaked that he’d been involved in these conversations as a way of making himself look like the hero in all of this and that in fact ... all these bring forwards of the vaccine were in train before Kevin Rudd had even spoken to the global chairman of Pfizer. And they are relying on a statement from Pfizer which says no third parties were involved in the contractual agreements on the vaccine which, of course, would be fairly extraordinary to have a private citizen involved in their multibillion-dollar contract.

Frankly, the question that comes out of it is, why was it sort of OK for the former prime minister to ring up Pfizer globally but apparently our prime minister and health minister thought it was fine to just deal with the Australian branch at a time when we know some of the world leaders including the former Israeli prime minister Netanyahu personally negotiated with Pfizer and a number of other companies to make sure that his country had enough vaccines.

Reporter Laura Tingle speaking at the National Press Club
Reporter Laura Tingle has spoken to the ABC in response to the health minister’s comments about her story on the Rudd-Pfizer vaccine discussions. Photograph: Lukas Coch/EPA

Updated

We’ve also learned from Greg Hunt that Australia had been negotiating with the local arm of Pfizer. Who, presumably, would be deferring to the company’s head office to find more supply among global allocations.

Updated

The language used by Hunt to attack reports about Kevin Rudd’s discussions with Pfizer was fairly stunning, aggressive.

But drilling down here, there’s a lot he hasn’t really refuted.

Tingle’s yarn suggested Pfizer’s global leadership was upset that Australia’s part in supply negotiations was being played by “junior” bureaucrats. They seemed to think the PM or a senior minister should be involved.

Hunt’s response, that a first assistant secretary was doing it, and he was a great guy, is probably true, but it doesn’t seem to actually address the concern that, if Australia wanted more doses, why it wasn’t using every diplomatic means necessary?

Updated

Now hitting refresh on Laura Tingle’s Twitter feed every 30 seconds. Will bring you any updates.

Now Hunt is describing the story about Kevin Rudd’s discussions with Pfizer, and suggestions the federal government had been disrespectful with the pharmaceutical company as “a grassy knoll story”.

Wonder what ABC 7.30s Laura Tingle, who wrote it, would make of that?

Hunt is asked about a senior business leader – quoted by Tingle – who said Australia displayed a “rude, dismissive and penny pinching approach” towards Pfizer.

He responds:

Who was the person who wrote the story?

That has been rejected by Pfizer, that has been rejected by the government. This is a grassy knoll story. It is unattributed and unsourced and unverified and has been rejected by fact. This story also included it was a junior person leading negotiations. It was one of the most senior people in the department, a first assistant secretary who was present, one of the nicest people I have had the privilege of meeting within the public service who is the equivalent of a two-star general.

The very foundation of this story is false. The fact there is no attribution, no verification, but then the most basic element of it is false should cause everybody to stop and say clearly it is a little bit of a game here.

Updated

Hunt, again. He refers to the 26th prime minister of Australia by his little-known nom de plume, “The Individual In Question”

Can I just deal with this issue if I may. I had a little chuckle when I saw the story. We received a letter from the individual in question, I think, not long ago and we said to ourselves, ‘Well, no doubt that will be released when our current negotiations are announced publicly’. That is exactly what happened. We are fine. We understand.

Our focus has been working weekly with the Australian head (of Pfizer). That’s our advice and that’s what’s actually achieved this outcome.

This was set out before any contact between the said person – but we welcome their contributions even if they had no material contribution – on the basis of achieving the outcomes we have done.

A nurse administers the Pfizer vaccine to a client at the St Vincent’s Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic
The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said Kevin Rudd’s discussions about Australia’s Pfizer vaccine situation were welcome, but made ‘no material contribution’ to the outcome. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Updated

Health minister Greg Hunt again says that he “had a little chuckle” when he saw a letter from Kevin Rudd about his discussions with Pfizer about vaccine supply.

And for a second time, for emphasis, he reads aloud Pfizer’s statement.

The only party responsible for vaccine supply contracts is the federal government. Repeat, the federal government.

Updated

Hunt is now being asked about whether he thinks the August sittings of federal Parliament should be postponed due to the Sydney outbreak.

He says he expects parliament to continue, like it did during the Victorian outbreak, but that it’s “too early to tell” where things end up in greater Sydney.

Updated

Asked about reports of Kevin Rudd’s discussion with Pfizer, Hunt first reads from the company’s statement that says it only negotiated about vaccine supply with the federal government, and offers this:

So we’ve had ongoing, continuous and multiple negotiations with Pfizer Australia.

I speak with the country head every week and sometimes on multiple occasions. They are the principal point of contact and that’s why when we did have the confidence that we were on track to achieve the million doses, the horizons document, which was printed in June, set out a base case of 600,000 a week rising to a potential case of a million doses a week.

That’s exactly what we have sought ... the maximum which Pfizer believe was remotely possible. We have been able to achieve the highest and best expectation that could be done in terms of bringing that forward. I’m delighted with that result. I’m thanking everybody who’s been involved.

Updated

The health minister, Greg Hunt, is now being asked about the, um, controversial government vaccination advertisement featuring a young woman gasping for breath.

The journalist suggests the ad “can be quite frightening to people in that age group who currently can’t get a vaccination, so what’s the point of that message that is there, to be scared of getting severe Covid but have no way of accessing their preferred vaccine?”

He says:

It is a message to people both for now and in the future.

It sends the message that all of us can play our part in protecting ourselves and each other. Anyone of us can save a life. Anyone of us can inadvertently risk a life. That is the message as well with regards to the more difficult, the more challenging ad but a deliberately constructed ad which was prepared in anticipation of if there were a major outbreak and approved by the chief medical officer as being the appropriate time [for] release.

That message is very clear and that is please stay at home. Do not think that you are immune. The virus travels, as professor Paul Kelly says, with people.

Updated

On the vaccine rollout, Hunt says:

We have had a record number of vaccinations again, 894,344 vaccinations were delivered across the nation. That now takes it to a total of approximately 9.15m vaccinations and that includes almost 6.8m individuals who have had a first dose or 33% of the nation and 2.325m individuals who have been fully vaccinated, 11.3% of the eligible population of 16 and over.

Very significantly, because whilst Covid can affect anybody, its severity increases with age. That’s the single strongest determinant of the likelihood of a severe outcome, although sadly, as we’ve seen in NewSouth Wales, it can have severe outcomes on anybody.

Very significantly, we now have for the over-50 population, 56.5% of the nation have had vaccinations. For the over 60s, 65.4% have had vaccinations and for the over 70s, a very heartening 73% of the population have had vaccinations.

Updated

Hunt says federal government has approved 'health support package'

Greg Hunt is up. He says the federal government has approved a “health support package” for greater Sydney.

He says supplies from the national medical stockpile will be sent to health practices, hospitals and GPs.

There have also been “advanced discussions” in cabinet about an economic support package and a mental health support package for people in New South Wales, but no details on that as yet.

Hunt says:

The first thing is to acknowledge that this is a difficult and challenging and stressful time for so many people in Sydney and more broadly across other parts of New South Wales and across Australia. Virtually every Australian will have connections with friends or family who are under lockdown and who are facing pressure and concern about their health, potentially their mental health and about their economic circumstances.

In order to assist with that, the Commonwealth will be making a health support package available that’s been approved by the expenditure review committee of cabinet today or the budget committee of cabinet chaired by the prime minister and that will include support for general practices, for pharmacies and for allied health practitioners.

Updated

AAP reports that the Australian Test cricketer Peter Handscomb has tested positive for Covid-19 while in England for a county cricket stint.

Updated

We’re expecting to hear the health minister, Greg Hunt, shortly.

I wonder what he’ll get asked about?

Annastacia Palaszczuk really is hammering the “come home now” message to Queenslanders in New South Wales.

Consider leaving King’s Landing and returning to Winterfell, before we pull up the drawbridge. Winter is coming.

Pfizer has released a formal statement to hose down suggestions that “any third party or individual” was involved in vaccine supply agreements.

Here it is, in full:

Recent media reports suggesting that any third party or individual has had any role in contractual agreements reached between Pfizer and the Australian government are inaccurate. The only two parties involved in these agreements are Pfizer and the Australian government.

Pfizer is committed to delivering 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to Australia over 2021. Pfizer has met its contractual commitments to date and is on track to deliver the remaining doses by the end of the year.

All agreements and supply arrangements, including dose planning are exclusively made with the federal government, and details of the agreement and discussions are confidential. All discussions on supply and procurement with the federal government are led by Pfizer representatives in Australia.

Pfizer has a strong relationship with the federal government with continuous engagement both locally and globally in support of the national vaccine program including supply requests.

Updated

The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, has told Ray Hadley on 2GB that he “chuckled” when he read the ABC’s (frankly) astonishing report that Kevin Rudd was enlisted by senior business leaders to help secure more vaccines from Pfizer.

(Somehow I suspect the reaction wasn’t quite that jovial, but anyway).

After being set-up with a rambling Hadley question that riffs about “relevance deprivation syndrome”, Hunt goes to pains to downplay Rudd’s involvement.

Hunt said:

Look, I did chuckle when I saw the story. We received the letter after we’d done the work with Pfizer and we knew the outcome was likely to be exactly as it was of moving to the million a week.

And that we did, as, as a group, say, well, we know that once the government announces it that letter from the former prime minister’s likely to be put out there. But we appreciate all of the, the help, even if it hasn’t added to the outcome.

But look, this is serious work that the Australian government’s been doing. We’ve contracted the 40 million with Pfizer, but we’ve been able to bring it forward, and, you know, that’s what, that’s what matters.

And I’ll let others speak for themselves. But that action came after the fact but we were certain that the letter would be put out there. But anyway, we’ll let others speak for themselves but I’m happy for the Australian people that we’ve been able to achieve this.

Federal health minister Greg Hunt.
Federal health minister Greg Hunt. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Updated

Unwieldy graphic design or not, there’s a pretty ominous vibe to the Queensland premier’s call for people to consider returning home from New South Wales.

Annastacia Palaszczuk is very clearly paving the way for a border closure the second there’s any evidence of the NSW outbreak escaping the limits of greater Sydney.

There’s a real sense of deja vu happening up here.

Updated

Good afternoon from Brisbane, where it’s 19C and bloody freezing.

Thanks muchly to Matilda Boseley for keeping us informed and entertained, as always, this morning.

OK, let’s keep this show moving ...

Updated

With that, I shall pass you over to the fantastic Ben Smee, who will take you through the afternoon.

It’s that time of the day again, where Annastacia Palaszczuk’s social media team puts out a post with truly baffling graphic design choices.

This time we are going for a sombre, simple tone for some very serious news. But don’t worry, there are still three different fonts in the one-sentence graphic.

Why did she decide to make a message urging her citizens to flee back to their homes for fear of being trapped in a Covid-19 outbreak look like the title card that announces “Best Picture” at the Oscars?

Updated

Just ducking back to that news from Melbourne that a man infected with coronavirus travelled through Victoria and South Australia before testing positive in NSW.

The announcement was made at a press conference at Port Melbourne Secondary College, where the deputy premier and education minister, James Merlino, made an announcement at the start of term three about 14 new schools opening in Victoria next year.

Merlino spoke for several minutes about the importance of schools — and the official name of nine of those new schools, very important — before health minister Martin Foley, who wasn’t on the call sheet, stepped up and mentioned the case overnight.

It’s possibly a sign of my slightly anxious flawed priorities — no kids, no vaccine — but this seems like a backwards priority, no?

After a shout-out to the inaugural principal of the newly named Port Melbourne Secondary College, who was apparently the vice-principal at the school Foley’s students attended, Foley got into the update.

I can, however, report that late last night, quite late last night, [the] NSW government informed us that a confirmed case from Greater Sydney was infectious whilst visiting both Victoria and South Australia for work purposes on the eighth and ninth of July.

Victorian health authorities have received “high-level” information about the man’s movements — he is a removalist and was in households in Victoria and stayed overnight on 8 July — but are seeking to conduct their own contact tracing interview.

There will “undoubtedly” be exposure sites and people required to quarantine in Victoria, but the man will be counted in the NSW figures today.

What we know so far is that he drove to Victoria on Thursday, did either drop-offs or pick-ups in some houses in Victoria, stayed overnight, drove into South Australia on Friday, again picked up or dropped off goods, drove back to NSW, got a test on Saturday and got a positive result yesterday.

Updated

NSW to open three new Covid vaccine hubs

NSW is also preparing to open three new vaccine hubs in the coming weeks.

Here is the rundown of those:

  • A new hub in Belmont, Lake Macquarie will open on Monday, 19 July. This will have a capacity of 20,000 vaccinations a week.
  • A new vaccine clinic will open in the Sydney CBD on the same day and will have a capacity of 7,000 vaccinations a week.
  • At the end of the month, a mass vaccination hub will open at Macquarie Fields in Sydney’s south-west, which will have a capacity of 20,000 vaccinations a week.
  • Finally, in August a mass vaccination hub will open in Wollongong which will have a capacity of 15,000 vaccinations a week.

Updated

Here is more detail about the changes to the NSW vaccine rollout, from the media release that was just distributed:

NSW will prioritise teachers and aged care workers in the Fairfield, Canterbury Bankstown and Liverpool local government areas where there is greater concern of COVID-19 transmission. A vaccine hub will begin operating at Fairfield Showground this Friday to target these two groups.

NSW Health vaccination clinics and centres will now begin making the AstraZeneca vaccine available to people aged over 40.

And NSW will green-light pharmacies across the state to do the same.

Anyone aged 18-39 wishing to get the AstraZeneca jab, is encouraged to talk to their GP.

NSW has also approached the Federal Government to ask that any unused GP Pfizer vaccines be redirected to NSW health hubs.

Updated

And to close out the press conference Gladys Berejiklian is asked if business subsidies are boosted will she ask for non-essential retail to close?

Berejiklian:

I don’t want to delve into hypotheticals. The community has enough to deal with at the moment. Please know that every bit of advice we give you, every decision we articulate is based on the science and based on the health experts and that will continue to be the way.

I don’t think it is helpful talking about scenarios at this stage but what I have said very clearly is given where the numbers are it is not likely, in fact, almost impossible, for us to get out of lockdown on Friday but we will be able to provide you further information as soon as that comes to hand.

Updated

Hmmm, this is interesting. Gladys Berejiklian seems to be hinting that NSW has made its own efforts to get access to vaccines.

Reporter:

NSW went it alone to get more ventilators, what is preventing New South Wales from going it alone to get more vaccines from the international community?

Berejiklian:

Firstly I will say that New South Wales government never leaves a stone unturned. I will leave it at that but also say that it is not the state government’s responsibility, which is a fact, to source the vaccines or to get the doses. It is our responsibility to get jabs in arms as quickly ...

So please know the New South Wales government always does what we can but there are certain limits to our powers and what we can do, but know that we are always pushing the boundaries to see what we can do to improve the situation for our citizens ...

Reporter:

You said no stone unturned, does that mean you have tried to get vaccine on behalf of New South Wales?

Berejiklian:

I will just leave my comments at that. I don’t want to get into specifics.

Updated

Reporter:

Are schools being advised to prepare for at least a month’s online learning now?

Gladys Berejiklian:

Can I say even when the lockdown commenced because we weren’t sure what we’d uncover, what is case numbers would be, our New South Wales Department of Education in consultation with independent and Catholic schools do have a number of contingencies.

No matter what decision is made based on the health advice that those arrangements are in place ...

So please know that those contingencies have been going on for some days now, that planning work, to make sure that whatever health advice we receive we are able to implement in a good way.

The display board outside All Saints Catholic College in Liverpool is seen displaying a message about remote learning as school students stay at home due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders on July 12, 2021 in Sydney, Australia.
The display board outside All Saints Catholic College in Liverpool is seen displaying a message about remote learning as school students stay at home due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders on July 12, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

One of the most significant financial supports available to people in the Victorian second wave was the Covid-19 testing payment. People who were forced to isolate, or stay home from work because they needed to get a Covid-19 test, were able to get access to several hundred dollars from the state government.

Essentially it was a way to ensure that people who could not afford to take days off work were still able to safely quarantine even if they had something as seemingly insignificant as a sore throat or a runny nose.

Gladys Berejiklian has been asked if NSW is considering a similar program:

We are speaking to the federal government about that. National cabinet decided that the federal government will take care of individuals and state governments would take care of businesses.

That was the agreement that was reached and obviously at the moment I think it is a $500 payment offered to casual or permanent part-time staff. That is something we are looking at as well in terms of the package we are going to announce. That is on the table. I want to stress that.

We don’t want anyone to have a reason for having to go outside the home unless it is absolutely necessary. Let me make that very clear. The package we announce will have that top of mind.

Updated

A reporter has asked – given what we learnt this morning about former prime minister Kevin Rudd ringing up the Pfizer CEO and potentially helping negotiate Australia getting access to doses earlier – should Gladys Berejiklian also be getting on the phone and asking for more jabs?

Her reply – and I paraphrase – “Nah, not really a state job.”

Berejiklian:

That is like asking me to interfere in foreign policy. You should be asking those questions to the federal government ...

We have been urging the federal authorities for extra vaccines. If you look at my comments not just recently but over months about the sense of urgency I think every time I have spoken about vaccines I have spoken about a sense of urgency. That has been present in every comment I have made, even when we had months and months of zero community transmission, I had a sense of urgency.

Our position has not changed.

Updated

A journalist has asked if the federal government is “dragging the chain” when it comes to getting a financial support package out the door.

But the NSW premier doesn’t sound that worried:

All I will say is I’m really confident that we will land a position we need to, but the New South Wales treasurer, New South Wales Treasury has done outstanding work in making sure we put our case [forward] and we take care of all of our citizens. And the commonwealth has been listening.

So I’m hoping we will have something to say about that in the very near future.

I want to assure our citizens that aside from what you might see or hear at [daily press conference] there is a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure we cover every base and provide comprehensive support.

A store for lease in Sydney
A store for lease in Sydney. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock

Updated

Greater federal financial support is 'imminent', NSW premier says.

OK, on to the financial side of it all. Gladys Berejiklian sounds optimistic that the federal government will be forthcoming with additional financial support. In fact, it’s “imminent”:

I can assure you that the NSW treasurer and I have been involved in very high-level discussions on an ongoing basis.

The New South Wales government has done a lot of work in this regard and I hope to have something to announce within the next couple of days. It is imminent, can I say ...

Certainly the announcements are already made in relation to business support, it was on the initial assumption that the lockdown would be for a fortnight and that commenced on 19 July.

Obviously what we announce in the next few days will have a mind on supporting businesses potentially far a longer period depending on how long the lockdown lasts.

Can I just say this, New South Wales has done its work, we are in negotiations with the commonwealth and we hope to have something to say in the next few days.

Updated

Gladys Berejiklian:

I forgot in my opening remarks that in those key local government areas of concern we will be prioritising vaccinations for aged care workers and teachers.

They are not in the categories the federal government – well, the aged care workers were obviously in the federal government’s plan – but we have stepped up and said we will vaccinate aged care workers and also welcome in those local government areas teachers who want to get vaccinated.

Our priority is always about what life looks like once we get out of the lockdown and getting out of the lockdown as quickly as we can and providing less stress for our citizens as quickly as we can.

Updated

Glady Berejiklian has been asked if she is willing to concede that the lockdown will last at least three to four additional weeks:

Look, that depends on how quickly our community responds to those cases that are infectious in the community. It is really up to us.

The health expert advice will be based on what those numbers look like. I can’t be clearer than that.

So at the moment, we had 34 cases at least where people were infectious, we understand, for the entire duration of their illness.

Now that’s the number we need to get as close to zero as possible and I wish all of us had a crystal ball as to when that might be because part of it, a large part of it, is dependent on all of us doing the right thing and being extra cautious.

Updated

Kerry Chant says the state is not at this time considering allowing people with symptoms to take a rapid Covid-19 test so they can go to work:

We are looking at the full range of testing strategies and we are trying some novel strategies.

At the moment ... the issue for the antigen test is they aren’t very reliable but we need to review our testing strategy all the time.

We now know that there are some technologies that are even shorter, with a very accurate PCR testing capability and we are deploying those in pilots but my key issue is that we have got to learn how best to use those.

They are a scarcer resource than our mass testing and we are using it in some unique pilots but I also need to keep that very focused on the highest-risk close contacts.

Updated

NSW health minister Brad Hazzard seems to be taking a fear tactic in helping to ensure people in heavily affected areas stay home:

My strong message to the community of Fairfield is this virus is targeting your families and your friends, it is effectively using family and friends to betray other family and friends by getting the virus into those households.

Please be aware right now, Fairfield is the target of this virus in particular. Make sure, through every measure, you avoid passing it on to your family, your friends. The only measure that will work is to stay at home.

Just stay at home!

Updated

AstraZeneca jabs to be available at all pharmacies across NSW

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the New South Wales Pharmacy Guild has agreed to help provide AstraZeneca vaccines to people over the age of 40 at any pharmacy across the state.

She has also confirmed that the state’s vaccine hubs would not be able to administer AstraZeneca vaccines to people aged over 40, rather than just Pfizer.

We have had some outstanding conversations with the New South Wales Pharmacy Guild and we are in the process of allowing pharmacists across the state to provide AstraZeneca to anybody over 40.

Please consider your own risk. Please consider your own health situation but know that you can get the AstraZeneca, if you’re over 40, soon in any of the pharmacies across the state. We are in the process of making that happen but you can start making bookings through New South Wales Health mass vaccination hubs if you want the AstraZeneca over 40.

Can I stress that, in the coming weeks, some commencing next week, we will have mass vaccination hubs across many areas as we have said, the Hunter, Wollongong, Macquarie Fields and Fairfield showground. We are expanding the ability for people to access the vaccine. The more doses we get, the more doses we will get out the door.

Updated

Hmmmm, Kerry Chant has told people with symptoms not to go to the pharmacy to pick up medicines such as painkillers. But it doesn’t seem as though the NSW government has offered a clear alternative to make sure those who live alone can still access these essential goods.

If you are sick, please call ahead:

Do not go to your general practitioner with respiratory illnesses, please call ahead and ask about what care path is best for you.

We want to protect our health care services and other patients in the healthcare services that are obviously amongst our most vulnerable. Also, if you are going to pick up a script from a pharmacy or you are going to get Panadol or pain relief and you have got Covid symptoms, don’t do that.

Get a test, stay isolated and ask one of your other household members without symptoms to go in but go directly into the pharmacy, pick up the medication you require and go home.

We don’t want to see any other opportunities for Covid to spread in healthcare settings.

Kerry Chant
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant. Photograph: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Updated

The NSW leadership are really focusing today on the threat posed by Covid-19 in the Fairfield LGA.

Kerry Chant:

If you need to leave home, it has to be absolutely essential if you live in, particularly the Fairfield local government area.

Do not visit any other households and if you’re a worker, stay at home unless you absolutely need to attend work.

Essential aged care, emergency services, healthcare, other things that are critically essential. If you need to attend work, get tested before you go to work and you don’t need to isolate but if you can delay going to work until you have got a negative test, that is much preferred.

If you have the most minimal of symptoms, you have to stay isolated until you have got a negative test.

Police are walking in the shopping district in the southwestern suburb of Fairfield in Sydney.
Police are walking in the shopping district in the southwestern suburb of Fairfield in Sydney. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Here are the Covid-19 hospital numbers for today.

Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant:

We have got 18 people in ICU, four of whom are ventilated. Twenty-five people admitted to hospital at the moment are under the age of 55 and 14 are under the age of 35.

Of the people in ICU, we have one in their 20s, one in their 30s, one in their 40s, five in their 50s, six in their 60s, three in their 70s and one in their 80s.

That is dispelling the notion that you are not going to get sick from Covid if you’re young.

Updated

Kerry Chant:

New South Wales Health is also working with residents of an apartment block in the eastern suburbs where we have eight cases of Covid and there have been identified in recent days across five households in a block of 29 units.

We have identified the source and we will work with all residents to ensure we can safely move and provide care for those with Covid in a special health accommodation and support the needs of all other residents who are close contacts and must remain in quarantine in their homes for 14 days.

Updated

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has stepped up to provide details on those 112 Covid-19 cases overnight:

The vast majority of cases are occurring in south-western Sydney, south-eastern Sydney and we are seeing a small number of cases in western Sydney, Nepean and the Blue Mountains ...

The reason I am reading these locations out is that we do need to make sure that every member of that community understands every time they go out of their house for an essential good, if they go shopping, they need to assume that someone next to them has Covid ...

The suburbs are Fairfield, Smithfield, Bossley Park, Fairfield Heights, Fairfield West, Wakely, Bonnyrigg, Glenfield and West Hoxton.

Also, I want to highlight that we are also seeing cases emerge among young adults in the 18- to 20-year-old age group in the Georges River, Bayside and Sutherland local government areas and they are largely spreading it again, to echo the premier’s words, to their closest friends and family.

Updated

Gladys Berejiklian has warned that there have been cases of infected people attending local medical clinics and infecting those treating them or present in the waiting rooms:

Please also do not go to your medical centre, a pharmacist or a GP if you have symptoms. We are seeing people, unfortunately, turn up to waiting rooms of medical centres or GP clinics or going into pharmacies when they have got symptoms and unintentionally passing the virus on to other people in the waiting area or their GPs or pharmacists.

We need to make sure if you have symptoms, your first stop should be to the Covid test and stay home until you get the results and you get the health advice. If you have symptoms and you need medical attention please call and that medical attention will arrive but we don’t want to run the risk of people having symptoms, going to a workplace or medical centre and spreading the virus. That is really important to stress.

Updated

'Majority of cases' in Sydney's south-west, particularly Fairfield

Gladys Berejiklian says local cases are still concentrated in several key local government areas, particularly Fairfield.

We want to stress that the virus is still concentrating in two or three local government areas ...

The vast majority of cases are in the Fairfield local government area.

Everybody in Fairfield should be staying at home unless they absolutely have to. That is the message across everywhere in greater Sydney but in particular, when large numbers of the virus are circulating in one local government area, we must call that out.

People need to be aware and they need to keep themselves and their families safe. We are also seeing a considerable amount of cases in the Canterbury Bankstown local government area and Liverpool council local government area. They are the three main areas where the majority of cases are.

But the vast majority of the cases are in the Fairfield local government area and Dr Chant will read out the specific suburbs. We need to call that out because that is where the virus is spreading the most.

We really want to stress that, even if you regard yourself as an essential worker, especially in the Fairfield local government area, do not leave home if you have symptoms.

A sign stating “Stay Safe Social Distance Please” is seen in Bigge Park at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney, Australia.
A sign stating “Stay Safe Social Distance Please” is seen in Bigge Park at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney, Australia. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

So although the overall number is much bigger than yesterday, there were actually fewer people who were infectious in the community, today’s 34 compared to Sunday’s 45, which is good news.

NSW records 112 local Covid-19 cases overnight

Gladys Berejiklian:

To 8pm last night we had 112 additional cases and I want to stress the vast majority of these cases are family members or very, very close contacts. Family or close friends, unfortunately, bear the brunt of those 112 numbers we have seen overnight ...

In terms of the number of people that were exposed in the community whilst they were infectious, there are at least 34.

Updated

OK, here are the full details on that Covid-19 case who was infectious in Victoria and South Australia, from AAP’s Benita Kolovos.

A man infected with coronavirus travelled through Victoria and South Australia before testing positive in NSW.

Victorian health minister Martin Foley on Monday revealed NSW Health alerted their Victorian counterparts late on Sunday night to the man, who was infectious during his travels.

The man, who is a removalist, travelled through the states for work.

Foley said his department was in contact with NSW’s department to get the full list of local exposure sites.

It comes after Victoria recorded its 12th day of no locally acquired cases and the state shut the border to NSW and the ACT overnight, declaring them red zones under the travel permit system from 11.59pm on Sunday.

Victoria’s acting chief health officer cited concerns about the risk of coronavirus transmission beyond Sydney and surrounding areas for the decision as NSW reported 77 new local cases on Sunday.

The border closure announcement was made just after 4pm on Sunday, giving little time for people to return on their existing orange zone permits.

But Victorian authorities had been foreshadowing a blanket NSW red zone declaration for days, encouraging residents to return home urgently.

Victorian residents who missed Sunday’s deadline will still be allowed to enter the state but must isolate at home for 14 days.

In addition, the Victoria-NSW “border bubble” arrangement will remain intact for local residents, though they must continue to travel with proof of address.

Victorian authorities are also asking cross-border residents in both states not to travel outside the bubble at any time.

Updated

And just a reminder we are standing by now for the NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian to speak from Sydney.

She is expected to confirm the state recorded more than 100 local Covid-19 cases overnight.

Updated

Whoopsies!

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has urged all Queenslanders in NSW to come home now, suggesting that the border to regional areas could be snapped shut if cases in Sydney continue to grow.

Updated

Sorry to drip feed you these details. Victorian health minister Martin Foley has confirmed there are likely to be exposure sites in the state published this morning.

Updated

Sydney case infectious while in Victoria and South Australia

AAP is reporting that a confirmed case from Sydney was infectious while travelling in Victoria and South Australia on Thursday and Friday last week.

Updated

Federal parliament may reportedly be postponed

There are reports that the next sitting of federal parliament may be postponed because of the situation in NSW and multiple states placing travel bans on the ACT.

The AFR is reporting that discussions are under way about potentially rescheduling the next sitting, which I believe is meant to start on 3 August.

Updated

Now, just keeping in mind that these numbers have not been independently confirmed by Guardian Australia, there are reports that the NSW numbers will be north of 110 today.

This isn’t totally shocking, if true, as Gladys Berejiklian did warn yesterday that she would be surprised if numbers were below 100.

We will get confirmation either way in about 25 minutes when the NSW premier steps up for her daily update.

Updated

Wozzahs. Does this video trigger anyone else’s fight-or-flight response?

Updated

Health minister Yvette D’Ath:

I have full confidence that we will see that majority of our health workers vaccinated.

And those that can’t, we will work through how to support them.

Updated

The Queensland premier has confirmed that authorities have not yet been able to interview the 19-year-old hospital clerk who was working outside the Covid-19 ward and was infected with the Delta variant.

Annastacia Palaszczuk:

She has Covid-19 still. Let’s look after the young person’s health first.

Updated

Jeannette Young says she is comfortable with the NRL moving games and teams to the Sunshine Coast because it has extremely strict quarantine procedures and enforces its own harsh penalties for breaches.

Updated

Jeannette Young says the reason she is waiting until Friday to ease restrictions is due to the huge number of close contacts who are still waiting out their two-week quarantine period and potentially carrying the virus:

I have too many people in home quarantine and, if any of those people were, for whatever reason, to be out and about, it could mean that we have got infectious people. There is just too many. I need more results.

You have got to remember, the Alpha and the Delta variant, the incubation period for both of those is 14 days so we have just got to wait until the majority of those people have been tested and got through quarantine. There is just too many.

Updated

Jeannette Young is detailing the information she is receiving daily from the NSW health department:

There are a whole lot of things I look at every morning and New South Wales is very generous with their information.

Every morning they provide me all of their sewage testing details and they do a lot of it all through the state, so we have had that one [person] in Bourke that tested positive and then negative. So looking at that sewage is very important.

They are doing an enormous amount of testing in New South Wales. So if there were cases picked up outside the area that is in lockdown, that would be a concern as well. They haven’t been any to date. It would be those two.

Then if they were to reset their restrictions, that would be another thing to look at. So they are the three that I look at each morning and then brief on.

Updated

Queensland health minister Yvette D’Ath has warned that there will be no capacity for walk-in Pfizer vaccinations over the next couple of days as the state awaits its next delivery from the commonwealth:

I need to report that we are waiting for our next delivery of vaccines from the commonwealth.

We are getting 64,500 tomorrow and another 62,000 on Thursday. Until this new delivery arrives, we have very limited stock across Queensland. That stock is reserved for bookings.

If you do walk into any of our vaccination hubs over the next couple of days, it is highly unlikely. You will not get a vaccine or be waiting a long time. I wanted to put that shout out so people are aware.

We are waiting for that delivery from the commonwealth. To give you an example, [one location] on the weekend had only 15 doses extra for walk-ins each day.

Updated

The state did record one international Covid-19 case in hotel quarantine. Here is chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young with the details:

One new case in hotel quarantine, a traveller who recently returned from South Africa. And they were in the hotel the whole time so there is no risk to the community. No new cases in the community.

The last person was infectious in the community a week ago on 5 July, which is why although we can’t say we are totally free of any risk going forward, essentially, as long as everyone who is out there in home quarantine remains in home quarantine and has their exit test on day 12, then we can be very confident that we don’t have any transmission in our community. So that is excellent news.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young.
Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

Updated

Annastacia Palaszczuk:

I had a great conversation yesterday afternoon with Peter V’Landys and I am pleased that Queensland is prepared to facilitate the moving of a number of teams here to Queensland, initially for the next two months of the competition but we will see how that goes.

The NRL also asked if the family members can move, it is very hard on families with the NRL players. They would be in their distinct hubs, so we are facilitating that the immediate family members can move with them and they will be in those tight hubs and it is up to the NRL to police that. But we will be monitoring that very closely as well. That is great news. We are happy to facilitate that.

And of course we also have the third State of Origin to be held on the Gold Coast and I really wanted thank the mayor and the NRL for helping to facilitate that and I can confirm that that has cost taxpayers $0.

That is purely about assisting the NRL at this stage for the State of Origin. We are happy to have that on the Gold Coast and of course we do wish our team all the best. I will hand over to Dr Young.

Updated

Border between Queensland regional NSW to stay open

The border between Queensland and regional NSW will not slam shut, despite Victoria opting to designate the entire state a red zone.

What we have seen is some other states and territories putting in place a hard border closure. At this stage, Queensland is monitoring the situation in greater Sydney and New South Wales very closely.

We have had extensive discussions this morning and we will be having those extensive discussions each and every day. Our job, my job, is to keep you safe. And that is the forefront of our consideration.

Dr Young is closely monitoring sewerage testing in the state of New South Wales but at the moment because the greater Sydney is in lockdown, we are very comfortable with keeping the greater Sydney area a hotspot. However, my message to Queenslanders is if you are in those areas, come home.

I can’t be any clearer. Please, even if you are in regional parts of NSW, we are monitoring that very closely and things can change. My message to Queenslanders is to think seriously, long and hard, about what you are doing and if you can come home.

Updated

Covid-19 restrictions to ease in Queensland

Palaszczuk has announced that restrictions will ease in Queensland from Friday.

There are no cases in the community, it is excellent news. We haven’t had a case infectious in our community now since 5 July...

And because everything is going so well, I can advise that on the advice of Doctor Young, we can ease our restrictions from 6am Friday 16 July.

So that means that masks will be required still at airports and on planes, no restrictions on hospitals and aged care I know how hard this has been for people with love comes in aged care and hospital. That is fantastic news. Of course, to your home if you have more than 100 people you need the details.

Lots of good news for young people out there, you can go dancing again. And of course pubs, clubs and cafe’s will be able to increase the number of customers from one per foursquare metres to three per four square metres.

Queensland records no local Covid-19 cases overnight

Once again Queensland has recorded no local Covid-19 cases overnight.

The state’s premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is speaking now.

Updated

An interesting take on the situation from Lisa Wilkinson.

We are expecting to hear from the Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in about five minutes.

Don’t think Adelaide is safe from the soccer celebrations!

Federal government to stump up for Sydney businesses as Covid outbreak grows

Scott Morrison is preparing to step in and help support Sydney businesses crippled by lockdown as NSW reels from a growing number of coronavirus infections and restrictions, Daniel McCulloch and Colin Brinsden, from AAP.

The prime minister and treasurer Josh Frydenberg held phone hook-ups with their NSW counterparts over the weekend.

Previously, the federal government took responsibility for individuals impacted by lockdown, while state governments stumped up for businesses.

The commonwealth has provided disaster relief payments for people put out of work worth up to $500 a week.

But with no end in sight to the outbreak in Sydney, both tiers of government are recalibrating their approach.

Sydney cafes, bars and pubs have gone back to past lockdown routines, limiting their offerings to takeaway and delivery.

But small businesses have warned their reduced revenues are not enough to survive and they need much more support.

The commonwealth is expected to announce further assistance for NSW businesses in conjunction with state supports, while also making payments for individuals and households more broad.

The package will be discussed by the federal government’s expenditure review committee on Monday.

The prime minister is also investigating what mental health supports will be required under any protracted lockdown in Sydney.

An empty street in the Sydney suburb of Fairfield over the weekend, where Covid cases are growing.
An empty street in the Sydney suburb of Fairfield, where Covid cases are growing. Photograph: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

Updated

Ooop!

Kevin Rudd's full letter to Morrison concerning Pfizer supplies

Given the political interest in Kevin Rudd’s apparent backchannel efforts to persuade Pfizer to try to bring forward the supply of vaccine doses to Australia, readers may be interested in reading the former Labor prime minister’s full letter to Scott Morrison.

The involvement of Rudd was first reported by the ABC’s Laura Tingle last night. Guardian Australia has confirmed this morning that Rudd wrote the following letter to Morrison on 30 June 2021, essentially briefing him on the contents of the call with the global Pfizer chief. Bold emphasis added by us:

Dear Prime Minister Morrison,

As I mentioned to you earlier today, I had a scheduled call with Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive of Pfizer, Inc.

I used the call as an opportunity to congratulate Pfizer on their outstanding research and development and their success in producing so early a world-class COVID-19 vaccine. We also discussed Pfizer’s current challenges and the political pressures they face around the world for an intellectual property waiver to expedite the supply of vaccines to developing countries. We follow these debates closely through our think tank operations in Washington – and Pfizer’s ongoing negotiations with the United States Trade Representative.

I also used the call as an opportunity to ask Dr Bourla whether there was any possible way, given Pfizer’s current international contractual obligations, to advance the dispatch of significant quantities of the Pfizer vaccine to Australia as early as possible in the third quarter this year. My understanding was that there were current contractual arrangements with the Australian Government to deliver a total 40 million doses by the end of 2021. I did so not as a representative of the Australian Government, but purely in my private capacity as an Australian citizen who cares for his country’s wellbeing.

Dr Bourla indicated that they had limited flexibility because of their existing supply obligations around the world. Nonetheless, he also indicated that a number of their manufacturing facilities were producing ahead of schedule. In response to my representations, Dr Bourla said he would personally look at “what further might be able to be done”. I thanked Dr Bourla for that.

Dr Bourla indicated that, if it became physically possible to bring forward delivery, he would require a further formal contractual request from the Australian Government to that effect. I replied that that was understandable. I added, of course, that would be a matter for the Australian Government and that I would pass this on to you.

Speaking on my own initiative, I floated the possibility of Australia perhaps seeking a large-scale advance order of Pfizer’s 2022 vaccine “booster” which, from what I have read, is sill under development. I speculated that it might perhaps be possible for the Australian Government to consider a commercial offer for the 2022 booster that would also incorporate a bringing-forward of the current order for the 2021 vaccine into the early part of the third quarter of this year. Once again, I emphasised to Dr Bourla that this was speculation on my own part, rather than me acting in any way on behalf of the Australian Government.

As Dr Bourla lives in New York, we also agreed to catch up when I return there later this year.

Yours sincerely,

Hon Kevin Rudd AC

Updated

Oh, by the way, we are expecting to hear from the Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at 10am, where we will learn the fate of the state’s southern border with NSW.

Victoria slammed their border to the whole of NSW last night, leading people to wonder if the sunshine state would be next.

Updated

A proposed new windfarm on Robbins Island off north-west Tasmania could threaten a disease-free Tasmanian devil population, according to federal environment officials, who say the damage to habitat could be difficult to offset.

Correspondence obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws shows officials raised concerns that no comparable habitat existed anywhere else to compensate for the effects the project could have on the island’s unique devil colony, which is considered a stronghold for the survival of the species.

UPC/AC Renewables wants to erect up to 122 turbines with combined tower and blade tip heights of about 270 metres.

The project would also involve building a new causeway to connect to the Tasmanian mainland.

You can read the full report below:

OK, I won’t post much more about soccer, but this video of Prince William’s reaction to England getting a goal is so funny.

Look at George trying to get into it! (Although you have to admit it’s kind of weird that they dressed a child in a full suit to go to the football.)

Updated

Victoria records no cases of Covid-19 overnight

A dozen doughnuts anyone?

The Victorian government is offering $10 in travel credits to the first 60,000 people to register their Myki in a program designed to boost contact tracing in Melbourne.

Authorities renewed their push for people to register their Myki in May after the man who caught Covid in South Australian hotel quarantine and was then infectious in the Victorian community – which later led to the outbreak that caused a two-week lockdown – travelled on a train to the football while infectious.

Contact tracers were unable to track down all the passengers who shared the carriage of the Craigieburn train. The virus popped up three weeks later in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. QR codes have been progressively rolled out across train stations and tram stops in Melbourne to further aid in contact tracing efforts.

Updated

Some tragic news coming out of Melbourne’s south-east.

The Herald-Sun is reporting that a three-month-old infant has died after being hit by a train in the suburb of Upwey yesterday afternoon.

The infant and a woman were both struck, and the woman reportedly remains in hospital under police guard.

In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and ChildLine on 0800 1111. In the US, Mental Health America is available on 800-273-8255.

Updated

I genuinely think I might be able to hear this all the way from the Melbourne CBD.

Turnbull slams Morrison over Rudd's meeting with Pfizer

Ooop! Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has made his stance clear on which side of the Morrison v Rudd battle he is on.

Updated

Now, with Covid case numbers still rising in greater Sydney, attention has turned to the enforcement of new lockdown laws.

The state’s police minister has told the Today show officers would start being firm in handing out fines and penalties.

David Elliott:

That means they will not be using the high levels of discretion they have in the past in the last couple of days they have been working with communities particularly those communities that don’t listen to mainstream media and maybe haven’t got the message so the days of excuses will soon end and you will find yourself with either a $1,000 ticket or a trip to a courthouse ...

This is a city of over 5 million people and 100 infringement notices on a Sunday isn’t that much.

That figure may be revised later this morning as the police night shift finishes up and data is collected. At the moment I think that the $1,000 fine is fair.

We don’t want to give fines. The government doesn’t want to give fines, the police don’t want to give fines, they just want everybody to do the right thing because we all want to make sure we can get through this as quickly as possible.

Police patrol outside the Sydney Opera House on Sunday
Police patrol outside the Sydney Opera House on Sunday. Photograph: James D Morgan/Getty Images

Updated

Investment in new social housing for survivors of family and domestic violence in Australia would not only give safety and security to some of those needing it the most, it also makes economic sense, new analysis has found.

The pandemic has taken some of the attention away from the issue of domestic and family violence, despite an escalation of abuse during this time and the fact that it is the main reason women and children seek specialist homelessness services.

Before the national women’s safety summit this month, the Everybody’s Home campaign, which aims to address housing inequity and shortfalls across Australia, has released the results of research commissioned to find out just how much a new social housing build across the nation would cost.

The Equity Economics research estimated more than 7,600 people returned to violent partners, while 9,120 women a year became homeless after escaping violent situations. Just over 3% find a long-term housing solution.

You can read the full report below:

Updated

Here is Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek’s views on the new vaccine ad campaigns from the federal government:

The truth is, this is a government that has now spent $1bn advertising itself.

You’d think with that kind of experience and that kind of track record, they’d do a better job. One of the problems with advertising campaigns and perhaps the reason it’s taken so long is if you encourage people to go and get vaccinated, you’ve got to have enough of the vaccine available, and we simply haven’t.

We’ve been absolutely behind the eight ball in getting another vaccine for Australians.

Tanya Plibersek
Labor’s Tanya Plibersek. Photograph: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

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You can read all the details of the game below. (A great distraction if the Australian Covid-19 situation is getting you down this morning.)

Unsurprisingly, Anthony Albanese is stoked about it.

Oh! By the way, Italy has just won the Euro 2020 grand final.

Updated

Barnaby Joyce says 'it's not the truth' that Rudd helped secure early Pfizer doses

Speaking of that Rudd/Pfizer discussion, Australian Labor has already begun taking its victory lap.

Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and opposition frontbencher Tanya Plibersek were on Sunrise this morning, battling it out.

Joyce was asked about the Sydney outbreak:

We’re going to make sure we keep the businesses open, we understand that and are reacting immediately to that, and more Pfizer vaccines are turning up and ...

Plibersek:

Thanks to Kevin Rudd, it seems. It’s a bit disappointing the government do that. What’s the point of Scott Morrison if you can’t get extra doses?

Joyce:

Well, that’s your view, but it’s not the truth ...

I’ll come back tonight and tell you how true the story about him getting them is because that’s news to my ears ... it sounds like the typical Labor spin where they try to segue themselves in from a position of irrelevance.

Updated

Breaches of Australia’s quarantine system have substantially increased this year, with data showing there have been as many leaks recorded in the past three months as there were last year.

There have been up to 30 breaches – where a community case of Covid has been traced back to an infection in quarantine – since the system was established in March last year for Australian citizens and permanent residents returning home. Twenty of those occurred this year.

Experts say that the current system is “bound” to leak and that quarantining in hotels might be unsustainable in the face of more transmissible strains like Delta.

“Our quarantine system has to dramatically improve,” says Dr Driss Ait Ouakrim, an epidemiologist at the University of Melbourne.

You can read the full report below:

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Kevin Rudd met with Pfizer last month asking supplies be brought forward

Did someone say Kevin-22? (It’s less catchy but what can you do.)

Yep, there are has been a heap of buzz around the former prime minister Kevin Rudd this morning after it was revealed that he had met with the chairman and CEO of Pfizer last month and potentially helped negotiate the fast-tracking of Australia’s vaccine supply that was announced by the government last week.

The ABC is reporting that senior Australian business figures based in the United States had planned to make contact with the vaccine manufacturer and once this was arranged asked Rudd to conduct the meeting, hoping he may be able to curry favour.

In a letter written to the prime minister, Rudd noted that during the meeting the head of Pfizer said he would personally look at “what further might be able to be done” to get Australia our Covid vaccine doses ahead of schedule:

Dr [Pfizer CEO Albert] Bourla indicated that, if it became physically possible to bring forward delivery, he would require a further formal contractual request from the Australian government to that effect. I replied that that was understandable. I added, of course, that would be a matter for the Australian government and that I would pass this on to you.

Speaking on my own initiative, I floated the possibility of Australia perhaps seeking a large-scale advance order of Pfizer’s 2022 vaccine “booster” which, from what I have read, is still under development.

The Australian government has come forward to say that it was aware of the conversation but it was “not aware this approach had any impact on the outcome”.

Kevin Rudd
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Good morning everyone and welcome to the new week.

It’s Matilda Boseley here, and we all bracing for a spike in cases in NSW when the state leaders stand up for their daily press conference at 11am.

Yesterday premier Gladys Berejiklian said she would be surprised if case numbers were below 100 today as the Delta variant outbreak continues to spread.

Yesterday saw the first Australian death from locally acquired Covid-19 in 2021, with a woman in her 90s dying in hospital.

Berejiklian also confirmed it was “highly unlikely” lockdown laws in greater Sydney and surrounds would be lifted as scheduled on Friday, with the state yesterday recording 77 new cases, 45 of which were infectious in the community.

This is stressful enough but we are also having to deal with the fallout from the federal government’s controversial vaccine ad campaign launch, which just goes to show late isn’t always better than never.

One ad – Arm Yourself – shows a series of bare arms with Band-Aids stuck on to signify they have had the jab. The collective response to this one has been “meh”.

But it’s the separate, more graphic, ad running in NSW that is really stirring up controversy. It shows a close-up of a young woman struggling for breath in hospital with the message: “Book your vaccination.”

The only issue ... under the current sluggish Australian vaccine rollout, it’s likely that a woman her age would not be eligible for the recommended Pfizer vaccine.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has already come out to criticises the campaign, but we can expect more discourse about this throughout the morning.

With that, why don’t we jump into the day?

Updated

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