What we learned, Wednesday 8 September
That’s where I will leave you for today. Here’s a wrap of what we learned:
- FOI documents released by Labor showed pharmaceutical giant Pfizer had tried multiple times to set up a meeting with the government.
- New South Wales recorded 1,480 new locally acquired cases and nine deaths overnight.
- NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian said international quarantine period will likely be reduced for vaccinated travellers once the state reaches 80% vaccinated rates.
- Victoria recorded 221 new locally acquired cases today, 98 of which have been linked to previous cases.
- Victorian premier Daniel Andrews announced that from 11.59pm tomorrow night the majority of regional Victoria will come out of lockdown.
- Queensland recorded zero new cases, but the state health minister slammed the federal government for playing “cheap politics” over exemptions for returning soldiers.
- The ACT recorded 20 local Covid-19 cases overnight, with seven in quarantine during their entire infectious period.
Updated
NSW Mid and North coast to be released from lockdown tomorrow
ABC News is reporting that the Mid and North Coast, along the Riverina, will see lockdown restrictions lifted from tomorrow.
The reports also indicate regional travel within NSW will resume when the state hits 70% double dosed. We’ll bring you more as it will likely be announced at tomorrow’s press conference.
Australia’s overseas travel ban could be dropped as early as November, according to reports from the Sydney Morning Herald on what was discussed at a federal cabinet meeting tonight.
Plans to end travel restrictions come as the government moves to embrace a “vaccine passport”, where travellers can show their vaccination status to cross international borders.
The plan could apparently be announced in days, after months of restrictions on people leaving the country. Here’s hoping.
Updated
Earlier today, the ABC reported that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is considering whether a website linked to the text messages being sent out by Craig Kelly breaches the Criminal Code.
The messages, which were sent out by the United Australia Party (UAP) and authorised by MP Craig Kelly, link to a website that confusingly uses the TGA’s logo, but contains out-of-context data on Covid vaccines.
A spokesperson from the TGA told the ABC that the messages don’t technically qualify as false advertising, as it does not appear to constitute advertising under the The Criminal Code Act.
But they are looking into whether the use of the TGA logo breaches both copyright legislation and the Act.
Truck drivers are facing stricter rules upon entry into Western Australia from today.
The WA state government introduced strict testing requirements from today, after a truck driver tested positive last week.
Interstate truck drivers who have been in high or extreme risk category states 14 days prior to arriving in WA, are now required to show a negative test within 72 hours of arrival.
Drivers that haven’t taken their test will need to take a rapid antigen test at the border. Truck drivers from other states will remain subject to the seven-day testing protocol.
Deputy Premier of QLD tells me in @RadioNational interview that a delta outbreak that cannot be suppressed to zero is a matter of time now in QLD and the state is in a race now to vaccinate until it inevitably hits. Very frank #auspol #COVID19
— Patricia Karvelas (@PatsKarvelas) September 8, 2021
This daily infographic provides the total number of vaccine doses administered in Australia 🇦🇺 as of 7 September 2021 📅
— Australian Government Department of Health (@healthgovau) September 8, 2021
💻Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccine information here: https://t.co/lsM33j9wMW pic.twitter.com/roF2l4PwYr
It might be repetitive to say, but I’ll take the good news anywhere. With that in mind, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have recorded zero new cases today. South Australia recorded one case in hotel quarantine, and zero locally acquired cases.
New Zealand has announced a second emergency flight for stranded Kiwis in Sydney amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
The country’s Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment announced earlier today a second “red” flight would leave Sydney next Wednesday, for people who meet the requirements.
People will have until 3pm on Saturday to apply for the flight, via the New Zealand government’s isolation and quarantine website.
Travellers must have not have been at a location of interest in the past fortnight and must show a negative test taken within 72 hours of departures. They will also need to enter self-paid 14 day quarantine when they arrive.
The allocation is intended to allow people in urgent situations to return home, and isn’t open to the public, with people advised not to contact airlines directly.
Updated
Dan Tehan also responded to SBS’s story revealing Afghan women will not be permitted to play sports that “expose their bodies” such as cricket.
Tehan told reporters:
Ultimately they’re decisions that will be taken in conjunction with other countries, other like-minded governments. But I will say this: the news that the Taliban won’t be allowing female sport is incredibly disappointing. As a matter of fact, most Australians are absolutely appalled at the idea that girls, women wouldn’t be allowed to play sport. It’s something our sporting codes will have to think about and look at very closely. I know the idea my daughters wouldn’t be able to play sport is something I couldn’t even imagine.
Updated
The trade minister, Dan Tehan, has given a press conference to confirm that the government is working on a QR code system to certify vaccination status, to help enable international travel and attendance at events such as sport, concerts and theatre.
Most of the media questions were about revelations from freedom of information documents of the Morrison government’s somewhat laid back approach to negotiations with Pfizer.
The document’s reveal reluctance to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and that the Australian government sent a first assistant secretary to the first meeting when Pfizer had requested to speak with health minister, Greg Hunt, and senior departmental executives.
Tehan repeatedly referenced a statement from Hunt describing suggestions the government slow-pedalled as “false” and accusing Labor of selectively quoting correspondence with Pfizer. Journalists pointed out Hunt didn’t meet Pfizer until two weeks after the first deals were signed with other countries, but Tehan stuck to his guns. We’re chasing that statement now.
In response to a question about an intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines at the World Trade Organisation, Tehan said Australia had “always said it would support a TRIPS waiver”.
That’s not quite right – in March and early May Australia was resistant, until the US shifted in mid-May. Tehan then clarified that since the US supported it, Australia did.
Updated
A medical clinic in Melbourne has been offering off-label ivermectin to patients, despite it not being approved as a Covid treatment.
The clinic actually set up an online page where people could book an $85 consultation for the drug, and is now listed as an exposure site.
You can read more on the story from Josh Taylor at the link below:
Updated
Around 200 police officers will be deployed to regional Victoria to ensure people from metropolitan Melbourne aren’t travelling to those areas.
The officers will be sent along the border of the unofficial “ring of steel” around Melbourne from midnight Thursday, as restrictions ease for regional Victoria.
Victoria Police deputy commissioner Rick Nugent told reporters that the officers were there to prevent anyone “tempted” to break public health orders.
With the easing of restrictions, some people in greater Melbourne may be tempted to interact with regional areas for all sorts of reasons, whether that’s visiting a café ... a pub or restaurant, or some other reason.
It has been really difficult during … multiple lockdowns, [and] the community has been outstanding in its support and abiding by the directions.
Having said that, we still come across people that choose to ignore those rules, and I’m just imploring people, please abide by the rules, stay in metropolitan Melbourne. Don’t spread the [virus] with the regional areas.
Updated
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is calling for Sydney to open collectively, and not to leave behind the 12 LGAs under increased restrictions.
Speaking to 2GB radio earlier today, Perrottet said he didn’t want to see a “tale of two cities”, as the government prepares to lift restrictions once the state hits the 70/80% vaccination rate.
We should all as a city right across Sydney come out together … we should be treating everyone equally.
I know there’s been discussion around trials and the like as we lead up to that date, but people in western Sydney have made enormous sacrifices as we all have across our state.”
Updated
Hunt says ALP Pfizer claims "false"
Ok, so we have a response from federal health minister Greg Hunt to the release of the Pfizer FOI emails.
In it, he says the ALP’s claim is “false and has been refuted with facts”, and that the “millions” of doses referred to in the emails was Pfizer’s “global capacity.”
The Department began working with Pfizer shortly after the pandemic began.
There had been constant informal engagements prior to that time, as the email trail shows.
Pfizer advised, however, they were not allowed to commence formal negotiations at that time.
On 30 June, Pfizer wrote to the Minister to commence formal discussions. The Australian government moved immediately to formal negotiations with the first step being to agree and negotiate a Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement.
The Department’s first formal meeting with Pfizer was on 10 July after Pfizer wrote to the government advising they were now in a position to engage formally, while the Covid-19 vaccine candidate was in phase 1 clinical trials. Since this time, there have been numerous formal meetings and phone engagements with the company as part of securing supply for the vaccine for the Australian population.
The Australian government entered into an Advanced Purchase Agreement (APA) with Pfizer for the purchase of their Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible, whilst ensuring safe and effective vaccines for Australians based on the medical advice from SITAG [Science and Industry Technical Advisory Group] and the maximum doses available.
Updated
The New Zealand government has warned that plans to reopen borders will require a complete reworking as the country scrambles to deal with a Delta outbreak.
Despite recording a fifth day of falling case numbers, the government has said it was very unlikely to see border restrictions lifted any time soon.
Minister for Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins told parliament on Tuesday night that the governments reopening plan would have to be “completely reworked”.
We were looking at a situation where you could stratify countries based on risk, and I think in the Delta environment, we actually have to consider whether, in fact, that’s an appropriate thing to do, recognising that all countries, all people coming into the country at this point, have a degree of risk associated with them.
You can read more on the situation from Eva Corlett here:
Updated
The defence minister, Peter Dutton, has accused Chinese Communist party (CCP) officials of becoming “increasingly bellicose” in a speech in which he also said the current tensions have “echoes of the 1930s”.
Dutton made the comments on the eve of his departure from Australia for meetings with counterparts in four countries. Dutton and the foreign minister, Marise Payne, will travel to Indonesia, India and South Korea before heading to the US for the first “Ausmin” talks since the Biden administration took office.
In an address to the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, Dutton said the alliance with the US was “absolutely more important than ever”.
“We are grappling with a regional environment far more complex and far less predictable than at any time since the Second World War. The times in which we live have echoes of the 1930s, but they also present their own unique contemporary challenges. We can see this in the rhetoric of CCP spokespersons – which has become increasingly bellicose over recent years. We can see it in the activities of the CCP which have become increasingly coercive, driven by a zero-sum mentality.”
Dutton said Australia wanted a positive and constructive relationship with China, “but the onus is now on the CCP to demonstrate – through words and deeds – that China will contribute to the Indo-Pacific’s stability, not to continue to undermine it”.
The defence minister was he was “focused on ensuring Australia’s military activities contribute to stability and to peace”. It was important, he said, to maintain freedom of navigation and overflight and to deter “the most egregious forms of coercion and aggression”.
Dutton flagged a desire to expand a Gillard government initiative - the hosting of US marines in Darwin as part of a rotational force.
“The number of marines has grown from 200 to over 2,000 – I want to see that number increase further …
Given Australia’s geographic location – our strategic position in the Indo-Pacific – and our defence infrastructure in the Northern Territory and Queensland, I think there is a clear opportunity to strengthen the US Force Posture Initiatives.”
Last night a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, said the “current difficulties” in the relationship between Beijing and Canberra were “entirely of Australia’s own making”. Wang said the Australian government should “stop playing up [the] ‘coercive China’ narrative for selfish political gain”.
Updated
Conservationists are hailing a ‘long awaited breakthrough’ after the Western Australia government announced a ban on native forest logging from 2024.
In a statment released this morning, premier Mark McGowan said the state’s next forest management plan would not include native forest clearing, and the government was spending $350m to expand softwood timber plantations and $50m to support affected workers and communities.
“This is a historic moment for the protection of our magnificent forests and the creation of sustainable WA jobs,” he said.
“By transitioning more of the forestry industry to sustainable timber products like softwood, we are investing in WA’s future, supporting the construction and forestry industries, and our regional communities. Protecting this vital asset is critical in the fight against climate change.”
You can read more on the decision at the link below:
FOI reveal Pfizer approached government in 2020
Labor this afternoon has released documents from a Freedom of Information request relating to the Morrison government’s contacts with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Regular readers will know there has been a running controversy about whether or not the Coalition dragged its heels in signing a deal with the company in 2020.
The documents released are emails between Pfizer and an official from the Department of Health from June and July last year.
The emails suggest the company was keen for a high-level meeting with the government (meaning with the minister).
The company made a request “for a formal (virtual) engagement opportunity with members of the Vaccines Taskforce to be selected at your discretion”.
Pfizer also warned the environment was changing quickly.
“I am able to make senior members of Pfizer’s global leadership team available for this discussion, particularly if the minister and/or departmental leadership can be involved. As the vaccine development landscape is moving swiftly, including through engagements with other nations, I am requesting this meeting occur at the earliest opportunity,” the company said.
The official from health, Lisa Schofield suggested an “introductory/exploratory discussion” with her instead.
Pfizer wanted the commonwealth to sign a confidential disclosure agreement before the meeting. Schofield said she had passed on that information to the health minister Greg Hunt, and she would take the meeting.
Hunt has said repeatedly the government did not drag its heels.
Updated
A number of patients at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s hospital are isolating after an infectious patient was treated at the emergency department.
The patient was apparently treated as a Covid-positive patient, but The Age is reporting five patients were in the emergency department at the time of the positive case, and all are in 14-day quarantine as a precaution.
“During the triage and assessment of patients in our busy emergency department, it is always possible that individuals may come in contact with others who are later diagnosed with Covid,” a spokesperson told the newspaper.
“We recognise this risk and as a matter of safety for staff and other patients we isolate all patients who may have had contact with a Covid case during their period of assessment in our emergency department.”
Patients and staff at the Alfred hospital’s emergency department are also entering isolation after it was deemed a tier 1 exposure site.
Updated
So, earlier today at the press conference, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews blasted the “bad behaviour” of worshippers at an illegal gathering at a synagogue in Melbourne.
Between 20 and 30 people are believed to have gathered at the Synagogue in Ripponlea as part of the Jewish New Year.
Andrews thanked Jewish community leaders for calling out the worshippers, and slammed the attendees.
Firstly, I want to thank the Jewish community leadership who have called this out yet again, I thank them.
Their partnership with our government is one of safety, it’s one of trying to keep people out of hospital and limit the spread of this virus and I’m genuinely grateful to those faith and community leaders from the Jewish community who have stood up and called this out.
I don’t buy this line that people are not technologically savvy [and don’t know about restrictions]. This has been going for 20 months, everyone knows about this, this is not new. It’s just not fair.
But again, I just want to reiterate how grateful I am to faith and cultural leadership across the Jewish community for being very clear about this and calling this out. I’m very, very grateful to them.
Updated
Queensland to host NRL grand final
And following the earlier post about Sydney being unable to host the NRL grand final, the league has now confirmed the premiership decider will be played at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the NRL said agreement had been reached with the Queensland government to host the remainder of the finals series, including the preliminary finals and the grand final on 3 October.
“This year we will create history, playing the grand final in Brisbane for the very first time,” Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys said.
“This will be an historic moment for the city and a reward for the support the Queensland community has given us throughout 2021. This year will always be remembered as the year Queensland hosted all of our major events; All Stars, Magic Round, three State of Origins and the grand final.”
As part of the deal, Mackay will host week two of the final series.
“Rugby league is part of the DNA of regional Queensland,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.
“A number of towns have played a key role in keeping the competition going and we want to reward those fans and councils for their support of rugby league. From every challenge comes an opportunity and this year has presented us with an opportunity to reward regional Queenslanders with finals games.”
Updated
According to a survey from Mission Australia and Black Dog Institute, one in four Australian teens are have reported experiencing psychological distress in 2020.
That was up from one in five or 18.6% in 2012, and 24.4% in 2018. The change from 2019 to 2020 was essentially steady (a 0.2 point decrease), according to the survey of 25,000 people aged between 15 and 19.
The survey of course reflects the growing concern around the impacts lockdown is having on people’s mental health. You can read the report from Luke Henriques-Gomes here:
Anthony Albanese has said he won’t be commenting on the PM’s Father’s Day trip to Sydney.
Speaking to Cairns radio station 4CA, he said he would not be joining frontbencher Bill Shorten in slamming the PM for his “appalling judgement.”
When asked why he hasn’t “had a go” he said:
There are a whole range of things I’ll be critical of but with regard to matters of his family, I never comment on those matters.
That’s up to him, essentially and I think that’s a good place to stay.
So, building on a post earlier today, where Queensland health minister Yvette D’Ath claims she called federal defence minister, Peter Dutton over a stouch concerning exemptions for soldiers returning from Afghanistan, it appears there has been a mix up.
D’Ath apparently showed journalists that she tried to message and call Dutton, to no response. But, it looks like she had the wrong number:
Health Minister has shown journalists her phone which lists a phone call and text message to @PeterDutton_MP
— Ben Murphy (@BenBMurph) September 8, 2021
My text photo is a bit blurry but it asks him to call her. https://t.co/84jW7xDeg9 pic.twitter.com/sm4d58yGIR
Turns out the number was incorrect by one digit.
— Ben Murphy (@BenBMurph) September 8, 2021
Health Minister’s office tell me that both Ministers have now spoken, using correct numbers.
We have confirmation from the New South Wales government that the 2021 NRL grand final will not be held in Sydney, or indeed anywhere else in the state, due to the current Covid-19 lockdown.
It will be the first time in the title decider’s 114-year history the game will be played outside Sydney and just the fourth different venue to host the match, after Stadium Australia, the SCG and the Sydney Football Stadium. (The one-off Super League grand final was held at Brisbane’s Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in 1997).
This year’s match, scheduled to be played on 3 October, remains likely to be played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane after the NRL decamped to Queensland before the start of week one of the final series, which kicks off later this week.
Stuart Ayres, the minister for jobs, investment, tourism and Western Sydney, said:
“Due to the current Covid-19 situation in Greater Sydney and across the state, the NSW Government has informed the NRL that unfortunately New South Wales is unable to host the 2021 NRL premiership grand final on Sunday 3 October.
“While it is very disappointing to miss out on this marquee event, it reinforces the importance of our community getting vaccinated so that events like the NRL grand final with crowds can safely return to our stadiums as soon as possible.”
Ayres added that he was looking forward to welcoming back the premiership decider to Sydney in 2022, “bigger and brighter than ever before”.
Updated
The western NSW outbreak has claimed another life - the third death in the region is also the third Aboriginal person to die of Covid-19.
Local MP Dugald Saunders announced today:
Sadly today I can confirm the death of a man in his 60s from the Dubbo region, who passed away at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. The man was Aboriginal, he was unvaccinated and had a number of underlying health conditions. Our thoughts are with the man’s family, friends and the wider community at this difficult time. This is never an easy thing to talk about, but it is part of the stark reality around Covid-19. This is the third death recorded in Western NSW LHD. Out of respect, we won’t be providing any further information at this time.
More than 63% of all cases in the region are Aboriginal people, 47% of all cases are under 20 years old and 85% of all cases are under 50.
In the far west, the small town of Wilcannia has recorded a staggering 109 cases. Around 14.5 % of the population has Covid-19.
Updated
Good afternoon, and a thank you to the incomparable Matilda for guiding us through the morning’s news. As always, there is still much going on, so lets dive in.
With that, I shall hand you over to the amazing Mostafa Rachwani to take you through the afternoon.
See you tomorrow!
Barr is speaking much more about the future today, and even tentatively hinting at plans to ease more restrictions in the ACT in the coming weeks and months.
There is a lot of interest in what the future looks like. In short, we will face a challenging few months. Until we exceed those vaccination targets that provide the community with the protection we need, we can only gradually ease restrictions...
The only way that we can gradually ease our restrictions in the coming weeks and months is if more people get vaccinated, people who have symptoms or who have been to exposure sites come forward for testing, and isolate, and we continue to follow the public health directions.
If we all do that, then we can gently step away out of the situation we are in now.
If it goes the other way, and we see our case numbers explode, we will not be able to further ease restrictions in the coming weeks.
So our preferred pathway in partnership with the community is to see vaccination numbers continue to set new records day on day.
Construction to re-start in Canberra
ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, has announced a significant return of the construction industry in the territory from Friday:
This Friday will see the recommencement of the balance of the ACT construction industry.
As with the larger construction sector, they will be stringent Covid-safe requirements in place to reduce the risk to constructors and households.
There is to be no interaction between workers and residents within a construction site, renovation site on any premise. The ACT Covid-safe construction guidelines reflect the arrangements in place in New South Wales and Victoria.
There will be a further industry briefing this afternoon ahead of the restart of work across the balance of the construction sector on Friday.
Updated
Barr:
The first dose rates for 40-to 49-year-olds is currently at 85%. I think this is an encouraging sign that this age cohort will track towards 95% fully, likely in the coming months.
Demand for vaccines the ACT remains very strong. There are 75,000 people now booked for the first of vaccine dose at a city government clinics and the vast majority of these being Pfizer.
We have close to 250,000 people who have now received at least one dose of vaccine.
We can expect to have at least 325,000 of our residents vaccinated and this could grow even larger with additional vaccinations being provided through our primary healthcare network.
Updated
Barr says the ACT has now reached the 80% fully vaccinated milestone in their over 70’s cohort.
I can report that 80% of our over-70 population are now fully vaccinated. I believe we are the first jurisdiction in Australia to achieve that milestone for our over 70s population.
Based on the first doses of that age cohort, we expect to be able to reach over 95% in the coming months.
More than 90% of our over 50s population have now had a first dose of vaccine. We also expect this cohort to reach more than 95% fully vaccinated in the coming months.
Updated
ACT records 20 local Covid-19 cases overnight
OK, I’m going to jump across to the ACT press conference now, where the chief minister, Andrew Barr, has just confirmed they have recorded 20 new local cases overnight.
20 new cases overnight. Nine are linked. 11 still under investigation. Seven were in quarantine during their entire infectious period. At least seven spent some of their infectious period in the community and the remaining six are under investigation.
There is a slight increase in the number of people in hospital, 10 and we have two people now in intensive care, one requiring ventilation.
Updated
The Victorian chief health officer has confirmed Covid-19 has made it into another aged care home in Melbourne.
Sutton:
Sites of interest at the moment is a CraigCare age care facility in Moonee Ponds with a single case in an aged care worker who has been fully vaccinated.
The facility has enacted its response plan, including testing all staff and residents and those staff on the affected shift are isolating. Fortunately, more than 90% of residents and staff are fully vaccinated.
There is an outbreak at the Middle Park call centre, a call centre with former employees and contacts testing positive. There are about 300 primary close contacts...
We are working closely with the business to ensure they are making Covid-safe practices to the fullest extent possible and looking at whether it is feasible to have more of their staff working from home.
Updated
Here are the details of those five cases in regional Victoria.
Sutton:
We have had five new cases in regional Victoria with a case in Mildura who is normally a resident of metro Melbourne who travelled there. The reasons for the trip we are looking into. But there are a few exposures related to that.
There is a case in the Latrobe valley, likely acquired in Melbourne, all household close contacts have tested negative. It is a good sign but there will be low-level exposures linked with that case.
There is another case in Mitchell Shire and [another case in] the Bellarine Peninsula, both linked to construction work in the city ... we are further investigating and will provide more information soon.
Updated
Here is chief health officer Prof Brett Sutton discussing why he decided it was time to open up (most of) regional Victoria.
We believe these changes, modest as they are, are safe and appropriate steps we can take to grant extra freedoms for those in regional Victoria.
Shepparton has done a fantastic job but it’s taken several weeks and tens of thousands of people quarantining and thousands and thousands of getting tested to start getting under control. It’s looking good but it takes an enormous effort and no town in regional Victoria wants to go through that if we can manage that risk.
Today we have seen five new cases in regional Victoria in different LGAs as we shall speak to in a moment but it speaks to that ongoing risk with Shepparton illustrating just how quickly it can take hold.
Updated
Foley:
Once they’re home, continue to isolate for a further 14 days as per home quarantine arrangements that will be trialled through assistance from authorised officers and other support measures. Obviously, if that engages people who also share that house, all residents, they will also be required to quarantine with you in the period of time.
Other Victorians who aren’t in the border bubble and haven’t been there for 14 days, we urge you not to rush to the border bubble because he won’t be eligible in this first iteration of the program.
Updated
There are some really specific criteria for those 200 lucky Victorians who will be allowed to quarantine at home, though.
Foley:
Victorians applying for this exemption will need to do a range of things.
Firstly, establish, obviously, that their primary residence is in Victoria.
Secondly, evidence of a negative Covid-19 test result in the 48 hours prior to their arrival in Victoria.
Thirdly, they have evidence of having received at least their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Fourth, proof, of not too restrictive means, about how they’ve been in that New South Wales lower risk border bubble for the period of time over the last 14 days and have stayed within that. QR code check ins, receipts, evidence along those lines.
Finally, that they’ve maintained minimal social contact distance arrangements while in New South Wales and in particular they haven’t been in and out of the border bubble into the riskier zones further north.
Victorians will be able to apply for this exemption via the services Victoria website and we will see those turnaround in 72 hours, each considered on their merits.
Gosh, there is a lot of announcements in today’s Victorian presser!
The health minister is speaking now, confirming Victoria will run its first trial of “at-home” quarantining, starting with Victorians who have been trapped just above the border in southern NSW.
Victorian health minister Martin Foley:
As part of the national plan for Victoria and other states who have agreed to be part of a home-based quarantine trial, the view of the public health team is that that’s first to start with the lowest risk group, that being those Victorians, several hundred, who have [been staying in] areas along the Murray border bubble of the New South Wales side.
As part of that national plan, the first of these pilots in Victoria will see at least 200, probably a little bit more of those Victorian residents who have been stuck on the New South Wales side of the border to get them home safely but to do it in a really measured way.
So Victorians have had been residing in the New South Wales local government border area for the last 14 days, from 25 August to today, 8 September, will be able to apply for a new permanent exemption category.
Those applications will open this Friday and will be open for seven days to get people into the system, closing at 6pm next Friday 17 September.
Updated
Melbourne childcare reopens to all single parents
Andrew does have one small treat in store for metropolitan Melbourne though, a relaxation of the rules around who can access childcare.
There is one change to the rules that does relate to metropolitan Melbourne and it’s the direct result of listening and then responding to the concerns and issues that have been raised directly with me and with other members of the government.
At the moment, single parents are not able to access child care. The issue around authorised worker status no longer matters. If you are a single parent in metropolitan Melbourne, you will be able to access childcare. That will mean many thousands of households are in a far more equitable position than they have been.
I apologise for the fact that the system has not necessarily worked for you but these are the right steps to take, the right changes to make and then you’ll be able to access child care. It’s great for you and your kids and great for you to work from home.
Updated
The Victorian premier has reassured regional communities that if Covid-19 outbreaks do pop up, restrictions will be reintroduced on a much more localised level. Essentially, no more statewide lockdowns, unless things get really dire.
Andrews:
If we do finish up with cases bobbing up in regional Victoria in coming weeks, I just want to indicate to everybody across regional Victoria that not only is it our – not only is it our preference but it will be our practice to have a focused and targeted series of measures.
As you can see, Shepparton has been treated differently because there are case numbers there.
If there were an outbreak in another part of regional Victoria then we would look to try to target and localise our public health measures as much as we can.
Updated
'Ring of steel' to be reinstated in Victoria
OK, so technically we don’t call it “the ring of steel” anymore, but a heavy police presence tasked with holding the border between Melbourne and the rest of Victoria is coming back, according to Andrews.
There will be a very significant boost to enforcement of the regional metropolitan border. You can expect, if you are travelling into regional Victoria, you can expect to be pulled over, won’t necessarily be every single car, but there’ll be number plate recognition technology used, there will be static presence of Victoria police at different parts on major roads, so won’t be as, I suppose, predictable as a completely static checkpoint, but why would you take that risk?
If you don’t have lawful reason to go to regional Victoria, then, please, do not go to regional Victoria. You’ll simply take the virus with you and we have seen that. That’s not a theoretical thing. We have seen people doing the wrong thing and taking the virus to regional Victoria. We don’t want that.
Updated
Andrews says he hopes the regional city of Shepparton can come out of lockdown in the coming week.
That’s why these steps are possible whether it be in schools for our smaller students and our most senior students, in business, up to 25% going back into workplaces, if you can work from home then we ask that you do. But we’ll see hospo reopening, childcare going back to normal, no more distance limits or time limits. There can be a degree of freedom in regional Victoria which has been hard-won. Regional Victorians have done a fantastic job.
On Shepparton, we would hope to have Shepparton catch up to the rest of regional Victoria sometime next week and we’ll make those announcements as soon as we have tidied up the last bits of the outbreak there.
Updated
More on the opening up of regional Victoria:
Andrew:
Businesses will be able to reopen, there will be limits, though.
As I said, and I have said a number of times, it’s not a snapback, it’s not Freedom Day, it’s not 100% of capacity down at the pub. It can’t be. If it is, then we will simply see numbers spread and then we’ll have to close large parts of regional Victoria down again and perhaps even all of regional Victoria. We don’t want that.
We want to do this in a cautious way, but in a positive way in as optimistic way as possible.
Lockdown to lift for the majority of regional Victoria
Andrews has announced that from 11.59pm tomorrow night the majority of regional Victoria will come out of lockdown.
The one exception being the hard-hit Shepparton region.
In terms of regional Victoria, there are far less cases in regional Victoria than there are in Melbourne. Outbreaks have been brought under control. That’s a testament to the great work of our contact-tracers, our public health teams, but also the great work of regional Victorians over these recent weeks.
That’s why today, with the exception of Greater Shepparton, we can announce from 11.59pm tomorrow night, the lockdown will end in regional Victoria with the exception of Greater Shepparton, those five reasons to leave your home will no longer apply.
Schools will reopen for prep, grade 1, grade 2, year 11 studying, year 12 subjects for those subjects and our year 12s.
Updated
Victoria had its best-ever vaccination day, Andrews says, with 36,716 doses administered.
We’re at 62.2% first dose and 38.6% fully vaccinated. So we are fast approaching that 40% fully vaccinated.
Updated
No one in Victoria’s Covid-19 hospital wards have had a double dose of vaccine, Premier Andrews says.
This is going where the vaccinations aren’t, going to where the vaccine isn’t. It is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
We’ve got nobody in hospital that’s been double dosed. Again, further evidence, further reason, to go and book an appointment, go and get vaccinated as quickly as you can.
Clinics are open, GPs have got supply. I can confirm that there are, indeed, thousands of appointments that are available for both AstraZeneca, there are some Pfizer appointments, but AstraZeneca is the vaccine that is available today and there are appointments that you can put your name beside as soon as possible.
Updated
That’s it for the NSW press conference, now over to Victoria where premier Daniel Andrews has just stepped up.
Updated
Berejiklian says she is confident there will be appropriate special consideration given to year 12 HSC students will who have been impacted by lockdowns.
Can I confirm [conversations] have already taken place ... The feedback I have received is that we have had very favourable consideration which was a similar consideration the universities gave Victorian students last year is that they could accommodate the later exams and make the assessments.
It does mean some people have to work outside the public holidays but over Christmas and new year to make sure those assessments are made by mid-January.
Updated
This is interesting: a reporter is asking about issues with getting supplies to the Indigenous community in Enngonia, that recently lost one of their much-loved elders to Covid-19.
Reporter:
We have been talking to communities in Enngonia with largely Indigenous populations. A woman passed away two days ago and struggling with food supplies.
Now, we know that some families outside of the lockdown area tried to get in there and get them food but police actually stopped them and threatened them. First, can the police do that, and what has been done to help families?
Barilaro:
The police have the ability to make sure anyone who is entering regional rural NSW has done so as authorised and they are authorised.
I understand that particular scenario in the end, the food got its destination and I know there are so many Sydney communities and community groups that want to assist Indigenous communities in the regions and that’s what I love about Australia and when things get tough, everyone rolls up their sleeves and supports us.
In relation to food supplies, in regional and rural New South Wales, when it comes to our own Indigenous communities, we gave $10m to Foodbank and Oz Harvest to support those communities. I know those communities are being supported.
Yes, there was a hiccup there, but in the end their generous approach was something that was welcomed and I love to see more of it. But we do have to be careful ... Unfortunately, they were pulled up, but in the end their generosity did reach the destination.
Updated
Continuing on from that last post. Key findings of the study include:
– Most children in this study had no or only mild symptoms from Covid-19, while 2% across the state required hospitalisation. The overall transmission rate from primary cases to close contacts was 4.7% (106 secondary cases, comprising 69 students and 37 staff members, in 2,253 tested close contacts). Virus transmission occurred in 19 of the 51 educational settings (38%; 3 primary schools and 16 ECEC services).
– The highest transmission rates occurred in ECEC services between staff members (16.9%) and from a staff member to children (8.1%). ECEC services were fully open with high attendance rates during this period and many staff were not yet age-eligible for vaccination.The majority of affected ECEC services (28/32) were in the local government areas with the highest community incidence rates of Covid-19 in Sydney.
– Transmission was low in schools (1.2%; 9 secondary cases in 728 close contacts). This was likely due to the school holiday period and subsequent limited onsite attendance in Term 3, when the majority of Greater Sydney was under stay-at-home orders and students engaged in remote learning.
- Staff and children who caught Covid-19 at a school or ECEC service often passed it on to their household members. There were 181 household tertiary cases following exposure to the 106 secondary cases from the school or ECEC service. The overall transmission rate among household contacts was 70.7%. The rate of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in both schools and ECEC services, as well as in households was around five times higher than seen in educational settings and households in this study in 2020 with the original strain of the Covid-19 virus.
Updated
Just back to the issue of Covid-19 spread among school populations.
Most children diagnosed with Covid-19 during the current NSW outbreak, including those who caught the infection in educational settings, experienced mild or no symptoms. Of those infected, 2% required hospitalisation, the latest report from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance has found.
This is despite the high transmissibility of the Delta variant resulting in a five-fold increase in the spread of Covid-19 in schools, early childhood education and care services [ECECs] and households, when compared to the 2020 experience with the original strain of the Covid-19 virus.
The “Covid-19 Delta variant in schools and early childhood education and care services in NSW, Australia” report provides the latest data from an ongoing study by National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance [NCIRS] and the University of Sydney in collaboration with NSW Health and the NSW Department of Education that has been tracking Covid-19 transmission in educational settings since March 2020.
The most recent report looks at transmission of Covid-19 in schools and households from 16 June to 31 July 2021.
“The findings of the report are consistent with recent studies overseas showing that the Delta variant is more transmissible and resulting in a greater number of Covid-19 cases among children and young people,” Prof Kristine Macartney, NCIRS director and a professor at the University of Sydney, said.
“The higher transmission in schools and ECECs, and risk across the wider community, has made stay-at-home learning necessary for most children during the current epidemic period, while we work to achieve higher levels of vaccination rates among school and early childhood staff, and the adult population more generally.”
This study monitored all cases where a staff or student with Covid-19 attended a school or ECEC service while infectious, tracking all secondary contacts and also calculating virus transmission rates in associated households when a case of Covid-19 developed in a school or ECEC contact.
Updated
Among the Covid deaths in NSW announced today was a man in his 20s.
The Guardian understands the man had significant underlying health conditions including severe obesity.
He contracted the virus inside his home in western Sydney, he was housebound, and was then medically transferred to Nepean hospital where he died.
He was unvaccinated.
Updated
NSW international quarantine period likely to be reduced for vaccinated travellers
Berejiklian has been asked if hotel quarantine would be wound back, potentially to seven days rather than 14 for vaccinated returned travellers, before reaching reach 80% double dose.
Berejiklian:
Certainly, between 70% and 80%. There’s no doubt we’ll be going through a transition, and there’s an argument for us to consider closely what quarantine for returning Australians that are fully vaccinated will look like.
We’re making those considerations now. We’re looking through what is a safe way to manage that. We will, from 70% double dose to 80% double dose, we definitely will be [discussing] transitions in the quarantine system.
Once we hit 80% double dose we will definitely be opening up Sydney airport to welcome home Australians ... And the health experts will give us guidance on what length that should be.
Updated
By the way, we are expecting to hear from the Victorian leadership at 11.40am (AEST).
Given Andrews’ fiery speech condemning the federal government last week, I reckon this one will be worth tuning in for! (And lucky for you I’ll be bringing you all the updates right here!)
Updated
Reporter:
People who live in the mid north coast, the north coast, Riverina, who haven’t had cases, can they be confident they won’t be in lockdown this weekend?
Berejiklian:
We’ll go with the health advice and the decisions they take. Obviously, we review those decisions and the health experts give us their advice.
Reporter:
What’s the advice? It’s only two days away?
Berejiklian:
It’s ongoing!
Reporter:
But the lockdown ends at 11.59 Friday night.
Berejiklian:
Correct and we’ll let you know by the end of this week.
Updated
Berejiklian has been asked when the divide between the 12 LGAs of concern and the wider Sydney will end.
But the premier says the harsher lockdowns will remain in those western Sydney areas until the danger has passed.
I experience, as well as our team, the day-to-day distress and trauma of people losing loved ones, people ending up [very] sick for weeks and weeks.
Our intention from day one has been to prevent death and hospitalisation and support communities in as safe a way as possible. I’d rather have this conversation than a conversation as to why we allowed thousands to die and why thousands suffered. I’d rather this conversation than a conversation about consoling thousands and thousands of families who had lost loved ones.
None of this is easy and I’ll be the last person to suggest that. Try being in my shoes for a week. None of this is easy. But every decision we take is to support our communities, to protect people’s lives and to allow us onto that path of ... I’d rather this conversation than a conversation about why we failed communities.
Updated
New Zealand records 15 new local Covid-19 cases
New Zealand has reported 15 new cases of coronavirus in the community, bringing the total number in the outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant to 855.
It is the fifth day in a row that case numbers have been below 21, in an encouraging sign the country is on its way to stamping out the virus.
All of the new cases are in Auckland, which remains in a level 4 lockdown until next week, and all but two today are epidemiologically linked to existing cases. There are 25 unlinked cases in total.
The rest of the country outside Auckland moved into alert level 2, with added restrictions on gatherings and mask-use, today.
Of the total cases, 215 people have now recovered from the virus. There are 37 people in hospital, with 6 people in intensive care and 4 on ventilators.
As of Wednesday, more than 38,000 close contacts had been identified, with 87% of those having had at least one test. There were more than 72,893 vaccine doses administered on Tuesday, bringing the country’s total to 4,032,710.
Updated
Unvaccinated regional NSW residents will lose newfound freedoms once the roadmap is announced
What?! Barilaro just said no decisions have been made about which regional areas will come out of lockdown! Berejiklian, why did you tease us like that?
(In retrospect, maybe she meant we wouldn’t learn that later in the week, not later in the press conference.)
Reporter:
Which areas of regional NSW are most likely to be assessed for coming out of lockdown? Is it the north of the state and the of Riverina that have most possibility?
Barilaro:
Firstly, no decision has been made about releasing areas from lockdown but the most likely areas, if you’re going to consider it, are the areas with no cases, as simple as that.
Absolutely if a case arises, we will apply the same logic that we apply from day one, which was the Orange case, where we put that community into lockdown and we would lock down automatically an area for at least a 14-day period, the incubation period.
Interestingly Barilaro has confirmed that even if regional areas come out of lockdown now, the unvaccinated portion of the population will need to go back into lockdown once vaccine-specific freedoms come into force.
There is an opportunity to open but I would argue it would be in a restricted environment, not like the environment pre-lockdown.
If and when we announce the roadmap and talk about the vaccinated, it’s clear that those who are unvaccinated in regional and rural NSW, if they may have a freedom now, they’ll lose that freedom.
The vaccination rates in regional and rural NSW have to continue to rise on par with metro Sydney and the state average and therefore the pressure point must apply that for some people in the regions, if we get to that point, if they come out of lockdowns now, could go backwards and could lose freedoms if they’re unvaccinated and I make no apology for that.
Updated
McCartney:
Just a word on the infection in children. We’re very lucky to know, and it’s consistent with data over the course of the pandemic, that Covid-19 is mild among children. Only around 2% will require hospitalisation and for many of those 2%, it’s for monitoring and social care.
Unfortunately, often their parents are unwell with Covid-19 and that’s why they’re being cared for in the hospital. We’ve seen extremely few children admitted to the intensive care unit.
Updated
Prof Kristine Macartney, from National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, is the special guest today and is here to talk to us about Covid-19 in children.
The main takeaway is, even with the Delta variant, the rate of spread between children is still pretty low.
Today we’re releasing the fifth of those reports, which saw us cover the period from mid-June through to the end of July, six weeks, during which there were cases of Covid in 51 educational facilities across NSW. Important to note that there are almost 9,000 facilities, I think 3,100 schools and around 5,800 childcares.
So of those 51 sites where there was a case, there was actually many that did not have any onward spread, the majority, to teachers, staff or children in the educational facilities.
What we saw was that the highest rate of spread was actually amongst up vaccinated adult staff and particularly unvaccinated adult staff at the time of the report in childcare centres. The spread of the virus also occurred from adults to children but the spread between children themselves was very low.
Updated
The deputy premier, John Barilaro, is up now to give the regional NSW update:
Up to 8pm [last night], western NSW local health district, there were 27 new cases.
Seventeen of those cases were in the Dubbo local government areas, six in Burke, one in Walgett, and three in the Bathurst local government area.
In the far west local health district, there were seven cases. All seven cases were in Wilcannia.
In the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region overnight, there were 34 cases. Twenty-four cases were in the Wollongong local government area, seven cases in the Shellharbour local government area, two cases from the Shoalhaven local government area and one case currently under investigation in the Kiama LGA.
In the Hunter New England local health district, we had 11 new cases overnight, three cases in Port Stephens local government area, two in the Newcastle local government area, five from the Lake Macquarie local government area and one from the Dungog local government area.
Also on the Central Coast, 15 new cases on the Central Coast to 8pm last night. Southern Highlands we saw five new cases in the Wingecarribee shire, four in Woodlands and one in Mittagong.
In southern NSW, there were zero cases to 8pm last night but we’ve been notified this morning of two additional cases, one in Batemans Bay and one in Cooma. The Batemans Bay case is a contact of a previous case announced a couple of days ago.
Updated
Gale said there was a number of areas of concern around the state (besides the 12 hotspots LGAs, which are always of concern):
We’ve had a sewage detection in the Bonnie Hills area of the mid north coast. We’re currently unaware of any cases in the Bonnie Hills area, so if you do live locally, please be aware for symptoms and please come forward for testing.
We’re also concerned about case numbers in the areas of Glebe, Waterloo, Redfern and Marrickville and I’d like to encourage the residents of those suburbs as well to please come forward for vaccination.
Updated
NSW Health’s Dr Marianne Gale is giving details about those nine Covid-19 deaths now:
Seven of the nine cases, of people who died that we’re reporting today, were not vaccinated.
One person had had one dose and one person had had two doses. All those individuals had underlying health conditions.
On behalf of NSW Health, I do extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those individuals who have lost their lives.
Updated
Berejiklian:
Pleasingly, New South Wales has satisfied another important hurdle - 75% of our state have at least the first dose of vaccine and we will all rest once we get to at least 80% full dose, knowing full well that we’ll hit that double 80% vaccination rate as soon as we can.
42% of our citizens are fully vaccinated, a number which is very pleasingly inching towards that 70% double vaccination rate we’re all looking forward to, which we still will be around mid-October.
Updated
The NSW premier has foreshadowed that we will be learning more concrete details about which regional areas of NSW may soon be allowed out of lockdown.
That should be coming up later in the press conference.
Here are the details of those nine Covid-19 related deaths, from the NSW health department:
A man in his 60s from Dubbo died at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
A man in his 90s from south east Sydney died at St George Hospital. He was a resident of St George Aged Care Facility in Bexley and acquired his infection there.
A man in his 20s from western Sydney died at Nepean Hospital.
A man in his 80s from south eastern Sydney died at Prince of Wales Hospital.
A woman in her 60s from Nepean Blue Mountains died at Nepean Hospital.
A man in his 70s from western Sydney died at St Vincent’s Hospital.
A man in his 80s from western Sydney died at Westmead Hospital.
A man in his 70s from south western Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital
A man in his 40s from south western Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital.
NSW records nine deaths and 1,480 local Covid-19 cases overnight
The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is speaking now and has confirmed the state has recorded 1,480 local Covid-19 cases overnight.
There were also nine Covid-19 related deaths.
Updated
Caulfield MP @SouthwickMP condemns behaviour in Balaclava last night. He says majority of Jewish community are doing right thing and there needs to be an opportunity for prayer, but safety is first priority. @10NewsFirstMelb #springst pic.twitter.com/ncU9MfDSNZ
— Simon Love (@SimoLove) September 8, 2021
Back to that important legal defamation ruling from this morning:
While all five judges in the majority found media companies were publishers of comments to their social media posts - two (Stephen Gageler and Michelle Gordon) gave them a particular serve for using Facebook to their benefit then attempting to escape liability.
They said:
The primary judge found that the “primary purpose” of the operation of each appellant’s public Facebook page was “to optimise readership of the newspaper (whether hardcopy or digital) or broadcast and to optimise advertising revenue”[159]. Each appellant “provided the forum for its publication and encouraged, for its own commercial purposes, the publication of comments”[160]. Indeed, the primary judge found that[161]:
“[The] existence and number of comments ... from third-party users is an important (and, more probably than not, the most important) aspect of the public Facebook page, as it affects the Facebook algorithm and increases the profile of the Facebook page and the consequential popularity of the Facebook page, thereby increasing readership ... and augmenting advertising sales”.
Having regard to those findings, the appellants’ attempt to portray themselves as passive and unwitting victims of Facebook’s functionality has an air of unreality. Having taken action to secure the commercial benefit of the Facebook functionality, the appellants bear the legal consequences.
Updated
Wholesome monotreme break:
A brief pause on #COVID19nsw to bring you some platypus content. They’re going to be re-introduced into Royal National Park after being absent for 50+yrs. pic.twitter.com/5FhGgmv6Ms
— Gavin Coote (@GavinCoote) September 5, 2021
As usual, we are expecting to hear from the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, at 11am today where she will announce the state’s daily Covid-19 numbers.
Queensland health minister condemns federal government for 'cheap politics'
So there has been a little bit of a stoush unfolding this morning between the federal defence minister, Peter Dutton and the Queensland health department.
Reports circulated last night that Australian Defence personnel tasked with the 11th-hour evacuation mission in Afghanistan, had been left in the lurch, waiting in Dubai for a special exemption from Queensland premier to come quarantine in the state.
These reports cited “a government source” but Queensland health minister Yvette D’Ath has hit back, saying the state government was already working with the ADF on quarantine measures for 400 returning soldiers.
During today’s press conference she attacked the federal government for promoting this narrative, labelling it “cheap politics”.
I’ve heard some comments from some commonwealth government ministers, from the Morison government, this morning on radio. I find those comments appalling considering those ministers are not aware of any of the facts.
And the fact is that not one commonwealth minister has reached out to the Queensland government, to the premier’s office, to my office, to Queensland Health to verify or raise any concerns in relation to these ADF personnel coming, not one.
I’ve put in a call to Peter Dutton. I wasn’t able to get through. I’ve sent a text to Peter Dutton this morning, asking him to call me. I have not heard from him.
So before the commonwealth gets up and makes public statements criticising the Queensland government - which seems to be the modus operandi now that’s all they do go out and criticise Queensland, a great deflection on anything else happening in the country. They should make sure they’ve got the facts.
Because we’re a little bit sick of the Morison government coming out and attacking us on vaccines, attacking us on IDF personnel, and it seems to be just reflecting their own failings right now.
But Dutton wasn’t all to happy about D’Ath’s comments, tweeting that he not be contacted by her at all.
Yvette D’ath’s comment this morning that she called and or texted me is untrue. I have not had any contact from her.
Yvette D'ath’s comment this morning that she called and or texted me is untrue. I have not had any contact from her.
— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) September 8, 2021
Stay tuned. I doubt this will be the last we hear of this.
Updated
Before we read the full judgments, here is a bit more detail from the court summary:
The High Court by majority dismissed the appeals and found that the appellants were the publishers of the third-party Facebook user comments.
A majority of the Court held that the liability of a person as a publisher depends upon whether that person, by facilitating and encouraging the relevant communication, “participated” in the communication of the defamatory matter to a third person.
The majority rejected the appellants’ argument that for a person to be a publisher they must know of the relevant defamatory matter and intend to convey it.
Each appellant, by the creation of a public Facebook page and the posting of content on that page, facilitated, encouraged and thereby assisted the publication of comments from third-party Facebook users.
The appellants were therefore publishers of the third-party comments.
Updated
Fairfax and News Corp have lost their appeal in the high court, in which they argued they were not liable in defamation law for comments on social media by third parties on posts about Dylan Voller.
The high court was split 5-2, ruling to dismiss the appeal. The two minority judges that would have allowed the appeal were Justice James Edelman and Justice Simon Steward.
The NSW supreme court had ruled that the media companies were the primary publishers of third-party comments on their public social media pages and that they therefore could not rely on a defence of “innocent dissemination” which protects some distributors, such as newsagents and internet service providers.
The media companies argued they did not have “knowledge and control” over comments on their Facebook posts, and had not “intentionally lent assistance” to the publication of defamatory material.
While it seems harsh that media companies are liable for comments made by others which they might not even be aware of – the result is an orthodox application of the law of what “publication” is, that the media companies facilitated the communication by setting up a Facebook page that allowed comments on their posts/stories.
Updated
Queensland records another Covid-19 free day
Great news from up north! Queensland has recorded another Covid-19 free day with no local or overseas cases. Hazzah!
Wednesday 8 September – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 8, 2021
0 new cases in Queensland overnight. #covid19 pic.twitter.com/kBYhkZ9Bo5
Updated
Fairfax and News Corp lose high court appeal
#breaking Fairfax and News Corp lose their High Court appeal ie they ARE publishers/liable in defamation for 3rd party social media comments on posts/stories about Dylan Voller. #auspol #auslaw
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) September 8, 2021
Updated
So it’s likely you are going to see a few of these tweets kicking around today:
Scott Morrison announced an integrity commission 1000 days ago.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 7, 2021
And that’s because it’s now been 1,000 days since the government promised to legislate its integrity commission, a federal counterpart to current state Icacs, within 12 months of taking office.
Since then, the government has repeatedly missed deadlines to establish such a body, and when an exposure draft for its proposed commonwealth integrity commission was finally released, experts roundly criticised it as weak and ineffective.
Today data from the Australia Institute shows a commonwealth Icac still has overwhelming support from the general Australian public. (Well at least with voters from the four LGAs that all start with B that they surveyed.)
Like we are talking 78.2% of Brisbane voters, 87.4% of Braddon voters, 90.1% of Bennelong voters and 87.8% of Boothby voters.
If the B’s can be trusted, Australia REALLY wants a federal Icac.
Updated
Newly reappointed Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy has pledged to employ a dedicated mental health specialist at every Victorian school if elected in 2022.
Guy returned to the Liberal leadership on Tuesday, replacing Michael O’Brien, reports Benita Kolovos from AAP.
He said he would unveil his “positive agenda” in the coming weeks, but flagged mental health as one of his key concerns as the state emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement on Wednesday, Guy called on the government to employ a mental health specialist at every Victorian school, given students have lost up to 151 days of class and have suffered six interrupted terms.
The shattered mental health of young Victorians is the biggest threat facing our state today.
The consequences of lockdowns and social isolation on our students will last a lifetime if we don’t act now.
Guy said the state government’s current commitment to have a mental health practitioner, which could be a nurse or a social worker, at all secondary schools, doesn’t go far enough.
Updated
Animals are increasingly “shapeshifting” because of the climate crisis, researchers have said.
Warm-blooded animals are changing their physiology to adapt to a hotter climate, the scientists found. This includes getting larger beaks, legs and ears to better regulate their body temperature.
When animals overheat, birds use their beaks and mammals use their ears to disperse the warmth. Some creatures in warmer climates have historically evolved to have larger beaks or ears to get rid of heat more easily. These differences are becoming more pronounced as the climate warms.
If animals fail to control their body temperature, they can overheat and die. Beaks, which are not covered by feathers and therefore not insulated, are a site of significant heat exchange, as are ears, tails and legs in mammals if not covered by fur.
You can read the full report below:
The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has announced her government and state tourism industry are “joining forces” to push for the jobkeeper support payments to be reinstated.
(Although she has been pushing for this for a very long time, so it’s unclear what exactly has changed.)
She tweeted this morning:
Jobkeeper was cut in March and now the Delta strain is ripping through New South Wales – having a profound impact on our tourism businesses. A similar scheme would help to keep hundreds of Gold Coast businesses afloat until it’s safe to reopen our borders.
We’re joining forces with the Queensland tourism industry, calling on the Federal Government to urgently establish a targeted Jobkeeper-style program for struggling border businesses. pic.twitter.com/tgVi6mjvys
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 7, 2021
Updated
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria has released a statement condemning the alleged breaches of lockdown laws by a small group celebrating Rosh Hashanah in Melbourne last night.
They expressed “strong disappointment”, stressing that “the action of a few do not represent the vast majority of the community”.
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria has released this statement regarding alleged CHO breaches yesterday. Day 2 of new year celebrations today and police still on high alert. @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/gnNikBu49J
— Lana Murphy (@LanaMurphy) September 7, 2021
You can read more about the incident below:
Updated
Morrison throws support behind vaccine certificates for travel
On Tuesday Scott Morrison made some comments about vaccine certificates being used to allow international travel and home quarantine for vaccinated travellers.
Morrison rejected the label “vaccine passports” but accepted vaccine certificates are the way of the future, telling Sky News:
Well, that’s not how I refer to them. What I refer to them, people have certificates of vaccination. I have one. We all have them. Of course, we have them for many other things as well. And, you’re going to need them for international travel as well.
But, for international travel to work, we need home quarantine done, and I’m very encouraged by what we’re seeing in South Australia and the technology trial that’s underway there. New South Wales going down a same path. In Western Australia as well, they’ve been working with an app for some of their domestic-based home quarantine, which has been quite effective.
Home quarantine is where we go next. And, the length of that quarantine also was what we’re looking at. Now, I’ll be following up last Friday’s meeting with the premiers, writing to them, looking to get some timetables about their introduction of home quarantine.
Morrison said that vaccination certificates would be “enabled by, you know, the integration of that technology on the QR code reader app that people have at a state level”.
This morning the Sydney Morning Herald adds that:
The federal government will start issuing international Covid-19 vaccination certificates from October and is also in talks with other countries to work out which vaccines will be recognised in international travel bubble arrangements.
The prime minister’s office declined to confirm that October timing although it broadly matches the four-stage national plan that in Phase C at 80% vaccination rates caps on arrivals should be scrapped, restrictions on outbound travel will be lifted for vaccinated Australians, and there will be a “gradual reopening of inward and outward international travel, with safe countries and proportionate quarantine and reduced requirements for fully vaccinated inbound travellers”.
The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has confirmed residents of her state will get those freedoms back at 80%, which it is on track to do in early November – so it makes sense the systems would be in place in October. Only the ACT is poised to reach the 80% mark in October.
In July Guardian Australia reported that within six weeks the government would aim to trial home quarantine for vaccinated travellers, which South Australia then began to trial from late August.
We’ll update you on Friday after national cabinet about any progress with the state and territory leaders – and whether they commit to give timetables for home quarantine.
For the minute, it may be safest to assume that October timing is for the technology to certify vaccination – not when vaccinated citizens will be able to travel freely and home quarantine.
Updated
Victoria recorded 221 local Covid-19 cases overnight
The Victoria numbers are in and they have recorded 221 local Covid-19 cases.
So far, just 98 have been linked to known outbreaks.
Reported yesterday: 221 new local cases and 0 new cases acquired overseas.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) September 7, 2021
- 36,716 vaccine doses were administered
- 42,429 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/iEdGj4Sr1U
This morning is kind of bleak, so here is a little treat to keep you going.
Meet the state government’s treat expert. pic.twitter.com/VtWpwp3Vpo
— The Feed SBS (@TheFeedSBS) September 7, 2021
Australia’s education minister has said he doesn’t want students to leave school with “a hatred” of their country, in a ramping up of his rhetoric about the draft national curriculum.
Alan Tudge, who has spent months campaigning against elements of the proposed new curriculum, said if students did not learn about Australia’s “great successes” they were “not going to protect it as a million Australians have through their military service”.
In an at-times combative interview with the ABC’s youth radio station Triple J, the federal education minister indicated he believed Anzac Day should be “presented as the most sacred of all days in Australia” rather than “contested”.
“I want people to come out having learnt about our country with a love of it rather than a hatred of it,” Tudge said, without explaining how the content might encourage students to hate Australia.
You can read the full report below:
Jumping back to that interview with National frontbencher Bridget McKenzie on ABC News breakfast.
The senator was asked if she believed it was “good judgment” from the prime minister to fly to Syndey and back to spend Father’s day with his family.
Unsurprisingly she wasn’t all too keen to discuss the topic.
You know, I think that is an appropriate thing for the prime minister to do. You know, I have nothing more to add.
I’m much more interested than debating whether he should have gone home for Father’s Day or not and actually solving the real problems that the pandemic’s providing with tens of thousands of young people who are having mental health issues, going through the roof, unable to be supported by their home and their community.
Australian Defence personnel tasked with the 11th-hour evacuation mission in Afghanistan will be granted their own Covid-19 quarantine bubble in Queensland, reports Nick Gibbs from AAP.
The state’s health minister, Yvette D’Ath, has confirmed in a statement on Tuesday night that the government is already working with the ADF on quarantine measures for the returning soldiers.
Any request from the ADF for personnel returning from Afghanistan to quarantine in their own bubble will be granted.
The move follows a week of controversy in which premier Annastacia Palaszczuk apologised for pausing hotel quarantine for returning Queenslanders at the same time as NRL players and their partners were allowed into the state.
On Friday the premier said:
I apologise, it was not the right thing to do when we had the pause.
It shouldn’t have happened. Unfortunately, it did happen, and I extend my apologies to the public about that.
In what is believed to be a similar arrangement as with the ADF, the NRL contingent arranged their own hotels separate from the state’s quarantine program.
Queensland’s pause on arrivals, instigated due to capacity issues, began to lift on Saturday when 50 hotel quarantine rooms became available.
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A Perth woman has said she felt “ill” after Centrelink pursued her late mother’s estate over a $1,600 welfare debt it claimed was caused by her failure to lodge a form more than a decade ago.
At the same time the Morrison government was declining to claw back funds from profitable businesses that got jobkeeper, Centrelink issued Tarnya Widdicombe’s mother, Marthea, 72, with a $1,630.91 debt dating back 12 years.
Centrelink orders jobkeeper recipients to pay back $32m, while profitable businesses allowed to keep fundsRead more
Tarnya Widdicombe discovered the letter after her mother’s death last month. In bold type it stated: “You need to act now” and warned Widdicombe’s mother she would “now be charged interest daily”.
You can read the full report below:
Speaking of that allegedly illegal gathering of worshipers at a Melbourne synagogue last night, federal MP for the Ripponlea, Josh Burns, has come out this morning to condemn the group’s actions.
He has just spoken with ABC:
It was appalling. It was very frustrating.
Can I say from the outset it’s a very small number of people and the majority of people are doing the right thing. Just like the majority of the broader population is doing the right thing. But it’s deeply frustrating. And everyone needs to dig deep.
I know these lockdowns are frustrating for a lot of people and we want to get back to life as we know it. We can’t ignore the public health rules and everyone is equal before the law and everyone needs to follow the rules until it’s safe not to do so.
The group that gathered yesterday are a very small group. In the early days of the pandemic, I did reach out and say, they needed to follow the public health rules. But I’ve been working with the Victorian government and with police and with other authorities to ensure that everyone does follow the rules and everyone acts appropriately. It’s very frustrating.
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One tricky problem that has emerged from the NSW outbreak is how to handle students attending boarding school in a different state.
Queensland has recently ruled that they will allow Queensland students to return to campus if they travel to NSW to be with family over the school holidays, but unlike in previous outbreaks, students must now quarantine for two weeks before coming back to class.
The federal regional education minister, Bridget McKenzie, has called on state governments to institute a nationally consistent plan for boarding school students.
She just spoke the ABC News Breakfast:
It’s a question we have been grappling with since the pandemic started. We need a nationally consistent approach to assist the 23,000 students and their families across the country who are boarding in state-run, Catholic and independent boarding schools with an efficient, effective and Covid-safe way to get home.
We know the school holidays aren’t far away and sitting on my desk, sitting on other education ministers’ desks and health ministers’ desks across the country are hundreds of traumatic cases of students who cannot get home or who are being sent from a Covid-safe boarding house to a farm that’s Covid-safe, but having to travel through capital cities like Melbourne or Sydney to get there.
Now we have got the Delta strain, we’re not just seeing those hard borders added at interstate level, local LGAs are being locked down as well which is causing intrastate issues for boarding students and their families.
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The spread of Delta in Australia has triggered “long overdue discussions on our tolerance for serious illness, and hospital and intensive care unit capacity”, a leading epidemiologist has said, adding that while “patchy” vaccination across cities and regions is an issue, control of the virus should be reached by early 2022.
Prof Catherine Bennett, the chair of epidemiology at Deakin University in Victoria, said while the Doherty Institute modelling that informed Australia’s national plan towards reopening was based on low case numbers, it was “still relevant, even with increases in case numbers” due to Delta.
“All the parameters that act in union to produce downward pressure on transmission potential still apply, whatever the case number,” Bennett wrote in an article published on Wednesday in the peer-reviewed medical journal Public Health Research and Practice.
You can read the full report below:
Updated
Good morning everyone and would you look at that, it’s only Wednesday. (How!?)
It’s Matilda Boseley here and don’t worry, we can get through this hump day together.
Now you might have seen some photos and videos of this overnight, but there has been a tense police standoff near a synagogue in the Orthodox community of Ripponlea in Melbourne.
Up to 100 worshippers gathered to mark the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah on Tuesday, allegedly in breach of Covid-19 lockdown rules.
People were spotted entering the building on Tuesday morning and by the afternoon police officers had surrounded both front and back entrances.
This stand-off lasted hours, ending just after 8pm when group of traditionally dressed worshippers left the building.
Some of the Ripponlea worshippers finally emerged after 8pm - media forced around the other side of the building after things got hairy @theage pic.twitter.com/Ez9l5laGXo
— Cassie Morgan (@cassieemorgan) September 7, 2021
A Nine news cameraman was allegedly pushed.
The group briefly chanted and clapped in the alleyway, with police taking their details before moving them on.
Victoria police have yet to confirm the numbers of fines handed out but released the following statement:
All adults who attended will be issued with a $5,452 fine. A number of children who were present will not be fined.
Investigators believe a number of other people were present and are yet to be spoken to by police. Investigators are working to identify them.
In NSW, modelling shows western Sydney communities should expect to see 724 deaths by December as a result of the current Covid-19 outbreak in just the 12 hotspot LGAs alone.
Additional modelling from the Burnet Institute shows that lockdowns and the vaccine rollout has prevented a huge number of infections (488,020) and deaths (4,830), but the outlook still remains grim.
Guardian analysis of the additional data suggests modellers predict at least an additional 585 Covid deaths to occur across NSW.
With that pretty dark start to the morning, why don’t we jump into the day of news.
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