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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Naaman Zhou and Matilda Boseley (earlier)

SA fire prompts emergency warning; Victoria to reopen to regional NSW – as it happened

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has announced a new ‘traffic light’ system for Victoria’s border closures, under which each part of the country will be classified by colour based on Covid risks. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

What happened this Monday 11 January

With that, we’ll be closing the blog for today. Here is everything that happened:

  • Greater Brisbane’s three-day lockdown ended at 6pm local time after the state recorded no new cases in the 24 hours to Monday.
  • But just before 5pm local time, Queensland Health confirmed that the partner of the hotel quarantine cleaner had tested positive to the same UK variant of the virus.
  • Brisbane will still be subject to some restrictions for the next 10 days, including mandatory masks in public indoor spaces, public transport and rideshare vehicles.
  • The Northern Territory government revoked its hotspot declaration for greater Brisbane, meaning people could travel to the NT, and 400 people already in quarantine were released.
  • Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said Victoria would open to regional NSW tonight, as the area was downgraded from a “red” zone to an “orange” zone.
  • Andrews also announced that anybody who wants to enter Victoria will need to apply for a permit, and the state will create a national “traffic light” system, where every part of the country will be classified as either red, orange or green.
  • A child who was in childcare in Victoria before flying overseas tested positive on his arrival in Israel, but the state chief health officer, Brett Sutton, said he “suspected” the test was a false positive.
  • In Sydney, a commuter bus caught fire on Parramatta Road, but all passengers and the driver were evacuated safely.
  • NSW recorded 4 additional locally acquired cases, three included in today’s numbers and one that will be included in tomorrow’s numbers. The fourth case was a man in his 40s who attended the Mount Druitt Hospital emergency room in western Sydney, requiring the facility to close for deep cleaning.
  • An emergency bushfire warning was declared in South Australia as a fire threatened the town of Lucindale.
  • Victoria recorded its fifth day of no locally acquired cases.
  • Retail spending rose 7.1% nationally in November, off the back of a 22.4% rise in Victoria after its lockdown ended.

Updated

In Victoria, the website to apply for a permit to enter the state is not yet working despite it becoming a requirement an hour ago.

Earlier today, premier Daniel Andrews announced that everybody entering the state would need to apply for a permit, effective at 6pm today.

However, the online process is not yet live.

Updated

The blaze started just after 6pm, with flames and a thick cloud of black smoke blanketing the corner of Broadway and Glebe Point Road.

Nearby Victoria Park pool was evacuated as a series of loud bangs came from the burning bus.

Jeffrey Rae was standing in Victoria Park when he saw the fire and ran over. He said:

First I thought it was a shop on fire then I thought, ‘Oh shit, it’s a bus.’

I thought, ‘Oh my God there could be heaps of people in that’ ... There was black smoke everywhere, you couldn’t see anything.

If it wasn’t for Covid, imagine, if it was normal times and that was full of people.

Updated

Transport for NSW has confirmed there were no injuries sustained in the bus fire.

A spokesman told Guardian Australia: “There will an investigation into the incident.”

He also confirmed that it was a regular passenger bus, and the cause of the fire was not yet known.

Updated

Passengers safely evacuated from Sydney bus fire

A spokesman for Fire and Rescue NSW has just confirmed to Guardian Australia that there were no people left on board a bus that caught fire this evening in Sydney.

He said:

All the passengers and the driver were evacuated by the quick action of the driver.

Firefighters were called to the bus at 6pm today when it caught alight on Parramatta Road at the corner of Glebe Point Road in Glebe.

The spokesman said:

Firefighters quickly arrived on scene and identified there was a bus alight.

They immediately got to work and by 6.20pm they have managed to control the vast majority of the fire. Firefighting operations will continue for a little while longer.

Updated

Fire and Rescue NSW have asked people to avoid the area, which is the corner of Glebe Point Road and Parramatta Road in Glebe.

Updated

Bus catches fire in Sydney

A bus has caught fire in Sydney on the busy Parramatta Road in Glebe near Victoria Park.

Video from the scene shows the commuter bus on fire at the corner of Glebe Point Road and Parramatta Road.

Guardian Australia’s Josephine Tovey was evacuated from a nearby pool.

Updated

Partner of Brisbane hotel cleaner tests positive

A second person with the UK variant of Covid-19 has now tested positive in Queensland, the state’s health department has confirmed.

The partner of the quarantine hotel cleaner who initially tested positive last Thursday has also tested positive to the new variant.

The state’s chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young, said the partner has been in quarantine since 7 January.

Queensland had recorded no new cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours until Monday, and earlier today the state lifted the three-day lockdown of Brisbane.

This news was released just before 6pm today.

Young said:

We know this particular variant of Covid-19 is more contagious, so this result is unsurprising. However, it highlights the importance of why the greater Brisbane lockdown was so important to ensure any potential spread of the virus is contained.

Young added that additional testing of other close contacts of both the man and woman will continue this week.

Queensland Health said there would be no change to the lifting of the Brisbane lockdown, or any change to the other restrictions that apply for the next 10 days.

Updated

Here’s a little more on the NSW government response to that inquiry into the state’s koala populations.

The inquiry had recommended several changes to try to halt the decline of koalas in NSW, including improved monitoring, prioritising koala corridors for conservation in urban development areas and increasing funding to the state’s Environmental Protection Authority for enforcement of habitat protection on land used for private native forestry.

The government supported the recommendation to prioritise conservation of koala habitat corridors, but recommendations to finalise a new koala state environmental planning policy (Sepp) as soon as possible and establish a great koala national park were among those that were “noted”.

Jacqui Mumford, the acting chief executive of the Nature Conservation of NSW, said the government’s response was “alarmingly relaxed about the looming extinction of an iconic native species” and delivered nothing new.

She said:

Basically the government response says, ‘Relax, we’ve got it covered – no need to do more.’

But koalas are more at risk now than they were late last year because the National party has torn down the koala Sepp and the obliteration of koala habitat continues.

In its response to the committee, the government said it agreed “targeted action is needed to ensure that NSW koala populations increase over the next 30 years and beyond”.

The government told the committee a new 2021-to-2026 koala strategy due this year would focus conservation and investment in areas “where they will deliver the most effective outcomes”.

The strategy is separate to the koala Sepp and will set out actions intended to stabilise and ultimately increase koala populations in the state.

The NSW environment minister, Matt Kean, has set a goal of doubling the number of koalas in NSW by 2050.

Koala with baby in a gum tree
Nature Conservation of NSW says the state government’s response to the koala inquiry is ‘alarmingly relaxed about the looming extinction of an iconic native species’. Photograph: Image Broker/Alamy

Updated

The NSW Greens and environment groups have described the Berejiklian government’s response to an inquiry into the state’s koala population as weak.

The inquiry found last year that koalas would go extinct in NSW unless the government acted urgently to protect koala habitat.

The government said on Monday it would support 11 of the parliamentary inquiry’s 42 recommendations and gave in principle support to an additional 17.

The remaining 14 were noted, which the Greens MLC and inquiry chair Cate Faehrmann was another way of saying “rejected”. She said:

This is an extremely disappointing response from the NSW government and shows they have no commitment to save koalas from extinction, let alone doubling their numbers by 2050.

Recommendations such as the government urgently investigating the ‘utilisation of core koala habitat on private land and in state forests to replenish koala habitat lost in the bushfires’ appear to be rejected out of hand.

The Coalition almost split last year over koala policy and in December reverted to a 25-year-old state environmental planning policy (Sepp) after failing to reach agreement on koala protections in a new Sepp and pass legislation through the upper house.

Berejiklian said the government would look to draft a new koala policy this year.

Updated

Acting prime minister Michael McCormack has spoken to reporters in Narrabri, doubling down on his defence of George Christensen and decrying “censorship” of Donald Trump by Twitter.

McCormack was asked about Christensen spreading Donald Trump’s false claims for fraud in the US election and pushing the drug hydroxychloroquine, and “why shouldn’t he be counselled for pushing false claims what is essentially non-medical advice to thousands of followers?”

He replied: “Well, George Christensen’s also supported the Mackay Ring Road.”

McCormack was also asked about his comments that businesses are fine to have jobkeeper wage subsidies taken away, and said:

Well, many of the people who are running businesses and do have jobkeeper in place also understand that it’s time for many of the workers to return. Some of those workers who, you know, have been sitting on the couch and being, you know, dare I say, lounge lizards for too long, now it’s time to get back to work.”

He encouraged people on jobseeker unemployment benefits to “look beyond that sandstone curtain that is the Great Dividing Range and to, you know, take up those job opportunities that are there and get off the couch and get out to regional Australia and take up one of those jobs”.

Emergency warning for SA bushfire

An emergency warning has been issued for a bushfire in South Australia west of Lucindale.

The Country Fire Service (CFS) says 30 fire units are in the area supported by farm firefighting equipment, six water-bombing aircraft and four observation planes, AAP reports.

Buildings are under threat and livestock has been lost.

The Lucindale council said the town hall would be open for anyone enacting their bushfire safety plan to take shelter.

The CFS said:

This fire may pose a threat to lives directly in its path. Act now. Leave, if the path is clear to a safer place, as it will soon be too dangerous to drive.

The blaze comes amid dangerous conditions across much of South Australia on Monday, with very high temperatures and rising winds.

Updated

Meanwhile, Nationals senator Matt Canavan is posting on Parler.

Updated

News Corp columnist Miranda Devine – currently in the US on secondment to the New York Post – says she will be taking a break from Twitter.

Updated

The ASX has closed down today. But the stock market is still very close to 10-month highs.

It is set to be the hottest day in Melbourne for over a year – and a severe bushfire warning has been issued for three regions of Victoria.

A high bushfire danger has been forecast for parts of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.

People jump off St Kilda Pier in Melbourne as the city swelters on Monday
Splashing out: people jump from St Kilda pier in Melbourne as the city swelters on Monday. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Updated

NSW police have issued 19 fines over the past three days – and arrested a man who repeatedly refused to wear a mask and claimed “Covid-19 was a hoax”.

The 55-year old man was stopped at Central railway station on Friday at 7am for not wearing a mask, police said. “The man told officers he believed Covid-19 was a hoax and refused to put on a mask or leave the location.”

The man was arrested and granted conditional bail. On Sunday at 5.30pm, police spotted the same man at Campbelltown station not wearing a mask.

Police said:

He was arrested and charged with not wear fitted face covering in public transport/taxi and breach of bail. He was bail refused to appear at Campbelltown local court today, Monday 11 January 2020.

Police also charged a 16-year old boy in Wetherill Park, who had been arrested for alleged assault, with not wearing a mask.

Other fines include a man aged 28 who “claimed the public health order was a human rights violation”, a 63-year-old woman at Epping station, a 30-year-old man on the northern beaches at Dee Why and 11 people in Bondi who attended a house party with more than 30 people inside.

Police said:

When they saw police, several attendees jumped over a fence and fled before their details could be obtained.

Updated

And here is our updated daily wrap on the news today – including Brisbane’s 10 days of mandatory masks.

Four hundred people from Brisbane released from NT quarantine

The Northern Territory chief minister, Michael Gunner, is speaking now.

He confirms that the hotpost designation for Brisbane has been lifted for the NT. That means almost 400 people currently in quarantine in the NT can be released. He says:

The key reason we can remove the hotspots is there has been no community transmission. The precautions Queenslanders will take for the next 10 days with masks gives us extra confidence.

Updated

Meanwhile, NSW Health has released a new list of potential exposure sites, including a range of trains plus a supermarket in the inner west.

Anyone who attended the following venues is a casual contact who must get tested immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received. If any symptoms appear, get tested again.

  • Campsie, Campsie Super Fresh, 11 Anglo Rd, Campsie, Saturday 2 January, 12.30pm-1pm
  • Hurlstone Park Australia Post, 25 Crinian St, Hurlstone Park, Tuesday 5 January, 3.30pm-4pm
  • Campsie Hills Seafood Shop, 190 Beamish St, Campsie, Friday 8 January, 12.35pm-12.40pm

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed below should monitor for symptoms and, if they occur, get tested immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received:

  • Hurlstone Park, CK Convenience, 96 Duntroon St, Hurlstone Park, Monday 4 January, 11.45am-12.30pm
  • Ashfield Coles, 260A Liverpool Rd, Ashfield, Wednesday 6 January, 4pm-5pm
  • Lakemba Pizza, 81 Haldon Street, Lakemba, Thursday 7 January, 4.20pm-4.40pm

Anyone who took the following train routes should monitor for symptoms, and if they appear, immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:

  • Wednesday 6 January, 10.58am-11.20am Hurlstone Park to Bankstown
  • Wednesday 6 January 1.49pm-2.08pm Bankstown to Hurlstone Park
  • Friday 8 January 10.53am-11.20am Hurlstone Park to Bankstown
  • Friday 8 January 2.37pm-3.08pm Bankstown to Hurlstone Park

Updated

Daniel Andrews says he will not rule out future sudden border closures, and “will not hesitate” to close borders “in a moment”.

He says all Victorians who travel interstate have to “give some thought to the notion that there could be an outbreak” and they could be shut out.

If I get public health advice to lock out another part of the country, people from that part of the country travelling to Victoria, I will not hesitate to do that – I will do it in a moment.

The stakes are very high here, we have built something that is precious and it needs to be safeguarded.

The alternative would be to ignore public health advice.

Andrews tells Victorians that they have to consider the risks when they leave the state.

When you are making a judgement about whether you are going to travel to other parts of the country, you have to at least give some thought to the notion that there could be an outbreak and your plans may well be impacted by that. That has got to be part of your thinking.

Dan Andrews
Dan Andrews says he ‘will not hesitate’ to close Victorian borders suddenly if necessary. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Updated

Child from Victoria tests positive overseas

A child who flew out of Victoria last week has tested positive overseas, Brett Sutton confirms.

He says:

There has been a case notified in Israel of a child who boarded a flight who was in childcare on 7 January in Victoria, in Melbourne.

But Sutton says the test was a potentially unreliable rapid test and he “suspects” it will end up being a false positive.

My suspicion is this is not a true case.

The child was in a Melbourne childcare centre on 7 January and flew to Tel Aviv, being tested there on 9 January.

Sutton says further tests could show the child is negative.

Rapid point of care test have variable sensitivity and specificity, it’s my suspicion this is not going to end up being a confirmed positive test...

We are following that with Israeli authorities as soon as we can get a determination on a more precise test ... I do suspect it will end up not being a true positive case.

Sutton says it is “low risk” and the childcare centre has been closed for cleaning.

Updated

The chief health officer, Brett Sutton, says “the situation in regional NSW has improved and looks good” – meaning it can go from a red zone to an orange zone.

But Sydney, Wollongong and the Blue Mountains will remain a red zone.

Sutton says:

In terms of Greater Sydney, the trend is positive, but there are ongoing cases, ongoing new exposure sites, ongoing transmission for the Greater Sydney area ... It is being referred to as a mop-up exercise and the trend has been going down in terms of new cases every day – that’s a positive – but the risk is still there. The designation of it as a red zone is appropriate, in my view, for now.

He says Brisbane is still “an area of risk”, even though it is also “encouraging”.

The case was positive and Brisbane was out and about until the 7th of January, so it’s still a relatively short period of time.

Updated

Victoria to reopen to regional NSW

Daniel Andrews is announcing a new national “traffic light” system for Victoria’s border closures. Every part of the country will be classified as either red, orange or green, based on virus risks.

From 6pm tonight, everybody in other parts of Australia will need to apply for a permit to enter Victoria and that will be “based on the colour code” of the place you are coming from. He says this is an “easy” process.

Importantly, regional NSW will change from red zone to orange zone from 9pm tonight.

Andrews says travel restrictions for Brisbane will not be lifted today:

While the restrictions that have been imposed for greater Brisbane come off at 6pm tonight, the public health team is not 100% confident we can have people from Brisbane returned to Victoria.

There are still many close contacts that have not been tested, it’s a relatively new outbreak.

Restrictions on Sydney will also not be lifted, but Andrews says he will “hope to have more to say” later in the week.

Updated

Daniel Andrews is speaking now. He says more than 18,600 people were tested on Sunday, which is “a very strong number for any day on the weekend and especially Sunday, with such good weather”.

Chalmers also labelled Coalition MPs Craig Kelly and George Christensen “crackpots” over some of their recent social media posts about US politics and the coronavirus.

Chalmers told reporters that prime minister Scott Morrison, or other senior ministers such as the deputy PM or the treasurer, should rein in the MPs’ “dangerous views”.

Chalmers said:

I think every day that the prime minister lets this go on is further proof that the crackpots are in charge in Scott Morrison’s LNP.

We need to see some leadership from the prime minister. He needs to shut these characters up. They are expressing dangerous views and it needs to stop as soon as possible.

He added:

It has been very disappointing to hear the acting prime minister, Michael McCormack, trying to draw some sort of similarity between the Black Lives Matter protests and the insurrection that we saw in recent days with the storming of the US Capitol.

Updated

Labor’s shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is speaking now.

He says that those new retail figures are mostly due to Victoria’s boom in spending after its lockdown ended, and are “not something that the treasurer should be taking credit for”.

If you take Victoria out of the equation it is more like 2.5%, more normal levels of retail spending growth in this country.

So we welcome the retail trade figures, but we need perspective here ... That is not something that the treasurer should be taking credit for.

Updated

Retail spending up 7.1% in November

Retail boomed in November after the Victorian lockdown ended, new data out today shows.

Spending in Victoria soared by 22.4%, leading to a rise of 7.1% for the month across the nation.

The other states were also up, except for South Australia, which fell 0.2%.

Economists say much of retail is now back at pre-pandemic levels, but they’re concerned that recent outbreaks in Sydney and Brisbane might crimp further growth.

CBA senior economist Kristina Clifton said in a note to clients:

All the major categories are running well above pre‑Covid-19 levels, with the exception of eating out.

There has been a clear shift to spending on goods rather than services.

Jobs and business have been negatively impacted by the restrictions on the northern beaches and consumers have been reminded that the coronavirus pandemic is not necessarily over yet.

Domestic tourism has received another hit from interstate border closures during a peak period for this sector.

Sarah Hunter, the chief economist for BIS Oxford Economics, said she expected spending patterns to return to normal, “particularly once the vaccine has been rolled out and the uncertainty over outbreaks prompting further lockdowns diminishes”.

She said:

This will benefit cafes, restaurants and clothing, and will weigh on household goods and food, both of which have been disproportionate beneficiaries over the last year.

More broadly, there is also likely to be a shift back towards spending on services, particularly travel and tourism. As a result, after a comparatively strong 2020 we expect growth in retail turnover to lag behind total household spending in 2021.

Shoppers queue outside a Sydney store on Boxing Day.
Shoppers queue outside a Sydney store on Boxing Day. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

Updated

The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, will speak at 2pm – in about 30 minutes.

Updated

Hi all, it’s Naaman Zhou here taking over the blog. Thanks to Matilda Boseley for her work today.

In Brisbane, as the city’s lockdown is set to lift this evening, the coming cricket test at the Gabba has been given the green light by the Indian team.

AAP reports that members of India’s touring party have told Cricket Australia (CA) they will fly there on Tuesday.

From AAP:

The Queensland government has reduced the crowd capacity for the final Test, which starts on Friday, to 50% while making masks mandatory for any fans moving around the venue.

The status of the series finale has been uncertain for more than a week after unnamed sources from within India’s camp pushed for it to be moved from the Queensland capital.

At the centre of their concerns were fears over the strictness of hotel quarantine, with the push known to have frustrated Australia’s players.

CA has been insistent all along the Test will go ahead at the ground as planned, after receiving positive feedback from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) bosses.

On Sunday night they received the most important tick of approval.

CA said on Monday that India’s touring party confirmed with them they are happy to play in Brisbane and agree to the city’s quarantine protocols.

‘The fourth Test will be at the Gabba, as planned,’ interim CA CEO Nick Hockley said on SEN Radio.

‘On the basis of yesterday’s discussions we are full steam ahead to play the fourth Test at the Gabba.’

Tickets will be refunded and resold to ensure correct seating.

‘The Gabba will be filled to half the capacity and masks are mandatory for entering, leaving and moving around the stadium,’ Palaszczuk said.

‘But if you are sitting there at your seat, you won’t have to wear your mask because you are outside.

‘Most people will be coming by public transport anyway, where you will have to wear your mask.’

Crucial in the discussions between CA and BCCI are believed to be signed assurances from Queensland Health that players will be allowed to mingle within the hotel.

Also, police will not patrol their floors, given CA has hired the entire accommodation complex with players able to roam within.

Updated

That might be where I have to leave you for today, but please don’t fret, the amazing Naaman Zhou is here to guide you through the rest of the afternoon’s news.

The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, says the federal government will continue to provide fiscal support to the economy, even as the jobkeeper wage subsidy and the jobseeker top-up is due to end in March.

He said the government would maintain a “watching brief” on developments in coming months, but indicated it was not inclined to further extend those programs. He pointed to other measures in the October budget, such as the youth hiring credit and other business incentives.

Frydenberg said jobkeeper had been “a remarkable program” with 3.6m Australian workers supported at its peak, but in October 2m fewer workers were on the wage subsidy, as a result of confidence coming back into the economy and restrictions being eased. He said it was always intended to be a temporary program and workers were “graduating” from jobkeeker.

He also cited tax cuts and infrastructure investments.

All of those are designed to support the economy … Our economic plan is working.

Frydenberg said new ATO data “shows that $7bn has made its way into the pockets of Australian families over the last six months as a result of the Morrison government’s tax cuts”.

He said the assumptions in the mid-year budget update - Myefo - handed down in December were “there for everyone to see”.

“Updates to the economic outlook and to the economic forecasts will be next done at budget time,” he said, saying it would occur in May as scheduled.

The federal treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, has welcomed the decision to lift the lockdown in Brisbane at 6pm today (although some additional restrictions will remain in place over the coming 10 days).

Frydenberg has been speaking with reporters after touring a Cotton On Group distribution centre in Avalon, Victoria.

When asked whether the easing of the lockdown should lead to an easing of domestic border measures, too, Frydenberg said it was critical that state and federal governments followed medical advice. Frydenberg said measures need to be considered, common sense and compassionate.

This virus is not going away - we haven’t eliminated this virus, we’re not about to eliminate this virus, so it’s our ability to deal with new cases when they arise that will determine the speed and the trajectory of our economic recovery.

In broader remarks, Frydenberg said the coronavirus was first and foremost a health crisis, and getting on top of the health challenge allowed for an economic recovery. He sought to reassure Australians about the country’s handling of the health crisis, compared with the rest of the world:

I remind you that just yesterday Australia had 13 cases … no one in an ICU unit and no one on a ventilator. At the same time, in one day, there were 750,000 new Covid-19 cases around the world - nearly a quarter of a million new cases in the United States and 50,000+ cases in the United Kingdom.

Australia’s position on both the health front and the economic front is vastly different to so many other nations across the world. We are so blessed, so lucky to live in this great country. It’s been a collective effort and I really pay great tribute to our health workers, our defence force personnel, the other staff members who are working on the front line and of course all that is being done at the various levels of government as well.

Midday catch-up

Okay, so it’s been a big morning (but then again so has every morning for the last 11 months). So here is the general gist of everything that has been happening.

  • Greater Brisbane’s lockdown will end at 6pm tonight, but the area will still be subject to slightly stricter restrictions for the next 10 days, including mandatory masks in public indoor spaces, public transport and rideshare vehicles. Queensland recorded no cases overnight.
  • The Northern Territory government has revoked its hotspot declaration for greater Brisbane. From 11 am on 11 January, people will be allowed to travel freely between the NT and City of Brisbane, City of Ipswich, Logan City, the Moreton Bay region and Redland City.
  • NSW has recorded 4 additional locally acquired cases, three included in today’s numbers and one which will be included in tomorrow’s numbers. The 4th case was a man in his 40s who attended the Mount Druitt hospital emergency room in western Sydney, requiring the facility to close for deep cleaning.
  • The federal Liberal party has been having a tense morning as Nationals MP George Christensen called for new laws to stop social media companies regulating and fact-checking posts, including posts where Donald Trump appeared to encourage the insurrection of the Capitol building by far-right actors. Communications minister Paul Fletcher indicated the party would not be pursuing these proposed laws. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg refused to be drawn on if Christensen should face consequences for spreading misinformation.
  • The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has welcomed the moves by social media companies including Twitter to take Donald Trump off their platforms, saying “it’s about time that people weren’t given a platform to spread hatred, to spread lies, which has had consequences for people”.
  • Victoria has recorded its fifth day of no locally acquired cases.

Updated

The communications minister, Paul Fletcher, has poured cold water on calls from National MP George Christensen for new laws to stop social media companies regulating “any and all lawful content created by their users”.

Christensen, like Liberal MP Craig Kelly, is upset that Donald Trump has been removed from many social media sites, and that posts calling the mob who stormed the US Capitol “very nice people” were removed.

A spokesperson for Fletcher told Guardian Australia:

The government’s position on regulating the content on social media platforms is captured in the draft Online Safety Bill released last month for consultation. The government has no intention of regulating beyond these areas.

That bill deals with increased powers to deal with cyber abuse and bullying including take-down orders to be issued by the eSafety Commissioner. In other words, it’s more about making users safer by cracking down on threatening language than it is about expanding freedom of speech.

Updated

Brisbane no longer considered a hotspot by NT

The Northern Territory government has revoked its hotspot declaration for greater Brisbane.

From 11 am on 11 January, people will be allowed to travel freely between the NT and City of Brisbane, City of Ipswich, Logan City, the Moreton Bay region and Redland City.

More information is available on the NT’s Covid-19 information website.

Updated

A specialised Victorian police unit has been established to investigate the manufacture and trafficking of illicit firearms, reports AAP.

Police minister Lisa Neville says there were nine fatal and 41 non-fatal shootings in the state last year. Authorities also seized more than 770 firearms.

We’re continually looking at ways we can deter and disrupt the manufacturing, trafficking and use of illegal firearms to keep Victorian communities safe.

The new and highly trained unit will build on the work of previous specialist teams with invaluable intelligence that will enable us to put a stop to illicit firearms.

Acting deputy commissioner Robert Hill says the new team, which includes 22 investigators, is the “first and only” dedicated firearms unit in Australia.

This unit has been established to work upstream so we can mitigate the number of illicit firearms that have been manufactured or trafficked to use in the community.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission estimates there are more than 260,000 illicit firearms across the country.

Updated

The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has welcomed the moves by social media companies including Twitter to take Donald Trump off their platforms, saying “it’s about time that people weren’t given a platform to spread hatred, to spread lies, which has had consequences for people”.

Albanese also used an interview with radio 2SM this morning to urge Scott Morrison to rebuke government backbenchers George Christensen and Craig Kelly for promoting conspiracy theories. It’s worth quoting Albanese at length in warning of the consequences of allowing conspiracy theories to fester:

Well, we know where mistruths lead. We’ve seen it in the United States. This idea that you can say whatever you want, that there aren’t any facts, that we’re in a post-truth world, is extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous.

And the fact that we saw last week an attempted insurrection against democracy, which was encouraged, of course, by Donald Trump, is quite frankly shocking. The United States is our most important ally. It’s a relationship that’s based upon our shared democratic values. And the fact that we saw thousands of people matching on the Capitol building, ransacking the House of Representatives and the Senate, was just quite incredible.

These were armed people. Five people lost their lives. But it could have been much, much worse. There could have been, literally, just catastrophic consequences. And I just think the fact that, when Scott Morrison is asked about this, he responds by talking about freedom of speech and hasn’t condemned Craig Kelly or George Christensen or any of the others who have promoted the conspiracy theories that these weren’t Donald Trump supporters, that they were infiltrated by outsiders and as part of some conspiracy.

Updated

WA premier criticises NSW, stating elimination is the 'right approach'

Mark McGowan stepped up for a press conference several minutes ago.

In stark contrast to the NSW premier – who just urged state leaders to “do better” and not rely on border closures as a first line of defence – the WA premier says NSW and all other states should be aiming for the elimination of the virus.

There’s five states and two territories doing one thing, and one state doing something different. I go with the majority. The states and territories that want to eliminate the virus, I think, have the right approach. The idea that you tick along with the virus and somehow that is a better model is wrong.

And I just urge the New South Wales government and people in New South Wales to look outside of New South Wales to what other states and territories are doing in order to crush and kill the virus. That’s a better approach.

The idea that somehow it’s better ... to just manage it, I don’t think is the correct approach.

Generally, premiers are less forthright about adopting an elimination approach. For example, Victoria has repeatedly stated that they are trying to achieve “Covid-normal”, not elimination.

Updated

Berejiklian slams Victorian government over border closures

The NSW premier has doubled down on her criticism of the Victorian government over the rapid border closure in late December. This comes after the Victorian health minister denied that they had not informed Berjiklian’s government prior to shutting border crossings.

Berejiklian hits back, saying the communication wasn’t good enough.

Can I make this generic comment – sometimes they’ll let me know, sometimes they don’t. When they do let me know, the decision has already been made. There’s no doubt our health officials talk on a daily basis, no doubt the health ministers are in regular contact, but we have to appreciate that when you’re closing a border, it affects all-of-government.

It affects every single citizen in New South Wales. It affects citizens in other states and I think as leaders, and I include myself in this, all of us can do better.

We should allow each other to have input in those processes rather than being told of the decision. As the premier of this state I would love to have had input and say, rather than closing all of New South Wales or Sydney from a particular state, please just consider the northern beaches or give us 24 hours to get back to you on how we can manage this.

All I’m suggesting is as leaders, and again I include myself in this, all of us can and should do better when it comes to borders because it affects thousands of people, sometimes hundreds of thousands of people when multiple border changes are happening around the nation, and sure, they can let us know just before a press conference that something is happening, but if the decision has already been made and you haven’t had any input, I mean, that’s a different issue.

Updated

The premier has been asked what she thought of the allegation of racial abuse and taunts being thrown at Indian cricket players during the third Test.

I don’t believe we have an inherent problem with racism. I don’t. I do believe it rears its ugly head from time to time and we always need to be vigilant because it only a tiny handful of people to really start a process that can be very concerning. And that’s why we have to be vigilant.

Berejiklian was also asked if she supports Australia Day celebrations going ahead later in the month.

I think we have demonstrated as a state and a nation that those important milestones can, should and will be recognised but it’s doing it in a Covid-safe way.

I encourage everybody to recognise Australia Day for the significance that it has and I think this year it has greater significance because we have all been through a very difficult year.

I think we’re feeling closer to each other than ever before and also feeling proud of the nation we live in. When you look at other places around the world and the angst and really difficult times that other nations are going through, I think we should be, you know, feeling prouder than ever of being Australian and I think it’s appropriate to mark that day in a Covid-safe way.

Updated

Chief health officer Chant has been asked if the highly contagious UK variant of Covid-19 has become more common in hotel quarantine:

It’s expected that we will continue to see these variant strains and they will be in an increasing proportion of it.

As you have seen in the UK and other countries, the UK variant strain is becoming more common and so we will be announcing periodically and giving you updates on the overall proportion of overseas travellers, but I would expect that to be increasing.

Premier Berejiklian has been asked if she would support an independent inquiry into Sydney’s hotel quarantine program:

Well, I don’t mind that, but our focus as a government has to remain on keeping the community safe.

But can I make this point and I want to make it very strongly: The federal government did an audit of all the quarantine systems around Australia and New South Wales came out on top. But no system is perfect because the pandemic, the disease, is insidious, it’s contagious. And you can assume that 100% of people will do 100% of the right thing every single day in and day out.

People want to do the right thing but sometimes there is human error. We have to accept that, which is why we have the settings in place, why we have the restrictions in place, and why we have to assume New South Wales has ... overwhelmingly been carrying the burden for the nation, returning 3,000 Australians to our shores every week.

It is a huge task and no doubt perfection is not possible during a pandemic; as much as we’d like to think there is perfection, there is not. And we have to assume that there will be incidences where there are concerns.

Updated

Chant has given more details about the Covid-19 case at the Mount Druitt hospital:

That risk assessment is currently being evaluated. As you know, we take a very precautionary role given the importance of healthcare workers being Covid-free and also the fact that emergency departments have a lot of vulnerable people attend with underlying health conditions.

So you would expect us to take a very cautious approach. Obviously, it is concerning when any patients or staff are exposed to Covid, but we’re working through those assessments, but a number of patients and staff, as a precaution, have been captured.

We will work through a risk assessment to understand what their movements were and whether there could have been any inadvertent exposure that would lead them to need to isolate and get tested.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has provided a bit more information on exactly where these new cases have come from:

Of the three new locally-acquired cases, all three are linked to the Berala cluster – a woman and man in their 30s and a child, who are close contacts of a previously reported case.

These three cases are linked to a man and woman in their 30s who were included in yesterday’s numbers and we’re investigating a potential exposure at an event on 29 December. This event is not the same as the one mentioned yesterday in which a positive case initially failed to recall that. That event took place on 27 December, but clearly this contact-tracing flows from those events.

As the premier had indicated, there was a person overnight diagnosed in Mount Druitt emergency department. He was a gentleman in his 40s. Household contacts of his, also in their 40s, have also tested positive. What we are doing is a precaution, he did spend some time in the emergency department whilst awaiting the test.

Updated

NSW records four new local Covid-19 cases – three to 8pm plus one overnight

Premier Gladys Berejiklian is speaking to media in NSW now:

Overnight we did have three cases of community transmission, all were linked directly to the Berala cluster and those cases are being managed at the moment.

Since 8:00pm, as has been reported this morning, there was that case regarding the emergency department at Mount Druitt.

The Mount Druitt case has yet to be linked to a cluster and will be technically included in tomorrow’s numbers.

Updated

Brisbane rules recap

Okay, so that press conference was slightly confusing, but here is the rundown on the rules in greater Brisbane for the next 10 days:

  • Masks must be worn in indoor places like shopping centres and supermarkets, gyms, places of worship and libraries. They must also be worn on public transport, taxis and rideshare vehicles.
  • Residents have been asked to carry a mask on them at all times.
  • Masks are not required outdoors at a safe distance from others, in private vehicles or when doing exercise.
  • Indoor venues are restricted to one person per four square metres and outdoor venues are restricted to one person per two square metres.
  • Anyone eating and drinking must be seated and no dancing will be allowed, except at weddings.
  • Up to 20 people allowed in homes and public spaces and up to 100 allowed at wedding and funerals
  • The restrictions banning visitors at hospitals, aged care, disability accommodation and prisons remains in place.

Scott Morrison says he will continue to receive Covid-19 briefings from the chief medical officer while taking a week’s leave.

The prime minister issued a statement this morning confirming he was proceeding with his previously telegraphed plan to take leave until Monday, 18 January. Morrison said:

During my short absence, the deputy prime minister Michael McCormack will be the acting prime minister and undertake my duties for this period, including regular health and economic briefings, the planned rollout of our vaccine program with the minister for health, as well as meeting requests from state and territory governments regarding the National Coordination Mechanism and support from the ADF.

While away I remain in contact with the chief medical officer Paul Kelly, who will brief me on Covid-19 issues as they occur.

Morrison mentioned his leave plans at several press conferences over the past week and a half, including after the national cabinet meeting on Friday, when he said McCormack would be filling in from Saturday.

That is a marked contrast from a year ago when he did not announce his holiday plans and when his office initially denied rumours of a Hawaii holiday – something that became a story as the bushfire crisis worsened. (Morrison later issued a statement saying he deeply regretted “any offence caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time”.)

Updated

Chief health officer Young says 370 people believed to have come into contact with the cleaner who carried the UK viral strain have so far been quarantined.

We have definitely found the closest contacts, the individual close household contacts, her close work contacts, so we have found those.

I’m just not sure at this stage we have found all the less risky contacts that were at Coles, Woolworths and that newsagent ...

I’m actually testing again today to just see if any of them have become positive. So they have already been tested once and they have [been] negative so I will test them again today. The very close contacts, there is probably about 10 of those.

Updated

Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young has been asked if one more UK variant case would be enough to send the city back into lockdown.

It depends where it is found. If we find one of these people we have put into quarantine in their home and we find them positive... then no it wouldn’t because they are there in quarantine.

We are doing that investigation to try and work out how the gentleman [at the hotel] infected the cleaner, to work that through, so we can prevent that.

As you have heard we have now reduced the numbers coming from overseas. That will help us enormously because it was a strain on our system to take those up to 1,400 people each week. That is now being reduced to 500. I think that will help us to manage the risk.

Updated

Palaszczuk has nicely summed up how most Brisbane residents are no doubt feeling right now:

[I’m] absolutely relieved. This is the best news we could have hoped for. Absolutely the best news.

More from the health minister and the reduced Covid-19 restrictions for greater Brisbane:

We are going back to the ‘one per four square metres’ at businesses and venues unless you are a small venue where you can go to the ‘one per two square metres’.

Of course, we are now allowing people to leave their homes for any reason whatsoever, making sure that venues apply the social distancing rules that we have had before.

That includes stadiums, that will be back to 50%. This is until 1:00am on 22 January, so we can get past this 14-day period. The new measure that we haven’t had before is the masks.

Our initiative that we are putting in place with masks is very similar to Victoria and New South Wales where we will be mandating the wearing of masks in certain places, particularly public indoor areas.

Updated

Queensland health minister Yvette D’Ath is speaking now:

The reason why we have to continue to be vigilant is that globally this virus is getting worse. There’s been now 90 million positive cases around the world. Over 1.9 million deaths.

But what is more concerning is the World Health Organization has reported that for the third week in a row we have seen positive cases of 4 million new cases a week and we have seen an increase of 3% in the death rate.

So this means things are getting worse globally which is why we are seeing more positive cases coming back from overseas, and why Queensland welcomes the decision of national cabinet to now reduce the number of people coming from overseas while we work towards getting this vaccine in our community so we can move back towards a more normal environment for everybody.

Updated

Some restrictions to remain in Greater Brisbane

Although the hard lockdown in Brisbane and surrounding area will be lifted at 6pm tonight, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says some additional restrictions will remain in place for the next 10 days.

We want to make sure that that incubation period, that 14 days, has totally lapsed before we return back to normal. So for the rest of Queensland, everyone continues on just as they have been, but what we are asking for the next 10 days in greater Brisbane is that – of course, that is those local council areas of Brisbane – Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay and Redlands ...

We want you to hang on to your masks, OK?... You need to wear this mask in shopping centres, supermarkets, retail outlets and indoor markets. In hospitals and aged care facilities, in churches and places of worship, libraries, indoor recreational facilities, such as cinemas, art galleries, those sorts of types of places and gyms.

Now indoor workplaces where you can socially distance you don’t have to wear a mask, but where you can’t socially distance we ask you to put a mask on. Now you must also wear a mask on public transport, in taxis and rideshares ...

It is for 10 days only and then hopefully if we get zero community transmission over those 10 days then we can just go back to the [same restrictions as] the rest of Queensland.

Updated

Brisbane's lockdown will end this evening

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is speaking now. She says there have been no new cases of locally acquired Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.

As a result, the lockdown will be lifted at 6pm tonight.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Photograph: Jono Searle/Getty Images

Updated

Australia’s acting prime minister Michael McCormack has criticised social media giants for kicking Donald Trump off their platforms.

Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have all removed the US president after posting messages the technology giants said could encourage violence, following an insurrection at the Capitol building by a mob of his supporters.

Asked if Trump helped incite a riot at the US Capitol on 6 January, McCormack said the president’s social media comments were unfortunate, as was his refusal to accept the outcome of the US election.

But McCormack also likened the riot to Black Lives Matter protests last year and said it should not be up to Big Tech to decide whose voices were heard.

“I don’t believe in that sort of censorship,” he told ABC radio on Monday.

“There’s been a lot of people who have said and done a lot of things on Twitter previously that haven’t received that sort of condemnation or indeed censorship.”

But, the acting prime minister acknowledged social media companies were within their rights to close accounts.

“That’s a matter for Twitter, they’ve made that call, they’ve got a company, they’ve got a business to run, and they’ve made that decision,” he said.

McCormack would not be drawn on whether Trump should be removed from office before his term ends on 20 January.

Updated

Speaking of cricket (and this Test match’s associated scandals) you can check out the Guardian’s rolling blow by blow account of today event’s here.

Updated

So we are about 15 minutes out from this Queensland press conference where we are expected to learn if Brisbane’s lockdown will be lifted or extended.

The three-day lockdown was enacted in order to make sure contact tracers had enough time to track down every contact of a hotel quarantine cleaner who contracted a highly contagious variant of coronavirus.

But so far, it seems that this strain has not spread. Yesterday Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk said that it was “so far, so good”.

We have taken this decisive action, it’s the right thing to do, and let’s see what our numbers are tomorrow and then we will update Queensland about what the proposed steps forward are following on from that.

Those numbers are expected to be annouced at 9 am Queensland time.

Australia Post has officially had its busiest Christmas season ever with more than 52 million packages delivered in December.

This was the service’s biggest month in its 211-year history, with deliveries up almost 20 per cent compared with December 2019, AAP reports.

More than two million packages were delivered on some days, while more than 490 tonnes of airfreight was moved in a single night at the peak of the rush.

While border closures separating families meant the bumper season was expected, acting chief executive Rodney Boys said the season still exceeded their expectations.

Ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, social distancing and reduced domestic flights coupled with significantly higher parcel volumes meant that delivering Christmas 2020 for all Australians was always going to be incredibly challenging.

To cope with demand, 60 new or repurposed facilities were opened, 3,000 vehicles were added to the fleet and extra planes put on. An additional 5,000 staff were also recruited by the service.

Our incredible team ... worked tirelessly under difficult circumstances for their communities to deliver a truly phenomenal Christmas.

Updated

The federal government is facing landmark class actions by 122 people who claim they were detained or prosecuted as adults for suspected people smuggling despite evidence they were children at the time.

The cases for alleged unlawful imprisonment and racial discrimination are spearheaded by Ali Yasmin, a young Indonesian crew member on a boat carrying asylum seekers who had his conviction overturned after serving time in a Western Australian adult prison.

The Australian government has rejected most of the allegations as “scandalous and embarrassing”, arguing that aspects of the cases, such as alleged negligence, are aimed at circumventing time limitations on claims.

Yasmin was taken to Christmas Island in December 2009 despite telling immigration authorities he was 14. He was among dozens of children prosecuted by Australian authorities between 2010 and 2012 after they were deemed adults using the now-discredited method of wrist X-rays.

You can read the full story below:

Melbourne set for hottest day in a year

Melburnians are set to swelter today as the city braces for the hottest day in more than a year (and I say this from a place of authority as I’m currently typing this blog sitting in front of a fan on full blast and it isn’t even 9am). This comes as the state’s north-west is on high alert for bushfires.

The temperature is set to hit 38C in Melbourne on Monday – its hottest day since 31 January 2020 – while Horsham, Mildura, Shepparton and Swan Hill are forecast to reach 40C, AAP reports.

A total fire ban has been declared for the Mallee, Northern Country and Wimmera, with the danger rated as severe across the three regions.

The fire danger in Central, North Central and South West regions is considered very high, while it is high in the North East and Gippsland regions.

The forecast has prompted V Line rural train services to enact its extreme heat timetable across the whole of Victoria on Monday, with services along the Bairnsdale, Bendigo, Echuca, Geelong, Gippsland and Swan Hill lines affected.

Chris Arvier, a senior forecaster for the Bureau of Meteorology, said the forecast was about 10C above average.

He said Victorians won’t see relief from the hot weather until well into the night.

“A change is coming through in late in the evening and it will be a much cooler day tomorrow before the warm weather returns on Wednesday,” he told AAP.

Melbourne is forecast to reach 34C on Wednesday before mild conditions return.

People jump off the St Kilda pier to cool off. The temperature is set to hit 38C in Melbourne on Monday.
People jump off the St Kilda pier to cool off. The temperature is set to hit 38C in Melbourne on Monday. Photograph: Stefan Postles/AAP

Updated

Just a bit more on that Covid-19 situation at a western Sydney hospital via AAP.

The emergency department at Mount Druitt hospital in western Sydney has been closed for deep cleaning after a person infected with coronavirus was treated there.

The person presented at the hospital on Saturday with respiratory symptoms and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.

They were transferred to Westmead hospital for treatment while the Mount Druitt Hospital emergency department was shut for deep cleaning.

Ambulances are currently being diverted to nearby hospitals but local health authorities expect the deep clean to be completed by 9am on Monday.

Western Sydney Local Health District said in a statement:

Investigations are under way to assess potential close contacts, including staff and patients ... Anyone determined to be at risk of possible exposure is being contacted by the public health unit and health advice provided.

A number of new venues, including the Costco in Casula and Myer in Bankstown have been declared potential exposure sites.

Late on Sunday, NSW Health also issued a health alert for Bankstown Central Shopping Centre over two separate days, as well as a Service NSW site in Bankstown and a Thai supermarket at Marrickville.

Anyone who visited these venues at specific times must get tested immediately and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.

Updated

Frydenberg refuses to condemn George Christensen for spreading misinformation on US Capitol breach

Frydenberg has been asked to comment on the action of LNP politician George Christensen who shared misleading articles on social media, incorrectly blaming leftwing activists for the siege of the Capitol building on Thursday, and showing support for the outgoing US president Donald Trump.

Well, look, George Christensen will make decisions ... He is the member of the Coalition. He is a good local member for his constituency.

When it comes to the events in the US, the prime minister, I think spoke for the whole country and the government when he made very clear our disgust with what happened in the Capitol, Washington DC. Horrible images, and that attack on the beacon of democracy, the Congress.

As a great friend of the United States, Australia stands with them. We encourage and allow demonstration, are but they need to be peaceful. Peaceful demonstrations are the way, whether it’s in the United States or here in Australia.

George Christensen.
Liberal National party MP George Christensen. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg is speaking with ABC News Breakfast now.

He was asked how Queensland’s lockdown and other border closures have affected Australia’s economic recovery:

We have this new strain. It is more infectious, and the Queensland government took a prudent course of action, which was a short, sharp lockdown in the Brisbane area.

Now, obviously, we need to get the virus under control as quickly as possible and that will determine the speed and the trajectory of our economic recovery.

But, as a nation, we have been remarkably successful on the health front. Yesterday we saw 13 cases in Australia. Globally, there were three-quarters of a million cases.

In the United States, nearly a quarter of a million cases in the UK 50,000 cases.

Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Victoria records no new local Covid cases

Some good news to kick off the day, Victoria has recorded no new locally acquired cases of Covid-19. This is the state’s fifth day without community transmission.

The state has recorded one case in hotel quarantine.

Updated

Covid scare at Mount Druitt hospital in western Sydney

Mount Druitt hospital in western Sydney has been closed for deeply cleaning after a patient who came to the emergency department on Saturday tested positive for Covid-19 the next day.

Ambulances and patients are now being redirected to other hospitals and GPs in the area are being asked to refer their patients to the Blacktown hospital. Doctors and nurses have been stationed in an ambulatory care space outside the hospital’s ED for any patients who present directly.

The clean is expected to be completed this morning and there should be a further update on the facility when NSW leaders hold their daily press conference. (This usually happens around 11am).

Updated

Australian politicians weigh into allegations of racial abuse at cricket

Australian political leaders have thrown their support behind an investigation into alleged racial abuse lobbed at Indian cricket players during the third Test at the SCG over the weekend.

Acting prime minister Michael McCormack said he supported the removal of a number of spectators who were causing problems from the stands.

There is no place for racism in Australia and I am pleased to see the strong and swift action taken by the NSW police and ground officials.

We are a tolerant country and the most successful multicultural nation in the world. Australia’s performance in this Test so far has been very solid – the team won’t be distracted by this as they push on to victory.

NSW premier Glady Berejiklian has also commented on the alleged abuse:

If those reports are correct, those comments should be utterly condemned. They are unAustralian and don’t represent who we are.

On Sunday night Cricket Australia labelled the treatment of players as “unacceptable” and apologised to the Indian team. NSW police, having interviewed several members of Sunday’s crowd before evicting them, is also running its own investigation.

This comes as India veteran Ravichandran Ashwin claims he has been the victim of abuse from Sydney crowds for almost a decade.

This is my fourth tour of Australia and in Sydney, we have had a few experiences even in the past ...

The way the crowd have been speaking ... they have been quite nasty and hurling abuse as well. There is a time where they have gone one step ahead and used racial abuses.

There was an official complaint lodged yesterday and the umpires said we must bring it to their notice as it happens on the field. It is definitely not acceptable in this day and age. We have seen a lot and evolved as a society … this must definitely be dealt with an iron fist.

Ravichandran Ashwin of India bowls at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Ravichandran Ashwin of India bowls at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday. Photograph: Nigel Owen/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock

Updated

Good morning all, Matilda Boseley here to take you through the day’s news, Covid-19 or otherwise.

If you see anything in your area or online that you think I should be aware of, make sure you send it through to me on Twitter @MatildaBoseley or by email on matilda.boseley@theguardian.com.

Now, on to the news of today.

Residents in the northern beaches of Syndey have continued to celebrate after being freed from the worst of the strict Covid-19 restrictions imposed on the area since an outbreak began before Christmas. But the state’s chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, says “these next 14 days is going to be pivotal” as the state still struggles to mop up the last of community transmission in the city.

NSW recorded three new coronavirus cases on Sunday, all close contacts that contact tracers missed who were active in the community while infectious.

A number of new venues, including the Costco in Casula and a shopping centre and Service NSW site in Bankstown, have been declared potential exposure sites.

The other big event we will be looking out for today is that all-important press conference from Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as she updates the state on how Brisbane’s three-day lockdown has gone. Today is the third (and hopefully final) day of the lockdown, brought about by fears that the highly contagious UK strain of the coronavirus had entered the community in Brisbane. But with no additional cases of community transmission discovered so far residents are hopeful that normal life will be able to resume as early as this evening.

A person wears a mask in Brisbane’s Queens St Mall on Sunday.
A person wears a mask in Brisbane’s Queens Street Mall on Sunday. Photograph: Danny Casey/AAP

In other news:

  • Australia’s acting prime minister has thrown his support behind Cricket Australia and the NSW police launching an investigation after India’s cricket team made official complaints of racism on Saturday and play was stopped for eight minutes on Sunday following claims of alleged abuse. This comes as India veteran Ravichandran Ashwin claims he has been the victim of abuse from Sydney crowds for almost a decade.
  • Fire crews are on standby, command centres are ready to go and water-bombing aircraft have been prepared as South Australia heads into a day of high bushfire risk. Dangerous conditions have been declared in most districts for Monday, prompting total fire bans amid warnings the scrub is ready to burn.
  • A man is set to face court in NSW after being charged with sending threatening emails to a Victorian MP. The 53-year-old was arrested at a Nimbin home in December as police investigated the emails, which were believed to have been sent from NSW, police said on Monday. Police found and seized a computer, tablet and mobile phone when they arrested the man.
  • A woman and three children have died after a fire ripped through a home in Melbourne’s south-east overnight. A man believed to be related to the family was also injured in the fire and is in hospital. On Sunday Det Snr Sgt Neville Major said it would be up to 48 hours before police could speak to the man due to the extent of his injuries.

Updated

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