Good evening, here are the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in Australia. This is Justine Landis-Hanley and it’s Monday 8 June.
New Zealand lifts Covid-19 restrictions …
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced her government would abandon all coronavirus restrictions from midnight tonight, after health officials confirmed the recovery of the country’s last known Covid-19 case.
There are no active cases of Covid-19 in the country for the first time since 28 February. New Zealand has recorded fewer than 1,500 cases of coronavirus, and 22 deaths.
Border restrictions will remain in place, meaning only New Zealanders and their families will be allowed to enter the country and must stay in government-run quarantine for a fortnight.
But Ardern said the fight was not over for New Zealand, warning they would “almost certainly see cases here again”.
“That is not a sign that we have failed; it is the reality of this virus.”
… and lays out conditions for NZ-Australia travel deal
Ardern has quelled the idea of a possible travel bubble between New Zealand and Australia that would allow residents to travel between both countries without quarantining.
She said Australia would first need to be “in a similar position” to New Zealand, with no active Covid-19 cases.
“The reason that New Zealanders, as of tomorrow, will be able to move around with freedom that very few other countries in the world have is because we are maintaining those restrictions at the border.”
End of free childcare announced
The Morrison government announced it will roll back its free childcare scheme, introduced on 12 July at the height of the pandemic.
The education minister, Dan Tehan, said fees would be capped at what they were in February, and extra subsidies would be provided to eligible families whose employment has been affected by coronavirus.
Labor’s childcare spokeswoman, Amanda Rishworth, has criticised the government’s “snap back” change, saying that “this could well act as a handbrake on the economy”.
“If women and families are not able to access affordable childcare, how are they going to get back to work? How are they going to actually participate in the economy?”
Despite Scott Morrison recently promising that jobkeeper would last until September, the government today announced the program would cease for the childcare sector from 20 July.
Instead, the government would pay childcare services a transition payment of 25% of their fee revenue until late September.
Global coronavirus cases reach 7 million
The number of known Covid-19 cases worldwide have passed 7 million and deaths have passed 400,000, according to John Hopkins University.
The US remains the worst-affected country, with over 1.9 million confirmed cases and more than a quarter of the world’s total deaths, 110,503.
Meanwhile, Australia reported only five new cases overnight across NSW and Victoria: three returned travellers, an aged care facility resident, and another case “under investigation” by NSW Health.
Deputy CMO says protests don’t pave the way for return of sports matches
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has responded to those saying there is a double standard between protests being allowed despite spectator sport being prohibited, arguing there were “substantive differences” between a single protest and weekly footy matches.
Coatsworth also said those who attended protests over the weekend should not be treated differently than other people when it came to getting tested.
Meanwhile on Sunday, the minister for finance, Mathias Cormann, attacked protesters, saying in a Sky News interview that going to the march was “incredibly selfish” and “incredibly self-indulgent” given the health risk.
What you need to know: get the most important information from some of our key explainers
Coronavirus Australia stats: Covid-19 active and new cases, numbers, map and data update
Coronavirus Australia maps and cases: live numbers and statistics
Free childcare: what do the Australian government’s coronavirus changes mean for my family?
Am I eligible for the jobkeeper payment? Here’s everything you need to know to register
Groceries, telehealth and pharmaceuticals: how older Australians can get help at home
Have I already had coronavirus? How would I know and what should I do?
Dangerous cures and viral hoaxes: common coronavirus myths busted
How ventilators work and why they are so important in saving people with coronavirus?
Want more? Read the latest news from across the Guardian’s global network, and follow the global coronavirus live blog here.
