Good evening and here is our daily roundup of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in Australia. This is Josh Taylor bringing you the main stories on Tuesday 5 May.
Economy loses $4bn per week
In a speech to the National Press Club, the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, said that for every week the restrictions around Australia remain in place, Australia’s economic activity reduces by $4bn.
“We must get people back into jobs and back into work. For every extra week the current restrictions remain in place, the Treasury estimates that we will see close to a $4bn reduction in economic activity from a combination of reduced workforce participation, productivity, and consumption.”
“This is equivalent to what around four million Australians on the median wage would earn in a week. History shows that the longer people are unemployed, the harder it is to get a job. In the early 1990s, unemployment increased by 5% over three years, but took seven years to get back to its pre-crisis level.”
ABS says one in three accommodation and food jobs gone
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported one in three jobs in accommodation and food industries have evaporated since the coronavirus pandemic started.
More than one million people have become unemployed since mid-March, meaning Australia’s unemployment rate is now at around 12.5%.
A 16th resident at Newmarch dies
Anglicare reported that a staff member at Newmarch House, a western Sydney aged care home, who was working in the Covid-19 positive area of the facility, has tested positive for the virus.
New South Wales reported two other cases of coronavirus at the facility on Tuesday. Sixteen residents at Newmarch have died after testing positive for coronavirus.
Covidsafe legislation released
The draft legislation for the coronavirus contact tracing app, Covidsafe, was released late on Monday evening.
The draft legislation includes penalties of up to five years in jail for misuse of the data, moving the data out of Australia, and for discriminating against people for not using the app.
The final legislation will be introduced into parliament next week.
National cabinet meets with New Zealand PM
The New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, sat in on the national cabinet meeting on Tuesday, where the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, said the focus was on getting Australia back to work, and the possibility of a trans-Tasman bubble to allow people to travel between Australia and New Zealand.
Morrison said travel between the two countries was still “some time away”.
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Victorian meat plant behind 11 new cases
A further 11 people who worked at a Victorian meat plant have been diagnosed with Covid-19. That takes that one plant to 45 confirmed coronavirus cases.
There is no threat to the public.
Victoria reported a total of 17 cases for the day, more than any other state or territory, with several reporting no new confirmed cases.
Ruby Princess inquiry continues
Counsel assisting the inquiry, Richard Beasley SC, told the inquiry “at one point in the morning” of 19 March, the ill-fated Ruby Princess’s booking to dock in Sydney was cancelled by the NSW Port Authority.
This was over concerns that one person had tested positive for Covid-19. However, this was not true at the time. The booking was later reinstated.
Ruby Princess was also the focus of a federal parliament inquiry into the government’s coronavirus response, where officials from home affairs and Australian Border Force defended the latter’s role in the scandal.
The home affairs secretary, Michael Pezzullo, said he had not formed a view about who was responsible for the decision to disembark the Ruby Princess passengers, indicating there was not one single agency or person responsible for it.
What you need to know: get the most important information from some of our key explainers
Australia’s coronavirus lockdown rules explained: can I still visit my partner and other questions
Coronavirus Australia maps and cases: live numbers and statistics
Australia’s strict new coronavirus social distancing rules explained: state by state guidelines
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
Looking for more coverage? Read the latest news from across the Guardian’s global network.
