Here are all the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic in Australia. This is Mostafa Rachwani and it’s Friday 6 November.
A week of donuts in Victoria
It was a good week for Victorians, with seven days straight without new cases or deaths.
By Friday, the 14-day average had dropped to 1.3, with just 15 active cases remaining in the state. Victoria hasn’t recorded a week of zero cases and deaths since February.
The premier, Daniel Andrews, said earlier on Friday that he would announce more easing of restrictions on Sunday, including opening up the “ring of steel” and the 25km travel limit for residents in metro Melbourne.
NSW to open borders
The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, announced this week that the border with Victoria would open on 23 November.
In her announcement on Wednesday, she said the move was a “cautious” and “calculated” risk, and based on NSW Health advice.
New South Wales recorded four new cases on Friday, with one new locally acquired case and three being close contacts. There were 10 new cases reported in the state this week, with only one mystery case.
Ten cases have been linked to the Hoxton Park cluster, with NSW Health also urging people living and working in south-west Sydney to get tested after a staff member at Jasmin1 restaurant in Liverpool tested positive.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Sydney Mardi Gras parade will not march down Oxford Street for the first time in four decades. Organisers announced this week that the marquee LGBTQ+ event will instead be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground as a ticketed event, complying with Covid-safe protocols.
Clive Palmer court challenge rejected
The high court rejected Clive Palmer’s challenge to Western Australia’s border ban, with the tycoon ordered to pay court costs as well.
A majority of the five justices found the border closure and the state’s quarantine directions did not breach the constitution.
Palmer had taken the state government to court over the ban, arguing that it was not “reasonably necessary”, and that WA could have opted for alternatives that were not as restrictive.
The WA premier, Mark McGowan, welcomed the verdict as a “significant victory”, saying he would “always fight to protect the health of Western Australians”.
McGowan has announced that the borders will reopen to all states from 14 November, with some restrictions remaining for residents from NSW and Victoria.
The high court also rejected a constitutional challenged to Victoria’s lockdown on Friday. Hotelier Julian Gerner brought the case against the state government, arguing that the constitution contains an implied freedom of movement.
The justices unanimously rejected the argument, with the two wins giving states considerable scope to restrict movement to combat the pandemic.
Two new vaccine deals
On Thursday, Scott Morrison announced two new deals for Covid-19 vaccines, one for 40 million doses from US firm Novavax, and another for 10 million doses from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
The deals add to the two prior agreements struck with AstraZeneca/Oxford and the University of Queensland, diversifying Australia’s portfolio of potential vaccines.
The deal with Pfizer may be compromised, though, by the huge international demand for the vaccine, and the lack of local manufacturing capacity.
The Australian government estimates the Pfizer vaccine could begin to arrive in early 2021, if it proves safe and effective.
ABS shows fall in jobs
The Australian Bureau of Statistics released figures on Wednesday that show payroll jobs decreased by 0.8% in the fortnight ending 17 October, and have dropped by 4.4% since mid-March.
Total wages also decreased in the same fortnight period, dropping by 2.1%. The shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and Labor’s employment spokesman, Brendan O’Connor, blamed the drops on government changes to the jobkeeper program.
This came as the Reserve Bank of Australia slashed the cash rate to a historic low of 0.1% on Tuesday. RBA governor Philip Lowe said people should not expect the cash rate to rise in the next three years because of the dire state of the Australian economy.
The move is seen as an implicit criticism of the Morrison government for nor spending more on economic stimulus.
No New Zealand travel bubble (yet)
Jacinda Arden poured cold water on travel plans this week, saying that “existing border settings” will remain in place for the short term.
In her first major address since winning re-election, Ardern said her priorities for the rest of the year was to support small businesses and to ensure New Zealanders get a “safe summer holiday”.
New Zealand’s borders remain closed to foreigners, with returning travellers still expected to book stays in managed isolation facilities.
On the other hand, travellers from New Zealand can continue to arrive in Australia, with Daniel Andrews announcing that Kiwis will be able to arrive at Melbourne international airport from 9 November.
Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry delivers interim report
The interim report into the Victorian hotel quarantine program has made 69 recommendations, including a clear responsible minister and regular reporting.
The report outlined a range of structural changes necessary for the program, including proposing two different models to manage the future of the quarantine program with a a facility-based model and a home-based model detailed in the report.
The report also revealed that the program cost the state $195m, much higher than the previously reported figure of $130m.
