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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Nino Bucci (now) and Justine Landis-Hanley (earlier)

Australia’s travel bubble with New Zealand’s south island to resume – as it happened

A pedestrian crosses Melbourne’s Burke Street Mall
A lone pedestrian crosses Melbourne’s Burke Street Mall today. Victoria’s long-running sixth Covid lockdown will be lifted on Friday. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

That's it for today, thanks for reading

Here are the main stories on Sunday 17 October:

Updated

Here is more from AAP on the news we mentioned earlier about Medevac detainees in Melbourne contracting Covid:

An asylum seeker inside a Melbourne hotel being used as an “alternative place of detention” by Australian Border Force says detainees are frustrated and scared after three of them tested positive for Covid.

Mustafa Salah, 23, has spent the better part of eight years inside Australian detention facilities offshore and within its borders.

He’s currently in the Park hotel in Melbourne where he says detainees found out today that three people had tested positive and others were also showing symptoms.

“We don’t know what to do,” Salah said. “We are always together ... we sit together, eat together, we really don’t know what to do.”

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre director of advocacy and campaigns, Jana Favero, told national newswire AAP it was a situation the centre had feared, and despite attempts by detainees to socially distance and remain safe “it’s impossible in the conditions they’re in”.

“They’re scared and they’ve been scared for 18 months,” Favero said.

She said crowded conditions, hygiene issues, a lack of information, guards working multiple sites and low vaccination numbers were all factors driving the ASRC’s “deep concerns there could be an outbreak in a detention facility”.

Salah said that he and many other detainees were yet to be vaccinated.

He said he had been tested three or four times in the two weeks after he was moved to the hotel from Sydney’s Villawood detention centre, but that testing was not being carried out regularly.

The Australian Border Force has been contacted for comment.

Updated

The full story on Victoria’s impending end to its sixth lockdown (the one premier Dan Andrews promised would be the last one) is here:

The Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, has suggested it is “highly unlikely” his party will agree to Australia significantly increasing its 2030 emissions reductions target, ahead of a party room meeting to discuss the Morrison government’s climate policy.

You can read the full report here:

I’m handing the blog back over to Nino Bucci to bring you the news as we head into the evening.

Stay well, everyone!

Refugee advocates are reporting that three Medevac detainees at the Park Hotel in Melbourne have tested positive for Covid.

Others inside the hotel are reportedly suffering from potential Covid symptoms. Jane Alcorn, who is in contact with a male refugee being detained at the hotel, said he had been experiencing symptoms.

Alcorn called an ambulance to the hotel today after the refugee collapsed in the shower. She said she understood he had not been tested for Covid-19 despite reporting a fever, headache and chest pain.

Guardian Australia has contacted the Department of Home Affairs for comment.

As Victoria and New South Wales prepare to reopen schools for face-to-face learning, experts who have studied the experiences of other countries are warning that not all lessons have been learned, particularly on mask-wearing and ventilation.

Guardian Australia’s medical editor, Melissa Davey, has the full story:

Updated

Some have expressed concern online about NSW’s decision to reopen schools to all students by 25 October.

Children under the age of 12 are not yet eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine.

The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, also confirmed today that primary school students will not be required to wear a mask, though they are encouraged.

Updated

NSW no longer a commonwealth hotspot

The Australian government chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly, has confirmed the commonwealth hotspot declaration in New South Wales will end at 11.59pm tonight, after the state hit the 80% double-dose vaccination target.

That means commonwealth pandemic support for NSW will end in two weeks.

NSW was declared a hotspot for the purpose of receiving commonwealth support on 14 August.

Updated

Justine Landis-Hanley is back to take this esteemed blog. I’ll see you later this afternoon, friends.

Updated

This all seems a little quaint: 50 people in South Australia are undertaking a pilot of an app that will allow them to show their vaccination status and check in to businesses. AAP reports:

South Australians will soon have an easier way to show their vaccination status ahead of the state hitting its target to open its domestic borders.

As of Sunday, more than 58 per cent of South Australians over the age of 16 have been fully vaccinated, and more than 75 per cent have received their first dose.

Fifty people are now taking part in a three-week pilot test of VaxCheck, a function inside the mySA Gov app that should eventually allow people to show their vaccination status and check-in to a venue through the same app.

Currently, digital vaccination certificates are available through myGov and the Express Plus Medicare app, which generate certificates that can be saved to a smartphone wallet.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said the pilot test “will ensure that the process is secure and convenient and that we are ready when the time comes to reopen our state in the safest way possible”.

Mr Marshall wants the state to reach 80 per cent double vaccination status before opening domestic borders, a target it is on track to hit in December.

A similar function allowing people to check-in and confirm vaccination status was added to the Service NSW app on Friday.


Updated

OK then ...

Updated

And to reiterate, Joyce was quite strong on the unlikelihood of an increase commitment on Australia’s 2030 target.

Bit more Barnaby. He denied he’d told the prime minister, Scott Morrison, he would be able to get the Nationals to agree to any particular climate policy. He also said the party would not be beholden to any threats that its stance could harm the Coalition in an upcoming federal election, which is expected before the second half of next year.

Joyce:

We are not being held hostage ... we are in the National party. In the Nationals, we will make a crucial decision, a national decision like we have in the past. And yes, we’re informed. We are not in the Liberal party room. We are the Nationals. We will not be held hostage to what other people wish.

Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, talks to the media before his party room meeting in Canberra this afternoon.
Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, talks to the media before his party room meeting in Canberra this afternoon. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Here’s the AAP report on the news from earlier that Jodi McKay was leaving NSW parliament:

Former NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay has announced she will resign from state parliament, the latest in a string of MPs to quit in recent weeks.

The Strathfield MP, who led the party for two years, on Sunday revealed her decision to quit, saying Sydney’s Covid lockdown had given her time to reflect and consider her future.

“It was an honour to be the first-ever NSW Labor leader democratically elected by party members,” she said in a statement.

McKay said her achievements included championing internal reform within the party, embracing multicultural communities and rebuilding Labor’s relationship with the bush.

The 52-year-old relinquished her position as NSW Labor leader in June after a damaging byelection loss in Upper Hunter.

Jodi McKay in May
‘An honour’ to lead NSW Labor: Jodi McKay. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

McKay is the fifth MP to quit this month after previous premier Gladys Berejiklian resigned when Icac announced she was being investigated by the anti-corruption watchdog.

Deputy premier John Barilaro followed two days later, saying he wanted to pursue other career options.

Holsworthy MP Melanie Gibbons announced she would quit to run against Craig Kelly for the federal seat of Hughes, while former transport minister Andrew Constance also announced a federal politics tilt. He wants to win the seat of Gilmore back from Labor.

The resignations will trigger five byelections at a date still to be determined.

Updated

That’s the end of the short Barnaby Joyce appearance. I’ll go back over the transcript and see if that provides any further clarity.

Again, the Joyce conference was a little hard to follow because (a) the questions were not audible and (b) it’s Barnaby, but he had this to say in response to a question that seemed to be about whether he would personally negotiate a climate agreement with the prime minister, Scott Morrison, after hearing from his party. He said that after the party meeting the answers would be:

There is yes, no and maybe. And I suppose maybe leads to further discussions.

Asked about the process in the party room, and whether there will be a vote, Joyce responds:

I think generally in these meetings, people understand the temper of the room and that is basically the way of cabinet. You don’t have votes in cabinet. People will see the room and people have an opportunity to have input and in outcomes they want to see their input and if they do I think that they are pretty happy with that. OK, we’re going for a couple more [questions] and then I’m going to quit.

Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, deputy leader David Littleproud and Nationals senate leader Bridget McKenzie make their way to a Nationals party room meeting to discuss Coalition climate targets in Parliament House.
Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, deputy leader, David Littleproud and Nationals senate leader, Bridget McKenzie make their way to a Nationals party room meeting in Parliament House to discuss Coalition climate targets. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Joyce goes on, saying – in explaining the global coal market – that:

The truth of the demand for coal is floating on Gladstone Harbour. The truth of the demand for coal is floating at [...] Newcastle. And when those ships don’t turn up, or when they start slowing down and not wanting a product, of course, that is the world global market. But right now, that is not the case.

Updated

Joyce is a little hard to follow here, but he’s made reference to, among other things, the fact the party was “swindled” by changes to land management laws (this happened years, if not decades, ago) to explain why the party will be cautious on backing climate targets.

Updated

Nationals 'unlikely' to agree on 2030 climate target – Joyce

Joyce adds he thinks it will be “highly unlikely” to reach an agreement on a 2030 target. He says:

When Mr Taylor [energy minister Angus Taylor] comes I will sure he would give a decision about how he sees that going forward and there will be a type of questions for Mr Taylor. Once he had left the room and people have the capacity to have a discussion with party members within the nationals, they will decide whether - how formative that deal is.

The minister for energy and emissions reduction Angus Taylor on his way to a Nationals party room meeting to discuss Coalition climate targets with the National Party in Parliament House.
The minister for energy and emissions reduction, Angus Taylor, on his way to discuss Coalition climate targets with the National party in Parliament House. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Joyce is speaking ahead of a meeting of his party on climate change targets.

He says:

Something as important as this is a decision that is not made by one person, it is not even made by the leadership movement. It is made by the party in general – the National party.

Updated

Barnaby Joyce speaks to media

The deputy PM and Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, is speaking.

Updated

An update on the Covid situation in the Hunter region of NSW:

There’s now reportedly FIVE byelections due in NSW, following the earlier news Jodi McKay had resigned.

Updated

An emergency physician on how health care workers take news on a day like today, when Victoria announces it’s opening up:

There were a few jabs (pun intended) delivered by the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, to the federal government earlier today. Perhaps Andrews had seen this tweet sent about 10.30 last night by the federal treasurer, Josh Frydenberg:

Here’s the Victorian premier Daniel Andrews confirming the news from earlier today about the end of the state’s lockdown:

Former NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay quits parliament

The former NSW opposition leader Jodi McKay is resigning from parliament.

Updated

And that’s it in Victoria, where premier Daniel Andrews and chief health officer Prof Brett Sutton confirmed lockdown will lift in Melbourne on Friday.

Updated

Sutton asked about masks outside staying as a restriction until the state reaches 80%, including the hypothetical of walking alone at night. As I’ve said, reaching the end of the press conference here.

Coming to the end of the Victorian press conference here. Andrews has left. Sutton taking a few final questions

ACT records 33 new cases

There are nine people in ICU.

No new cases in Tasmania

The Apple Isle is in its second day of a three-day lockdown, and the news is good, AAP reports:

Tasmania is breathing a collective sigh of relief, with no local Covid cases detected as a result of testing around the primary contacts of a coronavirus-infected hotel quarantine escapee.

The island state’s south, including Hobart, was forced into a three-day lockdown on Friday evening after the case, a NSW man, spent about 18 hours in the community.

The 31-year-old, who arrived in the capital on Monday night without a valid border pass and was ordered into quarantine, has allegedly refused to co-operate with contact tracers.

He was arrested in the city’s northern suburbs on Tuesday afternoon after allegedly fleeing the Hobart Travelodge. He subsequently tested positive.

Health authorities say it is still too early to tell whether the lockdown can be lifted on Monday evening as planned.

But the premier, Peter Gutwein, was more forthcoming, describing Sunday’s all-clear as “very welcome news”.

He said 168 primary close contacts of the man had been identified. Of them, 95 have returned negative results.

Tasmania police say the circumstances of the NSW man’s case will be examined once the public health response has concluded.

Hobart, during its snap lockdown. Resident have been under stay-at-home orders since Friday night.
Hobart, during its snap lockdown. Resident have been under stay-at-home orders since Friday night. Photograph: Steve Bell/Getty Images

Updated

New Zealand records 51 new cases of Covid

AAP has just filed this report on the situation in New Zealand:

New Zealand has recorded 51 new community cases of Covid-19, including new unlinked cases in the Waikato.

The Delta outbreak first identified on 17 August rages on in Auckland, comprising 47 of the new infections reported on Sunday.

Of those cases, 23 are yet to be linked back to the outbreak by contact tracers.

On Monday, Jacinda Ardern’s government will review lockdown settings for the three regions currently in lockdown: Auckland, Northland and much of the Waikato. Those regions make up roughly half of New Zealand’s population.

Auckland will stay in lockdown given the uncontrolled spread, which the health ministry predicts will double to more than 100 daily cases within the next fortnight.

Northland looks likely to exit lockdown, with no further cases identified in 10 days since two Auckland women illegally left lockdown into the region, before testing positive for the virus.

The Waikato will be a trickier call for Ardern’s cabinet.

On Sunday, there were four new cases identified - two in Hamilton, one in Raglan and one in Kihikihi - of which only one was already isolating as a household contact.

The lockdown announcement will be made at 4pm NZ time on Monday.

A Covid vaccination bus in Auckland
A Covid vaccination bus in Auckland. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock

Updated

Andrews denies there were any conflicts between the government and the chief health officer about easing some of the restrictions at 70%.

“No, no. We had a series of meetings and discussions. We were able to agree last night,” he said.

Updated

Andrews will not be not drawn on whether there could be a 100,000 capacity crowd at the MCG for round one of the AFL season (somewhat unsurprisingly, given it’s roughly six months off).

Andrews flags that the $200m Mickleham quarantine facility could be used to house those who lose their properties in bushfires in future, and assist in “the next pandemic”, following concerns it will be a white elephant by the time it is completed.

He said:

I heard commentary about this and I am not here to reflect on some of the commentary yesterday ... [from] my good friends in the federal government.

Today is a very positive day, and it is not about them, it is about what Victorians have done. But I would say this – we did not have it at the beginning [of the pandemic] and we will have Mickleham at the beginning of the next one, whatever it may be. We will have Mickleham when next there is a massive bushfire event and we need somewhere to put hundreds and hundreds of people who have lost their homes. We will have Mickleham for all sorts of reasons, and will have Mickleham in just a few months for people who come back here and are not vaccinated. Or when another variant pops up, we will have Mickleham.

So I think it is a very good investment ... We would have been better off if we had at two years ago. We did not, cannot change that, other than getting on and building it now. So we stand ready to run it for whatever cohort and whatever circumstances in which it needs to be used.

Updated

Andrews earlier batted away a question about migration, saying it was a matter for the federal government, but he has now elaborated somewhat.

Reporter: The New South Wales Premier and business leaders have been calling for an even bigger migration program and what we have seen. What are your views?

Andrews:

I think we need to look at what some people have...[termed] snap back, it is not something I use myself, but we have to wait and see how quickly we can, from an economic time for an economic point of view and investment, how quickly can we see a return to something approaching normal, some of those factors would have to be part of this but we’ve had, without getting into an economics debate, our economic growth is attributable to a number of different, not just one, and arguably our state, because we do not dig money out of the ground like some other states do, that more complex economic growth is perhaps more dependent on things like international students.

It is not necessarily a migration issue but all of these matters, I would be confident the Commonwealth government will take into account all of those all of those issues. And you would not want to put more strain in certain areas but it also would not want to starve other areas of the fuel that they need and it comes from more people coming here, and spending and investing. So it’s a good deal more complicated than it sometimes seems and I think more here than other states. But no doubt the Commonwealth will look at that.

Andrews says he will update the state on the plans for events at the 80% mark. He hints at something of a hot vax summer.

We will be able to give you answers to many of the questions that you’ve been asking and we will have a very, very busy summer full of events, large and small, city, suburbs, regions.

Andrews is being asked about Halloween again. Last year he basically had no idea it was on and that it was something people did in Victoria. It is held on 31 October and I can confirm there’s quite a few places already decorated in my corner of Melbourne.

Andrews says:

I understand there is a click-and-collect Halloween this year. You can go to the front of the property but don’t enter the property. They are based on common sense. I stumbled on this last year and ... didn’t have any awareness of the event. I’m happy to say we have made a lot of progress since then. I’m happy to confirm things for you.

Updated

Just to be clear, masks will still be required in Victoria in all settings (including) outside until the 80% plan kicks in.

Andrews gets in another comment about vaccine allocations for NSW, while answering a question about whether that state will benefit from international tourism ahead of Victoria because of their respective vaccination rates.

He says:

While I am interested in economic development in our state not in other states, we are wishing them well and not wishing to be at a disadvantage. I think it is important to acknowledge, some will be saying why are we not at the same place as Sydney is with rules. They are at 80%, we are about to be at 70%. They ticked over 80% yesterday and the rules change tomorrow. We know why they are at 80%. None of us can change that. But we’re going to get there really, really soon and once we do we will be able to have roadmap delivered in full and indeed we may be be able to go beyond that.

Because it will not stop at 80. What we know is that if you have 90% of people with one dose, 99.99% of them will come back and get their second dose, which means that we will not get 80, we will be well above that, analogous [with] all sorts of options.

Updated

Andrews doesn’t give a clear answer about Victoria’s position on international borders, but says he believes the state will be “closely aligned to New South Wales”. He also reveals the former NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, had previously indicated in national cabinet some time ago that they would look to scrap hotel quarantine (a position formally announced by her replacement, Dominic Perrottet this week).

Andrews:

Well, no disrespect to my colleagues in New South Wales, I am not here to make announcements about the issuance of visas and passports. I don’t control international borders. I think the Federal Government have politely pointed that out to the New South Wales government as well. But in any event, we think we will have a National Cabinet meeting quite soon and have a chat about all of these issues. We want to get the place open as fast as we can.

Quarantine is absolutely changing. I think we’re going to see much more home-based quarantine, particularly for people who had the test, who have had two jabs, there are far less risk. And once we are open, we’re not trying to keep it at zero, we are in a fundamentally different phase. We will see international flights arrive in Melbourne and not go to hotel quarantine. They will instead go home for a period of time. It won’t be 14 days, it will be less than that. They might have to get some test done and the vaccinated of course, the rules will be different. Just like going to the pub. They will be different when it comes to what sort of quarantine you have to do. But I think we would all be well served by a National Cabinet discussion which I think would happen quite soon, where we can all talk about these issues and perhaps have some clarity.

The other issue, too, is I think Victoria will be very much aligned with New South Wales when it comes to flights coming in, people coming here for all sorts of different reasons. Of course in my discussions with Dominic, we want to have our borders open, and operate in some respects as one zone. Other states are not indicating they are going to have borders open. So I think you will and up with the East Coast to say,
New South Wales and Victoria, much more closely aligned when it comes to international borders.

New South Wales and Victoria, much more closely aligned when it comes to international borders.

Andrews is asked an interesting question: what will 90% mean as opposed to 80% in terms of how Victoria lives with the virus, long-term?

Andrews:

I don’t look to stop at 90%. It’s not a ceiling. I think it will creep beyond that and maybe get to 92, 93, 94% even. Every jab, every person, every percentage point that is fully vaccinated, that is literally tens of thousands of people less getting sick and finishing up needing ventilation.

It will absolutely impact not just needing hospitalisation, it would impact not just this year but what next year looks like. If you are fully vaccinated, you have absolute, not absolute but considerable, considerable protection – really strong protection against becoming really, really unwell. You may get the virus, you may get mild symptoms or not even know that is the virus. You are at less risk of getting it and giving it. If you happen to get it, you have a vastly reduced risk of ending unwell.

But the positive numbers we are seeing in hospitals, we are seeing reduced length of stay, less people there, and people being less unwell.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media on October 17, 2021 in Melbourne.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media on October 17, 2021 in Melbourne. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Updated

Andrews wants to make the point Victorians should be proud of themselves, rather than quibbling too much about what they will and won’t be able to do when the state reaches 70% on Friday. He says this is especially so given all the “extra vaccine” that went to New South Wales.

Andrews:

If you try to do everything at 80% at 70%, the cumulative amount of movement, the cumulative amount of activity, and no doubt there will be some who are displeased with elements of this, but ... let’s be clear: today is a day every Victorian should be proud. And every Victorian should know that I am grateful, the government is grateful, and we can be optimistic and positive about what has been achieved here. It is absolutely amazing.

To be this closely aligned to New South Wales, to be only a couple of weeks behind New South Wales when we know and understand just how much extra vaccine went there, is a credit to every single Victorian ... There is a little way to go and we have got to finish it off but I am absolutely certain Victorians will do that.

Updated

Reporter: So people from New South Wales will be able to travel to regional Victoria but those from Melbourne cannot. Are you saying there is more Covid-19 in Melbourne?

Andrews:

Yes. That is what the case numbers tell us. Whether or not you can get into Sydney or not would be a matter for the New South Wales government, not really a matter for us. But at this stage, it was going to be no visitors to your home. Now you can have 10, including kids but not little babies, per day.

That is a safe adjustment for us to make. You can move 15km now, it was going to go to 25 but we have decided across metropolitan Melbourne. But you cannot go to regional Victoria without an authorised reason. That is just for a 10-day period or so as we get the numbers from 70% to 80% ... They are not small things, they are quite substantial changes and they will see a lot of people able to access the things they have missed the most, the things they have longed for the most.

As someone who has family 250km away from where I live, it won’t mean I can see my family, but 10 days later, I will be able to do that. I know there will be a lot of people in that circumstance and they will be upset about that, you have got to take ... the steps you can safely take.

Updated

Andrews taking questions now, mostly about not opening up the entire state (ie regional Victorians can’t come into Melbourne and vice versa).

Doesn’t exactly explain the rationale, but says that given it is only going to be for a few days (given the state should reach 80% about 10 days later) he would ask people to be patient.

Updated

Sutton talks about the reality that many Victorians will catch Covid in the next few months:

The reality is a lot of people are going to be exposed to Covid-19 in coming months as many people move around the state and many people interact in all of those places that are opening up. A lot of those people have mild illness, a symptomatically illness, and you won’t know that the person you are standing next to as Covid-19. So we really need to protect everyone and on the basis that we are opening up and that we will have those exposures. It might sound confronting but it is going to be much more manageable and modelling tells us with high vaccination coverage the health system will have significant challenges but it will cope.

Prof Brett Sutton
Covid will become ‘much more manageable’ in Victoria in coming months: Prof Brett Sutton. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Updated

Sutton has this to say about vaccination, including the prospect of Victoria getting to a 95% first dose rate:

In terms of vaccination, we have had a huge uptick in vaccination. We have gone from zero to 35% coverage in over 150 days and then from 35% to 70% mark is going to happen in much, much less than that. It is really extraordinary how we’re shooting up the global rankings in terms of our vaccination coverage. It will make a huge difference to the size and complexity of our break.

It doesn’t seem like a lot to go from 90 to 95% first dose ... but as the premier says it makes a huge difference. What those first doses will do is reduce your risk of hospitalisation and dying significantly. Getting that second dose reduces the risk of transmission really substantially and puts that downward pressure on our case numbers. That is a really important thing. And the number of people who remain completely unvaccinated, to be reduced by half, is hugely important.

It doesn’t seem like a big percentage – we have close to 95% or more for many of the age groups above 50 or 60 years of age now with their first dose, but to go higher is really important. Because those people who remain completely unvaccinated do remain completely vulnerable to severe illness.

Updated

Prof Brett Sutton, the chief health officer, is up. About a third (612) of the 1,838 cases announced today are in the south-east of Melbourne.

He says the Casey local government area recorded 251 new cases.

That is a standout in terms of local government areas. Vaccination rate’s increasing significantly there but from a low base. That is why that vulnerability is reflected in the numbers.

There were 527 cases or 29% in the western suburbs, 149 cases in the northern suburbs and 142 new cases in regional Victoria, Sutton says.

Updated

Andrews is now emphasising there will still be huge impacts on the health system, and not just for those with Covid, as the state opens up. But he’s thrilled with the level of vaccination.

We have reached this 70% mark in record time. And at the same time as reaching 70% double dose, we are about to push through 90% single dose. That is quite an amazing achievement. Now, single dose is not the same as double, but it does provide a significant degree of protection. So it is meaningful when you get to that very, very high level – nine out of 10 people over the age of 16 and pretty well nine out of 10 people over the age of 12.

That younger group – 12, 13, 14 and 15 -year-olds – are racing to get the jab and they are hot on the heels of the rest of the community, even though they have only been recently added into the commonwealth vaccination program. So that is why it is safe for us to make these changes ... and that is why we have said the more people who get vaccinated, the more options we will have to get back to normal, or at least Covid normal.

Updated

Andrews believes Victoria will reach 80% earlier than expected, perhaps around 2 November. Changes to the road map are possible because the case numbers are not converting into hospitalisations as much as they had expected, he says.

Now, in terms of what is next after this 70% double dose gateway, if you like, we are predicting that we will be able to get to 80% double dose on or about Melbourne Cup day. It could even be a few days before then. The settings will be in place for that short period. At 80%, it is our intention to deliver the road map as has been outlined. And that is much bigger, much broader, much more significant change because it is [at] 80%.

There is a very significant difference between 70% protected and 80% protected. Why have we been able to make these changes today? Well, as [in] the Burnet modelling – which has been provided to all of you and I think you have been briefed on the contents of the Burnet modelling – we have more case numbers than we would like but they are not converting into hospitalisations.

Updated

Andrews announces there are other changes to the roadmap: there will now be up to 20 people allowed inside at hospitality venues, as well as 50 outside, subject to density limits.

Updated

From Friday, there will be no restrictions on leaving your home or curfew, and no travel limit within metropolitan Melbourne.

People in Melbourne cannot visit regional Victoria.

Ten visitors, including dependents, will be able to visit your home per day. We believe that is appropriate. Both of these measures are different to those specified in the previous roadmap, Andrews says.

Updated

Victorian lockdown to end on Friday

Andrews says he is pleased to announce that from 11.59pm on Thursday the lockdown will lift.

Updated

Andrews says there are 777 people in hospital, down from 788 people the previous day. He says 151 are in intensive care and 94 are on a ventilator (also drops from yesterday).

Approximately 90% of those in hospital and, so, 90% of those in hospital and 97% of those in intensive care were not fully vaccinated. Nothing tells the story of the power and the protection of vaccination more than those starts.And they are not numbers, they are people that are very, very unwell.Some of whom are gravely unwell, gasping for air, they are not vaccinated, not fully vaccinated, almost all of them. So there is every reason - every reason - to get vaccinated like so many Victorians already have.

Andrews says the seven people who died yesterday include a man in his 50s, a woman in her 60s, a man in his 70s and four people in their 80s.

Victorian update

The premier, Daniel Andrews, is up.

Updated

I can reveal it does look like they have a new backdrop for this Victorian Covid-19 press conference. More news as it comes to hand.

Morning all. Excited for the announcement the Andrews government will give everyone paid leave for the next three months to have as much fun if they want* (alternatively, if you do not like fun you can go out to Mickleham and help them build the new quarantine facility).

* No idea what they will announce but it won’t be this.

Updated

And with that I will hand over to my colleague, the brilliant Nino Bucci.

Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral, the first Catholic church in Australia, will reopen tomorrow (Monday 18 October) at 6.30am as restrictions ease again in NSW.

St Mary’s Cathedral
St Mary’s Cathedral. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

In the last eight years of Coalition rule, there have been more than 20 different climate and energy policies, which have been announced with fanfare before fizzing into the background or just being trashed altogether.

Amy Remeikis provides a brilliant rundown of what the past eight years has looked like:

Updated

Queensland hits out at Perrottet over quarantine shift

Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles has taken a jab at NSW premier Dominic Perrottet’s decision to scrap quarantine for fully vaccinated international arrivals from 1 November, which was reportedly announced before he consulted his state and territory counterparts.

Miles said the “federal government’s so-called national plan is in tatters now thanks to the prime minister’s buddy in NSW” and that Queensland would stick to the national plan.

He said the NSW government had “just stopped listening to the health advice”.

Updated

“Get a jab and a snag” will go down in the history books as Australia’s vaccine strategy and I’m not mad about it.

Queensland records zero new local Covid cases

Queensland has recorded no new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases.

The deputy premier, Steven Miles, says there are now just 28 active cases in the state.

He says 19,641 Queenslanders were vaccinated in the last 24 hours by Queensland Health. More than 4,000 of those were administered at Bunnings Warehouse.

That means that 56% of Queenslanders aged 16 years and over have been fully vaccinated, and 72.07% have had at least one dose.

People queue to get a Covid vaccine at a Bunnings store in Brisbane on Saturday
People queue to receive Covid vaccinations at a Bunnings store in Brisbane on Saturday. Photograph: Dan Peled/Getty Images

Updated

Queensland’s deputy premier and chief health officer will be providing a Covid-19 update very soon. I’ll bring you the details once I have them.

Updated

If reading these posts has caused you any concerns there are people you can call for help.

Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Over on Insiders this morning, Labor senator Katy Gallagher held the party line on Anthony Byrne when it came to questions over why he is still in the Labor party.

Byrne gave evidence at Victoria’s anti-corruption commission, Ibac, where he admitted to branch stacking against party rules and also admitted to using taxpayer staff for factional work (staffers employed by the parliament are not meant to engage in party business).

Labor went very strong on calling for Michael Sukkar to be dropped from the Liberals when he was accused of branch stacking (Sukkar maintained his innocence from the beginning and was cleared of wrongdoing) but so far, Anthony Albanese has been silent on Byrne’s future.

Gallagher said it was only right for the hearings to conclude before any decisions were made.

She said:

We need to allow the hearings to conclude, and in terms of recommendations and findings that Ibac comes up with, they will need to be acted upon, but we – it is not right while someone is in the dock providing evidence to provide a running commentary on testimony Anthony Byrne is helping with the inquiry.

It is right that we wait until that work is complete. We respect the role of those corruption bodies. That’s why we’ve been arguing for one nationally. We need it in place.

Updated

The mother of a four-year-old girl who went missing at a campsite in rural Western Australia has spoken about her daughter’s disappearance.

AAP has the story:

The mother of a four-year-old girl missing from a campsite in rural Western Australia says she misses the sparkle in her daughter’s eyes.

Cleo Smith was last seen about 1.30am on Saturday at the Blowholes campsite on the coast at Macleod, north of Carnarvon.

The girl was wearing a pink one-piece sleepsuit with a blue and yellow pattern when she was last seen.

Her worried mother, Ellie Smith, took to social media early on Sunday pleading for help.

“It’s been over 24 hours since I have last seen the sparkle in my little girl’s eyes! Please help me find her,” she posted.

Earlier, Smith posted that she had woken at 6am on Saturday to find her daughter wasn’t in their shared tent.

She described Cleo’s disappearance as “very very unusual”.

WA police have said the land search continued overnight with marine and air assets to rejoin the search at first light on Sunday morning.

Updated

The federal government has announced one-off welfare payments of up to $5000 in value for women fleeing domestic violence.

Our friends at AAP have the story:

Women escaping violent relationships will be eligible for one-off federal welfare payments of up to $5,000.

The assistance, which is available from Tuesday, will come in the form of $1,500 cash and the remainder in goods and services or direct payments of bonds, school fees or other support to help establish a safe home.

The UnitingCare Australia consortium has been selected as the service provider for the two-year Escaping Violence Payment trial.

It will also assist women to engage with other relevant agencies that support them and their children, including commonwealth or state and territory government-funded community services.

The women’s safety minister, Anne Ruston, says the money will help address the financial barriers that may stop women leaving violent relationships.

“We know that financial hardship as well as economic abuse, which may involve interfering with work or controlling or withholding money, reduces women’s ability to acquire and use money and it makes it difficult to leave violent relationships,” she said on Sunday.

“We know the size of the house a woman is fleeing doesn’t matter - often she bundles the kids into the car, maybe the dog too, and they leave with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.”

UnitingCare Australia National Director Claerwen Little said the network had extensive experience supporting victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence.

Its staff would in turn leverage that knowledge to provide a “wrap-around service” for women and their children.

The Escaping Violence Payment is not considered taxable or reportable income and will not impact any other social security payments.

Eligibility includes financial stress and evidence of domestic violence including, but not limited to, a referral from a family and domestic violence service provider with a risk assessment and safety plan, an AVO, court order or a police report.

Women can apply for the payment through UnitingCare Network from Tuesday.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Lifeline 13 11 14

Updated

We have more information about NSW’s $130m investment into mental health across the state (after a very detail-light press conference).

The goal is to make more appointments available for psychology and psychiatry services, free up more mental health beds, and launch the biggest suicide-prevention training program ever undertaken in the state.

Here’s how the $130m will be used:

  • $35m over two years to boost the surge capacity of the mental health clinical workforce. In partnership with Primary Health Networks, NSW Health will be able to access privately practising psychologists and psychiatrists and other mental health professionals for NSW residents. It’s estimated this will create an extra 60,000 psychiatry consultations and 85,000 consults with other mental health professionals, including psychologists.
  • $35m over two years to boost the surge capacity of the mental health clinical workforce.
  • $20m over 18 months to provide up to 55,000 additional GP and clinical psychiatrist sessions for young people through their local Headspace centre. It will also enable masters and doctorate psychology students and social work and occupational therapy students to undertake placements at headspace centres and deliver clinical sessions for young people.
  • $14m over two years to train 275,000 people across NSW in suicide prevention training. The training will target high school teachers and support staff; parents; youth influencers (eg sports coaches, club managers); community groups and peer leaders.
  • $21m over four years to employ 18 FTE Aboriginal care navigators and 18 FTE Aboriginal peer workers across NSW. These roles will link Aboriginal Australians to a range of culturally-appropriate mental health and suicide prevention services.
  • $16.5m over four years to address the increase in eating disorder presentations. This funding will increase frontline workforce capacity to recognise and respond to eating disorder presentations. It will also fund the Butterfly Foundation to admit NSW residents into its national eating disorders centre at Wandi Nerida in Queensland.
  • $6m over two years to build the capacity of caseworkers and casework managers to provide timely support to child protection practitioners at high risk of trauma.
  • $5m over two years to fund a grants program for local community wellbeing events.
  • $3m over one year to assist NSW sporting bodies to deliver mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
  • $3m over one year to provide access to private beds for 12-24-year-olds experiencing complex trauma and eating disorders. This will be trialled in South Western Sydney local health district.
  • $2.6m over two years to expand Gidget Foundation’s services and provide an extra 280 psychological sessions every month.
  • $3.2m over four years to establish a Multicultural Mental Health Line – a NSW first.

Updated

A reporter has asked Perrottet about his announcement that the state will remove quarantine restrictions for vaccinated international arrivals on November 1, and which international arrivals will be prioritised.

Perrottet says 500 international students will arrive in NSW in December.

Obviously we look forward to the work the Federal Government does in relation to, in relation to visas. But we have already, we have already got a pathway forward for international students, 500 international students arriving in December.

For many people, they will say, why are you prioritising international students? Well, we’re doing that because it is an important industry for our state. It supports close to 100,000 people. 100,000 people right across New South Wales rely on that industry to put food on the table and provide to their families. So we will continue to do what we can to open up our state as safely as possible so that we can set up our state for future success.

Updated

NSW schools to reopen tomorrow

The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, is talking about whether it is safe to reopen schools tomorrow to all students.

I believe is premier, from the advice I have received, that tomorrow we will be able to open schools safely. That is what is most important. Health will also provide advice from time to time, if schools need to close, we have seen this over a period of time where schools have been closed for certain students. I approach this day, tomorrow, with lots of confidence. I know that they will be some nervous parents and some nervous children.But lots of excited kids as well.

But he says that primary schools children will not be required to wear a mask, though it is recommended for kids in years 3 and above.

Anybody who has young kids knows how hard it would be to keep the mask on a kindergarten child. We’ve got to be realistic here. This is commonsense. Throughout last 18 months, this has been consistent through the pandemic, we have to make commonsense decisions based on the circumstances we find ourselves in. We know that in high school, we have mandated it because that works. But what we have said to primary school parents in primary school students is that we highly recommend masks for students who are Year 3 and above. But let’s just use common sense, we want schools to open safely and this is the approach, we have worked through that with health and education, we think we have learned about well.

Updated

Meanwhile, on ABC Insiders, Labor senator Katy Gallagher was asked whether everyone should get a $300 payment for getting vaccinated. Gallgher said “I think probably the time has passed for that”.

Finance minister Simon Birmingham has weighed in:

Finance minister Simon Birmingham appeared on Sky News this morning, where he “absolutely” rejected any suggestion the Nationals were deciding Australia’s climate policy.

“The government is deciding the government’s climate change policy,” he said.

“We bring together people right across the country to be able to effectively consider all of the implications and issues.”

The fact of the matter though, is if Scott Morrison wants to have anything legislated, he needs the Nationals to be on board. Because if those making the most noise against any targets decide to cross the floor, then the legislation won’t get up. That’s just on the numbers. If the noisy Nationals are still noisy at the end of this, and decide to dig in, there goes any easy chance the government has of getting it’s plan legislated. It would need the support of the independents, who in the House, have been vocal about the government going a lot further than what we have heard they are willing to do so far.

That’s why the meeting is so important today.

Okay, more detail about the NSW mental health announcement is trickling in (slowly).

The funding is going to help train more high-level clinical psychology masters students to work at Headspace. It is also going to support more psychiatrists to provide services for Headspace.

I note that there is an AUSLAN interpreter at today’s NSW press conference (following criticism that the premier had stopped including interpreters at his pressers).

NSW announces $130m for mental health support

The NSW govt has announced a $130m investment in mental health in the state.

They will train 275,000 people to go out into the community and have conversations about mental health.

(will bring you more detail once we know it)

Updated

Perrottet starts by thanking everyone for getting vaccinated, after the state hit the 80% double dose vaccination rate yesterday.

“It is the people of NSW who are leading the way out of this pandemic,” he said.

Okay, over to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet who is also holding a press conference (once again, during the sacred hour of ABC Insiders!)

A journalist has asked whether the decision by Dominic Perrottet to open up international travel for citizens and Australian residents (without telling the other states and territories first) means the national plan has been torn up and every state and territory is going to go on its own path?

Greg Hunt says no, NSW will have 80% of eligible residents fully vaccinated, meaning the move is in line with the plan.

Chief Health Officer Professor Paul Kelly is now speaking.

He’s mentioned how the Australian government has reopened quarantine-free travel from New Zealand’s south island, which has not had any cases since last year. That quarantine-free travel will commence from Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, on ABC Insiders:

As you know the Nationals are being shown the Morrison plan for emissions reduction in a special meeting today, because nothing says democracy like letting the minor party which has largely held up any action at all for the past decade decide just how much action we can take moving forward.

As our political editor Katharine Murphy has previously reported, there are still plenty of undecideds in the Nationals camp, so it’s going to be a battle.

The most recent mail is not to expect any decisions today. The PM would like to be able to get a consensus, obviously. He wants to be able to take it to cabinet tomorrow and then the joint party room on Tuesday to be signed off, but there is every indication this could continue to play out and be discussed over the next two weeks of parliament sittings.

We’ll keep you updated.

Updated

Australia secures 515,000 doses of Covid-19 anti-viral treatments

Federal health minister Greg Hunt has announced Australia has purchased 15,000 units of a new anti-viral treatment, Ronapreve.

Hunt says the drug has a 70% reduction in hospitalisation and loss of life rates. They are expected to arrive sometime this month in Australia and will be made available to patients to slow the development and reduce the consequences of Covid-19.

Australia has also secured 500,000 of a new Pfizer drug - an oral anti-viral that will be available in 2022, subject to the completion of trials.

BUT FIRST federal health minister Greg Hunt is speaking.

Looks like NSW premier Dominic Perrottet is set to speak at a press conference very soon (while ABC Insider’s is on?)

In NSW, 619 people in hospital with Covid-19. Of those, 137 people in ICU.

In better news though, 91.9% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 80% of people aged 16+ have had two doses.

NSW has recorded 301 local cases and 10 deaths

Victoria has recorded 1,838 new local cases and seven deaths

This comes ahead of Nationals MPs meeting today to discuss a potential climate deal for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Federal Nationals MPs will meet on Sunday to discuss a possible climate deal that Scott Morrison could take to Glasgow for the Cop26 climate talks.

Peter Dutton, a cabinet minister and one-time leadership rival to Morrison, on Friday joined those saying he supported a net zero target, but argued it needed to include “certainty” for mining communities in Gladstone and the Hunter Valley.

“That’s what the Nats are fighting for, and that’s what the Coalition has always fought for and it’s why we won those seats at the last election,” he told Channel Nine.

“We’ll get the balance right. I think we can arrive at an agreement and this will happen over the next few days, but I think it’s incredibly important that the Nats are allowed to have their party room to discuss it.”

The NSW government will provide $86m in funding to individuals and businesses in the arts industry as the state reopens.

The state treasurer, Matt Kean, said “this funding commitment will allow the arts and cultural sector to relaunch with certainty and confidence to deliver works that audiences have missed over the past year”.

The funding will be delivered by Create NSW through the following programs:

  • $50m for the performing arts relaunch package - giving arts companies confidence to reopen as audiences return to theatres and other performance venues
  • $25m for the festival relaunch package - to support commercial and not-for-profit festivals
  • $5m theatre and film strategy - to develop film studio and theatre infrastructure and help secure international productions
  • $5m for culture up late - to extend evening programs across Sydney and more opportunities for people to experience museums and galleries at night.
  • $1m for film festivals - to support international film festivals across Sydney, western Sydney and south-western Sydney for independent, commercial and outdoor cinemas

The state government has also set up an Event Saver Fund to provide support in case major festivals and events are impacted by Covid-19 cancellations or postponements in 2022.

The latest $86m funding for the arts and cultural sector comes in addition to the $75m funding for the performing arts and live music announced earlier this
year, and the $50m rescue and restart funding package announced in 2020.

Updated

Good Morning! It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here to bring you the news today, Sunday 17 October.

Let’s dive straight in.

Victoria is set to reopen earlier than planned, with the state on track to hit its 70% double-dose vaccination target this week.

Restrictions were set to ease for Melbourne on 26 October. But the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is expected to confirm a new reopening date at this morning’s press conference.

Under the roadmap, once the state hits the 70% fully-vaccinated mark, the curfew and restrictions on leaving your home will end. Up to 10 people will be allowed to gather outsides. Pubs, clubs and entertainment venues will be allowed to open to 50 fully vaccinated people outdoors. And all students will be allowed to go back to school onsite, at least part-time.

Meanwhile, in NSW restrictions are set to ease again from Monday, after the premier, Dominic Perrottet, announced that 80% of its eligible residents were now fully vaccinated.

From tomorrow, fully vaccinated people will be allowed to have 20 people over to their house, and gatherings of 50 vaccinated people will be allowed outside. The cap on patrons will be removed at hospitality venues, hairdressers and beauticians, and nightclubs will reopen for the first time since the outbreak began. There will also no longer be a limit on the number of guests at weddings and funerals.

Schools are also set to start back in NSW tomorrow.

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