Coronavirus live news: Victoria awaits lockdown decision; anti-mask protests held in Europe
Hi, Helen Sullivan here. I’ll be bringing you the most important information from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ press conference live in ten minutes’ time.
A reminder that you can find me on Twitter @helenrsullivan – questions, comments and news are welcome.
Two new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Australian state of Queensland, health officials have just announced:
Today we are confirming two new cases of Covid-19 inQueensland. We are also confirming that three have recovered meaning that our total number of active cases now at 25.
We tested 6062 people. The two new cases, one is a sibling, a female sibling of student at theStaines College, known to have been a contact with somebody who has Covid-19 and was already in quarantine.
The other is a 32-year-old nurse from the Ipswich Hospital known to have contact with Covid-19-positive patients.
Helen Sullivan (@helenrsullivan)
This dad in Melbourne was given a north face jacket for father’s day in honour of Dan Andrews – “the finest Victorian 🦠 Fathers Day gift any father could want,” he says: pic.twitter.com/kxCX1Mfsuj
September 6, 2020
Here is the case breakdown for New South Wales, Australia today, from the department of health:
Of the 10 new cases to 8pm last night:
Four are returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine
Four are locally acquired and linked to a known source or cluster, including three linked to the CBD cluster, bringing the total to 64
One is a contact of a previously reported case, a woman in her 30s from South Western Sydney
Two casesare under investigation – a man in his 40s from Northern Sydney and a child from Western Sydney
Two of the new cases attend Year 7 at Kincoppal Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart. The high school will be closed tomorrow, but the early learning centre and junior school will be open as normal. One of today’s new cases attends Lidcombe Public School. Both schools being cleaned and contact tracing is continuing.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews will hold a press conference at 12pm to announce the roadmap out of stage four restrictions.
A draft of the roadmap leaked yesterday showed that Melbourne would remain in stage four lockdown – with a curfew in place between the hours of 8pm and 5am and permits required for anyone travelling to work – until 28 September.
Modelling released by the government today suggested that restrictions could be in place until mid-October. So it’s not expected to be a happy announcement.
The federal government is keeping a watchful eye on the Victorian’s ‘roadmap’ out of its harsh Covid–19 restrictions, AAP reports.
Premier Daniel Andrews will on Sunday unveil his plan to eventually end the lockdowns across Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Daily case numbers in the southern state have been tracking steadily down in recent weeks and are now usually below 100.
Federal Liberal MP Ben Morton and assistant minister to Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Mr Andrews’ plan has been developed by the Victorian government for Victoria alone.
“It’s not a plan that’s been developed in partnership or close consultation with the Commonwealth,” Mr Morton told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda program.
He said the plan must ensure Victoria now has the testing, tracing and quarantine capacity like that in NSW.
“Any plan to avoid lockdowns and any plan to get out of lockdowns has to demonstrate that there are those mechanisms,” he said.
Friction between federal and state governments over border closures remains with Western Australia refusing to join other states aiming to reopen before Christmas at Friday’s national cabinet.
Mexico has recorded an extra 122,765 deaths above expectations during the pandemic up to August, the health ministry said on Saturday in a report about excess mortality rates, suggesting Mexico’s true coronavirus toll could be much higher, Reuters reports.
Mexico has recorded 67,326 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus.
Mexico’s health ministry on Saturday reported 6,319 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 475 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 629,409 cases and 67,326 deaths.
The government has said the real number of infected people is likely to be significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
Volunteer Fatima Rodriguez (R) speaks with Maria Luisa Moreno (C) and her son Marcos Hernandez at the improvised street classroom called “Rinconcito de Esperanza” (Little Corner of Hope), set up as part of the “All For Leo Movement” in Heroes de Padierna neighbourhood in Mexico City, on 3 September 2020. Photograph: Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images
Victorian children have now been enduring remote schooling for about 17 weeks or almost two terms – virtually half of their 2020 school year. Earlier in the year, Naplan was abandoned, and for year 12 students in Victoria a “consideration of educational disadvantage” process will calculate final-year students’ ranking for university entry.
For primary school kids, half-yearly reports were adjusted to reflect the emotional wellbeing of the student and report broadly on their progress, rather than stick to any attempt to assess as per normal. Expectations across the board have had to be tweaked, partly to prioritise wellbeing, and partly because it’s so difficult to assess kids remotely. So what are the lessons from learning in lockdown?
It is father’s day here in Australia. Our best wishes to all the dads – and especially to those in Victoria, who may not have seen their grown-up children in weeks, or who may have been doing a much larger amount than usual of fathering lately.
We know it must be a mixed one given not only restrictions but the lockdown decision expected later today. How are you celebrating under lockdown?
Potential exposure to Covid-19 continues in Sydney after two cases were linked to a CBD medical centre, AAP reports.
Staff and some patients at Hyde Park Medical Centre in Liverpool Street have been advised to isolate and get tested.
Other patients who attended the centre’s physiotherapy, pathology, dermatology and dental practices and pharmacy on the ground floor between 24 August and 5 September must watch for symptoms.
It comes after the state recorded five new coronavirus cases on Saturday from more than 30,000 tests, including four linked to the City Tattersalls Club gym cluster.
That cluster now numbers 61 people.
Another case was confirmed in a health worker who wore PPE at Concord Hospital on September 1 and Liverpool Hospital on 3 September.
NSW Health has also issued health alerts for Kuleto’s Cocktail Bar in Newtown on August 28, Bondi Platinum Fitness First on August 31 and Randwick Fitness First from August 30 to September 1 after they were visited by confirmed Covid-19 cases.
Six Covid-19 cases in NSW are in intensive care, with four ventilated.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to provide his roadmap for the easing of lockdown restrictions – which may not happen until October – at midday today.
Just in case you missed it, Victoria reported 63 new coronavirus cases today. Sadly, five people have died in the last 24 hours:
VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS)
#COVID19VicData for 6 September, 2020. There were 63 new cases and 5 deaths reported in Victoria in the past 24 hours. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected. More information will be available later today. pic.twitter.com/M9zpoShNRb
September 5, 2020
Melbourne could remain under stage-four restrictions until mid-October, according to modelling from the University of Melbourne, which suggests if restrictions are lifted before the 14-day average drops below 25 new cases a day there would be a third wave of infections.
The modelling was released by the Victorian government in the lead-up to a much-awaited press conference by the premier, Daniel Andrews, on Sunday which will set out the plan for moving the state out of lockdown.
People wearing masks walks past a wall mural on 6 September 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. Photograph: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
Stage-four restrictions, which were introduced in Melbourne on 2 August, are due to expire on 13 September. Andrews has already hinted they may be extended.
The modelling, circulated by the premier’s office, indicates that the restrictions could be extended until the daily case numbers average 25 new cases a day or lower – which, on the current rate of decline, would mean extending stage four for four to five more weeks.
Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
My name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be bringing you the latest updates from Australia and the rest of the world for the next few hours.
Italy and Croatia saw protests against coronavirus measures on the weekend, with several thousand people rallying on Saturday in the Croatian capital Zagreb and about 1,000 people demonstrating in the heart of Rome against the mandatory use of face masks and compulsory vaccination for schoolchildren.
Meanwhile in Australia, Victorians have been warned daily coronavirus cases might not be low enough by mid-September to safely ease restrictions, raising the prospect of more months under lockdown.
Here are the other key developments from the last few hours:
Portugal reported 486 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, its biggest daily increase since the week its lockdown was lifted in May.
The UK recorded 1,813 new infections on Saturday, slightly down from the 1,940 cases that were reported Friday, the highest figure since 30 May.
Brazil recorded 30,168 additional confirmed cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, as well as 682 deaths from the disease, and remains the second-worst affected country globally.
France reported 8,550 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, slightly down from Friday’s new all-time record of 8,975 daily additional infections.
Covid-19 could now be endemic in some parts of England that combine severe deprivation, poor housing and large BAME communities, according to a highly confidential government analysis.
Democratic US vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she would not trust Donald Trump with a potential coronavirus vaccine.
The lengthy coronavirus shutdown of pubs in Ireland that’s beenin place since mid-March has hit rural communities particularly hard.
Several thousand people rallied on Saturday in the Croatian capital Zagreb to protest against coronavirus measures, which they said endangered human rights and freedoms.
About 1,000 people demonstrated in the heart of Rome on Saturday against the mandatory wearing of face masks and compulsory vaccination for schoolchildren.
