Summary
- More than 6 million people have now been infected with COVID-19, and the global death toll has passed 368,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.
- Australia recorded 11 new cases yesterday, all in Victoria. Today, NSW has confirmed another three and Victoria another four. That brings the national total to 7192, while the death toll stands at 103.
- The EU has urged US President Donald Trump to rethink his decision to cut American funding for the World Health Organisation.
- Medical experts have warned of a new wave of vaccine sceptics and called for a pro-vaccine information campaign after hundreds of anti-vaccination protesters marched on Saturday.
Latest updates
NRL set to fight for ANZ money for suburban grounds
What is changing on Monday in NSW?
What's happened so far today
For anyone just catching up, this is what you need to know from today so far:
- The world has passed a new milestone with more than 6 million people now diagnosed with COVID-19. More than 369,000 people have died from the virus.
- Victoria has confirmed six new cases (a net total of four after two others were revised), while NSW has had another three. That brings the total in Australia to 7192, and the death toll remains at 103.
- Victorian authorities are scrambling to track the source of a coronavirus outbreak that has infected 13 people from two households in Melbourne's north-west.
- Queensland has lifted its ban on travel within the state, but its borders remain closed.
- The NSW government will spend $3 billion on a fund for priority infrastructure, including $810 million that would have been spent on refurbishing ANZ Stadium.
- Fears are growing that the massive Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the United States amid this pandemic will lead to a surge in new cases and more deaths in the country which is already by far the worst hit.
That's all from me for today's coronavirus blog. This is Jenny Noyes signing off. My colleague Sarah Keoghan will continue to bring you our live, free coverage of the pandemic through into this evening.
Victoria scrambles to contain outbreak in Melbourne's north-west
By Rachael Dexter
Authorities in Victoria are scrambling to track the source of a coronavirus outbreak that has infected 13 people from two households in Keilor Downs, as cafes, pubs and restaurants across the state prepare to welcome patrons back on Monday.
The latest COVID-19 case at Holy Eucharist Primary School in St Albans is linked to the growing Keilor Downs cluster in Melbourne. Credit:Luis Ascui
Six new cases were recorded in Victoria overnight since Saturday and two earlier cases were reclassified, bringing the state's overall tally to 1649.
Two of the new cases were linked to a family outbreak in Keilor Downs which has now infected 13 people across two homes, forced the closure of two schools and sent over 100 students into self isolation.
Keilor Downs Secondary College and Holy Eucharist Primary School in St Albans will reopen on Monday after related positive coronavirus cases last week.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said 80 students from Keilor Downs, and a further 20 at Holy Eucharist, were all in isolation.
Six students from Taylors Lakes Secondary College and one St Albans Secondary College student are also in isolation after they attended a VET class with an infected student at Keilor Downs Secondary last Tuesday.
Minister Mikakos urged locals in the Keilor Downs area with even minor symptoms area to come forward for testing as soon as possible, warning of a new cluster taking off.
A new pop-up testing clinic has been established at the Keilor Downs community hub.
Australia could eliminate COVID-19... but there's a catch
By Dana McCauley
Stamping out COVID-19 is within Australia's sights as the growth of new cases slows to a trickle, but a leading infectious disease expert says it will take at least a year of living with restrictions before the coronavirus could be declared eliminated.
Professor Raina MacIntyre from the University of NSW Kirby Institute said that although the number of confirmed cases in Australia was now low, the key to eliminating COVID-19 was in stamping out community transmission, where the virus spreads without a known source.
Professor Raina MacIntyre said face masks are "a low-risk intervention".Credit:Peter Braig
"Elimination means not having sustained domestic transmission," Professor MacIntyre said.
"Australia can achieve this, but it would require a demonstration of a sustained period of low disease incidence - probably a year or more."
In that time, she said, authorities would need to maintain high levels of testing and contact tracing, keep international borders closed, continue with social distancing and potentially introduce "universal face mask use".
Inside NSW's rush to reopen
By Michael Koziol
In March, NSW and Victoria were on a unity ticket, tussling with the Prime Minister and making a case for faster shutdowns and greater caution against a virus that was starting to take a heavy toll.
But in the past few weeks, NSW has thrown caution to the wind. Despite having the highest case load of any state, and the ignominy of the Ruby Princess fiasco, it has raced to reopen.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has led the way.Credit:Kate Geraghty
From the moment Premier Gladys Berejiklian allowed 10 people to patronise cafes and restaurants, and gather outdoors, there have been near-daily announcements.
Tomorrow, pubs and clubs can open to 50 patrons. Beauty salons are back. So are the zoos. One experienced government relations practitioner described the change in direction as "whiplash".
The shift in the Premier's rhetoric was just as stark. An emphasis on caution was replaced by an abundance of confidence, stressing the importance of the economy and that although breakouts were expected, there would be no turning back.
Several forces combined to spur on the change. A sophisticated data analytics system gave the government confidence it was winning the war. Dire economic projections put the wind under Perrottet and the cabinet. Pressure from Canberra played a role, as did an irrepressible sense of NSW exceptionalism: that the premier state had a duty to lead the country out of the crisis.
NSW Premier announces $3 billion infrastructure fund
By Harriet Alexander
The NSW government will spend $3 billion on a fund for priority infrastructure, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced.
Ms Berejiklian said the program would provide employment to thousands of people after 221,000 people in NSW lost their jobs in one month.
"Every spare dollar we have will be dedicated to jobs and to health and let's make no mistake about that," Ms Berejiklian said.
Ms Berejiklian said state coffers had been hit hard by the drought, bushfires and COVID-19.
Part of the money would be found by redirecting $810 million that would have been spent on refurbishing ANZ Stadium and the rest through borrowing and asset recycling.
"We have to support people coming off Job Keeper without a hope of getting a job. That's a big ask and unless we make the decisions we've announced today we have no hope whatsoever of getting people back into the workforce and that's our primary priority."
Watch: Live update from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet are providing an update on NSW response to the COVID-19 pandemic from midday.
Fitness lobby pressure on 'totally illogical' gym closures
By Caitlin Fitzsimmons
The NSW government is under increasing pressure from the fitness industry to reopen the state's 1500 gyms, with the peak fitness body calling it "totally illogical" for gyms to remain closed while restaurants, bars and beauty salons are permitted to reopen.
Jo Aitcheson with Jack Pellegrini, who both trained at City Gym pre-pandemic.Credit:Steven Siewert
Fitness Australia chief executive Barry Elvish said every other state in Australia had either reopened gyms or set a date to relax the restrictions imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We believe, and we've got the best advice from Safe Work Australia from their medical people, that the protocols we put in place will be much, much safer than going to a bar and having a drink," Mr Elvish said.
These safety measures include spacing out machinery, shutting down water fountains and shower facilities, and providing sanitiser for people to wipe down the equipment before use.
The national cabinet three-step roadmap to reopening the economy announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison just over three weeks ago recommends indoor gyms open for 20 people in step two, while pubs remain shut until step three.
But the NSW government is letting pubs, cafes and restaurants serve up to 50 customers from Monday, and Premier Gladys Berejiklian said last week there was no timeframe for gyms to reopen given the health risks.
The Premier is giving a press conference at midday, so perhaps we'll find out if this pressure has had an impact.
Queensland lifts ban on travel within the state
By Stuart Layt
In a press conference at the same time as her Victorian counterpart, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a lifting of travel bans within the state, but its borders remain closed.
Ms Palaszczuk said she believed it was the best way to boost struggling local tourism operators while also balancing health concerns around opening the state borders to interstate visitors.
The Premier has been under pressure in recent weeks from NSW and federal government figures as well as business groups to reopen the borders to stimulate the economy and help struggling businesses.
Queensland has recorded another day of no new coronavirus cases on Sunday, with a cumulative total of 1058 cases.
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2020-05-31 04:55:00Z
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