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Summary
- The global death toll from coronavirus has passed 373,000 and there are more than 6.2 million known cases of infection. More than 2.6 million people have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University.
- The Queensland man thought to be Australia's youngest COVID-19 victim has tested negative for the virus after his death.
- A Melbourne nursing home is in lockdown after a staff member tested positive, while a kindergarten teacher has also been diagnosed with the virus. They are among 10 new cases confirmed in Victoria.
- New Australian research suggests coronavirus could become a seasonal disease, with people at greater risk of contracting it during winter, as the humidity drops.
- The Reserve Bank will meet today to discuss the progress of Australia's economic recovery from the pandemic and is expected to keep rates on hold at a record-low 0.25 per cent.
Latest updates
'So deeply sorry': Qld Health Minister apologies to Turner family
By Matt Dennien
Queensland's Health Minister Steven Miles has apologised to the family of the 30-year-old Blackwater man believed to be the nation’s youngest person to die with COVID-19, who has since tested negative to the virus.
However, Mr Miles says the swift response by health authorities in the region to Nathan Turner’s initial positive test was needed to help stop the spread.
"Overnight the coroner confirmed that they had multiple negative tests of COVID-19 post-mortem," Mr Miles told reporters a short time ago.
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles says he is deeply sorry.Credit:AAP
"Our ability to control this virus requires us to respond rapidly to every single positive test, we have to treat every positive test as though it is a positive case."
Mr Miles said he wanted to "personally apologise" to Mr Turner’s partner and family for "any distress that our actions in responding rapidly have caused".
"I know it’s been incredibly distressing for them and to have to grieve under these circumstances, under this level of scrutiny, in some cases in quarantine, has only compounded that tragedy and their grief and to them I am so deeply sorry," he said.
Melbourne nursing home in lock down; kindergarten teacher tests positive
By Rachael Dexter
A Melbourne nursing home is in lockdown this morning after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, while a kindergarten teacher has also been diagnosed.
They are among 10 new coronavirus cases in Victoria today.
All staff and residents at Embracia Aged Care in Reservoir in Melbourne’s north will be tested for coronavirus today.
"That worker is self-isolating at home and all staff and visitors are considered to be close contacts and will be put into quarantine," Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said at her press conference a short time ago.
Meanwhile, Macleod Kindergarten north east of Melbourne is closed for deep cleaning after a tested positive for the virus.
Four of the 10 new cases in Victoria are linked to an outbreak at a Rydges hotel in Melbourne’s CBD, which is housing quarantined returned travellers. The remaining four are still under investigation.
Ms Mikakos said there are 79 active cases in Victoria, with nine people in hospital including two in intensive care.
One new case in Queensland in returned traveller
By Lydia Lynch
One new case of COVID-19 was detected in Queensland overnight, while five cases remain active across the state.
Yesterday, Queensland was celebrating no new cases, but a 41-year-old woman who recently travelled through Africa was diagnosed overnight.
The woman was infectious while she was on the plane back to Australia and the other passengers remain in mandatory hotel quarantine.
Queensland has recorded 1059 cases since the end of January and 1046 of those people have since recovered.
Two people remain in hospital with the virus, one on Brisbane’s northside and another on the Gold Coast.
WATCH LIVE: Victorian Health Minister's press conference
We have dual press conferences this morning, with Victoria's Health Minister Jenny Mikakos due to address the media at 9am. You can also watch this press conference live, below.
WATCH: Queensland Health Minister's press conference
Queensland Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles held a press conference this morning, where he provided a COVID-19 update and apologised to the family of Blackwater man Nathan Turner who was wrongly identified as a coronavirus victim after his sudden death.
If you missed his press conference, you can watch it below:
COVID cases closes schools; animals go ape for visitors
By Mex Cooper
For our Victorian readers, here's what is making news in the southern state this morning, if you are just joining us.
Locals are heading to their favourite cafes as Victorians enjoy their second day of newly returned freedoms, but there is still concern for a cluster of cases in Melbourne's north-east that has forced the closure of two schools.
COVID cases close schools: Two schools in Melbourne's north-west remained closed for deep cleaning yesterday after students tested positive.
Animals go ape for visitors: As the state's zoos and Melbourne Aquarium reopened yesterday, Zoos Victoria chief executive Jenny Gray says the animals had missed us entertaining them.
Aquarium staff preparing for yesterday's reopening.Credit:Jason South
Virtual arts to survive pandemic: The Melbourne Museum, National Gallery of Victoria and Arts Centre will reopen in time for the school holidays but that doesn't mean they'll be dropping their digital initiatives.
Nurses to protest wage freeze in Sydney; ministers' drivers sacked days before jobs promise
By Mex Cooper
Ministers' drivers sacked days before jobs promise: The Premier's own department sacked five drivers just days before she announced that no government employees would lose their jobs, indicating the commitment does not extend to the nearly one in five public servants on temporary contracts.Ministers' drivers sacked days before jobs promise
Western Sydney Airport: NSW Labor has called on the Berejiklian government to prioritise locally-sourced services and materials during the construction of the Western Sydney Airport metro rail line. Work on the line connecting the under-construction airport at Badgerys Creek to St Marys will begin this year as part of a push to fast-track projects to create jobs.
Blood tested for hidden COVID-19 cases, but people will never know
Blood taken for donation and pathology tests will be used to try to measure the nation's rate of hidden coronavirus infections, with thousands of cases potentially missing from the official tally.
But people will not be identified, even if they are found to have coronavirus antibodies.
Ramped-up testing for antibodies will produce better information about how widely COVID-19 has spread in the community.Credit:AP
The strategy is part of a new national COVID-19 surveillance plan and will see blood samples from across the nation tested for coronavirus antibodies.
Testing is about to begin on blood samples taken from people who have donated to the Australian Red Cross in NSW.
Professor John Kaldor of the Kirby Institute said the researchers had ethical and government approval to test leftover blood from donations or health screenings, such as pregnancy or cholesterol tests.
"We're testing them anonymously," Professor Kaldor told health reporter Aisha Dow.
"So there's no link back to the individual person apart from knowing their age, sex and postcode.
"It is a way to give a stocktake of how much infection has got into the community overall."
Meanwhile, mass testing using throat and nose swabs to detect current infections will continue to focus on those most at risk, with priority given to those with a fever or acute respiratory illness, contacts of confirmed cases and people with links to outbreaks.
How has the lockdown affected your budget?
The Reserve Bank will meet today to discuss the progress of Australia's economic recovery from the pandemic. It will almost certainly keep rates on hold at a record-low 0.25 per cent.
Westpac chief economist Bill Evans, one of the country's most senior economists, is urging the RBA to take rates into negative territory to enable mortgage holders to borrow at extremely low costs.
With this in mind, this morning we're asking: How has the pandemic affected your weekly budget? Are you struggling to make ends meet? Or, is your bank balance looking healthy, because you are saving money you would have normally spent on public transport, fuel, or meals out?
As we reported yesterday, Australians dipping into their superannuation nest-egg during the coronavirus crisis have used it to increase their spending on non-essential items, including gambling, alcohol and furniture. One analysis found those who accessed the money spent $2855 more than their usual fortnightly average, and nearly two-thirds of this went on discretionary items. More than 10 per cent, or $327, was spent on online gambling.
Calls for answers, apologies after central Queensland COVID-19 scare
By Matt Dennien
Earlier we brought you news that the Queensland man thought to be Australia's youngest COVID-19 victim actually tested negative to the virus after his death.
The state's opposition now says Queensland authorities have "serious questions" to answer.
The death of 30-year-old Nathan Turner last week had baffled authorities and placed residents in his small mining town of Blackwater on notice after an initial test following his death returned a positive result.
Nathan Turner, who was thought to be Australia's youngest COVID-19 victim, has tested negative to the virus after his death.
Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young confirmed in a statement last night that the coroner advised "further tests" came back negative, with a cause of death yet to be determined.
The revelation has sparked anger and confusion, with an online petition calling for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Dr Young to apologise to Mr Turner’s family and community receiving more than 2700 signatures by Tuesday morning.
"Your leadership created emotional, mental and physical trauma," the petition states.
Opposition leader Deb Frecklington also backed the calls. "There are some serious questions to be answered today," she told radio station 4BC.
"I really feel for Mr Turner’s family and the people of Blackwater," she said. "We’ve got a community that is up in arms.
"How can Queenslanders have confidence in the testing regime in Queensland?"
On social media, LNP deputy leader Tim Mander said: "A small community has gone through hell believing the virus was active amongst them."
Dr Young said last week that Mr Turner’s first post-mortem test returned positive, however a follow-up test was not "effective" as it had been contaminated with blood and had been deemed invalid.
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2020-06-01 23:32:00Z
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