Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth says it would be "contentious for even the most strident advocate" to suggest that bringing in a mandatory face mask ruling earlier on could have prevented the current levels of transmission in Victoria.
Follow today's events as they unfold.
Key events
Live updates
By Jon Healy
Is there any clarification about masks for deaf and hearing impaired people living or working in the mandatory masks spots? My sister is hearing impaired and works in the Metro area. She relies on lip-reading and is very concerned about how to communicate with people. Any advice or news on this?-Kate D
By Jon Healy
If mask use was unlikely to stop the 2nd wave, why wear them now?I am in favour of them.-Peter
I was a little bit confused by that one too to be honest.
Dr Coatsworth seemed to be saying that people still would have caught the disease at their homes because they wouldn't be wearing masks, so the most recent surge in cases still would have come. And now that it's here, the masks are good for stopping a bunch of people who don't know they have it (which is more likely to be the case now) from unknowingly walking around outside spreading their germs. But then we get into a bit of a chicken-or-egg scenario.
So the sense I get is that he meant this surge would have still come regardless, and that maybe masks would have made it only slightly less steep.
His exact quote was: "While we will continue to say they have an effect in reducing transmission, the submission that they significantly blunt an epidemic curve is not supported at the moment."
I think those words "significantly blunt" are doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.
By Jon Healy
Burning questions
Anything that you feel like you need clarified from Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth's press conference? Chuck them in the comments.
I'll do my best to clear things up.
By Jon Healy
I really hope neither of us, especially ME, gets a $200 fine for having a mask off to eat, drink, or blowing our noses. I don’t want to get in trouble with the law.-MD
In the initial press conference around these measures, the officials made clear that there should be some leniency for people that have to take them off to eat and drink, because obviously it's impossible to do so through a mask.
By Jon Healy
apparently there is a new Tasmanian case? do you have any news on that?-blog enthusiast
Premier Peter Gutwein said health authorities in Tasmania are investigating a suspected case in the south of the state in hotel quarantine.
He said further tests were required with more information to be made available as soon as possible.
By Jon Healy
Don't avoid the doctor if you are seriously sick
The added danger of a pandemic like coronavirus is that there is not capacity to care for people with other ailments, or those people simply avoid treatment as their conditions worsen.
Dr Coatsworth wanted to stress this is something that needs to be avoided at all costs, with 90 per cent of patients in Victorian intensive care units dealing with conditions other than coronavirus.
"It is absolutely critical that people continue to access medical care for conditions that aren't related to COVID-19," he said.
"Cancer is a condition [that] is unforgiving if you leave it for many weeks or months. So if you have a lung nodule and it needs to be investigated, and cancer is a possibility, then you need to know that your health system is safe and well equipped to treat you and that you will be safe going into that health care system. You'll need your CT scan, you'll need to talk to a respiratory physician, you'll need your therapy guided by your practitioner. It can't be left for months and can't be left until a vaccine turns up or COVID-19 disappears.
"I am concerned for the patients but I want to reassure them it is safe to attend for CT scans and safe to get investigated. If you have concerns about face-to-face appointments, don't forget that telehealth was one of the major reforms that we have introduced at a federal level to enable this sort of thing to occur."
By Jon Healy
Unlikely that earlier mask use would have prevented Victoria's latest surge: DCMO
With masks now coming into effect in Victoria, Dr Coatsworth has been asked if instituting mask use earlier would have prevented this rise in cases. He says that's not very likely.
"I think that it would be a contentious point for anyone, even the most strident mask advocate, to suggest that the current levels of transmission in Victoria could have been avoided with an earlier mask-use policy," he said.
"The reason for that is clear in the epidemiology of the infections in Victoria. They originated from household outbreaks and then spread out into the community. You don't wear a mask in your household, so while we will continue to say they have an effect in reducing transmission, the submission that they significantly blunt an epidemic curve is not supported at the moment."
By Jon Healy
Will the federal guidelines around masks change?
With frontline healthcare workers having a good supply of masks, Dr Coatsworth has been asked about whether the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee change its position and encourage people all around Australia to wear masks if they can't socially distance.
"The AHPPC has always acknowledged that masks represent an important part of a suite of measures against respiratory viruses, COVID-19 being no exception. The issue is the point at which you recommend that for the general community. And as we've said for many, many weeks now, it's to do with the degree of community transmission.
"There is clearly community transmission in Victoria at the moment. That has reached the point where masks need to be mandated. Mandating something like masks is not a straightforward thing to do, which is why as community transmission has increased, we've moved from saying 'no, there is insufficient community transmission for mask use', to 'we encourage mask use and now we support the Victorian Government's use to mandate mask use in greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire'."
In short, the AHPPC is still only encouraging mask use for places with large amounts of community transmission.
By Jon Healy
'We can't do this on our own as governments'
A small cluster on the NSW South Coast, starting at the Soldiers Club in Batemans Bay, has prompted the community to come forward and volunteer for testing.
Dr Coatsworth says it's great to see and hopes others follow their lead.
"What we've seen today is a remarkable example of the community getting out in force to get themselves tested. That is a model for how we need to respond to COVID-19; with a vigorous public health response, with pop-up testing clinics," he said.
"That's replicated in south-west in Sydney in the past weeks and on a greater scale in greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. We can't obviously do this on our own as governments."
By Jon Healy
DCMO praises 'vigorous' contact tracing
Dr Coatsworth has praised the frontline healthcare workers for their efforts in contact tracing across Victoria and New South Wales.
"[It] is being backed up by a remarkable testing framework. We have tested over 55,000 Australians in the past 24 hours - the vast bulk of those in Victoria and NSW," he said.
"It is that ability to test rapidly, to turnaround results rapidly and to identify cases of COVID-19 then to identify contacts and make sure that people are isolated. These are the key elements of getting COVID-19 back under control in Australia at the moment."
By Jon Healy
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth is speaking now
He says there have been 296 new cases, with 156 people in hospital, 33 of whom are in intensive care.
By Jon Healy
Is there any information of whether sharing food with colleagues in an office is okay?-Hungry
It doesn't seem like the safest thing to do in a time like this. I certainly know that the communal baking in our office has dropped off a cliff.
By Jon Healy
Can't see it here, but a man in his 20s has been hospitalised for Corona Virus in Queensland.-News for the News makers.
From Queensland Health:
"A man in his 20s tested positive after recently returning from overseas, while on a freight ship off the coast of Queensland. The man has been transferred to Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
"Eighteen crew remain onboard and have all tested negative to COVID-19. The crew members will remain on the ship, which is currently anchored 17km off Queensland's coast, and will undergo further testing.
"Queensland currently has two active COVID-19 cases. Both cases are in hospital."
By Jon Healy
Four Sydney junior rugby league teams urged to self-isolate after coronavirus result
All players from four junior rugby league teams in Sydney's south, as well as their parents and siblings, are urged to self-isolate after a trainer from Sutherland Loftus United tests positive to coronavirus.
The teams that potentially were exposed to the virus are the Sutherland U13 and U14, Gymea U13 and De La Salle U14 (Gold).
"All four teams at this point are stood down for two rounds of competition and are not to train and all three clubs are undertaking deep cleaning of their premises and equipment," the NSWRL spokeswoman said.
By Jon Healy
HAMILTON! I like your style Jon. Also do we have any indication masks will be mandatory on public transport in NSW?-Aaron Burr, Sir
For now, Premier Gladys Berejiklian is leaving it in the hands of citizens.
"If you cannot guarantee social distancing where you're going, if you cannot guarantee that people will around you respect that social distancing you must consider wearing a mask," she said today.
So relatively strong advice, but nothing mandatory just yet.
By Jon Healy
Woolworths shuts down two Melbourne warehouses
Woolworths has suspended operations at its Produce Distribution Centre (MPDC) and National Distribution Centre (MNDC) in Melbourne after 12 more team members tested positive to coronavirus over the weekend, taking the total to 17 since July 13.
Both distribution centres have undergone forensic cleaning and Woolworths will work with the DHHS to make a call on when to reopen, with alternate distribution sites to stock shops across Victoria.
"The first case was a contractor at the MNDC with Woolworths advised on 13 July. Woolworths was then made aware of two further cases on Thursday evening, 16 July and a further two cases Friday evening, 17 July. Four of these cases were reported from the MNDC, with one reported from the MPDC," a statment read.
"On the afternoon of Saturday 18 July, Woolworths was notified of a further six cases at the MPDC and made the decision to suspend all operations that evening. Woolworths learned of a further six positive tests from the MPDC on Sunday 19 July.
"Woolworths suspended operations at the MNDC on Sunday evening. There have been four cases at the site — the last of which was reported on Friday 17 July."
The statement also said the company would be doing its best "to ensure no team members are financially disadvantaged ... if they contract COVID-19".
By Jon Healy
Breakdown of the location of today's Victorian cases please-Sue
I can't find the CHO's media update from today on the DHHS website! Dan Andrews said at his press conference that it would be available at 1:30pm. Am I blind? Or are they late?I need to find out about the cluster in Colac. Many thanks!-TR
By Jon Healy
G'dafternoon
I'm here and, like the rest of you, awaiting the update from Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth at 3:30pm (AEST).
In the meantime, any questions, news or other info I can siphon to your eyeballs, I will.
By Nicholas McElroy
And I'm out for the afternoon
But Jon is here to keep you up to date.
Thanks for following along!
By Nicholas McElroy
When does National Cabinet next meet?
Hi there, when does National Cabinet meet next?-Nat Cab Curious
Hi Nat Cab Curious, this Friday is the answer to your question.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA3LTIwL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWF1c3RyYWxpYS1saXZlLW5ld3MtY292aWQtMTktbGF0ZXN0LWZhY2UtbWFza3MvMTI0NzEyMjLSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTI0NzEyMjI?oc=5
2020-07-20 05:58:00Z
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