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Signing off for the day
That's all for us on the blog this evening.
It was an emotional day - both Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos and federal Health Minister Greg Hunt fought back tears in their press conferences while discussing the plight of Victorians living in aged care.
The biggest coronavirus news stories were:
- Victoria recorded another 384 new cases of coronavirus and six more people have died in the past day, four of them in aged care. It takes Australia's death toll to 167.
- On Victoria's aged care crisis: there are now 769 active cases of COVID-19 and 39 deaths linked to Victorian aged care facilities, and there are 84 centres with active outbreaks. It was announced that private hospitals were being called on to treat critically ill Victorians in aged care who were being evacuated from nursing homes. Today the Australian Medical Association called for a Royal Commission into Victoria's response to COVID-19 in aged care.
- The state moved to suspend non-urgent elective surgeries to free up more staff to treat COVID-19 patients.
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison returned to Canberra on Tuesday, cutting short his trip to Queensland, to deal with the COVID-19 crisis in Victoria's aged care sector.
- NSW recorded 14 new coronavirus cases. NSW Health is now urging anyone who visited The Apollo restaurant in Potts Point on Wednesday, July 22 to self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19 immediately, regardless of symptoms, while anyone else who lives in or has visited Potts Point in the past two weeks is being urged to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms.
- Police detained at least three people, including Paddy Gibson, the organiser of Tuesday's banned Black Lives Matter rally, in Sydney.
- Queensland's Premier has warned residents not to travel to NSW after 14 new cases were confirmed there on Tuesday.
This is Rachael Dexter signing off. We'll be back on Wednesday morning with more live, free coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
As always, if you appreciate our COVID-19 coverage and are an avid reader of the blog, please consider taking out a subscription to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald to support independent news.
Stay safe and goodnight.
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What's happened around the world today?
Let's take a look overseas to see how the COVID-19 crisis is developing in other countries:
South Africa is closing in on a half a million confirmed coronavirus cases as the country posted nearly 300 deaths in a single day. The country now has more than half the reported cases on the African continent and the fifth highest caseload in the world.
North Korea introduced tougher prevention measures against the coronavirus on Tuesday, state media reported, after it locked down the border town of Kaesong to tackle what could be its first publicly confirmed case of the respiratory disease.
In Pakistan, the daily COVID-19 infection number dropped below 1000 for the first time in three months.
Read more about the coronavirus situation in Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Germany and Russia here.
More detail on Victorian aged care outbreaks: staff/resident numbers
By Rachael Dexter
We've just been given a more detailed summary on the breakdown between staff and resident cases at the worst affected aged care facilities in Victoria.
There are currently 769 active cases of COVID-19 and 39 deaths related to aged care facilities.
Please note, the below list is not comprehensive - there are now 84 facilities with active outbreaks, this latest breakdown lists the top 10.
88 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer
Resident cases - 49
Staff cases – 35
Contact cases - 4
86 cases have been linked to St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner
Resident cases - 55
Staff cases – 27
Contact cases - 4
82 cases have been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping
Resident cases - 55
Staff cases – 24
Contact cases - 3
76 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth
Resident cases - 41
Staff cases – 23
Contact cases - 12
62 cases have been linked to Menarock Life Aged Care Facility in Essendon
Resident cases - 19
Staff cases – 25
Contact cases - 18
53 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee
Resident cases - 26
Staff cases – 18
Contact cases - 9
51 cases have been linked to Batpcare Wyndham Lodge in Werribee
Resident cases - 26
Staff cases – 24
Contact cases - 1
50 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg
Resident cases - 20
Staff cases – 30
Contact cases - 0
40 cases have been linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North
Resident cases - 18
Staff cases – 19
Contact cases - 3
39 cases have been linked to Arcare Aged Care Facility in Craigieburn
Resident cases - 23
Staff cases – 16
Contact cases - 0
'We can't keep up': Melbourne lockdown stokes demand for firewood
By Jack Patterson
Stuck at home amid a cold winter, Melburnians are burning through firewood at a cracking pace and retailers are scrambling to keep up with demand.
Firewood.com.au, which claims to be the largest supplier of firewood in Victoria, has introduced a two-week processing time for new purchases to manage demand.
Firewood.com.au chief operating officer Michael Spillane said demand for firewood was running strong.Credit:Jason South
"We’ve got the wood [supply], but we can’t keep up with the orders. There's such demand out there and everyone else has run out," said Michael Spillane, chief operating officer at Firewood.com.au.
Other retailers tell a similar story, with hardware giant Bunnings selling out at some of its Melbourne stores.
"Over the past few months, as Australians have spent more time at home, there’s been an increase in demand for firewood and we’re doing our best to meet this," Bunnings Warehouse director of merchandise Phil Bishop said.
The state of play in Victoria
By Rachael Dexter
We've updated our LGA data graphics with today's Victorian data. You can scroll through to see how the numbers are faring in your council area below.
Today:
384 new cases reported, (-148 since yesterday)
- There are 4775 (+233) active cases in Victoria, 414 (+14) of them in healthcare workers.
- There are 260 (+15) people hospitalised with COVID-19, including 42 (-2) in intensive care.
- There have been six deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to date to 83.
To date:
There have been 9049 of COVID-19 in Victoria: 4481 men and 4471 women.
- 1363 (55 more since yesterday) cases may be the result of community transmission.
- 3937 (+120) people have recovered from the virus.
- 8387 (+301) cases are from metropolitan Melbourne, while 485 (+22) are from regional Victoria.
- 774 (+25) healthcare workers have tested positive.
More than 1,536,600 tests have been processed.
The AFL's mass exodus: up to 170 kids to head to Queensland
By Jake Niall
The AFL will oversee a mass movement of the families of players and staff from Victorian clubs on Thursday when an estimated 400 people - including as many as 170 kids - move to a transition hub on the Gold Coast.
Thursday marks the biggest movement of AFL-related people to Queensland since the AFL effectively decided to relocate the competition to the sunshine state, which will involve three separate flights from Melbourne.
All told, there will be close to 1500 AFL people - counting their families - in Queensland once Carlton and Hawthorn finish their stints in Perth and move to Queensland, which accounts for the AFL's huge spending of around $3 million a week to keep the competition afloat.
Once the club staffers, the wives and partners and children arrive in Queensland they will have to spend 14 days in quarantine at one "transition hub''. They will not see players if they are family until they have completed those two weeks and even after that period will not be allowed to attend games.
School closed in western Sydney after student tests positive
By Jordan Baker
Bayanami Public School near Parramatta will be closed on Wednesday after a student tested positive to COVID-19.
Students will learn remotely while the school is cleaned and NSW Health works to establish close contacts.
Last week, three Catholic schools were closed due to students testing positive to COVID-19.Nearby COVID-19 testing clinics are:
Jeffrey House Clinic at 162 Marsden St, Parramatta, NSW 2150. Open 9am- 4pm on Wednesday 29 July, Thursday 30 July and Friday 31 July.
- The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Clinic at Level 2, E block, Corner of Hawkesbury Rd and Darcy Rd, Westmead, NSW 2145. Open 7am to 9pm, 7 days a week.
A member of PM Scott Morrison’s staff in self-isolation
By Matt Bungard
A member of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s staff is in self-isolation after being in close contact" with someone who visited a COVID-19 hotspot on Saturday, July 25.
Nico Louw posted on his Instagram story last night that he had been identified as a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case at Potts Point restaurant The Apollo on Saturday.
Nico Louw during Prime Minister Scott Morrison's address to the National Press Club of Australia, in Canberra in May.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The notice from NSW Health said Mr Louw must self-isolate until August 8th.
"A staff member in the [Prime Minister's Office (PMO)] is self-isolating after NSW Health issued a new alert last night,” the Prime Minister's office said.
The only mandatory quarantine alert made last night was for that restaurant.
"The acting Chief Medical Officer advises that because the staff member has no COVID-19 symptoms, the prime minister is clear to continue with his plans."
Mr Louw was in the media spotlight earlier this year after distributing copies of Malcolm Turnbull’s autobiography to a group of friends.
COVID-safe horseback coffee: more of your highlights from a dark week
By Rachael Dexter
A mounted police officer stops to pick up a coffee in Brunswick, Melbourne on Tuesday.Credit:Robbie Leningas
If you're an avid blog reader, you'll know we've been asking people today to share a bit of happy news from their lives to break up what's been a very hard hard period, especially for Victorians.
A staff member from The Age has passed on a great photo of mounted police officer picking up a 'COVID-safe' take-away coffee in Brunswick, in Melbourne's inner north.
"My daughter was out and about in her suburb with her boyfriend today and came across this policewoman on horseback stopping by to pick up a coffee Capulus & Co in Brunswick," she said.
We've also had a few more responses from you all to add to our growing list of things to make us smile this week:
"My lovely neighbours are opera singers and do weekly balcony opera for those in our block of units (and anyone else who stops by to listen in the driveway). We sit on our balconies, pour a drink with some nibbles and look at the sky listening to them sing."
- Emma Henley
"On Friday afternoon I chatted with my six-year-old neighbour and had a lovely conversation about baking cakes, and gardening. On Saturday afternoon she popped around with her Dad to give me one of the little cakes she had baked, and some bulbs they had dug up in their garden."
- Anne, from Malvern
"I got home from work with a monster headache but still had work to do on a uni assignment. My 15 yo son took upon himself to give me something for the headache, a cup of tea and then cooked dinner for both of us (oven roast salmon and salad). Made my day."
- Lucy
We've listed some of our favourite responses in a separate story you can read here.
If you're in need of some more good news we will soon be launching a Greater Good newsletter featuring a collection of stories to brighten your outlook, delivered weekly to your inbox.
Sign up to The Age's here and the Sydney Morning Herald's here.
Visited The Apollo restaurant on Wednesday July 22? You must be tested immediately
By Matt Bungard
NSW Health is now urging anyone who visited The Apollo restaurant on Wednesday July 22 to self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19 immediately, regardless of symptoms.
The plea comes after three new cases on Tuesday were linked to the Greek eatery in Potts Point.
Two of the new cases visited the restaurant on Wednesday 22 July, then the Cruising Yacht Club Australia in Rushcutters Bay on subsequent nights.
The Apollo restaurant which has been closed due to a coronavirus outbreak in Potts Point.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
The yacht club has closed for deep cleaning. The two cases dined at both the Thai Rock Potts Point restaurant and The Apollo restaurant and NSW Health now believes this links the two outbreaks.
The third new case is a staff member at The Apollo.
The new advice comes in addition to yesterday’s announcement that the restaurant had closed for two weeks, and that anyone anyone who visited between Thursday July 23 and Saturday July 25 to self-isolate until 14 days after their visit.
To combat the outbreaks, two new testing clinics are being set up by NSW Health. A pop-up at the main entrance of the Albion Centre in Surry Hills opened on Tuesday, and a clinic at Rushcutters Bay Park will open on Wednesday – neither requires bookings in advance.
"With the growing number of cases in the area, NSW Health is again asking all people who live in or have visited the Potts Point area in the past two weeks to get tested if they have any symptoms of COVID-19 at all, even the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat," a statement from NSW Health read.
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2020-07-28 11:25:00Z
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