Latest updates
Melbourne's lockdown is dragging Sydney's economy down with it
By Matt Wade
The economies of Australia's twin urban giants, Melbourne and Sydney, are lagging other capitals as the pandemic takes an uneven toll on activity across states and regions.
Melbourne's lockdown has hit commerce in the city hard but Sydney's economy is also sputtering despite a much lower COVID-19 caseload.
A financial impact index developed by consultancy Taylor Fry ranks 94 per cent of the postcodes in both cities in the high or extreme financial impact category.
That empty feeling: Closed shops in the Melbourne CBD.Credit:Wayne Taylor
The results suggest consumers and businesses in Sydney have become far more cautious in the wake of Melbourne's second lockdown and the recent emergence of localised COVID-19 clusters in some parts of Sydney.
"Our index suggests that, while Melbourne is experiencing a real lockdown, Sydney is experiencing a perceived lockdown," said Taylor Fry principal Alan Greenfield.
Spain's daily coronavirus infections spike to nearly 3000, not yet second wave
Madrid: Spain reported 2935 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, the highest number since the country's lockdown ended and up from 1690 recorded the previous day, although officials argued the situation remained manageable.
The Madrid region, which failed to report its data the previous day due to technical difficulties, led the tally with 842 new infections in the 24 hours to Thursday, followed by the Basque Country, with 545 cases.
Medical workers prepare to test people for COVID-19 in Barcelona.Credit:AP
The number of known cases keeps rising in Spain, but it is a mild rise that allows the implementation of control measures," health emergency co-ordinator Fernando Simon said, adding that the localised outbreaks did not amount to a second wave of infections that many expect in the autumn.
He said more than half of the infected people showed no symptoms.
The new data brought the cumulative total to 337,334 cases in the country.
The ministry also said 70 people had died over the past seven days, bringing the death toll from the virus to 28,605.
Reuters
National cabinet to debate aged care after royal commission findings
By Julie Power
Nearly six months after 32 NSW nursing home residents died after contracting COVID-19, the sector is still ill-equipped for an outbreak of the virus, with the aged care royal commission hearing an urgent response was still needed to protect elderly, frail residents.
Amid a week of harrowing evidence, the government told the Herald on Thursday night they would discuss an aged care preparedness plan at national cabinet late next week.
Peter Rozen, QC, said the aged care industry was still not prepared for COVID-19.
The plan would include an audit of state and territory aged care emergency response capabilities, face-to-face training on infection control in all aged care facilities, the compulsory use of face masks, and the use of private hospitals where there was an outbreak.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Scott Morrison also said the government was open to considering recommendations made by the royal commission this week before it reports formally in December.
There are currently more than 1063 active cases of COVID-19 in residential aged care facilities in Victoria.
Inner Sydney school closed for cleaning after student tests positive
By Mary Ward
A third independent girls' Catholic high school will be closed for cleaning in Sydney today after a student tested positive.
St Vincent's College at Potts Point in inner Sydney will be non-operational today after a student returned a positive test for COVID-19.
"This evening at 9.20pm we received confirmation of a positive COVID-19 student in our College Community," a statement from the school posted on Facebook late on Thursday night read.
"From the outset of the pandemic, the college has taken every precaution in line with Government policy to minimise risk.
"This is now however the circumstance we are dealing with and we are well prepared to implement our contingency plans."
The statement said the school will definitely be closed today, with further information about its operation next week yet to be announced.
On Tuesday, NSW Health reported that Sydney's Potts Point cluster had reached 34 cases, including 28 cases linked to the Apollo restaurant and six cases linked with Thai Rock restaurant.
Our Lady of Mercy College at Parramatta and Tangara School for Girls at Cherrybrook will also be closed today.
There are now three students who have tested positive at OLMC.
Meanwhile, NSW Police are investigating the Tangara outbreak after it grew to 20 people yesterday.
Australian tourism suffers $11.7 billion hit
By Lisa Visentin
Australia's domestic tourism sector suffered an $11.7 billion hit between April and May, as coronavirus restrictions wreaked havoc on travel and holiday plans.
The brutal impact of COVID-19 measures on the tourism industry has been laid bare in the latest National Visitor Survey data, as more than $7 billion was wiped in April alone as Australians took 9.6 million fewer domestic overnight trips compared to April 2019.
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has encouraged Australians to help "fill the void" of the international tourism market.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
In NSW, domestic tourism spending crashed by $3.5 billion, or 89 per cent, as visitors numbers plunged to 1.4 million across April and May, compared with more than 7 million during the same period in 2019.
Victoria was also hard hit, recording an 83 per cent collapse in visitor numbers over the same period, amounting to a $2.5 billion loss compared with 2019.
Andrews says relationship with Prime Minister as strong as at start of pandemic
By Michael Fowler
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews insists his relationship with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the federal government remains as strong as it was at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March.
Mr Andrews' assertion comes despite the state and federal governments trading barbs over Victoria's hotel quarantine program this week.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said on Thursday that his relationship with the Prime Minister remained strong.Credit:Darrian Traynor
The Premier hit out at reports on Wednesday that continued the stoush over whether Australian Defence Force personnel were available to assist in quarantine hotels in March, saying he believed Victorians were focused on driving down daily numbers, not recriminations over the hotels program.
The Victorian and federal governments have disagreed this week over how much ADF support was on offer when Victoria established its quarantine hotels.
Good morning all!
By Roy Ward
G'day everyone! It's Roy Ward here and I'll be leading us off on today's COVID-19 live blog.
I hope you are all going well as we head into the weekend.
We will have plenty of developments today as Victoria aims for another reduction in new cases and deaths while NSW and Qld will be hoping their low numbers remain the same.
Plenty of eyes will be on New Zealand too after their new cluster grew to 13 cases.
As always you can leave a comment on the blog or shoot me a tweet directly at @rpjward on Twitter.
Please enjoy the stories to come.
Most Viewed in National
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiuwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zbWguY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWxpdmUtdXBkYXRlcy12aWN0b3JpYS1zZWVrcy1sb3dlci1kZWF0aHMtbmV3LWNvdmlkLTE5LWNhc2VzLW5zdy1zdGlsbC1mYWNpbmctb25nb2luZy1jYXNlcy1uZXctemVhbGFuZC1jbHVzdGVyLWdyb3dzLXRvLTEzLTIwMjAwODEzLXA1NWxsdC5odG1s0gG7AWh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnNtaC5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvY29yb25hdmlydXMtbGl2ZS11cGRhdGVzLXZpY3RvcmlhLXNlZWtzLWxvd2VyLWRlYXRocy1uZXctY292aWQtMTktY2FzZXMtbnN3LXN0aWxsLWZhY2luZy1vbmdvaW5nLWNhc2VzLW5ldy16ZWFsYW5kLWNsdXN0ZXItZ3Jvd3MtdG8tMTMtMjAyMDA4MTMtcDU1bGx0Lmh0bWw?oc=5
2020-08-13 20:46:00Z
52780995166492
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Coronavirus LIVE updates: Victoria hopes for fewer deaths, COVID-19 cases; NSW still facing ongoing cases; New Zealand cluster grows to 13 - The Sydney Morning Herald"
Post a Comment