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Victorian government hires lawyers to respond to hotel quarantine inquiry
By Sumeyya Ilanbey
Chris Eccles, the secretary of Victoria's Department of Premier and Cabinet, made a brief appearance at this morning's parliamentary hearing.
He was asked by Liberal MP Bridget Vallence whether the government had engaged lawyers to respond to the state's hotel quarantine inquiry, and how much that cost.
Mr Eccles confirmed lawyers have been hired, but said he would take the question about how much they are being paid on notice.
Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles.
He was also asked how much private security guards were paid as part of the hotel quarantine program, but he said that was a matter for the Department of Jobs.
Before his time at the parliamentary committee hearing ended, Premier Daniel Andrews indicated more financial support will be provided to Victorian businesses "between now and the budget".
The Premier was asked why his government had excluded sole traders from accessing state-funded financial aid.
Mr Andrews said some sole traders could be eligible for JobKeeper.
"There’s no doubt that sole traders are doing it tough, I don’t have more to say on that topic. I would make the point there are other federal government support."
'Nobody told me what treatment dad was getting': royal commission continues
By Julie Power
When Ron Farrell tested positive for COVID-19 at Newmarch House, an Anglicare aged care facility in Sydney's west, nobody told him or his daughter, Virginia Clarke.
A few days after the facility went into lockdown on Easter Sunday when a staff member tested positive, Ms Clarke was told all residents were being tested. She told the Aged Care Royal Commission this morning that she kept asking if her 94-year-old father’s results had come back, but kept being told they hadn’t yet.
Virginia Clarke's father Ron Farrell, who died at Newmarch House after testing positive for COVID-19.
When they got the results, nobody told her until a chance call from the residential manager of Newmarch where her father had happily lived for seven years.
“I was in shock. I didn't know what to say,” said Ms Clarke.
Until COVID 19 lockdown, Ms Clarke said her dad – an alert father of seven, a former war veteran, and a stock and station agent – had been happy at Newmarch. It had become his home, and he made many friends. Despite her questions and calls about what would happen next, she heard little.
“We didn't have any more communication … even though I sent
messages to say, ‘Well, what happens now?'”
Despite asking Newmarch staff whether they had told her father about his results, she got no reply.
Virginia Clarke gives evidence at the aged care royal commission.
“Do I tell dad? Do I not,” she asked.
“I didn't want to upset him, if he didn't know, he was by himself in a room. I didn't want to tell him why he was by himself.”
When Newmarch called to ask her to update her father’s end of life form, she asked if there was a reason. She was told it was routine. She told the Royal Commission that staff needed better training.
“I do not believe having a carer without a lot of training is appropriate, especially in this situation when the NSW government insists on having 'hospital in place' for the aged care facilities, then it needs to be a hospital ... the facility would need doctors and nurses, and all the equipment of a hospital,” she said
“Nobody actually told me what treatment dad was getting. I think that
more communication, ringing up, giving a daily or even twice a day,
ringing up in the morning and saying your dad slept well last night. He
has had his medication, tell you how he went. If he is eating, what will
be happening to him during that day and then at night ringing up and
saying, you know, he is okay, he is going to bed.
“Just giving us more information about what was happening within the facility, because I didn't have access to any of that,” she said.
The commission is now hearing from Anglicare’s chief executive, Grant Millard.
Andrews' time at parliamentary hearing ends, press conference set for 11.45am
Premier Daniel Andrews has finished giving evidence at today's public accounts and estimates committee, where he was grilled about his government's role in Victoria's second wave of COVID-19 cases for about two hours.
Mr Andrews is due to hold his daily press conference at 11.45am, which we will bring to you live, so do stay with us.
'Broad' COVID plan in place for aged care homes, Senate inquiry hears
At the Senate inquiry currently under way in Canberra, senators are demanding stronger action by Prime Minister Scott Morrison's department in response to claims that federal authorities had no COVID-19 plan for the aged care sector in recent months.
Yesterday, the Aged Care Royal Commission heard that federal agencies failed to prepare for thousands of new cases at a crucial point when infections surged.
The chair of the Senate inquiry into the coronavirus response, Labor finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher, asked officials whether it was true there was no plan in place.
Phil Gaetjens, secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, says there was a 'broad' COVID-19 plan in place for aged care homes.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Phil Gaetjens, said it was not his area of expertise, but there was a broad plan in place on March 13.
Senator Gallagher took issue with that statement, saying guidelines were not the same as a "comprehensive plan" for the sector.
Mr Gaetjens told the committee that Mr Morrison had responded to yesterday's claims in the commission by asking the Health Department for a response.
Aged care outbreak not a matter for PM's office, Senate inquiry hears
By David Crowe
Let's turn our attention to a Senate inquiry which started a short ago in Canberra.
Labor Senator Katy Gallagher has challenged Prime Minister Scott Morrison's top public servants over revelations the country's peak aged care regulator was told of the coronavirus outbreak at Melbourne's St Basil's aged care facility four days earlier than the regulator previously claimed.
The Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Phil Gaetjens, is facing questions before the Senate inquiry after the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission had to correct its earlier evidence.
Phil Gaetjens, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
In the opening minutes of the hearing, Mr Gaetjens argued that the response was a matter for the Department of Health and the commission itself rather than the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Mr Gaetjens said it would be "dangerous" for him to be directly involved in the health and aged care response when he had no medical expertise, saying it was better done by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).
The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet told Mr Morrison of the aged care regulator's correction.
Employers need to communicate in worker's first language, inquiry hears
By Shane Wright
The spread of coronavirus across Victoria was a warning about the way workplaces operate including the need for employers to communicate in the first language of staff, the head of the federal government's COVID-19 business advisory commission has told a Senate inquiry.
Nev Power, who chairs the National COVID-19 Commission advisory board, told the Senate's coronavirus committee on Tuesday there were important lessons for business owners out of the renewed outbreak in Victoria.
"We need to take what is occurring in Victoria and elsewhere as a prompt that we need to go back and look at the way we have configured our workplaces, look at the way we are communicating with employees and their families to make sure that everyone understands what is required to keep this virus under control," he said.
"That includes communicating in employees’ first language, where language barriers exist."
Mr Power, former chief executive officer of Fortescue Metals Group, said the COVID commission was now focusing on the nation's economic recovery.
He said it was looking at reforms to support small and medium-sized businesses, tourism and regional parts of the country.
"We recognise that some parts of the economy will take longer to recover than others, compounded by restrictions to bring any outbreaks under control as they occur," he said.
"Supporting impacted businesses is an immediate priority, and there is a whole-of-government effort on this.
"Equally important is a focus on those sectors that are able to operate or can recover quickly, to set them up for a rapid return to growth, to accelerate our economic recovery and support Australians into jobs."
Global cases pass 20 million
A new figure has just come in, marking a grim milestone in this global pandemic. The worldwide tally of confirmed coronavirus cases has passed 20 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The US accounts for more than a quarter of the world’s total cases, with 5 million confirmed cases, followed by Brazil (3 million) and India (2.2 million).
The number of global deaths stands at more than 733,000, with about 163,000 in the US, 101,700 in Brazil, 52,000 in Mexico and 46,600 in the UK.
More than 12.2 million people have recovered from the virus.
You can explore our data centre (below) for the latest figures across the globe:
'We're not pursing elimination': Andrews
By Sumeyya Ilanbey
Victoria is not pursuing an elimination strategy despite its hard lockdowns, Premier Daniel Andrews says.
If you're just joining us, Mr Andrews is being grilled about his government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic by fellow MPs at a parliamentary accounts and estimates committee this morning.
Liberal Democrat MP David Limbrick asked about alternative ways to suppress the virus without having stage four restrictions in Melbourne that limit residents' movements to a 5-kilometre radius from their homes, and one hour of outdoor exercise a day.
Premier Daniel Andrews speaking at today's PEAC hearing.
Without a hard lockdown, Victoria’s hospital system would be "completely overwhelmed" right now, Mr Andrews said.
"It’s not just COVID patients who will wait for a machine, it’s the hundreds each day who need time-critical [care] because of heart attacks, motor accidents," he said.
"The acute critical care, trauma part of our hospitals is a very busy place COVID, or no COVID. There's great hardship and burden … and if we allow this to run completely wild, there’s also a big cost in all of those that we can’t care for."
Victorian MP David Limbrick.
Mr Limbrick asked what the endpoint was.
"The endpoint is to get case numbers to a low case number so that we can manage those cases and inevitable outbreaks," the Premier said.
Mr Andrews reiterated that Victoria was following a suppression strategy, as agreed by national cabinet earlier this year.
"We're not pursuing a strategy where we eliminate this virus."
Watch live: WA Premier to announce shed transformation
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan is due to speak shortly in Perth, where he will be joined by representatives from Gage Roads Brewing Co, a craft brewery located just outside the city of Fremantle, in Palmyra. He's expected to announce a new project for Fremantle's Victoria Quay - a shed that will reportedly be transformed into a brewery, restaurant and bar. We expect there might be a few questions about COVID-19 too, so we're bringing that to you live.
Solution nearly reached for 100 stranded Canberrans in Victoria
By Mary Ward
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said authorities are working to provide 100 Canberrans stranded in Victoria with a pathway back to the ACT after they were previously denied entry into NSW to drive home.
However, the Premier said she "can't apologise for putting safety first in NSW", although she understood the situation was inconvenient.
"I appreciate people have exceptional circumstances but I also appreciate that some others have had a long time to make these decisions," she said.
The Premier said the operation, which has not yet been finalised or confirmed, would have to not just involve the group being escorted for their journey but also being monitored.
"It's not just about the escort, it's about making sure that wherever they stop is done in a way that is safe and keeps residents safe because we know it only takes one person to be infected to unintentionally spread it to others and then you have a brand new cluster," she said.
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2020-08-11 01:09:00Z
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