'My fear came true': First lady confirms Barron Trump tested positive, then negative, for COVID
By AP
Washington: First lady Melania Trump says Barron Trump tested positive at one point for the coronavirus but has subsequently tested negative.
The first lady said in a post on the White House website that "my fear came true” when 14-year-old Barron tested positive for the virus. She says “luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms.”
President Donald Trump announced nearly two weeks ago that he and the first lady has tested positive for the virus. The president ended up going to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment and has since returned to the White House and to the campaign trial, while the first lady quarantined at the White House.
The first lady says that in one way she was glad “the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together.”
The first lady said she’s happy to report she has tested negative and that she hopes to resume her duties as soon as she can, adding that “along with this good news, I want people to know that I understand just how fortunate my family is to have received the kind of care that we did.”
More to come.
Latest updates
Woolworths opts out of $4 billion JobMaker scheme unveiled in budget
By Dominic Powell
Woolworths, Australia's largest private employer, says it will not participate in the government's $4 billion JobMaker wage subsidy scheme as it believes it would not be appropriate to claim the aid given record supermarket sales.
In a memo circulated to staff on Wednesday, seen by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci and chief people officer Caryn Katsikogianis said the retailer would not be signing up for the initiative, which offers employers between $100 and $200 a week for hiring new staff between the ages of 16 and 35.
Woolworths hires a large number of young people, but will not be signing up for the government's JobMaker scheme.Credit:Michele Mossop
The executives said they supported the spirit and design of the initiative, but it would not be appropriate for the $49 billion retail behemoth to seek any benefit from the scheme.
"We believe our current circumstances – where we're fortunate to be trading strongly and are entering our usual business cycle of hiring for Christmas and summer – requires us to be thoughtful in what government programs we access," they said.
Woolworths has been a major winner from COVID-19-induced panic buying. In August it reported bumper sales for the 2019-20 financial year, with revenue rising 8.1 per cent to $63.6 billion.
Updated: Health department adds further high risk locations in Victoria
By Jamie Brown
The health department has updated the high risk locations for Victoria.
Late last night they added one more location - Woolworths in Blackburn South, 117-125 Canterbury Road - to the list.
See visual journalist Jamie Brown's graphic below for the most up-to-date information on high risk locations as they are revealed by the DHHS.
Berejiklian focused on pandemic despite watchdog woes: Transport Minister
By Mary Ward
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance says Premier Gladys Berejiklian is squarely focused on growing coronavirus cases in south-west Sydney, despite becoming entangled in a corruption inquiry she described as a "personal nightmare".
The Premier has become involved in a four-week probe by the state's anti-corruption watchdog, after it was revealed she was in a five-year relationship with the former MP under investigation.
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance.Credit:SMH
"Having been with her the last couple of days, her focus has been very much the pandemic," Mr Constance told Today.
"I know having been with her last night, the crisis happening in south-west Sydney and [the state being] on the potential verge of a second wave: that is what is worrying her at the moment."
NSW Health has urged a fresh appeal for people in south-west Sydney to come forward for testing after 11 local cases were recorded in the area on Wednesday. That figure included nine people linked to two Lakemba GPs, who saw patients while infectious.
An additional case in Bargo, about 100km south-west of the city, will be included in today's numbers.
Mr Constance said the numbers were "heading in the wrong direction" for further restrictions to be eased in the state.
'Bloody far': Man rides, runs and walks every street within his 5km lockdown zone
By Tom Cowie
Five kilometres doesn't seem like much, as nearly all Melburnians who have been restricted to that radius in recent months would agree.
But, as Ben Loke found out, there's actually plenty of travelling to be done close to home if you attempt to criss-cross every single street on offer in your permitted circle.
A timelapse of Ben riding every street in his 5km radius.Credit:
Where some people have taken up gardening or video games in lockdown, the Malvern East designer set himself a challenge to see all of the territory he was limited to under COVID-19 restrictions.
It took him almost 10 weeks to do it, covering just under 1400 kilometres in Melbourne's south-east in the process. It's not quite the Tour de France (3470 kilometres) but it's still a decent journey.
Ben mostly used his bike, although he also ran and walked some of the route to change things up.
Ben Loke covered every single street in his five-kilometre zone.Credit:Jason South
"I thought 'Let's try and cover all the streets in my five k's', not realising how bloody far it was," he said.
'On the brink of disaster': New COVID-19 cases in Europe hit 100,000 a day
European nations are closing schools, cancelling operations and enlisting legions of student medics as overwhelmed authorities face the nightmare scenario of a COVID-19 resurgence at the onset of winter.
With new cases hitting about 100,000 a day, Europe has by a wide margin overtaken the United States, where more than 51,000 COVID-19 infections are reported on average every day.
The government's new restrictions in England are aimed at curbing late-night drinking in hotspots such as Liverpool.Credit:AP
Most European governments eased lockdowns over the summer to start reviving economies already battered by the pandemic's first wave, but the return of normal activity – from packed restaurants to new university terms – has fuelled a sharp spike in cases all over the continent.
Bars and pubs were among the first to shut or face earlier closing in the new lockdowns, but now the surging infection rates are also testing governments' resolve to keep schools and non-COVID medical care going.
Even Pope Francis was subject to new coronavirus rules, staying at a safe distance from well-wishers at his weekly audience on Wednesday.
In Lisbon, football fans were unsurprised after Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo tested positive, saying it simply showed everyone was at risk of getting infected - and famous athletes were no exception.
'Sack Dan': Daniel Andrews' suburban office vandalised
By Paul Sakkal
The office of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was vandalised overnight.
Daniel Andrews' electoral office in Noble Park was vandalised overnight. Credit:Jason South
The front windows of Mr Andrews' electorate office in Noble Park, about 35km south-east of the CBD, had the words "sack Dan" written in red graffiti both on the front door and the windows alongside it.
The window to the right of the door was cracked by what appeared to be a thrown brick. A brick was lying a few metres away from the windows.
The exact time the vandalism occurred is not clear.
A caller to radio station 3AW, named Philip, witnessed the vandalism earlier on Thursday morning.
"The window is broken, not completely shattered," he said.
"There's spray paint all over the front."
Daniel Andrews electoral office in Noble Park was vandalised overnight. Credit:Jason South
A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said authorities were investigating the "criminal damage incident".
"Investigators were told an office building on Princes Highway was graffitied and damaged by an unidentified person," she said in a statement.
"An investigation is underway and police urge any witnesses or anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000."
Mr Andrews' office is in his suburban electorate of Mulgrave. He was elected to represent the area in 2002.
On Wednesday, the Premier acknowledged the deep frustration felt by some at the length of the strict lockdown and said he was aware the social and economic costs may outweigh the benefit of the measures if they lasted too long.
"These measures come with a cost. There is a public health benefit, but there is also a cost," he said.
“This is not an indefinite arrangement … At some point, the cost of the restrictions will be greater than the increased risk and the increased challenge for our public health team to keep the virus suppressed if we open earlier than we had planned.
“Some of those [costs] are measured at a very personal level, in terms of the health, both physical and mental, of individual Victorians and their families. Then there’s obviously a whole range of economic considerations beyond health.
“Weighing up those matters is very, very challenging but there is an enormous amount of thought, consideration and judgement that comes with that task.”
Mounting pressure on Andrews to end lockdown pain
Uncertainty surrounding the end of Melbourne’s coronavirus lockdown is destroying business confidence in a range of sectors and having a detrimental impact on the mental health of a growing number of Victorians.
A leading economist has joined the property industry, the state’s peak lawyers' group, one of the nation’s largest grocery retailers, psychiatrists and doctors in pleading for certainty as Premier Daniel Andrews prepares to announce the easing of some restrictions on Sunday.
There have been calls for Victoria to adopt a NSW-style approach to managing the COVID-19 crisis and get businesses open again.Credit:Getty Images
The pleas came as the federal government reapplied pressure to Mr Andrews on Wednesday with the Treasurer, Health Minister and Prime Minister all calling for the state to immediately adopt a NSW-style approach to containing the virus, which involved keeping the economy relatively open and taking an aggressive approach to COVID-19 outbreaks when they arise.
Victoria confirmed seven new cases and five more lives had been lost to COVID-19 on Wednesday as health authorities battled to contain a fresh outbreak in the regional city of Shepparton, where three people tested positive on Tuesday.
NSW, which still maintains a closed border with Victoria and allows most businesses to remain open with patronage limits and COVID-safe plans, recorded 12 new locally acquired cases on Wednesday.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg cited Commonwealth Health Department figures showing a sharp spike in numbers of Victorians seeking help for their mental health in September and October, describing the numbers as "heartbreaking".
Read the full story, by Noel Towell, Dana McCauley, Dominic Powell and Henrietta Cook, here.
Thousands of retirees face being pushed onto pension by pandemic
By Jennifer Duke
Thousands more people will be left relying on the government to help fund their retirement due to slashed dividends, rent reductions and record low interest rates unless the economy rebounds quickly from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia previously forecast 43 per cent of those reaching retirement age in 2023 would be fully self-funded, up from 22 per cent of those who retired in 2000. However, an analysis by ASFA this month now forecasts it will be 41 per cent.
The coronavirus-induced recession has affected income streams for retirees.Credit:Jessica Shapiro
This means about 5000 more people will be relying on government support through the pension or part-pension than previously forecast. The figure takes into account the detrimental effects of the coronavirus pandemic-induced recession on investment returns. In particular, low deposit rates due to a record low interest rate environment, rent freezes or reductions coupled with limits on evictions, and major cuts to dividends have reduced the available income streams for self-funded retirees.
The data was analysed based on the effects of the pandemic on income streams this year and a rapid improvement in the economy could alter the outcome.
Good morning, coronavirus blog opening
Good morning, David Estcourt here opening the blog for Thursday October 15. I'll be bringing you all our COVID-19 news until early this afternoon.
Feel free to shoot me an email – david.estcourt@theage.com.au – or leave a comment in the blog if you have any news tips or something to share.
Making news this morning:
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2020-10-14 20:49:00Z
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