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Updated graphs: Victoria's case numbers continue to fall
By Craig Butt
Victoria's 14-day case average has fallen to 1.3 and is nearing NSW's 14-day average for locally acquired cases, which was at 1 yesterday.
The state's 14-day average will likely record even larger drops tomorrow and on Sunday because a day of five cases and a day of seven cases will fall out of the 14-day reference window used to calculate that average.
There are no coronavirus cases currently under investigation, which means that the number of mystery cases confirmed over the previous fortnight has remained at two.
This graph shows the number of new cases recorded in Victoria each day since the start of the first wave. That red line - the seven-day average - reached zero today, due to the fact there had been seven days in a row of no new cases.
It's a bit hard to see on that graph given that the state's 7-day average rose above 500 during the peak of the second wave in early August, so I've made a version of the graph that zooms into the past month of so.
In this graph, you can see quite clearly how the 7-day average hit zero today:
Victoria records full week of no new cases of coronavirus, no deaths
By Ashleigh McMillan
Victoria has now recorded a full week of no new cases of coronavirus and no further deaths.
Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to make announcements on Sunday about the easing of more restrictions.
Meanwhile, a leading Australian infectious disease researcher said that a decision to start producing a COVID vaccine in Melbourne, which is still only in the trial phase, was an expensive gamble but one that would put Australia in a great position if it is effective.
Dr Paul Griffin, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, said progress had been fast through the development of a vaccine due to preparatory actions, like starting to manufacture vaccines in phase 3 human trials.
'Psychiatry has lost its way': Prize winners shine light on children's mental health, lack of diagnoses
By Rachel Clun
Children's mental health needs urgent attention and people deserve specific diagnoses for their mental health conditions, say the dual winners of this year's Australian Mental Health Prize.
Professor Gordon Parker and Professor Helen Milroy used the award to highlight mental health issues, some of which they said had been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professor Helen Milroy says talk about prevention and early detection is all well and good but there are many families with children who need help now.
Professor Milroy, a Palkyu woman and the Stan Perron chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at Perth Children's Hospital and the University of Western Australia, said data on suicides among young people before the pandemic was concerning.
"We've got a big issue on our hands and this will be much worse with COVID," she said. "Kids are no more immune to mental health than anyone else and as much as kids can be remarkably resilient, we can't rely on that."
Virus fragments found in south-west Sydney sewage
By Mary Ward
NSW Health has reminded south-west Sydney residents to get tested with even the mildest coronavirus symptoms after virus fragments were found in sewage samples.
As part of the state's sewage surveillance program, traces of the virus which causes COVID-19 were found in the sewage system which drains the suburbs of Leppington, Catherine Field, Gledswood Hills, Varroville and Denham Court.
"Symptoms like a runny nose or scratchy throat, cough, tiredness, fever or loss of taste or smell can all signal COVID-19," NSW Health reminded the public in a statement.
NSW has been testing sewage for molecular markers of coronavirus since July.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant has previously acknowledged the limitations of sewage testing, saying it does not necessarily indicate currently active cases but can let health authorities know which areas they should be encouraging to come forward for testing.
Government executives share in $12.8m of bonuses during public servant pay freeze
By Katina Curtis
Government agencies have defied calls for restraint with taxpayer dollars during the coronavirus pandemic, shelling out millions in bonuses to top executives while ordinary public servants had their pay frozen.
An analysis of 142 principal government entities – including departments, statutory authorities and government businesses – that published annual reports for 2019-20 shows a quarter of them paid bonuses to their top executive teams, for a total of more than $12.8 million.
Government agencies have shelled out millions in bonuses to top executives while ordinary public servants had their pay frozen.Credit:Jessica Shaprio
Most of the taxpayer-backed organisations that paid six-figure bonuses to executives did not say whether they considered the effect of the coronavirus recession or a government request to exercise restraint when awarding them.
Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate resigned this week after Prime Minister Scott Morrison criticised her decision to spend nearly $20,000 on luxury Cartier watches for three senior staff members in 2018. The postal service's executives this year took a 20 per cent pay cut and waived their right to bonuses.
The 7th donut! Victoria brings up seventh consecutive day of zero new cases, deaths
Victoria has recorded a seventh-straight day of no new COVID-19 cases or deaths.
Unified Security boss says not its fault virus escaped hotel quarantine
By Tammy Mills and Richard Baker
The head of the security company whose guards helped seed Melbourne's second wave of COVID-19 says infection control was so bad in hotel quarantine that it would have made no difference if the police or army had been in charge.
The boss of Unified Security, which provided the bulk of security guards across 13 Melbourne hotels, said the state government was trying to deflect blame for the failures of a program that allowed the virus to break out of quarantine.
David Millward, Unified Security Group director of national operations.
"The clear evidence from the hotel quarantine inquiry is that the primary cause of the outbreak was the appalling lack of infection-control protocols in the hotels and the confused and ineffective governance structure that meant no one knew who was in charge,” David Millward told The Age.
Police and Australian Defence Force personnel, Mr Millward said, would have been just as vulnerable as security guards if they had been employed in the program that was set up and overseen by Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services.
Berejiklian 'not going to comment any more' on Palaszczuk texts
By Mary Ward
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said she is "not going to comment any more" on a bizarre text message exchange she says occurred between herself and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this week, saying she just wants the NSW-Queensland border "fixed".
Ms Berejiklian says she sent her Queensland counterpart a message congratulating her on her election win and asking for border talks to resume on Sunday, to only receive a message which read "Queenslander, great game" in reply after Wednesday's State of Origin.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian with treasurer Dominic Perrottet.Credit:Janie Barrett
"On Sunday night I said to her 'look forward to working with you on the border', you'd understand what I meant by that, right?" Ms Berejiklian asked Ben Fordham on 2GB this morning.
The Premier added: "I'm not going to comment any more because this isn't about me and her now. It's about people who can't see their families and businesses who are shutting down."
Asked about reports in The Australian today that her government is considering giving $100 restaurant vouchers to households when it hands down the state budget on November 17, Ms Berejiklian said "we are looking at what we can afford".
"We are still putting the finishing touches on the NSW budget: I am still not in a position to announce all of those wonderful things our Treasurer may or not be working on."
Moss Vale Public School closed today, waiting on test result for possible case
It was announced overnight that Moss Vale Public School will be closed today as it awaits the test results of a possible case of COVID-19.
The result of the test will be confirmed later today, a spokesman for NSW Education said, and all students and staff have been told to self-isolate until they receive further advice.
The school, located south-west of Sydney, will undergo deep cleaning as a precaution, the spokesman said.
It is not yet known if the potential case is a student or a member of staff.
'It is very concerning': Mask use plummets on Sydney public transport
By Tom Rabe
Mask use on Sydney’s public transport network has decreased sharply as patronage continues to rise, with senior government ministers growing anxious as thousands return to the CBD.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance on Thursday said mask use had dropped by about 50 per cent over the past four weeks, indicating only about 20 per cent of passengers were wearing them.
Mask use has dropped by 50 per cent on Sydney's public transport network.Credit:Janie Barrett
Mr Constance said buses were the government’s major concern given the relatively cramped conditions and number of commuters now using them.
“Patronage is going one way and mask usage is going the other ... particularly as more people return to the city,” Mr Constance said.
“I’m pleading with everybody to start wearing masks. I would hate to see, down the track, fines being introduced.”
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2020-11-05 22:40:00Z
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