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Virgin follows Qantas in announcing vaccine incentive program
By Craig Platt
Virgin Australia has followed Qantas in announcing its own incentive program for Australians to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The airline this morning announced a giveaway of millions of Velocity Frequent Flyer points, as well as business class flights, for Australian residents who get vaccinated.
A spokesperson for Virgin said the airline has a responsibility to use its voice to encourage Australians to get vaccinated.Credit:iStock
However, the Virgin announcement said the competition would not open until all Australian adults are eligible for vaccination. At present, only Australians aged 40 and over are eligible for the vaccine, with the exception of those in front line roles or with conditions that make them vulnerable to the disease.
The airline said full details of the prizes would be revealed when the competition opens, but the biggest prize would be one million Velocity Frequent Flyer points.
According to Virgin, this could fly you between every capital city around Australia seven times.
The points could also be used with one of the airline’s international partners when borders reopen. Virgin’s international routes are currently suspended, including to New Zealand.
Push for inquiry to probe Australia’s anti-money laundering regime
By Charlotte Grieve
Labor senator Deborah O’Neill is calling for an inquiry into Australia’s anti-money laundering regime to probe the regulators, laws and private companies tasked with stamping out financial crime.
Senator O’Neill has proposed a motion to establish a formal inquiry through the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, chaired by Kim Carr, that would examine the “adequacy and efficiency” of the regime.
Portrait of Senator Deborah O’Neill and Labor MP Daniel Mulino in Canberra on Wednesday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Casinos and banks are among the companies required by law to detect and report suspicious transactions and customers to the financial crime regulator - the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).
AUSTRAC has had a string of recent high-profile victories, including fining Westpac $1.3 billion and the Commonwealth Bank $700 million after systemic non-compliance with these laws enabled serious and organised criminals to use the country’s major banks.
In both cases, Senator O’Neill said AUSTRAC heavily relied on tip-offs or self-reporting and called for a closer look at how the regulator operates and whether it is appropriately resourced.
“AUSTRAC seems to think they’re doing fine. I don’t think that’s the case,” she said.
The federal government has promised to introduce reforms to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act since 2006 which would force lawyers, accountants and real estate agents to report suspicious transactions in the same way banks and casinos do.
Senator O’Neill’s proposed inquiry would look at why these reforms have taken so long to implement, but also call on business groups to establish a roadmap for ensuring any new regulations don’t hurt small businesses.
Fellow Labor MP Daniel Mulino, who is also pushing for the inquiry, said Australia’s current financial crime regime was regarded as a laggard internationally and immediate work was needed to ensure the regime is world class.
The proposal will be voted on around 4pm today. Senator O’Neill’s team has support from independent senators and is actively negotiating for One Nation.
Vic stadiums, sport and entertainment venues can also host more people
By Cassandra Morgan and Nick Miller
And some more eased restrictions in Victoria: Outdoor stadiums can, from 11.59pm on Thursday night, operate at up to 50 per cent of their venue’s capacity, with a maximum of 25,000 people.
“This means that the A-league grand final can proceed with 15,000 people and the MCG can host 25,000 people,” Acting Premier James Merlino said during this morning’s update.
Indoor stadiums can operate at 50 per cent of their venue capacity, or up to 5000 people. Physical recreation and community sporting venues will be able to have up to 300 people in their indoor spaces, and up to 1000 people outdoors.
The MCG can host 25,000 people under the new rules.Credit:Getty
The acting premier said the requirement to get tested for COVID-19 before visiting Alpine resorts would move to a recommendation for people from metropolitan Melbourne.
Indoor entertainment venues in Victoria will be able to operate at 75 per cent capacity, or host up to 300 people per indoor space. Outdoor venues with fixed seating will also be able to operate at 75 per cent capacity and host up to 1000 people per space.
Indoor entertainment venues in Melbourne can host up to 300 people in a space, as long as they stick by the one person per four square metres rule. Outdoor venues without seating also have to follow that rule but they can have a maximum of 1000 people.
(That’s good news for half of the people with Harry Potter tickets for next week: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will reopen Saturday 26 June at 50% capacity, working towards 100% from July 1, the producers say.)
Arcades, escape rooms and bingo centres can open up to 300 people in Melbourne, while there’s no capacity limits for those in regional Victoria if density quotas are met. Indoor amusement parks can have 300 people indoors or 1000 people outdoors, and casinos can also host up to 300 people in metropolitan Melbourne.
Mystery case unsolved as NSW Health urgently investigates four more
By Jenny Noyes and Natassia Chrysanthos
Authorities still haven’t identified the source of COVID-19 found in a nine-year-old child from Sydney’s east whose positive test was announced yesterday.
Dr Kerry Chant said the child’s household contacts have tested negative for COVID-19 and “to date we have not identified a source”.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
Urgent investigations are currently under way to identify the source of four out of 13 new infections identified after 8pm last night. Eight other cases were linked to a birthday party in south-western Sydney.
Dr Chant said there is “cause for concern” as it shows there are “people infected in the community unknowingly”. She said it highlights the importance of broad testing.
And just a bit of clarification when it comes to today’s coronavirus numbers:
There were officially 10 cases of COVID-19 detected in the NSW community in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday. We already knew about seven of those, because they were revealed in yesterday’s 11am press conference. That means were three fresh cases recorded between that press conference and the 8pm cut-off.
A further 13 cases were then discovered after yesterday’s 8pm cut-off. Those will be included in tomorrow’s official numbers.
It means NSW has technically recorded 16 new cases of COVID-19 since the last time we heard from health officials (which was 11am yesterday).
Victorian workplaces and hospitality venues to have increased capacity
By Cassandra Morgan
The recommendation for Victorians to work from home will be removed from 11.59pm on Thursday night. Workplace caps will be increased to 75 per cent, or 30 people if the workplace has less than 40 people, but density quotas still apply.
Victorian university students can also attend their institutions in-person. The study from home requirement will be lifted, but density quotas of one person per four square metres will still apply in metropolitan Melbourne, “except in areas used by students”.
Schools in the city will remain open with a density quota of one person per four square metres. Early learning centres, childcare, kinder and family daycare will also stay open.
Melbourne cafes will have looser restrictions when it comes to sitting indoors. Credit:Joe Armao
Restaurants and cafes can open to a maximum of 300 patrons per venue for seated service, subject to a density quota of one person per four square metres.
Venues smaller than 600 square metres will be able to abide by a density quota of one person per two square metres with up to 150 patrons, provided that a COVID-19 check-in marshall is present at the venue.
Smaller venues will still be able to host up to 25 people before they apply the density quota.
NSW MPs among those isolating due to Sydney outbreak
By Alexandra Smith and Jenny Noyes
A group of NSW Nationals MP, including the state’s agriculture minister Adam Marshall and upper house MPs Ben Franklin and Trevor Khan, are isolating after being contacted overnight by NSW Health and told to get a COVID-19 test immediately.
Mr Franklin said he was at Christo’s Pizza in Paddington on Monday.
NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall.Credit:Rhett Wyman
Meanwhile NSW’s Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant says the 10 cases who tested positive to COVID-19 just two days after attending a birthday party with an asymptomatic worker from Bondi Junction on Saturday shows just how rapidly the virus can spread.
Eight of the 13 cases confirmed after 8pm last night attended a birthday party at West Hoxton, about 40 kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD, while two other attendees were a father and daughter who tested positive earlier in the day. The daughter then attended a childcare centre at Narellan Vale on Monday which has since closed its doors and is undergoing a deep clean.
“Those test results indicate how rapidly the virus was transmitted in the circumstances,” Dr Chant said.
“We got to this group very quickly. And that meant that they were basically infectious in the community for one day.”
Victorians permitted to have up to 15 visitors at their homes
By Hanna Mills Turbet and Cassandra Morgan
Victoria’s Acting Premier James Merlino has kicked off today’s highly anticipated press conference with some good news.
From 11.59pm tomorrow night, new restrictions will include:
- Public gatherings of up to 50 people outdoors
- Gatherings in the home will be permitted, with up to 15 visitors to a home per day, including dependents.
- Funerals and weddings can move to a cap of 300 people, subject to the density limits of the venue
“We all want to be back at birthday parties, barbecues at home, to see friends, to explore the coast, the regions, and take the kids on a trip somewhere,” Mr Merlino said.
“We did want to provide as much certainty as we can today for the easing of restrictions, particularly as the next couple of weeks will be a school holidays.
“So today we are taking some big steps forward so we can spend more time together with the people we love.”
People in hospitals and care facilities can have two visitors at a time, or up to five per day, although some individual facilities might have their own rules.
A family can also book accommodation outside of their home and have 15 additional people go away with them under the visitor cap rules.
‘Very real and present danger’ from new cases: NSW’s health minister
By Jenny Noyes
Mask wearing restrictions already in place until next Wednesday have been extended.
In addition to the indoor venues already announced yesterday (such as shopping centres), workers must now wear masks in workplaces and people attending organised outdoor events must wear masks except for while eating and drinking.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday morning. Credit:Nick Moir
Gym classes are limited to 20, and participants must wear a mask. Along with wearing masks on public transport, social distancing must be observed.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said there should be no reluctance to wear masks.
Mr Hazzard said the 13 new cases since 8pm last night has brought the situation from “near and present danger to a very real and present danger, not just in a shopping centre but right across Sydney”.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a lockdown, but said she is confident that “if we adhere to the health orders today, we will have a good chance on getting on top of this outbreak”.
“We will not burden our citizens unless we absolutely have to,” she said.
“We know basically where the super-spreading events have been, we know where the virus is circulating. We don’t want to take any further action than what we have now, but this relies on all of us reining in our behaviour, all of us following the health orders that are coming into place.”
Severe weather warning for Victoria a fortnight after damaging storms
By Bianca Hall
Meanwhile in Victoria, storms and damaging winds will again sweep through parts of the state this week, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.
The bureau issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds for parts of the East Gippsland, North-East and North-West, and South Gippsland regions.
A resident of Olinda, east of Melbourne, was lucky to escape his home after a large tree smashed through his bedroom - missing his bed by less than a metre. Credit:Joe Armao
The warnings follow devastating storms that swept through the Dandenong and Macedon Ranges, Gippsland and central Victoria regions on June 9, leaving thousands without power, countless homes and businesses damaged and an insurance bill that has reached $160 million and is expected to keep rising.
About 1400 households and businesses – most in the Dandenong Ranges – remain without power on Wednesday, a fortnight after the storms.
The Dandenongs are a set of low mountain ranges about 35 kilometres east of Melbourne. The Macedon Ranges lie north-west of Melbourne, while Gippsland is a region in south-eastern Victoria.
What set those storms apart were the unusual wind direction. Normally, Victoria’s high winds blow from the north or north-west, or sometimes the south-west during winter. On June 9 they came in from the south-east, off the Bass Strait.
New restrictions for Sydney’s hotspots
By Jenny Noyes
Premier Berejiklian has announced a raft of new restrictions following today’s COVID-19 numbers, including banning people who live or work in seven COVID-affected local government areas from travelling outside metropolitan Sydney.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcing new COVID-19 restrictions earlier this morning. Credit:Nick Moir
Effective immediately with compliance from 4pm, Ms Berejiklian said the restrictions also include a return to no more than five visitors to households, seating-only in hospitality venues, no dancing or singing except for wedding dance floors (restricted to 20).
The local government areas include the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West, Randwick and Waverley Council.
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2021-06-23 03:07:50Z
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