By Michael Doyle
NT extends Greater Sydney hotspot declaration by four weeks
The Northern Territory border will remain closed to those in Greater Sydney for at least another four weeks, until Friday, August 28.
NT Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, said the measure is being taken to protect residents.
The outbreaks of concern are confined to Sydney and appear well managed but are still growing,” he said.
“There is still community transmission which means Sydney will present the threat for the foreseeable future.
“To provide certainty for all Territorians, we’re extending our hotspot declaration to all of Greater Sydney for at least another four weeks.
“That means our borders will stay closed to all of Greater Sydney.”
By Michael Doyle
Key Event
Dr Norman Swan discussing Victoria’s positive rate
The ABC’s Dr Norman Swan says the 3 per cent positive rate in Victoria is concerning.
By Michael Doyle
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
By Nicholas McElroy
No new cases recorded in WA
From WA Health:
The Department of Health has reported no new active cases of COVID-19 overnight, with the State’s total remaining at 658.
There are now two active cases in WA.To date, 647 people have recovered from the virus in the State.
Yesterday 416 people presented to WA COVID-19 clinics – 414 were assessed and 411 were swabbed.
There have been 241,439 COVID-19 tests performed in WA.Of those tested, 40,834 were from regional WA.
By Nicholas McElroy
By Nicholas McElroy
Greetings
I’ll be around for the rest of the afternoon.
Keep those questions coming.
By Michael Doyle
We have another blogger joining the side
Hello blog fans.
Nic McElroy has joined me on the blog desk.
We will be overlapping for the next hour before he takes charge for the afternoon.
By Michael Doyle
Queensland Premier will not rule out shutting border with NSW
Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she “will not hesitate to slam the border shut” if rates of community transmission continue to climb in New South Wales.
The stern warning came as Queensland recorded yet another day of zero new coronavirus cases.
“We will not hesitate, if it gets out of control, to slam the border shut,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Let me reassure Queenslanders once again, every single day we are monitoring what is happening in New South Wales.”
From 1: 00am today the Sydney local government area of Fairfield became another declared hotspot, meaning any non-Queensland resident who has been in Fairfield in the last 14 days cannot enter the state.
Campbelltown and Liverpool make up the other New South Wales hotspots.
By Michael Doyle
One from the PM press conference: ‘Premature’ for Victoria to impose tougher restrictions
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his advice is that it would be premature to move to tougher restrictions in Victoria.
But he said all options were on the table but we need to be patient because it would take some time to get on top of the outbreak.
“He [Daniel Andrews} will take adv ice and make assessments, I would think over the next week or so,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the government was sending 1,400 ADF personnel to Victoria and he had only one job to do.
“That is to give Daniel Andrews and the Victorian Government I can to help him and help Victorians and that is certainly what we are doing as a federal government,” he said.
By Michael Doyle
ACT records zero new cases of COVID-19
The ACT has recorded zero new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
There is still one active care in the territory.
By Michael Doyle
Doyle joke — My health record incorrectly says I have Type A blood. It was a typo.
By Michael Doyle
Press conferences have finished
What a wild ride that was folks.
To recap:
- There are 532 new cases in Victoria, there