Covid-19 News Updates

All new QLD cases have Delta strain, state to lock out Victorians tomorrow

The state of Victoria will be declared as a hotspot by Queensland authorities from 1am tomorrow, which means any Queenslanders returning home after that point will need to do 14 days of mandatory quarantine.

"It is a clear message to Queenslanders. Definitely do not go to New South Wales and do not go to Victoria during this period of time, but we do wish everyone the very best and we know that Victorians get on top of these issues very quickly," Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

The announcement comes as the state records just one new case of COVID-19 from the past 24 hours - the mother of the boy whose positive test was announced yesterday along with her partner.

It has also been confirmed that this Newport family has the same Delta strain that is found in Sydney.

"The people in Sydney, the health staff there, will be working through how he acquired the infection while he was in hotel quarantine down there," Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said.

"He's come up here and he had very little exposure out in the community," she said.

Dr Young explained the boy's father had minimal exposure in the community, and his mother had virtually none because she went into hospital with her son when he was admitted. There have been 62 contacts identified in relation to this outbreak so far.

Out of the three cases that were reported yesterday, the airport worker has a strain of COVID-19 that is "four snips different" to the previous COVID-19 airport worker reported, meaning there hasn't been direct transmission between the two.

The Tarragindi woman is a supervisor at one of the boarding gates at the Brisbane International Airport, and CCTV footage has identified 23 close contacts and 22 casual contacts. It is expected there will be more.

Updated at 9:47am AEST on 16 July 2021.

PM confirms support payments for lockdown-hit Victorian workers

Update (11:30am AEST): The Victorian Department of Health has reported 10 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to midnight, of whom four were already announced yesterday. All 10 cases are linked to the current outbreaks, taking the total number of active cases to 36.

While the Federal Government's temporary COVID disaster payments originally had a one-week minimum requirement for a lockdown, Victorians who lose work because of the current five-day lockdown will also be eligible for support.

The previous liquid asset test was scrapped last week, while payments were also increased on Tuesday, equating to $600 for those who have lost 20 hours of work or more, and $375 if they have lost less than 20 hours but had been working more than eight hours weekly.

The Commonwealth Government will pick up the tab for the areas declared hot spots by the chief medical officer - Greater Melbourne, Moorabool Shire, City of Greater Geelong, Borough of Queenscliff and Surf Coast Shire.

Meanwhile, the Victorian Government will make payments to lockdown-affected workers in the remainder of the state.

The agreement was struck last night between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, along with their respective treasurers.

"In addition, the Victorian Government has agreed to provide significant additional economic support to businesses, from day one of this lockdown period, satisfying the Commonwealth's cost sharing requirements for this arrangement," the Prime Minister said in a statement.

"Should the Victorian lockdown be extended, the additional features of the upgraded and revised economic support arrangements proposed by the Commonwealth will be activated by agreement.

"The additional support being announced today comes on top of the $45.4 billion of Commonwealth support that has already been delivered to Victoria."

Updated at 9:04am AEST on 16 July 2021.

Victoria to enter fifth lockdown from midnight tonight

"I am not prepared to avoid a five-day lockdown now only to find ourselves in a five-week or a five-month lockdown. That's why we made this very difficult decision," says Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

Victoria will enter its fifth lockdown since the pandemic began, with residents ordered to stay at home from midnight tonight as authorities scramble to trace contacts linked to two COVID-19 transmission chains.

The lockdown will last for five days until 11.59pm on Tuesday 20 July and is "essentially a repeat of the succesful strategy from just a couple of weeks ago", according to Premier Daniel Andrews.

"If you were authorised to work then, you will be authorised to work now. If you were closed then, you will be closed now," the Premier said.

"We're doing it the way we always do it."

The announcement confirms speculation this afternoon by the ABC and follows the detection of two new COVID-19 cases since an earlier press conference today - one linked to the AFL match between Carlton and Geelong at the MCG and the other to the Ariele Apartments block.

"We have 75 exposure sites, 1,500 primary close contacts and 5,000 secondary close contacts. That's how fast this moves - I want to assure all Victorians that our contact tracers, our public health experts, all the team are moving faster than they ever have," Premier Andrews said.

"But as fast as they're moving, they're just keeping pace with this virus. They're not getting in front of it, and unless they get in front of it we won't drive these numbers down. In fact, they will ultimately get away from us."

Support for businesses will be announced tomorrow, while parts of regional Victoria may be able to exit lockdowns earlier if test results show there is no community transmission.

Victorians are by now familiar with what's expected of them during a lockdown: the four reasons to leave the home are once again in place with the fifth if they go out to get vaccinated. People can only leave the home within a 5km radius, for the accepted reasons. 

Masks will be mandatory, there will be no visitors to homes, and public gatherings are off the cards.

Restaurants, pubs and cafes will be allowed to open for takeaway only, while essential retail can open such as supermarkets, food stores, petrol stations, banks, bottle shops and pharmacies. Other retail stores can provide click and collect.

Childcare and kindergartens will be open, approved professional sporting events will proceed with no crowds, and schools will move to remote learning except for vulnerable children and the children of authorised workers.

Hotels, clubs, TABs and casinos will be closed.

"You only get one chance to go hard and go fast," Andrews said.

"If you wait, if you hesitate, if you doubt, then you will always be looking back wishing you had done more earlier.

There are now 18 cases of COVID-19 active in Victoria, of which six are associated with the Ariele Apartments and three linked to the AFL game over the weekend.

"We've got an AFL football game where it appears people who did not knowingly spend any time together and don't know each other, have infected each other," Andrews said.

Updated at 5:17pm AEST on 15 July 2021.

New restrictions as SA locks out Victoria, ditches reopening with Southeast Queensland

"The deteriorating situation around the country is a major wake up call for South Australia," SA Premier Steven Marshall said.

South Australia will introduce a hard border to Victoria and ditch plans to reopen to southeast Queensland as new COVID-19 restrictions come into effect in the state from midnight tonight.

The new restrictions, which include reduced capacities in venues, the banning of dancing and more to come as the virus situation around the country has deteriorated further today.

The Premier put it simply: "We don't want lockdowns in South Australia."

As such, from midnight tonight, a hard border to Victoria will be put in place, meaning only returning South Aussies will be permitted to enter the state.

Returning residents however must complete two weeks of hotel quarantine on arrival if they have been in Greater Melbourne, Geelong or Bacchus Marsh. The 70km border bubble will be in place.

In addition, because Queensland today recorded three new local COVID-19 cases, plans to ease the hard border with the state's southeast have been thrown out for the time being.

As such, SA will maintain its hard border with Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Gold Coast, Logan, Redland, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset.

New local restrictions will come into effect for SA including:

• 50 per cent density arrangements at venues
• Masks must be worn indoors for venues that have more than 50 per cent capacity in place (like theatres)
• Masks must also be worn in correctional facilities, aged care homes, and when receiving personal care services
• Shisha will be banned
• Dancing and singing will be banned
• Private home gatherings restricted to 150 attendees

"We do all of these things to make sure we do not have a lockdown in South Australia," Marshall said.

"We need to take action, both in terms of our own border, but also internally in South Australia.

"We still have the lowest level restrictions in the country, that means if it comes to South Australia it can move very quickly. That's why we take this action."

Updated 4.01pm AEST on 15 July 2021.

NSW situation "stabilising" but too many still infectious in community, says Premier

With New South Wales reporting 65 new community cases of COVID-19 today, the Premier Gladys Berejiklian is pleased to see the situation "stabilising".

But with 28 of the new cases in the community while infectious, the Premier says that number is still too high and needs to hit zero for lockdown settings to ease.

"Whilst the case numbers are bouncing around, we are seeing a stabilisation - they are not growing exponentially - which tells us that the settings we have in place are having an impact," the Premier said.

"But the next challenge for us is to see a drop in the numbers of people infectious in the community.

"Our collective effort is having an impact, but we need to make sure that we do not let our guard down."

As such, both Berejiklian and the state's chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant have urged those in lockdown to stay home unless necessary and get tested if even the slightest of symptoms present.

While Dr Chant says those in Sydney should act as if COVID is "everywhere", she is particularly concerned about a case who was in the Emu Plains community while infectious as they are unlinked to any other known case.

"We're asking for anyone in Emu Plains to get tested, even for the most minor symptoms," Dr Chant said.

This case and a previously announced case in Emu Plains both visited the Lennox Village Shopping Centre, so anyone who was at the centre on Saturday 10 July from 3.45-5pm is a casual contact and anyone specifically at Woolworths between 4-4.45pm is a close contact.

Chemists, medical centres and supermarkets continue to be leading sources of transmission outside the home.  

In terms of the number of NSW COVID-19 hospitalisations, there are currently 19 people in the intensive care unit, of which five are ventilated.

Updated at 11.32am AEST on 15 July 2021.

Three new local COVID-19 cases in Southeast QLD, restrictions to remain another week

Plans to lift restrictions in Southeast Queensland have been postponed until next Friday after three new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were reported overnight, including a financial services professional who was at work on the Sunshine Coast while infectious and a worker at Brisbane International Airport.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says she is very concerned about the airport worker, a Tarragindi woman in her 40s who is fully vaccinated and has followed rules to the letter.

"They've been working at the airport for three days while infectious. Nothing to do with them - they did absolutely the right thing and they were vaccinated, but we now have to see where they've been working, who they'd come into contact with," Dr Young said.

The individual worked at the airport on Sunday, 11 July, visited Woolworths Annerley the following morning before working at the airport again that day, followed by another shift on Tuesday, 13 July. On Wednesday morning she then went to Chemist Warehouse Annerely before getting tested, and used the QR code check-in on every occasion.

"There is a significant risk there, and any of those people could of course have gone home anywhere in Southeast Queensland, so we just need to maintain those restrictions for another seven days.

"I know they're difficult. I'm sure everyone's sick and tired of wearing masks - they're uncomfortable, but they're extremely important, and if everyone continues doing it, coming forward and getting tested, then hopefully we won't be required to go into a lockdown."

Restrictions such as required mask-wearing, private residence gathering limits, the four square metre rule indoors and the two square metre rule outdoors will remain for the local government areas (LGAs) of Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Logan City, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and the Gold Coast.

These restrictions will ease however in the LGAs of Townsville and Palm Island at 6am tomorrow as planned.

The other two local cases reported in Queensland include a 12-year-old boy who completed hotel quarantine in Sydney with his mother after returning to Australia from the United States, and the boy's father.

The mother and son arrived in Brisbane on Qantas flight QF544 on 9 July, and live in the coastal suburb of Newport on the Redcliffe Peninsula.

"He became unwell that evening after they'd arrived back, and went and saw a doctor at the Aspley Medical Centre on the 13th of July, visited the adjoining pharmacy in that centre...that result came back late yesterday," Dr Young said.

"His mother has tested negative at this stage but she's now in hospital with her son, and the father has tested positive. He did not travel to the United States, but he did go to the airport to pick up his son and his partner.

"He works in a financial service firm, at the Rowland Financial Advisory service at Cotton Tree near Maroochydoore, and went to work yesterday while infectious, so we'll be contact tracing. At this stage we don't believe that the child, their mother or the father had been to any other exposure venues but of course we're going to be talking to all three at the moment to see where else they might have been."

Authorities hope to receive genome sequencing back later today so they will know where the boy acquired the virus.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was sorry to say it but these new cases mean restrictions must be continued while contact tracers get on top of the situation.

"We are seeing these little spot fires happening across the nation and we need to make sure we get this under control," she says.

"We've seen what's happened in Victoria overnight with additional cases, we've seen this son and parent come from Sydney out of hotel quarantine and testing positive, the international airport worker, so we've just got to get on top of these things quickly.

Palaszczuk also urged Queenslanders not to go to Victoria at this time, while Queenslanders already in the state have been asked to reconsider their travel and think about returning home.

"Of course, we've said to Queenslanders, reconsider your travel into New South Wales as well."

Dr Young noted there had been no COVID-19 detected in sewage tests in NSW outside of the lockdown area, which is an encouraging sign, but she still noted an outbreak could occur in the state at any time. 

Click here for a list of updated exposure sites.

Updated at 11:16am AEST on 15 July 2021.

Mask rules back in Victoria as exposure site list swells

UPDATE (12.30pm AEST 15 July): Two more COVID-19 cases have been detected in Victoria this morning - both uncovered following extensive testing of close contacts of the man who attended an AFL match at the MCG over the weekend.

Wearing a face mask is once again mandatory in Victoria as the state's list of exposure sites swells to more than 70 locations after 10 new COVID-19 cases were recorded yesterday, connected to two different chains of transmission - a family of four who had travelled back from Sydney and the removalist from the NSW capital.

The new rules, effective as of 12.01am today, mean wearing a mask will be mandatory in all indoor settings, including workplaces and secondary schools, and outdoors where social distancing is not possible.

VIC's list of exposure sites ballooned overnight and now include an AFL match at the MCG over the weekend, Campbellfield Plaza, a McDonalds in Craigieburn, multiple stores at the DFO in Uni Hill and many more.

The full list of public exposure sites can be found here.

Depending on the threat level, those who attended the sites may be required to self-isolate for 14 days and get tested for COVID-19.

One of the new cases is a teacher from Bacchus Marsh Grammar who attended a staff development day on Monday but was absent on Tuesday and Wednesday when students returned.

Updated at 9.14am AEST on 15 July 2021.

MCG listed as exposure site after Victoria records seven new COVID-19 cases

The city of Melbourne is once again on high alert after a new locally acquired case of COVID-19 attended an AFL match at the MCG over the weekend and an outbreak connected to a removalist from Sydney continues to grow.

The state formally reported just one new community transmission today, but Victoria's COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar says early this morning seven new infections were picked up.

While contact tracing and interviews are still underway to determine the potential spread of the virus in Melbourne, health authorities were able to discern that one of the new cases attended the MCG on the weekend.

As such, the AFL game between Carlton and Geelong at the MCG on 10 July has been listed as an exposure site.

Of the seven new cases, most are connected to the removalist from Sydney who breached freight conditions by not wearing a mask while visiting the Ariele apartment complex on 8 July.

The cases mentioned by Weimar today include a man in his 60s who live at the apartment complex, that man's 89 and 90-year-old parents, and three members of a household who also live at the apartment complex.

The man who attended the AFL match also visited Highpoint shopping centre on 9 July, so that centre has been listed as an exposure site too.

Weimar has encouraged anyone who visited the Highpoint centre on 9 July between 10am and 2pm to come forward and get tested.

"This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation, we're very keen to make sure we get a firm grip on this as soon as we possibly can," Weimar said.

"We've talked about the outstanding performance collectively that all Victorians have undertaken to get on top of these waves, and we are being tested again now.

"This is a significant challenge to us with two separate chains of transmission running."

Updated at 2.12pm AEST on 14 July 2021.

NSW reports 97 new local cases as Sydney lockdown extended by at least two weeks

Following NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian's message that daily cases with community exposure must get "as close to zero as possible" for the Greater Sydney lockdown to be lifted, it will come as little surprise to most that restrictions have been extended until at least 30 July.

NSW Health reported 97 new locally transmitted cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, of whom 24 were infectious while out and about.

Over the past week the number of hospitalisations has risen sharply to 71.

The Premier has also thanked the community of Fairfield where there is currently the highest concentration of infections, as mobility data shows a "considerable drop-off" in the numbers, meaning residents are responding to the state's health messages and are staying at home.

Berejiklian emphasised people who live in the area but work elsewhere can get tested near their workplaces in order to alleviate some of the pressure on Fairfield testing centres.

"I'm just so deeply grateful that you have responded so positively. We now need adjoining council areas to take up that message in large numbers as well," the Premier said.

"As I promised yesterday, the New South Wales Government, based on the health advice would provide information on the extension of the lockdown.

"It always hurts to say this but we need to extend the lockdown at least a further two weeks from Friday the 16th of July to Friday the 30th of July. That includes home learning, however we'll obviously assess the situation at the end of those two weeks and provide information beyond that."

Berejiklian said she fought hard to secure the COVID support package announced yesterday, noting the state was providing additional funding so that "businesses and individuals don't stress".

"Of course we want to see this lockdown end in a timely way, but no matter how long we do need, we will have that support for businesses and for individuals," she said.

Key elements of latest package

• Grants between $7,500 and $15,000 available to eligible businesses with annual wages up to $10 million
• New $1,500 fortnightly grant program introduced for smaller micro businesses with turnover between $30,000 and $75,000.
• COVID-19 Commonwealth Disaster Payment to be lifted from 18 July to $600 if a person has lost 20 or more hours of work per week, and to $375 for those who lost between eight and less than 20 hours.
• Payroll tax waivers of 25 per cent for businesses with Australian wages of between $1.2 million and $10 million that have experienced a 30 per cent decline in turnover.
• NSW Government will cover disaster recovery payments for areas outside the Commonwealth-declared hotspot from week four of the Greater Sydney lockdown.
• $75 million support package for the performing arts sector to be administered by Create NSW.
• $26 million support package for the accommodation sector.
• Residential tenants will have greater protection with a targeted eviction moratorium.
• Residential landlords who decrease rent for impacted tenants can apply for a grant of up to $1,500 or land tax reductions depending on their circumstances.
• Commercial and retail landlords will need to attempt mediation before recovering a security bond, or locking out or evicting a tenant impacted by the Public Health Order.
• Commercial, retail and residential landlords liable for land tax will be eligible for a land tax concession where they reduce the rent of their tenant.
• $12 million in additional funding for temporary accommodation for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
• $5.1 million in NSW funding to support mental health.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the majority of cases are close contacts and household contacts, but authorities are seeing some unlinked cases whose sources are being actively investigated.

The pattern is mostly around household infections but some transmission is also being seen in workplaces, which comes as a reminder for essential businesses to ensure they've got COVID Safe plans in place.

"Of today's cases, the vast majority were in the southwestern Sydney, so of the 97 cases, 70 are from Southwestern Sydney Local Health District and most of these are from the local government area of Fairfield," Dr Chant said.

Workers from across Greater Sydney who work at locations more than 50km from the outer boundary of the Shellharbour, Wollongong, Wollondilly, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Central Coast LGAs must be tested for COVID-19 every seven days, even if they do not have symptoms.

From 14-18 July, workers from Greater Sydney can continue to work more than 50km from the outer boundary of the Shellharbour, Wollongong, Wollondilly, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Central Coast LGAs if they have not been tested, however they must take reasonable steps to do so prior to 19 July.

Updated at 11:18am AEST on 14 July 2021.

COVID support package extended to businesses and regional NSW with a boost for employees

The Commonwealth and New South Wales government have announced a new combined support package that will boost payments for businesses, employees and expand eligiblity to regional NSW.

From 18 July the COVID-19 Commonwealth Disaster Payment will be lifted to $600 if a person has lost 20 or more hours of work a week, and up to $375 if they have lost between eight and under 20 hours.

The two governments will also enter into a 50/50 cost sharing arrangement for a new business support payment, which will be implemented and administered by the state government.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the businesses support payment will assist an estimated 500,000 entities employing more than three million people.

A new business support payment has been included for those who can demonstrate a 30 per cent decline in turnover. Entities that are eligible must have an annual turnover between $75,000 and $50 million.

Businesses must also maintain their full-time, part-time and long-term casual staffing levels as of 13 July 2021.

The support payment will see businesses that fit the criteria, including not-for-profits, receive payments of between $1,500 and $10,00 per week based on their level of payroll. The cash boost will be equivalent to 40 per cent of weekly payroll.

For non-employing businesses, such as sole traders, the payment will be set at $1,000 per week.

There will also be $1,500 fortnightly grants for micro businesses with turnover of between $30,000 and $75,000, where the business is the primary source of income and has demonstrated a 30 per cent reduction in turnover.

For businesses with payrolls of between $1.2 million and $10 million, a payroll tax deferral will be available with a waiver for this quarter once the 30 per cent turnover reduction is proven.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says that as the pandemic has evolved, so too have the responses from government.

"As the outbreak has worsened well beyond what we have recently seen in other states and territories, it is in the national interest to enable increased assistance, in partnership with the NSW Government, for workers, business and households, to ensure the lockdown can be maintained to arrest the latest outbreak," he says.

"This new support represents a new national approach and will apply to other states and territories in the event they face similar circumstances."

In addition $17.5 million has been pledged towards a mental health support package for NSW funding services such as Lifeline, Headspace and Kid's Helpline.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the support package will help businesses and families across NSW get through this difficult period.

"We are pleased to be able to increase our targeted support in conjunction with the Commonwealth and this assistance will ensure we get through the lockdown and come out stronger on the other side," she says.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet believes the package will help thousands of businesses across the state.

"This package will help families and businesses weather the current storm and ensure we can hit the ground running once this current outbreak is under control."

Business NSW chief executive Daniel Hunter says it is crucial for the support money to start flowing as quickly as possible.

"Business NSW has been working closely with both the State and Federal Governments over the past week on this package, particularly around what more could be done for business owners to retain their employees, and it's great to see this package rolled out that will support the doors staying open and staff keeping their jobs," Hunter says.

"The Government has assured business applications will open later this month with the money to be paid days after that.

"The impact the lockdown has had on the mental health of business owners has been heartbreaking to see, as many business owners have closed the doors, unlikely to ever reopen."

Hunter highlights the "immense" impact on regional NSW even though the lockdown has been for Greater Sydney, as they've missed out on the strong school holiday trade and also have a lack of forward bookings.

"This support will give business owners the opportunity to retain their staff and give them the best chance to rebound their operations when the lockdown finishes," Hunter says.

Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott describes the package as a critical lifeline.

"This lockdown will end and when it does this package means businesses will be ready to ramp back up quickly and keep the recovery going," she says.

"Once again state and federal governments have stepped in and put workers first by keeping them connected to their employers.

"The federal government has demonstrated again its willingness to step in, support states and make the changes needed to keep people working and businesses going."

Westacott adds this new package also gives workers and employers in other parts of the country more certainty of support if they are forced into more lockdowns.

"However our focus must always be on getting the systems in place to prevent these lockdowns in the future," she says.

"Vaccination is our ticket back to normality, so the business community are working closely with governments to ensure we're ready to get people protected quickly once the supply is available.

"As more and more people are vaccinated, National Cabinet should quickly implement the plan to unwind restrictions with clear timelines and achievable targets."

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has also welcomed the initiative announced today.

ARA CEO Paul Zahra says the package will provide small businesses in particular with the confidence they need and will help alleviate some of the mental health pressures staff and business owners confront with extended lockdowns.

"It's clear we will be living with COVID for some time and we are pleased to see a national approach to support measures for extended lockdowns," he says.

"We have a situation where many businesses are facing weeks of lost revenue, with no end in sight and some are preparing to close for good. Displaced workers are unsure how they're going to pay their bills and rent.

"The economic support package has certainly come as a welcome relief. We're into week three of this lockdown, and people and businesses up until now have been trying to survive without a proper safety net in place."

Zahra notes one of the successful aspects of JobKeeper was keeping employees linked to their employers, so the ARA is pleased to to see the return of this connection as part of today's announcement.

"Lockdowns have a heavy social and economic cost. The lockdown in NSW is costing around a billion dollars a week in terms of lost retail trade. It's also taking a toll on people's health and wellbeing, and we are pleased to see the additional mental health supports," Zahra explains.

"The vaccination program is critical. It's the only way we'll seen an end to these sorts of lockdowns and restrictions that are devastating businesses and livelihoods.

"The ARA is working closely with the Federal Government and other industry groups on solutions to expediate the vaccine rollout. The retail industry stands ready to support this effort in whatever way it can."

Updated at 4.27pm AEST on 13 July 2021.