Covid-19 News Updates

Alliance Aviation soars with record profit

A Brisbane-based airline with a strong focus on charter flights has defied the aviation sector's doom and gloom with record profit and revenue for FY20.

After its shares reached new highs on the back of an aircraft acquistion deal funded by a recent capital raise, Alliance Aviation Services (ASX: AQZ) has reported a record full-year profit before tax (PBT) $40.7 million.

This represents a 24.1 per cent lift, while net profit after tax (NPAT) was up 18.9 per cent at $27 million.

Total revenue from operations rose 7.8 per cent to $298.6 million even though total flying hours were down slightly, as social distancing requirements for fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) clients led to additional income in the second half.

In fact, charter revenue almost doubled for the financial year overall while contract services were up 22.5 per cent. This helped offset the impacts of COVID-19 on wet lease, inbound tourism and regular public transport (RPT) service cash inflows.

Revenues for wet lease and and RPT services declined by 46.3 per cent and 15.9 per cent respectively due to restrictions of movement imposed by various governments in response to the pandemic.

Inbound tourism charters ceased operations altogether in March 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Alliance Aviation managing director Scott McMillan (pictured) describes the staff's achievements during the last six months as "truly remarkable".

"Alliance is pleased to release these results today as we continue to demonstrate the underlying robustness and diversity of Alliance's business model despite the impacts of COVID-19," says McMillan.

"The operational credibility on which Alliance has built its reputation is second to none, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Performance against our internal key performance indicators of safety, reliability/on-time performance and financial sustainability has again been outstanding."

During the year, five long-term contract renewals were completed with a 100 per cent retention rate, while the airline added four aircraft into the operating fleet which were required for capacity expansion.

In its results announcement today, the company also noted specific routes that had suffered due to the pandemic such as the suspension of Brisbane-Port Macquarie since April, and a reduction to minimum frequency levels for Brisbane-Gladstone and Brisbane-Bundaberg.

Adelaide to Olympic Dam services however continued as normal.

The airline retains a positive outlook for FY21, based on a number of ad-hoc contracts that have been awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic that it expects to be converted into long-term charter contracts, continued increased schedules for some charter clients even though the majority of social distancing on planes has ceased, the launch of new RPT routes and other expected new revenue sources.

Alliance is in a net cash positive position of $44.4 million as at 30 June 2020 due to the receipt of the placement funds in June 2020.

Updated at 10:11am AEST on 6 August 2020.

Man in his 30s among 15 new deaths in Victoria

A man in his 30s is among the 15 new deaths from COVID-19 in Victoria today, representing the deadliest day in the pandemic to date.

725 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were also reported today as the state's businesses brace for the enforcement of Stage 4 restrictions from 11:59pm tonight.

In addition, Premier Daniel Andrews announced today that all elective surgery will be put on hold in regional Victoria except for Category 1 patients and the most urgent Category 2 patients.

"We can't have a situation where we are making the sickest patients wait longer because we are treating wholly worthy and important conditions but not necessarily time-critical conditions," says Andrews.

"We can't put those ahead of people who need that urgent care. The sickest patients must get treated quickest, and that is always a principle that our public and indeed our private hospitals work under."

Read more: Sweeping changes for Victorian retail and construction, more cash grants on offer

The state's death toll since the beginning of the pandemic now stands at 162.

Of today's 15 new deaths, 12 can be linked to aged care. Further details about the man in his 30s could not be given by Andrews but the Premier did confirm that he was not a healthcare worker.

There are currently 538 COVID-19 patients in hospital and 42 in intensive care.

Just six days ago the state reported its deadliest day with 13 deaths. This week there have been 11 deaths yesterday and 13 deaths on 3 August.

In a recent press conference, WHO Health Emergency Response executive director Dr Michael Ryan noted the global infection fatality rate (IFR) for COVID-19 was 0.6 per cent, meaning around one in 200 people who get the virus die with the probability much higher for the elderly.

This compares to a a rate of between one in 10,000-100,000 for the 2009 swine flu epidemic.

"0.6 per cent is quite high, and so we need to do everything that we can not only to save lives among the cases that we know about but to prevent as many infections as possible," Dr Ryan said.

The number of COVID-19 cases globally is now above 18.7 million and there have been more than 704,000 recorded deaths associated with the virus.

The USA continues to have the highest number of cases at close to five million, and accounts for more than one in three of the world's approximately six million active cases.

Yesterday the total number of cases in Latin America surpassed five million, representing more than one in four globally despite accounting for around 8.5 per cent of the population.

Brazil has the second-highest amount of active cases at more than 741,213, followed by India (585,133), Russia (185,601), South Africa (148,683), Colombia (143,406), Peru (117,426) and Argentina (115,427).

Updated at 12:46pm AEST on 5 August 2020.

Mandatory hotel quarantine for returning NSW residents from VIC

The NSW State Government has today announced that as of 12:01am on Friday, NSW residents returning from Victoria will have to go into mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days at their own expense.

Only residents of the NSW border regions will be exempt from the new measure.

"I realise this may be difficult for some people, but the changing situation in Victoria means we must exercise extreme caution," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

"The health of our citizens and economy must be protected -  and the health advice says this is the best way to do it.

"We will also further limit the reasons Victorians can seek exemptions to come into NSW."

Dr Kerry Chant said this latest change would reduce the number of people entering NSW from Victoria, and reduce the risk of community transmission.

"This is a critical time in the NSW response and we need to reduce any further risk of seeding of cases from Victoria," Dr Chant said.

Yesterday NSW Health announced there would be a strict permit system put in place for all flights arriving in NSW from Victoria, with all passengers to undergo police and health checks on arrival.

People who can apply for a permit include defence officials, doctors and nurses, critical workers in energy, mining and construction, child protection workers and disability workers.

New South Wales has again recorded 12 new cases of COVID-19 today, with four connected to restaurant outbreaks in Sydney as the state imposes strict new procedures for Victorian flights.

Of the 12 new cases one is a return traveller in hotel quarantine and one is a locally acquired case with an unknown source.

The remaining 10 are linked to known cases including:

• Two linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park,
• Two linked to The Apollo restaurant in Potts Point, and
• Six associated with the funeral gatherings cluster.

There have been 52 deaths in NSW since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are currently 113 people being treated for the virus in the state.

12 new cases of #COVID19 have been diagnosed in NSW between 8pm on 3 August and 8pm on 4 August.

For the latest list of COVID-19 locations, visit: https://t.co/pqkRdfyEBrpic.twitter.com/ZUc78P6iG4

NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 5, 2020

Updated at 1:23pm AEST on 5 August 2020.

Queensland declares all of NSW and ACT as hotspots

Continuous attempts to break through Queensland's border controls have forced the State Government's hand in a bid to keep its residents safe, with a hard border to be implemented with NSW and the ACT starting from 1am on Saturday.

From that time returning Queenslanders will have to pay for 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine, while anyone from NSW or the ACT will be denied entry except for rare exemptions.

Only residents of border communities and essential workers such as truck drivers will be allowed to cross the border.

These residents will be required to present a photo ID and proof of address when crossing into the state, and exemptions including for compassionate reasons will be limited.

The decision follows Queensland Disaster Management Group meetings yesterday and this morning to assess the risk posed by travellers from NSW, as well as those who may fly from Canberra to skirt the rules.

"I can now confirm that our Chief Health Officer (CHO) is declaring New South Wales and the ACT a hotspot," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) told a press conference this morning.

"This will take immediate effect from Saturday 1am, and this is the right thing to do. I know it's going to be tough on Queenslanders but your health comes first.

"It's not getting better and we're not going to wait for New South Wales to get worse. We need to act and we have taken the decisive decision to act."

Just yesterday CHO Jeannette Young said there are six critical days to go before the effects of recent breaches would become clear.

Today, following two straight days of reporting no new COVID-19 cases, a new positive test was recorded for a 68-year-old woman in the West Moreton area with the source of transmission unknown.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the state currently had 11 active cases, of whom five were in hospital.

"We went 63 days with no community transmission - more than two months with no community transmission, but that all changed seven days ago," he said.

"A lot can change in a week, and we've seen in other states how it can only take one case to see a widespread outbreak.

"In that week we've had nine cases here in Queensland - two travellers from Victoria, three cases of local transmission, two Queenslanders who travelled to Sydney, and one returning Queenslander via Sydney, as well as that one case today and we don't yet know the source of their infection."

He said these cases placed an enormous burden on the state's health system.

"We've done 85,000 tests in that week - 84,795 tests. We've contact traced thousands of Queenslanders; many are now in quarantine," he said.

"We've seen people go to great lengths to avoid our border lockdown; people being dishonest, people try to deceive our police, people lying on their border passes, and not just at the border but right around the state in Cairns, Townsville, Gympie, Nanango.

"In fact police have now served more than a dozen notices to appear in court."

Through its announcement today, Queensland authorities want to avoid suffering the same fate as other states where a second wave is occurring.

"It is clear now that Australia is experiencing a second wave of COVID-19, and we cannot afford to have that second wave here in Queensland," he said.

"We've eased restrictions, businesses are open again, people are back at work. We cannot afford to risk that progress, we cannot afford to risk the opportunity to continue to unite and recover."

Premier Palaszczuk added the hard border would be reviewed at the end of the month.

Updated at 9:26am AEST on 5 August.

Hotham and Falls Creek ski fields closed for the season

The implementation of stricter rules to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Victoria has prompted the operator of the Hotham and Falls Creek ski resorts to shut down operations indefinitely for the remainder of the year.

Vail Resorts previously suspended operations at the two resorts just two weeks after the season began, but with a tentative end date of at least after 19 August.

But the increased restrictions to Stage 4 in Melbourne and Stage 3 for regional Victoria prompted the decision not to plan a re-opening in the spring for skiiers and snowboarders.

"We made the decision to close Hotham and Falls Creek in early July to support the government's efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to prioritise the health of our employees, guests and community," says Vail Resorts Australia senior VP and COO Pete Brulisauer.

"It was certainly a difficult decision, which unfortunately has been reinforced by the worsening COVID-19 trends and the declaration of a State of Disaster in Victoria until 13 September.

"We are disappointed to mark the end of the season this way and extend our gratitude to our teams and the businesses in the local community who all worked incredibly hard to open this winter."

Guests who retained their 2020 Epic Australia Pass planning to ski and board late season at Hotham and Falls Creek, may apply for a refund under Epic Coverage by emailing [email protected].

"We also want to thank our loyal guests for their patience and understanding; we look forward to welcoming them back to our resorts for the 2021 season," says Brulisauer.

Meanwhile, Perisher will remain open and is unaffected by this decision, operating in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions in NSW.

Updated at 4:37pm AEST on 4 August 2020.

Health alerts issued across Adelaide, two new COVID-19 cases confirmed

SA Health has issued three health alerts in Adelaide's northern suburbs after a new confirmed COVID-19 case attended three businesses in the area.

It comes as South Australia confirms two new cases of COVID-19 today: one being a contact of a known case and one potentially the result of community transmission.

Those who have attended the following locations at these specific times should immediately self-isolate for 14 days and get tested for COVID-19 even if no symptoms currently present:

• Sat 1 Aug (6.00pm 8.30pm) - Fernwood Fitness, Salisbury Downs
• Fri 31 Jul (5.00pm 7.30pm) - Agha juice house, Blair Athol
• Wed 29 Jul (5.00pm 8.00pm) - Najafi Carpet Gallery, 5/392 Prospect Rd, Kilburn

"Unfortunately this young woman has been to a number of public places during the time she was infectious," says SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier regarding the new confirmed COVID-19 case that has sparked these health alerts.

"This was a close contact that we've not been told about originally, but this is somebody who has come forward, has understood the importance of coming forward when symptomatic, and got tested."

The health alerts come as South Australia is set to re-introduce COVID-19 restrictions from midnight tonight, with at home gathering sizes to be reduced down to just 10 people.

SA Premier Stephen Marshall says the state is on "high alert" and has not ruled out the potential for more restrictions to be reintroduced going forward.

"We have to respond quickly, listen to the trusted expert advice and keep South Australia ahead of the game," says Marshall.

"It is very possible now that there will be further restrictions put in place, but we only do this to keep the people of our state very safe during this COVID-19 pandemic."

Because most of South Australia's cases over the last week can be tied to those crossing the border from Victoria the state has been ramping up its efforts in Mt Gambier to stop the virus before it makes its way into Adelaide.

Today a new satellite control centre has been established at Mt Gambier to support the state's police effort on the border, and a new 'MediHotel' will be set up for testing and quarantine purposes at the border town.

12 new cases in NSW

Just 12 new cases in New South Wales have been reported today, with three connected to people crossing the border from Victoria.

Of the other new cases, one is a traveller in hotel quarantine, one is linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park, two are connected to The Apollo restaurant.

Two cases attended Mounties, Mount Pritchard and three are linked to people who attended Mounties, Mount Pritchard.

One student at Bonnyrigg High School and two students at Greenway Park Public School have also tested positive for COVID-19.

Queensland reported its second straight day of no new cases this morning, however the state's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said there were really "another six days to go" before people could feel they had safely gotten through the latest cluster of cases.

Today it was also revealed that three Logan residents who had been to Victoria had illegally crossed the border into Queensland, and they are under investigation with notices to appear for false declarations.

The three men are in the process of getting tested and are in hotel guarded quarantine in Brisbane.

Updated at 12:51pm AEST on 4 August 2020.

Wesfarmers and JB Hi-Fi reshuffle Victorian retail operations, Ingham's slows things down

With Stage 4 restrictions coming into effect from 11:59pm tomorrow major retailers like Wesfarmers and JB Hi-Fi are making big changes to their operations.

Meanwhile, producers and manufacturers in the city are bracing for the impacts of reduced workforces.

Wesfarmers (ASX: WES), the operator of Bunnings, Kmart, Target and Officeworks will continue its online operations through home delivery and contactless click and collect options.

This should soften the blow resulting from the slow-down of Wesfarmers' Melbourne retail network which delivered 17 per cent of total retail sales from stores in FY20.

But the changes will inevitably result in the standing down of some of Wesfarmers' 30,000-strong Victorian workforce, with the company to support those affected with paid pandemic leave.

Bunnings will remain open for trade customers but will be closed for in-store retail customers.

Kmart and Target stores in Melbourne will be unable to service customers in-store but Officeworks will continue to service business customers because it is a specialist supplier of stationary and printing services. Ultimately Officeworks will be closed for in-store retail customers.

The company says those stood down will receive a support payment equivalent to two weeks of normal rostered hours.

Read more: Sweeping changes for Victorian retail and construction, more cash grants on offer

Following this two-week period the company will provide permanent team members with access to existing accrued leave entitlements.

Further, Wesfarmers will provide paid pandemic leave to eligible permanent and casual team members who may be required to self-isolate pending COVID-19 test results.

"Our businesses are well equipped to further adapt their operations to continue safely support customers and suppliers through these restrictions, with a focus on supporting business, trades and home delivery as well as contactless click and collect in many of our Melbourne metropolitan stores," says Wesfarmers managing director Rob Scott.

The company's industrial businesses, including Blackwoods, Workwear Group, Coregas, Australian Vinyls and Modwood, will continue to operate in Victoria in accordance with COVID safe guidelines.

BIG W goes contactless as Woolworths assesses meat production slow-down

Woolworths Group (ASX: WOW) has confirmed that all 22 BIG W stores in metropolitan Melbourne will close for six weeks and move to contactless in-store pick up services while it continues to engage with the meat industry to ensure ongoing supply.

Of the 22 impacted BIG W stores 15 will move to a click and collect model with the option for drive up collection, while the remaining seven will be in-store pick up only.

The nine BIG W stores in regional Victoria will remain open for customers under Stage 3 restrictions.

Woolworths also operates 80 venues in Victoria, of which 50 had partially reopened before Stage 3 restrictions in Melbourne but were closed again on 8 July. The three venues the company operates in regional Victoria will close on Wednesday 5 August.

Because of new restrictions imposed on the meat industry that will be effective Friday night this week Woolworths has been engaging with the government and suppliers to mnimise any disruption to the supply of meat and other products.

"These are challenging times in Victoria and I can only imagine the stress and anxiety being felt by the entire community," says Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci.

"We are focused on doing everything we can to minimise the impact on our team members, including temporary opportunities to support other businesses in the Woolworths Group where possible.

Under Stage 4 restrictions supermarkets and grocery stores including Woolworths are permitted to remain open as usual to customers.

JB Hi-Fi closes stores, Baby Bunting open for parents

46 JB Hi-Fi (ASX: JBH) stores and 21 The Good Guys stores will be temporarily closed to customers for six weeks in line with Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne.

The company says its online and commercial operations will continue to trade and be available via home delivery services and contactless click and collect.

These services will be supported by operational warehouses and its store network, with strict safety measures in place, to fulfil online and commercial orders.

As a retailer of maternity supplies, with 12 stores in Melbourne, Baby Bunting (ASX: BBN) has been given the green light to remain open for business.

In addition, its distribution and online operations based at Dandenong South will continue to operate with minor adjustments in line with Stage 4 rules.

"With over 9,000 new babies due in Victoria during the lockdown period, new and expectant parents face many critical and specialised needs and our Melbourne stores remain open to provide the essential products and services for them," says Baby Bunting CEO and managing director Matt Spencer.

"We encourage all of our customers to think about how they shop and to limit their movements. Customers can shop online or use our contactless click and collect service.

"We will adapt to new measures that are introduced as we focus on ensuring that parents of new and young children can get the essential products they need."

Ingham's reduces workforce, Blackmores staff work from home in VIC

Poultry producer Ingham's (ASX: ING) will reduce its workforce by 33 per cent at its Somerville and Thomastown meat processing facilities in line with new Stage 4 restrictions on meat processing plants.

These restrictions do not apply to other assets and facilities in its Victorian supply chain such as its hatcheries, farms, feed mills, or logistics operations.

"Whilst we await the formal Victorian government directive to provide further certainty on the detail of the restrictions, Ingham's management are working through the implications for the reduced workforce at both our Victorian processing sites, and looking to minimise the impact of the restrictions through use of other processing sites in the Ingham's network and inventory that we have on hand," says Ingham's.

Meanwhile, vitamin manufacturer Blackmores (ASX: BKL) will emerge relatively unscathed as its packing, warehousing and distribution facilities are located in Sydney.

Because Blackmores' manufacturing facility at Braeside produces pharmaceutical products it will continue to operate.

All Blackmores employees in Victoria that can work from home will continue to do so.

Reliance Worldwide assessing Stage 4 impact

Provider of water control systems and plumbing solutions Reliance Worldwide (ASX: RWC) says it is still assessing the impact of Stage 4 restrictions but appears optimistic about its prospects.

The company manufactures products at four plants in Melbourne, but because it maintains sufficient inventory levels the company anticipates this will sustain it going forward and does not expect any supply disruptions.

Further, Reliance says the new restrictions will not have any short term impact on sales in North America.

Updated at 11:24am AEST on 4 August 2020. Updated again at 4:54pm AEST on 4 August 2020.

Victoria raises penalties as COVID-19 isolation breaches fail to improve

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has today announced on-the-spot fines of close to $5,000 for people who breach isolation orders, following "disgraceful" incidents of individuals acting like they were above the law.

Last week the Premier noted COVID-19 cases were not at home for one in four doorknocks, or 130 out of 500 occasions. The latest figures show no signs of improvement.

"I can confirm that the ADF (Australian Defence Force) together with important authorised officers from the Department of Health and Human Services have conducted more than 3,000 doorknocks of people who should be isolating at home," Andrews said.

"[In] more than 800 of those homes the person who should have been isolating could not be found."

This ongoing trend was confirmed after another deadly 24 hours for the state with 11 deaths and 439 new cases. There are currently 456 Victorians in hospital, of whom 38 are receiving intensive care.

Because of these troubling compliance numbers the government has also put new rules in place that exercise outside the home is not allowed for people under isolation orders.

"Fresh air at the front door, fresh air in your front yard or your backyard, or opening a window, that's what you're going to have to do," he said.

"I apologise to those who were doing the right thing, but we simply have no choice but to move to that setting.

"Anything short of a massive reduction in movement across the community will mean more virus, not less, more restrictions, not less, and the other side of this will be further away than it has ever been."

Police Minister Lisa Neville and Chief Commissioner Shane Patton (pictured) revealed instances of Victorians not only flouting health directives but acting violently.

"Last night a 26-year-old police woman was on patrol with another partner down in the Frankston area near a Bayside shopping centre. During that time they approached a 38-year-old woman who wasn't wearing a mask," Commissioner Patton said.

"After a confrontation and being assaulted by that woman, those police officers went to ground and there was a scuffle, and during that scuffle this 38-year-old woman smashed the head of the police woman several times into a concrete area on the ground.

"That behaviour is just totally unacceptable. That's someone who thinks they're above the law."

Patton described an emergence of self-described "sovereign citizens" who don't believe the law applies to them.

"We've seen them at checkpoints baiting police, not providing a name and address," he said.

"On at least three or four occasions in the past week we've had to smash the windows of people in cars and pull them out of there so that they could provide their details, because they weren't telling us where they were going."

Not wearing a mask carries a fine of $200, although Premier Andrews said not too many of those fines have needed to be issued to date.

However, he said if particularly selfish behaviour is encountered like going to work when you have the virus, then there was an alternative pathway of the Magistrates Court where the maximum penalty can be $20,000.

"We don't want it to come to that. We want people to be where they're supposed to be," he said.

More than 500 additional ADF personnel will arrive in Melbourne in the coming days, and they will be accompanied by more than 300 additional authorised officers from the health department to undertake random and repeat checks.

Updated at 12:05pm AEST on 4 August 2020.

PM announces pandemic leave disaster payment

The Australian Government has today patched up a serious hole in its policy to incentivise social distancing, offering $1,500 pandemic leave disaster payments valid over 14 days to workers who don't have access to sick leave.

It is a move that follows Victoria's approach of test isolation and worker support payments, designed to prevent individuals from showing up to work with COVID-19 symptoms when they feel no other financial options are available. 

"Last week I indicated to you that we were working on a plan, and consulting and discussing these issues of pandemic leave, and we've been able to come to a conclusion on that today," Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has told a press conference.

"What we will be doing is establishing a pandemic leave disaster payment," he said, noting it could be accessed multiple times if someone is unfortunately instructed to self-isolate on multiple occasions.

The PM drew a parallel to disaster payments that were made when the nation was confronting bushfires earlier this year.

"What we're dealing with here is a disaster, and we need to respond on the basis of the way we provide support in the midst of disasters," he said.

"We need a disaster payment when it comes for people who have to isolate for a period of 14 days, through no fault of their own - regardless of what job they're in and employment they're in, they need that support.

"That payment will be modelled on exactly the same set of criteria that the Victorian Government has put in place. Those payments are principally made to those who are on short-term visas...who otherwise wouldn't have access to Commonwealth payments."

He said from Wednesday people looking to access these payments if they are getting tested will be able to call 180-22-66 to make arrangements.

"They'll be able to make their application over the phone...and that should be turned around fairly quickly," the PM said.

"That means that those who need to self-isolate as a result of instruction by a public health officer, there is no economic reason for you to go to work.

"We're also encouraging the Victorian Government to ensure that there are appropriate penalties in place to those who do break those public health notices."

He said people who went to work when they were sick put their workmates and their employees' businesses at risk.

The proposal has been formulated over recent days, but prior to the PM's announcement the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Council of Trade Unions issued a joint letter to the Attorney General calling for a similar scheme.

"Paid pandemic leave is now an essential public health measure that will combat the recent spike in workplace transmission in Victoria," the Business Council and ACTU stated.

"The recent outbreaks in Victoria have highlighted that there are still a number of workers who are attending work whilst infectious or at risk, which is accelerating the rate of community transmission.

"This is both harmful to the health of the community and disruptive to businesses that are now closing in increasing numbers following workplace transmission."

The groups said while many businesses had implemented policies to provide for paid pandemic leave, not all are able to do so given the cost, especially under current circumstances where workers are often required to isolate and get tested on multiple occasions.

"We acknowledge the efforts of the Victorian Government to introduce its own scheme. This scheme is available to all workers who are required to isolate and do not have access to leave," they said.

"Unfortunately, the mechanisms available to state governments to effectively implement and administer such a scheme are inadequate and consequently we have seen minimal take up over recent weeks.

"It is for these public health reasons that business and unions believe the Federal Government, together with relevant States, must urgently provide for and fund a national Paid Pandemic Leave Scheme."

Updated at 5:11pm AEST on 3 August 2020.

Sweeping changes for Victorian retail and construction, more cash grants on offer

Retail will look more "different than it has ever looked" before and work on construction sites will be slowed to a crawl under extensive new restrictions to be imposed on Victorian businesses.

From 11:59pm on Wednesday many businesses will be forced to shut and retailers will have to adapt to a new non-contact reality, while later in the week major industries will be wound down to bare minimum staffing levels.

Industries like meatworks will slow production by a third, and the construction sector will be put on "pilot light" levels of activity, keeping the flame of Victoria's economy burning until Stage 4 restrictions are eased.

Cash grants of $5,000 will be available to businesses in Melbourne for the second time during the second wave, while the same sum will be made available for the first time for regional victorians entering stage 3 later this week.

Read more: State of Disaster: Melbourne enters Stage 4 lockdown

Businesses deemed "essential" in the state will remain open during the six-week Stage 4 lockdown period and include:

• Supermarkets
• Grocery stores
• Bottle shops
• Pharmacies
• Petrol stations
• Banks
• News agencies
• Post office

In addition, all facilities that form the state's front line effort against COVID-19 will remain open and operational including health facilities.

Non-essential retailers will face a change like nothing yet seen in this pandemic, with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announcing they will either have to close or move to a completely non-contact method of operation by 11:59pm on Wednesday.

For example, Andrews says Melburnians will no longer be able to go into a store like Bunnings but will be able to collect goods without making contact via drive thru arrangements.

Home delivery will also be allowed to continue for retailers with that capability.

"Retail will look very different than it has ever looked," says Andrews.

"But unless we have literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people at home and not going to work, so hundreds of thousands less movements around the community each and every day, then we will not pull this virus up."

Meatworks and construction sectors slowed down

The third category of businesses impacted by Stage 4 are those that will be permitted to operate but under significantly different conditions.

These businesses, including those in the meatworks and the construction sectors, will have until 11:59pm on Friday 7 August to enact a COVIDSafe plan focused on safety, prevention and response in the event that coronavirus is linked to the workplace.

These plans will include mandated reductions to the number of workers on site; for example, in the meat industry the workforce will be scaled back by two thirds.

Warehousing and distribution centres in Melbourne will be limited to no more than two-thirds the normal workforce allowed onsite at any one time.

The construction sector, described by Andrews as "the lifeblood of the Victorian economy", will move to "pilot light" levels of activity.

For major constructions sites, this means no more than 25 per cent of the normal workforce can be on site, while small scale construction will be limited to a maximum of five people on site.

"To date, we've almost halved the number of people onsite on some of our biggest Government projects. Now we're going to go through project by project, line by line to make sure they are reduced to the practical minimum number of workers," says Andrews.

"These workplaces that are continuing to operate will also have additional requirements including extra PPE, staggering shifts, staggering breaks, health declarations and more support for sick workers to ensure they stay home.

"To give one example, workers in abattoirs will be kitted out in full PPE gowns, masks and shields more akin to what a nurse would wear. They'll also be subject to routine testing."

Stage 4 will "make a huge difference"

According to Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton these restrictions at Stage 4 are limiting, but are necessary to bring down the number of new COVID-19 infections in the state.

"We should reflect on the fact that Stage 3 restrictions did make a difference, they genuinely flattened the curve but they flattened the curve to a point where we got to a plateau of 400-500 cases every day," says Sutton.

"That would've continued indefinitely because if you're really only driving transmission down to a level where one person infects one other individual then you've got 400 or 500 cases every day ongoing.

"We'll see a reduction in the numbers week on week as long as people are following the directions that have been laid out. Obviously, there are some constraints that have been set in stone...they will make a huge difference."

The new announcements come as Victoria records 429 new cases of COVID-19 today and 13 new deaths.

There are now 6,489 active cases across the state including 386 in regional Victoria.

Of the active cases 416 are in hospital and 35 are in intensive care.

Updated at 4:42pm AEST on 3 August 2020.