Coronavirus Australia live news: Covid alert for fortnight of F45 classes in Sydney - The Australian
Coronavirus Australia live news: Covid alert for fortnight of F45 classes in Sydney - The Australian |
| Coronavirus Australia live news: Covid alert for fortnight of F45 classes in Sydney - The Australian Posted: 29 Oct 2020 09:13 AM PDT  Daniel Andrews has declared he's no "Manchurian candidate" as he dismissed any link between his $2m spin doctor and his own key phrases during Victoria's deadly coronavirus pandemic. While describing QDOS's work as important and revealing his reports had been classified as cabinet-in-confidence documents, and therefore would never be released publicly, the Victorian Premier said the firm played no role in developing the language he used during the coronavirus. QDOS, run by veteran Labor pollster and strategist John Armitage, has been employed by the Premier's Department for six years to conduct a program monitoring the views of Victorians, pocketing $2m in taxpayers funds. As well as claiming it can help shape public opinion, change public behaviour and win elections, QDOS says it uses social research to "convert ... into accessible and persuasive language". Read the full story here. Comment: The issue of Victoria not yet having an integrated QR code system for contact tracing at shops and venues doesn't mean businesses can't implement their own. It appears to be an easy five-minute job. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has defended the state's failure to have a QR code check-in system up and running before retail and hospitality businesses reopened, citing incompatibility with the IT platform for contact tracing. Mr Andrews' new QR code system sounds a case of using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut, but it might have whiz-bang features such as the ability to cross-reference contacts with other businesses where COVID-19 is detected. It may substantially speed up tracing and be well worth the wait. However, if the idea is to simply create a register of patrons at any time, and retrieve their name, mobile number and email address in the event someone has the virus, setting up a QR code system is a five-minute job that any Victorian business can do now as an interim measure. Read the full anaylsis here. Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry has had to extend its final reporting date by six weeks after the emergence of critical new evidence and delays in receiving Health Department documents. Inquiry chairwoman Jennifer Coate said an interim report outlining recommendations for a proposed quarantine program would be released on November 6, which had been the due date for its entire findings into the botched scheme. While Ms Coate said the report would be released by December 21, it is believed the inquiry is confident it can unveil its findings by early December. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says his state will end up "well ahead" of NSW in integrating a QR code check-in system with contact tracing software, despite being unable to say when the program will be up and running more than a month after NSW and the ACT introduced their schemes. NSW and the ACT have had quick response code technology up and running since last month, allowing users to scan their contact details using a smartphone app as they visit venues such as shops, restaurants and gyms. Despite having had weeks to prepare ahead of retail and hospitality businesses reopening on Wednesday for the first time in 16 weeks, Mr Andrews was unable to say when Victoria's system would be fully operational. Businesses can easily download their own QR code systems from a plethora of products available online, or use pen and paper, but neither method has been integrated with the state Department of Health and Human Services' new contact tracing IT system developed by software company Salesforce. Read the full story here. India passed eight million coronavirus cases on Thursday, with the world's second-worst-hit country bracing for a new wave of the pandemic. There have also been more than 120,000 deaths across the country of 1.3 billion people, according to the latest government figures. Only the US has seen more infections, with 9.1 million confirmed cases and nearly 230,000 deaths. India has one of the world's lowest death rates and the government has highlighted the slowing number of new infections in recent weeks. But authorities are preparing for a new surge after Diwali, the country's most important religious festival on November 14. Textiles Minister Smriti Irani has become the latest of several cabinet members to test positive. "All states need to be careful during the coming festive season. This caution must be exercised for the next three months at least," Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a recent statement. READ MORE: Sweden's push for herd immunity immoral Drones and camera crews will put customers in the front row for David Jones this season. The department store presents its first virtual runway on Friday evening, a showcase of new--season fashion it hopes will generate both excitement and sales. It's another example of the changes taking place in the fashion industry globally because of COVID-19 and the increasing power of consumers. "Obviously a virtual runway is the safest way to do a runway (at the moment)," said Bridget Veals, general manager womenswear for David Jones. "It's an opportunity to invite a huge amount of customers. People are ready for it." The filming took place this week at the iconic Harry Seidler house in Joadja, overlooking bushland in the NSW Southern Highlands. German Chancellor Angela Merkelhas defended tough new shutdown measures her government has announced against the coronavirus, warning that propaganda and conspiracy theories undermine the fight against the pandemic. "Let me be clear: lies and disinformation, conspiracy and hate damage not only democratic debate but also the fight against the coronavirus," she told the lower house of parliament on Thursday. READ MORE: Meek acceptance sad side-effect of virus Melbourne is slowly emerging from COVID-19 lockdown, but it won't be in time for what is usually one of the city's biggest party days of the year. There's more fun to be had in Sydney on Saturday instead, where the upstart $7.5m Golden Eagle horse race looks to take the attention from Derby Day down south at Flemington. The Victoria Derby meet at Flemington usually marks the ¬beginning of a festival that continues on Tuesday with the Melbourne Cup and then more big meets with Oaks Day two days later and Stakes Day on the ¬Saturday. The week-long celebrations barely pause. Derby Day is the biggest day of them all. Think of the Bird Cage on Flemington's straight, where billionaires, A-listers, footy players and assorted glammed-up hangers-on run amok. The pandemic is approaching a "critical juncture" in Sweden after the number of daily cases rose by 70 per cent in a week, according to the country's chief epidemiologist. Anders Tegnell, the public face of Sweden's official coronavirus response, said that it would be futile and immoral for a state to deliberately pursue herd immunity, where a large enough number of the population has been infected that the disease struggles to spread. "There has up to now been no infectious disease whose transmission was fully halted by herd immunity without a vaccine," Dr Tegnell told Die Zeit, a German newspaper. Sweden's infection rate has climbed precipitously over the past two months, rising about eightfold since the start of the autumn. It is increasing in 17 of Sweden's 21 regions. Dozens of people will be forced into isolation after a person diagnosed with coronavirus attended two weeks worth of classes while potentially infectious. NSW Health issued an urgent warning for gymgoers at F45 in Leppington, ordering anyone in the following classes to get tested for the virus immediately and isolate for a full 14 days from their last exposure, regardless of the result.
Anyone who attended a class that was scheduled to begin five minutes before or five minutes after one of the classes listed above, or a class immediately before or after the sessions, is considered a casual contact. These people are urged to monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they arise. They, must then remain in isolation until a negative result is received. Additionally, anyone who attended Ali Baba Charcoal Chicken, 2 Civic Rd, Auburn on Sunday October 18 from 4-5pm is considered a casual contact. Workers in residential aged-care facilities have secured access to paid pandemic leave until at least March next year after the Fair Work Commission rejected employer attempts to stop the entitlement. However, the commission did not back an ACTU bid to keep the entitlement in place until the COVID-19 pandemic was over. Employers said they were only prepared to support extending the entitlement until November 30 because that was when government funding that covers the cost of employees being absent for Covid-related reasons was due to expire. But the federal Health Department told the commission that the "timeframe may be extended as needed". A commission full bench said it was appropriate to extend the entitlement until March next year. "It was only a matter of weeks ago that the resilience of the aged care sector and its staffing model was under severe pressure, at least in Victoria," it said. "It is too early to say that the current improving situation will be sustained, and it is essential that infection control measures such as the paid pandemic leave entitlement remain in place for the time being." READ MORE: Vic firms can use QR codes now Labor's shadow cabinet has approved a manifesto backing the resource as a transitional fuel. Read more here Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate has fired back at Prime Minister Scott Morrison after he humiliated her in parliament and demanded she be stood down following revelations she spent almost $20,000 rewarding four senior executives with Cartier watches. Read more here The UN and World Bank have pleaded in a new report for schools to remain open despite Covid-19 risks, highlighting the damage the pandemic has inflicted on children's education, especially in poor nations, AFP reports. Children in impoverished countries have been deprived of close to four months of schooling since the pandemic began early this year, while pupils in rich nations benefiting from remote learning have lost six weeks, the report said. "Prioritising reopening schools and providing much-needed catch-up classes are critical," said Robert Jenkins, education chief at the UN children's fund UNICEF. "We don't need to look far to see the devastation the pandemic has caused to children's learning across the world," he added in a statement. The devastation has been magnified in low- and middle-income nations, where there has been a lack of access to distance learning, higher chances of delays for school reopenings and fewer resources to mitigate health risks. UN cultural agency UNESCO and the World Bank also said it is essential for countries to invest immediately in school systems to reduce the widening gap between the education provided in poor and rich countries because of the pandemic. The report from UNICEF, UNESCO and the World Bank was based on information collected from nearly 150 nations between June and October. — AFP READ MORE: ASX hits three-week low A Liberal National Party government would pay for its election commitments through a combination of borrowings, efficiency dividends across departments, better procurement processes, and extending Labor's replacement freeze for non-frontline employees. The party's costings, released on Thursday after sustained attacks from Labor over supposed cuts for public service employees, show no cuts through forced redundancies or asset sales and no new taxes. Read more here The truck driver who spread the Chadstone coronavirus cluster to regional Victoria has been fined by police. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton confirmed on Thursday morning the man had been fined $1652 for dining at a cafe in Kilmore on September 30. He said the man was fined on October 17 after it was revealed he had spread the virus to the regional Victorian towns of Kilmore and Shepparton. The man had a valid work permit to leave metropolitan Melbourne but was not permitted to eat in regional Victorian restaurants or cafes at the time. The truck driver, who was connected to the Chadstone cluster by a family member who worked at The Butcher Club, didn't know he was a close contact or positive when he travelled. Three people contracted coronavirus in Shepparton and six tested positive in Kilmore, but the outbreak has now been brought under control. READ MORE: US states battle cash crisis A Liberal National Party government would pay for its election commitments through a combination of borrowings, efficiency dividends across departments, better procurement processes, and extending Labor's replacement freeze for non-frontline employees. The party's costings, released on Thursday after sustained attacks from Labor over supposed cuts for public service employees, show no cuts through forced redundancies or asset sales and no new taxes. An LNP government would continue with part of Labor's multi-billion dollar borrowing plan to pay for the commitments made during the election campaign. Treasurer Cameron Dick in September outlined Labor would borrow $4bn to stimulate the economy and LNP deputy premier Tim Mander on Thursday announced that the LNP would spend $1.7m of the loan. Mr Mander reaffirmed his commitment that an LNP government would deliver a budget surplus within four years. The party's two key election infrastructure projects - the New Bradfield scheme and the duplication of the Bruce Highway - would still be years away from construction, with only enough funding provided for planning and studies. Mr Mander said it would give an LNP government time to "make sure we do the right planning and get this right". It means the "$26bn spend" trumpeted by Labor throughout the campaign is actually $5.05bn. READ the full story here The head of Victoria's regional train service V/Line has been sacked after four days of damning evidence in an inquiry investigating alleged corruption. The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission hearing has heard evidence of alleged corruption with V/Line chief executive James Pinder and Metro Trains head of fleet operational support Peter Bollas allegedly receiving bribes from the cleaning supplier Transclean managing director George Haritos. V/Line chair Gabrielle Bell issued a statement on Thursday saying the board of directors had terminated Mr Pinder's employment following the public hearings. "The V/Line Board has also provided notice of termination of the contract with cleaning supplier Transclean Facilities Pty Ltd," she said. "The alleged conduct of both Mr Pinder and Transclean is not acceptable to V/Line under any circumstances. "All V/Line employees and contractors are expected to uphold the highest levels of integrity and the Board of Directors is committed to ensuring this happens at all times." READ the full story here Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has revealed almost $2m worth of taxpayer-funded research done for his government by a Labor strategist who boasts that "public opinion is a fluid thing that we can squeeze, pump and stir" has been classified as "cabinet in confidence" and will be kept secret from the public who paid for it. The Australian revealed on Thursday veteran Labor pollster and strategist John Armitage's company QDOS was handed a $1.1m contract in December last year, without a competitive tender process. Asked what taxpayers had got for almost $2m, why his office had refused a request for details of the work performed, and whether he agreed with the claim on the QDOS website that: "Fortunately public opinion is a fluid thing that we can squeeze, pump and stir, and sometimes just opening a little gate lets it rush into a brand new space," Mr Andrews said he would not comment on "what is on a website that I don't think I have ever visited". "In terms of monitoring where the community's at and what the community's views are, I would have thought that during a pandemic that was critically important," Mr Andrews said. READ the full story here Two-way travel between Australia and New Zealand is "very close", foreign affairs officials say. Twenty flights carrying a combined 1895 passengers from New Zealand have entered Australia without having to quarantine. A further 10 "green flights" – where passengers don't have to quarantine – are expected to arrive in Australian by November 10. Department of Foreign Affairs official Jenny Da Rin told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday that one-way travel from New Zealand had enabled procedures to be tested. "We've been working on arrangements for two-way travel since June," Ms Da Rin said. "Those arrangements are not yet finalised. "We are getting very close." NSW is the only state or territory to so far receive international flights from Auckland. The Northern Territory has also agreed to exempt people from New Zealand to enter without quarantining. The ACT and South Australia have also expressed an interest to receive flights from Auckland. "A number of states and territories have expressed interest in opening with NZ, but first the arrangements need to be settled between the two countries to enable that to occur," Ms Da Rin said. "They'll need to put the planning in place to enable that to happen, and the airlines will have to decide to schedule flights." READ MORE: AFP, Vatican probe cash transfers A phone call from Prime Minister Scott Morrison is believed to have jolted the NRL into an embarrassing backflip on playing the national anthem before the looming State of Origin series. In a dramatic few hours on Thursday, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo revealed that the anthem would not be played before the NSW-Queensland matches on November 4, 11 and 18. The decision to scrap the anthem would have made this season's series the first not to feature Advance Australia Fair in its 40-year history. It followed criticism and protests by Indigenous players including Cody Walker, Blake Ferguson, Latrell Mitchell Josh Addo-Carr, who refused to sing it in 2019. But The Daily Telegraph reports Mr Morrison contacted rugby league chairman Peter V'landys on Thursday about the move. "It is believed Morrison told V'landys that after a year of heartbreak it has never been more important to be singing the national anthem," The Daily Telegraph reports. READ the full story here Members of the parliament's powerful intelligence and security committee will no longer attend a scheduled official dinner with the Qatari Ambassador "due to the mistreatment of Australian women at Doha Airport". The committee's chair Andrew Hastie and deputy chair Anthony Byrne announced the move in a statement today. "On Monday 19th October, the Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security met with the Qatari Ambassador at Australian Parliament House," they said. "An invitation was given to the Chair and PJCIS members to attend a formal dinner at the Ambassador's residence on Monday 9th November. "Due to the mistreatment of Australian women at Doha Airport, we decline this invitation. We fully anticipate that the Qatari government will investigate the mistreatment of Australian citizens and provide a detailed report to the Australian government." READ MORE: Baby found dumped in bin The nation's top diplomat has warned Beijing is using Australian public commentary over China to portray Australia as intolerant and discriminatory. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Frances Adamson said while Australia rightly valued free speech and democracy, public figures needed to be aware that what they said about China would be recorded and used by Chinese state media. "What, to be very frank, I think Beijing is looking for is division, and where they are able to show division," Ms Adamson told a budget estimates hearing. "They project an image of Australia that is intolerant, that is divided, that discriminates against various groups within our society." The comments follow a debate over Liberal backbencher Eric Abetz's demands that Chinese Australians appearing before a Senate committee "unconditionally condemn the Chinese Communist party dictatorship". Senator Abetz has defended the demand, saying he was not questioning the loyalty of Chinese Australians. But Ms Adamson warned such comments were "damaging for us in China." She said public figures should remember "the cameras in Beijing … will capture what you say". "They will play it back into their own population — 1.4 billion people, mostly pretty attentive to what is coming out through state media - and they will form an opinion of us, Australians and Australia, which is very different I think from the way we would like ourselves to be portrayed," Ms Adamson said. "The Chinese are increasingly resorting to project - not only in their own country but potentially elsewhere — images of Australia which do not … represent who we are." READ the full story here Labor MP Chris Hayes is recovering in hospital after he collapsed in the middle of an emotional parliamentary speech about child sex abuse. Mr Hayes clutched his chest while speaking about abuse in the Federation Chamber earlier on Tuesday, and doctor MPs Mike Freelander and David Gillespie rushed to his aid. Anthony Albanese said Mr Hayes, the opposition's chief whip, was rebounding in hospital. "He is in good spirits, and we all wish him a very speedy recovery," the Opposition Leader told the House. "And I say to the chief opposition whip, if you want to leave he should just ask for it, there are easier ways to get it then what occurred this morning. "But I look forward to him being back in this chamber in good health." Scott Morrison praised Mr Hayes and his wife Bernadette, saying it was a shared view across parliament that the chief opposition whip is a "good bloke." "We may disagree on many things in this place but we all agree Chris Hayes is a very good bloke," the Prime Minister said. "And many of us know Bernadette as well, she has been a welcome person here around this place for many years and is well known to many of our partners and spouses in this place as well." Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier and legal affairs spokesman Ed O'Donohue said it was "disturbing" that the Andrews government had still not provided all additional documents requested by the hotel quarantine inquiry, "despite several notices to produce". "This highlights the lack of forthright cooperation," the opposition said. "From day one, all we've seen is cover-ups and blame shifting from the Andrews Labor government. Victorians deserve the truth. "The Liberal Nationals welcome the hotel quarantine Inquiry having additional time and again call on the inquiry to schedule further public hearings of key witnesses to get to the bottom of this sorry mess. "Let's hope the remarkable bouts of amnesia have now passed and witnesses including the Premier, former Minister Mikakos, former DPC Secretary Chris Eccles, the Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp, Ministers Lisa Neville and Martin Pakula, former Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton and others that have left so many unanswered questions can be further tested. "Daniel Andrews' chief of staff must also give evidence to clarify her role in this fiasco." Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he had been happy to agree to the hotel quarantine inquiry's request for more time to deliver its final report by December 21, with an interim report dealing with the resumption of the program due next Friday November 6. Andrews: Revamped hotel quarantine scheme forecast for end of November "This is an independent process, it's a board of inquiry charged with a very important task and there was no sense in my mind that we wouldn't agree to the request that they had made," Mr Andrews said. "They need more time, the government has given them more time, and I'm confident they will use that time well to provide us with a report that sits squarely against the terms of reference that we have given them." The inquiry said in its statement on Thursday morning that "several documents and affidavits" it had requested were "outstanding and may lead to further inquiries". Asked whether he knew what those documents were, Mr Andrews said: "I can only speak to the requests that have been made of me." "There was an affidavit and for completeness' sake, questions that were put to me. We complied with the timeline, which if memory serves correctly was last Thursday or maybe Friday, but we certainly delivered all of my material back when it was there, and if they need further information from me, and I don't for a moment think they do, but if they did, then of course we would comply," he said. "I can't speak for whoever else has been asked, and whether they've been asked questions and what they've been asked." Asked whether the Department of Health and Human Services still had requests for documents outstanding, Mr Andrews said: "I'm not certain. You'd need to speak to the board about that. I don't want to be a commentator or a spokesman for them." "I do know there was some supplementary material requested. I'm not certain whether the deadline for the production of that material has actually passed," he said. "There might still be time for them to, they could of course deliver it early, but I don't think that they're beyond time." Some of the supplementary information requested from DHHS relates to emails which appear to contradict written and verbal evidence given to the inquiry by Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, that he was not aware security guards were being used in hotel quarantine until coronavirus cases emerged at the end of May. West Australian Education Minister Sue Ellery has confirmed The Australian's report on Thursday that the McGowan government is about to make a decision about the reopening of the state's border as a result of new health advice. Ms Ellery said at a press conference on Thursday that the document from Chief Health Officer Andy Roberton would underpin discussions at a special meeting on Friday. "I'm not going to speculate on what is in it, or what we will decide, other than we will consider that advice tomorrow," she said. "Obviously, events across the rest of Australia will inform that advice as well." WA's hard border — introduced in response to the pandemic in April — is the strictest in the nation and even some of the state's own residents have been unable to get home after travelling interstate to work or see family. Stories of parents separated from their children for months and people unable to see dying relatives have become uncomfortable for the McGowan government as cases in other states fall. The absence of any known cases of coronavirus in the WA community since April has created a relaxed and even fearless attitude and The Australian has been told health authorities are fearful that once the interstate border comes down, it could be virtually impossible to compel West Australians to social distance or adhere to contract tracing measures like the QR codes in place in NSW. Dr Robertson's last advice to the WA government on October 14 was that it should reconsider its state border measures once Victorian cases fell below five a day on a rolling five day average. READ MORE: Nation without borders within sight at last The Andrews' government's second lockdown avoided tens of thousands of new cases in July and as many as 9200 Victorians presenting to hospital every day, according to modelling presented in the Department of Health and Human Services annual report released on Thursday. The report said the government's response to the pandemic included an exponential increase in the contract tracing and public health team from 57 people at the start of COVID-19 to 1891 in June 2020. Andrews praises 'gold' test results as state records three cases It said the success of improvements to contract tracing were evident with 98.6 per cent of new cases interviewed within a day of the case being notified to the health department at the beginning of October and 99.7 per cent of all known contacts notified within 48 hours.. "Research from the Burnet Institute shows that if every case and all their contacts are isolated within 48 hours from the first test result being received, this can prevent 80 per cent of new infections," the report said. The department cited modelling by Monash University and the Doherty Institute to support its physical distancing restrictions, claiming if they had not been in place during the first wave of the pandemic, Victoria would have seen up to 58,888 new cases every day in April. READ MORE: The Mocker — Meek acceptance a sad side-effect of virus Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk insists the state has a very "robust" hotel quarantine system, despite telling voters on Wednesday that it "cannot cope at the moment". Ms Palaszczuk appeared to back away from the comments today – saying Queensland "can absolutely cope" with what it needs to do for international arrivals. But she said Queensland would not rush internal student arrivals, pointing to infections in other parts of the world. "The priority is to get Queenslanders and Australians home and families reunited," she said. "What I said very clearly is if we had a rush of international students coming into Queensland, that could put at risk our hotel quarantine and put at risk the health of Queenslanders." The Premier was quizzed about international students at last night's The Courier-Mail/Sky News People's Forum, where she said: "Our hotel quarantine cannot cope at the moment." She also said hotels were keeping up with demand, but warned that Queensland could not extend its resources. Touring the LNP stronghold of the Gold Coast today, Ms Palaszczuk said the state's hotel quarantine "can cope now". "But you cannot stretch hotel quarantine, you cannot go too quickly and too fast," the Premier said. "Our hotel quarantine is very robust." READ the full story here This year's presidential election, while following the same rules as preceding elections, will be one of the most watched and controversial in US election history – regardless of the winner. WSJ/NBC Re-Contact Study Sheds Light on Undecided Voters From the key issues to the battleground states, the mysteries of the electoral college, polling, timing and what to expect on election day, here's everything you need to know. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has defended Foreign Minister Marise Payne's handling of allegations 13 Australian women were forced to endure invasive physical procedures in Qatar. Senator Payne is under fire from Labor for not yet calling the Qatari foreign minister over the invasive procedures, which were undertaken after a baby was found in a bin at Doha Airport. Mr Dutton said on Thursday that Senator Payne was working hard behind the scenes on the Qatari case. "I have never seen somebody more committed to what is in our country's best interests, in particular protection of women, both here and abroad and she's a first-class Foreign Affairs Minister," he said in Canberra. "She will work in many of these cases behind the scenes, not in the public light because, in many cases, particularly when you are dealing with countries right across the world. "It is best to deal with those issues in the background and I found that Marise has achieved incredible outcomes for our country as a result of that." READ MORE: Video released of baby found dumped in bin The truck driver who spread the Chadstone coronavirus cluster to regional Victoria has been fined by police. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton confirmed on Thursday morning the man had been fined $1652 for dining at a cafe in Kilmore on September 30. He said the man was fined on October 17 after it was revealed he had spread the virus to the regional Victorian towns of Kilmore and Shepparton. The man had a valid work permit to leave metropolitan Melbourne but was not permitted to eat in regional Victorian restaurants or cafes at the time. The truck driver, who was connected to the Chadstone cluster by a family member who worked at The Butcher Club, didn't know he was a close contact or positive when he travelled. Three people contracted coronavirus in Shepparton and six tested positive in Kilmore, but the outbreak has now been brought under control. Mr Patton said Victoria Police detectives went and spoke to the tyre delivery driver after the case was referred from the Department of Health and Human Services following their contact tracing investigation. "It was for dining in (at) Kilmore," he said. "He was remorseful I'm told but nonetheless we issued an infringement to him in the circumstances because his conduct required it." Mr Patton said the man wasn't charged for failing to mention to contact tracers for almost two weeks that he had also visited Shepparton on September 30. Up until now breaches of the chief health officer's restrictions identified during contact tracing have generally not been given infringements as health authorities believed it was much more valuable to get the full story from positive cases. Premier Daniel Andrews previously said he didn't want anyone to be fearful of coming forward. "You don't need to be a Rhodes scholar that people will not answer truthfully (if they were going to be fined)," he said. READ MORE: Editorial — After economic bounce, the hard work begins now Deb Frecklington has set off on a Brisbane blitz two days out from polling day, visiting polling booths around the city. The Opposition Leader spent the morning at the Caravan and Outdoor Expo at the RNA showgrounds, spruiking her $300 registration rebate and her promise to cut the luxury vehicle tax, dubbed the "grey nomad tax", applied to caravans and motorhomes. She then visited a polling booth in Fortitude Valley, in the electorate of McConnel, held by Labor frontbencher Grace Grace. Ms Grace and Ms Frecklington came face to face, touching elbows in an amicable encounter. A disgruntled Labor volunteer was less friendly, shouting out at the LNP leader and asking, "What school will you cut next?". "Not cuts," Ms Frecklington replied. LNP candidate Pinky Singh echoed the response. LNP deputy leader Tim Mander is due to release the party's costings today after weeks of badgering from Labor over how Ms Frecklington planned to pay for her election commitments. READ MORE: Trading blows but voters already bolted Resources and Water Minister Keith Pitt says regional Australians should look around "for a better deal", describing the ANZ climate change plan as "disappointing". "At a time when the rest of Australia is focused on economic recovery and getting back to work, it is extraordinary that ANZ's priority is to play environmental activist. It is singling out industry sectors that continue to make a significant contribution to Australia's economy – and ANZ's wealth," Mr Pitt said. "I'd suggest ANZ would be better off focusing on its core business and help the 1.2 million Australians employed directly or indirectly in the resources sector buy their own homes and cars, and invest for their future. I would encourage Australians, particularly those in the regions who feel let down by ANZ's decision, to look around for a better deal. "Right now, the priority of banks should be winning back the trust of all Australians following the revelations of the banking royal commission, not playing eco-warrior." Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce suggested the ANZ "should lose international Unit Bank Credit because of their position on lending Ag and their climate policy". "They should also lose access to (the) RBA giving them access to funds at 0.33 per cent," Mr Joyce said. READ MORE: Durie — ANZ not great, worse to come East coast domestic travel will reopen by early December followed by the broader trans-Tasman market a few weeks later, travel agency Helloworld has foreshadowed in a market update. "Further Pacific island bubbles may open up with Australia and New Zealand in the first half of 2021," said Helloworld, adding that there was extraordinary pent-up demand for leisure travel, particularly cruising. While Western Australia has committed to keeping its borders shut until next April, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and China are expected to establish travel bubbles, with direct non-stop air services opening up. But the picture is very different fo long-haul international outbound travel READ the full story here The issue of Victoria not yet having an integrated QR code system for contact tracing at shops and venues doesn't mean businesses can't implement their own interim one now. It appears to be an easy five-minute job. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has defended the state's failure to have a QR code check-in system up and running ahead of retail and hospitality businesses reopening. He cited compatibility with the existing IT platform for contact tracing. Mr Andrews' new QR code system sounds a case of using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut, but it might have whizz-bang features such as the ability to cross reference contacts with other businesses where COVID-19 is detected. It may substantially speed up contact tracing and be well worth the wait. However, if the idea is to simply create a register of patrons at any time, and retrieve their name, mobile number and email address in the event someone has the virus, setting up a QR code system is a five-minute job that any Victorian business can do now as an interim measure. Businesses will at least have a QR code check-in system up and running while waiting for the Victorian Government's Rolls Royce version to roll out. It's a matter of registering at one of the websites that offers this service for free, or near to free. Covidtracer.com.au lets you obtain a QR code for your business and quickly set-up a form for collecting customer details. It's free if you only need one QR code and account. You can export contact details to a .CSV file and hand it over to contact tracers if the data is ever needed. You can monitor who has checked into your premises at any time. READ MORE: Cut & Paste — Pandemic has tested our democratic organs Victoria now has 76 active cases of coronavirus, down from 80 on Wednesday, with three new cases reported in the 24 hours to Thursday. Premier Daniel Andrews said one of the three cases was a close contact of members of the northern metropolitan Melbourne cluster who is already in quarantine, while the two others are under investigation and subject to an expert panel review to determine whether they are new cases, or cases of prior infections where the virus is still being shed. One of these people has previously tested positive for the virus, while the other has previously been a close contact of a positive case. The three new cases on Thursday are in Darebin, in Melbourne's north, Boroondara in the east, and Casey in the outer southeast. There are five people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus on Thursday, none of whom are in intensive care. This is an increase of two in hospital since Wednesday. There were 24,135 tests processed in the 24 hours to Thursday, with a positive test rate of 0.1 per cent, bringing the total number processed in Victoria since the pandemic began to 3,130,788. READ MORE: Savva — Albanese has got under the PM's skin With both the US presidential election and game one of the State of Origin series falling on the same day this year (AEDT), bookmakers are predicting a sea of blue come Wednesday night. Sportsbet have opened a US Election/Origin doubles market, with a Joe Biden/NSW win paying $2.05. Donald Trump/Queensland is paying $8.35, Trump/NSW $3.70, while Biden/Queensland is $4.65. "Interest in the US election is huge and State Of Origin is gathering momentum. The Maroons and Trump are the outsiders, but we've learned in the past to never write off the underdogs,'' Sportsbet's Rich Hummerston said. In head-to-head markets, Biden is $1.50 to win the election ahead of Trump at $2.70. The Blues are $1.37 to beat the Maroons ($3.10). READ MORE: Stewart — Polls paint a different picture after quick fix There have been four new locally acquired cases in New South Wales in the last 24 hours. Two of the locally acquired cases are students from the Malek Fahd Islamic School in Hoxton Park, which has been closed for cleaning after a student tested positive to the virus. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said NSW Health is confident the source of the virus will be traced to an existing outbreak. "Overnight, we did have four cases of COVID in New South Wales, three of which were community transmission," she said. Ms Berejiklain said the three cases were from the same household. "Health is working and is confident there will be an established link to an existing cluster, although that's not yet confirmed," she said. One case was diagnosed in an overseas traveller in hotel quarantine. NSW Health's information is at odds with Ms Berejiklian's statement, citing four local cases READ MORE: Antarctic expeditioners learn the Covid hard facts Businesses in Melbourne have been called out by shocked customers who claim their contact details were not taken down and patrons were forced to sit shoulder-to-shoulder in cramped outdoor areas just 24 hours after venues were able to reopen. One Twitter user said he had dinner in an inner city restaurant and was not asked to sign in. Another said she noticed groups of people who were not socially distancing and said no precautions were taken by the venue to ensure they have details for contact tracing. One person used the social media platform to urge residents to avoid venues that do not have COVID-safe plan. Under current restrictions, tables must be 1.5 metre apart and group numbers are limited to ten. READ MORE: You beauty — the Test is set for the MCG Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne has acknowledged, but declined to welcome, announcements this week of two major Australian trading partners — South Korea and Japan — that they will go carbon neutral by 2050. Japanese react after PM Suga sets 2050 deadline for carbon neutrality "It is not for us to welcome or not welcome things. They are matters for those countries. "They are decisions made domestically by those countries and they are a matter for them," she told Senate estimates. "Those announcements made by other countries we acknowledge. Of course we do. "They are a matter for them and we are focused on meeting our Paris commitments." READ MORE: South Korea drops green bombshell Myer announced in shock decision this morning only hours before its annual general meeting that its chairman Garry Hounsell has made the decision to retire as a director will not intend to seek re-election Mr Hounsell said in a statement put out on the ASX only hours before the AGM that he didn't have the support of the major shareholders. "Ahead of today's Myer AGM, it has become apparent that Myer's two largest shareholders are not supporting my re-election and I will not allow my ongoing tenure as chairman to be a distraction to the hard work of the executive team. "In my three years as chairman, we have pursued a clear strategy that has strengthened the Myer business, allowing it to come through the severe disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns to be well positioned as we head into the crucial end-of-year trading period. READ the full story here Australia's share market opened sharply weaker after offshore markets plunged. The S&P/ASX 200 fell 100 points or 1.7c to a 4-week low of 5954.9. But S&P 500 futures rose 0.5pc, suggesting Wall Street might bounce after the US benchmark plunged 3.5pc amid worsening European and US trends in COVID and mobility restrictions. Technology and Energy are the weakest sectors as they were in the US market, while the safe-haven Consumer Staples, Utilities, Health care and Communications sectors are outperforming. Afterpay down 3.8pc despite a 13pc higher price target at Bell Potter today, while Woodside lost 2.5pc after WTI crude oil fell 5.5pc to $37.39 and BHP lost 2.3pc. While the Financials sector is slightly outperforming, ANZ is down 2.8pc after slashing its dividend and Macquarie is down 2.9pc before its results next week. Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry will be extended by six weeks and won't report until December 21 after receiving new material from key players. Inquiry chair Jennifer Coate said an interim report would be handed down on November 6 containing recommendations for a proposed quarantine program, based on evidence and information currently available to the board. But she said a final report examining the setting up of the initial hotel quarantine program, and any further recommendations, would be released by December 21. "This unfortunate delay is due to the provision of additional material which occurred after the conclusion of closing submissions on 28 September 2020, as detailed at the extraordinary sitting on 20 October 2020," Ms Coate said. "As a result of this additional material, the board has issued several further notices to produce and requests for affidavits. Several documents and affidavits are presently outstanding and may lead to further enquiries." Ms Coate wrote to Daniel Andrews on Wednesday to propose the revised timetable and the Premier responded on Thursday, saying he agreed the board's final reporting date should be extended. The inquiry has received new statements as well as copies of the phone records of key players, including staff in the Premier's private office. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton and the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Kym Peake provided new statements. As well as Mr Andrews, the Police Minister Lisa Neville, former police chief commissioner, Graham Ashton and the former secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet Chris Eccles also made new statements. The inquiry is considering who decided to engage private security guards for the hotel quarantine program in late March instead of using police and Australian Defence Force officers, a decision now seen as a catalyst for allowing the coronavirus to escape and spread across Melbourne. READ MORE: Can we trust Andrews with a third wave? For the first time in his prime ministership, Scott Morrison has fallen into a carefully laid Labor trap. The prime ministerial "mistake" has paralysed Australia Post's top management and threatens its ability to deliver the unprecedented number of online parcels that retailers are looking to send out this Christmas. As retailers wake up to the devastation that the PM's actions may cause, they are desperately phoning government ministers and politicians trying to make them understand how serious this is for the nation. In this commentary I will first set out what actually happened in AusPost; then explain how Labor used that situation to trap the Prime Minister and then offer a simple solution. READ Robert Gottliebsen's full commentary on Christine Holgate here Buoyed by the success of its seven-hour scenic "flight to nowhere" which sold out in 10 minutes, Qantas has announced a series of scenic "flights to somewhere". Designed to highlight key Australian holiday destinations as state borders reopen, the first flight will carry 110 passengers on a Boeing 737 from Sydney to Uluru for an overnight stay on December 5. Details of other scenic flights are being kept under wraps but Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said they were intended to "get people thinking about where they might holiday". FIND out more here NSW Health's Dr Jeremy McAnulty says the state's recent outbreaks are a reminder that COVID-19 "hides under the surface" as it continues to spread. "We have seen several days in recent times without any local cases, but it is the nature of the virus, it just hides under the surface," he told Today. Dr McAnulty said it was critical for people to keep coming forward for testing to help control the rate of community transmission. "We all need to be vigilant for even mild symptoms. It could be COVID," he said. "People might think it is just a cold and you might think, 'I will see if it goes away', Don't do that. Get tested right away because the more days it takes to get tested… the more people who may be put at risk." READ MORE: Nation without borders within sight at last Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has "concerns" about reopening the state for one of its biggest industries — international education — warning it would overwhelm the already stretched hotel quarantine system. In the first debate of the campaign ahead of Saturday's knife-edge election, the Palaszczuk government's handling of COVID-19 dominated a sometimes-fiery exchange between Ms Palaszczuk and Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington. Undecided voters awarded the debate to Ms Palaszczuk, with 53 per cent, or 25 of the 47 swinging voters at the Sky and The Courier-Mail People's Forum, backing Labor, while 30 per cent, or 14, chose Ms Frecklington's Liberal National Party. Eight, or 17 per cent, remained undecided. Ms Frecklington focused her attack on the government's five-year economic record before the coronavirus hit, citing high unemployment, bankruptcies and Labor's ambivalence towards the resources industry. "(We) cannot sit back in Queensland and accept being at the bottom of the economic ladder … you don't want to be below those people (in Tasmania and South Australia)," Ms Frecklington said. Victoria has recorded three new cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to Thursday, and no deaths. Victorians will be hoping all three are among close contacts who are already in quarantine, as was the case with Wednesday's two cases. The cases come after Victoria achieved two consecutive days of no new cases on Monday and Tuesday, for the first time since early March when there had only been a total of 10 cases in the state. There have been no deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, after two deaths which occurred some weeks ago were on Wednesday added to Victoria's toll, bringing the number caused by the second wave of the virus to 800, including 652 linked to aged care, with the total death toll at 819. The number of cases with an unknown source of infection in Melbourne has risen by one to four on Thursday, for the most recent fortnight for which the statistic is available, spanning October 13 to October 26. It is not clear which day's figures this new "mystery" case comes from, given there were no new cases on Monday — the most recent day added to that fortnight. Melbourne's 14 day daily average number of new cases is now 2.4, down from 2.7 on Wednesday and 6.1 the previous Thursday. There have been no new cases in regional Victoria for more than a fortnight, with 80 active cases in Melbourne as of Wednesday. READ MORE: Unions urge MPs to back coal, gas The former president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has issued a warning to Victorians enjoying life after lockdown, reminding them that COVID-19 is still in the community. Dr Tony Bartone told Today that remaining vigilant and adhering to social distancing rules was critical in the state's ongoing battle against the virus. "It was great to see people out enjoying their new found freedom, but we have to remember that we have to keep the measures in place, remembering the social distancing and mask wearing in crowds and respecting that this virus still is not gone out of the community. It is still there, albeit in extremely, extremely low numbers," he said. "But we need to remember that it could only just take one episode and unfortunately we could have a cluster, we could have an outbreak again." A BMW driver has allegedly smashed into one of Melbourne's "ring of steel" coronavirus checkpoints. The man, 33, crashed into the vehicle checkpoint on the Calder Highway in Gisborne South about 4.15am on Thursday, police allege. Coronavirus: Stupid excuses Melbournians are using to get out of fines A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the black BMW X5 crashed through bollards and hit a parked car before coming to a stop. She said no police or defence force personnel were injured during the incident. Read the full story here. A Labor strategist who boasts that "public opinion is a fluid thing that we can squeeze, pump and stir" has been paid almost $2m by Daniel Andrews' own department to run a secretive project to monitor the views of Victorians. Despite Victorians bankrolling the confidential activity charting public sentiment and reaction to policies, the research will remain under wraps, with the Department of Premier and Cabinet refusing to release it. In December last year, QDOS Research was handed a $1.1m contract, without a competitive tender process. The deal expires in October 2022, just days before the government enters caretaker mode ahead of the November state election. The Australian has confirmed QDOS was also paid $786,555 to conduct research for Mr Andrews' department between 2016-2018. Read the full story here. Contact tracing is underway at a school in Sydney's west after a student tested positive for coronavirus. Health officials have advised students and staff members at the Hoxton Park campus of the Malek Fahd Islamic School to self isolate while the school is cleaned and to get tested if they experience any virus related symptoms. "NSW Health has requested anyone who has been unwell or if you develop any symptoms to be tested at one of the COVID-19 testing clinics," the school said in a statement. The school's other campuses in Greenacre and Beaumont Hill have not been affected. READ MORE: Virus alert for busy Westfield French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a fresh national lockdown of France until at least mid-December but has insisted schools remain open, work to continue and aged care homes to allow visitors. Mr Macron said "we are all taken aback by the pace this virus has spread" and warned every second counts to try and reign the spread of the virus. He added: "It may be tiresome and breaking your heart, but in these difficult times we call on your heart and solidarity." Mr Macron said the country risked being "overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first". Mr Macron said even further measures may need to be introduced at fortnightly assessments of the situation and said the country had to move from the current 40,000 cases of coronavirus a day to down to 5000 a day. He said the country had been conducting 1.9m tests a week but the test and trace system "just isn't working". He rejected allowing the virus to spread uncontrolled or to ask the most vulnerable and elderly isolate. He said people in households should even wear a mask inside the home to protect other family members as the virus "was mutating into more dangerous forms impacting younger generations". Mr Macron said unlike the total lockdown in March, this time "the economy must not come to a halt" but encouraged working from home as much as possible. "What is different is we will have to continue working, all public services, construction sites will continue," he said. But all shops, restaurants and bars are to close and there is a travel ban between French regions. The external French border is closed except to people coming from other Schengen countries. On Tuesday French medical teams detected 34,000 infections of coronavirus and in the past 24 hours there were 524 deaths related to COVID-19. These levels have not been seen since April. READ MORE: PNG spends $4m on Covid 'treatment' Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has defended the state's failure to have a QR code check-in system up and running ahead of retail and hospitality businesses reopening on Wednesday, citing the issue of compatibility with the existing IT platform for contact tracing. NSW and the ACT have had QR (or quick response) code technology up and running since last month, allowing users to scan their contact details using a smartphone app as they visit shops, restaurants and gyms. But despite having had longer to get organised before reopening, Mr Andrews said on Wednesday he could not announce a date by which Victoria would have the system established. Read the full story here. This column has no desire to be depressing, to spread gloom and despond as they say, but don't discount the strong possibility of Australia experiencing a crippling third wave of COVID-19 in due course. Can we trust the competence of Daniel Andrews' government in Victoria to lead us out of lockdown into a situation where we can contain future outbreaks? If the past is any guide to the future, the question answers itself, and should lead us all to embrace the power of prayer. Still, let's acknowledge achievement. The Victorian people, and the Victorian government, have achieved the lockdown objective, which was the radical suppression of the virus. Victoria had its peak of new infections on August 5, with 725 new infections. On August 1, Britain had 771 new infections. Read the full story here. Capital city cocaine and cannabis use and regional "ice" and heroin use have soared to record levels, according to the first snapshot of the nation's drug consumption since the start of COVID-19. Border and business closures and restrictions on movement and gatherings disrupted but did not stop Australia's illicit drug market, wastewater analysis for the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission shows. Read the full story here. Germany imposed drastic curbs on people's daily lives to contain a surge in coronavirus cases and France was set to follow suit as 516,898 infections were reported worldwide in a new daily record. Reflecting the bleak outlook, European and US stock markets tumbled as investors fretted over looming stringent measures that are likely to further hurt the economy. Faced with soaring cases, Germany ordered shut restaurants, bars and cafes, offering up to €10 billion in aid to struggling sectors to cushion the blow. The restrictions, which kick in Monday and last to the end of November, will also limit the number of people gathering to a maximum of 10 individuals from two households, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced. Schools and shops will be allowed to stay open, but swimming pools and other sporting facilities will be shut, and professional sports ordered behind closed doors, she added, acknowledging the measures were "strict" and "arduous." French President Emmanuel Macron is set to follow suit later today (AEDT) and announce new measures that a government official said were likely to be "unpopular", as doctors warn that many hospitals are days away from being overrun. There is widespread speculation that he will decree a lockdown until the end of November, though it will likely be less strict than the stay-at-home orders in place earlier this year. In Belgium, which has the most cases per capita in the world, the number of coronavirus hospital admissions has almost matched the level in the first wave in the spring, a public health institute said. Medics in one hospital in Liege are so overstretched that some staff who are themselves infected with COVID-19 are continuing to treat patients. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo could announce more stringent measures soon. Anger over anti-coronavirus curbs has already boiled over in Spain and Italy, where thousands have protested in recent days. On Wednesday, chefs and restaurateurs rallied in Rome, kicking off protests in 24 cities against rules forcing restaurants, bars, gyms and other businesses to close their doors at 6:00 pm. Some protests have turned violent in recent days, but health workers counter the curbs are crucial. "Go on like this, you risk dying in an ambulance or at home, as happened in the spring," said Maurizio Viecca, head of cardiology at Sacco di Milano hospital in the Lombardy region, Italy's worst-hit in the first wave. Across the world, the coronavirus has infected more than 44 million people, with close to 1.2 million deaths. Water Cannon Used to Disperse Demonstrators Amid Anti-Lockdown Protest in Rome READ MORE: Greg Sheridan — Let's pray we don't have a third wave One of the Queensland Greens' most senior officials offered an outgoing employee a "good deal'' where he would delay his formal resignation and take JobKeeper payments without doing any work in what would have been a misuse of the payment. The deal offered by Queensland Greens secretary Kitty Carra to former party campaigner John Meyer would have lasted four weeks from August 31 to October 2. The Greens would not have paid him during this period and he was to resign at the end of it. He said he had "legal recordings" of the conversations that he was willing to give to authorities, allowing them to investigate. The Australian Taxation Office on Wednesday declined to comment on the Greens case, but second commissioner Jeremy Hirschorn told Senate estimates earlier this week that such a practice was "not allowed" as the JobKeeper program was intended to restore the link between employers and their workers. Mr Meyer, who rejected the offer, outlined for The Australian the substance of phone conversations he had with Ms Carra and the party's sole state MP, Michael Berkman, in relation to the offer. Read the full story here. A member of the infamous Bali Nine drug smuggling ring has contracted coronavirus inside the notorious Kerobokan prison on the Indonesian island. Si Yi Chen, now 35, is one of three Australian prisoners who have been infected with the virus and have been moved into an isolation wing, Nine News reported. Brendon Johnsson, convicted of cocaine possession, and paedophile Robert Andrew Fiddes Ellis are the other Australians who have been isolated. Chen is serving a life sentence for his part in attempting to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin out of Indonesia, into Australia in 2005. Ringleaders of the group, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were sentenced to death and executed on April 29, 2015, while six other members including Chen were given life sentences. The ninth member of the group, Renae Lawrence, was given a 20-year sentence, which was commuted in 2018, leading to her early release. Read the full story here. Australian wine exports have weathered the pandemic and brushed aside any sabre-rattling from Beijing to register a 4 per cent jump in value to almost $3bn, driven by increased sales to every key export market including China. In the 12 months to September, total Australian wine exports reached $2.998bn, with growth recorded in each of the top five markets. Wine Australia's latest Export Report showed the growth was driven by premium wines and the cheap and cheerful, with the three least expensive categories of wines valued at up $7.49 a litre all recording solid growth, and the biggest surges recorded in high-end categories fuelled by demand from Chinese wine enthusiasts. Demand for wines priced at between $50 and $99 a litre soared by 42 per cent, a $92m increase on exports in the previous year, while the most expensive category of wines valued at $200 a litre and more jumped by 32 per cent, an increase in value of $16m. Wine Australia chief executive Andreas Clark said the overall value was at the highest level since exports reached $3bn in the second half of 2007. Read the full story here. When tens of thousands of sports fans gathered for the NRL and AFL grand finals at the weekend, concert promoters had good reason to scratch their heads and wonder: what about music? "It's hard not to feel like our industry is being discriminated against," said Jessica Ducrou, co-founder of the annual NSW winter music festival Splendour in the Grass. "We need a level playing field, and the allowances and relaxations that are afforded to sporting and racing events should apply to the live entertainment industry." Since the pandemic forced a sudden end to all mass gatherings in March, the major sporting codes worked within health department guidelines to gradually increase spectator numbers from zero to the tens of thousands allowed at last weekend's grand finals in Brisbane and Sydney. Yet live music has been able to resume only in fits and starts, as entertainment venue owners in some states have experimented with seated shows, table service, temperature scanners and careful monitoring of social distancing in order for shows to go on. While that approach has been adopted by smaller venue owners, many of whom are operating at a loss under such restrictions, for festivals such as Splendour in the Grass — which ordinarily attracts about 42,000 people a day to its site near Byron Bay — a clear road map to upscaling events is needed. Read the full story here. |
| 20 Best Places to Go in 2020 - Condé Nast Traveler Posted: 02 Dec 2019 12:00 AM PST  The southeastern Australia coast is ideal for a road trip—unless you're short on time. Now there is a faster, more luxurious, and infinitely more relaxing way to explore it. Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions, the company behind the premium Ghan (Adelaide to Darwin) and Indian Pacific (Sydney to Perth) train routes, is adding a new adventure: Great Southern. Launching in December 2019, the 28-carriage twin-locomotive train will carry up to 214 guests between Adelaide, South Australia, and Brisbane, Queensland, traversing Victoria and New South Wales en route. Book the first-class Platinum Service for a spacious en suite room with panoramic windows that transforms into a bedroom with double or twin beds during turndown service. Guests in this class have access to the Platinum Club, a lounge done up with leather banquettes and quartzite tables. Meals—full breakfasts, two-course lunches, four-course dinners, served with regional meat, Bollinger Champagne, and cheese—are included in the ticket price. The popular Gold Service is also pretty swish, with all-inclusive meals and a private three-seater lounge converting into bunk beds come evening. The biggest draw of the Great Southern is its choose-your-own-adventure off-train experiences. In Canberra, guests may tour the National War Memorial or the National Gallery of Australia, or spend the afternoon wining and dining in the bucolic Murrumbateman region. In Grampians National Park in Victoria, they can join a guided bush walk up to Venus Baths, a collection of naturally formed rock pools, or sit down to an elegant meal that showcases the Grampians' finest Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. At Port Stephens in New South Wales, they can watch for dolphins in Nelson Bay, then hop in a four-wheel-drive van to explore Stockton Bight Sand Dunes, the largest mobile sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. There's even an option to book a flight over Victoria's Twelve Apostles, those dramatic limestone stacks off the coast of Port Campbell National Park. The Great Southern's northbound Adelaide-to-Brisbane route takes two nights and three days; the southbound Brisbane-to-Adelaide lasts three nights and four days. Between December 2019 and January 2020, 16 departures are scheduled, with fares starting at $1,779 per person and more departures to come in December 2020. —Ashlea Halpern |
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