The Australian’s Adam_Creighton says it’s hard to believe how heavy the public consequences are over something without 'any scientific justification and ... no cost-benefit analysis'.
11min
The Australian’s Adam Creighton says it’s hard to believe how heavy the public consequences are over something without "any scientific justification and ... no cost-benefit analysis". “We’ve had extraordinary draconian incursions on our civil liberties,” Mr Creighton told Sky News host Alan Jones. “Nothing’s been presented to the people, and yet it’s just happened.
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Over 1,000 COVID-19 cases recorded among Victorian healthcare workers | Sky News AustraliaThe number of active coronavirus infections recorded among healthcare workers in Victoria has doubled during the past fortnight to well over 1,000 cases.\n\nInterstate and ADF teams have stepped up to fill the gap, putting to rest fears of a shortage of medical workers.\n\nOver the past 24 hours Victoria has reported its biggest fall in case numbers since the start of the second wave, a success which has been marred as it was also the state's deadliest day on record.\n\nThe Victorian Premier announced 19 deaths had been recorded with 14 linked to aged care facilities.\n\nWell over 100 fatalities could be recorded by the end of the week if the current trend persists.\n\nThe impact of stage four restrictions is not expected to be reflected in the daily case count for another week.\n\nImage: Getty
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Hospitality industry lobbies for rent relief amid COVID crisis | Sky News AustraliaThe Australian Hotels Association is lobbying for state governments to allow pubs, cafes and other venues with a turnover under $50 million to defer paying rent for up to another six months. \n\nSky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell said the industry was concerned many outlets wouldn't be able to pay rent any time soon due to the COVID-19 crisis. \n\n“Essentially, Scott Morrison got agreement earlier in the year from the states through National Cabinet for them to agree to a code of conduct which allowed commercial premises to defer their rents until September or October, depending on which state it is,” Mr Clennell said. \n\n“Under this arrangement, as it has been explained to me, if a business was down to 20 per cent of its business because of COVID restrictions, it would be up for 20 per cent of its rent with 40 per cent deferred and another 40 per cent wiped by the landlord. \n\n“There is no guarantee that, most likely apart from Victoria, that this form of deferral\u002Fassistance will be retained. \n\n“Some venues from September\u002FOctober will be hard up paying their monthly rent, let alone their deferred rent. '\n\nMr Clennell said the AHA was urging state and federal governments to ensure this rent relief continued until the JobKeeper program ends next year.
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PM dismisses 'hideous' suggestion to lift COVID-19 restrictions early | Sky News AustraliaPrime Minister Scott Morrison says it is “hideous” to argue COVID-19 restrictions should be imminently lifted because the disease disproportionally kills the elderly. \n\nOver 300 people have died from the novel coronavirus in Australia, the bulk of which have been over the age of 70. \n\nSky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell said the prime minister will not risk the public’s health by advocating for lifting restrictions early, especially when it comes to Victoria. \n\n“Federal sources tell me that they will only be assured by this decline in numbers when we have a week of sustained reduction of days below 200 new cases a day,” Mr Clennell said. \n\nVictoria recorded 322 additional cases in the past 24 hours along with 19 deaths. \n\nMr Clennell said the federal government is taking a closer look at each state’s hotel quarantine procedures in order to ensure another widespread outbreak does not occur. \n\n“Former senior bureaucrat Jane Halton has been deployed to have a look at the hotel quarantine system for overseas arrivals and how it is operating in the wake of the Victorian quarantine disaster which has caused the outbreak out there,” he said. \n\n“Halton has gone out to look at hotel quarantine arrangements in NSW and Queensland and found deficiencies in the integrity of the process in terms of the security around people coming off the plane, onto buses and into hotel quarantine. \n\n“People are allowed limited exercise in a courtyard with a security guard so that is not a problem, but there have been things tightened in terms of the airport and transport arrangements as I understand it. \n\n
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Anglicare CEO apologises for Newmarch House COVID-19 management failures | Sky News AustraliaAnglicare CEO Grant Millard has apologised for failures concerning the management of a COVID-19 outbreak at Newmarch House in Sydney.\n\nThe incident resulted in 19 fatalities and was examined by the Royal Commission into the aged care crisis.\n\nExecutives of Anglicare admitted the coronavirus outbreak at Newmarch house was initially treated like an outbreak of the flu and conceded there were failures communicating with families about the condition of their elderly relatives.\n\nThe conflicting advice provided by federal and state agencies particularly concerning the hospitalisation of infected patients was raised by Anglicare as an area of government dysfunction. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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Economic impact of COVID-19 to 'hit earnings and dividends' | Sky News AustraliaThe ASX200 is up by about 0.7 per cent in early trade with the Australian Bureau of Statistics set to report Labor force figures on Thursday.\n\nEconomic forecasts predict the unemployment rate to increase from 7.4 per cent to 7.9 per cent over the course of July.\n\nThe GPT Group reported a loss of close to half a billion dollars in the first half of its financial year after its large retail portfolio was significantly affected by a reduction in foot traffic caused by COVID-19 lockdowns. \n\nFreight company Horizon meanwhile reported the coronavirus had no impact on its business which moves coal and other bulk minerals from inland Australia to the coast for export – recording a full-year profit up almost 30 per cent.\n\nAMP Capital’s Shane Oliver said the economic impact of COVID-19 would result in “a big hit to earnings” as a result of the coronavirus shutdowns which will “take earnings growth down to its biggest slump since the GFC”.\n\n“The other big theme will be a big cut to dividends,” he said. \n\nImage: Getty
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