Local response teams will soon be rolled out across Melbourne so contact tracers can identify coronavirus outbreaks more quickly using specialised knowledge.
The teams have been used extensively on the ground in New South Wales to get outbreaks under control, as
well as in regional Victoria. Public health experts have been calling for this since the start of the first wave.
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Regional Victoria to move to step two from Sept 14 | Sky News AustraliaRegional Victoria will move to the second step of the state’s roadmap out of lockdown from September 14 due to the low numbers of COVID-19 cases recorded outside of Melbourne.\n\nApproximately five per cent of Victoria’s coronavirus case count can be found within regional areas, with only 98 active cases found outside the state’s capital city.\n\nThe new changes will allow up to five people from two different households will be allowed to gather outdoors, while all students will begin a staged return to school.\n\nChildcare facilities will also reopen and people living alone will be allowed to have a single visitor. \n\nPremier Daniel Andrews flagged regional Victoria could move to step three in just a few weeks but warned the Geelong Corridor could be treated separately. \n\nDeputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack slammed the roadmap, saying the regions should be assessed and released according to their coronavirus situation rather than Melbourne’s, which for some regions was hundreds of kilometres away.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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Australia secures priority access to potential coronavirus vaccines | Sky News AustraliaAustralians have moved to the front of the line to receive a coronavirus vaccine after a $1.7 billion commitment by the federal government secured priority access to multiple potential vaccines. \n\nA statement released last night revealed the federal government sealed a deal to ensure priority access to an Oxford University developed potential vaccine which would be manufactured in Melbourne and distributed by AstraZeneca. \n\nUnder the deal, potentially 3.8 million doses would be available to Australians in January and February next year if the trial-drug proved successful. \n\nPrime Minister Scott Morrison said once a vaccine was developed, it would be made free for all Australians, however, health care workers and the vulnerable would be given priority access.\n\nA University of Queensland trial vaccine was also included in the deal and would be distributed by CSL if successful. \n\nMr Morrison is expected to reveal further details about the deal later today. \n\nImage: AP
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NSW a shining example of 'effective virus management' for Victoria | Sky News AustraliaLiberal MP Trent Zimmerman says Victoria should format its roadmap to recovery on the criteria used by NSW given the successful management of the coronavirus by the Berejiklian government.\n\n“If we had the type of criteria being used by the Victorian government in places in NSW, then NSW would be somewhere between stage two and stage three lockdowns,” he told Sky News.\n\n“What NSW has so effectively demonstrated is you don’t have to persist with those types of extreme lockdowns if you’ve got the tracing and management systems in place to be able to cope with low levels of community transmission”.\n\nLabor MP Peter Khalil noted “the only place I can think of that had a similarly strict suppression strategy … which almost looked like elimination was New Zealand”.\n\nHe called on the federal government to extend JobKeeper at its former rate for Victorians, provide additional tax relief and support small business through the lockdown. \n\nImage: Getty
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Federal ‘contact tracing regime’ could be ‘required’ in Victoria | Sky News AustraliaThe 'inadequacy' of Victoria’s COVID-19 contact tracing could be the reason behind the state’s “conservative” roadmap out of lockdowns Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says.\n\nHe said Health Department Secretary Brendan Murphy suggested Victorian contact tracing might be leading to the Victorian government’s decisions.\n\n“One federal source suggested to me this afternoon that perhaps a federal contact tracing regime or centre is required, but this is not government policy,” Mr Clennell said. \n\n“The Victorian government did not engage or consult the federal government before coming out with its very conservative steps out of lockdown, which were announced yesterday, and which the prime minister has said today are so conservative Sydney would be under curfew right now.”\n\nHis remarks come after Prime Minister Scott Morrison heavily criticised Victoria and said it should look to NSW for guidance on contact tracing to exit lockdowns.\n\n“Lockdowns and borders are not signs of success in dealing with COVID-19,” Mr Morrison said.\n\n“It’s important we put ourselves in a position where they do not feature in how Australia is dealing with COVID-19 on a sustainable basis.”\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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Unfair water holdings don’t exemplify a ‘fairdinkum Australia’: Alan Jones | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Alan Jones says large owners of Australian water “don’t own a handkerchief of land” but sell water to farmers at an exorbitant rate which is not a fairdinkum Australia.\n\nMr Jones pointed to NSW MP Helen Dalton who has recently introduced a bill into the state parliament calling for a register of water owners or those whose families own waters – which is aimed at politicians – but is likely to be defeated by the Berejiklian government. \n\nHe said outfits like Duxton Water don’t “own a handkerchief of land but they own most of the water”.\n\n“They sell (water) to farmers when it suits them at whatever inflated price they choose”.\n\n“And this is called a fairdinkum Australia, I don’t think so.”\n\nImage: Getty\n
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Daniel Andrews has 'lied to Victoria' | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Paul Murray says one of the 'biggest lies that was told to Victorians' yesterday was the promise that regional Victoria would be able to step out of the virus restrictions faster Melbourne.\n\nMr Murray said under Premier Daniel Andrew’s plan to recovery, regional Victoria should enter stage three now, considering they have hit the benchmarks set by the Premier. \n\n“Under your plan premier, that you said would be applied, in regional Victoria if it hit the marks is that they would have the restrictions come off,” Mr Murray said. \n\nMr Murray today sent a very specific question about this issue to the premier and the chief medical officer, but heard nothing in response. \n\nThe only response to his inquiry came from the Department of Health and Human Services which replied with 'gibberish', Mr Murray said. \n\n“Forty-Eight councils right now in Victoria have 10 or fewer cases and they have for weeks, 29 have had zero for weeks – why are they being punished?” he said. \n\nImage: Getty
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