Sky News host Chris Kenny says Victoria claims to be “the education state” so maybe its citizens should be made aware getting tested for COVID-19 is the least they can do during a public health crisis.
On Friday Victoria’s Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien criticised the Andrews government for its handling of Melbourne’s hotel quarantine fiasco. An inquiry has been launched into Melbourne’s failed hotel quarantine system after it was revealed more than 50 new cases of the coronavirus in Victoria have been linked back to breaches.
While Victoria’s Chief Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has been forced to insist coronavirus is not a "conspiracy" as she revealed more than 10,000 Victorians have refused COVID-19 testing in the past week. Mr Kenny said a “comedy of errors” has played out in the state’s handling of the virus. He said the organisation of overseas quarantine in Melbourne has been “shambolic” as dozens of new cases of the deadly virus emerge daily.
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Another 66 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Victoria, bringing caseload to 442 | Sky News AustraliaVictorian Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed another 66 people have tested positive to coronavirus across the state in the past 24 hours. \n\nMr Andrews said 17 of those were connected to contained outbreaks, one was linked to hotel quarantine, 20 were the result of routine testing and 28 were still under investigation. \n\nThe Premier said there were now 442 active cases across the state – including 23 people who were receiving treatment in hospital and six who were in intensive care. \n\nMr Andrews said there were 24,430 coronavirus tests undertaken yesterday alone, and urged anyone with even the mildest of symptoms to comply with testing requirements. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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If Russia-Taliban claims are true it poses ‘dire consequences’ | Sky News AustraliaIf Russia is secretly offering bounties to the Taliban in exchange for the murder of US troops there will be “dire consequences” for Moscow’s relationship with the west, according to former foreign minister Alexander Downer.\n\nReports have surfaced suggesting US Intelligence believes Russia’s ties with the Taliban has deepened to the point that some Islamists received money on condition they killed American servicemen.\n\nRussian officials have denied paying Taliban bounties for American lives.\n\n“I wouldn’t have thought Russia would want to be that deeply embedded in conflict in particular with the US over Afghanistan,” Mr Downer told Sky News host Chris Kenny.\n\n“They’d be foolhardy to do it”.\n\n“Russia’s game is normally to try to make itself relevant because it’s a fading power”.\n\nImage: Getty
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China must understand Australia 'will not buckle' | Sky News AustraliaAustralia is sending a message to China that it will never be worthwhile to try and change the status quo by force according to former foreign minister Alexander Downer.\n \nThe defence minister and the prime minister on Wednesday announced $270 billion in defence spending over the next ten years including a significant investment in long-range missile technology.\n \nThe Prime Minister outlined a 10-year funding model as part of the government's 2020 National Defence Strategy, committing to defence funding that would go beyond two per cent of GDP.\n \nMr Downer said Australia needs to ensure there is a proper balance of power in the region.\n \n“As China emerges from poverty to becoming a rich and powerful country, it wants to dominate the Indo-Pacific region increasingly,” he told Sky News host Chris Kenny.\n \nThe former Howard government minister said Australia needs to be “blunt with China” and be abundantly clear it will not succeed in any attempt to gain more influence.\n \n“Once they understand we’re not going to buckle, then I think we’ll come into smoother waters in the bilateral relationship”.\n \n“The worst thing we could do is weaken our position, try to ingratiate ourselves, kowtow to China … all that’ll do is invite more aggression and more dominance”.\n
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