Major public health alerts issued in South Australia as suburban cluster grows

SA Health has issued a number of public health alerts for venues and restaurants in Adelaide after a northern suburbs COVID-19 cluster grew by four new cases yesterday.

One major alert is for the Woodville Pizza Bar, with anyone who visited or got takeaway from the restaurant on 6 to 16 November to immediately self-quarantine for 14 days.

The alert also requires those living with visitors of the pizza bar to quarantine for a fortnight.

Yesterday South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said his state was "not out of the woods yet" from this new outbreak of COVID-19.

The state's figures grew by five yesterday after more than 6,000 Adelaideans got tested for COVID-19 a record for SA.

Four of the five were linked to the Parafield cluster, with the fifth still under investigation at the time of yesterday's press conference.

More than 4,000 people have been asked to self-quarantine to date as state health authorities scramble to contain the outbreak.

A number of other public health alerts were issued overnight including for Thomas Moore College and Roma Mitchell Secondary College.

SA Health also says those who visited any of the below locations during the listed times do not need to self-quarantine but should monitor for symptoms of COVID-19:

ADELAIDE
Bensons Radiology, 3/18 North Terrace (Friday 13 November 8.30am 8.45am)
Bus 502 - Bus Stop H2 On Grenfell Street (Friday 13 November 9.00am 9.30am)
Bus (GA1/GA2/GA3) from bus stop near train station (Wednesday 11 November 3.40pm 4.38pm)

ELIZABETH
Elizabeth Shopping Centre (Wednesday 11 November 10.00am 10.45am)

HENDON
Prime Liquidators, 6 Philips Cres (Saturday 14 November 12.00pm 12.30pm)

PORT ADELAIDE
Funk Coffee, T15/200-220 Commercial Rd (Saturday 14 November 5.00pm 5.15pm)
Hungry Jacks, 321 Commercial Rd Port Adelaide (Between 7.30pm Friday 13 November 2.30am Saturday 14 November) 

SALISBURY DOWNS
Hollywood Fresh Fruit Shop, Hollywood Plaza (Saturday 14 November 10.00am 11.00am)

ST CLAIR
Coles, Cheltenham Parade (Friday 13 November 4.00pm 4.20pm)

For a full list of SA public health alerts visit sahealth.sa.gov.au/covidcontacttracing.

Updated at 9.14am AEDT on 18 November 2020.

NSW to spend $500m on hospitality, arts and tourism vouchers

The NSW Government has announced a $500 million stimulus package to help businesses recover from COVID-19, incentivising people to eat out and enjoy the variety of cultural scenes around the state.

Under the Out & About program, NSW residents aged 18 and over will be given $100 worth of digital vouchers that can be used at eateries and on arts and tourism attractions in the state.

The $100 per person will be divided into four vouchers worth $25 each, two of which will be designated for restaurants, cafes, clubs and other foodservice venues.

The remaining two vouchers can be used for entertainment and recreation, such as cultural institutions, performing arts, cinemas, and amusement parks.

Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said Service NSW would operate a pilot of the scheme throughout December in the Sydney CBD.

"Applying for a voucher will be simple and easy and made available via the Service NSW app," Minister Dominello said.

"We must be COVID smart as well as COVID safe and the success of this program will depend upon people continuing to follow the rules.

"This program is ambitious and the first of its kind in Australia. The Government will run a pilot scheme to make sure we can iron-out any issues before launching Out & About across NSW in the new year."

Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the introduction of a four-voucher scheme was to encourage people to open their wallets and spend across a wider range of businesses over an extended time period.

"It's almost time to open the door on 2021 and I can't think of a better way to do that than by encouraging people to support their local businesses through this program," Minister Tudehope said.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the $500 million Out & About program was designed to boost businesses hit hard by the pandemic, by encouraging people to get out and enjoy the best of NSW.

"No industry has felt the economic impacts of COVID-19 more than the hospitality, arts and tourism industries," the Treasurer said.

"NSW acted swiftly to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19 and we want to help businesses by encouraging spending within local communities, especially within the hospitality, arts and tourism sectors."

Updated at 5:41pm AEDT on 17 November 2020.

South Australia records one new infection as restrictions come into force

Just one new COVID-19 infection has been confirmed in South Australia after a range of new restrictions came into force overnight.

The new confirmed infection is connected to the Parafield cluster, bringing the total associated with it to 18.

According to SA Premier Steven Marshall the positive case was discovered from more than 3,000 tests conducted yesterday.

The new positive infection comes after South Australian health officials acted fast to contain the spread of the outbreak, reimposing a number of restrictions on venues and immediately closing down gyms.

South Australian health officials also issued a number of new public health alerts for a variety of locations overnight.

Those that visited the locations below do not need to self-quarantine but should monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if any develop:

Adelaide
Bus (GA1/GA2/GA3) from bus stop near train station (Wednesday 11 November 3.40pm 4.38 pm)
It's Convenient, 63 Waymouth St, Adelaide (Saturday 14 November 6.00 pm 6.15 pm)

Edinburgh
SA Structural, 54 Kaurna Avenue (Thursday 12 November 7.00am 3.30 pm)

Findon
Woolworths Findon Road (Saturday 14 November 8.30 pm 8.35 pm)

Gepps Cross
Spotlight, 750 Main North Road (Thursday 12 November 8.30 pm 9.00 pm)

Mawson Lakes
Foodland, 6/12 Capital St (Saturday 14 November 1.30 pm 2.00 pm)

Pooraka
On The Run Pooraka, OTR 126 Bridge Rd Pooraka (Thursday 12 November 11.35 am 11.40 am)
Bus 405 from Salisbury Bus Interchange (Monday 9 November 11.06 am 12.00 pm)
Bus 411 from Salisbury Bus Interchange (Wednesday 11 November 4.30pm 5.30 pm)
Namaste Supermarket, Parabanks Shopping Centre (Saturday 14 November 1.30 pm 2.00 pm)

South Plympton
Jai Shiv Fruit & Veg shop, 3/489 Marion Rd (Saturday 14 November 8.00 pm 8.05 pm)

Updated at 9.14am AEDT on 17 November 2020.

Adelaide COVID-19 outbreak forces gyms to close, new restrictions on venues and households

Several new COVID-19 restrictions will be put in place from midnight tonight in South Australia as health authorities work to get on top of an outbreak in Adelaide's northern suburbs.

Gyms and other recreation centres will be forced to close temporarily, and venues like pubs, clubs and restaurants will have capacity limits of 100 people with the one person per four square metre rule in place.

International flights into the city will also be paused for the remainder of the week to ensure there is enough space in Adelaide's medi-hotels to house those who need to be placed into local quarantine.

It comes as 17 new cases were reported in the state this morning, with no new cases being discovered by a testing blitz undertaken this afternoon, which SA Premier Steven Marshall said is a positive outcome.

"I said last week that COVID has challenged us, but it has not defeated us, and it's fair to say that we are now facing our biggest test today," Marshall said.

"Today we've acted to supercharge capabilities at some of our COVID testing sites including Victoria Park, Elizabeth, Parafield Airport and McGill which are all open until eight o'clock at night.

"Your response has given me great heart that we will rise to this challenge."

Restrictions to come into force from midnight

From midnight tonight a raft of restrictions will come into place in gyms, venues and households.

Gyms and other recreation facilities like trampoline and play cafes will be forced to close for what the Premier hopes will be a temporary period of two weeks and community sport and training will be temporarily cancelled.

Funerals will be capped at 50 people with the one person per four square metre rule in place, while church gatherings will be capped at 100 people.

No real changes will be made for weddings, but all attendees must be registered.

Private gatherings at licenced venues will be capped at 50 people with the one person per four square metre rule in place.

Pubs, clubs and restaurants will only be allowed to host up to 100 people, with a maximum booking of 10 people for groups.

Private residences will only be allowed to have 10 people gathering at a time.

Finally, all events with approved COVID management plans scheduled for the next two weeks have been cancelled immediately.

Masks will be made mandatory for service providers in settings like hairdressers, nail salons, and tattoo parlours, but not mandatory for those receiving the services.

Those visiting aged care facilities must wear a face mask, and only two visitors per day will be allowed.

All schools will remain open.

The Premier also recommends those in Adelaide work from home where possible and wear a face mask where physical distancing is not practical.

The restrictions come as most states and territories except New South Wales introduced new border rules on those visiting from SA, essentially barring those from the state from entering.

Because of the Parafield outbreak a Hungry Jack's in Port Adelaide, a primary school in Mawson Lakes, Thomas Moore College in Salisbury Downs, Parafield Plaza supermarket and an aged care facility have been closed for cleaning.

In addition, a number of public health alerts for other businesses, bus stops, and the Mantra hotel in the CBD have been issued today.

Updated at 4.25pm AEDT on 16 November 2020.

COVID has proved working from home is the best policy to beat congestion

As almost anyone who wastes countless hours stuck in traffic would agree, there's little more frustrating for workers than starting or ending the day with an overly long commute. But, while we might not like it, more of us are doing it. In 2019, the average daily commute time for Australian metro workers was 66 minutes. Then COVID happened.

Although the pandemic has forced change without choice on almost all of us, there have been some positive unintended consequences. Commuting times are one winner, particularly in larger cities. The increase in working from home turns out to be the best policy lever the transport sector has ever pulled for reducing traffic congestion in our cities.

Read more: Australian city workers' average commute has blown out to 66 minutes a day. How does yours compare?

We began looking at the impacts of the increase in working from home on our roads and public transport from March to September. We found a 10-15% drop in peak-period congestion. That's similar to traffic during school holidays.

COVID-19, it turns out, has done something that nobody in government has been able to achieve cutting road congestion almost overnight.

For commuters, time is money

It's possible to calculate how much these kinds of shifts are worth to us as a society. If we weren't stuck in traffic, what else might we do with that time? And just how much is it worth to us?

The Greater Sydney metropolitan area, covering Newcastle to Wollongong, is a good example. From late May 2020, commuting times declined as working from home boomed. We calculate this cut total commuting time costs by 54%, from A$10.5 billion a year to A$5.58 billion.

Naturally, commuters want to know the impact on their own metaphorical hip pockets. In Greater Sydney, we calculate the average annual reduction in time costs per car commuter was A$2,312 as at May 2020. That's equivalent to A$48.16 per week, or A$9.63 per weekday.

For the public transport commuter, the "time cost" of being stuck in traffic is higher as their commute is often longer. Their time saving is worth A$5,203 per person, an equivalent of A$108.39 per week or A$21.68 per weekday.

It's all money that could be better spent elsewhere, especially in the current economic environment.

Transport planning priorities will change

Congestion shows us working from home is changing more than the workplace: it could have profound implications for road investment and transport policy.

Our datashow the increase in working from home is spread evenly across the five weekdays. This is important, since infrastructure and service capacity are typically determined by peak demand. If demand can be flattened, as the data suggest it can be, then the implications for transport planning priorities will be significant.

Read more: If more of us work from home after coronavirus we'll need to rethink city planning

Of course, now that full-time working from home is easing for many, we don't expect this level of benefit to be sustained. But we believe we'll still be left with a significant improvement on pre-COVID congestion. Early signs, including from our surveys in September, suggest many people in certain occupations are likely to work from home one to two days a week in the future, with full employer support.

But to really capture the benefits of this welcome shift on our roads, we need governments to play a role. They need to publicly support working from home as a way of reducing pressure on transport networks, especially in our big cities.

2020 has proven traffic congestion can be reduced without building more roads. What's more, doing so brings other benefits: in addition to myriad environmental benefits, our increased ability to work from home will open up new opportunities for revitalising suburbia. These adjustments align well with the concept of the 20- or 30-minute city, a strategy many Australian city planners are grappling with.

Read more: People love the idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods. So why isn't it top of the agenda?

Is there a downside to fewer commutes?

As more of us spend fewer days commuting, there are risks. For example, we might move more permanently to using private cars for commuting (even once COVID safety issues subside).

If we commute for only three or four days a week, rather than five, we may be more tolerant of the costs associated with driving, such as parking fees and tolls. Even congestion itself may bother us less.

If this occurs, we may have to find other ways to contain this increase in car use if we want to keep those shorter commutes.

Read more: Cars rule as coronavirus shakes up travel trends in our cities

Strategies to limit car use in peak periods

One option is road-pricing reform a user-pays system. One well-researched user charge is to replace vehicle registration charges (in part or in full) with a distance-based charge (cents/km) during periods of heavy congestion for example, peak periods in cities.

What makes this option appealing is the ability to set charges at a level that leaves most people no worse off financially (the hip-pocket test), while at the same time reducing peak-period car use to improve travel times. We estimate 5-7c/km would be the right price.

Read more: Three charts on: why congestion charging is fairer than you might think

Surveys show over 70% of commuters could switch to other times of the day and still use their cars if keen to avoid the distance-based charge. Our modelling suggests this would deliver an 8% improvement in travel times. That's equivalent to school holiday periods and the shift we've seen from the increase in working from home.

It is likely this shift would only increase in a world where working from home means people can work more flexibly.

An alternative strategy to keep congestion low, even if our love for private car travel increases, centres on incentives rewards similar to those used by supermarkets or airlines.

Why not create incentives like loyalty points for drivers willing to switch to off-peak car use or to public transport? Drivers' decisions could be tracked via GPS, and resulting reward points converted to cash payments or discounts on travel and other non-transport-related purchases.

Read more: Coronavirus recovery: public transport is key to avoid repeating old and unsustainable mistakes

David Hensher, Director, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney and Matthew Beck, Associate Professor in Infrastructure Management, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Adelaide COVID-19 cluster grows to 17, states introduce border controls

Update : Tasmania, the Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, and Victoria have introduced border controls to travellers from South Australia this morning, but with different cut-off times and degrees of severity.

A COVID-19 cluster in Adelaide's northern suburbs has grown to 17 cases overnight sparking concerns about community transmission of the virus.

It comes after Western Australia immediately tightened its border to South Australians yesterday afternoon, within 1.5 days of reopening. Tasmania and the Northern Territory have both followed suit, while Queensland will declare all of Adelaide a COVID-19 "hotspot".

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has also designated South Australia as a COVID-19 "hotspot" but will not close his border to the state.

On the other hand, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has decided to keep her state's borders open to visitors from the Festival State.

The cluster has forced the closure of a number of businesses and schools as health workers scramble to trace contacts.

So far a Hungry Jack's in Port Adelaide, a primary school in Mawson Lakes, Thomas Moore College in Salisbury Downs, Parafield Plaza supermarket and an aged care facility have been shut down.

A number of public health alerts for other businesses, bus stops, and the Mantra hotel in the CBD have been issued today.

Speaking to ABC Radio Adelaide this morning, SA's chief public health officer Professor Nicola Suprrier said the growth of the cluster is "very serious".

"We had a lot of pathology testing done yesterday," Professor Spurrier told the broadcaster.

"We just kept getting positives coming off the machine."

Fifteen of the new cases are part of a family cluster linked to a worker in an Adelaide medi-hotel.

"We haven't got the genomics yet, but I'm absolutely certain it has come from a medi-hotel," Professor Spurrier told the ABC.

Two of the cases work in aged care and another works at the Port Adelaide Hungry Jack's restaurant.

Of yesterday's cases one is a woman in her 80s who tested positive at the Lyell McEwin Hospital (LMH) emergency department on Saturday 14 November.

As such, SA Health has asked anyone who was in the LMH emergency department between 5.30pm Friday 13 November and 4am Saturday 14 November who has not been contacted by SA Health should self-quarantine immediately.

In addition, anyone who was at Parafield Plaza Supermarket on Thursday 12 November between 10.30am and 11.30am should monitor for symptoms and get tested as soon as they appear.

The cases are the first instances of community transmission in SA since 15 April.

SA Health has established a mobile COVID-19 testing clinic in Parafield, open from 8am to 6pm all week.

States and territories introduce border controls

In response to the outbreak Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have essentially shut borders to South Australians.

South Australians coming into WA will have to be tested for COVID-19 on arrival in the state and self-quarantine for 14 days in a "suitable premise", bringing SA visitors in line with those from New South Wales and Victoria.

Travellers on a Qantas flight from Adelaide to Perth on Sunday will also be required to comply with the new orders.

The NT has declared SA a COVID-19 hotspot, meaning those arriving in the Territory must self-isolate for 14 days.

TAS's new border controls have been retroactively applied to Monday 9 November, with the state's Premier Peter Gutwein asking all those currently in the state from SA to self-isolate.

For new arrivals into TAS from SA they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival at a residence or in a hotel room.

TAS is not elevating SA to "medium risk", the category VIC currently sits in, but will be monitoring the situation as the day progresses.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced her state will stay open to travellers from SA, saying that other leaders need to have confidence in health officials to get outbreaks under control.

"At this stage we need to accept that we live with the virus, and imagine if there was a similar outbreak in New South Wales - we'd be arguing that that's no reason to cut off New South Wales from the rest of the country," Berejiklian said.

"We need to have confidence in our own systems and those in other states."

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has designated South Australia as a COVID-19 hotspot, but it is not closing its borders.

Instead, visitors from SA will be interviewed when they arrive and may be tested for COVID-19. 

Queensland health authorities will declare all of Adelaide a COVID-19 "hotspot" from 11.59pm today.

As a result, anyone coming into Queensland who has been in South Australia since Monday of last week will need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days. 

Public health alerts issued

If you visited any of the below locations duration the listed times, you do not need to self-quarantine but you should monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if symptoms appear.

Bus 500 from Salisbury Bus Interchange

• Friday 13 November,  6.30 am to 7.40 am
• Thursday 12 November,  6.30 am to 7.40 am
• Wednesday 11 November,  6.30 am to 7.40 am
• Tuesday 10 November,  6.30 am to 7.40 am
• Monday 9 November,  6.30 am to 7.40 am

Bus 502 from Internode Adelaide bus stop on Grenfell Street

• Friday 13 November,  4.15 pm to 5.30 pm
• Thursday 12 November,  4.30 pm to 5.30 pm
• Monday 9 November,  10.30 am to 11.30 am

Bus (GA1/GA2/GA3) from bus stop near train station

• Tuesday 10 November,  5.30 pm to 6.30 pm
• Saturday 7 November,  5.30 pm to 6.30 pm

Bus 411 from Salisbury Bus Interchange

• Monday 9 November,  11.30 am to 11.45 am

Salisbury Bus Interchange

• Monday 9 November,  11.30 am to 12.00 am
• Saturday 7 November,  6.30 pm

Elizabeth Shopping Centre

• Sunday 8 November,  11.00 am to 12.30 pm

Harris Scarf, Elizabeth Shopping Centre

• Sunday 8 November,  11.00 am to 12.30 pm
• Hollywood Plaza Surgery
• Saturday 14 November,  10.00 am to 11.00 am
• Friday 13 November,  7.15 am to 7.20 am
• Friday 3 November, 7.15 am to 7.20 am

Woolworths, Hollywood Plaza

• Saturday 14 November,  10.00 am to 11.00 am
• Friday 13 November,  10.00 am to 12.00 pm

The Aquadome, 1 Crockerton Road Elizabeth

• Saturday 14 November,  11.00 am to 1.30 pm

Hungry Jacks, 321 Commercial Road Port Adelaide

• Saturday 14 November,  12.00 am to 2.30 am
• Friday 13 November,  7.30 pm to 12.00 am

Mantra on Frome

• Friday 13 November,  7.40 am to 3.45pm
• Thursday 12 November,  7.30 am to 4.00 pm

Salisbury City Fruit Bowl, Salisbury

• Friday 13 November 10.00 am to 10.15 am

Ekam Indian Groceries, Enfield Plaza

• Friday 13 November,  1.30 pm to 4.30 pm

Parafield Plaza Supermarket

• Thursday 12 November,  10.30 am to 11.30 am

Star Discount Chemist, Hollywood Plaza

• Saturday 14 November, 10.00 am to 11.00 am

Mint Leaf Lounge, 6/121-131 Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes

• Thursday 12 November, 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm

Updated at 9.32am AEDT on 16 November 2020.

South Australia opening Victorian border from 1 December

South Australia will remove its border restrictions to Victorians from midnight on 1 December.

According to SA Premier Steven Marshall the decision to take down the border was made following an assessment of the COVID-19 situation in VIC.

"This will be a huge relief to people as we head into December," Marshall said.

"We've always said we don't want to keep the restrictions in place for one day longer than we need to, but we have had to have this border arrangement in place, and it has been our first line of defence and kept South Australia safe and strong."

"Victoria has done extraordinarily well, and that means Australia is in a much better position."

It comes as Western Australia is opening its borders to most of the country at midnight tonight, excluding those travelling from VIC or New South Wales who will have to complete two weeks of quarantine on arrival.

Premier Marshall has flagged the further easing of restrictions within SA which will be announced next Tuesday following a Transition Committee meeting.

"We will be making advice which will ease those restrictions across a range of venues and activities," he said.

"Once that is done, it is very likely that those restrictions will be in place for some time."

Updated at 3.16pm AEDT on 13 November 2020.

Queensland to ease a raft of restrictions from next Tuesday

At 4pm next Tuesday, 17 November, a number of COVID-19 restrictions will ease in Queensland allowing more patrons to pack into a variety of different venues.

Of note is the major relaxation of restrictions on venues like pubs, restaurants and clubs, with the state to implement the one person per two square metre rule, effectively doubling the number of patrons allowed in a venue at any one time.

Gatherings inside homes and public spaces will see the maximum capacity rise form 40 to 50 people, and weddings will be allowed to have 200 people in attendance with dancing permitted for all those celebrating.

Funerals will also see the maximum capacity increase to 200 people in attendance.

Open air stadiums will see capacities increase from 75 per cent to 100 per cent, which Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says will allow for a full Suncorp Stadium at the upcoming State of Origin match on 18 November.

For indoor events that are seated and ticketed the state government has increased the capacity cap from 50 per cent to 100 per cent on the condition that patrons wear masks on entry and exit.

Performers at these shows can reduce the distance from the audience from four metres to two metres, except for choirs which must remain four metres away from the audience.

For outdoor events with a COVID Safe checklist up to 15,000 people may attend.

Music festivals will also become viable with the state to allow outdoor dancing.

"There is more good news for Queensland because we have done such a wonderful job," Palaszczuk said.

"Other countries are experiencing third waves with increasing numbers of daily cases.

"Queenslanders are able to enjoy our Queensland way of life and we have to keep up the good work."

Updated at 2.26pm AEDT on 13 November 2020.

PM flags Queensland opening by Christmas

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has indicated Queensland is now part of the framework for a national reopening by Christmas, although the Western Australian Government has still not agreed to the scheme.

Following the National Cabinet meeting the Prime Minister noted the Sunshine State had agreed to the framework, having previously been in caretaker mode.

"That is a plan to have Australia open by Christmas with the exception of Western Australia," Morrison said.

"It also is a plan that importantly embeds public health metrics in ensuring that when Australia open safely, that it remains open safely, and that's incredibly important."

Queensland is currently open to travellers from anywhere in Australia except Victoria and Greater Sydney.

Speaking at a press conference shortly after the Prime Minister's announcement Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the "national aspiration to have the borders open before Christmas".

"In relation to Victoria we're very encouraged with what's happening down there, and we will be looking very closely at the end of the month at Victoria and also New South Wales," she said.

"There may be some hotspots. [Chief Health Officer] Dr [Jeannette] Young will assess this at the end of the month, but we are very encouraged with what we are seeing in Victoria at this stage.

Western Australia, having recently hit the milestone of seven months with no community transmission of COVID-19, will be open to most states and territories tomorrow but will still require a fortnight of quarantine for those entering from Victoria or New South Wales.

The Prime Minister also announced the publication of Australia's National Contact Tracing Report, which had attracted the interest of US President-Elect Joe Biden and will be sent to his team soon.

Scott Morrison was optimistic about Victoria's potential to open up to receive international flights, and he plans to discuss the matter with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in Melbourne next week.

Such a reopening would boost the country's capacity to bring more Australians home, but the PM said the opportunity to receive international students through quarantine arrangements still hadn't presented itself.

"It's Australians coming home first. That is the Commonwealth policy, that is our policy, and that is the policy that is also being followed by the National Cabinet," he said.

"We need to use every available space that we have in quarantine.

"We need to continue to be careful, and we will be, so sadly that will delay any ability to be bringing international students to Australia soon."

All National Cabinet members also endorsed a national vaccine strategy today. 

Updated at 1:09pm AEDT on 13 November.

UQ COVID-19 vaccine "ahead of schedule", Phase 3 trials to commence soon

A COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and pharmaceutical giant CSL (ASX: CSL) is tracking "ahead of schedule", with Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt claiming it should be ready for deployment in mid-2021.

Speaking today at UQ, Minister Hunt said the vaccine was proving to be safe and producing a positive antibody response.

"That means it's doing its job," Hunt said.

The Minister said CSL had completed manufacturing of the vaccine for Phase 3 clinical trials, which are already in a position to commence once regulatory approval is granted.

"That may come as a positive surprise to many people here in Australia and around the world, but what it shows is that we are ahead of schedule," Hunt said.

"As a consequence, CSL will now move for regulatory approval to commit to phase three clinical trials before the end of this year, and that's an extraordinary development.

"It means that this vaccine will potentially be available, subject to the results of those trials, for delivery to Australians early in the third quarter of 2021."

Hunt also said the vaccine had so far demonstrated it was particularly good at producing a positive antibody response in the elderly.

"That's an especially important outcome, given the global vulnerability to elderly around the world from COVID-19," he said.

The Federal Government recently signed an agreement with CSL to acquire 51 million doses of the vaccine.

In addition, agreements have been reached with other developers of vaccine candidates like AstraZeneca, Novavax and Pfizer to ensure those wanting to be vaccinated in Australia will be by the end of 2021.

"The vaccines are on track to do what they are intended to do, and that's to save lives," Hunt said.

"We've invested $5 million in the research as a Commonwealth Government.

"It's an Australian vaccine, but for the world."

Updated at 12.19pm AEDT on 13 November 2020.

Restrictions on ACT venues to ease tomorrow, patron cap will increase to 500

The improving COVID-19 situation in Victoria and New South Wales has encouraged health authorities in the ACT to ease restrictions on venues in the territory from 9am tomorrow.

As such the gathering cap will be increased to a maximum occupancy of 500 patrons (up from 200), and those in outdoor spaces will be allowed to eat and drink while standing rather than having to be seated.

All other current restrictions and venue capacity rules will remain the same.

"The decision to further ease restrictions has been driven by the improving situation in Victoria, the situation in NSW remaining relatively stable and the strong position we are in here in the ACT, with Canberra businesses, venues and facilities having established COVID Safety Plans in place," says the ACT government.

"The change to allow eating and drinking while standing in outdoor spaces reflects the considerable evidence that outdoor spaces present a lower risk of transmission of COVID-19 compared to indoor spaces."

Health authorities have encouraged venues to register to use the free Check In CBR app.

The app allows for venue operators to record visitor details digitally, making contract tracing easier for public health workers and taking the burden off venues to keep those records themselves.

The move comes as Victoria has gone 13 days without any new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today.

Updated at 4.23pm AEDT on 12 November 2020.

Victoria's lockdown sends Retail Food Group coffee sales plunging

Victoria's strict COVID-19 restrictions have bitten a big chunk out of franchise operator Retail Food Group's (ASX: RFG) first quarter results.

The Gold Coast-based group, which counts Donut King, Crust Gourmet Pizzas and Gloria Jeans among its stable, saw same store sales for the first quarter dip by 2.5 per cent on the prior corresponding period.

However, this was exacerbated by results from the Victorian market where that figure was about 18 per cent.

When the Victorian figures are removed, the group reported modest growth of 0.2 per cent.

Gloria Jean's, which a reported a sales decline of 41 per cent, and Di Bella coffee were hit by Victorian residents making their cuppas at home.

RFG executive chairman Peter George said the company was anticipating increased competition within the independent wholesale coffee market.

"These factors also lend themselves to potential market consolidation and rationalisation of existing industry players which may present future opportunities for RFG's coffee busines," George said.

Across the group's domestic franchise network, total sales to 1 November were about $162 million - 14.5 per cent down on the prior corresponding period.

The announcement comes one day after funds manager Washington H Soul Pattinson (ASX: SOL) grabbed a $10 million slice of the franchisor.

Crust and Brumby's Bakery kept the dough rolling in for the company, with RFG executive chairman Peter George saying the two have been standout performers.

"Brumby's has enjoyed year-to-date same store sales growth of 10.8 per cent, underpinned by strong average transaction growth of 9.2 per cent, and Crust has sustained 7.4 per cent SSS growth," he said.

The impact of lockdowns was apparent, particularly in Victoria, where 18 per cent of the Group's domestic outlet population is based.

43 per cent of the difference between total sales in in the first quarter compared to the previous period was attributable to reduced performance in Victoria.

George said brands in shopping centres were particularly impacted, as seen in results for Donut King where Victoria accounted for 47 per cent of the sales decline.

The group first revealed the toll the pandemic lockdowns were having in June, pointing out customer counts in shopping centres had declined by about 50 per cent at one stage.

George said temporary outlet closures attributable to COVID-19 peaked at 36 stores during early September.

"While seven of these outlets remain temporarily closed, the remainder have reopened for trade," he said.

"We anticipate additional positive momentum as Victoria's COVID-19 measures are further eased, marketing activity returns to more normal levels, and the group continues to execute on its broader turnaround plan."

George said the group had also fielded new franchisee interest, with the group involved in advanced discussions for 15 potential new sites or territories across the Donut King, Crust and Gloria Jean's brands.

RFG shares were trading at 8.5 cents this morning as the company continues to slowly rebuild its reputation with franchisors.

In June corporate watchdog ASIC announced it would not be taking any enforcement action in relation to two concluded investigations of the franchise operator.

In September RFG announced it would shed its Victorian cheese business Dairy Country, which was devoured by New Zealand-based dairy giant Fonterra (NZX: FCG) for $19.23 million.

Updated at 11.48am AEDT on 12 November 2020.

Western Sydney residents urged to get tested after COVID-19 fragments found in sewage

More than 18,500 residents in Western Sydney have been urged to get tested for COVID-19 by NSW Health after virus fragments were discovered in sewage at local pumping stations.

The COVID-19 virus fragments were detected by New South Wales' ongoing sewage surveillance program and found at pumping stations serving North Kellyville, Rouse Hill, Box Hill, The Ponds, Kellyville Ridge, Parklea, Quakers Hill and Acacia Gardens.

"While detection of the virus in sewage samples could reflect the presence of older cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in these areas, NSW Health is concerned there could be other active cases in the local community in people who have not been tested and who might incorrectly assume their symptoms are simply a cold," NSW Health said.

"People who live and/or work in these areas must be aware of any symptoms of illness, and immediately isolate and get tested should even the mildest of symptoms appear that might appear to be just be a cold. Symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat, cough, tiredness, fever or other symptoms could be COVID-19."

To facilitate COVID-19 testing in the area a new drive-through pop-up clinic has been established in The Fiddler car park on the corner of Windsor and Commercial Roads in Rouse Hill.

NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 yesterday from 20,586 tests.

However, four new cases were reported in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 4,289 since the start of the pandemic.

It comes as Victoria has gone 13 days without any new locally acquired cases of COVID-19.

Updated at 9.34am AEDT on 12 November 2020.

Mesoblast rebounds on COVID-19 treatment update, puts vaccine concerns to bed

Melbourne-based med-tech company Mesoblast (ASX: MSB) has rebounded on the share market this morning after announcing the trial of its COVID-19 treatment will continue.

It comes a day after the company watched its share price tumble on the news US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer had successfully developed a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Securityholder concerns that Mesoblast's treatment for COVID-19 would be made irrelevant if a vaccine is produced seem to have been shrugged off today, with shares in MSB up more than 4 per cent this morning.

MSB's bounce back follows an update from the Australian regenerative medicine company about remestemcel-L, a drug being developed for patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a common complication in the most severe COVID-19 infections.

Mesoblast has received a recommendation to continue its randomised controlled Phase 3 trial of remestemcel-L from the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), following completion of the trial's second interim analysis.

"We are very pleased with the recommendation by the DSMB, as we seek to confirm whether remestemcel-L improves survival in ventilated COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe ARDS," Mesoblast chief medical officer Dr Fred Grossman said.

ARDS is the principal cause of death for COVID-19 patients, and with new infections of the coronavirus surging globally Dr Grossman said remestemcel-L would be a vital drug even if the Pfizer and other vaccines are distributed.

"Patients who have co-morbidities or are older are likely to continue to be at high risk of ARDS and death, even if COVID-19 vaccines become available.

"This is why having a potential treatment that reduces mortality in these patients is so important."

Yesterday, 490,690 new cases of COVID-19 were reported across the globe, with 127,231 new cases diagnosed in the US alone.

In addition, 6,705 people died due to COVID-19 complications yesterday.

Of the 14.1 million active cases of the coronavirus globally, 94,806 are considered "serious or critical", further underscoring the urgent need for an ARDS treatment.

"Despite improved treatment and earlier intervention in hospitalised COVID-19 patients overall, the mortality rate in COVID-19 ARDS patients who are over 60 years old remains more than 60 per cent," Mesoblast said.

Mesoblast was just one of many Australian companies slammed by the market's reaction to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine news yesterday.

Retailers like Kogan (ASX: KGN) and Temple & Webster (ASX: TPW) tumbled, while buy-now pay-later success stories Zip Co (ASX: Z1P) and Afterpay (ASX: APT) also dropped.

Meanwhile, travel stocks like Helloworld Travel (ASX: HLO), Flight Centre (ASX: FLT), and Webjet (ASX: WEB) soared as the market realised international travel may be back on the cards sooner than previously thought.

Based on current projections Pfizer expects to produce globally up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

Shares in Mesoblast are up 4.47 per cent to $3.27 per share at 12.19pm AEDT.

Updated at 12.54pm AEDT on 11 November 2020.

Theme parks to hit new heights after riding pandemic roller coaster

New tourism investment is literally shooting up on the Gold Coast of Australia, with the apex of a new roller coaster at Sea World now punctuating the famous skyline and work commencing on Dreamworld's biggest and most expensive rollercoaster ever.

The peak of Sea World's new $20 million Leviathan roller coaster has risen as a pandemic-era thrill for Queensland, emerging from what looks like a giant pile of pick-up-sticks at the theme park's Main Beach site on the Gold Coast.

Leviathan will be the first new wooden roller coaster built in Australia for almost 40 years and will be the first wooden roller coaster in the world with backward-facing seats.

The 32m-high Leviathan is the centrepiece of Sea World's New Atlantis precinct, which will also feature the Trident that will lift and spin riders 52m in the air.

Village Roadshow Theme Parks CEO Clark Kirby said the $50 million precinct would be completed in time for the 2021 Australian winter school holidays.

He said the works would be a game changer for the industry and help lure visitors back to the Gold Coast's famous amusement parks following the massive impact of the coronavirus and lockdowns on Gold Coast tourism.

Destination Gold Coast boss Paul Donovan said the pandemic had cost the city $3.5 billion in tourism expenditure, down 60 per cent on 2019 figures.

The Gold Coast's 4600 tourism businesses and operators had struggled to survive, with a 49 per cent drop in visitor numbers, which represented about seven million fewer tourists, he said.

Kirby said plans were also underway for major new attractions at Wet'n'Wild and Movie World.

"For the long-term recovery, we have a continued focus on investment and growth with a number of larger attractions planned," he said.

The Village Roadshow works come as Ardent Leisure also began this week on Dreamworld's new $32 million roller coaster.

Billed as key to the park's turnaround strategy after major setbacks including the Thunder River Rapids Ride tragedy, the coronavirus shutdown meant freight boxes containing elements of the roller coaster had been left unpacked and languishing in the parking lot since June.

Dreamworld chief executive John Osborne said work was now "full steam ahead" on the new world-class attraction.

Scheduled to open in time for the 2021 Christmas holidays, the ride will be 1.2 km long and will hit speeds of up to 105 km an hour.

Based on the Blue Fire Launch coaster in Germany, it will feature the first triple launch system in the Southern Hemisphere and the world's first separate spinning gondola attached to the rear of the roller-coaster train.

Article republished from News Leads.

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Business News Australia

Online retail hammered, travel stocks soar on COVID-19 vaccine news

News that pharmaceutical giant Pfizer may have successfully developed a COVID-19 vaccine has lifted travel stocks but e-commerce companies and safe haven metal prices have tumbled.

Last week the Australian Government secured 10 million doses of Pfizer's vaccine candidate developed in conjunction with BioNTech, and that same product has now been shown to have more than 90 per cent efficacy at seven days after the second dose. 

This still leaves some room for potential exposure, and the German multinational has flagged it may not be able to develop non-frozen formulations. But its potential efficacy with no serious safety concerns led markets to gamble on a return to normality.

Investors dumped stocks in online retailers who had been buoyed by a population in isolation, and pulled funds from commodities such as gold and silver.

Kogan (ASX: KGN) fell almost 12 per cent and online furniture retailer Temple & Webster (ASX: TPW) shares dropped by a whopping 20 per cent, although both are still up substantially over the start of 2020.

Newly listed MyDeal.com.au (ASX: MYD) saw its shares fall by around 5.5 per cent, and online art group Redbubble (ASX: RBL) found itself out of the critics' favour with 17.9 per cent decline.

Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) players that have facilitated retail resilience through these tough times also suffered today, with Zip Co (ASX: Z1P) shares down 7 per cent and Afterpay (ASX: APT) stocks dropping 8 per cent.

IDP Education Group (ASX: IEL), one of the ASX's biggest success stories of recent years whose revenue mostly comes from in-person English language testing, has seen its shares increase by 14.5 per cent today.

At the same time travel stocks, which had been hammered during the pandemic, were the darlings of the market again led by Helloworld Travel (ASX: HLO), which flew up by 21 per cent.

Flight Centre (ASX: FLT) rose by almost 12 per cent), Webjet (ASX: WEB) jumped 15 per cent, Corporate Travel Management (ASX: CTD) surged almost 17 per cent and investors flocked to Sydney Airport (ASX: SYD) with close to a 14 per cent lift. Similar movements were seen with NZX-listed travel stocks.

Investors have also bet that a pandemic-weary public will want some retail therapy after an arduous 2020, propping up the share prices of shopping centre owner Vicinity Centres (ASX: VCX) by around 15 per cent and Westfield owners Scentre Group (ASX: SCG) by close to 13 per cent.

Casino owner-operator The Star Entertainment Group (ASX: SGR) saw its shares rise by close to 8 per cent, while cinema powerhouse Event Hospitality and Entertainment (ASX: EVT) rose by 17 per cent.

Overnight there were significant drops for some of the largest work from home (WFH) beneficiaries internationally, including Amazon (-5 per cent), Zoom (-17 per cent), Shopify (-14 per cent), Alibaba (-4 per cent), Netflix (-9 per cent) and Ocado (-15 per cent).

And similarly to Australia, bricks-and-mortar department store majors saw upticks, including Nordstrom (+26 per cent), Macy's (+17 per cent) and T.J. Maxx owner TJX Companies (+13 per cent).

Theme park and entertainment giant Disney saw its shares rise by almost 12 per cent overnight. Other groups exposed to tourism saw significant price rises too, such as Marriott (+14 per cent), Accor (+22 per cent) and Hilton (+12 per cent).

Pfizer has enrolled 43,538 participants to date in its Phase 3 clinical trial of the BNT162b2 vaccine candidate, with enrolments ongoing until a final analysis when a total of 164 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been accrued.

The pharmaceutical company reports 38,955 participants had received their second dose of the vaccine as of 8 November, with data for potential emergency use authorisation expected to be available by the third week of November. 

Participants will also be monitored for long-term protection and safety for an additional two years after their second dose. 

Based on current projections, Pfizer expects to produce globally up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

Business News Australia

Alice McCall the latest COVID-19 fashion victim

Australian fashion brand Alice McCall has appointed voluntary administrators today, with the COVID-19 pandemic blamed for the company's collapse.

The label is the latest in a string of high-profile retailers forced to appoint administrators this year, including Seafolly, Jeanswest and Bardot.

Founded by Alice McCall 17 years ago, the eponymous brand today appointed Ian Purchas and Jason Porter of SVP Partners as voluntary administrators, tasked with bringing the company out of the dumps.

According to Purchas the voluntary administration process will result in the closure of some of the retailer's physical stores, and lead to the redundancy of some employees.

"These steps have not been taken lightly, but have been necessary to give the company the best chance of survival whilst retaining a large number of its team and providing a return to its creditors," Purchas said.

"Like most of the Australian retail sector, in particular fashion, the company's revenues had been severely impacted by COVID-19.

"With the support of the company's team and creditors, it will emerge from the administration a more resilient business which will continue to provide quality fashion garments."

SVP Partners will honour gift certificates up to $100 and store credits under 90 days from returns.

Founder McCall said it is a sad day for the business she founded, attributing the unsustainability of bricks and mortar retail during the COVID-19 pandemic to the company's downfall.

"Due to the unprecedented effects that COVID-19 has had on our economy, as well as some unsustainable bricks and mortar rental obligations, I have had to make a necessary decision to edit down my business, with the objective of building a more sustainable business model for the future," McCall said.

"There is nothing that fuels me more than a customer sharing their experience of a meaningful memory that they have lived whilst wearing an "Alice" garment. This truly is what motivates me to do what I do.

"I have still got plenty of drive in me to continue to create, and continue to connect with the Alice McCall customer. I intend to only get better, armed with the experience of 17 years of business under my belt, and the desire to keep on creating."

Updated at 2.55 pm AEDT on 9 November 2020.

'Ring of Steel' removed as Victoria goes 10 days with no new COVID-19 cases

The 'Ring of Steel' separating Melbourne from regional Victoria is no more and further COVID-19 restrictions have eased overnight as the state goes 10 days without any new cases of the virus.

As such, restrictions on households, pubs, gyms and other indoor spaces have eased, giving Melburnians even more freedoms as they get used to the 'new normal'.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the state "can be whole again" because of significant sacrifice.

At 11:59pm last night the boundary between Melbourne and regional Victoria came down.

The 25-kilometre limit on travel for those living in Melbourne is no longer in place, and rules that applied to regional Victorians now apply to everyone in the state.

For Melburnians that means restrictions on home visits are now relaxed somewhat.

While households can only have a maximum of two people visiting per day, those two people no longer need to come from the same household and they'll be able to come at different times.

"It's really important that people stick within these rules," Andrews said.

"The data is very clear on this: so many of our recent outbreaks were connected to home visits.

"Home is where we relax, where we feel comfortable which is precisely why it's so dangerous."

Restaurants, pubs and cafes are now able to host up to 40 customers indoors and 70 outdoors, and gyms can reopen with up to 20 patrons.

Indoor sport for those under 18 can recommence, and indoor religious ceremonies can host up to 20, with 50 allowed outside.

Those same numbers now apply to funerals, but there will be no changes to weddings just yet.

Community spaces including libraries, RSLs and neighbourhood houses can have up to 20 indoors.

Accommodation services can also reopen, and entertainment venues are able to reopen with 20 people per space.

"Frankly, Victorians have earned a break," Andrews said.

"That means movie theatres, galleries, museums and music halls will now be able to open."

In terms of aged care and hospitals, a single household can visit loved ones in those facilities once per day for two hours at a time.

"Individual hospitals and facilities though may continue to have their own policies reflecting the needs of their patients and whatever the virus might be doing in our community," Andrews said.

Victoria's State of Disaster will not be renewed, but the State of Emergency declaration will be extended until 6 December to allow the Chief Health Officer's directions to remain in force.

The next step of Victoria's easing roadmap will come into force on 22 November.

That will see private gatherings increase to 10 people, and hospitality venues will be allowed to have up to 100 indoors and 200 outside.

The Premier has also flagged capacity increases for other indoor venues like cinemas, gyms, and galleries at that time.

"We have worked so hard. We have given up so much. And together, we've come so far," Andrews said.

"We've got to protect it.

"So, let's stay safe, stay open and keep going."

Updated 9.46am AEDT on 9 November 2020.

Australia gains access to 50 million doses of two new COVID-19 vaccine candidates

The Australian Government has today doubled the number of COVID-19 vaccine options at its disposal if trials prove successful, securing 50 million potential doses from Novavax and Pfizer/BioNTech.

The latest breakthrough adds to existing commitments to purchase the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as a local candidate from the University of Queensland in conjunction with CSL (ASX: CSL) subsidiary Sequirus.

Taking the Federal Government's COVID-19 vaccine investment to more than $3.2 billion, these deals involve 40 million doses of the Novavax nanoparticle vaccine and 10 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech's mRNA-based vaccine.

This lifts the total number of vaccines Australia could potentially access to 134 million doses.

Like the Oxford trial, Novavax's vaccine candidate is currently in the advanced Phase 3 stage involving tens of thousands of participants in the US and UK, with expectations to have interim data as early as the first quarter of 2021.

Meanwhile, in September German authorities approved a Phase 2/3 trial for Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine candidate with 30,000 participants.

The Australian Government believes both the new vaccines will be available in Australia from early to mid-2021, provided they are given the green light by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

"By securing multiple COVID-19 vaccines we are giving Australians the best shot at early access to a vaccine, should trials prove successful," says Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

"We aren't putting all our eggs in one basket and we will continue to pursue further vaccines should our medical experts recommend them.

"There are no guarantees that these vaccines will prove successful, however our strategy puts Australia at the front of the queue, if our medical experts give the vaccines the green light."

Similarly to the UQ-CSL candidate, the Novavax vaccine is protein-based contains an adjuvant that stimulates a stronger immune response. The vaccine has been developed using recombinant nanoparticle technology and triggered "robust antibody responses" in earlier trials.

The candidate from Pfizer/BioNTech, whose rolling submission to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) started in early October, uses BioNTech's messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology. Preliminary results show it triggers not only the creation of neutralising antibodies but also T cells that target the virus that causes COVID-19.

In a release, Pfizer highlighted a combination of an antibody and T cell (cellular) response is believed to be important in eliciting protection against viral infection and disease.

A study from the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium, Public Health England and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust recently found cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 is likely to be present within most adults six months after their primary infection.

In contrast to these three candidates, the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine that is arguably at the forefront in the race for approval utilises a weakened version of a common cold virus found in chimpanzees that has been genetically altered not to grow in humans, with a protein found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 that relates to the infection pathway added into the mix.

Diversity is the key to success in an uncertain field like vaccine development. Health Minister Greg Hunt highlights Australia's deals with two protein vaccines, one mRNA and one viral vector-type vaccine, all help strengthen the country's position to access safe and effective vaccines as soon as they are available.

"The goal and the expectation is that Australians who sought vaccination will be vaccinated within 2021," says Minister Hunt.

"There are no surprises, health and aged care workers and the elderly and vulnerable will be the first to gain access to a vaccine that's deemed safe and effective."

The Australian Government is consulting with the states and territories, key medical experts and industry peak bodies on the framework for the initial roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination program in early 2021.

Key vaccination sites will initially include GPs, GP respiratory clinics, state and territory vaccination sites and workplaces such as aged care facilities.

Internationally, Australia has also joined the COVAX facility, which will provide access to a large portfolio of COVID-19 candidates and manufactures around the world for up to 50 per cent of the Australian population.

The Australian Government has also committed to support access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for the Pacific and Southeast Asia, as part of a shared recovery for our region from the pandemic, as well as $80 million to the international COVAX Facility for the benefit of high-risk populations in developing countries.

Updated at 11:14am AEDT on 5 November 2020.

Sydney Hobart Yacht Race a return to normal, supports "entire industry"

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race may be one of Australia's great Boxing Day traditions, but news that the 2020 race has been give the official all clear will hearten the country's extensive boat building industry.

The official opening of Tasmania's borders to NSW this Friday removed any doubts over the venerable event.

Entries in the world-renowned 628-nautical-mile race, organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), officially closed on 29 October with 100 boats looking to head south.

Sydney Hobart veteran and author Rob Mundle said the race was more than an event for the well-heeled.

He said holding the race would also be a big signal to Australia that the country was returning to normal post-pandemic.

"It supports an entire industry when you look at the boat building, the sail making and all the technology that goes into a competitive boat," he said.

"The race is the pinnacle of its kind in Australia and the world and, just like with motor racing, there's an entire industry around it that the race supports.

"If you want to win it you need to be at the top of the technology game."

Mundle said Maritimo yachts founder and owner Bill Barry-Cotter (pictured) was a great example of those flow-on benefits.

"He bought and imported a 54ft yacht from the USA and it is undergoing a complete rebuild on the Gold Coast so he can enter the race."

Tourism operators would also benefit from the decision he said,

"I've been covering the race for 50 years and the first year I went out in a little speedboat for the Daily Mirror and we nearly sank because there were so many boats there.

"It's like State of Origin where you're right on edge of play and get that feeling of excitement and drama.

"Having it on will be a big step back to normal for the whole country."

CYCA commodore Noel Cornish said the club was thrilled to have so many yachts participating this year.

"Particularly given the general uncertainty and necessary restrictions placed on many sporting events in Australia over the past six months," he said.

"While 2020 has been a very difficult year for all Australians due to the impact of COVID-19, we feel that it is important for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and the sailing world to help support the various Governments goals to assist economic recovery and help communities return to some sense of normality within strict health and safety guidelines."

Updated at 5:06pm AEDT on 4 November 2020.

NSW to open border to VIC on 23 November

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced today the state's border with Victoria will reopen at midnight on 23 November.

This means at 23 November, NSW will be open to visitors from all Australian states and territories, although its residents will still face restrictions elsewhere.

The news follows another day of zero new cases for VIC, which now has its 14-day rolling average down to 1.7, while NSW reported nine new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Three of those new cases in NSW were transmitted locally with the remaining six from overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

All three of the locally acquired cases are linked to the Hoxton Park cluster, which now totals 10 cases.

On Monday, 23 November the NSW/Victoria border will reopen. We need to keep moving forward as we live with COVID-19. I have confidence that everyone will continue to work hard to keep everyone safe.

Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) November 4, 2020

 Today's news means while NSW will soon be open to visitors from all Australian states and territories, its residents will still face restrictions elsewhere. 

As of yesterday Queensland has reopened its borders to travellers coming from NSW, although restrictions are still in place for people coming from Greater Sydney who will either need to spend a fortnight outside the NSW capital or 14 days in hotel quarantine in the Sunshine State.

On 6 November NSW will become a low-risk area as far as Tasmanian authorities are concerned, allowing the state's residents to enter the Apple Isle through the Tas e-Travel registration system.

From 14 November Western Australia will let travellers in from NSW, although they will need to spend 14 days in quarantine in "suitable premises".

Travellers from NSW are also allowed to visit the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and South Australia so long as they are in compliance with the application processes of their respective governments. 

Updated at 11:52am AEDT on 4 November 2020.

Public health alert issued for Lebanese restaurant in Liverpool

The Jasmins1 Lebanese restaurant in Liverpool is the latest venue in Sydney to attract a public health alert from NSW health authorities after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

The staff member will be included in NSW's COVID-19 numbers today.

Anyone who worked at or attended the restaurant for more than one hour on the follow dates and times is now considered a close contact and must get tested immediately and isolate for a full 14 days from exposure, regardless of the result:

• Monday 26 October, 4pm 9pm
• Saturday 31 October, 3pm 8pm
• Sunday 1 November, 9am 1.45pm

Anyone who attended for less than one hour during the above times is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they develop.

The restaurant closed today and will remain so until further notice.

NSW Health previously reported that cases attended the restaurant while infectious on Sunday 25 October.

Updated at 9.17am AEDT on 3 November 2020.

WA to open to QLD, SA, TAS, NT and ACT from 14 November

Western Australia will take down its hard border with the rest of Australia and introduce a "controlled" interstate border from 14 November, allowing those from "very low risk" states and territories to travel into WA.

This means those from South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory will be permitted to enter WA without completing 14 days of hotel quarantine.

As New South Wales and Victoria are still recording locally acquired cases of COVID-19, WA's health authorities have deemed them as "low risk", meaning those travelling into the state will have to complete 14 days of quarantine on arrival in a "suitable premises".

WA implemented a hard border with the rest of the country on 2 April, essentially banning anyone from travelling to WA except for those with exemptions.

The WA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) says the move can be made because of the low numbers of cases in Australia's eastern states.

"Based on that health advice and the rates of local infection in the eastern states we are now at the next step of our journey to safely transition from our hard border to a new controlled interstate border," McGowan said.

"The existing hard border exemption system will be removed and replaced with a controlled interstate border regime established on an updated nationwide health based threshold.

"The time is right, the conditions are right, and I'm very confident our controlled border arrangements strike the right balance."

While the new measures are expected to come into effect on 14 November, McGowan says he will be closely monitoring the situation in the rest of the country right up to the last minute.

"If we need to delay this introduction of the controlled border then we will," McGowan said.

"We are prepared to delay the introduction of the controlled border right up to the last minute."

The new system for those in "very low risk" states is conditional, with certain rules in place for travellers depending on where they come from.

For those coming from "very low risk" states, meaning states that have gone 28 days without recording any locally acquired cases of COVID-19, the following conditions will be imposed:

• Travellers will undergo a health screening and temperature test on arrival;
• They will need to be prepared to take a COVID-19 test at a new clinic in Perth Airport if health officials deem it necessary;
• They will need to sign a declaration stating they do not have symptoms of COVID-19 and which jurisdictions they have been in during the last 14 days;
• And they will receive an SMS one week into their arrival in WA telling them to get tested for COVID-19 if symptomatic.

For those coming from "low risk" states, meaning states with less than five community cases per day on a 14-day rolling average (NSW and VIC), they must comply with all the above conditions and:

• Self-quarantine in a "suitable premises" for two weeks;
• Present for a COVID-19 test on day 11 of the quarantine period.

Those who do not comply could be hit with a $1,000 fine per infringement.

"We know how quickly things can change," McGowan said.

"I will have no hesitation to reintroduce the hard border if that's what's needed to protect the health of Western Australians."

Updated at 4.45pm AEDT 30 October 2020.

Queensland will remain closed to all of Greater Sydney

With community transmission of COVID-19 in the New South Wales capital still a concern to Queensland's health authorities, the QLD Premier has announced the border will remain closed to all of Greater Sydney.

However, the state is now on track to reopen to the rest of NSW, bar Sydney, from 3 November at 1am.

The Queensland Government had previously flagged the state's borders would open to all of NSW back at the beginning of the month, contingent on the state not recording any cases of unlinked community transmission for 28 days prior.

However, there have been cases of unlinked community transmission in Sydney over the past 28 days, and therefore QLD border will remain shut to the 32 local government areas (LGAs) that comprise Greater Sydney.

One of those four cases was reported just yesterday by NSW Health.

If people in Greater Sydney do wish to visit QLD they must leave the city for 14-days before being allowed north of the border.

For everyone else in NSW not living in the 32 LGAs considered to be a 'hotspots', they will be allowed to cross into QLD from 1am on 3 November.

Today's decision about the hard border to Sydney will be reviewed again at the end of November.

"Prior to yesterday they had four local government areas in Sydney that had had cases of community transmission that New South Wales was unable to link to any known clusters, which means they have transmission, and they don't know where it's coming from," said QLD Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young.

"Then, yesterday, they had four new cases, and one of those cases they could not link to any other known clusters.

"Now, outside those 32 LGAs, there have not been any cases in the previous 28 days."

Dr Young also encouraged Queenslanders to go and get tested for COVID-19, in particular those living in Ipswich and Wynnum.

"It's really important that Queenslanders continue to come forward and get tested, if they have any symptoms, that is critically important," Dr Young said.

"There is a concern that we might have the virus circulating, and the best way to deal with that is to come forward and get tested.

"So anyone who lives out in the Ipswich area or who lives in Wynnum area, it's really important that you come forward and get tested."

QLD will also maintain its hard border with Victoria as health authorities assess the success of the state's easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

QLD recorded one new case of COVID-19 today - a person in hotel quarantine.

Updated at 11.50am AEDT on 30 October 2020.

$3.55 billion COVID-19 impact knocks ANZ profit down 40 per cent

ANZ (ASX: ANZ) has seen its profits slide by 40 per cent during the 2020 financial year after $3.55 billion of impairment charges relating to the pandemic took their toll.

The company managed to record a statutory profit of $3.58 billion for the year, and shareholders will still enjoy a final dividend of 35 cents per share.

The decrease in profits was primarily driven by full-year credit impairment charges of $2.75 billion due to the impact of COVID-19 and a first half impairment of Asian associates of $815 million, also related to the pandemic.

"We could never have forecast 2020, a year that started with devastating bushfires in Australia and unwound with the waves of a pandemic that continues today," noted ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott.

"While we still cannot predict its course, we remain confident we can deal with its impacts."

The company's Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio remained strong at 11.3 per cent, down just two basis points from FY19, while return on equity decreased to 6.2 per cent.

Income also fell by 6 per cent to $17.6 billion.

"As a bank, we entered 2020 in robust condition," Elliott said.

"We have a strong balance sheet with record levels of capital and liquidity as well as provisions for potential future losses.

"We want our customers to know we will continue to do all we can to support them through the tough times."

The Big Four Bank also gave an update on how it has been supporting its customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around 95,000 of its more than 1 million home loan customers have received a deferral on loan repayments, with approximately 55,000 having completed their deferral or advised their intended action at maturity.

Of those accounts, 79 per cent are returning to full payment, 20 per cent have requested a further deferral, and 1 per cent have restructured their loan or sought additional support.

In terms of business customers, around 23,000 have received a deferral on business loan repayments. Of those, 15,000 have completed their deferral or advised their intended action at maturity.

"Events of the last 12 months make it difficult to predict the course of the next year," Elliott said.

"What I do know however is we are in excellent shape to navigate whatever challenges emerge.

"While we are not managing the business expecting things to return to the way they were before the pandemic, nor are we sitting idle waiting for the next event to happen to us, ANZ is well placed to respond to the opportunities that are emerging as a result of accelerated structural shifts in the economy."

Shares in ANZ are down 3.05 per cent to $18.58 per share at 11.02am AEDT.

Updated at 11.29am AEDT on 29 October 2020.

Victoria says "nay" to horse owner attendance at Melbourne Cup

As Melburnians celebrate their first day of relative freedom after more than 100 days of lockdowns, the horse owners amongst them have been informed that even they won't be able to attend the city's iconic race.

Minister for Racing Martin Pakula issued a statement today about the event that is due to take place in front of empty stands on Tuesday, 3 November.

"I have today advised the Victoria Racing Club that connections of horses competing at the Melbourne Cup Carnival will not be permitted to attend the course," Minister Pakula said.

"The Government has determined that next week is not a suitable time for gatherings of that nature."

Minister Pakula described the decision as in the interests of all Victorians.

"The four days at Flemington will enthral racing fans and the Melbourne Cup will, as always, stop the nation," he said.

"We wish the Victoria Racing Club and owners all the best for the carnival."

Updated at 2:29pm AEDT on 28 October 2020.

Atomo's COVID-19 nasal swab test gets green light from TGA

Sydney-based Atomo Diagnostics (ASX: AT1) has yet another feather in its cap after authorities approved its nasal swab antigen test for COVID-19 to be used by medical professionals.

Unlike most nasal swabs on the market that need to be sent to the lab for processing, the Atomo COVID-19 antigen test can be processed at the point of care with results available after 10 minutes.

In contrast to the company's AtomoRapid COVID-19 (IgG/IgM) blood test that was given the green light in August, which is most accurate 15 days from exposure to the virus, the company believes antigen testing may have benefits for early detection.

As such, the group will be recommending health departments, labs, health professionals and aged care facility workers use both tests in tandem to account for different infection timeframes amongst patients.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will require all approved distributors to provide it with additional evidence to demonstrate ongoing safety and performance within 12 months of approval of the antigen test.

The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) has been engaged the Department of Health to assist with the post-market validation of new COVID-19 rapid tests to inform their best use.

"Atomo can now offer, in a single 15 minute window, rapid testing for both COVID-19 antigen and antibody responses," says Atomo Diagnostics co-founder and managing director John Kelly (pictured).

"This comprehensive rapid screen will help determine acute active infection and also indicate those patients who may have had prior exposure to the virus and built up an antibody response."

Kelly emphasises up to 20 per cent of infections are asymptomatic, which has led to many countries now establishing regular, proactive testing regimes. 

"Antigen tests have been proven to provide good detection of COVID-19 infection in the early stages of exposure," he says.

"We believe this makes them useful both for people showing onset of symptoms or for broad scale screening of at-risk communities and frontline workers.

"Furthermore, Atomo believes that when combined with our rapid antibody test that detects virus exposure over a longer period, they should offer excellent performance where reliable testing is most convenient and needed - outside of the laboratory."

To ensure the professional delivery of rapid testing services to organisations where there is a need, Atomo has engaged Health Solutions Group Australia, a leading provider of professional healthcare workers in Australia, to provide the professional testing services to Atomo customers.

Health Solutions' professional team of registered nurses and specialist healthcare professionals visit workplaces via customised pop-up style clinics, providing a range of point of care services, making it an ideal partner to support the launch and delivery of Atomo's rapid antigen and antibody tests to corporate and age care clients.

"We are delighted to be partnering with Health Solutions for the provision of COVID-19 screening services to our clients. Having a large national service provider with experience in professional testing to help rollout this service is very important," adds Kelly.

Australia currently has the 29th highest testing rates per capita in the world at 335,729 per million, or 8.6 million in total which puts our country in 14th position overall despite the relatively lower case count.

AT1 shares rose 12.9 per cent today to $0.35 each, but this is still well below their high of $0.63 since listing in late February.

Updated at 4:18pm AEDT on 27 October 2020.

Tasmania will open to NSW travellers from next Friday

Travellers from New South Wales will be permitted to enter Tasmania from 6 November without needing to complete two weeks of quarantine.

The decision follows observation of the COVID-19 situation in NSW, with Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein confident to classify the state as a "low risk" area from next Friday.

Until then Tasmanian health authorities still consider NSW as a "medium risk area", meaning travellers must complete two weeks of quarantine on arrival.

"Public health has now given further consideration to the situation in New South Wales," said Premier Gutwein.

"We've looked at the opportunity for this to occur and I am pleased to announce today that it's our intention to classify New South Wales as a low risk area and relax the rules and restrictions with that state.

"What we want to see in a jurisdiction that we open up to is less than five cases of unknown transmission in the last 28 days."

Gutwein acknowledges NSW has recorded six cases of unknown transmission in the last 28 days, but he is confident the state will be able to bring the numbers down prior to the planned 6 November reopening date.

"We want to ensure that as we move closer to Friday the 6th there are no further major outbreaks occurring in that state," said Gutwein.

"But at this stage they look, on balance, very safe in terms of the population size and the relative risk to Tasmania."

Tasmania reopens to the rest of Australia, bar Victoria

Yesterday, Tasmania reopened its borders to every 'low-risk' area in Australia, including South Australia, Queensland, the ACT, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia.

Gutwein said the processes in place to ensure the safe arrival of these travellers "performed well", with nobody entering Tasmania referred to being tested for COVID-19.

More than 600 people arrived across seven flights into Tasmania yesterday, and more than 80 cars arrived on the Spirit of Tasmania this morning.

"The processes and systems held up well," said Gutwein.

"In fact they had performed exactly as we had hoped they would.

"And it was, I must admit, very heart-warming last night to see the pictures in the media of those families reunited."

In terms of TAS' border with Victoria, Gutwein said he is still targeting a reopening date of 1 December.

"It is so pleasing to see them driving the numbers so low," said Gutwein.

"However, obviously they have been dealing with the most significant second wave in the country and we will continue to keep that situation under advisement.

"We're still targeting December 1, but as I've always said, we'll be responding to the evolving situation there and that advice will be based on public health advice."

Updated at 3.29pm AEDT on 27 October 2020.

Marrickville venue closed following repeated breaches of COVID safety rules

Following repeated breaches of New South Wales' COVID-19 safety rules, the Sydney Portugal Community Club in Marrickville will be closed for a week.

According to NSW Liquor and Gaming director of compliance Dimitri Ageres, no improvement was seen at the Club even after a $5,000 fine was issued.

"Inspectors visited the club three times and observed breaches relating to their COVID-19 Safety Plan, overbooking groups, gaming machine spacing, and inadequate check in processes," Argeres said.

"Since the closure order was issued however, some of the things the pub was fined for are no longer breaches for example bookings can now be up to 30 people rather than 10 and while punters need to be spaced at least 1.5 metres apart, gaming machines do not.

"What has not changed, is having robust, digital check in processes that allow for effective contact tracing in the event a positive case has visited the venue."

The Portuguese community club is the fourth business closed for COVID safety breaches and will be shut from 5am Wednesday 28 October to 5am Wednesday 4 November.

Inspectors from Liquor & Gaming NSW, NSW Fair Trading and SafeWork NSW have now conducted 5,605 COVID safety visits, issued 185 penalties worth $817,000 and temporarily closed four businesses.

Recent fines were issued to:

• Cokco Korean Restaurant Wentworth Point
• Common Ground - Long Jetty
• House Bar Bistrot Potts Point
• Incafe Restaurant Haymarket
• Jan Ta Bal Strathfield
• Kaffe Bar - Mona Vale
• Milkbar at Café Ish (formerly Smokin Grill Pty Ltd) Redfern
• Santhosam Family Restaurant Pendle Hill
• Steyne Hotel Manly
• Sydney Tower Dining Sydney CBD 
• The Chocpot Canterbury

Updated at 3.58pm AEDT on 27 October 2020.

Melbourne shops, cafes and bars to reopen from midnight tomorrow

Victorians will be out to celebrate after Premier Daniel Andrews announced an easing of restrictions will come into effect for Melburnians from 11.59pm on Tuesday night, with long-awaited reopenings for retail, restaurants, cafés and bars.

So-called "dark openings" for staff to prepare their COVID-Safe businesses for reopenings will be allowed on-site straight away, while on 11:59pm on 8 November the metropolitan-regional border will be removed.

The State Government was able to make the decision after pending tests from Melbourne's northwestern suburbs came back negative.

"I'm able to say now is the time to open up," Premier Andrews said.

Under the third step from midnight tomorrow, the state capital will move from "stay home" to "stay safe", with no more restrictions on the reasons to leave home.

Pubs, clubs and restaurants will be limited to a limit of 50 outdoors and 20 inside. Density limits, record keeping and COVID-Safe Plans also apply.

Gatherings will no longer be limited to just two households, but groups cannot exceed 10.

"Weddings will increase to a maximum of 10 people, funerals will increase to a maximum of 20 mourners," he said.

"In terms of faith gatherings...indoor there'll be a maximum of 10 people plus one faith leader; outdoor there will be a maximum of 20 people plus one faith leader."

Andrews explained the 25-kilometre limit would remain in place until the next step comes into effect on 9 November when the "state will be as one again".

When that date comes, restaurants, hotels, cafés and bars will then move to an indoor maximum of 40 people with 10 people per space, while outdoor will have a maximum of 70 outdoor with a limit of one person per two square metres.

At that point, other regulations for Melbourne's outdoor gatherings, faith gatherings, weddings, funerals and other events will be aligned with regional Victoria.

"Accordingly in Melbourne, gyms and fitness studios will reopen on the 8th [of November] - maximum of 20 people, a maximum of 10 people per space, density of one person per eight square metres," he said.

From this Wednesday, outdoor contact sport for those aged 18 and under will also begin again, along with non-contact sport for adults.

Personal trainer, fitness and dance classes can also be held outdoors with up to 10 people, and the number of people at outdoor pools can increase to 50, subject to density limits. 

"Libraries and community venues will be able to open for outdoor events. Outdoor entertainment venues can also begin hosting visitors," the Premier added.

Andrews emphasised COVID-19 was still a threat despite the low numbers.

"It's not over. This virus will continue to be a feature of our lives until a vaccine is found," he said.

"There cannot be a bending of rules. There cannot be a search for loopholes.

"Until a vaccine comes there will be no normal, only corona-normal."

Commonwealth Government welcomes Victorian announcement

In a statement following the announcement, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Treasurer Josh Fydenberg and Minister for Health Greg Hunt issued a statement describing the news as a "reflection of the dedication and effort of Victorians".

"Victorians have worked hard and sacrificed a lot to get to this point. We thank them for their patience and perseverance," they said.

"After a long winter, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Victorians.

"As we said yesterday - Victorians have made great progress in reducing the rate of COVID-19 infections from the second wave outbreak in Victoria."

The Federal Government representatives highlighted Victoria was now moving towards Step 1 under the new National Framework plan released last week.

"The new National Framework to reopen by Christmas is a clear and transparent, three step national plan which provides the Australian community and businesses with a way forward where Australians can live and work in a COVID Normal Australia, ensuring that we maintain strong health protections and minimise job losses and mental health impacts," they said.

"Australia has been a world leader in fighting the virus to save lives and to save livelihoods and with today's announcement, we look forward to Victoria continuing to make progress on the path to reopening and joining the rest of the country at Steps 2 and 3 in the national plan.

"It will be important for the Victorian Government to provide even more clarity to Victorians in the coming days and where restrictions do not have a health basis that they are removed quickly."

The plan to develop a national framework by Christmas was agreed upon by the Commonwealth and all states and territories except Western Australia.

"Western Australia did not agree to the National Framework for Reopening, specifically the domestic border and international arrival proposals," the National Cabinet said in a release at the time.

"The Framework will establish an updated Common Operating Picture with strengthened criteria to ensure that health systems are prepared and detailed information is publicly available on COVID-19 conditions.

"The criteria take into account the National Hotel Quarantine Review by Ms Jane Halton AO PSM and will be informed by further work underway by Australia's Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel AO on digital contact tracing and public health systems, and advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC)."

Updated at 4:17pm AEDT on 26 October 2020.