JOYCE SLAMS AUS OPEN ‘HYPOCRISY’Qantas boss Alan Joyce has called on the Victorian government to help rescue stranded Victorians.Mr Joyce on Friday issued a statement highlighting the hypocrisy of letting more than 1000 people into Victoria for the Australian Open while denying Victorians the right to come home.Mr Joyce, who revealed his own brother had been left stranded in Sydney, said he supported the Australian Open going ahead, but said it was hard to reconcile that risk based approach with the blunt approach on borders for everyone else. He said the government needed to adopt a risk-based, common-sense approach to managing and living with COVID in the community without knee jerk border closures as a form of risk management.“Victoria’s approach to Sydney seems to be out of proportion with the actual risk. And that makes it hard to reconcile the decision to allow over 1000 people in from overseas for the Australian Open from countries where the virus is raging,” Mr Joyce said.
“The safeguards in place for the tennis and the decision to proceed with the Open are all about managing the risk, and that’s the right way to look at it. It’s an example of walking and chewing gum in the middle of a pandemic.“But – at the same time – to deny people who actually live in the state the right to return with some basic precautions that reflect the extremely low level of community transmission in Sydney, is bizarre at a policy level and devastating at a social level.“If we can find a way to let these players in from high risk areas, why can’t we find a way to let Victorians in from what are by global standards extremely low risk areas.”Mr Joyce said Qantas and Jetstar had cancelled almost 3000 flights between Melbourne and Sydney — the busiest air route in the country and second busiest globally — since the border closure was announced.“Behind each of those cancelled flights are a lot of people whose plans have been thrown up in the air.“Family they’re not going to see, events they’ll miss and homes they can’t get back to.“As CEO of an airline I’ve heard lots of stories about the impact of these harsh lockouts on individuals.“My brother and his family came up to Sydney to spend Christmas with us, and they can’t go home.“They can stay with me as long as they like but there are a lot of other people in the same boat, with kids, who are spending money they don’t have on living away from home.”State opposition leader Michael O’Brien also lashed out at the state government.“For Daniel Andrews to prioritise bringing tennis players from COVID hotspot countries to Australia, rather than bringing home Victorias stuck interstate, it’s worse than a double fault, it’s a double standard,” he said.“There are Victorians who have tested negative for COVID in Sydney, and in Brisbane, who can’t get home.“How about giving our own citizens, the same courtesy we’re extending to overseas tennis players.“How about getting those mums and dads, kids who are Victorian back home, rather than leaving them stranded in Sydney and Brisbane.“It has to end, they have to get home.”FOLEY DEFENDS DECISION ON SANDGREN Health Minister Martin Foley has defended the decision to allow Tennys Sandgren to come to Victoria despite testing positive for COVID-19.But he said the same courtesy would not be shown to tennis superstar Andy Murray unless he could provide a negative test before heading for Victoria.While Sandgren tested positive to COVID-19 Mr Foley said he was shedding the virus after a previous infection and was no longer infectious.“Mr Sandgren is not infectious. He’s infection is historical and he’s shedding the virus,” he said.“So, he’s met the rigorous health criteria that has been set.“The arrangement is that he’s met criteria that has been set. Provided that he sticks to the rigorous quantitative arrangements that are now in place, which we have every expectation that he and all the other players and officials will, we look forward to a stellar event.”But Mr Foley said no exceptions would be made for Murray who returned a positive test days before he was due to head to Melbourne.
“We’ve been clear from the start, anyone who tests positive is not able to be part of the program coming into Melbourne and Australia,” he said.“I understand Mr Murray’s organisation has released a statement indicating that he is quarantining at home in the United Kingdom. Mr Murray and the other 1240 people as part of the program need to demonstrate that if they’re coming to Melbourne they have returned a negative test, and then once they get here, they have to test rigorously every day and they need to be part of the 14-day quarantine program.“So should Mr Murray arrive, which we’ve seen no indication that he will, he will be subject to those same rigorous arrangements as everyone else.”Under the Australian Open quarantine arrangement 1240 players, support staff and officials need to quarantine for 14 days before taking part in the tournament.They must also provide a negative test before being accepted into quarantine.“Every single one” of the more than 1200 players and staff will need to be tested before they can get on the plane, then will be required to be “rigorously” quarantined under “special arrangements”, Mr Foley added.Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Acting Chief Executive Dugald Murray threw his support behind the Australian Open event.“Victoria must arrest the economic fallout caused by COVID-19 and reclaim its global reputation to propel us into a new era of prosperity and jobs growth,” he said.“The Victorian Chamber congratulates Tennis Australia, the state government and Melbourne Olympic Parks Trust for the pragmatic and responsible approach they have taken to ensure that this key global event can proceed. Let’s keep finding innovative ways to make things happen in a COVIDSafe way.“The flow-on effects for our visitor economy, and global reputation, are enormous and a welcome boost for Victorian businesses and workers that have done it so hard throughout COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.”Mr Murray said with nine consecutive days of zero cases of COVID-19 community transmission and Victoria’s hotel quarantine and contact tracing system working well, it was appropriate for Victoria to take steps to resume its position as the major events capital of Australia.He said the event last year injected $387.7 million into the Victorian economy.STATE RECORDS ZERO NEW CASESThere were no new cases of coronavirus recorded on Friday as more than 15,000 people were tested in the past 24 hours.Two cases were detected in the state’s hotel quarantine. There are 28 active cases of COVID-19 across the state.A low positive result was reported to DHHS on Thursday, however multiple follow up tests have returned negative results.DHHS believe the results of follow up tests suggest the original result is either a false positive or persistent shedding from a historic infection. The case is not linked to a known case or known exposure site.A determination on the case is expected to be made today by the Expert Review Pannel.Meanwhile Queensland recorded one historic COVID-19 case on Friday, as the state’s hotel quarantine system continues to come under fire.Queensland authorities are still trying to piece together how a highly contagious strain of COVID-19 spread through a hotel quarantine facility, as they reveal the extraordinary measures they’re taking.
Days after it was revealed six cases of the UK variant of the virus were linked at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, the state’s top cop said environmental swabbing of the hotel had been completed.NSW marked its second day of zero community cases — the first time the state has recorded two consecutive day of no cases since December 15.In Victoria, health Minister Martin Foley said on Friday morning he understood the frustrations felt by many Victorians trapped in interstate red zones or home-quarantine, as more than 1200 tennis players and their entourage freely flew into Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open.
“I understand and have great sympathy for the circumstances that many Victorians find themselves in at the current time,” Mr Foley said.“We are constantly working through processes and constantly reviewing risks associated with red zones within five local government areas in Brisbane and local government areas in Greater Sydney and as those risks change, we will change our advice, based on public health advice.”“I understand the frustrations and dislocations this is causing.” But Mr Foley did not apologise for the public health processes to keep the community safe. “I apologise for the dislocation this has caused … but I make no apology for keeping Victoria safe and keeping Victoria open,” he said. The state government has processed 20,841 travel permit applications in 24 hours, with 120,833 recorded in total. A total of 1886 exemptions have been granted. PURPOSE-BUILT QUARANTINE FACILITY CONSIDERED
A purpose-built emergency centre that could house thousands of people is being considered by the state government.Daniel Andrews will raise the idea with the Prime Minister and other state premiers when national cabinet meets again next month.Mr Andrews said purpose built facilities across the country could be used for various purposes including as quarantine centres as emergency accommodation during natural disasters.The Premier said facilities could be built quickly, but wouldn’t replace existing quarantine arrangements.
“2020 has shown us that things can come at you that couldn’t reasonably be foreseen in terms of the scope and scale,” he said.“Some of these facilities that, at scale could house larger numbers of people in a secure and to the highest standard, they may well be very important in the future. “When we have bushfires, when we have all sorts of other challenges, perhaps having a series of facilities that can house 1000 people or 2000 people wouldn’t be the worst thing to do.”It comes as Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed a plan to use mining camps as quarantine centres instead of hotels.Ms Palaszczuk said she would ask national cabinet to consider housing returned travellers and quarantine staff at mining camps to protect Queensland’s cities.
Mr Andrews said he supported the plan and said he had previously sought Commonwealth approval to use Australian Defence Force facilities in Victoria for quarantine purposes.“The answer was no, that they would not be suitable,” he said.“If Anastasia can find another facility that she can make work then that’s fine. We’d always look at different options, particularly when you’re talking about volume.“There are limits on just how many people you can get into CBD hotels.”Federal authorities previously considered using Defence bases to quarantine returned travellers, but the idea was rejected because most only have communal accommodation facilities.That would pose a significant health risk as travellers could not be easily isolated.
A review of the hotel quarantine system, presented to the national cabinet late last year, suggested the government could consider using the Learmonth RAAF base in Western Australia and immigration detention facilities, as well Howard Springs in the Northern Territory.The review, authored by former top public servant Jane Halton, said it would be “beneficial to consider a national facility for emergency or surge situations”.“With a large number of Australian citizens and permanent residents currently offshore, the need to significantly increase arrival numbers, including for business and agricultural purposes, and the changeability of the COVID-19 situation, consideration should also be given to the establishment and maintenance of a national facility in reserve to facilitate large scale evacuations from international ports, if or when required,” it said.It is understood the federal government has reservations about sending returned travellers to quarantine facilities in regional areas, given it would be more difficult to safely move them from airports.WORKERS HEAD BACK TO THE OFFICE ON MONDAYThousands of workers will return to Melbourne’s CBD for the first time in almost a year, sparking hopes of a city revival.Mask rules will also be relaxed from Monday after Premier Daniel Andrews said there was no evidence of local transmission of coronavirus across Victoria. He said 25 per cent of government workers and 50 per cent of private sector employees could now return to offices across the state. Many have been working from home since March.Mining giant BHP will begin returning workers to its Collins Street HQ voluntarily from Monday. Its chief human resources officer Athalie Williams welcomed the government’s announcement. “This will be incredibly important for the many businesses and working people who rely on a thriving CBD, and many of our people who are looking forward to the opportunity to reconnect with their colleagues and the city itself,” Ms Williams said. Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the return to work would be a huge boost for businesses. “We want to bring back the buzz to Melbourne and workers play a huge role in the vibrancy of our city,” she said. Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting chief executive Dugald Murray welcomed the move as a “step in the right direction”, but noted it did not expect to see a “meaningful” influx of workers until after Australia Day. “When we get back to the office, let’s all make a special effort to support the many shops, restaurants, cafes and bars that have been doing it tough for so long,” he said.
shannon.deery@news.com.au
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