The man from Melbourne authorities believe to be responsible for the outbreak at a suburban Sydney pub has been identified. No names, no pack drill.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
There are now 34 cases linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, at least 20 of them patrons.
Before everyone heads down the "ready-fire-aim" path - let's be clear: Patient Zero entered NSW before the southern border was closed.
It's the knock-on effect that makes the virus spread exponentially. In this instance, some of the drinkers went to a nearby gym and, wouldn't you know it more infections.
Today, a Woolworths at Bowral and a pizza store in Belfield have been forced to close following positive cases while other establishments "deep-cleaned" after brushes with the virus. For all that, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has ruled out a city-wide lockdown. For now.
That didn't much matter to the Top End where people from Sydney and Victoria won't be welcome when borders reopens on Friday anyway.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner admitted being "stressed and anxious" about the Friday border opening given the NT was largely virus-free.
"We have to get back into the habit, it has to be a life habit, of washing hands, social distancing," he said.
In Melbourne the stats continue to rise. There were another 238 confirmed cases today and, sadly, another fatality - a woman in her 90s.
There are new cases near Ballarat, in Horsham Rural City, the state's south-west,and the Macedon Ranges.
Not helping the situation are the people impregnable to medical advice.
As evidence please consider the four men who maybe took their motivation from "ye olde worlde" movies and stowed away on a train to cross the Victorian border and enter South Australia. No feelgood ending there, folks, just good behaviour bonds.
And in the hope of painting a less gloomy picture for the national economy, Australia will continue down its path of suppression, the PM explained today.
"You don't just shut the country down because that is not sustainable," he told radio station Triple M.
"You would be doubling unemployment, potentially, and even worse. The cure would be worse than what arguably wouldn't be delivered anyway."
With that in mind it might be worthwhile looking offshore where New Zealand's PM explained how the island nation would manage new case of community transmission.
The government would use the COVID-19 alert level system in a localised way and with scaled up and rapid localised health responses, to ringfence any cases, Jacinda Ardern said.
Interesting.
Did you know you can receive this daily digest by email? Sign up here
The news you need to know
- Eliminating virus would crush economy, says the PM
- Face masks now 'expected' in Vic courts
- Victorian train stowaways get bonds in South Australia
- Sydney added to Victoria as virus 'hot spot' and closed to NT
- Melbourne visitor tests positive for COVID-19 in Portland
- Bendigo stores close temporarily as COVID-19 fears mount
- Suppression ideal NSW strategy, explains premier
- Tasmanians stranded in Middle East 'want to get home'