Coronavirus Latest: NSW Rules Ease Today, Friends Allowed To Visit
Friday: culture war erupts over Captain Cook tweet; fake blood scams; bushfire donation check-in
Morning! It’s Friday, May 1. Here’s today’s ‘5+5: coronavirus edition’.
Each day I’m bringing you 5 things to know about the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak + 5 non-corona things to start your day off.
If you haven’t already, please sign up above ^^ to get this every day in your emails.
You can email me at joshb2@protonmail.com if you have tips, feedback, ideas or want to chat
You can also find me on Twitter at @joshbutler; on Facebook; or on Instagram
Wash your hands and sneeze into your elbow. Practise physical distancing - at least 1.5 metres of separation. “Stay the fuck at home”.
Latest Australian stats: as of 3pm Thursday, Australia has 6753 reported cases of COVID-19 (that’s +10 since the day before), with 5714 reported as ‘recovered’; there have been 91 deaths; and more than 563,000 tests have been done, according to the latest federal Department of Health stats. Full global stats breakdown below
5 CORONAVIRUS THINGS
NSW rules relax today
If you’re in NSW, congratulations! You’re allowed to have two (2) friends visit your house from today. The first major relaxation of coronavirus lockdown rules is here, but Premier Gladys Berejiklian is urging people to do it safely.
“We ask you to do that with caution,” she said on Friday, asking people be especially mindful of those who are vulnerable, older, or have underlying health issues (story here).
“Have those conversations and talk about how you will manage the social distancing, how you will manage keeping everybody safe.”
NSW has also released a “heat map” allowing you to check where virus outbreaks are happening (here).
Epidemiologists I spoke to earlier this week (my story here) said this change could be done safely, but warned people to keep washing hands, keep social distancing even at home, and to keep up other hygiene issues like not sharing food and sneezing etiquette.
This is the first major change in NSW, but also yesterday it was announced that the Northern Territory — which only ever recorded 27 corona cases — is going back to (almost) normal within weeks, with pubs, gyms and more to come back.
And the famous NT Times newspaper is stoked, of course.
Check out their ‘coronavirus fightback special edition’
The 'Petty' Dispute Erupting Between Australia And China Over Coronavirus
Have you been following this China vs Australia diplomatic dispute over coronavirus? It’s not often the polite, courteous world of diplomatic relations - usually happening conscientiously and unobtrusively in the background - makes front-page news, but this Beijing vs Canberra spat has been rapidly unfolding and unravelling this week. It’s no James Bond film, but the international intrigue is fascinating. It’s all about Australia’s calls for an inquiry into China’s response to the virus outbreak, and an escalating series of interviews, press releases and statements have seen claims that diplomatic protocol was breached (a BIG no-no), allegations of “petty” behaviour, and more. My story here explains what this geopolitical brouhaha is all about.
Dark web fake blood scams
People are selling blood on the dark web, claiming you can inject it into yourself to stop coronavirus.
Really.
Researchers at the Australian National University have released a report into COVID scams operating on the dark web, including “underground sales of PPE, vaccines, ventilators, anti-viral medicines and test kits.” Check out my colleague Eden’s story here.
Cook/COVID tweet opens up new culture war
A huge culture war has erupted over a tweet from Victoria’s deputy chief health officer. Because of course, there’s nothing bigger to focus on right now…
Dr Annaliese van Diemen, helping coordinate Victoria’s health response to coronavirus, tweeted this two days ago:
It took 24 hours for anyone to even notice it, but coming around the 250th anniversary of Cook’s landing — itself already a culture war issue — the tweet was leapt on by right-wing press and politicians as something that needed attention. In the middle of a pandemic. Where people are dying.
Priorities.
The state Liberal opposition has called for her to resign or be sacked, for some reason. So has home affairs minister, Peter Dutton.
"I think it's pretty obvious in the middle of a pandemic the second highest medical officer in the state of Victoria should be concentrating on the people of Victoria and the crisis associated with COVID-19," Dutton said this morning. “Instead she is off running culture war debates. I think she is unfit for that office and she should go.”
For her part, Victoria’s health minister has rubbished the suggestions.
Today’s stats:
The latest stats from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering (as of 8.30am AEST Friday) report 3,271,892 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide. There have been 232,936 deaths.
The United States has 1,067,289 confirmed cases, with Spain next but far behind on 213,435, then Italy (205,463). The U.S. has the most deaths (62,870), then Italy (27,967) and next, a new one, the United Kingdom, jumping up rapidly in recent days to record 26,771 deaths. The U.K. has overtaken Spain, which is now fourth on 24,543.
In Australia, the latest federal stats (as of 3pm Thursday) show 6753 cases, 5714 people recovered, 91 deaths, and 563,000 tests.
The latest Australian graph:
5 NON-CORONAVIRUS THINGS
Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has ended his career with the RFS. He guided NSW through the ‘black summer’ bushfire crisis, and leaves his post with near universal acclaim and popularity. He’s moving to a new role in disaster management. Go well.
Staying on bushfires, my colleague Emma Brancatisano has published this report on where all the charity money from the bushfire season went, looking at where cash donated to The Salvation Army and the Red Cross has gone to. The results, and progress, might surprise you. Story here.
And a final bushfire one — the huge Fire Fight charity concert earlier this year raised some $11 million (story here).
Two more funerals will be held today for Victorian police officers killed in the line of duty in that horror truck crash last week (story here).
And for a lighter note, this website which generates memes from an AI computer program is incredible, and well worth wasting half an hour of your time. Make some weird ones and send me your best.
IMPORTANT EVERY DAY
You “must” stay home at all times unless to shop for essential supplies; get medical care; exercise alone or with one other person; or work and education (more info here).
be hygienic; wash your hands properly, at least 30 seconds with soap and water, multiple times a day (here’s how you need to do it, plus a handy Dr Karl video tutorial); sneeze and cough into your elbows.
Listen to only official information from the World Health Organisation and legitimate health bodies — Don’t share dodgy stuff on Facebook. If it looks too good (or bad) to be true, it often is.
World Health Organisation latest statistics here
Australian government latest statistics here
Signing off - stay safe, be healthy, look after yourself and others
Josh