COVID Latest: Australian Holiday Trips Allowed Again
Wednesday: Trump taking unproven drug; international inquiry approved.
Morning! It’s Wednesday, May 20. Here’s today’s ‘5+5: coronavirus edition’.
Each day I’m bringing you 5 things to know about COVID-19 + 5 non-corona things too.
If you haven’t already, please sign up above ^^ to get this every day in your emails (and tell your friends).
You can email me at joshb2@protonmail.com for tips, 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. Remember physical distancing - at least 1.5 metres of separation.
Latest Australian stats: as of 9pm Tuesday, Australia has 7068 reported cases of COVID-19 (that’s +9 since the day before), with 6411 reported as ‘recovered’; there have been 100 deaths; and more than 1,085,870 tests have been done, according to the latest federal Department of Health stats. Full global stats breakdown below.
But before we get into the normal stuff…
1 PERSONAL THING
Sadly, the website I work for, 10 daily, is being shut down. Myself and about 30 colleagues are out of a job (link).
If you are looking to hire news journalists, lifestyle or entertainment journalists, video producers/editors or social media gurus, please let me know. You can email me at joshb2@protonmail.com to ask for more info, and I can put you in touch with the right person. I am also available and would love to hear about any opportunities.
Thanks a lot.
OK cheers for indulging me, we return to our regularly-scheduled programming:
5 CORONAVIRUS THINGS
NSW holidays allowed again
You probably won’t be going overseas any time soon, but that sneaky weekend trip down the coast might be back on the cards. This morning, literally as I’m writing this, the NSW government has announced regional holidays are allowed again (link). Just weeks ago, people were being told to avoid the regions so as to not overwhelm hospitals in small towns — but on Wednesday, deputy premier John Barilaro said holidays were allowed ahead of the June long weekend. Previously, the advice was that this probably wouldn’t be allowed until after Christmas.
It comes as NSW also announces libraries, museums and art galleries will reopen from June 1, and that full-time schooling will recommence too (link).
In less good news, The Guardian reports NSW Health is still unable to use data from the COVIDSafe app, for some reason, even though we were all told it was essential to get and were silly for not downloading it (link).
Virus origin inquiry passes vote unanimously
An Australian-led push for an international investigation into the origin and outreak of the coronavirus has been unanimously supported at the World Health Assembly overnight (link). The SMH reports this means there will be “an inquiry into the origins and international response to the coronavirus established at the earliest possible opportunity.” The motion’s text doesn’t explicitly mention China, but the probe will investigate how the virus began and spread across the world. There’s still diplomatic brouhaha brewing — Australia is claiming it as a win, but China says Australia has nothing to be proud of.
Trump taking hydroxychloroquine, claims without evidence that studies are “false”
As revealed yesterday, Donald Trump says he is taking hydroxychloroquine — an unproven, potentially dangerous drug which is being investigated for its use as a COVID-19 preventative. A study from Columbia University found “people infected with COVID-19 taking hydroxychloroquine do not fare better than those not receiving the drug” (link). Other studies have shown people on the drug than died at a higher rate than those who didn’t use it — but Trump says he’s taking it anyway.
Trump has also claimed studies showing the drug’s (lack of) effectiveness were “false”, and hinting he thought the results were rigged, calling the study “a Trump enemy statement.”
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has warned that “hydroxychloroquine poses serious risks to patients, including cardiac toxicity (potentially leading to sudden heart attacks), irreversible eye damage and severe depletion of blood sugar (potentially leading to coma).”
Democratic politician Nancy Pelosi wasn’t stoked to hear the news:
Aussie volunteers for experimental drug
Staying on COVID treatments, The Australian reports 100 people in Melbourne and Brisbane will next week begin a trial of a new drug from American firm Novavax (link). The vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, will be trialled. There’s also tests being done on a vaccine candidate from the University of Queensland.
Today’s stats:
The latest stats from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering (as of 8.30am AEST Wednesday) report 4,889,287 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide. There have been 322,683 deaths.
The United States has 1,525,367 confirmed cases, with Russia next but far behind on 299,941, then Brazil suddenly up to third on 271,628, overtaking the United Kingdom (250,138). The U.S. has the most deaths (91,730), then the United Kingdom (35,422) and Italy third on 32,169.
In Australia, the latest federal stats (as of 9pm Tuesday) show 7068 cases, 6411 people recovered, 100 deaths, and 1,085,870 tests.
The latest Australian graph:
5 NON-CORONAVIRUS THINGS
Johnson & Johnson will not sell its famous talc baby powder in North America, after “thousands of suits alleging asbestos contamination led to a decline in sales” (link).
NRL legend Greg Inglis has made a shock return from retirement, signing a deal to play with the Warrington Wolves in the English Super League (link).
A man who saved a whale caught in nets off the Gold Coast faces a $27,000 fine for interfering with shark nets (link). The man cut the whale free from the nets using a knife.
Canadian police are investigating a February machete attack in Toronto — where a woman was killed and two people injured — as an act of ‘incel’ ('involuntary celibate’) terrorism which may have been “motivated by violent misogyny” (link).
Facebook is launching a new shopping feature, another expansion of its e-commerce offering (link).
IMPORTANT EVERY DAY
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