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3.57am EDT
03:57Cleo Smith’s family release statement
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3.54am EDT
03:54National cabinet update
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1.39am EDT
01:39Sydney’s inner-west light rail decommissioned for up to 18 months
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11.56pm EDT
23:56WA border restrictions criticised by Human Rights Watch
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11.32pm EDT
23:32ABC signs multimillion-dollar content deal with Google
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10.33pm EDT
22:33NT records another Covid case
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10.25pm EDT
22:25Details of Bert Newton’s state funeral announced
4.10am EDT
04:10
What we learned today, Friday 5 November
And with that, we will wrap up the blog for today. Here is what went down:
- Western Australian police released a statement from Cleo Smith’s family, where they thanked all those involved in the rescue, and said their family is “whole again”.
- Western Australia’s border restrictions will remain in place until 90% of its 12-and-over population is fully vaccinated.
- Australia passed the 80% double-vaccinated mark some time today, marked by the prime minister earlier today.
- The man accused of raping Brittany Higgins in a federal minister’s office has been committed to stand trial.
- The Northern Territory town of Katherine entered a 72-hour lockdown after it recorded two cases, with Darwin also in a “lockout”.
- NSW recorded 249 new cases and three deaths. Victoria recorded 1,343 new cases and 10 deaths. The ACT recorded six new cases and one death.
- The defamation case involving former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro and YouTuber Jordan Shanks (known online as Friendlyjordies) was been settled.
- A Chinese government spokesperson has called the Aukus deal “extremely irresponsible”.
- Two Melbourne Cup attendees have tested positive for Covid-19.
- People from low-risk areas will no longer need to provide a negative Covid-19 test before travelling to Tasmania from 15 December.
- Sydney’s inner-west light rail will be shut down for up to 18 months after extensive cracks were found in all the trams on the line.
- Australian entertainment icon Bert Newton will be farewelled by hundreds of relatives and friends at a state funeral in Melbourne next week.
- The ABC has signed a multimillion-dollar content deal with Google.
Updated
at 4.39am EDT
3.57am EDT
03:57
Cleo Smith’s family release statement
Western Australia police have released a statement from Cleo Smith’s family, where they thank all those involved in the rescue, and say their family is “whole again”:
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the rescue of our daughter Cleo Smith.
In particular, we would like to thank WA police, all those involved in the initial search, the Carnarvon community, local businesses and of course our family and friends.
We are humbled by the love and support that we have received from not only our local community but the whole of Western Australia and across the country.
We are so thankful that our little girl is back within our arms and our family is whole again.
As we try to get on with our lives, we ask that you respect our privacy.
You can read up more on the case in this report from Elias Visontay:
Updated
at 4.12am EDT
3.54am EDT
03:54
National cabinet update
So, finally, we have an update from the national cabinet meeting, with details released in a (long and abbreviation-heavy) statement from the PM’s office.
On vaccination and booster plans, the national cabinet discussed the rollout, with existing vaccination infrastructure being used to reach as many people as possible. The statement noted that “hesitancy” continues to be an obstacle for both vaccination and booster shot uptake in vulnerable communities:
With supplies available, there are significant opportunities available to be vaccinated across urban, rural, remote and very remote areas.
Hesitancy continues to be a factor in low uptake, with all jurisdictions introducing measures to reduce hesitancy.
The statement also says they discussed the risks of outbreaks in Indigenous communities, noting that modelling will be revised to take into account higher vaccination rates as well as vaccine rates in remote communities.
National cabinet agreed that the commonwealth and all jurisdictions will update outbreak management plans, in partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community sector, and ensure that Emergency Management Australia (EMA) is consulted in the updated planning, and that plans include timely requests for support through EMA where needed, particularly to support localised vaccine acceleration and/or establishing quarantine facilities.
The Doherty Institute found that localised health strategies may be required with high case numbers and for key high-risk groups, areas and settings, including Indigenous communities and in schools.
Doherty found that surveillance in high-risk areas to identify outbreaks early and contact management can reduce infections, keep schools open and minimise disruptions to face-to-face learning.
They also agreed to adopt a risk-based approach to changes to quarantine arrangements for contacts, including differential arrangements for fully vaccinated close contacts in phase 3 of the roadmap, while largely just confirming many of the measures already in there.
They confirmed they would “consider risk-based quarantine arrangements for fully vaccinated primary contacts, including no quarantine or minimal quarantine for up to seven days”.
Casual contacts will only be required to be tested and isolate if experiencing symptoms, under the revised measures.
Finally, the national cabinet also agreed to “release updated Doherty Institute modelling in coming days on health system capacities at living with Covid and surge capacity at different levels of community transmission”.
They noted that each state and territory apparently has “sufficient health system capacity to transition to living with Covid”.
Updated
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3.14am EDT
03:14
Ambulance Victoria has doubled the capacity of its triple zero call triage service, which is aimed at freeing up ambulances for only the sickest patients, by directing people who don’t need emergency services elsewhere.
It reported improved response times, saying that its average response time to life-threatening emergencies was 13 minutes and 29 seconds, which was an improvement of five seconds on the previous quarter.
The Ambulance Victoria chief executive Prof Tony Walker said the emergency service had effectively adapted to the surge in calls that comes with the pandemic:
We’ve expanded our secondary triage service with an additional 97 paramedics and [57] nurses – effectively doubling the size of the referral service for less urgent triple zero calls.
This vital service frees up ambulances for the sickest patients by connecting patients who do not need an emergency ambulance with alternative care.
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2.32am EDT
02:32
Earlier today, Northern Territory authorities warned against any anti-lockdown protesters from taking to the street over the weekend, after Darwin entered a three-day “lockout” on Friday morning.
Police commissioner Jamie Chalker said police would not tolerate anyone not complying with the restrictions, amid reports of a rally to be held tomorrow.
If people continue to act without compliance, then we will be forced into a position where [arrests] may have to be done.
If they are unvaccinated, if they’re not willing to demonstrate what the five reasons are, and they’re not going to be sound and reasonable, then they may force us into action.
Updated
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2.04am EDT
02:04
Just building on that announcement about the light rail shutdown, the NSW shadow minister for transport Jo Haylen has released a blistering statement, saying the government’s procurement policy was “in tatters”.
She says passengers will be forced to wait “years” for a reliable light rail and that thousands of passengers across the city’s inner west will experience delays and “unreliable services” for up to 18 months.
The government’s transport procurement policies are now in tatters. Every single overseas-built tram the government bought has had to be decommissioned.
An entire light rail line is now completely out of action. This will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. This is a debacle.
It’s time for the government to draw a line in the sand. They bought trains that don’t fit the tracks, ferries that can’t fit under bridges or operate at night, and an entire fleet of trams that simply don’t work. It’s time we started building transport infrastructure right here in Australia again so we can get a quality product and value for money.
Updated
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1.39am EDT
01:39
Sydney’s inner-west light rail decommissioned for up to 18 months
Sydney’s inner-west light rail will be shut down for up to 18 months after extensive cracks were found in all 12 trams that operate on the line.
Transport minister Rob Stokes confirmed the decision, saying he was told this afternoon the trams would need to be decommissioned while the issues were rectified.
I want to stress this is the worst-case scenario.
It’s my expectation that we rectify these issues much sooner than that, but I did feel it was appropriate to let the public know as soon as I have been advised that the worst-case scenario is 18 months to get these light rail vehicles rectified and back on the tracks.
Stokes said the cracking that was identified last week were “actually more significant than first thought and actually related to all 12 of the vehicles”.
On that basis, the safety advice has been for these vehicles to be withdrawn from service until they can be fixed.
Updated
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1.13am EDT
01:13
Two positive Covid cases at the Melbourne Cup this week will not stop Stakes Day at Flemington racecourse on Saturday.
In a statement, Victoria Racing Club said the two cases were a contractor working at the course and a racegoer, and that both were fully vaccinated and unlinked.
The contractor who tested positive worked two full days in the Arbour in the purple zone on the ground floor of the Club Stand. The Department of Health has advised the VRC that patrons and staff who attended the Arbour on Cup Day are considered at low risk.
The patron who tested positive attended the deck bar within the green zone on Cup Day and the Department of Health is in direct contact with the patron and their two social close contacts, who are also fully vaccinated.
Patrons who attended the deck bar on Cup Day are being contacted directly via SMS by the VRC and staff have also been contacted. Patrons are advised to monitor their health and get tested if they develop any symptoms.
The two venues have been deep cleaned and will be ready for safe operation for Stakes Day on Saturday.
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12.49am EDT
00:49
AAP is reporting that a maximum-security prison in regional New South Wales had to be emptied of inmates after it fell victim to a “horrendous” mice plague.
Rodents have been devouring crops and cutting a destructive swathe through properties in the state’s west and south since spring 2020.
In June, they caused all 420 inmates at Wellington Correctional Centre in the state’s west to be sent to other facilities after they damaged the building, a budget estimates hearing heard on Friday.
Prison staff were working in buildings where cavities and ceilings were full of dead mice, Acting Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Kevin Corcoran told the hearing.
“I got gravely ill after attending there and I know others did too,” Mr Corcoran told MPs.
There were problems with mites and faeces falling down when he toured the site, he said.
“Some of the buildings I went into were just horrendous. I mean, the smell,” he said.
“You’re almost throwing up just going into the places people were living. It’s just completely unacceptable.”
The mice, which first arrived at year ago, chewed through internal wiring and ceiling panels.
Mr Corcoran said the problems were most acute in the staff areas, and the situation “wasn’t so bad” in the inmates’ cells.
Nevertheless, Corrective Services Minister Anthony Roberts said removing the inmates and most of the staff was the best solution so remediation works could be done urgently.Asked how he could lose a maximum-security prison to mice, Mr Roberts replied: “We build prisons to keep people in.”
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12.35am EDT
00:35
Medical device manufacturer Johnson and Johnson has failed in its bid to overturn a landmark ruling about harm caused by pelvic mesh implants, AAP reports.
The high court on Friday refused special leave to appeal a ruling finding the company acted negligently and concealed the true extent of complications from the pelvic implants.
It means Johnson and Johnson remains liable for millions of dollars in compensation to Australian women.
The federal court in 2020 awarded three lead litigants a combined $2.6m in damages over the implants manufactured by Johnson and Johnson subsidiary Ethicon.
The court was told the women’s surgeons weren’t warned about or aware of the extent of risks from the devices including severe chronic pain.
Johnson and Johnson earlier this year failed in its appeal of the original 2019 finding before heading to Australia’s highest court.
Updated
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12.22am EDT
00:22
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has called for fully vaccinated travellers to no longer face Covid tests “at every turn”.
Joyce was speaking at the airline’s annual general meeting and made comments on measures still in place for international arrivals, who must submit a negative test in the first 24 hours of arrival, and again after seven days.
Joyce said the measures were frustrating for travellers, who would “reasonably expect to move freely and easily”.
Hopefully these conditions, particularly PCR testing at every turn, is dispensed with as Australia becomes more confident living with Covid.
Surely that’s something we’ve all earned.
Updated
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11.56pm EDT
23:56
WA border restrictions criticised by Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch have released a statement, urging the Western Australian government to ease border restrictions and allow people who are double vaccinated into the state.
The international human rights group says the restrictions are “no longer proportionate”:
By this stage of the pandemic, and with widespread access to vaccines, there should be measures in place to allow families to safely travel to Western Australia and reunite with their loved ones.
It is no longer proportionate for the West Australian government to make it so difficult for compassionate cases to enter the state.
If individuals are double vaccinated and are willing to undergo quarantine, they should not be denied entry to WA.
Human Rights Watch is calling on the McGowan government to prioritise compassionate cases and family reunifications, and allow these cases to enter.
Governments can restrict people’s movement for compelling public health purposes, but any restrictions on these rights should be strictly necessary and proportionate.
Updated
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11.32pm EDT
23:32
ABC signs multimillion-dollar content deal with Google
Amanda Meade
A multimillion-dollar deal signed by Google for ABC content under the news media bargaining code will create dozens of ABC jobs in regional and rural areas, ABC managing director David Anderson says.
I am pleased to announce today that we have just finalised a multi-year agreement that will see ABC content on the Google News Showcase.
In a speech at Charles Sturt University’s regional media summit on Friday, Anderson said the ABC is also negotiating a deal with Facebook.
Negotiations with Facebook are well advanced and I am hopeful that we will be able to finalise an agreement with that platform by the end of the month.
These agreements will provide a significant boost to our services in regional Australia.
When he announced the draft code, the chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Rod Sims, said the ABC and SBS were excluded because they were taxpayer-funded but Labor and the Greens pushed for the public broadcasters to be included.
While SBS has reached agreement under the code with Google, Facebook has refused to negotiate with either SBS or the Conversation, saying it had to draw the line somewhere.
Updated
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11.28pm EDT
23:28
Police have seized cocaine and more than $250,000 in cash in their hunt to find fugitive Mostafa Baluch, who allegedly cut his ankle monitor after being granted bail for a drug importation charge, AAP reports.
NSW police Det Supt Rob Critchlow said two Sydney homes – one in Yagoona and another in Potts Hill – were raided on Thursday night.
“What we are finding as we chase this man to bring him back to justice is we are identifying a whole range of offences and a wider criminal group,” Critchlow said on Friday.
“The longer he is out the more pressure he is placing upon those he cares about including his family, his friends and his associates.”
Baluch, 33, was last seen on the night of 25 October on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Last month he was granted bail and released from custody, with strict bail conditions, after he was charged with a string of drug offences over a 900kg shipment of cocaine into Australia.
Police believe Baluch is “most likely” still in Sydney. “We are pretty sure we’re not far away,” Critchlow said. He said there were cars linked to Baluch at the properties.
Police seized more than $250,000 cash, about 200 grams of cocaine, 485 grams of an unknown substance, mobile phones, and an electronic money counter.
Updated
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11.18pm EDT
23:18
So, the WA premier Mark McGowan has released a TikTok video that resembles a Bunnings ad, to encourage people to get vaccinated at particular Bunnings locations across the state.
It’s … something to behold really:
Updated
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10.58pm EDT
22:58
The Australian Medical Association’s president Dr Omar Khorshid was on the ABC earlier, discussing hospital wait times.
The group has released a report card that looks into public hospitals, and found that despite a drop in patient numbers due to the lockdowns, public hospitals still struggled to see people on time.
Khorshid said the pandemic had revealed the limited surge capacity public hospitals currently have:
Last year, when of course we were all in lockdown, the demand on emergency departments really plummeted and of course elective surgery was paused and yet the performance of hospitals in some states barely improved and in others it actually continued to decline.
When it comes to emergency departments, it is ACT at the bottom of the pile. And the sad thing about this report is it really does show, as it does each year, how much it matters where you live in Australia as to what access to public hospitals you have. When it comes to elective surgery waiting lists, it is Tasmania that has the worst performance in our report card this year.
We would like to see the long-term trends reversed. Rather than continuing with a way of funding public hospitals, it really only looks at throughput and where the states pick up the bulk of the tab or just over half the commonwealth a little bit less than half.
It’s a system that doesn’t actually in any way encourage state governments to build new hospitals, to employ new nurses and new doctors in order to meet that demand.
So we would like to see the funding package actually change in its nature so that it does encourage investment. And also reward hospitals for better performance.
Updated
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10.33pm EDT
22:33
NT records another Covid case
The Northern Territory has recorded its second case in two days, after a mystery case emerged in Katherine yesterday.
Chief minister Michael Gunner held a press conference earlier today, telling reporters that a household contact of the man who tested positive yesterday had also tested positive.
The initial case was a man who works at Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, outside Katherine. He and his close contacts have been transferred to the Howard Springs quarantine facility.
Gunner urged people to get tested and vaccinated as soon as possible.
Updated
at 10.44pm EDT
10.25pm EDT
22:25
Details of Bert Newton’s state funeral announced
Australian entertainment icon Bert Newton will be farewelled by hundreds of family and friends at a state funeral in Melbourne next week, AAP reports.
The man affectionately known as “Moonface” died aged 83 on October 30 at a private Melbourne clinic after his leg was amputated in May due to a life-threatening infection.
The Victorian government has confirmed the already-announced state funeral for the four-time gold Logie award-winning entertainer will be held at East Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral on November 12.
“A fixture of Australian television, Bert brought his wit and energy into our homes over many decades,” the Department of Premier and Cabinet said on Friday.
“He was an entertainer in every sense of the word and this send-off will honour his legacy.
“Family, friends and colleagues will be able to attend the state funeral service to celebrate Bert’s life and reflect on his contribution to the entertainment industry, numerous charities and the state of Victoria.”
Members of the public won’t be able to attend due to Covid-safe requirements, but can watch the service via an online stream.
Melbourne-born Newton started in the radio business aged 12 and scaled the heights of Australian entertainment on stage and screen.
His TV credits included In Melbourne Tonight, The Graham Kennedy Show, The Don Lane Show, Good Morning Australia, New Faces, Bert’s Family Feud and 20 to 1.
On stage he played roles in the musicals Wicked, Annie, Grease and as narrator in The Rocky Horror Show.
Newton is survived by Patti, his wife of more than 46 years, children Lauren and Matthew, and grandchildren.
Updated
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10.23pm EDT
22:23
And with that, the premier wraps up the presser, but took one final question: How did he feel in Carnarvon yesterday?
It was a very uplifting experience.
I really like the police officers. They were great people. The commissioner ushered me into a room and there was about 60 men and women in suits, a good-looking group of people, he then invited me to speak to them.
They did a wonderful job and everyone I spoke to was nice and had an underlying professionalism that you could feel, when I went to the house.
I met Cleo Smith and her family, they were just lovely, kind people … They were positive. And they were happy. Their daughter has been brought home. She was a happy little girl.
Updated
at 10.34pm EDT