Daily News Roundup

 

TUESDAY JUNE 29

Queensland’s borders will be opened to visitors from other states from July 10 – except for Victorians.

Meanwhile South Australia said it would not reopen it’s border with Victoria as planned on July 20.  

And NSW borders will remain open but Premier Gladys Berejiklian said anyone from one of Victoria’s coronavirus hotspot is “not welcome” into the state and that people should assume everyone from Melbourne has the virus.

Speaking to media on Tuesday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that after careful consideration, a strict new restriction will be put in place on Victorians from Friday July 3.

“The border with Victoria will remain closed and will be strengthened…tougher measures will apply from Friday, July 3,” the Premier said.

“Anyone who has travelled from Victoria, including Queenslanders, will be prevented from entering or will have to quarantine at a hotel at their own expense for two weeks.

“We just can’t risk removing border restrictions for people coming from areas of Victoria right now.”

The Premier said other states – including residents from Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Northern Territory and ACT – will be allowed to enter Queensland from July 10, 2020 after filling in a border declaration.

“This border declaration is to ensure that no-one has travelled to Victoria in the past 14 days,” she explained.

“If you falsify a document, you will face strict penalties and fines up to $4,000.”g

Victoria’s COVID-19 caseload is nearing a state record after 75 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, prompting

SA Premier Steve Mr Marshall said: “We are very hopeful that Victoria will be able to bring their outbreaks under control but at this stage we cannot possibly lift that border on 20 July as we were hoping to do.”  

The Premier said he knew it would be a difficult decision for people who were planning travel around the 20th and that was why he was giving people as early notice as possible. 

Epidemiologist Marylouise McLaws says Victoria should consider locking down individual suburbs amid a spike in cases.

Professor McLaws from the University of NSW this morning said Victoria’s 14-day rolling average has “gathered momentum”.

“So 14 days ago it was at 79, averaging over 14 days, now it’s 386,” she said. “That’s an 80 per cent increase.”

She said Victoria could be facing the “unpleasant” circumstance where individual suburbs are locked down.

“It’s not pleasant but it works,” she said.

Ms Berejiklian said she was “very concerned” about what was happening in Victoria.

“Do not allow anyone from a hotspot in Melbourne or from greater Melbourne to come into your home — you have the right to say no,” she said.

NSW Health announced this morning that non-essential travel between Melbourne and NSW was discouraged and that it had implemented restrictions on Melbourne travellers from entering “high-risk settings” such as aged-care facilities.

“Further restrictions may be implemented as the situation evolves,” it said.

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An Australian journalist has testified before a US congressional committee about being struck by police outside the White House while reporting live on a Black Lives Matter demonstration.

Police, who were clearing Washington’s Lafayette Square ahead of US President Donald Trump’s appearance in front of a nearby church, used shields and batons to push and hit Seven News correspondent Amelia Brace and camera operator Tim Myers.

Brace gave evidence to the committee investigating the police actions.

“I can be heard screaming as I was struck by non-lethal projectiles directly to my legs and backside,” she told the committee, according to wire services and the ABC.

“Suddenly the police lines surged forward. We moved back along with many protesters.

“Police lining the park used automatic weapons to fire non-lethal rounds.

“As a reporter I have no interest in becoming the story but over recent weeks many of us have been left with no choice.

“I’ve been shocked to see how many journalists have been attacked, beaten and detained just for doing their jobs.”

Brace said she and her cameraman alerted police that they were journalists.

“As I began reporting live, the line of police suddenly and without warning began charging forward at a sprinting pace, knocking protesters to the ground,” she testified.

“A park police officer who was passing us stopped, turned towards Tim, and rammed him in the chest and stomach with the edge of his riot shield, causing Tim to keel over and drop down.

“The officer then took a step back, paused, then punched his hand directly into the front of Tim’s camera, grabbing the lens.

“As this happened, Tim and I were both repeatedly shouting the word ‘media’.”

The confrontation unfolded on June 1 when crowds which were protesting against the death of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer were forcibly displaced to make way for staged photos of Mr Trump holding up a Bible in front of St John’s Church.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups filed a lawsuit in Washington that week on behalf of the demonstrators seeking an order declaring Mr Trump and other officials violated their constitutional rights.

The US ambassador to Australia, Arthur B Culvahouse Jr, said in a statement after the incident the embassy took the mistreatment of journalists seriously, “as do all who take democracy seriously”.

“As you can see in those pictures, they did not.”

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Brisbane Broncos captain Alex Glenn has revealed some of his teammates have received death threats after the club slumped to five straight NRL losses.

An emotional Glenn told a media conference in Brisbane this morning he had thrown his support behind teammates in the lead-up to Saturday’s match with the Warriors after witnessing vile social media abuse.

“Certain teammates are getting death threats on social media. People can have their judgments, but that is not acceptable,” he said.

“I am a big ambassador on mental health. No-one should be told to go do something harmful to themselves for the way they are playing.”

Brisbane has copped a barrage of criticism after suffering a new low last round — being booed off the field by their own supporters at half-time before losing to lowly Gold Coast.