Saturday, July 25, 2020, marks six months since Australia recorded its first coronavirus case. Six months since the world fundamentally changed as we know it.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Since then, nearly 14,000 people have been infected with virus across the country, and 145 people have died. And with Australia still in the grips of a second wave of infections, it's unlikely life will return to normal anytime soon.
The news has grown even more dire out of Victoria in the last 24 hours, with a further 375 cases recorded on Saturday. Five more Victorians have died, including four women aged in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, and a man in his 80s.
Victoria's chief medical officer Brett Sutton warned the numbers of new cases would likely remain "stubbornly high" for some time.
"This will have quite a tail even if we see numbers start to drop in the next week or two. It's not going to be something that suddenly disappears in a way that wave one did," Professor Sutton told reporters.
Concern is also growing about the number of cases emerging in aged care homes. Health Minister Greg Hunt announced on Saturday the Commonwealth and Victorian governments had set up an aged care response centre to help the sector during the crisis.
With more than 500 infections in aged care facilities across Victoria, Mr Hunt said the centre would help with workforce shortages and to prevent outbreaks.
Meanwhile some people in NSW just aren't getting the message.
Police in Jindabyne were forced to break up a dance party in bushland overnight, with up to 200 people in attendance. Under current coronavirus restrictions in NSW, no more than 20 people are allowed to gather outside in a public place.
On-the-spot fines of $1000 apply. Something to keep in mind if you're thinking about channeling Footloose, too.
Did you know you can receive this daily digest by email? Sign up here
The news you need to know
- 357 new COVID-19 cases recorded in Victoria, five deaths
- Colac primary school closes after student tests positive
- Exercise your brain with the weekend quiz
- Body found in search for Neilborough man
- Fantastic beasts are driftwood sensations
- CSIRO biosecurity expert explains COVID-19's ugly truth
- Tasmania reconsiders border restrictions with Qld, NSW on August 7
- Defence spending isn't the way to make Australians more secure