Daniel Andrews EXTENDS Victoria's State of Emergency and Disaster by another four weeks - and finally agrees to hand over missing phone records after grilling about hotel quarantine

Daniel Andrews has extended Victoria's State of Emergency and State of Disaster by four weeks and agreed to hand over missing phone records that were withheld from the hotel quarantine inquiry.  

The Premier announced the emergency measures - which give authorities greater powers during the pandemic - would be extended until November 8 after the state recorded 12 new coronavirus cases and one death overnight.    

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday morning, Mr Andrews faced renewed questions over why his phone records were not tendered to the inquiry in a bid to clear up who made the decision to use private security guards. 

It comes after Sky News host Peta Credlin, who was once former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott’s chief-of-staff, grilled Mr Andrews about the subject on Friday.  

Premier Daniel Andrews has agreed to hand over letters to the hotel quarantine inquiry after being blasted early this week about exchanges being withheld

The inquiry had heard previously that between 1.1pm and 1.22pm on March 27, former Police Chief Graham Ashton had received a call from someone within the premier's department telling him that the decision to use private security had been made. 

But he couldn't remember who had told him.

In a heated exchange on Friday, Credlin pressed the premier to hand over the phone records to 'clear up' six crucial minutes where the decision to use private security guards appeared to have been made.  

He had insisted that phone records had not been requested by the inquiry, which was headed by Justice Jennifer Coate. 

But on Sunday morning, Mr Andrews said the board of inquiry into Victoria's hotel quarantine had sought from him and his senior staff relevant text message and phone records and they would be handed over as soon as possible. 

'I'm not... I've not actually seen the letter. It's come to me via my staff. I think it was received either last night or early part of the evening last night. I've not seen the letter,' Mr Andrews said.

'But what I can confirm for you is each and every record they've sought, they'll get.'  

Victoria has recorded 12 new coronavirus cases and one death overnight with Stage Four restrictions in Melbourne to remain in place next weekend (pictured, a COVID-19 pop-up clinic set up at Kilmore Soldiers Memorial Hall)

Mr Andrews also announced two new rules would come into effect from 11.59pm on Sunday.

Close contacts who refuse a COVID-19 test in Victoria will spend 21 days in quarantine.

The state government announced mandatory quarantine would be extended 10 days for close contacts if they opt not to be tested on day 11 of isolation. 

Premier Daniel Andrews said a "very, very high percentage" of people had submitted to testing but the rule was designed to provide authorities with an even more complete picture.

"This is just double checking, triple checking that you haven't, in fact, still got the virus," he told reporters on Sunday.

Under another new rule from Sunday, regional Victorian businesses will have to take all reasonable steps to ensure patrons aren't from Melbourne before seating them.

Metropolitan Melbourne residents are only allowed to travel into regional Victoria for permitted reasons, but must abide by the city's rules while there.

It comes after an infected Melbourne man illegally dined at a Kilmore cafe, sparking a fresh outbreak in regional Victoria.  

 

Public health authorities decided weeks ago that the two-week rolling daily case average needed to drop to five, with less than five mystery cases, for lockdowns in the city to ease in line with regional Victoria (pictured, Melbourne residents enjoy the sun at St Kilda beach)

Health authorities on Sunday released the latest statistics which takes Victoria's death count from the virus to 810 and the national toll to 898. 

In the fortnight up to Saturday metropolitan Melbourne recorded a rolling average of 9.3 new cases per day, with the figure at 0.4 for regional areas.

Public health authorities decided weeks ago that the two-week rolling daily case average needed to drop to five, with less than five mystery cases, for lockdowns in the city to ease in line with regional Victoria.

Stage Four restrictions were flagged to be fully lifted by October 19 though those plans have now been scrapped.

Mr Andrews promised there would still be some rollbacks next Sunday. 

The 5 kilometre travel limit and dining at outdoor restaurants are some of the restrictions that will be put under review and potentially lifted. 

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton was upbeat on Saturday about the possibility of eradicating community transmission from the state

Mr Andrews called on Melbourne residents to remain hopeful and stay the course on restrictions, saying some rules may ease on that date, even if less significantly than hoped.

'We always want these numbers lower, faster,' he said.

'We will beat this second wave, but we've got to do it properly.'

Mr Andrews said he didn't think the state would be able to 'move as far and as fast as we had planned to next Sunday, but there will be movement, it will be significant.'  

'I know it is frustrating that I cannot give you a complete list of all the things that we propose to change in one weeks' time, but that is not the nature of this virus,' he said.

'We have to get the most complete picture, so we have to get as many days of data as we can.

'We are making decisions on the best available evidence and advice that will allow us to keep moving forward rather than risking giving back everything that we have done.'   

Mr Andrews reassured residents strict restrictions would not remain in place for the long term and would be eased considerably by November. 

'We will not have these sorts of restrictions well into November.  

Melbourne residents are yearning for more freedom to leave their homes, to hold public gatherings of up to 10 people and for hospitality and retail business to increase trading

Several COVID-19 outbreaks have ended a downward trend in infections, meaning the next step out of restrictions will not go ahead on October 19 as hoped (pictured, medical professionals stationed at the Kilmore Soldiers Memorial Hall COVID-19 pop-up clinic)

'Will there be rules in November? Absolutely, there will be. They will be safe and they will be as broad or as limited as they possibly can be.

'Based on that whole notion of trying to be as proportional as possible. Highest gain for the lowest public health risk.'  

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton was upbeat on Saturday about the possibility of eradicating community transmission from the state.

'It's all of the immediate responses to clusters, and if you can get on top of each of those and wrap the public health response around each and every one of those, then you end those chains of transmission and they're gone forever,' he said.

Prof Sutton said a cluster linked to Box Hill Hospital had grown to 10 with five new cases from one family.

A Kilmore cafe cluster has grown to six on Saturday but the Chadstone Shopping Centre outbreak, to which it is linked, recorded no new cases. 

A nurse performs a COVID-19 test on a driver at a Chadstone Shopping Centre pop-up clinic 

Saturday's media briefing was the premier's 100th consecutive daily update on the pandemic.

The premier was again peppered with questions during the Saturday press conference about releasing his phone records relating to March 27, to potentially clear up who made the decision to hire private security guards for hotel quarantine.

He brushed off questions as usual, saying it was job of the hotel quarantine inquiry to make findings on the matter.

Opposition leader Michael O'Brien said there was no reason why the state couldn't open safely and sooner if it copied New South Wales' strategy.

He said the five-case average required was an 'arbitrary' number.  

What is the difference between a 'State of Emergency' and a 'State of Disaster'? 

State of Emergency

A State of Emergency can be declared when there is a serious risk to public health.

It first came into effect in Victoria on March 16 to give Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton wide-ranging powers to enforce new coronavirus restrictions.  

Professor Sutton had the authority to direct health officials to detain people, force entire suburbs and regions into lockdown or search premises without a warrant if he felt it was necessary to protect the health of the public.

The State of Emergency initially allowed the government to enforce social distancing and mandatory quarantine.  

State of Disaster

While the State of Emergency grants powers to Professor Sutton, a State of Disaster grants additional powers to police and enforcement agencies.

The State of Disaster came into effect on August 2nd and has faced several one month extensions since then. 

To declare a State of Disaster, the premier must be concerned that an emergency 'constitutes or is likely to constitute a significant and widespread danger to life or property in Victoria'.

A pandemic, plague or epidemic falls into this bracket.

The State of Disaster allows the enforcement of curfews and restrictions of movement within a city.