Coronavirus Australia live update: Sydney Black Lives Matter protest appeal dismissed as Victoria reports six deaths and 532 Covid-19 cases | World news

Just coming back to the update from Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services.

The four cases at the neonatal intensive care unit at the Royal Children’s Hospital includes a patient. Tom Connell, the Chief of Medicine at the Royal Children’s Hospital, said earlier today the baby is less than three weeks old.

The other cases are: two parents and a staff member. The department says any Royal Children’s Hospital staff who have spent more than two hours on Butterfly Ward since 12 July will be tested.

The NSW Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal from the organisers of a Black Lives Matter protest planned for Sydney.

It means that the rally tomorrow will be an “unauthorised event”.

Organisers have previously said the protest would go ahead regardless of the court’s decision.

Here are some key statistics and points from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services daily update.

Four cases have been linked to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.

According to the department:

The cases are two parents, one patient and a healthcare worker.

All babies, staff and parents, including any RCH staff who have spent more than two hours on Butterfly Ward since 12 July will be tested.

Here are the current aged care outbreaks: 84 cases have been linked to St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner.

• 82 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer.
• 77 cases have been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping.
• 62 cases have been linked to Menarock Life Aged Care Facility in Essendon.
• 53 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee.
• 57 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth.
• 50 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg.

Other current outbreaks include:

• 95 cases have been linked to Somerville Retail Services in Tottenham.
• 71 cases have been linked to JBS in Brooklyn.
• 69 cases have been linked to Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown.
• 47 cases have been linked to Australian Lamb Company in Colac.
• 13 cases have been linked to the Linfox Warehouse in Truganina.
• 8 cases have been linked to Diamond Valley Pork in Laverton North.
• 6 cases have been linked to Don KR Castlemaine.
• 26 cases have been linked to LaManna Supermarket in Essendon Fields.
• 22 cases have been linked to Brunswick Private Hospital.
• 6 cases have been linked to Parkville Youth Justice.
• 12 cases have been linked to Respite Services Australia in Moonee Ponds.

Across Victoria, there are 683 active cases relating to outbreaks across 61 aged care facilities, and 400 active health care worker cases.

Does Victoria need to do more testing?

Kidd says testing is already at record levels and authorities need to ensure they do not overwhelm the system.

Asked why masks were only mandated for aged care workers a few weeks ago, Kidd says authorities have taken an incremental approach in their response to the pandemic.

This is the first time that we have dealt with a situation like this in Australia in over 100 years as you are aware.

Kidd explains how the aged care surge workforce has been pulled together.

We have lots of health care workers who are putting up their hands, we have many people who have recently retired, particularly as nurses but also as doctors who have put up their hands to come back and be part of the workforce, and thank you to all the people who are committed to providing care to Australians at this time of national emergency.

Kidd is asked what authorities can do to stop the spread of conspiracy theories, which you might have seen in various videos and other content posted to social media.

He says:

You need to listen to the messages which are coming from government. The single source of advice or truth is health.gov.au. Please go to that website, use this as your source of credible information, don’t listen to myths on social media.

A reporter notes Scott Morrison’s comments earlier today saying NSW is doing better than Victoria. What are they doing better?

Kidd says:

Well we are seeing smaller numbers in New South Wales each day. Each of those cases is being followed up very quickly, and their contacts are being followed up very quickly and being tested. Requirement in New South Wales, particularly for people in a number of facilities where we have seen outbreaks is there have been a cool for each of the people who have been at those centres to get tested, but also to stay in isolation a 14-day period to prevent further possible transmission to other people occurring within Sydney and other parts of the state.

Kidd pays tribute to Dr Harry Nespolon, the president of the Australian Royal College of General Practitioners, who lost a battle with cancer overnight.

He has been leading the members of the nation’s largest medical college in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic up until last week.”

That included strong support for telehealth during the pandemic.

People will speak about his many contributions and his legacy over the coming days. I want to say that Harry Nespolon was a remarkable leader, and inspirational to many, undervalued, loved and respected friend and colleague.

Kidd is focusing on the situation in aged care. He notes, as Daniel Andrews did early, that there are now 600 cases in aged care facilities.

He says 5% of all cases of Covid-19 in Victoria since April have been among the residents of aged care facilities, while 4% have been among the staff working in aged care.

Kidd says an aged care response centre has been established over the weekend and commenced operations today.