Australia will be moving to a ‘hotspot model’ for managing the next stage of its pandemic response and recovery, says the PM.
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4 September
- Australia will be moving to ‘hotspot model‘ for managing COVID-19 … we just don’t know what that means.
- Latest COVID-19 infection numbers from around Australia.
- Australia will be moving to a ‘hotspot model’ for managing the next stage of its pandemic response and recovery, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who offered no detail on what the definition of a hotspot is and how this new model will work.
Speaking after today’s National Cabinet meeting – in which it appears Western Australia has decided to walk its own path to COVID-19 recovery – the PM threw around metaphors about getting kids in the car or the bus leaving the station with not everyone on board, but didn’t say much of substance about the next phase of the COVID-19 plan.
Reading between the lines, it sounds like the PM and some states – not Western Australia – have been pushing for the lifting of hard borders and instead choosing a more localised lockdown approach based on hotspots.
There was also talk of developing a revised plan for testing and surveillance – including monitoring sewage – but the PM gave very little detail.
Clear as muck. - Here are today’s confirmed COVID-19 infection numbers from around Australia, to 9pm Thursday:
National – 26,049, with 678 deaths
ACT – 113 (0)
NSW – 4091 (12)
NT – 33 (0)
QLD – 1128 (2)
SA – 463 (0)
TAS – 230 (0)
VIC – 19,336 (113)
WA – 655 (0)