There has been a lot of talk about Covid-19 treatments, cures and wonder drugs, but by far the most talked-about is hydroxychloroquine. Oliver Milman takes you through why this anti-malaria drug might not be the miracle some are describing it as. There have been reports this morning of a “deal” between the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the industrial relations minister, Christian Porter, on changes needed to implement the $130bn wage subsidy jobkeeper payments. Guardian Australia understands that negotiations are still ongoing but talks have been constructive. As Labor has already indicated it will support the package it seems a foregone conclusion that changes will be made through the Fair Work Act rather than award by award. What has changed is the ACTU believes Porter has strengthened a clause allowing Fair Work Commission oversight of financially distressed employers’ decisions to cut or increase workers’ hours to make their hours match the $1,500 fortnightly payment. The ACTU is still pushing for increased eligibility for casuals, which Porter has so far refused to do. I do not expect an ACTU statement endorsing the particular legislation parliament will consider on Wednesday. Guardian Australia understands that Porter has ruled out changes to the Fair Work Act that go beyond implementing jobkeeper, so some of employers’ more daring ambit claims to suspend unfair dismissal laws have not been taken up. In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political bias, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power. Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Make a contribution - The Guardian This blog is looking at all the Covid-19 related news, however, there is, of course, another huge news story in Australia today. George Pell’s convictions being quashed by the high court of Australia. My colleague Luke Henriques-Gomes has all the details on another live blog. My colleague Christopher Knaus has this report on the government’s callout for local companies to supply Covid-19 testing components. Here’s a bit more information about the NSW healthcare funding the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, announced earlier. The total package will provide $104m in funding for the NSW healthcare sector. Here is a breakdown of where that money will go: $58m for health worker accommodation $25m for medical research and vaccine trials $11m for commercialisation of research products $10m of funding to partner with industry to boost domestic supply chains. In a statement, the premier’s office specified that last $10m would go towards “working with NSW engineering, electrical and manufacturing businesses to urgently undertake pilot projects to produce ventilators and other critical medical equipment locally”. The National Catholic Education Commission says it’s worried that staff from low-fee Catholic schools will miss out on jobkeeper payments. Its executive director, Jacinta Collins, said: In low fee schools, staff salaries make up the majority of school expenditure, so a loss of even 15 or 20% of fee income – well below the required 30% threshold – will have an enormous impact on our staffing provision at a time when schools are being asked to deliver both onsite and remote learning. Jobkeeper doesn’t solve the challenges low fees schools are experiencing; we need a solution that works for the whole sector. We are ready to work collaboratively with the government, and the rest of the sector, to come up with something effective and fair. I know plenty of us have been reaching for the pinot when five o’clock hits but be careful, the habits you pick up in isolation might be tough to break when the country opens back up. Brigid Delaney has the full report: Tasmania has recorded three new cases overnight. The state total now sits at 89, including six healthcare workers. The premier, Peter Gutwein, says 34 Tasmanians have since recovered. Just on the deaths from overnight. So far we know of: Two deaths in NSW, bringing the state total to 21 One death in Victoria, bringing the state total to 11 One death in South Australia, the first in the state This brings our national death toll to 45. There are several cruise ship now floating in Queensland waters. The state’s health minister, Steven Miles, said in a press conference this morning that they would soon be on their way. The cruise ships will be required to leave Queensland waters by midnight tomorrow night. Currently we have four ships in Queensland waters, two of which have refuelled and are on their way to rendezvous and then out of Queensland waters. One cruise ship is currently in the Brisbane port, fuelling up, and when it leaves today, the last one, Pacific Dawn, will come in to fuel and bunker up and will leave tomorrow. South Australia records its first Covid-19 death A 75-year-old man from metropolitan Adelaide died last night in the Royal Adelaide hospital. For more information about schools and their role in the Covid-19 crisis, check out this report from Sally Weale. Victoria’s education minister, James Merlino, says the government will work with families to ensure all students have the capacity to learn from home. The vast majority of students, the vast majority of staff, will be working remotely, and we’ll have small numbers of staff and small numbers of students at each of our schools across Victoria ... We’re gonna make sure that every child, every student, gets the support that they need. And that will be in the technology space – we’ve got around 4,000 sim cards, a thousand dongles, we’re working with internet providers ... Every child that needs a laptop or a tablet will receive one. Every child. Victorian schools to reopen but students urged to learn from home Victoria’s schools will open for term 2 next Wednesday, but the premier, Daniel Andrews, has urged students to learn from home if possible. School is going to look very different in term 2. If you can learn from home, you must learn from home. He said there would be significant changes to year 12’s VCE studies but the Victorian government planned for all assessments and exams to be completed this year. We’re not about years 13 or people repeating. We think that we can get this done. Victoria records another death, bringing the state total to 11 Details of this 11th death have not yet been released. The premier, Daniel Andrews, says the state recorded 33 positive cases overnight, a rise from the previous two days. My colleague Michael McGowan has this report on last night’s Q+A where health workers said they were struggling to source personal protective equipment. Mathias Cormann said although the government had moved to adjourn parliament until August it could be recalled if necessary. We have said that we would be prepared to explore the manner and the form in which the parliament might be able to come together. But that is not entirely straightforward. But it’s not as if we’re not able to bring the parliament back together if that is required, to deal with urgent matters. As we are doing now. And we reached agreement with the opposition when we last sat, on the circumstances and the processes to use if the parliament had to be recalled. The finance minister, Mathias Cormann, told ABC the government had not moved to include casual workers who have been with a company for less than 12 months in the jobkeeper payment program. No changes to what we’ve announced. Long-term casuals, these are casuals that have been with the same employer for 12 months or more, will be covered by the jobkeeper payment ... And if you have been working for less than 12 months and you are out of work, and then, of course, you have the opportunity to apply for jobseeker payments.