Victoria Police issued 65 fines for breaches of Public Health Orders in the past 24 hours. Victoria have issued more than 1,000 fines since the lockdown rules came into place, far more than any other state. Since 21 March, police in Victoria have conducted a total of 24,102 spot checks of homes and businesses. AAP reports that flu vaccine manufacturing is being ramped up this season in the hope higher public immunity to influenza will free up hospitals to focus on coronavirus. Melbourne manufacturer Seqirus has partnered with the federal government to make an additional two million influenza vaccines for the 2020 flu season, with nine million vaccines in total to be distributed across the country. The company says there is already strong early demand for flu vaccines. “This is a positive trend, because we know that flu vaccination programs will be more important than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Seqirus executive director Danielle Dowell told AAP. The additional vaccines will be available through GP clinics, pharmacies and immunisation providers. Of Australians stranded overseas, Payne says that three flights returned from the Philippines this morning landing in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. She calls it “a mammoth effort”. She says the government is working on further flights from India, where there are more than 6,000 Australians who have registered with the high commission there who want to come home. There’s been a number of flights which have left from India supported by the high commission in India. As you know, it is also in lockdown. The different states have different rules. We are processing people to be able to be able to travel across those areas. We are also very focused on making sure that every single Australian who needs an application to leave India has that facilitated by the high commission. We are in discussions with a number of other airlines for the coming week to endeavour to identify further flights. 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Payne says it was “regrettable” that an Australian air force plane which was delivering supplies to Vanuatu after Cyclone Harold was unable to land because a Chinese plane would not move from the runway. The supplies were delivered on April 12 ... There was an A-320 on the tarmac on the Sunday which had been unloading stores delivered from China. The unloading took a long period of time and the plane was still on the tarmac unexpectedly for Australia on the Sunday. Speers asks Payne whether the Chinese plane had “deliberately” tried to prevent Australia from landing. We have raised our concerns with officials in Vanuatu and in appropriate places with the Chinese government. I don’t know whether it was deliberate or not, David. I wasn’t there. But what is most important is that countries like Australia, countries like Australia and New Zealand working together, and others in the region, are able to support our Pacific neighbours in the way that is so important now. Payne says relationships between Australia and China “will be changed in some ways”. What is really important is, in my view, in our view, how the world comes together now to cooperate, to rebuild, is absolutely key to this.” Speers asks her whether the government’s trust in China has been “eroded” by the crisis. She says the government “would be very clear that we believe transparency is essential”. All of these things will need to be reviewed, will need to be considered in the light of changes in the world economy. In the light of changes in international health security. And so many other things. And that is the work that we are doing at the moment. Pressed for an answer, Payne finally says: “I trust China in terms of the work that we need to do together.” David Speers is interviewing foreign affairs minister Marise Payne on Insiders. He asks her “what questions” she’d like China to answer about the origins of Covid-19, after ministers including Peter Dutton have criticised China’s handling of the virus in recent days. She says she wants to see a global independent review, and “transparency” from all countries. Well, we need to know the sorts of details that an independent review would identify for us about the genesis of the virus, about the approaches to dealing with it. and addressing it. [As well as] about the openness with which information was shared [and] interaction with the World Health Organisation into action with other international leaders. She says it wouldn’t be appropriate for the World Health Organisation to run such a review. Payne says the government shares “concerns” about the WHO’s handling of the virus. “We share some of the concerns that the United States have identified in relation to the World Health Organisation. That is certainly correct. I think it is about an independent mechanism, and I’m not sure that you can have the health organisation which has been responsible for disseminating much of the international communications material, and doing much of the early engagement and investigative work, also as the review mechanism. That strikes me as something poacher and gamekeeper. Anglicare have released a statement following the death of a 93-year-old resident yesterday. In a statement the Anglicare CEO Grant Millard said the man had “multiple health issues” along with his positive Covid-19 diagnosis. We know this is a very difficult time for you all and one which can cause significant anxiety. Anglicare management has put in place a number of measures to maximise the safety and wellbeing of those in our home. Millard said Nepean hospital had established a “hospital in the home” which would mean all residents who have tested Covid-19 positive in Newmarch will still be cared for in the home, but with “access to hospital resources and with oversight by hospital specialists in infectious diseases, as if in the hospital setting”. This will mean, if required, more intensive supports can be brought into the home under the direction of the hospital specialist. Anglicare is also sourcing more staff on site to ensure adequate coverage of care for all residents as well as recruiting some staff who are specifically dedicated to working with residents who have tested positive. The aged care facility has seen a major outbreak after a staff member worked for six days without knowing she had the virus. Foreign affairs minister Marise Payne will join David Speers on the ABC’s Insiders this morning. I’ll bring you any highlights from the interview. What does the road out of lockdown look like? My colleague Ben Doherty has looked to what overseas countries are doing as a guide to how an exit strategy might look. Don’t get too excited though: the Nine newspapers this morning quote Peter Collignon, a professor of microbiology at the Australian National University, saying he doesn’t expect pubs to be open until September. David Speers is interviewing foreign affairs minister Marise Payne on Insiders. He asks her “what questions” she’d like China to answer about the origins of Covid-19, after ministers including Peter Dutton have criticised China’s handling of the virus in recent days. She says she wants to see a global independent review, and “transparency” from all countries. Well, we need to know the sorts of details that an independent review would identify for us about the genesis of the virus, about the approaches to dealing with it. and addressing it. [As well as] about the openness with which information was shared [and] interaction with the World Health Organisation into action with other international leaders. She says it wouldn’t be appropriate for the World Health Organisation to run such a review. Payne says the government shares “concerns” about the WHO’s handling of the virus. “We share some of the concerns that the United States have identified in relation to the World Health Organisation. That is certainly correct. I think it is about an independent mechanism, and I’m not sure that you can have the health organisation which has been responsible for disseminating much of the international communications material, and doing much of the early engagement and investigative work, also as the review mechanism. That strikes me as something poacher and gamekeeper. Anglicare have released a statement following the death of a 93-year-old resident yesterday. In a statement the Anglicare CEO Grant Millard said the man had “multiple health issues” along with his positive Covid-19 diagnosis. We know this is a very difficult time for you all and one which can cause significant anxiety. Anglicare management has put in place a number of measures to maximise the safety and wellbeing of those in our home. Millard said Nepean hospital had established a “hospital in the home” which would mean all residents who have tested Covid-19 positive in Newmarch will still be cared for in the home, but with “access to hospital resources and with oversight by hospital specialists in infectious diseases, as if in the hospital setting”. This will mean, if required, more intensive supports can be brought into the home under the direction of the hospital specialist. Anglicare is also sourcing more staff on site to ensure adequate coverage of care for all residents as well as recruiting some staff who are specifically dedicated to working with residents who have tested positive. The aged care facility has seen a major outbreak after a staff member worked for six days without knowing she had the virus. Foreign affairs minister Marise Payne will join David Speers on the ABC’s Insiders this morning. I’ll bring you any highlights from the interview. What does the road out of lockdown look like? My colleague Ben Doherty has looked to what overseas countries are doing as a guide to how an exit strategy might look. Don’t get too excited though: the Nine newspapers this morning quote Peter Collignon, a professor of microbiology at the Australian National University, saying he doesn’t expect pubs to be open until September. The New South Wales government has announced an additional $25m to help fast-track research and clinical trials aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19. The funds are part of about $800m in extra health funding allocated by the government to bolster the health system last month. NSW health minister Brad Hazzard said the funding would be directed to research on: accurate and timely diagnosis of Covid-19; support conducting Covid-19 clinical trials including vaccine trials; monitoring, developing and evaluating strategies to slow community transmission; developing and evaluating treatments for Covid-19. Andrews also said during that interview that he expected Victorian schools to remain closed throughout term 2. That’s despite calls from Scott Morrison for schools to reopen as soon as possible, and NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian’s decision to have students return via a roster. Andrews said it was “common sense” that students being at school would contribute to the spread of the virus. “The Victorian chief health officer has a very firm view (that schools should be closed),” he told Sky. “[But] if we were continuing to see very stable numbers … then of course we would always reserve the right to look at those restrictions.” Victoria records its 15th Covid-19 death. Victoria has recorded its 15th death overnight, the premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed. Speaking on Sky News, Andrews said a man in his 80s died overnight in hospital. Andrews said the state had recorded nine new cases overnight. As the prime minister, Scott Morrison, urges Australians to download its new Covid-19 tracing app it appears some MPs aren’t so keen. The Nine newspapers are reporting former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce is refusing to download the app. He’s quoted this morning as saying: “I treasure the government knowing as little about me as possible”. Others including the Labor MP Julian Hill told the paper he was not inclined to download it, but “may be persuaded” if privacy concerns were addressed. Morrison has said the app will not be mandatory, but the government wants more than 40% of Australians to download it to increase its effectiveness. On Saturday the government services minister, Stuart Robert, said there would be no surveillance, geo-location or tracking in the app. Good morning, it’s 19 April. Welcome to today’s live coverage of all things Covid-19. Here’s a quick wrap of what we learned yesterday: Australia recorded four new Covid-19 deaths. Three were in New South Wales; a 58-year-old woman, an 83-year-old Queensland man who died in Sydney and a 93-year-old man who was a resident of Newmarch House, an aged care facility where there has been an outbreak of the virus. A 74-year-old man also died in Tasmania’s Mersey hospital. The prime minister, Scott Morrison, said the government’s coronavirus contact tracing app would not be compulsory. The government services minister, Stuart Robert, said the app would not be a surveillance device. The Artania cruise ship departed Western Australia with 300 crew and 11 passengers on board. The Queensland government has offered $200m to struggling airline Virgin Australia, but with a number of conditions, including that the company keeps its headquarters in Brisbane. The deputy chief medical officer said as growth in new infections slowed, Australia needed to expand its testing regime to make it more proactive, rather than waiting for cases to present at hospitals and medical practices.