Six more Victorians have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. As we heard about a week ago, a mental health worker had been diagnosed with the virus, which authorities were keeping an eye on, given their contacts. The Victorian health minister, Jenny Mikakos, confirmed a mental health facility (unnamed) had seen a cluster of cases, with 14 people linked to the facility, now diagnosed with Covid-19 “Five are patients, five are staff and four are household close contacts,” she said. “Further testing will be undertaken today to determine if there is any further spread.” 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. During the Sars epidemic, civet cats were thought to be one of the vectors which led to that virus being transmitted to humans. The evidence is very scant when it comes to Covid-19, but the World Health Organisation has previously said that cats don’t seem to be playing a major role in transmission to humans, but can catch the virus from people. Dogs, so far, seem to be OK. It is the first time in about three weeks that Tasmania has recorded no new cases. But given the devastation the virus can cause in that community particularly, Peter Gutwein has decided to extend the strict lockdown restrictions, which have been in place in the north-west, for another week. They had been due to be lifted this weekend. Gutwein says there needs to be more testing done, before they can risk it. That’s why today, following advice from Public Health, we have taken the extremely difficult decision to extend the additional restrictions, the additional retail restrictions that are in place on the north-west coast, out for another week until next Sunday, 3 May. It’s not a decision that is taken lightly. I know many in the north-west will be unhappy about this. But we need to get on top of this. We need to stamp this out. We need to crush this virus. We need to understand right across the community if this virus is there, and importantly to track and trace it aggressively. While there is certainly promising signs that the north-west is coming under control, an additional week of deeper testing will ensure that we have a very clear understanding of what’s occurring right across the coast and it will be our best opportunity to ensure that we have this outbreak completely under control and, importantly, if there are pockets to stamp them out as quickly as we possibly can. I would ask that the people of the north-west bear with us. But Peter Gutwein said there had been no new cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in Tasmania in the last 24 hours. He said that news, combined with the death of another Tasmanian, was conflicting: To the woman’s family, friends and loved ones – I’m sorry. On behalf of the government, I extend our condolences and sympathies to you all. To lose someone else is just an absolute tragedy. It brings the total to nine lives lost in the state to the virus in past months. As I’ve continually said, there will be bad days. But there will also be better days as well. Today, unfortunately, is another one of those bittersweet moments. To stand here and have to announce that we’ve lost another life is something that gives me deep concern and is, you know, again, something that I must admit troubles me deeply. I find it very difficult to do. However, what it does do, it sharpens my resolve to get on top of this and stamp out this insidious virus. National death toll rises to 77 Tasmania has recorded another death, after a 79-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed with Covid-19, passed away overnight. She is the ninth person to have died in Tasmania after contracting Covid-19. Anzac Day is going to look very different tomorrow, from what we have become used to since the Howard years. There will be no flag waving crowds, or thumping displays of nationalism. There will be commemorations and quiet reflections. And, of course, biscuits. The only answer here is chewy. Obviously. Unless you like bad biscuits. In which case, I cannot help you. Of all the sport hub ideas for a post-restrictions Australia, this really seems like a no-brainer: (via AAP) Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has backed a Victorian push to host a quarantine hub in a bid to restart the AFL season. All states and territories are being considered by the AFL to set-up a hub to ensure the competition resumes amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The AFL is weighing up whether to put together one hub for all 18 clubs, or spreading teams across Australia in multiple locations. Most states, including Western Australia through premier Mark McGowan, have already declared their interest in setting up a hub. But first-year Dockers mentor Longmuir believes Victoria would have an advantage over his home state with 14 days of quarantine required for anyone entering Western Australia. Travel restrictions between states are not in place for Victoria and NSW. In the meantime, I will continue to wish for NRL island to be a thing. Maybe forever. All signs point to schools resuming on-site learning by mid-May: Back on the carbon price, because it is something you are going to hear a lot about in coming months. Don’t expect the final term to include the words “carbon price”. Anthony Albanese, in his interview with the ABC, said the market had moved beyond what the Gillard-Rudd government had promoted: What I’m saying is that you did need a price signal a decade ago. There has been a change now so that renewables are not just competitive, they are, in fact, the cheapest form of new energy production. And in terms of what you have seen is a bizarre circumstance where by the government have been talking about subsidising a new coal-fired power station in north Queensland and indeed have made a substantial contribution for a company to study themselves whether their project is viable or not. That shows the way that the market itself has changed. The government hasn’t changed its rhetoric, and they need to do so. They need to listen to the science and acknowledge that we do need to act on climate change. We need to drive down our emissions and there are, indeed, advantages for employment in doing that. It is good environmental policy, but it is also good economic policy. While we are talking about the future, Mathias Cormann spoke to Laura Jayes this morning on Sky and repeated what Scott Morrison has been saying – higher taxes are not on the Coalition’s agenda. So everything is on the table, except that.