Coronavirus Australia news: Leading epidemiologist says it's critical to isolate air circulating between hotel rooms and corridors

That's all we have time for today blog friends. 

Not a whole lot of news today, but plenty of questions as always. 

Thank-you to everyone who was on our blog today, 

We will be back again tomorrow to do it all again.

Until next time, stay safe and be well.

WA Premier mark McGowan has announced no new cases were recorded locally or in hotel quarantine.

You can watch it on the live stream at the top of the page.

Will there be WA press conference today?

-Marky Mark

Thousands of US marines will begin arriving in the Northern Territory within days as part of an annual training rotation, the Department of Defence has confirmed.

About 2,200 marines will arrive in Darwin from the United States between now and June this year, arriving in batches of 200-500 marines.

The Department of Defence says each marine will have to do a coronavirus test within 72 hours of their departure and show a negative result before boarding the plane to Australia.

After they touch down in the Northern Territory, the marines will have to do another COVID-19 test and then undertake 14 days of quarantine. Before leaving quarantine, each person will be tested again for COVID-19.

To accommodate the large group, the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) unit has rented a secure facility outside the NT capital for most of the US arrivals to quarantine in.

The first two groups, however, will quarantine in isolated accommodation on an unnamed Australian Defence base.

Not a question but just wanted to say thank you for the hard work on this blog

-Thank you Mick

Any news on the WA boarders to Vic?

-Vic boarders

Hello blog friend.

WA regards Victoria as 'low risk' which means anyone entering WA from Victoria must:

• Before travelling to WA, complete a mandatory G2G PASS registration and declaration.
• You should wear a mask as directed.
• On arrival at Perth Airport, complete a health screening.
• Scan your G2G PASS and then verify you have suitable premises for self-quarantine.
• If you have suitable premises, enter self-quarantine for 14 days. If not, you will be directed to enter a Government-approved quarantine facility at your own expense for 14 days.
• You must present for a COVID-19 test on Day 11 if still in WA.

New Zealand health authorities said on Saturday they were investigating a new community coronavirus infection, the fourth in two weeks among people who completed mandatory isolation at an Auckland quarantine facility for returned overseas travellers.

The new case was diagnosed in a person self-isolating at home in Hamilton, a city in the North Island of New Zealand, who was released from a two-week hotel quarantine on Jan. 30 after testing negative twice for the virus.

"We consider the public health risk to be low and people in and around Hamilton should not be alarmed," Director of Public Health Caroline McElnay said.

"We are acting out of an abundance of caution. We are not advising any restrictions or cancellations of events."

The ministry has recently required all travellers who completed the 14-day quarantine at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland to self-isolate for five more days at home.

Genome sequencing has been carried out to determine if the case has the South African COVID-19 variant, which was reported in three other cases linked to the hotel. Those were New Zealand's first cases of COVID-19 in the community in months.

Reuters

Why aren't the number of visitors allowed consistent across the states? Melbourne had 28 days of zero cases, then one case reduces us to 15 visitors. Did Adelaide's, Perth's and Brisbane's situations lead to the same visiting restrictions?

-Missing a party

I don't really have an answer to the first part of the question. 

Each state has its own government with its own advice. 

Perth had one case and went into this week's lockdown.

Greater Brisbane recently has a three-day lockdown.

Hiiiii
If i am travelling from melb to qld and then going straight to my accom in nsw, do I need to get a test in qld and isolate? I would prefer not to as I am only flying into qld and then getting a private car straight to nsw. I haven't been to any exposure sites and according to nsw I don't need to do anything in that case.
Thanks :)

-mia

Hi Mia. 

I believe this should be fine, but I would encourage you to phone the Queensland Government's COVID-19 hotline. 

134 COVID (13 42 68)

Don't forget to dial 07 before the number.

Perth and the Peel and South West regions are in their first full day one out of a snap lockdown that was sparked last Sunday after a hotel quarantine security guard tested positive for COVID-19.

After five days of no local cases, the lockdown ended at 6:00pm yesterday, with the south west region going back to normal while some restrictions for Perth and the Peel region remain in place.

Masks have to be worn in public and at work until next weekend, unless engaged in vigorous exercise.

Businesses and venues can open, except for the casino and nightclubs, and the four square metre capacity rule is back along with a limit of 150 people.

Georgie Crozier, the Opposition spokesperson on health, says the Victorian Government's "backflip" on masks at the Australian Open is an embarrassment.

"There's one rule for the Australian Open and another rule for the rest of us," she said.

She said the Government was making rules up on the fly.

"Victorians want to be safe and they want consistency," she said.

"They don't want these double standards and ongoing hypocrisy from the Government where they're making up the rules on the fly."

Reporting by Kathy Lord.

The Victorian Government says it will leave no stone unturned as investigations continue into the source of recent positive coronavirus cases in hotel quarantine, which appear to have spread from within the revamped program.

A review into hotel ventilation has been ordered, all staff must now wear face shields and surgical masks, while meal deliveries are being staggered.

The Government has also removed 140 rooms out of the hotel quarantine system to create a buffer between rooms.

Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said the hotels selected for the quarantine do not share air between rooms or common areas.

"We have employed an occupation physician, a specialist in this very specialised area and they will work with the engineers on looking at each of the hotel's ventilation systems," she said.

can we have a link to the victorian press conference for today please?

-lara

Sure Lara.

There are just two active cases in the state, both in quarantine. 

The New South Wales government has given the go-ahead for a World Surf League Championship tour event to be held in Newcastle. 

The event, to start on April 1, has been moved from Bells Beach in Victoria, to Merewether Beach, due to COVID-19. 

Event spokesman, Andrew Stark, says the state government has given approval for a chartered flight of international competitors to land in Sydney.

"Our international athletes will go into a full quarantine period, a full lockdown," he said.

"That actually enables us to run the world tour, we need to get started again, we need to get pro-surfing going."