Victorian Premier Andrews has been asked a whole bunch of times about the statements from Victoria’s hotel quarantine director Emma Cassar, made over the weekend.
However, the man, who has remained anonymous, reportedly told The Age from his bed in hospital that he had been given permission on two occasions to use the device.
Over the weekend, Ms Cassar said the man was “not lying”, but she stood by the health authority’s account at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
Mr Andrews was asked about this a number of times at this morning’s press conference, but kept telling reporters that he had “nothing to add” to her statements — or variations of that phrasing.
However, the man, who has remained anonymous, reportedly told The Age from his bed in hospital that he had been given permission on two occasions to use the device.
Over the weekend, Ms Cassar said the man was “not lying”, but she stood by the health authority’s account at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
Mr Andrews was asked about this a number of times at this morning’s press conference, but kept telling reporters that he had “nothing to add” to her statements — or variations of that phrasing.
Here’s one of the more recent iterations of that statement from Mr Andrews:
“I’m not adding to what the director of hotel quarantine has made clear.”And I think in very, very clear terms.”All of my comments have been on the advice provided by CQV.”She has gone to each of these matters and I don’t propose to add to the comments she has made.”
NSW on its 29th-straight day with no new local cases
Let’s go back to the sky blue state of NSW for a moment, because that lot have just reached 29 days in a row with no new locally acquired cases. Here’s what NSW Health’s Jeremy McAnulty had to say in a video posted to Twitter earlier:
“While this milestone is pleasing, it does not mean we can drop our guard.“Cases are present in other states and across the Tasman, as well as being regularly detected among international arrivals.
“It is vital that we continue to follow public health advice and continue to maintain social distancing and good hygiene, wear masks on public transport, and come forward for testing with even the mildest of symptoms.”
What about at-home quarantine?
Mr Andrews was asked about the possibility of people quarantining at home. He said that he couldn’t make that call, sying “different states might have different views”.
Here’s what else he said:”If we had done that, you would have had the borders closed from every other state because other states would have said, that is not the National Cabinet plan.
“If a heavily regulated environment, albeit a concentrated environment, but happily regulated environment is struggling not just here but in Brisbane and Perth and all over the country with the UK strain particularly, and indeed some hotel quarantine.
“Sydney and Adelaide have struggled with the less infectious one, the one that is… harder to get.”I don’t know we would be better placed, if we went to people almost on an honesty policy.”