One in three phone calls to mental health service Beyond Blue are related to the coronavirus, former prime minister and Beyond Blue chair Julia Gillard has told breakfast television this morning.
Ms Gillard said the most common type of anxiety being reported was health related ("Am I going to get sick? Is my family going to get sick?") but other pressures were also having an effect.
"The financial pressure, losing a job, or a small business owner having to shut down something that they've put a lot of effort into building up and having to farewell staff that feel like a second family for them – all of that is putting extraordinary pressure on people," Ms Gillard told the ABC's News Breakfast. "People are, you know, sort of catastrophising the future. They can't see a way out."
Beyond Blue received $10 million in funding as part of the federal government's $1.1 billion package for health services announced on the weekend.
US President Donal Trump is due to hold a press conference at the White House at 8.30am, our time. We will bring you updates from that press conference as they come through.
Trump has continued blasting the media for what he contends is a biased portrayal of his administration's response to the virus, which has been particularly lagging in providing widespread coronavirus testing.
He touted the large viewership numbers of his near daily press conferences, saying the "Lamestream Media is going CRAZY".
The recriminations amongst politicians comes as the coronavirus outbreak worsens, with New York state as the epicentre and hotspots emerging in Los Angeles, New Orleans and Chicago, among other urban centres.
The US leads the world in confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 135,000, followed by Italy and China.
New York, which accounts for almost half of US cases, reported its largest single-day jump in deaths on Sunday at 237, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, bringing the state's death toll to 965.
AAP
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has denied new rules on foreign investment are designed to stop Chinese takeovers of struggling Australian businesses.
The changes, announced this morning, will see all foreign investment subject to approval by the Federal Investment Review Board, who will assess if it is in the "national interest".
"This is not [about] one particular country," Mr Frydenberg said on the ABC's News Breakfast this morning. "In fact, China last year was the fifth-largest foreign investor in Australia with investments of around $13 billion. This compares to the United States which was the leading foreign investor of $58 billion.
"What is very clear to us, and also to the European Union and other countries around the world, [is that] in these extraordinary times [we] need to more strictly assess the foreign investments that are coming into Australia."
Responding to reports of Chinese property developers bulk buying Australian medical supplies including face masks and hand sanitiser, Mr Frydenberg said: "Obviously I want to see these sort of products used for Australians. There's no doubt about that. But ... they didn't break the law."
The federal government has tightened foreign investment rules after global fears about the economic impact of the coronavirus caused the value of Australian businesses to fall.
There are concerns cashed-up foreign predators could take advantage of the fall in asset values fuelled by a massive slump on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The temporary change, which came into effect late on Sunday night, would protect Australia's national interest, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced.
From now all proposed foreign investments, subject to the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act, will require federal approval, regardless of value or the nature of the foreign investor.
"This is not an investment freeze. Australia is open for business and recognises investment at this time can be beneficial if in the national interest," Mr Frydenberg said in a statement this morning.
AAP
Looking back at the grim prediction we reported earlier this morning from the US:
Deaths from coronavirus in the US could reach 200,000 with millions of cases, the government's top infectious diseases expert has warned.
Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, estimated in an interview with CNN that the pandemic could cause between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths in the United States.
The death toll in the US topped 2400 on Sunday, after deaths on Saturday more than doubled from the level two days prior.
The US has now recorded more than 137,000 cases of COVID-19, the most of any country in the world.
In New York, the usually bustling city was quiet except for the sound of ambulance sirens.
"It feels very apocalyptic," said Quentin Hill, 27, of New York City. "It almost feels like we're in wartime."
New York state reported nearly 60,000 cases and a total of 965 deaths on Sunday, up 237 in the past 24 hours with one person dying in the state every six minutes.
Reuters
The government will reveal its wage subsidy plan later on Monday in a plan it says will keep workers "connected" to their employers during the coronavirus shutdowns.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg would not confirm the amount to be paid, but told television networks the details would be announced later on Monday.
"I am not going to confirm the number but there will be an announcement today," Mr Frydenberg told the ABC’s News Breakfast program on Monday morning.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says a wage subsidy package will be announced on Monday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
"What Australians have learnt through this crisis is the government has their back."
Government sources confirmed on Sunday the subsidy would cover a percentage of a worker's income, possibly as high as 70 or 80 per cent.
Seven News reported on Sunday night the "JobKeeper" payment would be worth $1500 per fortnight and would be paid to businesses through the tax system to encourage them to keep staff.
That amount would be equivalent to about 45 per cent of the full-time adult average weekly ordinary earnings.
"The announcement today is all about providing additional income support and keeping employees connected to their employer, because once we get to the other side of this we want the recovery to be as speedy as possible," Mr Frydenberg said.
The move accelerates the announcement because government sources indicated on the weekend the wage subsidy would not be unveiled until Tuesday or Wednesday.
Asked why the government had not gone down the path of the United Kingdom scheme to pay 80 per cent of a worker's wage, Mr Frydenberg said the UK was using a different system. "We’re using the tax system," he said.
After much confusion, last night public servants got the all clear to work from home.
Commonwealth Public Service Commissioner Peter Woolcott issued guidance to the departments on Sunday, instructing federal public servants that working remotely should be "a priority".
"Agency heads have always had the flexibility for employees to work at home subject to operational requirements," the advice reads. "But current circumstances mean as soon as practicable agency heads should facilitate their staff working from home where possible."
Prior to last night, there was no advice for public servants on whether they should be attending their offices. The directive comes after concern from unions, public servants and politicians.
You can read his full statement here.
The Premier, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos and Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton are due to hold a press conference at 8.30am.
We will bring you that press conference live.
Premier Daniel Andrews.Credit:Getty
The number of Australians who have contracted the coronavirus will top 4000 on Monday, with 16 deaths as of Sunday night after a Victorian man in his 80s and a 75-year-old Queensland woman who was a passenger on board the Ruby Princess cruise ship became the latest victims.
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was much less than it would have been without mitigation measures, and early signs of a flattening of the disease curve were welcome.
He said daily rates of increase, which were between 25 per cent and 30 per cent last week, were now in the "low teens".
"But it is not enough. We have to slow it further. We have to slow it further and we have to stop the thing that's worrying us most, which is community transmission," Professor Murphy said on Sunday evening.
Latest figures:
- Sixteen people have died in Australia from the virus - up two from Saturday (eight in NSW, four in Vic, two in WA, two in Qld)
- 3966 confirmed cases in Australia - up 331 since 3pm on Saturday
- NSW remains the worst hit with 1791 after 186 new cases were confirmed since Saturday.
- Victoria recorded 84 new cases, taking the state's total to 769.
- A Queensland woman died, while the state recorded an extra 31 cases, taking the total to 656.
- SA was up 12 to 299, while WA was up 33, to 311.
- ACT has six new cases and 77 in total, Tasmania is stable on 62 and the NT has 15.
The Prime Minister also announced a six-month ban on evictions of people as a "result of financial distress if they are unable to meet their commitments".
The moratorium on evictions applies for both commercial and residential tenants.
Cafes on Degraves Street in Melbourne closing last Monday.Credit:Joe Armao
Scott Morrison encouraged commercial tenants, landlords and financial institutions to sit down together to find a way to ensure that businesses can survive and be there "on the other side".
This is the advice to landlords and tenants:
- a short term, temporary moratorium on eviction for non-payment of rent to be applied across commercial tenancies impacted by severe rental distress due to coronavirus;
- tenants and landlords are encouraged to agree on rent relief or temporary amendments to the lease;
- the reduction or waiver of rental payment for a defined period for impacted tenants;
- the ability for tenants to terminate leases and/or seek mediation or conciliation on the grounds of financial distress;
- commercial property owners should ensure that any benefits received in respect of their properties should also benefit their tenants in proportion to the economic impact caused by coronavirus;
- landlords and tenants not significantly affected by coronavirus are expected to honour their lease and rental agreements; and
- cost-sharing or deferral of losses between landlords and tenants.
You can read the Prime Minister's full statement here.
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