4.15pm. See you tomorrow
That’s all from us today.
We’ll be back tomorrow from 8am to share more important community updates and information. See you then.
#ipswichtogether.
4.05pm. Beware COVID-19 scams
Scamwatch has received more than 1000 coronavirus-related scam reports since the outbreak, including phishing for personal information, online shopping, and superannuation scams.
“Scamwatch urges everyone to be cautious and remain alert to coronavirus-related scams,” they said on their website.
“Scammers are hoping that you have let your guard down.
“Do not provide your personal, banking or superannuation details to strangers who have approached you.
“Scammers may pretend to have a connection with you. So it’s important to stop and check, even when you are approached by what you think is a trusted organisation.”
Find out more about current COVID-19 scams on the Scamwatch website.
If you have been scammed or have seen a scam, you can also make a report on the Scamwatch website.
3pm. Helping internet providers support households and businesses
NBN Co recently announced it will establish a $150 million financial relief and assistance fund to help internet providers to support their residential and small and medium business customers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
NBN chief executive officer Stephen Rue said access to broadband services has never been more important, with many Australian households and businesses doing it tough due to COVID-19.
“As a national wholesale provider of broadband services, NBN has an important role to play in supporting internet providers connecting families with remote schooling needs for their children and keeping Australian households, small and medium businesses, as well as essential and emergency services connected,” Mr Rue said.
“The financial relief and assistance measures we have announced are about providing financial assistance to help internet providers support low-income households with school children at home who are not currently connected to the NBN. We want to do what we can to ensure all school children have access to the internet during this period.”
The NBN Co relief and assistance package will be made available to retailers in accordance with applicable terms and conditions from April to 30 September but it’s a matter for retailers to determine when and what offers they develop for their customers.
Breakdown of the package:
- $50 million will be directed to supporting low-income households with school aged children who do not currently have an active NBN connection at home.
- $50 million will help support small and medium businesses by providing internet providers with discounted access to new connections of specified wholesale business grade products to help them to maintain or re-establish their businesses, once this crisis passes.
- $50 million will be directed to relief measures for households suffering financial hardship due to COVID-19.
Find out more here: NBN Co creates COVID-19 relief and assistance package
2pm. International Space Station visible this evening
Here’s a great way to break up the isolation routine.
The International Space Station will pass over us tonight. If all is clear, it should be visible for a few minutes from 5.56pm approaching from the north-west.
1pm. Let’s keep moving
Ipswich City Council has produced a series of Active at Home videos, which will guide you through a number of fitness classes, from abs or lower body workouts to yoga and pilates.
See the full Active at Home series here and grab yourself a mat or a towel and a water bottle and get started.
Here’s a quick abs workout:
11.40am. Guidelines for property owners and tenants
The State Government has published a framework on the www.covid19.qld.gov.au website that sets out the process for interaction between property owners and tenants pending the development of an implementation guideline.
Minister for Housing and Public Works Mick de Brenni said that the government had taken into account concerns from Queensland property owners and tenants; and was bolstering its support to make sure that everyone could get through this difficult time.
“The guide will support owners on a range of COVID-19 issues along with free, impartial and expert conciliation from the Residential Tenancies Authority if parties need additional support to reach agreement,” he said.
“Tenants and property owners in significant financial distress are also being supported through a $20 million rental grant package, announced with the framework over a week ago.
“As a final step, amendments to the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act will be introduced in Parliament to enable the emergency measures.”
A summary of the guidelines includes:
- Threshold criteria to qualify for the application of the COVID-19 rental response, that includes a 25 per cent reduction in income, or where rent exceeds 30 per cent of the tenant’s income.
- Tenants can be asked to provide the same proof of finances to property managers just as they would when starting a tenancy.
- Clear guidance on access for the sale of the property, virtual rental inspections and access for essential repairs and maintenance.
- A 75 per cent income loss threshold before a tenant can end a tenancy with a 7-day cap on break lease fees.
- Limiting any extension on the term of a tenancy agreement during the COVID-19 period to September 30, 2020 unless agreed otherwise by the owner and tenant, or there is an appropriate ground to end the tenancy.
10.45am. Learning@home website currently unavailable
Education Queensland is currently working to get the learning@home website up and running after it crashed on the first day of at-home-learning in Queensland.
Education Queensland said high demand on some of the department’s web servers had caused the disruption to the learning@home website.
“Every effort is being made to restore services,” Education Queensland said in a social media post.
“The department is working with IT partners to resolve this issue urgently.
“We apologise for this short term interruption as we adapt to the learning at home model.
“Please remain patient as we work through it.”
10.15am. Queensland records no new cases overnight
Queensland has had zero new cases of COVID-19 overnight, with the total number of cases remaining steady at 1,019.
Health Minister Steven Miles said this was a fantastic result for Queensland.
“This is the reward for the effort we all put in over that Easter long weekend,” he said.
“It’s exactly where we hoped we could get to. Now we hope we can sustain it.”
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said Queenslanders will still need to follow restrictions for a while to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
“Queenslanders have heard the messages and are following them,” she said.
“Unfortunately, they’ll need to follow them for a while still to come.
“There are some things we can do, of course, and those are the things we will be looking at carefully. Where we can remove some of those restrictions that we feel won’t lead to a bounce back in those numbers of cases.”
9.25am. Need a coffee this morning?
Ipswich cafe Ellen and Rod has reopened its doors this week, after they closed last week while waiting for the results of a coronavirus test.
Fortunately, it came back negative and the cafe is back in action, serving takeaway food and coffees.
The cafe’s owners have thanked their customers for their generosity in a Facebook post – many of them have been paying it forward and buying free coffees for health workers during the COVID-19 crisis.
Check out these other great takeaway options in Ipswich to help support local business through these difficult times: Great Ipswich takeway food options
8.55am. How to keep your mob safe
Here’s five simple ways you can #keepourmobsafe and stay healthy, strong and connected during the coronavirus crisis:
8.30am. A back to school like no other
Students are back to school today for Term 2 today, sort of.
The school run will be considerably shorter as most children will only have to make it from their bedroom to the kitchen table.
For the next five weeks schools will be open only to vulnerable children, the children of essential workers and students in indigenous communities.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has praised families, teachers, principals and Education Department staff as Queensland prepares for a Back to School like no other.
An heroic effort in homes and schools has readied students to learn from home to further curb the risks of COVID-19 with support measures including:
- An initial extra 5,254 laptops for families in need
- 5,000 simcards
- 4,000 dongles and hot spots
- New and repurposed laptops, iPads and internet devices from the resources industry and
- Two new hotlines for state school (1800 570 793) and early childhood families (1800 454 639) for information and support
The Premier said no family needs to feel alone.
“Our teachers and principals are there to help – just as they’ve always been,” the Premier said.
“Help is there when you need it.”
8am. Monday, 20 April 2020. No new cases in West Moreton
West Moreton Health has had no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of April.
The region’s confirmed cases have stayed at 37.
Of these 37 patients, 11 are still active and 26 have recovered.
State-wide there was 14 new confirmed cases over the weekend raising the state total to 1019.
Queensland Health can confirm a sixth Queenslander has passed away from COVID-19.
The 83-year-old man passed away in New South Wales. The man contracted the disease after recently returning from a cruise.
Of the 1019 patients, 22 of these are being treated in hospital, 8 of these are in ICU.
There are 275 active cases and 738 have recovered.
Six people have died of the disease in Queensland.
These numbers are provided to give the public an indication of how the virus is spreading and being managed in the state.
Queensland Health have advised that there have been small changes in the total numbers of confirmed or recovered cases since the last report: this is expected as data is clarified throughout the day.
Contact tracing is underway for the new cases.
Queensland Health will notify the community if any other public health alerts are required.
The majority of cases are from patients who have travelled overseas, or have had direct contact with a confirmed case who had travelled overseas.
The number of confirmed cases we see each day is expected to vary as Queensland Health continue to respond to the COVID-19 situation across the state.
“We want everyone to know they can play their part to protect themselves and the more vulnerable in our community,” a spokesperson said.
“Please follow the recommended advice from us and our federal counterparts in regards to social distancing, public gatherings and general wellbeing.
“Critically, make sure you are practising good hygiene and staying home, especially if you’re sick.
“Washing your hands properly and often is the gold standard of health advice that can help prevent viruses from entering your body.”
A person will generally be tested if they have a fever (or history of fever) or acute respiratory symptoms, and, in the last 14 days:
- they were a close contact or a household contact of a confirmed case
- they had been overseas, including on a cruise.
- Testing may also be done for people who have a fever (or history of fever) or acute respiratory symptoms, AND:
- work in vulnerable settings such as healthcare, aged or residential care, military, a school or child care, correction facilities, detention centres and boarding schools.
- live in Brisbane, Gold Coast or Cairns
- live in or travelled from a COVID-19 hotspot
- live in or travelled from another state
- live in a First Nations community.
Queensland Health is urging anyone who meets this criteria for testing, to contact a doctor immediately.
Before your appointment, please call ahead and advise of your symptoms and recent travel they can prepare for your visit.
