O75 Public Administration

Doctor caught in coronavirus firing line

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Original article by Yoni Bashan, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 3-Mar-20

The global death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 3,087, with the US reporting its sixth death; more than 90,000 people worldwide have now been diagnosed with the illness. The number of people in Australia who have contracted the virus has risen to 33; a doctor is among two people who have been infected via person-to-person transmission within the local community rather than while they were overseas. Health Minister Greg Hunt and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy have warned that it is now impossible to contain the virus.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

Australia most exposed to virus: Trump adviser

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 2-Mar-20

Kevin Hassett, the former chairman of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, has forecast that the Chinese economy will contract by 10 per cent in the March 2020 quarter. He adds that China’s economic growth will return to normal if the coronavirus outbreak is quickly contained, but he warns that Australia faces the prospect of a recession if the outbreak is not brought under control by the start of the northern hemisphere’s summer. The US has introduced new travel restrictions on people who have recently visited Iran, while the nation has reported its first confirmed death from the virus.

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Employer warning on wage reforms

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 2-Mar-20

ACTU secretary Sally McManus has criticised a proposal to allow workers to trade off penalty rates in return for higher basic wages. Fair Work Commission president Iain Ross has raised the prospect of extending ‘loaded rates’ in enterprise agreements to workers who are covered by industry awards. Employers’ groups have expressed support for the proposal, but some warn that it will not succeed if the FWC continues to adopt a ‘technical approach’ to approving enterprise agreements.

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AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Virus strikes: first Aussie dies

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Richard Ferguson, Sarah Elks, Victoria Laurie, Lachlan Moffet Gray
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 2-Mar-20

The global death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 3,001, and more than 87,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the respiratory illness. Meanwhile, Australia has recorded its first death from the virus, with 78-year-old James Kwan passing away after contracting it on the ‘Diamond Princess’ cruise ship. A total of 28 Australians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus, including several who had visited Iran. Federal cabinet’s national security committee will meet in coming days to review the effectiveness of the government’s plan for dealing with a pandemic.

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Chinese economy takes a record hit

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Original article by Will Glasgow, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 2-Mar-20

The impact of the coronavirus on China’s manufacturing sector has been highlighted by the nation’s latest purchasing managers index data. The index fell from 50 to just 35.7 in January, and it is now below the levels recorded at the height of the global financial crisis. The virus outbreak resulted in the temporary closure of factories across China, and while some have resumed production, many remained closed. China’s economic growth slowed to 6.1 per cent in 2019.

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Global pandemic upon us: PM

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Feb-20

The coronavirus outbreak has not yet been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, but the federal government believes it is only a matter of time. Only 23 Australians have contracted the virus to date, and eight of them were on the cruise ship ‘Diamond Princess’; however, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the nation needs to prepare for a pandemic. The government has advised that it will provide ‘targeted’ financial assistance to sectors that have been affected by the coronavirus, such as education, tourism, exporters and small business. This may further jeopardise the prospect of a Budget surplus for 2019-20.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Everyone will get the virus

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Natasha Robinson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Feb-20

The global death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 2,814, and more than 82,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the respiratory illness. The federal government has responded to the growing crisis by extending its ban on direct travel from mainland China for another week, while it recently activated an emergency response plan. Meanwhile, Professor Ian Mackay from the University of Queensland doubts that the coronavirus can be contained and warns that it will most likely become endemic. He adds that most people will become infected with the coronavirus at some stage, and for most people the symptoms will be no worse than a bad head cold.

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UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

Coronavirus to hit budget and income growth

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 28-Feb-20

Modelling by Deloitte Access Economics suggests that the coronavirus could see growth in national income fall from 6.4 per cent to just two per cent in the first half of 2020. This would have a $5.9bn impact on the domestic economy, with the tourism and education sectors being particularly hard hit. Meanwhile, economists have downgraded their GDP growth forecasts for the December quarter after data showed that there was a 2.8 per cent decline in capital expenditure during the period. Economists had expected growth of 0.5 per cent.

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DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

Airlines set for worst since GFC

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Original article by Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 27-Feb-20

CAPA-Centre for Aviation chairman Peter Harbison says the coronavirus will have a major impact on the global aviation sector if it is not contained quickly. He warns that if the virus outbreak becomes a pandemic, it will have the biggest impact on aviation since the global financial crisis. The International Air Transport Association estimates that the coronavirus will reduce the earnings of Asia-Pacific airlines by $US27.8bn in 2020.

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CAPA – CENTRE FOR AVIATION, INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

Virus, fires: 1.5 million visitors lost

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Original article by Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 27-Feb-20

A draft report from Deloitte Access Economics has highlighted the impact of the summer bushfires and the coronavirus outbreak on the Australian economy. The tourism industry is expected to be particularly hard hit, with the number of international visitors forecast to decline by 10-15 per cent in 2020. Adele Labine-Romain of Deloitte Access Economics warns that the coronavirus will have an impact across the economy unless it is contained quickly. Meanwhile, the federal government will shortly decide whether to extend its travel ban on visitors from mainland China; the ban could potentially be extended to countries such as Japan and South Korea.

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DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD