VIRUS DISEASES – AUSTRALIA

CSL to step up flu vaccine production

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Original article by Jared Lynch
The Australian – Page: 15 : 20-Apr-20

CSL subsidiary Seqirus will produce an additional two million doses of the influenza vaccine, amid strong demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Danielle Dowell of Seqirus says the company is set to supply a record number of flu shots during the 2020 flu season, and stresses that consumers should call their pharmacy or medical clinic ahead of time to ensure that the vaccine is available. The federal government will provide 13.5 million free flu shots via its National Immunisation Program. The flu vaccine does not provide protection against the coronavirus.

CORPORATES
CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, SEQIRUS PTY LTD, SIGMA HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX SIG, AUSTRALIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED – ASX API

ABC’s cash-for-Covid doctor slammed for seeking access to federal GP advisory contract

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Original article by Greg Brown, Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 3 : 20-Apr-20

Dr Norman Swan, the host of ABC Radio National’s ‘The Health Report’, has been accused of a ‘conflict of interest’ by federal Liberal MP Craig Kelly. This follows reports that a company of which Swan is a director was trying to secure a contract for an advertising campaign funded by the federal government to promote awareness of COVID-19 among GPs at the same time that Swan was criticising the government’s strategy on the virus. Kelly claims Swan’s predictions about the impact of COVID-19 had been shown to be "alarmist and hopelessly wrong".

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Jobless blow will be worst since 1930s

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 20-Apr-20

A report from the Grattan Institute has forecast that jobs in the hospitality, arts and recreation, retail and education sectors will be hardest hit by the coronavirus and the measures that have been deployed to contain it. The public policy think tank estimates that 14-26 per cent of Australian workers will soon be out of work, or up to 3.4 million people. In addition, the Grattan Institute warns that the JobKeeper scheme will not prevent the unemployment rate from rising to 10-15 per cent.

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GRATTAN INSTITUTE

BCA plan aims to accelerate recovery

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 20-Apr-20

The Business Council of Australia has developed a three-tier plan for restarting the domestic economy when coronavirus lockdown restrictions start to be eased. Amongst other things, the discussion paper proposes a gradual resumption of office-based work, with appropriate health and safety measures to protect workers. The BCA has also called for regulatory and industrial relations reforms to boost economic activity, while it says the focus of government assistance should shift to accelerating the economy rather than keeping it on ‘life support’.

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BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Mine workers drive the great COVID migration

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 20-Apr-20

It is estimated that around 5,000 workers have had to relocate interstate over the past month to overcome coronavirus restrictions on the movement of people between states. More than 900 BHP workers have relocated to Western Australia, while around 800 of Rio Tinto’s fly-in, fly-out workers have relocated indefinitely, and most of them have moved to WA. Trevor Hart, KPMG’s global head of mining, says the current situation presents an opportunity for both the resources sector and the WA government to persuade affected workers to move permanently to the state.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO HOLDINGS LIMITED, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, OZ MINERALS LIMITED – ASX OZL, NEW CENTURY RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NCZ

Crown pays out $205m as staff languish

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 17-Apr-20

Crown Resorts CEO Ken Barton says a new $1bn debt financing deal will assist the group to ride out the impact of the coronavirus lockdown and complete work on its Barangaroo casino in Sydney. Crown has stood down some 11,500 employees since closing down its Melbourne and Perth casinos in late March, while it has confirmed that shareholders will receive the previously-declared interim dividend of $0.30 per share. Rival casino operator The Star Entertainment Group has stood down 8,500 employees and deferred its interim dividend. Both companies have registered for the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, THE STAR ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX SGR

Long road to life without Covid

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-Apr-20

International modelling shows that Australia has a coronavirus detection rate of 84 per cent, compared with 12 per cent for the US and just 3.6 per cent for the UK. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has indicated that lockdown restrictions are likely to remain in place for at least another four weeks. He has outlined a three-stage process for easing the restrictions; this will be based on increased testing for the virus, improved tracing of virus cases and action to contain coronavirus ‘hotspots’. Morrison argues that easing the restrictions too soon risks further infections, with resulting health and economic consequences.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

PM flags business growth plan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 17-Apr-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told a meeting of the national cabinet that pro-growth economic policy measures will be required in the post-coronavirus environment. He has stressed that business rather than government will lead the economic recovery, so there will be a need for policies that encourage employers to invest in their business and to hire people. Morrison has also raised the prospect that some of the policies that the Coalition took to the May 2019 election might need to be shelved. Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott has expressed support for Morrison’s pro-business focus.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Virus shorts electricity demand

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 13 & 20 : 16-Apr-20

RepuTex has forecast that demand across Australia’s national electricity market will fall by 22.5 per cent in May due to the coronavirus lockdown. The consultancy also warns that wholesale electricity spot prices could fall below $40 per megawatt hour, which in turn could result in high-cost coal-fired power stations operating at a loss. The wholesale spot price has already fallen to around $45/MWh in most states, although RepuTex says this could rise to around $60/MWh in June if lockdown restrictions begin to ease.

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REPUTEX AUSTRALIA PACIFIC PTY LTD

Hope as recoveries outpace new cases

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Original article by Jill Margo, Edmund Tadros, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 16-Apr-20

The global death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 134,007; more than 2,073,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the respiratory illness. There are 6,447 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Australia, and the nation’s death toll has risen to 63. However, just 47 new cases were reported nationwide on 15 April, while the number of people who have recovered from the virus is estimated to have increased by 90. Experts warn that the rate of infection could rise again, particularly if lockdown measures are relaxed too soon.

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