Coronavirus: Bolsonaro hides Brazil death figures, minister criticises Australian BLM protests – live updates
Brazil cumulative cases and deaths taken offline; Black Lives Matter demonstrators ‘reckless’; UK to partially reopen churches
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Australian Associated Press has more on the concerns Victorian health authorities have about cases potentially spreading as a result of a Black Lives Matter protest yesterday in Melbourne, parts of which have had several recent cases of community transmission.
The deputy chief health officer Annaliese van Diemen said on Sunday the Black Lives Matter protest in Melbourne had increased the risk for cases.
“In terms of potential outbreaks related to the protest, it really will be at least a week and probably closer to two weeks before we have an idea of whether there’s been any transmissions or outbreaks related to that,” van Diemen said. The impact will take its time to show due to incubation periods, people developing symptoms, getting tested and waiting for results, she said.
More than 10,000 protesters flooded Melbourne’s CBD on Saturday in a show of solidarity for the US Black Lives Matter movement and to call for an end to Aboriginal deaths in custody.
Victoria police will fine the Melbourne organisers $1,652 each for breaching the directions of the chief health officer amid the pandemic.
Organisers Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance posted online they were touched by supporters’ offers to pay their fines, but preferred the money be directed to families directly affected by deaths in custody.
A smaller, socially-distanced protest of about 20 people also went ahead outside of Frankston police station on Sunday morning.
While the wait is on to see what, if any impact, the mass protest has on infections, van Diemen urged people not to attend gatherings of more than 20 people as per the health directions.
Dr van Diemen didn’t attend the rally and refused to comment on the cause.
“I am not going to make comment on the cause,” she said. Van Diemen previously issued a controversial tweet where she likened the impact of Covid-19 to Captain Cook’s arrival in Australia.
Here is Press Association’s full report on the antibody treatment that is being developed by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Scientists say an injection of cloned antibodies could help treat people already infected.
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