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Here's is a wrap of today's major stories:-
- NSW health has confirmed a third case of COVID-19 at Liverpool Hospital, with the contact tracing team working to identify how this person and one of the other two staff members acquired the virus.
NSW Health has confirmed a third staff member at Liverpool Hospital has contracted COVID-19, with the contact tracing team working to identify how this person and one of the other two acquired the virus.
One of the first two cases, confirmed earlier this week, is linked to a known cluster.
People are advised to monitor themselves for symptoms and get tested should even the mildest symptoms develop if they were at Liverpool Hospital from 7am to 3pm on Thursday, August 6; from 7am to 3pm on Friday, August 7; and between 5am and 1.30pm on Saturday, August 8, and Sunday, August 9.
"There is no evidence that there is ongoing risk in the hospital, and patients should continue to visit to receive the medical care they need," a statement from the health department said.
Earlier today, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews estimated 250,000 jobs would be lost in stage four restrictions.
Figures released on this evening show retail was estimated to be hardest hit, with 75,000 jobs tipped to be lost.
Wholesale trade was also expected to take a significant hit (29,250 jobs); as was financial and insurance services (27,000); manufacturing (22,500); professional, scientific and technical services (17,750); and construction (16,500).
Further breakdowns:-
NSW Police are examining whether Tangara School for Girls breached COVID-19 protocols after a coronavirus cluster associated with the school expanded to 20 cases on Thursday.
One case linked to the Tangara cluster was reported among the state's 12 new coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 24 hours.
The school community has been asked not to speak to the media but one Tangara parent anonymously reported alleged breaches of COVID-19 protocols to radio station 2GB on Thursday morning.
The parent told host Ben Fordham that weekly primary school choirs were still being held without social distancing and that compulsory Mass had continued, with students and teachers taking communion.
The parent also said school assemblies were not following social distancing guidelines and that high school students ran a primary school food stall last Wednesday.
Read the full story from Natassia Chrysanthos and Matt Bungard here.
The Victorian health department has released data that shows how many active coronavirus cases there are in each of the state's 600-plus postcodes.
We received this data last Thursday too, which means it's possible to see which areas have recorded the biggest increases in active coronavirus cases.
Active case numbers have grown by 30 or more in three postcodes in Melbourne's north and west - 3021 (St Albans), 3429 (Sunbury) and 3020 (Sunshine).
In Northcote (postcode 3070) there are currently 59 active cases, up from 33 on week ago. And in Yarraville active case numbers have almost doubled in the past week, going from 26 to 50.
You can find out how many active coronavirus cases there are in your postcode using this interactive map.
Manila: The Philippines plans to launch clinical trials for a Russian coronavirus vaccine in October after Russia became the first country to grant regulatory approval for one, drawing safety concerns over the frantic pace of its development.
President Rodrigo Duterte expected to be inoculated as early as May 2021, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.
Phase-three clinical trials in the Philippines are due to run from October to March 2021, after a panel of vaccine experts completes its review on Russia's phase one and two trials in September, Roque told a briefing.
A Brazilian technology institute said on Wednesday it expected to produce the controversial Sputnik V coronavirus Russian vaccine by the second half of 2021, shortly after the state of Parana signed a memorandum of understanding with Moscow. Jorge Callado, director of Parana's Technology Institute known as Tecpar, said Parana would likely participate in the phase-three testing, subject to Brazilian regulatory authorisation.
I'm signing off now to put the baby to bed. He's turning one tomorrow so I'll be whipping up his first birthday cake in the kitchen tonight!
There were some promising signs with today's COVID-19 numbers. Let's hope the Victorian cases continue their downward trend and NSW cases remain low.
I'm going to be handing over to Ashleigh McMillan for the rest of this evening's coverage.
Please take care of yourselves and thanks for joining me today.
Solomon Lew's Premier Investments has defied the coronavirus pandemic's hit to the retail sector with a forecast record profit for the 2019-20 financial year helped by strong online sales and millions claimed in JobKeeper subsidies and rent waivers.
In a trading update released on Thursday, Premier said it expects its full-year earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to be between $184.8 million and $185.8 million, about an 11 per cent increase on the prior year.
This record figure is despite an 18 per cent, or $106 million, decline in sales across the second half of the financial year after the retailer's stores were shut for two months due to COVID-19 and the business stood down 9000 staff.
The forecast profit figures are well ahead of consensus forecasts, which predicted the company's full-year EBIT to be around $121 million. Shares soared as much as 12 per cent following the update but eased in late trade to be up 6.7 per cent at $18.05.
Read more: Solomon Lew's Premier to post record profit thanks to JobKeeper, online sales
A growing virtual reality travel market is taking off in Japan (where else!) for holidaymakers grounded by coronavirus restrictions.
Grounded travellers sit in first or business class seats in a mock airline cabin where they are served in-flight meals and drinks, with flat panel screens displaying aircraft exterior views including passing clouds.
Virtual reality goggles provide immersive tours at destinations including - as well as Italy's cities of culture - Paris, New York, Rome and Hawaii.
Read more: First Airlines fly grounded Japanese tourists business class to Italy
Mounting evidence suggests the vast majority of COVID-19 cases may be spread by as little as 10 per cent or fewer of those infected.
Analysis of contact-tracing data in Hong Kong linked 80 per cent of the city's infections back to just 20 per cent of those infected. A similar study using genomic data in Israel found between 1 per cent and 10 per cent of infected individuals were responsible for 80 per cent of the spread of the virus.
If that bears out across all countries, that marks COVID-19 out as unique from other viruses, such as the flu, which tend to spread evenly.
It also means the much-watched "R number" – the reproduction number, which represents how many people each sick person passes the virus on to on average – is a less effective measure of the epidemic, as a small group of people are doing a disproportionate amount of spreading.
Read more: Super-spreaders could be key to controlling COVID-19