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Western Australia Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery and vaccine commander Chris Dawson will make an announcement from 11.30am WST, or 1.30pm AEST.

Watch the video live below.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described the blind trust associated with Industry Minister Christian Porter as “not ordinary arrangements” but would not say whether he could keep his cabinet position if he returned any anonymous donations.

In a flurry of media interviews on Friday morning, Mr Morrison stuck to his position that he would not make a decision on Mr Porter’s future until he received departmental advice about whether he breached ministerial standards by taking anonymous donations through the trust for his legal fees.

Industry Minister Christian Porter.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

“He only, most recently as I’m aware, became aware of becoming a beneficiary and that beneficiary payment becomes available to him,” Mr Morrison told the ABC.

“These are not ordinary arrangements and that’s why we’re seeking to have a full understanding of them.”

Mr Morrison is expected to receive the advice within the coming week.

Little is publicly known about the “Legal Services Trust”, which Mr Porter declared this week had made a part contribution to his legal fees in his since-discontinued defamation action against the ABC.

In an update to his register of interests on Tuesday, Mr Porter stated: “I have no access to information about the conduct and funding of the trust.”

Mr Porter did not disclose the size of the donation he received through the trust, and is yet to comment publicly about whether he knows who set up the trust or if he has sought to find out.

Asked on 2GB radio whether Mr Porter could keep his job if he paid back the money, Mr Morrison again referred to the forthcoming advice.

“Well, I’m just taking some advice on those arrangements and the ministerial guidelines, and that’s what’s occurring at the moment. And I know Christian’s looking carefully at those things as well. And, so, we’ll allow that to take place,” he told 2GB.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese repeated his calls for Mr Porter to be sacked on Friday.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr says a number of residential construction sites in the territory have been shut down, after authorities identified significant breaches of COVID-19 safety requirements.

“WorkSafe ACT were out in force across Canberra yesterday,” Mr Barr said during Friday’s coronavirus update.

“Alarmingly, the commissioner reported a number of significant breaches of the COVID-safe requirements on residential construction sites.

“These breaches are unforgivable.

“They have put employees and the general community at risk. It’s simply not good enough, and the sites have been shut down.”

Mr Barr said 12 vehicles were turned around at checkpoints at border crossings between NSW and the ACT on Thursday.

The territory reached 76.3 per cent of its eligible population having received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 52.3 per cent of the population having received their second doses, he said.

Good afternoon and thank you for reading our live coverage of the day’s events. If you’re just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:

NSW has recorded 1284 new COVID-19 cases and 12 more deaths, as the state announced a home quarantine trial for returned travellers. Among the 12 deaths were two people in their 20s: a woman from western Sydney who had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but had underlying health conditions, and a woman from the Life Without Barriers group home in Wyong. She acquired her infection at the home and was not vaccinated.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres and Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Marianne Gale provide a COVID-19 update. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Of the remaining 10 deaths in NSW, three people were in their 50s, one person was in their 60s, two people were in their 70s, three people were in their 80s, and one person was in their 90s. Seven of the 12 people who died were not vaccinated, two people had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and three people were fully vaccinated. There are 1245 COVID-19 cases admitted to NSW hospitals, 228 of whom are in intensive care. Of those, 112 people are on ventilators.

The state will today reach a milestone of 50 per cent of people aged 16 and over being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Seventy per cent of that age group have received a first dose.

Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres on Friday.Credit:Rhett Wyman

NSW Transport Minister Stuart Ayres outlined a home quarantine trial in the state for travellers returning from overseas to Sydney that will start at the end of this month. It will allow 175 full-vaccinated people to isolate for seven days (down from 14 days) at home instead of in a hotel. The participants will be selected by NSW Health and may include NSW residents, non-Australian residents and Qantas air crew.

Mr Ayres said the home quarantine trial was a critical step in limiting the use of hotel quarantine, and “we are sending a really clear signal that the future of hotel quarantine will end for people [who] are double vaccinated.” Only people who are vaccinated with a jab approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration will be selected for the trial.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley.Credit:Simon Schluter

A Victorian woman in her 50s has died with COVID-19 and the state recorded 510 new local cases on Friday, as the 70 per cent first-dose vaccination milestone for people aged 16 and over was reached. Most of the new cases are in Melbourne’s north and west. Health Minister Martin Foley said 208 people are in hospital with COVID-19, 49 are in intensive care and 32 are on ventilators.

Mr Foley also said a baby is in intensive care with COVID-19. The child is under the age of one, Mr Foley said, and he did not know if they had any other underlying conditions.

Victoria is preparing for a slight easing of COVID-19 restrictions from Saturday as small outdoor gatherings are permitted for two unvaccinated (or single-dosed) people from different households, or up to five people from two different households if everyone over 18 is fully vaccinated.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Queensland recorded one low-risk case of COVID-19, the household contact of an earlier case who has been in isolation for their entire infectious period. The state government’s “Pfizer weekend” vaccination push begins from Friday, with vaccinations being offered to people attending the NRL semi-final between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Sydney Roosters in Mackay. The Pfizer jab is now available in Queensland to everybody aged 60 and over, and will also be available to West Australians in that age group from Monday.

The ACT has recorded 30 new COVID-19 cases, 14 of whom were infectious in the community. Another 12 cases were in isolation during their infectious period, leaving the isolation status of four cases unknown. Eight people are in hospital, one of whom is in intensive care. “It is clear that is not a good number ... a case number that is simply too high,” ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said. “While we have a high number of cases infectious in the community, our case numbers will continue to grow.”

Patients wait in line for the vaccine.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

National cabinet will meet today to discuss a raft of COVID-19 measures, including home quarantine for Australians returning from overseas, and mandatory vaccinations for all healthcare workers (not just aged care staff, as previously mandated). Home quarantine is regarded as a key plank of the plan to resume international travel for Australians. States including NSW, WA and Tasmania have already made immunisation a work requirement for healthcare workers, and Victoria has plans to follow.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at yesterday’s joint press conference with US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.Credit:AAP

China has reacted angrily to the announcement of a defence pact between Australia, the US and the UK, the AUKUS alliance, under which Australia will acquire its first fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. The deal is aimed implicitly at countering China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific and includes a commitment to work together on cyber defences, artificial intelligence, missile capabilities and supply chains.

This is Michaela Whitbourn signing off on the blog for today. My colleague Cassandra Morgan will keep you informed of the latest news throughout the afternoon and evening.

Victorians booked in for a COVID-19 vaccine in the city tomorrow should still be able to get their jabs, despite police closing down public transport and setting up checkpoints in an effort to stem an anti-lockdown protest.

Victoria Police made the call to shut public transport into the city down from 8am to 2pm on Saturday to try and prevent protestors from coming into the CBD.

Victorians booked in for a vaccine in the city tomorrow will still be able to get their jabs.Credit:Eddie Jim

The state’s COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said police will be setting up checkpoints, and will allow people who have booked to get vaccinated to come in.

He said 2,700 vaccinations have been booked in at Jeff’s Shed and the Royal Exhibition Building on Saturday.

“People who are coming in for those vaccinations will be able to cross police checkpoints with evidence of their appointment,” Mr Weimar said.

On vaccinations, Health Minister Martin Foley said 80,000 bookings were made at state-run facilities yesterday.

More pop-up sites have opened as well, including one at a plaza in Dandenong, one at the Hallam mosque, and at Eastland shopping centre.

The ACT has recorded 30 new COVID-19 cases, 14 of whom were infectious in the community.

“It is clear that is not a good number,” ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.

“While we have a high number of cases infectious in the community, our case numbers will continue to grow.”

Another 12 cases were in isolation during their infectious period, leaving the isolation status of four cases unknown.

Eight people are in hospital, one of whom is in intensive care.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said a baby is currently in intensive care with COVID-19.

Mr Foley said the child is under the age of one, and said he didn’t know if they had any other underlying health conditions.

The Health Minister was responding to questions in a press conference about the impact of the Delta variant of the virus on children.

It comes as new findings of a scientific review by a leading group of pediatric researchers at Melbourne’s Murdoch Children’s Institute suggest most global studies into long COVID in children had “significant limitations” and many overstated the risk.

Lingering symptoms rarely persist in children beyond 12 weeks, the research found.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says it’s possible the five-kilometre travel limit will be loosened before the state reaches its 70 per cent double-dose vaccination target for people aged 16 and over, but authorities were not yet sure if the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak had passed.

It comes after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday announced the permitted distance to travel from the home would be increased to 10 kilometres from Saturday.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.Credit:Nick Moir

Ms Berejiklian said if the health advice suggested the limit could be increased it would be.

“But we are really keen to make sure all of us move together,” she said.

“If the health experts give us that advice, nothing would give me greater joy. Nothing gives me greater joy than when we are actually lifting restrictions or providing road map and telling people what they can look forward to.”

She said authorities could not yet be sure if the worst of the outbreak had passed.

“So it is best for us to make sure we stay the course for a little bit longer until we know for sure and then obviously health can re-evaluate all of those settings,” the Premier said.

Victoria’s COVID-19 response commander says he is watching Wodonga closely, after its NSW sister city Albury returned to lockdown and truck drivers who passed through the Victorian border town tested positive to the virus.

Health official Jeroen Weimar said four truck drivers who have passed through Wodonga had tested positive to COVID-19 over the past few days.

Victorian COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar.Credit:Eddie Jim

A Chinese restaurant in Wodonga’s main street was listed as a tier-two exposure site overnight, meaning contacts must get tested urgently for the virus and isolate until receiving a negative result.

Mr Weimar said Wodonga was of most concern in regional Victoria because of cases in neighbouring Albury and the passing truck drivers.

He said it was “critically important” that this essential service industry maintained “very strict protocols around their activities” and drivers were vaccinated.

Albury returned to lockdown at 6pm on Thursday, for an initial period of seven days.

About 95 per cent of Victoria’s new coronavirus cases are in Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs, but there have been new cases recorded in regional areas.

The state’s COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said at this morning’s update that although the northern and western suburbs carry the lion’s share of cases, the city’s east and south-east were also of concern.

Out of the 510 new local cases, 38 new cases were recorded in east and south-east Melbourne, bringing the number of active cases to 329 across that region.

Mr Weimar said three new cases were recorded in the regional city of Ballarat, taking the number of cases there to nine across three different households. All are linked.

“We don’t have any mystery cases today in Ballarat, following a really strong day of testing,” Mr Weimar said.

More than 2,000 people went to get tested in Ballarat, which went into lockdown on Thursday, after more than 30 exposure sites were identified. The testing numbers were a massive increase from the 300 tests processed a week ago.

About two-third of close contacts have already returned a negative test as well, Mr Weimar said.

The new cases in regional Victoria include two new cases in Geelong, including someone who worked at a call centre in Melbourne. The other is a mystery case, whose partner works in Melbourne.

Mr Weimar said two cases have been recorded in Melbourne from people who work in an office building in Geelong.

“I’m asking all employers to consider very carefully before asking your staff, or requiring your staff, to come to work, that it is only if their work is genuinely essential, not just a little bit convenient,” he said.

Other new cases in regional Victoria are:

One case in a remote location in East Wimmera. Mr Weimar said authorities are investigating if the case contracted COVID from workers from Ballarat. The Ararat Advertiser is reporting that people in St Arnaud are being urged to get tested after a case visited the hospital there.

Two in the Mitchell Shire, one who is a construction worker who works in Melbourne. The other is still under investigation.

One in the Latrobe Valley from someone who works at two fast food restaurants in Traralgon with potential links to Melbourne. Mr Weimar said 92 per cent of the 36 close contacts have returned negative tests.

Mr Weimar said four truck drivers who have travelled through Wodonga have also tested positive to the virus. This might explain an exposure site that has been listed in the NSW-Victoria border city overnight.

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