Breaking a continuous 438 year history of pranks and practical jokes, April Fools Day has been postponed until 1 September this year due to COVID-19. “It is a terrible shame, and is going to put a lot of our staff out of work, but it just had to be done,” said François de Blague, head of the International April Fool’s Day Federation (IAFDF) based in Geneva, Switzerland. In Australia, government officials have confirmed and hesitantly backed the move. “Look, this is not the time for people to be announcing there is a disease infecting spaghetti trees causing already panicked people…
Author: Cameron McCullough
The Mornington Peninsula Shire have committed to a “support package for local business” a week after the Committee for Mornington Peninsula began lobbying the shire on behalf of businesses hit by the coronavirus. Peninsula cases stand still as state jumps 96 today. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 917 – an increase of 96 from yesterday. Four people have already died in Victoria, many more are in hospital or self-isolating at home. The total number of cases includes 501 men and 413 women. Four cases in pre-school aged…
Coronavirus cases in Victoria are now at 917 with 96 newly diagnosed cases today. In positive news, the Mornington Peninsula’s figures remained the same at 46. Nearby, the City of Frankston have 28 confirmed cases. a jump of seven since yesterday. The City of Casey have 28 confirmed cases, a jump of two since yesterday. The Mornington Peninsula now has the equal second highest number of infections with Boroondara after they jumped to 46. City of Stonnington still has the highest rate of infections at 76 confirmed infections. Following on from the peninsula are: City of Banyule with 44 confirmed…
Visitors have been told to stay away from the Mornington Peninsula. Traders plead for ‘drastic’ help. Mornington Peninsula cases up to 45, a jump of five in two days. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 821 – an increase of 56 from yesterday. Victoria has recorded four deaths related to COVID-19. The total number of cases includes 447 men and 370 women, with people aged from three to 88. There are 26 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission. Currently 29…
Coronavirus cases in Victoria are now at 821 with 56 newly diagnosed cases today. The Mornington Peninsula accounted for 46 of them, a jump of five cases in two days. Nearby, the City of Frankston have 21 confirmed cases, and City of Casey have 26 confirmed cases. The Mornington Peninsula still has the second highest number of infections in the state with only the City of Stonnington in Melbourne’s east surpassing it with 71 confirmed infections. Following on from the peninsula are: City of Boroondara with 40 confirmed cases. City of Melbourne with 38 confirmed cases. City of Glen Eira…
AT the Frankston Progress Association meeting on Tuesday last, Mr. A. E. Lasslett, J.P., said: – In many towns throughout Victoria and New South Wales, the tradespeople have adopted the system of closing their shops for an hour at lunch time. This system has, where tried, proved a great success. The advantages are many in adopting this system, but there are one or two that might specially be mentioned. As you well know, business people rarely have an undisturbed luncheon. The system is the means of overcoming that annoyance, and is therefore conducive to better digestion, and, as matter of…
Today we are asking for the community’s help. We are asking you to subscribe, for free, to your favourite local title by clicking here. We continue to print our five weekly newspapers but understand that, without subscribing, many of you that are isolating may have trouble getting a copy of your local title. Subscribing guarantees you won’t miss out on a single word. *** It has been an unprecedented two weeks where we have worked non-stop to bring you the most up-to-date information possible. This website has been swamped with over 300,000 visitors a week for the last two weeks,…
All Mornington Peninsula beaches closed until further notice. Two new peninsula cases as state number soars. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 685 – an increase of 111 from yesterday. Victoria has recorded three deaths related to COVID-19. There have been no new deaths recorded overnight. The total number of cases includes 378 men and 300 women, with people aged from eight to 88. There are 21 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission. Currently 21 people are in hospital, including…
Victoria has experienced its biggest one day jump in COVID-19 cases today with 111 newly diagnosed cases. The Mornington Peninsula, though, only accounted for two of them lifting our total to 41 confirmed cases. Nearby, the City of Frankston have 16 confirmed cases, and City of Casey have 23 confirmed cases. The Mornington Peninsula still has the second highest number of infections in the state with only the City of Stonnington in Melbourne’s east surpassing it with 61 confirmed infections. Nipping at the peninsula’s heels are: City of Melbourne with 36 confirmed cases. City of Greater Geelong with 33 confirmed…
36 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed on the peninsula. But do the number of metro Melbourne people that have decided to spend their 14 day “isolation” period relaxing on the peninsula bump us up even further?. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: Victoria has recorded its first three deaths related to coronavirus (COVID-19). All were men aged in their seventies. All died in Melbourne hospitals. The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 520 – an increase of 54 from yesterday. In Victoria, the total number of cases includes 300 men and 216 women. People…
THE first release of data showing COVID-19 cases in local government areas shows there are 36 confirmed cases of coronavirus on the Mornington Peninsula. The surprising high number puts the peninsula second highest in Victoria, behind to Stonnington which has 57 cases. Frankston has 11 cases and Casey 16. The mayor of the Mornington Peninsula, Sam Hearn, said to The News tonight: “The thoughts and compassion of our whole community is with those people and their families. These figures make it more clear than ever that street by street we need to do the right thing by each other at…
Arthurs Seat Eagle falls into administration. Was COVID-19 the straw that broke the Eagle’s back? Mornington Centrelink wins a six month stay of execution due to current challenges. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 466 – an increase of 55 from yesterday. The total number of cases includes 271 men and 191 women (with four cases under investigation). People are aged from pre-school age to their late eighties. At the present time, there are eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Victoria that may have been acquired through community…
Mornington Peninsula Shire is rolling out emergency measures to look after our community’s most vulnerable in the face of COVID-19. Schools close, businesses shut, and the future is uncertain for many. Long lines formed outside Centrelink Mornington this morning, as phone lines backed up and the MyGov website went down due to increased traffic. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: Sixty-one new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed yesterday – bringing the total number of cases in Victoria to 355. The new cases include 34 men and 25 women, with people aged early-teens to mid-eighties. Two cases remain…
POLICE V. GRIFFITH, charged that he did unlawfully ignite certain inflammable material whereby the property of one, Jos. Baker, was damaged. Sub-Inspector Trainor conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Backhouse appeared for the defence. Fredk. Merrit, residing at Langwarrin, said that on the 10th February last, between 7 and 8 o’clock p.m. he noticed a fire start on Griffiths’ property, about 300 yards distant from witness. On the following day he noticed a kind of haze over the place where the fire had been, and having occasion to get on to the roof of his dwelling to fasten a loose sheet…
To take a break from what seems like endless bad news, for no other reason than it’s Sunday night and we all need a rest, we publish here Stuart McCullough’s shopping experiences, in the light of COVID-19, printed in his regular column in our newspapers – “The Meaning of Existence… and other short stories”. We hope you enjoy it… Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: Sixty-seven new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed yesterday – bringing the total number of cases in Victoria to 296. The new cases include 42 men and 25 women, with people aged from…
COVID-19 causes closure of foreshore camping. Tours through Frankston will proceed as part of the Big Picture Fest this weekend. Scammers take advantage of virus fears. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: Twenty-eight new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed yesterday – bringing the total number of cases in Victoria to 178. The new cases include 18 men and 10 women, aged from mid-teens to late sixties. At present, there are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission. Currently six people are recovering in hospital. More than 19,337 Victorians have…
Mornington Peninsula Mayor calls for calm and encourages people to carry on with their lives. Cancellations galore across the region. COVID-19 testing available at Peninsula Health Frankston, but make sure you meet the criteria for testing. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: Twenty-nine new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed yesterday – bringing the total number of cases in Victoria to 150. The new cases include 17 men and 12 women, with people aged from their early twenties to their early seventies. The Department of Health and Human Services is continuing to investigate all new cases. At the…
Peninsula Health Frankston is one of 19 testing sites for COVID-19 around Victoria, but medical experts are urging people to only present for testing if they meet the criteria for COVID-19 infection. A self-assessment guide for COVID-19 infection can her found here. Federal Health Minster, Greg Hunt, released a statement today that said: “In terms of the national health response, Australia has undertaken 81,000 tests for coronavirus, of which 99.5 per cent of tests have shown to be negative. In addition, we have secured a further 97,000 test kits, the first half of which arrived in the country late last…
THE Tyabb Air Show, the Great Outdoor & 4×4 Expo at Mornington Racecourse, the Red Hill Show, and the Rosebud Kite Festival were probably the last big events on the Mornington Peninsula for the foreseeable future. While timing was on their side, a host of other community attractions and events have been cancelled or postponed in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Here is a list of many of them… Shire services MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is postponing, cancelling or modifying delivery of a range of non-essential services, programs, events and activities. These include libraries at Mornington, Rosebud,…
The Mayor of the Mornington Peninsula Shire, Sam Hearn, has a message for the peninsula: “we need to act with strong sense of responsibility but not anxiety”. The shire’s message coincides with a video the Mayor released on Facebook this afternoon. The video, the first in a series to run in days and weeks ahead, states that while coronavirus will be with us for a while, we still need to carry on with our daily lives and, above all, look after the vulnerable and support local businesses. “While we need to create a physical distance between each other to avoid…
A ROSEBUD man who allegedly stabbed a Woolworth’s supermarket staff member has been charged with intentionally causing serious injury and other assault-related charges. The 25-year-old, who was arrested in nearby Sixth Avenue, was remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court at a later date. The incident occurred while the staffer was collecting trolleys in the car park of the Rosebud West supermarket, 1pm, Tuesday 17 March. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Steve Reidy, of Somerville CIU, said the 37-year-old was stabbed in the lower body. He was taken by Air Ambulance to The Alfred hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and…
Toorak College parent tests positive for coronavirus. Cricket season ends early. Footy season start delayed. Council to carry on the business of local government, with meetings going online. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: Twenty-seven new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed yesterday – bringing the total number of cases in Victoria to 121. The new cases include 14 men and 13 women, with people aged from late teens to early seventies. The Department of Health and Human Services is continuing to investigate all new cases. At the present time, there are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in…
Late last night the Principal of Toorak College, Mrs Kristy Kendall, sent an email out to parents informing them that a parent at the school had received a positive diagnosis for COVID-19. The email, sent at 11.22pm, stated “Just over an hour ago, I received a phone call from a parent in our community who has received a positive test for COVID-19. She is currently self-isolating at home and doing well. Her child was absent from school this week, however, was in attendance last week. While our student is currently well, they are being monitored closely at home. I ask…
Mornington Peninsula schools start to shut up shop, but it’s not all fun and games for the kids. Frankston Arts Centre to close for a month. How to talk to your kids about coronavirus – an expert’s guide. Key facts from today’s Victorian COVID-19 update: Twenty-three new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed yesterday – bringing the total number of cases in Victoria to 94. The new cases include 11 men and 12 women, with people aged from early twenties to mid-sixties. Sixty-three of Victoria’s confirmed cases were acquired overseas or through close contact with known, confirmed cases of COVID-19,…
UPDATE: Toorak College parent tests positive to COVID-19. School to close its campus at the end of the day today (Wednesday). Read more: *** At least two schools have announced they will be closing their physical campuses due to COVID-19, but it won’t be all fun and games for the students, as both schools move to an “online learning” mode. Toorak College’s Principal, Mrs Kristy Kendall, announced in a communication to parents on Monday (16 March) the school had “made the decision to use the final week of Term 1 to implement a remote and online learning program”. This will…
OLD habits die hard, but kissing babies and shaking hands may become a lost art for politicians. The advent of COVID-19 is seeing a rewriting of the rules when it comes to greetings. Bodily contact is out, and keeping “social distance” is in. News that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton tested positive for novel corona-virus three days after attending a Cabinet meeting in Sydney on Tuesday 10 March, turned apprehensive eyes towards his ministerial colleagues. Had they been infected? The Prime Minister Scott Morrison was quick to say he wouldn’t be tested and had every intention of going to Saturday’s…
The Mornington Peninsula Shire has announced the temporary closure of shire facilities “until further notice” due to COVID-19. In a statement from the shire released Monday 16 March, they announced: “Following today’s declaration by the Victorian government of a State of Emergency in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the Mornington Peninsula Shire has made the following decisions to ensure the safety of our community.” “To protect our community, particularly those who are more vulnerable, and do our part to flatten the curve of this pandemic, we are postponing, cancelling or modifying delivery of non-essential services, programs, events and activities.” The…
Mornington Peninsula libraries, gallery, leisure centres and tourist information to close. Mornington Cup to go ahead without members of the public. Local footy faces a ‘delayed start’. A polio survivor talks about surviving, and suffering, through an epidemic. Key facts from today’s announcement by Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton Fourteen new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed yesterday – bringing the total number of cases in Victoria to 71. The new cases include nine men and five women, with ages ranging from their teens to 60s. Seven of the new confirmed cases were acquired overseas or through close…
The Mornington Cup will continue on Saturday, but without patrons in attendance. The decision is in line with the Victorian State of Emergency declaration calling for the cancelling of mass gatherings above 500 people. “At this point in time all racing at Melbourne Racing Club venues will continue to proceed without spectators, owners and people deemed to be non-essential to the operation of a race day for the foreseeable future. This includes Mornington Cup this weekend,” said the chairman of Melbourne Racing Club, Peter Le Grand. “Members who have pre-purchased tickets or hospitality packages for events cancelled or closed to…
WALTER Edward Leach, whose age, was given as 18 years, was charged with unlawful and indecent assault. Sub-Inspector Trainor appeared for the prosecution. The victim of the alleged offence was a little girl aged 10 years and 11 months, and particulars of the occurrence were published in last week’s “Standard.” The little girl deposed that on the 2nd March she and three other girls were leaving the school grounds at Frankston when they met accused, who was standing at the back of the school. He called to witness, saying. “Come here: what is your name?” Accused then said, “I want…