THINGS AREN'T SHIP-SHAPE

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has issued an unreserved apology in handing down findings from Bret Walker SC’s inquiry into the Ruby Princess outbreak, which The Australian ($) and The New Daily note included a NSW Health expert panel designating the Ruby Princess as “low risk” as well as failures to adequately test passengers or enforce quarantine.

However, the Oz stresses that Berejiklian has refused to take action against any colleagues or health authorities, with the premier noting that Walker “is very clear on what the monumental mistakes were in his view, and certainly he expressed the view that they were isolated ... [but] had he said they were systemic issues, I would have dealt with that immediately”.

Further, as last night’s Media Watch explores, Walker also found that Border Force does not bear any responsibility for the incident and rejected an ABC report “that advanced the notion that a basic misreading by an ABF officer of negative influenza results as meaning negative COVID-19 results, had somehow contributed to the decision to let the passengers go as they did on 19 March”.

Subsequently, both the ABC and reporter Andrew Probyn have issued statements defending their report, with the former pointing out that findings over the misread flu tests were based on Commonwealth submissions and FOI documents and concludes that, “the ABC’s reporting made clear NSW Heath had made a fundamental mistake by giving the Ruby Princess a ‘low risk’ rating [but] our reporting focuses on the issue of a practical, not necessarily formal, granting of pratique — that is, who said the passengers were allowed to get off?”

CLUSTER HEADACHE

According to The Age, Victoria’s hotel quarantine hearing has heard that genomic testing links 99% of new cases to overseas travellers, and, subsequently, both the Rydges on Swanston and Stamford Plaza outbreaks.

Infectious disease expert Professor Lindsay Grayson also labelled advice from the Department of Health and Human Services to guards — where they were told that masks and protective equipment were not necessary provided they maintain a 1.5 metre distance from travellers — as “inappropriate”.

Elsewhere, the Herald Sun ($) reports that families have launched a class action against Epping Gardens’ operator Heritage Care, while the ABC reports that the state government has announced a $20 million family violence package that includes plans to move perpetrators into alternative accommodation.

GOING POSTAL

According to CNN, Democrats are calling on the House of Representatives to resume in order to both “save” the US Postal Service and call on new Postmaster General — and long-time Republican donor — Louis DeJoy to testify on August 24 over allegations he is intentionally knee-capping the system.

The news comes after Donald Trump admitted he opposed $25 billion in new funding because it would enable mail-in voting — a service he just last weekend applied for — and after DeJoy announced a complete organisational restructure on August 7, which includes firing or reassigning 23 executives.

DeJoy — who, because there’s actually no limit to how cartoonish this gets, has a multimillion-dollar stake in USPS-competitor XPO — has defended his changes as a way to maximise the public service’s profits. But they might stop deliberately removing sorting machines and ripping up mailboxes, which is nice.

Finally, CNN also notes that Trump has apparently taken a leaf out of Georgina Downer’s giant, novelty chequebook and sent out absentee ballot request forms with his face on them.

CONVENTION WATCH: The Democrats’ four day, virtual national convention began overnight and will apparently be a bipartisan affair, with former Republican foes John Kasich and Christine Todd Whitman set to speak. On the progressive end of the aisle, a number of Bernie Sanders’ delegates have voted against the party’s official platform on the basis it excludes universal healthcare as well as amongst other progressive policies like decarceration for marijuana offences.

STATE COVID WATCH: NEW NSW SCHOOL RULES

• As the ABC reports, the NSW government yesterday outlined a series of school rules to come into effect tomorrow, Wednesday August 19, including a ban on students with COVID-19 symptoms returning to school until they test negative, as well as bans on formal events, students mixing outside relevant classes or year groups, and schools travelling outside their local community or zone
• The Western Australian government announced that $22 million from the WA Recovery Plan will go towards nine renewable hydrogen projects, while the Western Australian Renewable Hydrogen Strategy 2040 targets will be brought forward by a decade
• On Sunday, the Tasmanian government announced a further 3% increase in stakes money for greyhound, harness and thoroughbred racing, on top of the 3% increase announced in June
• Finally, the ACT government yesterday announced a hardship fund offering pandemic leave payments of up to $1500 depending on a worker’s circumstances (such as available sick leave through their employer), as well as a new tourism package.