Victoria confirms a record 1,763 cases and four deaths; Frydenberg in isolation – as it happened

Josh Frydenberg in isolation after staff member tests positive; Victoria reports national record of 1,763 cases; Latrobe Valley will emerge from lockdown from midnight; NSW records lowest cases since mid-August; Dominic Perrottet sworn in and will continue the plan' for reopening that Gladys Berejiklian started; ACT records 33 cases; no new cases in SA; Qld records two local cases. This blog is now closed

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So while all of this politics nonsense has been going on, the federal government has invested in a new antiviral pill that has the potential to help stop Covid-19 disease from progressing to its acute and life-threatening stages.

Health minister Greg Hunt has been out and about this morning spruiking the government's purchase and is speaking with ABC News Breakfast now.

It is an important step forward. It's molnupiravir, it's made by Merck, and it's an oral pill. The treatments we had until now have had to be done through hospital infusion.

We have purchased 300,000 courses. It's provided to people early after diagnosis if they have risk factors of potentially progressing to hospitalisation.