Trade Minister Dan Tehan (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)

China tells students to avoid studying in Australia because of the twin viruses: COVID-19 and racial attacks. The Australian says to blame Black Lives Matter protesters if the next stage of easing doesn’t happen (which could cost $1bn), but then New South Wales announces adult community sport is back from July 1. Oh, and Queensland keeps fighting to keep borders closed.

China hits where it hurts

China has come out with guns blazing, issuing a warning to students planning to return to Australia to finish their university degrees. 

The Chinese Education Ministry warned Australia has racism and coronavirus issues, citing “multiple discriminatory incidents against Asians in Australia”. 

Australia’s elite universities, through the Group of Eight, and Education Minister Dan Tehan have slammed the statement, saying no evidence of racist incidents had been provided. 

Universities could lose $12 billion in fees from Chinese student over two years.

Women, wine and wrangling children 

More women than men have reached for the bottle during the pandemic, according to new research.

While 17.9% of men reported an increase in alcohol consumption since the start of COVID-19, 22.8% of women reached for the bottle more frequently than in pre-pandemic times. 

The extra tipple — or four or five or six — was attributed to extra stress on women who maintained paid working hours but also had extra unpaid work with extra care-giving duties. 

That research, though, also found that there was a higher percentage of Australians overall who had reduced their alcohol consumption than those who said they’d increased their alcohol consumption during the pandemic.

The true rate of unemployment for women is 10.8% as women drop out of the workforce to care for kids being schooled at home, with women-dominated sectors, including retail and food services and accommodation, hit hardest by the recession. Equality programs are also likely to go backwards. 

While women, their wallets and their sanity may have been hit the hardest, for god’s sake — please don’t call it a pink-collared recession. 

Restriction rollback? There’s a sticker for that

At almost exactly the same time The Australian warned the Black Lives Matter protests would likely delay restriction easing by almost a week, the NSW government has confirmed community sport will resume for all ages on July 1. Previously only children’s community sport was set to restart on this date.

The Australian — quoting no one — said the national cabinet would likely abandon plans to adopt a rapid scaling back of restrictions during its meeting on Friday as it waits to see whether the protests created a cluster of coronavirus cases. 

NSW has also introduced COVID Safe stickers for businesses that have implemented a virus safety plan to protect staff and patrons, complete with posters on safety and hygiene. Customers can also log in to the website and provide real-time feedback and critique on a business’ safety. 

Despite other states pushing for reopening, the Queensland government has doubled down, denying in a High Court challenge that the border closure is hurting tourism and the borders should reopen. 

Business owners and individuals are challenging the lockdown in court, demanding documents to justify the interstate travel ban