Good morning, team.

1. Victoria has recorded 149 new coronavirus cases and 24 deaths since yesterday. The death toll is the highest since August 17, when 25 Victorians died of COVID-19. That figure came first from Health Minister Jenny Mikakos speaking to ABC’s Radio National – expect an official health department communication to follow.

2. NSW Police have been forced to remove hundreds of people from one of Sydney’s quarantine hotels after the facility was deemed substandard. An audit on Tuesday found the Travelodge Sydney on Wentworth Avenue was not meeting the “high standard of delivery for all travellers”. NSW reported three new cases of COVID-19 yesterday.

3. Qantas announced yesterday it would outsource its ground staff, baggage handling and cleaning jobs, cutting up to 2,500 more staff on top of the 6,000 redundancies announced earlier this month. The airline said it expected it could save $100 million by implementing this arrangement in the nation’s major airports.

4. As one might expect, the union representing Qantas workers isn’t particularly pleased about this. The Transport Workers Union has demanded CEO Alan Joyce resign, citing a misuse of JobKeeper funds. “Qantas has taken millions in JobKeeper wage subsidies, more than any other company, with the express intent of keeping people employed,” TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said. “But now Alan Joyce wants to destroy thousands more livelihoods. This is callous abuse of public money. The chief executive must resign.”

5. The ASX is warning people not to fall for fake or misleading investment news, as users report seeing hoax articles circulate on social media. People in investment groups on Facebook and other social media have reported seeing doctored images and news stories ostensibly designed to manipulate the market. “If you come across an article that appears to be fake or misleading, check for announcements by the company on ASX’s market announcement platform or contact the company directly,” an ASX spokesman said.

6. Nobody expected it at the beginning of the pandemic, but funeral businesses are actually doing it tough right now. Tough restrictions meant the COVID-19 curve was flattened early, and also led to lower seasonal deaths from things like the flu. The latest results from Australia’s largest funeral operators show funeral numbers have decreased by between 2% and 3% over the last 12 months, and could sink lower still as flu and pneumonia cases plunge.

7. Australian caravan and motorhome sharing platform Camplify, which pitches itself as the ‘Airbnb of caravans’, has seen a jump in bookings for camping holidays as coronavirus restrictions started to ease. Given people aren’t flying overseas, and are looking for domestic travel opportunities, that’s probably unsurprising. The company reported a 125% rise in winter camping holidays booked through its platform.

8. Fashion retailer Mosaic Brands, owner of brands like Noni B and Rivers, has reported a massive $212 million loss. As a result, it is set to close as many as 500 stores across the country. “There is no road map to navigate these circumstances, but our operational priorities have been ensuring team and customer safety, reducing inventory and maintaining a strong cash position,” said chief executive Scott Evans.

9. Notoriously secret data startup Palantir just officially laid out its plans to go public. It is pursuing a direct listing of its equity, similar to that of Spotify and Slack. Sources previously told Business Insider that shares could begin trading as soon as September 24.

10. The Republican National Convention started yesterday in the US, and it’s certainly much more of a spectator sport than its Democratic counterpart. Highlights so far include Donald Trump Jr saying his father “acted quickly” to contain the coronavirus, which has killed more than 177,000 Americans, and Don Jr’s girlfriend Kimberley Guilfoyle delivering the most manic, sweaty speech you’ll see today.

BONUS ITEM

Been wondering what Tony Abbott has been up to since being booted from his seat in parliament? Wonder no more:

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