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Coronavirus LIVE updates: Victoria seek less cases as first link found between hotel quarantine and aged care; NSW issues alerts; Australia's death toll rises to 803 - The Sydney Morning Herald

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Trials of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine resuming after 'wake up call'

London: British clinical trials for the AstraZeneca and Oxford University coronavirus vaccine have resumed following confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) that it was safe to do so, the company said on Saturday.

The late-stage trials of the experimental vaccine, one of the most advanced in development, were suspended this week after an illness in a study subject in Britain.

"The standard review process triggered a voluntary pause to vaccination across all global trials to allow review of safety data by independent committees, and international regulators," AstraZeneca said.

"The UK committee has concluded its investigations and recommended to the MHRA that trials in the UK are safe to resume.

"All trial investigators and participants will be updated with the relevant information and this will be disclosed on global clinical registries, according to the clinical trial and regulatory standards."

The patient involved in the study had been reportedly suffering from neurological symptoms associated with a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis.

Reuters

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Victoria prepares for lockdown changes from midnight

By Ashleigh McMillan

Victoria is preparing for changes for its COVID-19 lockdown from Monday, including changes to the curfew for metropolitan Melbourne and allowances for those living alone to see a friend.

From 11.59pm on Sunday, single people living alone and single parents with children under 18 will be able to nominate one person to socially visit.

There has been some push back against the stringent rules set out for the singles bubble, as masks must be worn during any 'bubble buddy' visits, and if your nominated person lives with other people those people must leave the home during the visit.

People from metropolitan Melbourne can not pair up with those from regional Victoria.

Metropolitan Melbourne's curfew will change to 9pm to 5am, while two people or a household able to meet outdoors socially for two hours within five kilometres of their home.

Melburnians will also be able to spend a maximum of two hours exercising outside of their home.

In regional Victoria, public gatherings of up to five people from two different households will be possible from 11.59pm Sunday.

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First link made between hotel quarantine outbreak and aged care

By Clay Lucas

A security guard who shared a house with an aged care worker has been identified as the first formal link made between Victoria’s calamitous hotel quarantine program and the spread of coronavirus to an aged care home.

The state Health Department has revealed an infection went from the Rydges on Swanston hotel to Embracia Aged Care in June.

It came as the managing director of Embracia – which has had five residents in one of its homes die after contracting COVID-19 – criticised the Health Department over its poor contact tracing among aged care staff.

Embracia's aged care home in Avondale Heights.

Embracia's aged care home in Avondale Heights.

Victoria recorded 37 new coronavirus cases and six deaths on Saturday. All of those deaths were residents in aged care homes.

More than 550 elderly Victorians have died in the past nine weeks after contracting the virus in an aged care home.

Melbourne’s second wave of the virus began in May when private guards hired by the Andrews government to watch over returned travellers carried the disease into the community after working at two hotels, the Rydges on Swanston in Carlton and the Stamford Plaza in the CBD.

A report tendered last week to the inquiry investigating how the virus moved into the community found a case went from the Rydges hotel in Carlton to Embracia Aged Care.

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Victorians should be 'hopeful and positive' about COVID pathway: Andrews

By Bianca Hall

Regional Victoria is on track to reopen for business within days, after the state on Saturday recorded its lowest daily COVID-19 tally for 11 weeks.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the news should invigorate a city entering its sixth week of hard lockdown, and tough stage four restrictions could be eased in metropolitan Melbourne earlier than outlined in the state government's road map.

Premier Daniel Andrews.

Premier Daniel Andrews.Credit:Eddie Jim

If current trends continue, Christmas could be "as close to normal as possible" and there could even be "significant" crowds at the Boxing Day Test.

"I think this is going to be summer like no other, it is going to be absolutely amazing to see all of us pull together, looking out for each other, having defeated this thing," the Premier said.

"We're in the 30s. People can be positive, they can be optimistic. This strategy is working. We're gonna open this place up because we're doing it right – not popular, but right. It'll be able to stay open. And everything that every Victorian's given will mean something."

On Saturday, the state recorded 37 new coronavirus cases, including four earlier cases that had been reclassified, bringing the number of active cases to 1251.

Regional Victoria recorded no new cases, with 58 active cases overall. For restrictions to lift, there must be fewer than five cases, as a daily average across 14 days, with no cases of unknown transmission over that two week period.

The 14-day average in regional Victoria is now 4.3 and Mr Andrews said regional Victorians could expect to have significant easing of restrictions by mid next week.

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National cabinet should agree to lift cap on returned travellers: Keneally

By Michael Koziol

Labor's home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally has stepped up pressure on the Morrison government and state premiers to lift the cap on international arrivals allowed into Australia each week, calling on national cabinet to end the "heartbreaking" stories of citizens stranded overseas.

Without identifying an alternative number, Senator Keneally said the weekly limit of 4000 should be increased to ensure more Australians stranded overseas have the chance to fly home in a timely, affordable manner.

Labor senator Kristina Keneally.

Labor senator Kristina Keneally.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

She directed her remarks at Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, arguing they controlled the country's borders – although any agreement to lift the caps in each state would also require co-operation from the premiers.

"The Prime Minister should go to national cabinet and get this done," Senator Keneally said. "For a person who has made a career out of playing politics with borders, Peter Dutton should be focused on the border he is meant to control – our international border."

She said the Morrison government should also charter flights to pick up stranded citizens from countries such as the United Kingdom, India, the Philippines and Lebanon.

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Blue Mountains school student among six new coronavirus cases in NSW

By Angus Thompson and Megan Gorrey

Two men are due to face Wagga Wagga Local Court on Sunday, and another at Albury Local Court at a later date, after two separate incidents of drivers allegedly trying to cross into NSW from Victoria on Saturday.

The charges came as NSW recorded six new coronavirus cases, including a Blue Mountains school student, while health authorities issued alerts for a KFC fast-food outlet in Sydney's west and two eastern suburbs bus routes.

Police arrested and charged a 37-year-old man with not complying with a noticed direction after he tried to cross into NSW three times without a permit in just over 24 hours.

Two men, aged 37 and 38, were also charged with drug possession after allegedly trying to cross into NSW from Victoria using a fake permit.

Police stopped the vehicle at an Albury border checkpoint at 7am on Saturday, with the driver, a 37-year-old Wangaratta man, producing a permit he said was for attending a medical appointment. The passenger, 38, also produced a permit.

Police searched the car after talking to the men, allegedly finding illegal drugs and paraphernalia. Checks allegedly revealed the driver's permit was fraudulent.

Click here to read the story.

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Good morning all

By Roy Ward

G'day everyone! It's Roy Ward here and I'll be leading the line for today's COVID-19 live blog.

We have plenty of new developments to come today. As always you can leave a comment on the blog or shoot me a tweet directly at @rpjward on Twitter.

Enjoy the day to come.

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2020-09-12 21:36:00Z
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