Latest updates
'Save lives and livelihoods': NSW Labor calls for mandatory masks
By Mary Ward
In light of recent border closures – the Victorian border has now been closed to NSW and those travelling from Sydney to the ACT without a home in the ACT will need to apply for an exemption – NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay has called for the government to mandate masks.
"Masks are cheap. They’re effective. They should be mandatory to save lives and livelihoods," she wrote on Twitter on Saturday morning.
Here is what Premier Gladys Berejiklian said when asked about mandating masks in NSW on Thursday: "This is a very unpredictable, contagious disease but we also appreciate that we don’t want to put more burdens on our citizens than we need to."
The Premier added that her state was trying to "strike the right balance".
Victorian Health Minister to speak at 9.45am
By Mary Ward
We've just received notification of the first of today's state press conferences.
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley and the state's coronavirus testing commander, Jeroen Weimar, will be giving an update and taking questions at 9.45am.
There are now 10 people in Victoria who have tested positive for the virus since Wednesday. All either dined at the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant at Black Rock, in Melbourne's south-east, on December 21 or know someone who did.
UK prepares to reopen field hospitals as cases surge
British hospitals face a perilous situation in January, medical workers warned on Friday, amid surging coronavirus infections blamed on a new virus variant.
Authorities pressed to reactivate field hospitals tthat had been mothballed to handle the crush of new patients.
A row of ambulances outside the Royal London Hospital on Tuesday.Credit:AP
Concerns are mounting about the ability of the already stretched National Health Service to cope with the anticipated increase in people seeking treatment for COVID-19 infections over the coming weeks that could be further fueled by holiday gatherings over Christmas and New Year’s.
On Friday, the UK recorded another 53,285 new infections, down slightly from the previous day’s record high of 55,892. Although comparisons with the outset of the pandemic are difficult given that testing was limited in the spring, the UK has recorded its four highest daily new infection numbers over the past four days — all above 50,000 and around double the daily number of a few weeks ago.
The spike in new cases is said to be due to a new, more contagious variant of the virus first identified around London and the southeast of England.
AP
Masks, household visitors: Victoria and NSW's rules compared
By Mary Ward
Over the past couple of weeks, a number of restrictions have been introduced in NSW and Victoria in response to growing coronavirus cases.
In NSW, the restrictions depend on where in the state you live:
- Across Sydney, Wollongong and the Blue Mountains, household gatherings are capped at five visitors and outdoor gatherings are capped at 30 people.
- Within Sydney, residents of the northern beaches may only have gatherings with people who live within their "zone" (north or south of Narrabeen Bridge).
- There is also a broad stay home order for residents of the northern beaches. These people may only leave home to shop for food and other essential goods and services, travel to work or an educational institution if working or studying from home is not possible, exercise, seek medical care, fulfil carer responsibilities and meet compassionate needs.
In Victoria, restrictions are statewide:
- Household visitors are capped at 15 people per day (not including infants under 12 months).
- People must wear masks when inside, except for when within their own home or when eating and drinking.
NSW has stopped short of mandating masks but has strongly advised they are worn in indoor settings such as public transport, supermarkets, hospitality venues and places of worship.
Today's front pages
By Mary Ward
Here's what is making news on the front pages of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age today, December 33, 2020. (Just kidding: it's January 2, 2021.)
Exemption required to enter ACT from hotspot zones
By Lynette Eyb
Border rules for people travelling from NSW to the ACT will come into effect from midday today, with non-ACT residents who have been in certain areas requiring an exemption to enter the territory.
The directive applies to non-ACT residents who have been in northern beaches, Greater Sydney, Central Coast or Wollongong local government areas.
ACT residents do not need an exemption but they do need to complete an online declaration form confirming their intention to return. They must also quarantine for 14 days.
ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said the strengthening of travel restrictions was necessary to protect the ACT community.
"In recent days we have continued to see around 80 non-ACT residents from COVID-19 affected areas of NSW travel to the ACT daily," she said. "As a result, we now have around 2000 people in quarantine in the ACT, 25 per cent of which are non-ACT residents.
"We are putting in place strengthened travel restrictions to make it absolutely clear to non-ACT residents who live or have recently visited COVID-19 affected areas of NSW that they are not able to be in the ACT at this time."
Applications for exemption must be submitted at least three days prior to travel, but no more than 14 days prior to the proposed travel date.
US deaths top 77,000 in December
By Mary Ward
While NSW and Victoria have been plunged back into a world of 11am press conferences and venue alert as new local coronavirus cases are detected, numbers abroad continue to escalate at rates almost beyond comprehension.
In December, the US recorded more than 77,000 coronavirus deaths, according to NBC News. That is an increase of more than 40,000 from its previous monthly high – 37,000 deaths recorded in November.
There have now been more than 20 million coronavirus cases in the US and 346,859 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.
Three US states have now recorded cases of the highly contagious coronavirus variant first detected in the UK.
The latest instance of the variant was found in a Florida man in his 20s with no recent travel history, health officials said. The more transmissible version of the virus has also been reported in California and Colorado.
with The Washington Post
NSW has put the country at risk, says Australian Medical Association
By Aisha Dow and Paul Sakkal
Australia’s peak medical group says the NSW government has put the rest of the country at risk by its decision not to go “hard and early” in its response to the outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches, which is suspected to have seeded cases in Victoria.
Victorians have been warned to expect more coronavirus cases in the days to come, as the state’s health authorities attempt to establish how far the virus had spread. Thousands of Victorian holidaymakers were still rushing to get home from NSW as a hard border closure came into effect last night.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has continued to stop short of mandating masks.Credit:Jessica Hromas
Australian Medical Association vice-president Chris Moy said the NSW government was “playing the odds” by relying heavily on the state’s much-vaunted contact tracing system instead of imposing a quick lockdown.
“They have put themselves and put the rest of the country at risk,” Dr Moy said.
Welcome to our live blog
By Mary Ward
Good morning and welcome back to our daily coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in Australia and abroad. Thanks for joining us.
This is Mary Ward in Sydney and I will be taking you through this morning's developments. Here's a wrap of how things stand locally as we start the day:
Stick with us as we bring you live updates. If something is happening in your community which you think we should know about, please send us a tip.
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2021-01-01 20:02:00Z
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