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Summary
- Victoria has recorded no new COVID-19 cases for the fifth day in a row. Queensland has achieved 48 days straight without a case of community transmission, while New South Wales is set to reach its 38th day without a local case.
- Two elderly people in a Brisbane nursing home have accidentally received overdoses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, but Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says both residents are ‘doing well’ and showing no adverse side effects.
- The Morrison government will not budge on JobSeeker’s $25-a-week rise, saying it will refuse any attempts to lift it higher, despite fierce criticism from social services groups and Labor.
- There is a growing belief that America’s worst coronavirus days may be behind it, even after the US marked a grim milestone yesterday when its coronavirus death toll passed 500,000.
- Three new COVID-19 cases have been identified in New Zealand, linked to an Auckland high school. The cases are believed to be connected to an outbreak revealed on February 14, which prompted a snap three-day lockdown of Auckland.
Watch live: NSW COVID-19 update
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is set to announce that restrictions will ease in Greater Sydney from today with the state expected to reach 38 days without a local COVID case.
You can watch her press conference live, below:
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More than 1200 vaccinated in Victoria so far
By Paul Sakkal
Yesterday 675 front-line quarantine and health workers in Victoria received their first COVID-19 vaccine, on top of the 580 who received the shot on Monday.
Victoria’s Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the government was taking a “very steady, cautious” approach to the vaccine rollout.
The federal government is responsible for vaccinating residents in private aged care homes, so the numbers do not reflect the total number of vaccines administered across the state.
The Andrews government’s initial focus is vaccinating hotel quarantine staff and healthcare workers.
Ms Allan said she was aware that two elderly people in Queensland had been given an overdose of the vaccine. She said it was a matter for the federal government and emphasised the thorough safety tests each vaccine had gone through.
“The vaccine is a very safe procedure to take part in,” she said.
50 visitors, some dancing allowed: NSW eases restrictions at homes, weddings, venues
By Kate Aubusson and Megan Gorey
NSW residents will be allowed to dance at weddings (albeit in rotating groups) and hold gatherings of 50 people at their homes, under a series of eased coronavirus restrictions.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed what we flagged earlier – restrictions will ease in Greater Sydney and across NSW from 12.01am on Friday, February 26.
Here is a quick summary of the new rules:
- 50 visitors will be allowed in the home.
- 30 people will be allowed to dance at weddings, with guests allowed to rotate on and off the dance floor (Ms Berejiklian said the government was looking to increase the current 300-person cap on wedding guests in several weeks.)
- 50 people at gym classes subject to the 4 square metre rule
- 30 people (up from five) will be allowed to sing indoors subject to social distancing requirements – congregants at places of worship are allowed to sing if they are wearing face masks subject to the 4 square metre rule
- 100 per cent capacity at cinemas
If there are no locally acquired cases over the next couple of weeks, drinking while standing up at indoor venues will be allowed from Wednesday, March 17.
Ms Berejiklian said “with the rollout of the vaccine now underway, and no new locally acquired cases in NSW, we are able to make further changes towards a new COVID normal”.
“I thank the community for following the health advice to keep the virus at bay, however we cannot be complacent.”
Queensland set to vaccinate more than 1000 people by end of the week
By Lydia Linch
Queensland is set to exceed its target of vaccinating 1000 people against COVID-19 by the end of the week.
About 530 Queensland quarantine workers and health staff have received the Pfizer vaccine in the past two days.
A vaccine hub at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital will also open today.
Queensland nurse Zoe Park received the first COVID vaccine in the state on Monday morning.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Queenslanders were continuing “their excellent record of confronting the pandemic” after no new cases were reported in the Sunshine State on Wednesday.
Queensland took ‘immediate steps’ to ensure welfare of vaccine overdose recipients
By Felicity Caldwell
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said after being notified about the COVID vaccine overdoses in Brisbane, state authorities took immediate steps to make sure the two residents, an 88-year-old man and a 94-year-old woman, were properly assessed and monitored.
“The executive director of medical services at Metro North Hospital and Health Services was immediately contacted and worked with the aged care facility to check on the welfare of both patients,” she said.
Ms D’Ath said Queensland was seeking assurances from the federal government about the rigour of training and oversight of safety systems in the rollout of the vaccine across residential aged care.
Watch live: South Australian COVID-19 update
We have dual press conferences this morning. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall is due to provide a COVID-19 update shortly, just as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian starts addressing the media.
You can watch Mr Marshall’s press conference live, below.
Queensland achieves 48 days without a local COVID case
By Felicity Caldwell and Marissa Calligeros
It’s certainly sunny in the Sunshine State – Queensland has recorded yet another COVID-free day.
With no new cases today, the state has reached 48 consecutive days without an instance of community transmission of the virus. NSW is not far behind, as it is expected to reach 38 days without a local case today.
A total of 8455 tests were carried out in Queensland in the past 24 hours.
Queensland Premier calls for urgent national cabinet meeting after vaccine overdoses
By Felicity Caldwell
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has called for national cabinet to be held as soon as possible after two elderly residents received overdoses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Ms Palaszczuk said the overdose happened on Tuesday morning but Queensland authorities were only advised late that night.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk wants more information from the federal government about the vaccine rollout.Credit:Getty Images
“In fact, the Health Minister [Yvette D’Ath] herself rang me late last night and we convened again this morning at 7am,” she said. “Discovering these details now is simply not good enough.”
Ms Palaszczuk called for the federal government to “explain itself”.
“None of this is good enough,” she said.
“Today I will write to the Prime Minister asking him to convene a national cabinet as soon as possible.
“I want to know what training is being provided to the people the federal government is employing to administer the vaccines in our aged care facilities to give additional confidence.
“I want to know about the communication strategies for the next phases of the rollout of the vaccine - people need and must have full confidence in this vaccine.”
Ms Palaszczuk will also write to Prime Minister Scott Morrison to ask for the federal government to provide regular updates about who they are vaccinating and the number of people who have received the vaccination.
Since Monday, 527 Queensland hotel quarantine and health staff have received the vaccine.
Queensland Opposition Leader will not ‘weaponise’ vaccine mistake
By Lydia Lynch
Queensland’s Opposition Leader David Crisafulli says vaccination processes should be improved to ensure the jab is “delivered in a safe and effective manner” after two elderly residents were given too much of the Pfizer vaccine in Brisbane.
Mr Crisafulli fears the bungle could erode public confidence in what is “the greatest vaccine rollout this nation has ever seen”.
LNP leader David Crisafulli.Credit:Harrison Saragossi
“This is important - it is important we get it right,” he said.
“This is so vital for us as a state to heal the economy, to heal families that need to reconnect and we have to improve our processes every day.
“There will be those who seek to weaponise mistakes and I will not play that game, we have to do all we can to ensure the process is as smooth as possible, but we have to make sure we do not undermine confidence.”
Watch live: Queensland Premier addresses Parliament
OK, now we have the right time. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszscuk and Health Minister Yvette D’Ath are addressing State Parliament after two Brisbane nursing home residents received overdoses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.
You can watch the proceedings below:
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2021-02-24 00:28:13Z
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