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Over 50s should ‘not hesitate’ to get vaccinated: Chief Medical Officer
By Amelia McGuire
The Chief Medical Officer says the modelling being used to lead Australia out of constant lockdowns is still relevant despite increasing COVID-19 cases, after a record 196,000 doses were administered across the country on Saturday.
In the past four days, 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, nearing the federal government’s goal of 2 million per week.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Professor Paul Kelly applauded those over 50 who have come forward to be vaccinated, urging that vaccination was the solution to beating the coronavirus.
Around 75 per cent of those aged over 50 across Australia have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with 80 per cent of over 60s receiving one jab and 85 per cent of those over 70.
“If you are over the age of 60 do not hesitate to get the vaccination which is available to you right now and that is AstraZeneca,” he said.
Speaking to reporters in Canberra, Professor Kelly was adamant states should uphold the agreement made in national cabinet to implement a four stage plan to ease out of restrictions upon reaching a vaccination rate of 70 to 80 per cent.
He disagreed with suggestions that the Doherty Institute modelling which the agreement was based on was no longer relevant due to the current COVID-19 caseload.
“The assumptions from all modelling can be changed. The general principles remain the same and the model itself remains the same, I have full faith in the group”, he said.
Professor Kelly said the focus should remain on getting the community vaccinated, with the country only able to emerge from rolling lockdowns with collaboration from state, territory and federal leaders.
“It’s looking very positive already with 17 million doses in arms, but let’s keep going Australia,” he said.
Handing over
By Roy Ward
Thanks so much everyone. My mini-stint on today’s COVID-19 blog is up so I’ll be handing over to the brilliant Ashleigh McMillan who will steer the blog from now until stumps.
Please keep taking care of each other and I’ll see you all sometime soon.
Enjoy your afternoon.
Watch: Chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly gives a COVID-19 update
Chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly is due to give a COVID-19 update at 2.30pm AEST.
Anti-lockdown protesters gather in Coolangatta on NSW border
By Cloe Read
Hundreds of people have gathered at Coolangatta on the NSW border for an anti-lockdown protest.
Police are monitoring the Boundary Street rally, which was scheduled for noon on Sunday.
Several police crews are moving through the crowd, which so far appears to be peaceful.
More to come.
‘Won’t tolerate this again’: Police consider public transport closure after anti-lockdown rally
By Erin Pearson
Police are considering shutting down public transport in and out of Melbourne CBD before future anti-lockdown rallies after nine officers were injured on Saturday in what the force’s chief says was the most violent protest he had seen in more than 20 years.
Police at Saturday’s lockdown protest near Flinders Street Station.Credit:Chris Hopkins
More than 4000 people descended on the CBD on Saturday, sparking fears it could become a super-spreader event.
The police warning comes as protest organisers revealed plans for another rally next month as part of similar marches in capital cities nationwide.
New Zealand reports 21 new local COVID-19 cases as outbreak grows
New Zealand recorded 21 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, as the community outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to grow, bringing infections associated with the outbreak to 72, health officials said.
Of the 21 new cases, 20 are in Auckland, the largest city, and one is in the capital Wellington. Five people were in hospital, but no one was in an intensive care unit.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Credit:Getty Images
The nation of 5.1 million is under a strict lockdown until midnight on Tuesday as the outbreak has widened beyond the two key cities.
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said that about a million people had been fully vaccinated in New Zealand, after more than 50,000 doses of the vaccine were given on Saturday.
Reuters
Good afternoon
By Roy Ward
G’day everyone. It’s Roy Ward and I’m jumping onto the blog for a couple of hours.
Thanks so much to Jenny Noyes for handling the hectic morning shift with aplomb.
Please feel free to continue leaving comments on the blog and we still have plenty of news to bring you.
Enjoy the afternoon to come.
What we know so far today
By Jenny Noyes
Good afternoon, if you’re just catching up with today’s COVID-19 news, here’s what you need to know:
- NSW has again broken the daily case numbers record, reporting 830 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. Sadly three more people have died, but on a positive note there were 206,193 tests carried out over the reporting period.
- Victoria reported 65 new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19, with the entire state now in lockdown after a snap decision to expand restrictions from 1pm yesterday.
- There were also 19 new locally-acquired cases in the ACT, six of which were infectious in the community.
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reassured NSW the state can reopen based on the current 70 per cent vaccination target regardless of its daily COVID-19 case numbers, despite pushback from other states concerned about what that could mean for the virus spreading.
- As Sydney enters its ninth week in lockdown, NSW Police are ready to enforce new restrictions, most of which – including a curfew – affect Sydney’s 12 hotspot LGAs. From tomorrow, masks will also be mandatory for NSW residents whenever they are outdoors, unless they are exercising.
- Victoria Police chief Shane Patton backed the response to an ugly anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne’s CBD on Saturday that left nine officers injured, amid concerns the 4000-strong demonstration and a much smaller one in Sydney will spark further cases.
I’m Jenny Noyes, handing the blog over to Roy Ward for the next little while.
Hundreds of staff furloughed, more cases expected in Royal Melbourne Hospital outbreak
By Roy Ward
Officials expect cases from the Royal Melbourne Hospital outbreak to grow as hundreds of hospital staff are furloughed.
Deputy Secretary COVID Response Kate Matson said a case had been in the hospital since having surgery on August 12; their stay included time in the intensive care unit, cardiac unit and various testing and recovery units, potentially exposing scores of staff to the virus.
Hundreds of staff have been furloughed amid an outbreak at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Credit:Pat Scala
The outbreak is currently at seven cases but Ms Matson believed more will emerge while the final number of furloughed staff is still being tallied but will be in the “hundreds”.
Ms Matson said the case, a man from Shepparton, didn’t show COVID-19 symptoms when he arrived in hospital but started showing symptoms on August 13.
A family member who visited a patient in the same room as the man later felt unwell and tested for COVID-19, which alerted the hospital to the outbreak.
Ms Matson said authorities were not aware of any community transmission dating back to the man’s August 12 arrival at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he remains.
Contact tracers are unsure whether man could be the source case for the Shepparton outbreak.
“We don’t have a source case for the Shepparton outbreak yet, we’re not sure how that outbreak started, it could well be a new incursion from New South Wales, it may be something else we don’t yet know,” she said.
Health minister Martin Foley received a number of questions on whether the man was tested before his surgery on August 12 and how this happened. He said he thought the man had been tested but the matter was being further looked into.
AFL Grand Final ‘problematic’ but not ruled out for MCG
By Roy Ward
Victorian sports minister Martin Pakula is refusing to “wave the white flag” on hosting the AFL Grand Final at the MCG, but admits the game may have to move.
Mr Pakula was asked on Sunday whether the grand final could be in Perth and he said there was still time but the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak was proving a challenge to having a major event.
With the current lockdown running to September 2 and the grand final scheduled for September 25, “it goes without saying that right now it looks problematic,” Mr Pakula said.
“The idea that we’d have tens of thousands of people gathered in one place that soon [is hard to fathom] but, contrary to reports, we haven’t waved the white flag yet.”
Mr Pakula said he is in constant discussion with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and the government is “keenly interested” in what’s best for the sport as well as the state.
“We would never seek to force the AFL to play the grand final in front of an empty stadium.”
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2021-08-22 05:02:54Z
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