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Watch live: Qld’s COVID-19 update
By Broede Carmody
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is due to give a coronavirus update from 10am AEST.
The state recorded two locally acquired cases yesterday. Both are truck drivers who tested negative on their second test and are considered low risk.
Watch the press conference live below.
No new cases in Queensland; pause on NSW, Vic and ACT arrivals
By Felicity Caldwell
Queensland will pause interstate hotel quarantine arrivals for two weeks as the system has become too “stretched”.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the changes would come into effect from midday today.
“Queensland is being loved to death,” she said at this morning’s coronavirus update.
“It’s putting our workers at risk and it’s also putting our community at risk as well.”
People seeking entry to Queensland will need to reapply for border passes and then book into a hotel on an allocated date.
Those who have an exemption, for compassionate reasons or for medical procedures, will not be subject to the new rules.
Currently, there are 5114 people in hotel quarantine in 22 hotels, with more than 3200 of those domestic arrivals.
Between August 9 and 20, 2750 people received border passes to relocate to Queensland, including almost 2000 in just one week.
Meanwhile, Queensland has reported a “doughnut” day, with no cases reported in the community or in hotel quarantine.
Ms Palaszczuk said the two truck drivers who were under investigation after being reported as positive cases on Tuesday had been reclassified as “not being cases”.
Queensland currently has 37 active cases of COVID-19.
Australians should be able to travel overseas at 70 per cent vax rate: business lobby
By Nick Bonyhady
A major business lobby group is calling for commercial travellers to be allowed to go abroad when Australia hits a 70 per cent vaccination rate so that local firms don’t miss out on international opportunities.
Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said on ABC TV this morning that a conversation about allowing vaccinated travellers to go overseas and potentially skip quarantine needed to happen now, pointing to the one in five jobs dependent on exports.
“For the past 18 months, business has missed out on the opportunity of travelling overseas to sell Australia to the world, to export to the world, to create new markets, to participate in trade shows, to meet customers,” said Mr Willox, who represents about 60,000 businesses.
“We need to go out and sell ourselves to the world.”
Mr Willox suggested business travellers could quarantine at home and undergo regular rapid testing to ensure they don’t transmit the virus.
Federal Labor backs national reopening plan
By Nick Bonyhady
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has endorsed the national plan to gradually reopen Australia as vaccination targets rise.
The Resolve Political Monitor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has found 62 per cent of Australians support the plan, which was agreed to by national cabinet but has since caused division between the Prime Minister, who has stood by it, and some premiers who have raised concerns.
Mr Albanese, after criticism that he had not made his position clear and public front-running by his colleagues (and sometime rivals) Bill Shorten and Joel Fitzgibbon, was forthright on Wednesday morning.
Here’s the full exchange, courtesy of ABC TV:
Q: Do you support the large-scale reopening of much of Australian society with restrictions when needed once we hit 80 per cent?
A: Yes, I do.
Q: OK. And do you see lockdowns as being part of that mix?
A: Well, the national plan provides for only restricted targeted lockdowns. I support the national plan. It has proposals at 70 per cent and 80 per cent. It is, as it is written, there is scope there for lockdowns, but targeted if they’re absolutely necessary.
Q: OK. So 80 per cent is agreed to by you in terms of borders reopening, limitations lifted on most Australians?
A: Well, that’s there in the national plan. And Labor supports the national plan. No one wants to see lockdowns there for one day more than necessary. But we need to remember the reason why we are having lockdowns right now is, firstly, that quarantine wasn’t fixed. These have all arisen from outbreaks, from a failure to have purpose-built quarantine. This current outbreak throughout Australia arises from one limo driver taking a foreign aircrew, unvaccinated, without a mask, to hotel quarantine. And some months later, the whole of NSW is in lockdown, we in Canberra are in lockdown, Melbourne it’s been quite catastrophic, the direct consequence. And the reason why the consequences of that failure are so great, of course, is because of a failure on vaccines, a failure to get that supply that was needed earlier this year.
NSW should hold off on any easing of restrictions: AMA
By Mary Ward
The NSW branch of the Australian Medical Association has said it does not support the easing of restrictions in the state “at any level”, as the fully vaccinated wait to hear what additional freedoms they may be granted now that NSW has hit 6 million shots.
“We know people are tired, want to see their families, and are increasingly vaccinated, but this is not the time to ease restrictions at any level,” said NSW AMA President Danielle McMullen.
“We understand the desire for certainty, and we think discussion about modelling and vaccination rates is important. However, NSW has not achieved the vaccination rates or lowered the case numbers significantly enough to make any changes to current restrictions.”
NSW AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen. Credit:Dean Sewell
Dr McMullen said the state should not ease restrictions while the health system appeared to be struggling. On Tuesday, Westmead Hospital, western Sydney’s largest hospital, announced a number of emergency measures would be put in place due to an “unprecedented” number of COVID-19 patients.
“Now is the time to support our communities and our healthcare workers. Now is not the time for tinkering with restrictions,” she said.
The association’s state branch has also called for uniform restrictions across the state, amid concern additional freedoms for the fully vaccinated will favour wealthier areas with older populations.
“All of NSW needs to remain committed to supporting each other by maintaining restrictions across LGAs and regions, even where case numbers are different,” Dr McMullen said.
“COVID has hit some of our most vulnerable populations and we must all stand together to get through this. Western Sydney and South Western Sydney have been hit hardest to date, but the Delta variant is so contagious – it really does not matter where you live, COVID can impact anyone.”
‘It’s been a long time coming’: Young Victorians celebrate Pfizer bookings
By Cassandra Morgan
It’s day one of all Victorians aged 16 to 39 being eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, and the state’s booking system has been hit with an onslaught of people keen to get the jab.
Melbourne local Jake Talevski, 19, jumped out of bed at 6.50am in preparation for more than 450,000 Pfizer appointments coming online at 7am. He said he refreshed the page a few times and then managed to secure a slot at Melbourne Showgrounds vaccination hub – all by just after 8am.
Melburnian Jake Talevski, 19, has managed to secure a Pfizer booking. Credit:Chris Hopkins
“Doing my research, I was always in preference of getting the Pfizer [vaccine],” he said.
Mr Talevski said he thought something similar to NSW’s COVID-19 situation could happen in Victoria, so he liked that the Pfizer vaccine had a shorter timeframe between doses compared with AstraZeneca.
“I even tried booking it yesterday as well, too, [because authorities were] saying they’ll give you Pfizer even if you’ve got an AstraZeneca [booking]. It didn’t work quite then,” he said.
“I’ve just been waiting for the chance to actually get it done. It’s been a long time coming.”
NSW Premier tight-lipped on additional freedoms
By Sarah McPhee
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has called into 2GB radio this morning, after Pfizer vaccinations opened to everyone aged 16 to 39 living in Sydney’s west and south west (not just the 12 local government areas of concern).
But residents will still have to wait until Thursday or Friday to hear details of the additional freedom for fully vaccinated people in September, after the state passed 6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses yesterday.
Ms Berejiklian, echoing earlier comments from Deputy Premier John Barilaro, said NSW Chief Psychiatrist Dr Murray Wright was involved in discussions as the state government and health officials work through the detail.
“We’re getting his input because he’s given us good advice on what people want the most and what’s going to make people feel better and be healthier, from a mental health perspective,” she said.
“He might say ‘this is the best thing that everybody wants’, but the health team might say ‘well, it’s not quite safe, what’s the next thing?’”
Asked whether it will be a haircut, Ms Berejiklian said: “I’m not going to comment on that until we see what the options are.”
Appearing on Nine News last night, the Premier said NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant had “agreed to give our citizens that extra bit of freedom”.
“We want to make sure as many people as possible have that extra glimmer of hope during September,” she said.
Government still waiting on advice for vaccines for children aged 12 to 15
By Broede Carmody
As you might already know, year 12 students in Sydney’s coronavirus hotspots have been receiving the Pfizer jab and, from today, people aged 16 and 17 (and beyond) can book their Pfizer jab in Victoria.
But what about younger age groups?
COVID-19 taskforce commander Lieutenant-General John Frewen.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
On Friday, national cabinet is set to discuss the vaccine rollout for 12- to 15-year-olds.
Lieutenant-General John Frewen says the federal government is still waiting to hear what the country’s chief vaccine advisory group, ATAGI, has to say about that age group.
Here’s what he told ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning:
Already, 12- to 15-year-olds with other conditions and Indigenous kids can access Pfizer
Once we have the ATAGI advice, we are developing plans to open up to those [broader] cohorts. We are working on a youth vaccination plan that will help us get to all of those kids in that age group, whether they are [students] or kids in care and the like, but the supply is coming.
We will have Moderna from the middle of next month and lots of Pfizer coming in October.
We are working with the states and territories. I think school-based vaccination could be a big part of the program. We are also looking at a program where we might be able to book families in so that parents and kids can get done together.
Victoria records 45 new cases of COVID-19
By Broede Carmody
Victoria’s daily coronavirus numbers are in.
The state has recorded 45 new, locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and zero in hotel quarantine.
The Department of Health says of today’s new cases, 36 are linked to existing outbreaks. This means there are, at this stage, nine mystery cases.
Twenty-eight people were not in isolation for their entire infectious period.
There are now 538 active cases of coronavirus in Victoria.
Today’s numbers are off the back of yesterday’s 53,321 coronavirus tests.
Victoria’s vaccine booking website experiencing high demand
By Mathew Dunckley
Victoria’s newly expanded vaccination program is causing issues for its online booking service.
The state has opened up access to Pfizer shots for everyone over 16 years of age.
As we reported last night, the move has sparked a surge of cancellations for AstraZeneca appointments.
People trying to access Victoria’s booking system this morning were greeted with this holding message.
Victoria’s vaccine booking website is currently experiencing high demand.
We’d like to hear from readers about their experience of trying to book a vaccine.
Use the form below.
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2021-08-25 00:13:44Z
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