As it happened NSW records 478 new local COVID-19 cases seven deaths Victoria ACT lockdowns extended NT lockdown to begin
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That’s stumps for tonight, thanks for reading. Here’s a recap of the day:
Tune in again bright and early tomorrow. Have a good evening and take care.
Two schools in Sydney’s west and south-west will shut their doors due to possible COVID-19 cases in the school communities.
Two schools have shut after people in the school communities tested positive to COVID-19Credit: Rhett Wyman
The education department said Bankstown Public School and The Meadows Public School would be closed on Tuesday to all staff and students as a precaution.
Staff and students at both schools have been asked to self-isolate until they receive further advice.
“The NSW Department of Education will continue to work closely with NSW Health to ensure the health and safety of all students and staff is maintained,†a spokesperson said.
From 10pm Monday evening, the ACT will be an extreme risk zone under the Victorian government’s travel permit system.
It means that anyone who has been in the ACT since it was designated an extreme risk zone in the past 14 days cannot enter Victoria without an exception, exemption, or another valid permit, even if the person is a Victorian resident.
The Health Department said the exemptions are rare and are only granted in special circumstances.
“Even if you have an exemption, conditions will still apply if you have been in an extreme risk zone. In most cases, these conditions will include quarantine for 14 days,†a statement posted on Twitter said.
The Health Department has also upgraded the risk designation to areas of the Northern Territory, including Greater Darwin and Katherine, which will become red zones also at 10pm tonight.
“The LGAs are City of Darwin, City of Palmerston, Litchfield Council, Wagait Shire, Belyuen Shire, Dundee, Bynoe, Charlotte, Cox Peninsula, Municipality of Katherine including Tindal,†the department said.
“Victorian residents who have been in a red zone at any time since the zone started over the last 14 days can get a red zone permit to enter Victoria, but they must isolate on arrival, get tested, and quarantine for 14 days.
“If you are not a Victorian resident, you are not eligible for a red zone permit, and you cannot enter Victoria without an exception, exemption or another valid permit.“
To see more information about red zones and the Victorian government’s travel permit system, visit the Health Department’s website.
That’s stumps for tonight, thanks for reading. Here’s a recap of the day:
Tune in again bright and early tomorrow. Have a good evening and take care.
A steady line inches forward at the COVID-19 testing clinic in West Dubbo â€" the worst-affected part of the town at the epicentre of a regional outbreak that health authorities are calling an “incredibly scary and concerning situationâ€, with active case numbers pushing towards 100.
The line is peppered with young families because the virus has turned up in their schools, at their athletics carnival, in their extended families or friendship groups â€" or just because their parents want to be safe.
The McCauley family getting tested at the Dubbo West walk-in clinic.Credit:Kate Geraghty
Latisha Carr-McEwen took her children Tashayla, 9, and Craig, 4, to be tested after their school, Dubbo South, closed on Monday due to a positive case â€" one of seven schools in the district shut by the outbreak.
The kids were also at the athletics carnival on Friday attended by a positive case.
Latisha Carr-McEwan with her children waiting in a queue for a COVID-19 test at the Dubbo West walk-in clinic.Credit:Kate Geraghty
Getting a nasopharangeal swab is probably not most kids’ idea of a fun birthday activity, but Orlando McCauley, who turned nine on Monday, took it in his stride.
His mum, Jayne McCauley, is a casual teacher and said she took her children to be tested just to be on the safe side.
Read more here.
The state and federal MPs whose electorates include the location of the illegal engagement party that had a positive COVID-19 case in attendance have issued a statement condemning both the actions of the people who held the event and the community backlash that followed.
Federal Labor MP Josh Burns and state Liberal MP David Southwick issued a joint statement that said the behaviour of the attendees was “deeply disappointing†but that the online hate that came in the wake of the story was just as inappropriate.
“The reports and footage from local gatherings are obviously deeply disappointing and are being dealt with by the relevant health authorities. While we condemn such actions, online hate and social media bullying is also not appropriate,†they said.
It is rare for a joint statement to be issued by members of opposing political parties.
“Every Melburnian is exhausted and desperate for this lockdown to end. But the quickest way to end this lockdown is for people to do the right thing,†the statement says.
“Follow the rules; get tested and isolated if they’re symptomatic or have been at an exposure site; and get vaccinated if they’re eligible.â€
The Victorian Parliament’s upper house will sit tomorrow in defiance of the Chief Health Officer’s advice after the Opposition Leader slammed the decision to suspend the lower house as “appallingâ€.
The 40-member house will gather to debate, and vote, on whether the Legislative Council should continue to sit during the latest round of COVID-19 restrictions.
Premier Daniel Andrews said this afternoon that Professor Brett Sutton advised Parliament’s presiding officers that Parliament should be suspended this week.
“What they do with that advice is a matter for them,†Mr Andrews said. “But I don’t think I’m going to stand here and ask every other worker to work from home, and then we have people coming from regional Victoria to Melbourne, and from all suburbs of Melbourne, into the centre of Melbourne. We’ll make up those [parliamentary sitting] days later.â€
Under tightened restrictions, Melburnians working away from home must apply for a permit as the government further cracks down on movement to curb the spread of COVID-19.
But the Opposition has resolved for Parliament to meet tomorrow to vote on whether upper house sittings should be suspended. Regional MPs will also attend Parliament.
Unlike the lower house, Labor does not command a majority in the upper house and requires the support of at least three crossbench MPs to pass legislation and motions. The lower house has deferred the sitting of Parliament.
Earlier in the day, Opposition leader Michael O’Brien said the decision to suspend Parliament was “appallingâ€.
“This is not about me, it’s not about Daniel Andrews, it’s about the people of Victoria,†Mr O’Brien said. “If ever there was a time Victorians needed governments held accountable for their actions, it’s now.
“When a government is exercising such extreme measure, such draconian powers over the lives of Victorians, that government must be held accountable to the people.
“If a CFMEU construction site can still be at work, why shouldn’t Parliament? If construction can operate, why can’t democracy?â€
The Greens have also called for Parliament to return safely as soon as possible, and its integrity spokesman Tim Read said while the party supported a public-health response to the pandemic, it should not come at the expense of democracy or passing legislation.
“The reality is that this government has had over a year to work out a way to hold Parliament safely, such as online, and they haven’t,†Dr Read said.
“Urgent legislation to support those hit hard by the current restrictions shouldn’t be held up and the government must make itself available for parliamentary scrutiny.
“The Greens support Parliament continuing online and are willing to cooperate with other parties on devising ways of voting safely.â€
Last August the upper house also sat in defiance of the Chief Health Officer’s advice to suspend Parliament.
NSW has fully vaccinated the largest share of its eligible population but the ACT and Tasmania have achieved higher first dose rates so far.
The federal government has changed the way it releases vaccination data, with all information sourced from the Australian Immunisation Register.
For the first time, the government has also provided a breakdown of vaccination rates in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by state and territory. Overall, 169,449 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 16 have had one dose, while 86,793 are fully vaccinated.
To date 48 per cent of the eligible population aged 16 and over, or 9.9 million people, have had one dose. More than 5.4 million are now fully vaccinated.
In the ACT just over 54 per cent of people have had one dose, and 53.4 per cent of Tasmanians have had one dose too. In NSW the first dose vaccination rate is 52.1 per cent, and in Victoria, it’s 47.4 per cent (below the Northern Territory).
Victoria’s vaccination rates remain lowest in the city, with Melbourne’s north-west recording the lowest first dose rate of 39.5 per cent and lowest second dose rate at 20.1 per cent. The regional centres of Warrnambool, Bendigo and Geelong have the highest rates of first and second doses.
In NSW the story is different, with Sydney’s Northern Beaches, North Sydney and Hornsby, and Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury areas recording the highest first and second dose rates in the state.
NSW Health added new exposure sites where confirmed cases of COVIDâ€19 visited.
Anyone who visited the following venues at the times listed is a close contact (tier 1) and must get tested and isolate for 14 days since they were last there.
There are also new casual contact (tier 2) exposure sites listed here.
Another regional NSW school has been forced to shut after new COVID-19 cases were reported.
The NSW Department of Education said Mian School, in Dubbo, will be closed on Tuesday after a member of the school community tested positive for the virus.
According to the department, 93 per cent of students at the alternative education school are Aboriginal.
Dubbo West Public School this afternoon.Credit:Kate Geraghty
Meanwhile, Dubbo West Public School will remain closed on Tuesday after a second student tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Members of the school community have also tested positive since the school first closed on Friday.
All staff and students at the school have been told to get tested and isolate for 14 days.
A quiet Macquarie Street in the centre of Dubbo which is normally busy with traffic. Credit:Kate Geraghty
On Thursday, residents of Melbourne will pass the sombre milestone of 200 days in lockdown since the country first shut down in March last year.
Meanwhile in Sydney, daily COVID case numbers remain persistently above 400 and there’s no end in sight for the current lockdown.
Eighteen months after coronavirus reared its ugly head, Australians who initially sailed through the pandemic now peer enviously overseas as life returns to something resembling normal.
Today on Please Explain, Nathanael Cooper is joined by The Age city editor Bianca Hall to talk about lockdown fatigue and parochialism.
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