Australia Covid live news update: Victoria reports 1,993 cases and seven deaths; NSW records 319 infections and two deaths; Tasmania lockdown begins | Australia news
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Australia Covid live news update: Victoria reports 1,993 cases and seven deaths; NSW records 319 infections and two deaths; Tasmania lockdown begins | Australia news
NSW records 319 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases
The NSW numbers are in.
The state has reported 319 local Covid-19 cases overnight, and two additional deaths.
NSW Health (@NSWHealth)
NSW COVID-19 update – Saturday 16 October 2021
In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night:
– 91.7% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
– 78.8% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine
– 66,311 tests pic.twitter.com/aWigP24cMZ
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is back calling for Victoria to ease Covid-19 restrictions in line with New South Wales after the state recorded two consecutive days of cases exceeding 2,000.
Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg)
Victorians have done the right thing- got the jab, spent 256 days in lockdown & now they deserve their lives & freedoms back.
It’s time to put Victoria back in the fast lane & ease restrictions at 70-80% vaccination rates like NSW.
Guardian Australia’s Elias Visontay has been speaking with families trapped across borders after the NSW government’s announcement quarantine-free travel will begin on 1 November.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, yesterday announced immediate family members would be able to enter Australia when travel caps were lifted.
Under the new standing exemption, ACT residents will be able to travel freely within a string of approved border postcodes, including the South Coast, without needing to quarantine or complete an exemption form to return to the territory.
NSW residents within the postcodes will also be able to travel freely into the ACT.
ACT Health (@ACTHealth)
1/7 Travel to NSW from the ACT expanded from 12:00pm today
ACT Health has expanded the approved border postcodes to better align our travel restrictions with NSW where possible. pic.twitter.com/yhOjj6cWcR
The Queensland government is warning the wet season may impact the vaccination rollout with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting the potential for floods and cyclones this summer.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk:
Severe weather could make it difficult for many Far North Queenslanders to get vaccinated this summer.
I’m urging all Queenslanders – but particularly those in the Far North of our state to get vaccinated now.
Health minister Yvette D’Ath said health experts were concerned about the ramifications of severe weather on the vaccination rollout due to the increased likelihood of La Niña development in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
We all know that Queensland is prone to floods and cyclones each year, which often means widespread damage, interruption to services and road closures – and often our northern and central Queensland communities are worst impacted due to cyclones and flooding.
Right now, we are offering as many vaccination clinics as we can in rural and remote communities across the state – but there may come a time this summer when it’s not safe or possible to get our vaccination teams into certain communities due to severe weather or natural disasters.
There’s absolutely no reason to delay the vaccine – Covid-19 will come to our regional communities, it’s just a matter of time.
Heartbreaking to hear of the death of Sir David Amess. A decent man and respected Parliamentarian, killed in his own community while carrying out his public duties. A tragic day for our democracy. My thoughts and prayers are with David’s family.
Hello everyone, it’s Caitlin Cassidy here, up and ready to guide you through this weekend’s news after a whopper Friday.
NSW premier Dominic Perrottet yesterday made quite a stir when he announced international travel would resume in Sydney without quarantine for vaccinated travellers from 1 November. NSW recorded 399 Covid-19 cases yesterday.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, later clarified that while he welcomed the announcement, the quarantine-free travel would only apply, at least in its initial stages, to returning Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members. He reiterated the decision for opening borders lies with the commonwealth, not state governments.
Morrison also, at long last, announced he would be attending the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow next month. Presumably, a climate plan, and whether the commonwealth will be committing to net zero by 2050, will be revealed before then.
While the ACT wakes to its second day of eased Covid-19 restrictions, Hobart today enters its first full day of a three-day shutdown to contain the threat of a Delta outbreak. No further cases have been reported in Tasmania since an interstate traveller who breached quarantine tested positive to the virus. The ACT recorded 35 cases and one death yesterday.
Over in Victoria, the state recorded 2,179 local Covid-19 cases and six deaths as health minister Martin Foley announced fully vaccinated people in NSW will now be allowed to enter Victoria without quarantining for 14 days from 19 October, provided they test negative to Covid-19 upon departure and arrival.
https://t.co/dTpo880iZW pic.twitter.com/otk8K9rYMb
Travel to NSW from the ACT expanded from 12:00pm today