Australia Covid news live: Covid jabs for kids being ‘carefully’ considered

A prestigious Sydney boys’ school has avoided health guidelines requiring high school students to wear masks indoors.

Welcome to Wednesday’s live coverage of Australia’s Covid-19 situation.

NSW recorded 305 Covid cases and three deaths on Wednesday.

It comes as the epicentre of NSW’s outbreak shifts away from Sydney, with the Hunter New England region seeing a rise in cases.

Victoria recorded 1534 cases and 13 deaths.

Queensland recorded two new locally acquired cases on Tuesday, with one case in particular, an unvaccinated teen, sparking concern for authorities.

Follow below for today’s top updates. Keep refreshing the page for the latest news.

You can find yesterday’s blog here.

Exclusive boys’ school dodges mask rule

A prestigious Sydney boys’ school has avoided health guidelines requiring high school students to wear masks indoors.

The NSW Education and NSW guidelines apply to both public and Catholic schools and also “strongly recommend” primary school students wear face masks as well.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports the majority of independent schools have also decided to follow the guidelines, but King’s School in Parramatta has chosen not to mandate masks for its students.

A letter from headmaster Tony George said the NSW public health orders don’t require students to wear face coverings, and that the school would give students the choice of whether or not they wear masks indoors.

“It is important to note that the NSW Education Department guidelines are primarily intended for NSW public schools,” the letter read, according to the publication.

“The King’s School seriously considers all the advice and guidelines provided by all relevant authorities … it is the Public Health Orders that provide the express direction to independent schools.”

NSW Education’s guidelines also say singing is not permitted in schools, but King’s has said ti will allow singing if it is consistent with their educational programs.

Major development in jabs for Aussie kids

Australian officials are looking “carefully” at the possibility of recommending the Pfizer vaccine for children as young as five.

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Deputy Secretary John Skerritt said yesterday they received part of the application from Pfizer to make the vaccine available to this age group.

“We will look at that carefully,” he said.

He also noted that other vaccine companies such as Moderna have also begun assembling data on vaccinations for young age groups.

It follows news this morning that the US has approved the Pfizer vaccine for children aged between five and 11.

An expert panel voted overwhelmingly to recommend the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorise use of the vaccine for the aged group, saying the benefits of getting the jab outweigh the risks.

This means the vaccination could be available to millions of children in the US as early as next week.

No new cases in Qld

Queensland has recorded zero new locally acquired Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours.

It comes after two new community cases were announced yesterday, with one an unvaccinated 17-year-old on the Gold Coast.

Fears unvaxxed teen linked to ‘multiple’ cases

There are fears Queensland could be dealing with a new Covid cluster, following reports an infected teenager is linked to a large family with “multiple” positive virus cases.

The 17-year-old boy was among the two locally acquired Covid cases announced yesterday.

The unvaccinated teen presented to the Gold Coast University Hospital with a headache before being diagnosed with the virus.

Authorities said he was a close contact of someone who travelled from NSW, with investigations underway into how that person crossed the border into Queensland.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk provides a Covid update with Deputy Premier Steven Miles at back. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

According to The Courier Mail, the 17-year-old is understood to be related to a large Indigenous family from Tweed Heads which reportedly has “multiple” members diagnosed with the virus.

It comes after two new cases were reported in the Tweed Shire region last week when a man tested positive to the virus after attending Tweed Heads Hospital for treatment for a different condition.

He was tested for Covid after displaying symptoms of the virus, such as coughing.

The other case announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday was a woman in her 30s from Melbourne who was diagnosed with the virus while in home quarantine.

She also revealed a truck driver from Gympie has been infected, though he tested positive while in NSW and has been included in their figures.

TGA approves Pfizer booster shots

A third-dose Pfizer shot has been provisionally approved for use as a booster, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has announced.

The booster shot is expected to be delivered to Australians aged over 18 at least six months after the “completion of a Covid-19 vaccine primary series”, no matter which vaccine was originally received.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the Today Show national cabinet would meet next week to further discuss the booster shot program.

– Additional reporting NCA NewsWire

Victoria records 1534 cases and 13 deaths

Victoria has recorded 1534 Covid-19 cases and 13 deaths in the 24 hours to midnight last night.

There are currently 748 people in hospital, with 138 of those in the ICU.

At least 76 per cent of residents over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated.

We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.

Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.

More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/bTHTzWmCda

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) October 26, 2021

NSW records 304 cases and three deaths

NSW has recorded 304 new Covid-19 cases and three deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

There are 418 Covid patients in hospital, with 97 of those in the ICU.

At least 85.5 per cent of residents over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated and 93.2 per cent have received one dose.

NSW #COVID19 update – Wednesday 27 October 2021

In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night:

- 93.2% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 85.5% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 89,875 tests pic.twitter.com/bLqs93gEgM

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) October 26, 2021

Big issue with plan to lock out unvaxxed

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has repeatedly said residents who choose not to be vaccinated will be banned from non-essential activities “well into 2022”.

The plan to keep unvaccinated Victorians essentially in lockdown will remain even after the state passes the 90 per cent double vaccination goal.

“Whether it’s a bookshop, a shoe shop, a pub, cafe, a restaurant, the MCG, the list goes on and on. You will not be able to participate like a fully vaccinated person because you’re not a fully vaccinated person,” Mr Andrews said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews looks on during the daily press conference. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

However, one expert has warned these strict rules could actually do more harm than good.

Former deputy chief medical officer, Professor Nick Coatsworth, said barring unvaccinated people from freedoms into next year could actually cement their beliefs around vaccines.

“To suggest that for an entire year when your vaccination rates are likely to be above 90 per cent that there are things you would exclude people from participating in for that period of time is likely to rust people on to their opposition to vaccines,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“If you wanted to encourage people to believe that the government was against you if you didn’t get the vaccine, this is exactly how you would be have.”

Professor Coatsworth told the publication there was a balance that needed to be struck when using vaccine passports.

Under NSW’s roadmap, unvaccinated residents will be allowed to enjoy the same freedoms as vaccinated people from December 1, when the state is expected to have passed its 90 per cent double dose vaccination goal.

Quarantine free travel with Singapore to resume

In less than two weeks’ time Australians will be able to travel to Singapore without quarantining so long as they are fully vaccinated.

The Singapore government has announced that vaccinated Aussies will be able to skip quarantine when arriving in the country from November 8.

Children under the age of 12 do not have to be vaccinated so long as they are travelling with a fully vaccinated passenger.

Travellers will need to present a negative Covid test within 48 hours of leaving Australia and return another negative test upon arrival at Changi Airport.

Travellers must self-isolate in their accommodation until the result is received.

Overseas travel to resume within days

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed fully Australians will officially be able to travel overseas from November 1.

Speaking to Sunrise, Mr Morrison revealed the Health Minister signed off on the change last night.

“I can announce today that last night the Health Minister signed off on the fact that from 1 November Australians who are double vaccinated will be able to travel overseas as we have flagged and we are looking forward to that,” he said.

Australia’s ban on overseas travel has been scrapped. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Brenton Edwards

Mr Morrison also said he was confident Australians were ready to travel again, with country’s now beginning to open their borders to fully vaccinated travellers.

“The national plan is working. The national plan provides for this. The national plan is about opening Australia up and that is because the vaccination rates are climbing so high,” he said.

The PM also revealed Australia’s first dose vaccination rate is now higher than the UK’s.

“Higher than the United Kingdom, already higher than the United States and that is as a percentage of the whole population so well done Australia,’ H e said.

SA hits vaccination milestone

South Australia has become the latest state to hit the 80 per cent first vaccination milestone.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the achievement on Sunrise this morning.

“South Australia is over 80 per cent first vaccinated rates today to so well done to those in South Australia,” he said.

At least 63.1 per cent of South Australians are fully vaccinated.

It comes as the state is set to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from November 23.

SA unveils reopening plan

Premier Steven Marshall has unveiled South Australia’s long-awaited reopening plan, with hopes the state can enjoy “as normal a Christmas as possible”.

“From November 23, we will be removing our border restrictions for those people who are double vaccinated to come into South Australia,” Mr Marshall told reporters.

“From November 23, we will be reducing the time that international arrivals need to be in quarantine from 14 days down to seven, and on November 23 we will also be increasing the cap for home gatherings from 20 to 30, but other arrangements will need to stay in place for the foreseeable future.”

BREAKING: SA’s Covid Ready Plan released.

Border restrictions eased from November 23rd. More than a week before the Dec 3 date initially flagged.

All the details @7newsadelaide#covidroadmap#covidpic.twitter.com/6EpPcG223A

— Andrea Nicolas (@AndreaLNicolas) October 26, 2021

Once the state reaches 90 per cent of South Australians aged 12 and over fully vaccinated, authorities will remove the quarantine arrangement for overseas arrivals and “the vast majority of the other restrictions in South Australia”.

Mr Marshall said he was hopeful that milestone could be achieved by Christmas.

“So, the race is on in South Australia. We need as many people to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, so we can enjoy as normal a Christmas as possible during this pandemic,” he added.

“Again, I want to thank all South Australians for their extraordinary efforts over the last 19 months, we are the envy of the world but as we know we cannot keep the Delta variant out forever.”

‘Covid is coming’: Qld on high alert

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has offered another dark warning for residents after two new locally acquired Covid cases were detected in the state.

The most concerning case is a 17-year-old unvaccinated boy who was a close contact of a person who travelled to Queensland from NSW.

“Today’s cases show Queensland is not immune to the pandemic. We have contained dozens of outbreaks but as NSW, Victoria, the ACT and New Zealand have discovered it takes one case to cause a massive health crisis,” Ms Palaszczuk said on Tuesday.

“Because of the time it takes between doses, Queenslanders have just five days to get their first dose so that they can be fully vaccinated in time for Christmas when families can once again be reunited with loved ones.

“I want 70 per cent fully vaccinated by November 19. On November 19 Anyone from an interstate hotspot will be able to travel into Queensland provided they arrive by air, fully vaccinated and produce a negative taste, those people will be required to complete 14 days home quarantine.

“Make no mistake Covid is coming.”