Victoria, NSW Covid news live: Good news hidden in today’s case numbers

NSW has recorded another 1127 new Covid infections, but a closer look at the numbers suggests the tide may be turning at last.

Hello and welcome to Tuesday’s Covid coverage.

Victoria recorded 445 new cases on Tuesday, with authorities scrambling to find the source of 316 of those infections. The state also recorded two covid deaths in the past 24 hours.

NSW confirmed 1127 infections on Tuesday, with the regional town of Yass forced back into lockdown overnight after just three days of eased restrictions.

This live coverage has now ended. Read below for all of today’s updates.

Changes to WA’s vaccine program from Monday

West Australians over 60 will be eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine soon, Premier Mark McGowan has announced.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he said the change will only apply to people who have not received a single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

“People aged 60 and over who have already had a first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should still have their second dose of AstraZeneca, as different vaccines cannot be mixed,” Mr McGowan said.

“To date, more than 84 per cent of people aged 60 and older have received their first doses, and more than 60 per cent of people aged 60 and older are fully vaccinated.”

Andrews to reveal Victorian roadmap on Sunday

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will reveal what the state’s next few months look like on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters today, the Premier said plans would focus on greater freedoms and a return to face-to-face learning.

“There will be a map that talks about what we are going to do for the rest of September, October and November,” he said.

“It will be subject to all sorts of things like how many people are in hospital,” Mr Andrews told reporters.

“It will give people a clear sense of what we’re working towards.”

It comes as Victoria recorded 445 new cases and two deaths on Tuesday, with the infection rate showing no clear signs of slowing.

In Victoria, 66.8 per cent of the population has received one dose of the vaccine, with the Premier previously benchmarking a 70 per cent one-dose target for restrictions to ease slightly.

NSW numbers drop but ‘too early’ to know if curve is flattening

NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty said while the fact NSW’s cases aren’t rising significantly, it was still “too early” to know whether the outbreak had reached its peak.

“It’s too early to know if we’re flattening the curve, but we’re seeing, pleasingly so far, that cases haven’t been increasing as fast as they have been, but there may be an effect of the weekend,” Dr McAnulty said.

“We’ll look to see what’s happening throughout the rest of this week to know how we’re going. But it’s really pleasing to see immunisation rates increasing so quickly.”

He said immunisation is key to beating this outbreak and urged residents to continue to come forward and get tested.

NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty speaks to the media during a COVID-19 press conference in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Today’s 1127 new cases is the smallest increase NSW has seen in 13 days since the state confirmed 1116 infections on September 1.

Dr McAnulty said the reproduction rate is still sitting at about 1.2 and when it gets to 1 then it means the curve will begin to flatten.

“So we’d like to see a few more days before we can have confidence about whether there is a trend,” he said.

“We have seen in the past, you know, three days of flattening and then it jumps up again. So we need to be cautious in drawing any conclusions.”

ACT lockdown extended as 22 new cases recorded

The ACT’s lockdown will be extended for four weeks as the capital territory continues to deal with it’s latest outbreak.

The lockdown, which has been in place in August 12, will now last until October 15.

The announcement came as the ACT recorded 22 new Covid-19 cases today, with at last 13 infectious in the community.

“As the nation reaches the vaccination thresholds outlined in the National Plan to transition Australia’s Covid-19 response, we will be in a position to support the gradual easing of restrictions locally,” Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said in a joint statement.

“Based on current trajectories, the nation is anticipated to reach the 70 per cent and 80 per cent effective vaccination milestones in mid to late October and early to mid November.

Surprise restriction to ease across Melbourne

Victorians have been informed of an unexpected change to the state’s Covid-19 lockdown rules, with restrictions to ease around pet grooming.

Victorian Department of Health Deputy Secretary Kate Matson said the change to the authorised worker list means regular pet grooming can resume across Greater Melbourne and Shepparton.

“Throughout this lockdown, pet grooming has been available for urgent needs,” she said.

“However, as we enter the warmer months, and that’s evident by this beautiful spring day here in Melbourne today, we confirm that grooming will be permitted for non-urgent and regular grooming needs, so long as it’s conducted outdoors and is contactless, and conducted solo.

“So that’s one change to the restrictions that we’re bringing in.”

NSW records 1127 new Covid cases

NSW has recorded 1127 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases and two deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Of the deaths, one was a man in his 50s from western Sydney who died at Concord Hospital and the other was a woman in her 80s from western Sydney who died at Ryde Hospital.

The man had received one dose of a Covid vaccine just three days before testing positive and did not have any underlying health conditions.

The woman in her 80s had received one dose of a Covid vaccine and has underlying health conditions.

NSW recorded 1,127 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/QS809aYxhy

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 14, 2021

Victoria records 445 new Covid cases and two deaths

Victoria has recorded 445 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to midnight last night.

The state also confirmed two people have died from the virus, including a man in his 20s and a woman in her 80s.

Of the local cases, the source of 316 still remain a mystery, while 129 are linked to known cases and outbreaks.

Even though yesterday’s cases were higher at 473 new infections, the state has seen a rise in cases without a known source, increasing from the 271 mystery cases recorded on Monday.

Reported yesterday: 445 new local cases and 0 cases acquired overseas.
- 36,615 vaccines administered
- 42,694 test results received
- Sadly, two people with COVID-19 have died

More later: https://t.co/eUcG50Y3T0#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/BUjGKZWPBP

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) September 13, 2021

‘Ridiculous’ NSW restriction sparks fury

Eased restrictions for vaccinated Sydney residents have sparked backlash from some mayors who have pointed out the inequality in NSW’s lockdown restrictions.

Residents living outside an area of concern in Sydney can now attend a gathering of up to five people for outdoor recreation “so long as all those at the gathering aged 16 years or over are fully vaccinated”.

For those living in one of the 12 LGAs of concern, you are allowed to leave home for two hours of recreation with your household so long as everyone over the age of 16 is fully vaccinated.

People gather to picnic at Camperdown Memorial Rest Park. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Khal Asfour said the disparity in rules across Sydney highlighted “just how ridiculous the health orders are”, as they vary from “street to street, or from one suburb to another”.

“[Authorities] keep blaming the health advice but show me the health advice which says that sitting in a park at a safe distance is spreading the virus,” Cr Asfour told The Sydney Morning Herald.

He said his community is sick of the constant rule changes, accusing the government of letting residents down by being “hellbent on looking for scapegoats”.

Cumberland Council mayor Steve Christou said only allowing a minor easing of rules in the LGAs of concern was unfair, adding he was struggling to figure out why they were forced to live under “such harsh measures when another part of Sydney is not”.

On Monday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was too soon to start lifting restrictions in the LGAs of concern, claiming there were a “number of factors” that went into the health advice.

“There is some stabilisation in key local government areas which have been the – had the highest number of cases. We suspect and hope, fingers crossed, it’s because the vaccine rate is starting to kick in, but we can’t tell you,” she said.

“It’s too early. We need to at least get to the end of this week before we can make any of those conclusions.”

Queensland records one locally acquired Covid case

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

The case is a 15-year-old student at the of St Thomas More College in Sunnybank and was in home quarantine when his infection was discovered.

Tuesday 14 September – coronavirus cases in Queensland:

One new locally acquired case recorded overnight, detected in home quarantine and linked to the Sunnybank cluster.

One new overseas acquired case, detected in hotel quarantine.#covid19pic.twitter.com/WpdpyVG5WG

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 13, 2021

Fears NSW’s outbreak will get ‘out of control’ when rules ease

New modelling has predicted NSW’s roadmap to freedom will cause Covid cases and deaths to spike, with suggestions the stress on Sydney’s ICU system could peak over the Christmas period.

UNSW’s Professor Raina MacIntyre said modelling produced by her research group show the current restrictions are “not enough” to prevent cases rising, adding infections will soar even higher when restrictions begin to ease for vaccinated residents when the 70 per cent vaccination target is hit in mid-October.

“I think we should think about those targets, in terms of the whole population vaccination rates. 70 per cent of adults or 16 plus equates to 56 per cent of the whole population, or thereabouts, and the 80 per cent target corresponds to 64 per cent of the whole population,” Professor MacIntyre told ABC’s News Breakfast.

“We have seen Singapore still struggling with Delta when they have got over 80 per cent of the population vaccinated. We have seen what happened in Israel and the US when they released restrictions, when they achieved about the target that we are aiming for with the 80 per cent of adults vaccinated. We can look at what has happened in other countries.”

Professor Raina MacIntyre is the head of the Kirby Institute’s Biosecurity Research Program. Picture: UNSW

She said vaccination alone is “not enough” to stop the virus spreading, adding it needed to be used in conjunction with mask wearing, contact tracing and testing.

“It is quite predictable. You relax restrictions and more people are moving around and mixing after the middle of October or so, you will see another surge in cases,” she said.

“That is what we have seen around the world, when things get out of control and the hospital system is under threat, that is usually the point where going back to lockdown is required.”

Professor MacIntyre said it is still possible to relax restrictions, but all other suppression efforts needed to be maximised, adding there is “a lot more than can be done”.

Ministers split over Grand Final jab blitz

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley has warned vaccine supply could be the one thing stopping a mass Covid-19 vaccination hub at the iconic MCG.

A Herald Sun campaign spawned the idea of the “jab at the ‘G” in the lead up to the AFL Grand Final as a way to supercharge the state’s vaccination rate.

Thousands of Victorians could be vaccinated at the empty MCG precinct on the public holiday Friday and the Grand Final Saturday.

Sport, community and health leaders have backed the idea, including Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp and Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.

While Mr Foley said he would “strongly support” any idea to increase the Covid-19 jab uptake, he said opening a new mass hub would hinge on vaccine supply from the federal government.

But the Federal Department of Health firmly disputed Mr Foley’s claims, insisting existing vaccine supplies would be sufficient to enable the opening of a new vaccine hub like the one proposed for the MCG.

“The Victorian Health Minister’s assertions are incorrect,” a department spokesman told NCA NewsWire.

“As the Prime Minister and Lieutenant General Frewen have said – by mid-October it is anticipated that Australia will have enough vaccine in the country for everyone who is eligible to be double dosed.”

– Additional reporting NCA NewsWire

NSW town wakes up back under lockdown

The NSW town of Yass is waking up back under lockdown this morning, just three days after restrictions eased.

Yass Valley Council, an hour’s drive from Canberra, was among the regional communities that were treated to an early exit from tough lockdown restrictions on Saturday morning.

But on Monday a local case of coronavirus was confirmed, sending the area back into lockdown overnight, with rules set to last for two weeks.

⚠️ STAY-AT-HOME ORDER FOR YASS VALLEY COUNCIL ⚠️

To protect the people of NSW from COVID-19, new restrictions will be introduced for the Yass Valley Council area from 12.01am Tuesday 14 September for two weeks. pic.twitter.com/HS0MdvWAzy

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 13, 2021

“It‘s disappointing and frustrating, that we’ve just come out of stay-at-home orders, having to now go back into it at midnight tonight,” Yass mayor Rowena Abbey told NCA NewsWire.

“But obviously, we need to be on top of where people have potentially been and where this positive person has been, and make sure that the community stays safe.”

– Additional reporting NCA NewsWire