As it happened: NSW surpasses 90 per cent vaccination rate as state records 222 new local COVID-19 cases, four deaths; Victoria records 1069 new cases, 10 deaths

Good evening and thank you for reading our live coverage of the day’s events. If you are just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:

• The federal government’s electric vehicle policy has been damned by the Labor Opposition and questioned by industry. The Morrison government announced on Tuesday that it would join with the private sector to help fund electric vehicle charging infrastructure in homes, businesses and public places, to help manage the transition towards an anticipated 1.7 million electric cars on the road by 2030.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday: “I don’t have a problem with electric vehicles.” Credit: Wayne Taylor

• Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Australia was “falling way behind” in the uptake of electric cars and funding charging infrastructure was not enough to change consumer behaviour. “There is a massive shift around the world to electric vehicles. Australia’s uptake last year was under 2 per cent. In Norway, it was 70 per cent. In the United Kingdom, it was 15 per cent and rising,” Mr Albanese said. Britain, Japan, France and Germany are set to ban sales of combustion engines between 2025 and 2030. In Norway, which leads the world in ownership of electric vehicles, consumers are offered incentives including waived sales tax and registration fees.
• Prime Minister Scott Morrison brushed off those criticisms and said he “trusted” Australians to make “good choices”. “I don’t have to tell them to get rid of the car they have now. I’m not going to put up the price of petrol. Labor loves interfering in your life, they love telling you what to do, they don’t like our plan because it does not tax you, does not force you to do anything.”

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, Minister for Health Brad Hazzard, NSW Health’s Susan Pearce and Parramatta MP Geoff Lee outside the new Granville Centre vaccination clinic on Sunday.Credit: Edwina Pickles

• More than 90 per cent of NSW residents aged 16 and up are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Figures released by the federal government today, which are current to the end of Monday, show 90.12 per cent of people in this age group have received both jabs. In the 12-15-year-old age group, which is counted separately in NSW, 70.41 per cent of kids are fully vaccinated and 80.19 per cent have received a first dose. The state recorded 222 locally acquired COVID-19 cases today and four deaths. There are 254 people with the virus in NSW hospitals, including 42 in intensive care.
• Among the four people who died in NSW was an unvaccinated man in his 50s from south-west Sydney. Only one of the four people, a woman in her 80s, had received any dose of a coronavirus vaccine. She had received one dose. A woman in her 90s died at the Mercy Place aged care facility in Albury, where she contracted the virus. Her death is the ninth linked to an outbreak at the facility.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday.

• In Victoria, 84 per cent of residents aged 12 and over (not 16 and over) are now fully vaccinated against coronavirus. The state recorded 1069 new cases of COVID-19 today and 10 deaths. Today’s case numbers are down from yesterday’s total of 1126 cases. There are 579 coronavirus patients in Victorian hospitals, of whom 90 are in intensive care. Fifty-five are on a ventilator.
• Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed unvaccinated shoppers will be locked out of attending non-essential retail premises from November 24, the date the state is expected to reach its 90 per cent double dose vaccination milestone for people aged 12 and up (not 16 and up). This policy was flagged last month and it marks a change to the existing, more permissive rules. Since October 29, unvaccinated and vaccinated shoppers alike have been able to visit non-essential retail stores.
• Mr Andrews acknowledged the state’s hospital system is under pressure as a result of the pandemic. He said today the government would not bring back all elective surgeries until it could guarantee they would not be scrapped again. “We have been increasing the amount of elective surgery; we’ll continue to do that. We just have to calibrate that, get that sequence that right so that we’re not starting and stopping any more than we have to,” he said. Victorian doctors warned last month that urgent “category one” elective surgeries were being postponed because of a bed shortage in the state’s hospitals.
• Mr Andrews also said contact tracing of known COVID-19 cases was still under way, even though the publicly-available list of exposure sites has been noticeably smaller in recent weeks. “There is contact tracing going on,” Mr Andrews said.“Some of that will be high profile; some of it we’ll never hear about but there’s lots of people still getting tested because they’ve got symptoms.” NSW authorities are also publishing fewer exposure sites as vaccination rates increase. Contact tracing remains part of the response to the pandemic in all states and territories.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner. Credit: Facebook

• The Northern Territory has recorded one new case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in its current cluster to four. But the new case, a 48-year-old man, is a household contact of an existing case and has been in isolation for his entire infectious period at the Centre for National Resilience quarantine facility in Howard Springs.
• NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the lockout in Greater Darwin, which was extended by 24 hours last night, would lift at midnight tonight. Residents of Katherine and Greater Darwin will be required to wear masks outside their homes, when they cannot physically distance, until 5pm on Friday.
• Authorities said yesterday that the Top End cluster was linked to a 21-year-old woman who entered the Northern Territory from Melbourne. These are the first cases of community transmission of the virus in the Northern Territory.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.Credit: Matt Dennien

• Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has outlined the road map to easing coronavirus restrictions in the state. From December 17, when Queensland is expected to hit a target of 80 per cent of people aged 16 and up being fully vaccinated against coronavirus, there will be no capacity or other restrictions on clubs, pubs, cafes, cinemas, theatres, music festivals and stadiums, if all staff and patrons are fully vaccinated. Weddings will also return to normal, if everyone is fully vaccinated. As a general rule, only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to visit hospitals.
• Queenslanders will be able to stop wearing masks in indoor settings within days, when the state hits a target of 80 per cent of people aged 16 and up receiving a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. On Monday, 79.63 per cent of Queenslanders in that age group had received a first dose, while 67.38 per cent were fully vaccinated. The state recorded no new local cases of the virus today.

The ACT reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.Credit: Louie Douvis

• The ACT has recorded 18 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19. One person is in hospital with the virus, and they are in intensive care on a ventilator. As at November 8, 95.1 per cent of Canberrans aged 12 and up were fully vaccinated against the virus.

This is Michaela Whitbourn signing off on the blog for today. Broede Carmody will be back with you early tomorrow.

The protesters have now returned to Victoria’s State Parliament on Spring Street and the majority have dispersed.

Dozens of police officers shepherded them off the road to maintain traffic flows.

About 8pm, a few people manning cameras could be seen on social media streams standing on the steps.

Police have maintained a presence throughout the protest this evening, running alongside the protesters when - in their hundreds - they marched through the streets of Melbourne’s CBD once again.

The protesters - who are against vaccine mandates and new proposed pandemic laws, among other things - have vowed to keep demonstrating.

What started as a relatively quiet crowd of protesters sitting on the steps of Victoria’s state parliament this evening has swelled into a large demonstration, clogging up the streets of Melbourne’s CBD.

There has been major disruption to tram service routes 86 and 96 as hundreds walk through the city.

Hundreds protest in Melbourne against vaccine mandates and pandemic legislation.Credit: RealRukshan/Facebook

The crowd are against vaccine mandates and controversial proposed new pandemic laws among other things.

As we reported earlier, some opposition party politicians joined the protesters on the steps of parliament house before they marched.

As they have walked, they have chanted “kill the bill”, “sack Dan Andrews”, and “save our children”.

Dozens of police are among the diverse crowd. Children, older people, young men and women can be seen on livestreams on social media.

Many are holding banners as they chant. One at the front of the crowd reads “Sack Dan” and “make Victoria great again”.

Victorian opposition party politicians joined anti-vaccine mandate protesters on the steps of State Parliament on Tuesday evening to rally against the proposed new pandemic legislation.

Shadow treasurer David Davis was billed as a headline speaker on a poster for the rally that was shared on an encrypted messaging app used by demonstrators.

About 6pm, he joined dozens on the parliament steps and took to a podium as about a dozen police officers stood in the background.

Liberal MP David Davis.Credit: Penny Stephens

“We got more than 800 deaths last year – now, more than 1100 in total – by far and away the worst of any Australian state,” Mr Davis said. “We got the worst business outcomes and the worst jobs outcomes.

“As many of you know, I have pushed hard to see the information behind the Chief Health Officer’s orders … and [Premier Daniel] Andrews and [Chief Health Officer Brett] Sutton and the health ministers have never once … released those briefings that explain what is going on.

“I say, what on Earth do they have to hide? And now, after the use of the state of emergency powers again, and again, and again, for the longest lockdown in the world, Andrews and his government want even more power.”

Protesters booed and yelled out in response. Mr Davis said anytime the state of emergency orders were extended beyond an initial short period, it should require the decision of both houses of parliament.

Liberal Democrat David Limbrick was next to take to the podium. “It’s just a circuit-breaker lockdown … it’s just restaurants, gyms and dance studios, it’s just Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, it’s just a few of our human rights, it’s just drones in the sky to keep you safe,” he said.

“It’s just mandatory now – you need it to keep your job –and after next week, it’s just the ability to target by race, religion and political beliefs.

“It’s just a two-tiered society … it’s not just.”

The government’s proposed pandemic legislation will replace state of emergency powers that expire on December 15, curtail the chief health officer’s powers, give the premier the authority to declare a pandemic and the health minister the role of making public health orders.

The legislation passed the lower house late last month.

Parts of NSW could see more than a month’s worth of rain over three days when they are smashed by heavy storms and flooding from Wednesday, soaking the state ahead of another damp summer.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said conditions will “deteriorate” as a tropical air mass moves over the eastern states from Wednesday when storms are expected to cover half of Australia.

Parts of NSW are preparing heavy storms and flooding as wet weather set to continue into summer.Credit: Edwina Pickles

“Rainfall totals this week could be record-breaking,” he said. “Daily amounts could top 150 millimetres, particularly with storms, and by week’s end some places could see their November average rainfall several times over.”

Widespread storms, intense rain, winds and potentially major flooding have all been forecast. The bureau has highlighted the areas of concern from this severe weather system as southern Queensland, eastern and northern NSW and eastern Victoria.

Read the full story here.

In addition to the 90 per cent full vaccination milestone for the NSW population aged 16 and over, the state has also reached the 70 per cent double-dose target for 12- to 15-year-olds, specifically 70.41 per cent.

The first-dose coverage is 80.19 per cent, or more than 313,000 children.

The ACT is leading the country in vaccination for this age bracket, above 90 per cent fully vaccinated, while Victoria’s 12- to 15-year-olds are 82.39 per cent first-dose vaccinated and 65.49 per cent double-dosed.

As reported earlier today, NSW’s full vaccination coverage for people aged 16 and over was 90.12 per cent as at the end of Monday.

It comes five weeks after the 70 per cent double-dose mark was passed, which triggered the reopening from lockdown on October 11.

The state is inching towards 94 per cent first-dose vaccination for those aged 16 and over, which now stands at 93.97 per cent, up from 93.92 per cent reported yesterday.

Aged care providers and consumer peak bodies have released proposed new rules to guide visitation in facilities, enshrining a right to receive some essential visitors even during coronavirus outbreaks.

The traffic light system set out in the revised Aged Care Visitation Code, released on Tuesday afternoon, says there should be no limit on fully vaccinated visitors to homes in “code green” aged care homes, being those in local government areas which are not declared by health authorities as areas of concern.

Exceptions to the vaccine mandate, which applies to both the COVID-19 and flu vaccines, include visitors with a medical exemption, children ineligible for a jab and people who have had their second dose within the last 14 days.

Aged care providers and consumer peak bodies have outlined proposed new rules to guide visitation in facilities during the pandemic.Credit: Virginia Star

For “code orange” aged care homes, meaning those located in declared areas of concern, fully vaccinated visitors should be allowed if they return a negative rapid antigen test or PCR test within the past 72 hours, the revised code says.

Aged care homes would be dubbed “code red” if an outbreak occurred within the facility, with “short term, strict visiting restrictions” applying, but “essential visitors” still granted access, including unvaccinated loved ones for end-of-life visits.

Residents would be able to nominate a person to have visiting rights “at all times” under the revised visitor code, which is out for consultation.

Facilities could still be categorised as “code green” in areas with some degree of community transmission, with masks to be worn if required.

Council on the Ageing chief executive Ian Yates said the aged care sector “must find a reasonable balance between common sense safety precautions and the dignity and wellbeing of older Australians receiving care”.

“Going forward there will be Covid outbreaks across Australia, but aged care providers can’t implement rolling lockdowns,” Mr Yates said.

Aged and Community Services Australia chief executive Paul Sadler said the COVID-19 virus “is still circulating in the community and aged care will remain at the front line of the pandemic for some time”.

“This makes the visitor’s code extremely important to make it clear how to balance infection control measures with the kind of social supports that keep older people happy and healthy,” Mr Sadler said.

A federal government spokesman said: “As vaccination rates increase across the country, we expect facilities to continue to open up to all visitors, including children, and facilitate safe visitation for unvaccinated visitors – including visiting outdoors or in private rooms, the use of masks, and other screening on entry.”

Australians can submit their feedback on the draft code by filling in the online form at www.cota.org.au/agedcarevisitors or www.agedservices.asn.au.

A three-year-old girl who died from influenza complications at a Sydney hospital might have been saved if there had not been several “missed opportunities” in her care, including a heart scan being delayed because the machine had a flat battery, a coroner has found.

Caitlin Cruz died at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead on the morning of October 23, 2016, after she developed pericarditis, the inflammation of the sac surrounding her heart, which was caused by the influenza B virus.

Caitlin Cruz died in hospital in 2016.

An inquest was told Caitlin had been taken to a GP on the afternoon of October 22 by her father because she had been unwell for several days. While waiting to see a doctor she vomited and collapsed, with her lips turning blue.

One of the GPs who ran to Caitlin’s aid said she was breathing very slowly and a pulse could not be detected. An ambulance was called, with the toddler regaining consciousness by the time paramedics attended.

When Caitlin arrived at the emergency department in the ambulance, the full details of what had happened at the GP were not properly communicated, and she was triaged as having “lethargy/malaise”.

In findings on Tuesday, Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee said this was one of the “critical factors” that contributed to the “tragic outcome” of Caitlin’s death the next day.

Read the full article here.

Federal Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said earlier today that Australia is lagging the world in the take-up of electric vehicles and the federal government’s policy to fund charging stations in partnership with the private sector misses the mark.

The Morrison government announced today it would boost investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help manage the transition towards an anticipated 1.7 million electric cars on the road by 2030.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits the Toyota Hydrogen Centre in Altona today.Credit: Wayne Taylor

“They are once again not showing leadership. Once again, Scott Morrison is following,” Mr Albanese said. “The truth is that all of the auto manufacturers are phasing out internal combustion engines.

“There is a massive shift around the world to electric vehicles. Australia’s uptake last year was under 2 per cent. In Norway, it was 70 per cent. In the United Kingdom, it was 15 per cent and rising. We’re falling way behind.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was asked earlier today why the federal government hadn’t implemented a wider-reaching plan to boost the take-up of electric vehicles.

“I trust Australians,” he said.

“They will make good choices. I don’t have to tell them to get rid of the car they have now. I’m not going to put up the price of petrol.

“Labor loves interfering in your life, they love telling you what to do, they don’t like our plan because it does not tax you, does not force you to do anything.”

Victoria Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who left one person dead and another with life-threatening injuries after striking several workers with a car in Melbourne’s south-east.

Major collision unit investigators are looking for the driver of a red Holden that hit several people near Carrum Downs at about 7.15am on Tuesday.

Emergency services attended the scene at the corner of Hall Road and Lats Avenue where one person was killed. A second victim was airlifted to hospital in a stable condition with multiple injuries.

Police have not yet formally identified the dead person.

The driver, who police said appeared to be Caucasian and aged in his 30s, left the scene on foot. Investigators pursued him with help from the air wing.

Witnesses told investigators that after the crash the driver got into a black Hyundai SUV which was then seen travelling east of Ballarto Road, a main road that runs through Carrum Downs, at about 7.45am.

Read the full story here.