Australia news LIVE: NSW records 2213 new COVID-19 cases, one death; Victoria records 1510 new cases, seven deaths; second Ashes Test continues in Adelaide

Good evening and thank you for reading our live coverage of the day’s events. It has been another sobering day of news, with police confirming the identities of five Tasmanian children who died yesterday after an accident during end-of-year celebrations at a Devonport primary school.

• With the permission of the families, Tasmania Police named Addison Stewart, 11, and 12-year-olds Zane Mellor, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones and Peter Dodt as the children who died on Thursday after a jumping castle they were on became airborne at Hillcrest Primary School. Three children remain in a critical condition at Royal Hobart Hospital, while one child has been discharged from hospital.

The children who died in the Devonport primary school tragedy: Peter Dodt, Addison Stewart, Zane Mellor, Jye Sheehan, and Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones.

• Mary Ward reports that NSW and Victoria will both scrap the mandatory 72-hour isolation requirement for international arrivals next week, allowing people flying into Sydney and Melbourne to spend Christmas with loved ones. Under the new rules, starting on Tuesday, fully vaccinated international arrivals must get a PCR test for COVID-19 within 24 hours after arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result. Under the existing rules, travellers have to isolate for 72 hours regardless of when they received their negative test result. International arrivals will still be required to produce a negative pre-departure test, within three days of boarding their flight, as well as on day six if travelling into NSW or between days five and seven if in Victoria. Hotel quarantine remains in place for travellers who are not vaccinated.

NSW and Victoria have changed the rules for international arrivals.

• The nation’s Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, says three doses of a coronavirus vaccine have a “roughly equal” effect on the Omicron variant of the virus to two doses for the Delta variant. In a COVID-19 update today, Professor Kelly said booster vaccines, which are available to adults five months after their second jab, “do indeed boost that protection both against transmission and infection and against severe disease back to the sort of levels we have seen with two doses for Delta. Three doses for Omicron is roughly equal”. Asked about modelling in NSW suggesting the state may record 25,000 new infections a day by the end of January, Professor Kelly said “that’s quite possible, but I’m not going to speculate on the numbers”. He urged adults to get their booster shots when they became eligible, and said “the most important thing is to look at what that [increasing case numbers] does for the health system. Particularly hospitalisations. Particularly the intensive care [admissions]. But also our primary care system”.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

• The specialist vaccine advisory body, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, announced late today it would not change the interval between second and third COVID-19 vaccination shots for adults. In a statement tonight, ATAGI noted recent coronavirus outbreaks and the rise of the Omicron variant and said case numbers would continue to rise, but it opted to keep its recommendation of five months between a second vaccination shot and a booster jab. But in a note of caution that appeared at odds with Professor Kelly’s statements earlier today, ATAGI said it remained “uncertain whether a booster will provide additional protection against severe disease”. Booster shots are only available to people aged 18 and up, and not to children.

WA Premier Mark McGowan has again tightened the state’s border restrictions.Credit:

• Western Australia has raised the drawbridge again in response to rising coronavirus infections in the eastern states. As Hamish Hastie reports, free travel into Western Australia has been banned from every state for the first time since November 2020. Despite being 50 days away from abandoning its hard border policy, West Australian Premier Mark McGowan announced his government would reclassify Tasmania as a ‘low risk’ state as at 12.01am on Monday – meaning travellers will need to isolate for 14 days on arrival. Queensland has also been reclassified as a ‘medium risk’ jurisdiction, meaning “travel from Queensland will no longer be permitted, unless you are an approved traveller” with an exemption from WA Police, Mr McGowan said. Use our interstate travel planner here to ensure you are across the ever-changing rules in each state and territory.

Long COVID-19 testing queues in Sydney’s Double Bay.Credit: Nine

• NSW reported 2213 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and one death, as infections continued to climb in Newcastle and Sydney’s local health districts recorded more than 1100 cases. As Sarah McPhee and Mary Ward report, it sets another daily record for NSW, after a total of 1742 cases on Thursday. Hospitalisations in the state rose slightly: there were 215 coronavirus patients in NSW hospitals, up from 192 on Thursday and 166 on Wednesday. Of those hospitalised, 24 are in intensive care, a figure which has remained stable. To date, a total of 185 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant have been confirmed in the state, with 63 new cases confirmed overnight.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday.Credit: James Brickwood

• Prime Minister Scott Morrison was asked earlier today about his comments yesterday that the government was taking the Omicron coronavirus variant “incredibly seriously” but “at the end of the day, our own health is our own responsibility” and people could choose to continue wearing masks, and “choose to stay home”. He said at a press conference in Sydney this morning that case numbers were “important, but the real measure is what does it mean for serious illness, [intensive care admissions], hospitalisation, pressures on the hospital system and the health system”. He said “we can’t go back to lockdowns, we all know that. Right from the start of this pandemic, we have always sought to balance saving lives and saving livelihoods and we always must protect lives and livelihoods”.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.Credit: Getty

• A mask mandate will come into force again in Queensland from 1am tomorrow in an effort to stop a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in the lead-up to Christmas, Stuart Layt reports. Queensland recorded 16 new local cases of the virus on Friday, seven of which were from interstate. The mandate requires masks to be worn in indoor settings such as retail outlets and shopping centres, supermarkets, public transport and ride-sharing vehicles, as well as airports and hospitals and aged care centres. Masks are not mandated outdoors, and they will stay optional for hospitality venues such as pubs and clubs. Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said his state was considering following suit , and said that “if you’re indoors at events, even at a big family gathering, and you can’t appropriately socially distance, wear a mask. It’s just the sensible thing to do.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday last week, his last day of work for the year.Credit: Justin McManus

• Victoria recorded 1510 new cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths. Today’s total is down slightly on yesterday’s 1622 cases. There are 386 Victorians in hospital with COVID-19, 82 of whom are in intensive care. Forty-three are on a ventilator. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has tested negative to the virus after attending a social event with a positive case.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier this year.Credit: AP

• As is now required under the Victorian government’s new pandemic legislation, the state government made a pandemic declaration today and issued a report setting out its reasoning for making that call. Declaring a pandemic allows the government to impose public health orders as required. The report made clear there is still a “serious risk to public health arising from COVID-19”. It also suggested vaccines alone will not be sufficient to manage the outbreak, echoing the comments of World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier this week. “I need to be very clear: vaccines alone will not get any country out of this crisis. It’s not vaccines instead of masks. It’s not vaccines instead of distancing. It’s not vaccines instead of ventilation or hand hygiene. Do it all. Do it consistently. Do it well,” the WHO Director-General said on December 14. The Victorian government’s report says that “while the considerable protection offered by high vaccination rates amounts to a significant change in the risk profile, the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to leave a significant number of people exposed to risk”.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

• South Australia has recorded 64 cases of COVID-19 overnight, according to South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. He said his state will ease coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday, December 28. From that date, indoor dancing will return and drinking while standing up at pubs will be allowed. Home gathering caps will also be completely removed. “I know that will be huge relief to people who’ve been looking forward to that,” Mr Marshall said during today’s health update. He said venues will be allowed to operate at 100 per cent capacity for seated service come December 28, while density limits will be 75 per cent for venues allowing people to stand up while drinking alcohol. “The key issue is go get vaccinated.”

This is Michaela Whitbourn signing off on the blog for today. I’ll be back with you next week.

Dozens of people have gathered at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in the northern Tasmanian city of Devonport to honour the victims of the Hillcrest Primary School accident with a silent vigil.

It is the second night in a row churches across the coastal city have held services in memory of the students.

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in the northern Tasmanian city of Devonport, where a silent vigil was under way to honour the five victims of the Devenport primary school accident.Credit: Marta Pascual Juanola

Mourners are invited to light a candle and place it on a table before sitting down to pray and quietly reflect.

The makeshift altar is decorated with native flowers and features five large candles on glass stands, one for each of the five students killed.

The message “Rest in peace our little angels” is projected on a screen.

Addison Stewart, 11, and 12-year-olds Zane Mellor, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones and Peter Dodt died after a gust of wind lifted the jumping castle they were playing in 10 metres into the air.

Four other students were also injured during the incident. Three remain in hospital and one is recovering at home after being discharged this morning.

The vigil will run until 8pm tonight with mourners invited to stay back and talk to parish priests if they need support.

The specialist vaccine advisory body, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, has announced it will not change the interval between second and third COVID-19 vaccination shots for adults.

In a statement tonight, ATAGI noted recent coronavirus outbreaks and the rise of the Omicron variant and said case numbers would continue to rise, but it opted to keep its recommendation of five months between a second vaccination shot and a booster jab.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is available for booster shots, as well as the Pfizer jab. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

In a note of caution, ATAGI said it remained “uncertain whether a booster will provide additional protection against severe disease”.

The advisory group flagged that some flexibility in the delivery of booster shots might be needed to accommodate holiday movements.

With the relaxation of border restrictions in most jurisdictions, there are likely to be increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.

In addition to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in South Africa, this new variant is also becoming dominant in the UK and Denmark.

ATAGI notes the increasing use of booster doses of vaccine, with more than 130,000 doses administered on 16 December 2021.

Approximately 1,117,020 booster doses have been delivered overall and 430,000 of those have been delivered since ATAGI recommended shortening the interval at which people become eligible between booster doses and the primary schedule bringing it forward from 6 months to 5 months on 12 December 2021.

ATAGI recognises that some flexibility may be required in recommendations for those who are due booster doses during the holiday period.

ATAGI recognises that the epidemiological situation and evidence regarding boosters is evolving rapidly and will frequently review the timing of booster doses.

There remain several uncertainties to inform the optimal interval between primary and booster/third doses of vaccine. The protection provided by two vaccine doses against severe disease due to Omicron is not yet clear. It remains uncertain whether a booster will provide additional protection against severe disease.

Four police officers who died in a crash on Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway in April last year will be honoured in a state memorial service, the Victorian government has announced.

The government said the memorial service for Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney and Constable Glen Humphris would be held at Marvel Stadium in the city on February 3 next year.

Senior Constable Kevin King (left), Constable Josh Prestney, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and Constable Glen Humphris were killed on the Eastern Freeway.Credit: Victoria Police

The officer’s friends, family, colleagues and members of the public were invited to come together and pay tribute to them from 3pm.

The officers were all hit and killed on April 22, 2020 by a truck driven by Mohinder Singh.

Melbourne man Richard Pusey, who had been pulled over for allegedly speeding when the semi-trailer struck the officers, was later jailed after using his mobile phone to film Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor when she was critically injured.

The Victorian government said the COVID-19 pandemic meant there hasn’t been an opportunity to honour the police officers’ service, and “reflect on this tragic and senseless loss of their life and the grief felt by so many since”.

Acting Premier James Merlino said: “This memorial service is an important opportunity to remember our fallen police officers and reflect on the tragic loss of their lives while protecting and serving the Victorian community.”

Minister for Police Lisa Neville described the police officers’ deaths as “devastating and senseless”, and said they are missed every day.

“This is a chance to come together and celebrate the lives of these four Victorian heroes,” she said.

NSW and Victoria will both scrap their 72-hour isolation requirement for international arrivals next week, allowing people flying into Sydney and Melbourne to spend Christmas with loved ones.

In a joint statement, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said that from Tuesday all fully vaccinated international travellers and flight crew arriving in NSW and Victoria will be required to get a PCR test for COVID-19 within 24 hours after arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result.

NSW and Victoria have changed their rules for international arrivals.Credit: Brook Mitchell

Earlier this month, the two states had introduced additional restrictions on people arriving from overseas, in light of the new Omicron coronvairus variant of concern.

Under those rules, fully vaccinated international arrivals in those states had to get a test as soon as possible and isolate for 72 hours regardless of when they received their negative test result.

People who are already in isolation under the old requirements may leave on Tuesday, when the changes take effect, provided they have returned a negative PCR test.

International arrivals will still be required to produce a negative pre-departure test, within three days of boarding their flight, as well as on day six if travelling into NSW or between day five and seven if in Victoria. Hotel quarantine remains in place for travellers who are not vaccinated.

Mandatory hotel quarantine for people entering from a list of southern African nations, introduced at the same time as the 72-hour isolation, was scrapped earlier this week.

“We know it has been a challenging time for international travel with new rules and the emergence of the Omicron variant, but this announcement is about simplifying the process and making sure Australia’s two biggest cities have a consistent approach,” Mr Perrottet said.

“This decision has been made with safety remaining the top priority, which is why all arrivals must return a negative PCR test before they can exit isolation and have an additional test following that.”

“With more than 92 per cent of Victorians 12 years and older double-vaccinated, Victorians have given themselves the strongest chance of living safely with coronavirus and enjoying more freedoms this festive season, while we continue to monitor the Omicron variant,” Mr Merlino said.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein says there were just over 5700 arrivals into the state yesterday, after the state’s borders reopened to all vaccinated travellers from the mainland on Wednesday.

Two interstate travellers tested positive to COVID-19 yesterday, both of whom were connected with a cluster of cases in Newcastle in NSW. Mr Gutwein said compliance with the state’s coronavirus rules was very high.

“On the matter of masks, I know that Queensland is reintroducing their mask mandate. We are now actively considering mandating masks indoors. We’ll have more to say on that in coming days,” Mr Gutwein said.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

He said he had been “very pleasantly surprised” to note people wearing masks in indoor settings already.

“If you’re indoors at events, even at a big family gathering, and you can’t appropriately socially distance, wear a mask. It’s just the sensible thing to do,” Mr Gutwein said.

“It’ll ensure that we can keep our borders open, that we can slow the spread of any transmission and, importantly, we can allow people to go about their daily lives.”

Mr Gutwein said 96.65 per cent of Tasmanians aged 16 and up had received one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 91.3 per cent had received two doses.

Of Tasmanians aged 12 and up, 95.54 per cent had received one dose and 90 per cent had received two doses.

Adults who received their second jab at least five months ago are now eligible for a booster shot and are being urged by health authorities to get that third dose as soon as possible in response to the highly transmissible Omicron variant of coronavirus.

Queensland’s mask mandate, announced today and taking effect from 1am tomorrow, requires masks to be worn in indoor settings such as retail outlets and shopping centres, supermarkets, public transport and ride-sharing vehicles, as well as airports and hospitals and aged care centres.

Victorians are also required to wear masks in retail settings such as supermarkets and shops, and hospitality workers must wear masks at cafes, bars and pubs.

In NSW, which recorded a record 2213 new COVID-19 cases today, masks are no longer required in shops but are required on public transport, in airports and on planes, and for unvaccinated indoor hospitality staff. Masks remain strongly encouraged in settings where people cannot maintain social distancing.

An airline new to Melbourne will start flights between the Victorian capital and Vietnam’s largest city in April next year, according to the state government.

Victorian Minister for Tourism Martin Pakula said on Friday the Bamboo Airways services to Ho Chi Minh City would commence in April of next year.

Martin Paukula on Friday.Credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 53,500 visitors to Victoria were from Vietnam.

“The new services by Bamboo Airways are great news for business leaders, international students and Victoria’s Vietnamese community,” Mr Pakula said.

Victoria’s coronavirus outbreak has been officially declared a “pandemic” under new legislation that could be used to impose fresh public health orders if case numbers continue to spiral out of control.

The declaration to Parliament by Premier Daniel Andrews replaces the now-expired state of emergency provisions previously used to make public health orders such as mask mandates, travel limits, curfews and stay at home rules.

While it is already clear that there is a global pandemic under way, the pandemic declaration was required under the laws to allow the Andrews government to exercise its new powers.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Credit: Justin McManus

As required by law, the declaration was accompanied by a report outlining the government’s reasoning for the pandemic declaration, paving the way for further public health orders if they are needed and the continuation of existing orders.

It makes clear there is still a “serious risk to public health arising from COVID-19”.

It also suggests vaccines alone will not be sufficient to manage the outbreak, echoing the comments of World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier this week.

“I need to be very clear: vaccines alone will not get any country out of this crisis. It’s not vaccines instead of masks. It’s not vaccines instead of distancing. It’s not vaccines instead of ventilation or hand hygiene. Do it all. Do it consistently. Do it well,” the WHO Director-General said on December 14.

The Victorian government’s report says that “while the considerable protection offered by high vaccination rates amounts to a significant change in the risk profile, the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to leave a significant number of people exposed to risk”.

“The Premier was satisfied that current vaccination rates alone will not suffice to contain transmission within health system capacity, and available treatments are only partially effective in mitigating serious illness or death.”

The pandemic declaration follows a promise by Mr Andrews that there will be “no more lockdowns” after the state reached its vaccination targets.

However, since then, the highly infectious Omicron strain has triggered to fresh doubts about the ability of the health system to cope, particularly if case numbers continue rise.

“There are limited preventative and therapeutic interventions to manage COVID-19 and – other than vaccines – many interventions remain supportive (oxygen, ventilation etc.) rather than curative or preventive,” the report said.

“The available therapeutic interventions of antivirals, steroids and supportive care, have been shown to be only partially effective in reducing mortality and decreasing hospital stays.”

New Zealand records 76 new cases of COVID-19 in the community, 47 of which were in Auckland.

“There are 51 cases in hospital. Of these, five are in an intensive care or high dependency unit,” the NZ Ministry of Health said.

Tasmania Police have confirmed the identities of the five children killed in an accident at a Devonport primary school yesterday.

As we reported earlier today, two of the victims who died in hospital from their injuries on Thursday were Addison Stewart, 11, and Zane Mellor, 12.

The children who died in the Devonport primary school tragedy: Peter Dodt, Addison Stewart, Zane Mellor, Jye Sheehan, and Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones.

Twelve-year-olds Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones and Peter Dodt also died after the jumping castle they were on at end-of-year celebrations at Hillcrest Primary School was blown into the air.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the families, loved ones and all those affected by this tragedy,” police said in a statement.

They asked that the families be given space to grieve and process the traumatic event.

Three children remain in a critical condition at Royal Hobart Hospital, while one child has been discharged from hospital. All the children involved in the accident, which struck during a celebration of the final day of the school term, were in years 5 or 6.

Some of those injured were in enclosed plastic ‘zorb’ balls when the incident occurred.