Coronavirus Australia live news: Western Australia could lift Victorian border restrictions early, says Premier Mark McGowan
WA Premier won’t rule out ditching fourteen-day mandatory quarantine early, saying Victorians ‘are doing well’; NZ has first local case in months.
- WA may lift Victorian restrictions
- NZ community case
- Zero new NSW cases
- Vaccine on track: Frydenberg
- Queensland sewage positive
- Three UK cases linked to Open
- More assistance for tourism
- Pandemic offers reset hopes
Welcome to live coverage of Australia’s response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan says his government could release its border restrictions with Victoria early. New Zealand has reported its first case of community transmission in more than two months, in a woman who had recently been released from quarantine. Josh Frydenberg has confirmed that the rollout of Australia’s Pfizer vaccine against COVID is on track to begin in mid-to-late February. A super-infectious mutant strain of COVID-19 has been reported in three people linked to the Australian Open.
AFP 6.30pm: Johnson, Biden discuss ‘deepening alliance’
Boris Johnson and Joe Biden on Saturday vowed to deepen ties and cooperate on tackling climate change in their first conversation since the US president’s inauguration, the British prime minister’s office said.
Johnson congratulated Biden on his inauguration and “the two leaders looked forward to deepening the close alliance between our nations”, said the statement from Downing Street.
British newspapers reported that Johnson was the first European leader to receive a call from Biden, who earlier spoke to Canadian and Mexican counterparts.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that Johnson was the first leader outside North America to speak to Biden “after his scheduled call was brought forward two days in what will be seen as a major boost for the special relationship between the UK and US.” Biden on Friday spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his first call to a foreign leader.
The White House in a readout of the call said that Biden “conveyed his intention to strengthen the special relationship between our countries and also “noted the importance of cooperation, including through multilateral organizations, on shared challenges”.
Johnson tweeted a picture of himself in shirt-sleeves laughing as he spoke on the phone. “Great to speak to President @JoeBiden this evening,” he wrote.
Great to speak to President @JoeBiden this evening. I look forward to deepening the longstanding alliance between our two countries as we drive a green and sustainable recovery from COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/Y4P3G74PPz
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 23, 2021
The conversation appeared aimed at warming frosty relations after Biden in 2019 described Johnson as a “physical and emotional clone” of Donald Trump, his predecessor as US president.
Biden has also been critical of Johnson’s Brexit policy, but the Downing Street statement said the leaders “discussed the benefits of a potential free trade deal between our two countries”.
Johnson said he intended to resolve current trade issues “as soon as possible”. Biden, who has Irish roots, had warned ahead of his election that if Brexit damaged the 1998 Good Friday Agreement he would not consent to a trade deal. That agreement ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland.
Johnson praised Biden for swiftly reversing policy decisions made by his predecessor.
He “warmly welcomed” Biden’s decision to put the United States back into the Paris climate accord and rejoin the World Health Organization. The prime minister also praised Biden’s commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
The leaders said they hoped to meet soon and would work together on the United Nations’ global climate change summit to be held in Scotland in November.
The White House said shared challenges would include “combatting climate change, containing Covid-19, and ensuring global health security” and that Biden intended to “revitalize transatlantic ties, underscoring the critical role of NATO to our collective defense and shared values.” The leaders “re-committed to the NATO alliance” and “shared values in promoting human rights and protecting democracy”, Johnson’s statement added. Trump was highly critical of the transatlantic alliance.
The leaders also agreed on the “significant challenges facing the world during the pandemic”.
The United States has the largest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in the world, while the UK has the highest number of deaths in Europe.
The leaders said the pandemic nevertheless created “unparalleled opportunities to build back better and greener together”.
Johnson also praised Biden for joining the Covax initiative, a global pool of coronavirus vaccine doses for poorer nations.
The leaders additionally “discussed the need for coordination on shared foreign policy priorities, including China, Iran, and Russia,” the White House
AFP
READ MORE: A deadly new foe in the battle for hearts and lungs
Agencies 5.00pm: Health minister tests positive after endorsing sorcery
Sri Lanka’s health minister, who publicly endorsed sorcery and magic potions to stop surging coronavirus infections in the island, has tested positive and will self-isolate, officials said Saturday.
Pavithra Wanniarachchi had publicly consumed and endorsed a magic potion, later revealed to contain honey and nutmeg, manufactured by a sorcerer who claimed it worked as a life-long inoculation against the virus.
She also poured a pot of “blessed” water into a river in November after a self-styled god-man told her that it would end the pandemic.
The island nation of 21 million on Friday approved the emergency use of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University only hours after Wanniarachchi tested positive, officials said.
“Her antigen test returned positive on Friday and she has been asked to isolate herself,” a health ministry official said.
“All her immediate contacts have been quarantined.” A junior minister who had also taken the potion made popular by Wanniarachchi tested positive for the virus earlier this week.
Doctors in the island nation have said there is no scientific basis for the syrup, and there is no known cure for Covid-19.
But thousands defied public gathering restrictions to swamp a village in central Sri Lanka last month to obtain the elixir, made by carpenter Dhammika Bandara.
Family members of another politician, who hailed from Bandara’s village, have also been infected after taking the syrup.
Pro-government media gave widespread publicity to the holy man, who claimed the formula was revealed to him by Kali, a Hindu goddess of death and destruction.
But the government has since scrambled to distance itself from Bandara, whose preparation was approved as a food supplement by the official indigenous medicine unit.
Sri Lanka is in the grip of a coronavirus surge, with the number of cases and deaths soaring from 3,300 and 13 in early October to nearly 57,000 infections and 278 dead this week.
Agencies 4.25pm Fabric masks still work: WHO
The World Health Organization says it has no plans to change its guidance recommending fabric facemasks as new coronavirus variants spread, because the mutated strains are transmitted in the same way.
The statement comes after Germany and Austria made medical masks mandatory on public transport and in shops, allowing only surgical or FFP2 masks rather than fabric - amid concerns over the threat posed by the rapidly-spreading new virus mutations.
We are #InThisTogether to beat #COVID19 - tip 3⃣
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 23, 2021
Maintain at least a 1-metre 📠distance between yourself & others. Maintain an even greater distance when indoors. The further away, the better.
Staying safe:
✅ protects you
✅ protects otherspic.twitter.com/CY9LdTJaOI
READ MORE: Quarantine swap is pick of the crop
Caroline Schelle 4.00pm: New virus warning affects 1.3 million Sydneysiders
A raft of Sydney suburbs have been urged to get tested for coronavirus after traces of the deadly virus were found in sewage.
Fragments of the virus were detected at treatment plants at Liverpool, Warriewood and North Head, the NSW Health Department said on Sunday.
@NSWHealth's #COVID19 sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 at two treatment plants – Warriewood and North Head. Read more: https://t.co/OniEY5wK6K pic.twitter.com/Ovp7elYEq4
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 24, 2021
The Liverpool plant includes a catchment of about 180,000 people from suburbs including Bardia, Hinchinbrook, Hoxton Park, Abbotsbury, Ingleburn, Prestons, Holsworthy and Edmondson Park.
“NSW Health urges everyone living or working in these suburbs to monitor for symptoms and get tested and isolate immediately if they appear,” a statement warned.
The Warriewood plant services about 70,000 people from the northern beaches while the North Head facility takes in a catchment of 1.3 million people from Sydney, north of the Parramatta River from western Sydney to Manly.
These detections “likely reflect” known confirmed cases in these areas, the health department said.
But it urged anyone who lives or works in the area to watch for symptoms and get tested as well as isolate if they appear.
WATCH: Dr Christine Selvey provides a #COVID19 update for Sunday 24 January 2021: https://t.co/M3doOlOw5h
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 24, 2021
LIVERPOOL TREATMENT PLANT SUBURBS
Bardia, Hinchinbrook, Hoxton Park, Abbotsbury, Ingleburn, Prestons, Holsworthy, Edmondson Park, Austral, Cecil Park, Cecil Hills, Elizabeth Hills, Bonnyrigg Heights, Edensor Park, Green Valley, Pleasure Point, Casula, Hammondville, Liverpool, Moorebank, Wattle Grove, Miller, Cartwright, Lurnea, Warwick Farm, Chipping Norton, Voyager Point, Macquarie Links, Glenfield, Catherine Field, Gledswood Hills, Varroville, Leppington, West Hoxton, Horningsea Park, Middleton Grange, Len Waters Estate, Carnes Hill and Denham Court.
Staff writers 3.30pm: WA could lift Victorian entry restrictions early: McGowan
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan says his government could release its border restrictions with Victoria early but is still waiting for 28 days of no locally acquired cases.
According to the ABC, Mr McGowan was asked on Sunday if 18-straight days of no local cases in Victoria could see the 14-day mandatory quarantine lifted early.
The Premier said he wouldn’t rule out making such a decision but said it wouldn’t come until WA was much closer to the 28 days his health department requires.
As it stands, Victorians can enter WA but have to do 14 days of self-quarantine upon arrival and undergo health tests. New South Wales residents will be able to follow the same self-quarantine procedures from Monday.
“They [Victorians] are doing well, I would say congratulations,” Mr McGowan said.
“A case came from Sydney [to Melbourne] and the virus spread from there but the government appears to have crushed it at this point.
“It’s still 10 days away [28 days of no local cases], we will consider it in the lead up to that day.”
Meanwhile, the Premier confirmed another person has tested positive to the highly infectious UK strain of COVID-19 in Western Australia, but says people should not be worried.
The Department of Health has reported two new cases of COVID-19 in Western Australia, bringing the State’s total to 894.
Both cases are males and relate to overseas travel. Both are in hotel quarantine.
The ABC is reporting that one of the cases is the UK variant following genomic testing.
Mark McGowan assured that the state government will continue to keep the community safe.
“We’ve now gone nine and a half months without a single [case] in the community, our system has worked well. We’ll continue to be stringent and where we will need to make improvements we will,” he said.
READ MORE: Staying local in Katanning when big smoke beckons
Staff writers 3.00pm: NZ reports first community case in months
New Zealand has reported its first case of community transmission in more than two months.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said on Sunday the case was a 56-year-old woman who recently returned from Europe.
She arrived back into New Zealand on December 30. She left hotel quarantine on January 13 and twice tested negative before returning home.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the woman started feeling mild symptoms on January 15 including muscle aches, and began feeling sicker over time. A positive COVID-19 test was returned on Saturday evening.
He said health officials will conduct genome testing but are working under the assumption that the case is a more transmissible variant of the virus.
Bloomfield said officials are ramping up contact tracing and testing efforts and hope to have more information about the case in the coming days.
ABC are reporting there are four close contacts linked to the positive case.
Bloomfield said the woman visited tourists attractions, cafes and Airbnbs following her return.
READ MORE: Super Rugby AU – it will happen but no-one quite knows how
Adeshola Ore, Rosie Lewis 2.45pm: Shorten reignites Labor divisions
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten has reignited internal party divisions, warning successor Anthony Albanese’s “tiny” policy agenda will not win at the next election.
The current Opposition Leader refuses to outline major policies, including a medium-term emissions reduction target.
Josh Frydenberg said the “drums are beating very loudly” on Anthony Albanese‘s leadership and the ”game of (leadership) musical chairs” had begun.
Mr Shorten will use a speech in Melbourne on Sunday to set up an alternative approach for the Labor Party. He will call for the Labor Party to be an opposition “that stands for something”
“We must be a party of Labor that stands for the real world concerns of working men and women,” Mr Shorten will say.
Mr Shorten, who led Labor to two election losses, will also acknowledge the working-class vote loss — calling it an issue at the core of Labor’s identity and mission — but says that Scott Morrison is beatable.
“We need to get oxygen to talk about issues of work, workers, families, and economic advancement,” he will say.
“I wonder how working-class voters feel about our priorities when environmental issues claim a near-monopoly of our time in the media and squeeze out industrial issues.”
Mr Shorten will deliver the speech at 3pm today when he launches a collection of essays by ALP Right faction members at a Melbourne book store.
READ the full story
Ellen Ransley 2.25pm: Tomic’s girlfriend apologises for quarantine rant
Social media star Vanessa Sierra has apologised for divisive comments she made from inside hotel quarantine, saying the past few days have been “f***ing brutal”.
Sierra came under fire last week for a vlog from the hotel room she’s sharing with her tennis star boyfriend Bernard Tomic ahead of the Australian Open.
In an attempt to give fans an insight into what her life looked like, the 26-year-old complained about the food and about having to wash her own hair in quarantine, which she later said was taken out of context.
In her latest YouTube vlog, Sierra offered an apology to anyone she offended.
“During this time of COVID, a lot of people are going through s*** and struggling … so for the people I offended, I do apologise,” she said.
“It was not intended to upset anyone, it was just supposed to be lighthearted.”
In her latest update, she said she had not expected the comments to cause “so much drama”.
“It’s been really overwhelming. I’ve received death threats and so many abusive messages,” she said.
“My vlogs are intended for showing people my personal (life). I try and be honest and show people things as they are.
“I don’t think I really complained (that much) other than about the food and I do apologise to the chefs, they’ve made a big effort to improve the food.”
It comes as the Australian Open COVID-19 cluster balloons to nine cases, including three people who tested positive to the mutant B117 variant.
READ MORE: The nightmare existence of AO boss Craig Tiley
Staff writers 2.00pm: South Australia records zero new cases
South australia has recorded no new cases of COVID-19.
South Australian COVID-19 update 24/1/21. For more information, go to https://t.co/mYnZsGpayo or contact the South Australian COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787. pic.twitter.com/A8p9uZqfZP
— SA Health (@SAHealth) January 24, 2021
There have been a total of 596 cases in the state.
Jack Paynter 1.40pm: Big changes for Australian Open fans
Australian Open fans are set to experience a redesigned Melbourne Park when the tournament finally gets under way early next month.
In an effort to be COVID-safe and restrict fans to certain areas, people attending the grand slam will be split among three strict zones.
That means fans will be forced to choose between centre court, the best food and drink options or cheaper tickets.
Organisers haven’t nominated how much crowds will be reduced by in the main arenas given the coronavirus, but said there would be “modified arena capacities”, with the seating to be booked in pods to ensure physical distancing between groups.
The three ticketed zones – Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena (formerly Melbourne Arena) – will restrict fans to those particular areas for the duration of their session.
Each zone will offer its own combination of world-class tennis action, live experiences and the culinary offerings fans have come to expect at the Australian Open.
The John Cain Arena zone has replaced the popular ground pass ticket for the 2021 tournament with prices capped at the same cost as last year’s ground pass.
Two eastern courts are also included in the John Cain Arena zone, along with the practice village where fans can see stars warming up and a slice of Grand Slam Oval offering the finest food and beverage options.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said John Cain Arena had hosted some enthralling battles over the years and was a favourite destination for both fans and players.
“As part of our planning to ensure safety for everyone, all fans will require a ticket which includes a stadium seat in one of the three zones, and which also allows access to great food, music and other activations within their specific zone,” he said.
“We’ve worked hard to ensure the Australian Open is still as accessible as possible, and by providing access to JCA and the JCA zone for ground pass prices is a bonus for fans.”
Aussie star Nick Kyrgios has become renowned for requesting to play at John Cain Arena, which has been famously dubbed “the people’s court”.
As part of the Australian Open’s COVID-safe plan, tickets will be sold in family pods of between one and six tickets to help with physical distancing between spectators.
All tickets will be digital to minimise touch points and help with contact tracing. There will also be more than 200 hand sanitiser stations throughout the Melbourne Park precinct.
Stadium start times have also been staggered to minimise queuing with Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena sessions to start at 11am, followed by John Cain Arena at noon.
The Rod Laver Arena zone will include centre court, Rod Laver Arena terrace, Australian Open river terrace and sections of Grand Slam Oval.
The Margaret Court Arena zone will also include Garden Square, Court 3, 1573 Arena and western court five to 15.
Also new in the 2021 edition is private cabanas and two-hour drinks packages for up to 10 people in Garden Square, where fans traditionally lounge in front of the big screen by the Melbourne Park water fountain to watch the tennis.
The Australian Open chef series has also been rejigged to celebrate four chefs from across regional Victoria with exclusive evening dining events.
Organisers said ticket prices had been frozen or reduced in many categories for the 2021 tournament, with tickets on sale through Ticketmaster now.
READ MORE: Doctor hands back medal over Court drama
Louise Eccles and Roisin Kelly 1.15pm: ‘Lockdown hands’ on the rise
Frequent hand-washing and sanitising is causing a rise in skin conditions and even premature ageing of the hands, dermatologists say.
Rising numbers of patients are presenting with “lockdown hands” after a year of washing and applying alcohol gels to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
Doctors say our washing routine, while essential, is stripping skin of its moisture and protective barrier, leading to dry, itchy hands and, in some cases, eczema and infections.
The problem has been exacerbated by antibacterial sprays and wipes.
Dr Justine Hextall, a consultant dermatologist and Fellow of the UK Royal College of Physicians, said she was seeing many people with a new irritant hand eczema or an exacerbation of pre-existing dermatitis.
“The skin on our hands is reasonably robust but constant washing with soap starts to remove the protective oils from our skin,” she said. “Once this happens, the skin becomes more vulnerable to irritants and inflammation, itching and dryness, and can split.” Applying moisturiser does a lot to help, she added.
READ the full story
Agencies 12.50pm: Trudeau uses Sanders meme to urge Canadians from travel
Bernie Sanders may be most familiar in a US political context, but that hasn’t stopped Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from using a now famous meme of the Vermont senator to warn people to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Saturday, Trudeau posted a photo of himself giving a press conference from his lawn on Twitter, with the now famous image of a seated, mitten-clad Sanders superimposed in the background.
It was one thing when my son crashed my press conference a month or so ago, but this... Now is not the time to travel. Stay home - and by that, I mean your own home. pic.twitter.com/OOUb1tqBZe
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 23, 2021
The viral Sanders photo, snapped by AFP photographer Brendan Smialowski at US President Joe Biden’s inauguration, shows the senator huddled in a chair, arms folded and also sporting an average-guy winter coat.
Since it was taken, people around the world have superimposed Sanders on famous works of art and family photos.
Referencing a recent incident in which his son appeared in the window while he spoke to the media, Trudeau wrote: “It was one thing when my son crashed my press conference a month or so ago.” “But this...” he said, referring to Sanders’ supposed appearance outside his house. “Now is not the time to travel. Stay home - and by that, I mean your own home.” Sanders has been photoshopped in recent days sitting on the Iron Throne from “Games of Thrones” and alongside Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin in Yalta in 1945.
Bernie Sanders, first of his name, Wearer of Mittens, Sitter of Chairs pic.twitter.com/1j6p8mrdlr
— Matthew Mucha (@mattymooch) January 20, 2021
On Friday, Trudeau warned Canadians not to travel, saying further pandemic restrictions may be around the corner that would make it harder to fly home from trips abroad.
READ MORE: Canada’s G-G Julie Payette quits over harassment claims
Olivia Caisley 12.25pm: ‘Drums beating loudly’ on Albo leadership: Frydenberg
Josh Frydenberg has accused Labor of being hopelessly divided as he declared the “drums are beating very loudly” on Anthony Albanese’s leadership and the “game of musical chairs” about who will lead the party had begun.
The Treasurer on Sunday seized on a question about the election’s timing to accuse Labor of being “hopelessly divided” during the pandemic and of fighting among themselves.
He reiterated Scott Morrison’s comments on Friday that the election is not due until next year and said the Coalition’s focus was on the post COVID-19 recovery and creating jobs.
“The Labor party is fighting among themselves,” he said. “The drums are beating very loudly on Anthony Albanese’s leadership and Labor’s game of musical chairs has just begun,” he said.
Mr Frydenberg also referenced a speech that will be made today by former leader Bill Shorten in which he will make a thinly veiled swipe at Mr Albanese and his “tiny” policy agenda.
“I saw today Bill Shorten, opposition leader in waiting, say that Anthony Albanese had a tiny policy agenda in opposition,” he said.
Mr Frydenberg said the criticism was telling of internal divisions within the Labor party.
“I think it’s going to be an interesting few months for observers of what’s going on on the other side of politics,” he said. “Our focus is not on the timing of the next election, our focus is on jobs, and helping Australians get into jobs.”
READ MORE: Plibersek, Chalmers in the wings as Albanese fights to make headway in polls
Staff writers 12.00pm: NZ investigates positive case from quarantine departee
New Zealand health officials said on Sunday they are investigating a positive test result in a person who has departed from a quarantine facility.
There are 8 cases of #COVID19 in managed isolation to report in New Zealand since Friday.
— Ministry of Health - ManatÅ« Hauora (@minhealthnz) January 24, 2021
We are also investigating a positive test result in a person who has departed from MIQ. More details will be provided at 4pm.
Read the full update at https://t.co/eA9L3KHzVP
New Zealand last recorded a community coronavirus transmission on November 18, according to information on the Health Ministry website.
READ MORE: Repatriation caps fixed until February
Staff writers 11.30am: Zero new local cases for NSW, fragments found in sewage
NSW has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 for the seventh day in a row.
There were three cases acquired overseas.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 24, 2021
There were three cases acquired overseas, bringing the total number of #COVID19 cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,898. pic.twitter.com/X8WVRjPBY4
However, fragments of the virus have been detected in sewage at two treatment plants in Warriewood and North Head.
NSW Health’s sewage surveillance program are urging people living and working in those areas to monitor for symptoms.
Adeshola Ore 11.05am: ‘Need for adherence to national hotspot definition’
Josh Frydenberg has called for Australia’s states and territories to adhere to a national COVID hotspot definition , after Australia recorded a week of no community transmissions of the virus.
“Closed borders cost jobs. We have to take the medical advice, but we’ve also seen the Commonwealth work very hard on the national definition of a hotspot,” the Treasurer said.
“I’d love to see a national definition of a hotspot adhered to by the states. I think it would bring a lot more certainty for business and that would mean more jobs.”
READ MORE: Year of excessive hand-washing is causing us problems
Adeshola Ore 11.00am: Tech ‘constantly changing goal posts’: Treasurer
Josh Frydenberg has accused tech giants of constantly “changing the goalposts” after Google threatened to pull its search engine from Australia in response to the government’s proposed news media bargaining code.
The Treasurer said Facebook and Google had constantly shifted their position on proposed legislation which would force the platforms to pay for news content created by Australian outlets.
“It seems the digital giants keep changing goalposts,” he told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.
“Originally they were against what we were putting forward on algorithms, then they were against what we were putting forward on a final arbitration model. Now it seems they’re against paying for any clicks on search. They keep changing the goalposts.”
READ the full story
Adeshola Ore 10.58am: Frydenberg assures vaccine rollout is on track
Josh Frydenberg has confirmed that the rollout of Australia’s Pfizer vaccine against COVID is on track to begin in mid-to-late February, despite reports of shortages overseas.
On Friday, Scott Morrison said the government was closely monitoring supply issues of the vaccine that countries abroad have faced.
“We do want to roll out the vaccine and that is why the TGA is going through it’s normal processes. We are still on track to receive those Pfizer vaccines in mid-to-late February, I am advised,” the Treasurer told reporters on Sunday.
READ MORE: Australian scientists produce quick and safe coronavirus vaccine method
Agencies 10.45am: Israel expands vaccination campaign to teens
Israel began administering Covid-19 vaccines to teenagers Saturday as it pushed ahead with its inoculation drive, with a quarter of the population now vaccinated, health officials said.
Since the rollout of vaccinations one month ago, more than 2.5 million of Israel’s nine-million-strong population have been vaccinated already, the health ministry said on Friday.
Expanding the campaign to include teens came days after Israel extended on Tuesday till the end of the month its third national coronavirus lockdown due to a surge in coronavirus infections.
The health ministry had on Thursday announced it was allowing the inoculation of high school students aged 16-18, subject to parental approval.
The country’s largest health fund, Clalit, was already giving teens shots as of Saturday morning, its website said, while the three smaller funds were due to kick off their campaign later.
Israel began administering vaccines on December 20, beginning with health professionals and quickly proceeding to the elderly, sick and at-risk groups, continuously lowering the minimum age of those entitled to the shot.
From Saturday, people aged 40 and up are also allowed to get the vaccine. According to the health ministry, as of Friday nearly 2.5 million people had received the first of two doses, with 900,000 of them getting the second as well.
The country secured a huge stock of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and has pledged to share the impact data quickly with the US-German manufacturer.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the swift vaccination campaign “will afford us the possibility of overcoming the coronavirus, of emerging from it, of opening the economy and getting life back to routine”.
READ MORE: How the pandemic unfolded in Australia
Staff writers 10.30am Zero new cases recorded in Queensland
In the past 24 hours Queensland has recorded no new coronavirus cases, with 4,636 tests conducted.
Sunday 24 January – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) January 23, 2021
• 0 new cases
• 15 active cases
• 1,303 total cases
• 1,725,570 tests conducted
Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,272 patients have recovered.#covid19 pic.twitter.com/1c4wxo2ygC
READ MORE: Hitting phones to save our lives
Agencies 10.20am: Deal inked for 40 million vaccines for poorer countries
There was good news for poorer nations, as the WHO and pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer announced a deal for up to 40 million initial doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be made available to them through the Covax global pool.
#COVAX announced the signing of an advance purchase agreement for up to 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech #COVID19 vaccine https://t.co/J2AoD7ybzO pic.twitter.com/Ig0f3UUeFO
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 22, 2021
#COVAX is on track to deliver at least 2 billion #COVID19 doses by the end of the year, including at least 1.3 billion doses to 92 lower income economies in the @gavi COVAX Advanced Market Commitment https://t.co/J2AoD7ybzO
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 22, 2021
A separate deal, brokered by international agencies working with the WHO, will supply developing nations with tens of millions of rapid antigen tests at half the usual $5 price.
READ MORE: Anger at China’s response seethes in Wuhan
Joseph Lam 10.00am: Sewage tests Covid positive along Queensland coast
COVID-19 fragments have been recorded in three locations in Queensland overnight, across an area spanning 1200km along that state’s east coast.
Positive samples were collected from as far north in the state as Townsville and as far south as Nambour, about 100km from Brisbane, as well as in Rockhampton, about midway.
The new detections arrive on the back of the state on Friday recording positive samples in Mackay South, about 335km from Rockhampton, as well as in greater Brisbane in the areas of Goodna, Wacol and Carole Park in Ipswich.
Queensland Health issued a similar statement to Friday saying that the findings were not necessarily evidence of new cases as viral shedding can occur for several weeks post-infection.
“This does not necessarily mean we have new cases of COVID-19 in these communities, but I will once again stress the need to be vigilant with any COVID-19 symptoms,” it read.
MEDIA RELEASE: More wastewater samples test positive to COVID-19
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) January 22, 2021
Fragments of COVID-19 have been detected in sewage at four more sites in Queensland.https://t.co/e0cwPjsSrt
Earlier on Friday Queensland reported three new cases of COVID-19 among overseas travellers, including a man in his 50s who had travelled to Papua New Guinea and two women in their 30s, one who had travelled to the United Arab Emirates and another to Qatar.
READ MORE: Glimmer of hope for tourism
Richard Lloyd Parry 9.30am: Painful Tokyo Olympics truth
For the time being, at least, there are no visible signs at all that Japan’s Olympic dream has died. In front of Tokyo Station the digital clock is still counting down the days, hours and seconds until the opening ceremony on July 23. The shops continue selling Olympic merchandise, from beer to T-shirts, still awkwardly branded Tokyo 2020, despite the year-long postponement.
The Tokyo organising committee, the IOC and the Japanese government consistently declare that the postponed Games is on track to go ahead this year. But behind the scenes the hope is all but gone.
Privately, and increasingly in public, athletes, politicians and sports officials are acknowledging a painful truth – that despite tremendous organisational will and effort, the continuing coronavirus pandemic makes it impossible for the Games to go ahead. The clearest articulation of this came from a senior member of Japan’s ruling coalition who told The Times this week that focus was shifting from pressing on with the postponed Games this summer to securing them in 2032, the next year for which the host city has yet to be decided.
“No one wants to be the first to say so, but the consensus is that it’s now too difficult,” the source said. “Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen.” It will be a while before an official announcement comes; right up until then, the authorities will behave as though everything is going to plan. But, like a patient in the late stages of a terminal illness, the point will come when the vital organs begin to shut down.
READ the full story
Agencies 9.00am: Wuhan marks a year since Covid lockdown
Thousands of people in Brazil protested on Saturday against President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, on the anniversary of the Chinese city of Wuhan beginning its 76-day lockdown.
Governments in several countries meanwhile, scrambled to put in place new restrictions to counter surging caseloads.
Europe faced a worsening struggle with production woes hitting supply of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine as well as the Pfizer/BioNTech shot.
Around the world, more than 2.1 million people have died of Covid-19 since it emerged in China in December 2019, with over 98 million infected.
In the world’s worst-hit country, US President Joe Biden warned America’s death toll could pass 600,000, the highest estimate yet that would mark a devastating rise on the 400,000 fatalities so far.
“The virus is surging,” he said. “We’re at 400,000 dead, expected to reach well over 600,000.”
Leftist parties and organizations organised the protests in Brazil which saw some 500 vehicles paraded down the capital Brasilia’s Esplanade of Ministries blaring their horns. Painted slogans included “Bolsonaro Out,” “Impeachment Now” and “Vaccination for Everyone”.
In one of the most distant Brazilian Amazonian states, Roraima, a full anti-Bolsonaro car protest. Cities all across Brazil are protesting the Bolsonaro government's wretched handling of the covid crisis. https://t.co/zMoM0wmkyx
— Sisyphus Bowles (@SisyphusBowles) January 23, 2021
Brazilian scientists have warned that the country faces running out of vaccine doses and basic equipment like syringes, just as its vaccination campaign gets underway -- and some blame the government.
In the Chinese city of Wuhan earlier Saturday, all the signs were of recovery. Humming traffic, bustling sidewalks, and citizens packing parks and public transport underscored the scale of the recovery in the metropolis of 11 million where the pathogen first emerged before going global.
“I think Wuhan is quite safe now, safer than my hometown and most places in China,” 21-year-old resident Wang Yizhe said.
In Hong Kong however, thousands of people in Jordan, one of the city’s poorest and most densely-packed districts, were ordered to stay at home on Saturday unless they could show a negative test, in the city’s first lockdown.
Meanwhile, in Wuhan, a team of World Health Organization experts was still in hotel quarantine ahead of a mission to investigate the source of the virus.
“All hypotheses are on the table,” WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told a news conference in Geneva.
“And it is definitely too early to come to a conclusion of exactly where this virus started, either within or without China,” he added.
READ MORE: Can Japan call off Games and save face?
Christine Kellett 8.25am: Victoria records another day of zero
Victoria has notched 18 consecutive days without a case of community transmission.
Just one new case was recorded in the state in the past 24 hours linked to hotel quarantine.
Yesterday there were 0 locally acquired cases reported, and 1 in hotel quarantine. It has been 18 days since the last locally acquired case. 11,901 test results were received - thank you for getting tested.
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) January 23, 2021
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/E9nK8OMpRe
READ MORE: Katrina Grace Kelly — After a rough trot, Melbourne has bounced back
Agencies 8.10am Norway acts after discovery of UK strain
The Norwegian government announced Saturday a crackdown in the capital region with the strictest restrictions since last March after the discovery of the British coronavirus variant in a retirement home.
Only essential shops can remain open and municipalities will be allowed to close primary schools and switch secondaries to remote learning.
People are being asked to restrict movements and not to eat meals outside their family.
“We are putting in place the strictest measures since last March in 10 districts,” said Health Minister Bent Hoie.
“In some places we are going even further than in March,” he told a press conference, adding that it will make “daily life difficult for many”.
All public events, indoors and outdoors, are cancelled apart from burials. Restaurants will be limited to takeaway services.
Norway’s parliament meanwhile said it would reduce its activities to a bare minimum next week, while the country’s sport federation cancelled all sporting events in the affected areas.
READ MORE: Greg Hunts seeks answers over Norway deaths and Pfizer vaccine
Agencies 7.30am: Larry King dies after Covid battle
The iconic talk show host Larry King, one of the most recognisable figures on US television as he interviewed everyone who was anyone over a career spanning 60 years, died overnight at the age of 87.
The company he co-founded, Ora Media, did not state a cause of death but media reports said King had been battling COVID-19 for weeks and had suffered several health problems in recent years.
King, with his trademark suspenders, black rim glasses and deep voice, was best known for a 25-year run as a talk-show host on CNN’s “Larry King Live.”
Read the full story here.
Agencies 7am: Coronavirus forcing children into labour market
Omar’s heart sinks when he trudges past his closed school gates in the Jordanian capital Amman — now part of his trip to work, to repair and clean kerosene heaters.
The 14-year-old, who dreams of becoming a pilot, is one of many minors experts say have been forced prematurely into the labour market.
Schools throughout Jordan have been closed for nearly a year now, and the economic fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic has eaten into breadwinners’ ability to feed their families.
“As school is shut, I help my family financially,” said Omar, sporting a sweater and dirty jeans as he cleaned a heater with his blackened hands.
He works exhausting 12-hour days at the workshop, and collapses into bed after a shower and a quick evening meal.
Overall, the work “doesn’t bother me”, he said.
“What is unbearable is the smell of kerosene... (it) doesn’t go away.” He earns three dinars (around $4.25) a day, which helps pay the family’s monthly rent of 130 dinars.
His contribution is vital because his father, a day labourer, has struggled to find work due to the coronavirus downturn.
But Omar has not given up hope, and said he was determined to return to school as soon as possible.
“I would love to continue my studies” and eventually become a pilot, he said. “I don’t want the coronavirus to destroy my dream.”
READ MORE: What poverty looks like in the era of COVID-19
Terry McCrann 6.40am: Vaccines are now the big unknowable
A year ago we didn’t have a clue about what would prove to be in store for us through the course of 2020. Do we really have even the slightest bit more accurate idea about 2021?
Back then as we approached Australia Day, barely a month earlier Josh Frydenberg had proudly, confidently, predicted the first budget surplus since Peter Costello’s last in 2007. It of course came in, $85bn or so, somewhat in oh so 21st century de riguer red.
That mid-year budget update was also predicting growth in the economy of 2.25 per cent over 2019-20. The actual figure would prove to be a thumping 6.3 per cent decline.
Indeed, a year ago we were still yet to see the Reserve Bank tell us, in its opening early-February set of forecasts, that growth over the course of calendar 2020 would still be a solid if unspectacular 2.7 per cent. Most recently, in November, the RBA forecast negative growth of 4 per cent over 2020.
Both of those forecasts of 2020 — including and especially the “backward” forecast of just last November — were wrong. Growth for 2020 obviously didn’t reach the 2.7 per cent forecast last February. But equally, it has been much stronger than the minus 4 per cent November “forecast”.
Read Terry McCrann’s full analysis on why 2021 is no more certain than last year.
Agencies 6am: Defence chief resigns over jumping vax queue
Spain’s chief of the defence staff has resigned, the armed forces said, after a row over him getting the coronavirus vaccination despite not being on a priority list.
General Miguel Angel Villarroya’s resignation came as a scandal brews over Spanish military and political officials getting early vaccinations supposedly reserved for health workers and people in retirement homes.
“In order to preserve the image of the armed forces, General Villarroya today presented his resignation request to the defence minister,” the armed forces said in a statement.
The 63-year-old general was quoted as saying he had “never intended to take advantage of unjustifiable privileges”.
His resignation was accepted by Defence Minister Margarita Robles, a source told AFP.
His departure came just a day after the interior ministry sacked a lieutenant-colonel who served as a staff liaison to the civil guard, because an internal report found he had received the shot without being a priority.
The report accuses several other defence staff members of improperly receiving the vaccine, and Robles has warned more resignations could follow.
READ MORE: PM open to quarantine camp proposal
Ellie Dudley 5.15am: Three UK virus cases linked to Australian Open
A 10th person connected to the Australian Open has tested positive for COVID-19.
The new case, a male in his 20s, was confirmed on Saturday night by COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV). He is not a player.
CQV said in its latest update three previously reported positive cases linked to the tennis tournament were found to be infected with the UK mutant coronavirus strain.
Two of the men are aged in their 30s and one in his 50s, and all are not players.
CQV said they arrived in Melbourne on a dedicated Australian Open charter flight on January 15 and returned their first positive tests on January 15, 17 and 18.
“All three cases have been in hard lockdown since they landed in Melbourne,” a CQV spokeswoman said.
It comes as Victoria recorded no new local coronavirus cases overnight, with three cases recorded in hotel quarantine.
It marks the 17th consecutive day of no local transmission of the virus in Victoria.
The number of active cases in Victoria is 33, made up of one locally acquired case linked to the Black Rock restaurant cluster.
READ MORE: Tennis star changes mind on quarantine after positive test
Joe Kelly 5am: Government signals more assistance for tourism sector
Tourism Minister Dan Tehan has opened the door to targeted financial support for tourism businesses exposed by the loss of international visitors during COVID-19.
But he has asked the sector to justify any further assistance with hard evidence and provide ideas on how it could be delivered.
Mr Tehan said the reopening of international tourism was still at least nine months away but was hopeful of establishing travel bubbles in the interim with New Zealand, Singapore and other Pacific nations.
“That would give us some opportunity to open up Australia to international tourism, but the most likely scenario is that we are probably nine to 12 months away from international tourism as we know it restarting and it could be not until this time next year. So it’s a very challenging time,” he said
Read the full story here.
Heath Parkes-Hupton 4.45am: Pandemic offers ‘once-in-generation chance to reset’
The head of a top Australian university has told a summit of world leaders the COVID-19 pandemic offers a “once-in-a-generation” chance to reset industry and the economy as we face an even bigger fight — climate change.
Professor Brian Schmidt says governments must harness the renewed trust science has gained for guiding people through the virus crisis in order to head off catastrophic global warming.
Professor Schmidt, vice-chancellor and president of the Australian National University, delivered a keynote speech at the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 in the Netherlands.
The summit — attended by the likes of billionaire Bill Gates, and heads of state Boris Johnson, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau — is an online global conference aimed at stepping up the world’s efforts in adapting to changing climates.
Professor Schmidt said the coronavirus pandemic revealed “just how brittle our environment is” but that the skidding stop the economy came to offered a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape our world” through smart investment
Read the full story here.
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