Coronavirus Australia live news: ‘I won’t be lectured’: Vaccine stoush reignites
Federal cabinet minister David Littleproud accused Queensland of being ‘derelict in its duties’ amid a war of words on the vaccine rollout.
- Vaccine rollout stoush reignites
- Queensland lifts lockdown
- France locked down for a month
- NZ shuts eyes on virus report
- Thousands in isolation in Qld
- Vaccine lag hits aged-care
Welcome to our coverage of Australia’s battle against the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s how Thursday played out:
The vaccine rollout stoush between Queensland and the federal government reignited, with David Littleproud saying the state has been ‘derelict in their duty’, while Deputy Premier Steven Miles labelling Mr Littleproud ‘April’s fool’.
Brisbane’s lockdown lifted at noon after Queensland recorded just one new local case. New Zealand refused to stand with Australia and its other Five Eyes partners to speak out against a much-criticised World Health Organisation investigation into the origins of COVID-19 in China, as it tried to escape Beijing’s wrath. Meanwhile, France entered a month-long lockdown.
Jess Malcolm 9.55pm:Vaccine rollout stoush heats up between states
The vaccine rollout stoush continued to heat up between the states and the federal government on Thursday with federal cabinet minister David Littleproud claiming he “won’t be lectured” by the states.
“I won’t be lectured to by a man who was sacked as health minister and a government that was derelict in their duty of protecting their frontline health workers by not having them fully vaccinated before they treated COVID patients,” Mr Littleproud said in a statement.
As Queensland battles its latest outbreak, Deputy Premier Steven Miles threatened the state would run out of Pzifer vaccines this weekend, causing GPs to be up in arms about the insecurity of the vaccine supply which is a responsibility of the federal government.
Mr Littleproud was responding to comments made by Mr Miles who claimed that he “hadn’t heard of” the deputy leader of the national party until this week.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian also took a stab at the Morrison government alongside health minister Brad Hazzard, who called the vaccine rollout the hardest issue he had faced in the war against COVID-19.
Federal health minister Greg Hunt attempted to hose down the brawl, claiming there was no rift between governments and that the rollout was continuing to accelerate.
Thousands of people are still in isolation ahead of the Easter weekend, and despite the Brisbane lockdown lifting at noon on Thursday, many restrictions still remain.
Masks remain compulsory for indoor venues like shopping centres across Queensland, while a maximum of 30 people can gather in the home. Churches can hold Easter services if adhering to the two per four square metre rule.
Victoria and the Northern Territory relaxed their border restrictions to Queenslanders, allowing some people to return home for the long weekend.
For South Australia and Tasmanian authorities, the COVID-19 outbreak remained too severe, and triggered their decisions to keep their borders slammed shut.
Thousands of Australians also snapped up half-price tickets to regional centres on Thursday as part of the first week of the federal government’s $1.2 billion tourism bonanza.
AFP9.20pm:France bans outdoor drinking under new rules
Alcoholic drinks will be prohibited in French parks and other outdoor public spaces as part of the new limited nationwide lockdown to stem the Covid-19 crisis, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Thursday.
Addressing the National Assembly, Castex also said authorities would be quick to disperse groups of more than six people on riverbanks or squares after the new restrictions unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron late Wednesday.
Castex said he “unreservedly” condemned people who had not been respecting the rules, after images of beer-swigging crowds on riverbanks under spring sunshine in cities including Paris and Lyon.
Meanwhile, prosecutors should “systematically” probe organisers of clandestine parties for putting the lives of others in danger, he added.
By decreeing school closures and systematic work-from-home protocols, Macron hopes to ease pressure on hospitals facing a new surge in coronavirus cases that are overwhelming intensive care units.
READ MORE: How to score a half-price flight
Angie Raphael8.18pm: State detects Brazilian virus strain
The fast-spreading Brazilian strain of COVID-19 has been detected in a returned overseas traveller in Western Australia’s hotel quarantine system.
It is only the third case of its type recorded in Australia and was discovered through genomic testing.
“The Brazilian variant is one of the more virulent strains of the virus but that person was managed appropriately and has now recovered,” Premier Mark McGowan told reporters on Thursday.
A WA Health Department spokeswoman told NCA NewsWire there had previously been two cases of the Brazilian strain in New South Wales.
In total, WA has recorded 28 cases of the highly contagious UK strain and 11 of the South African variant.
Jess Malcolm7.35pm:Virus fragments detected in Melbourne suburbs
Further analysis by Victorian authorities has confirmed coronavirus fragments detected in Melbourne’s western suburbs, placing residents on high alert.
Victorian health authorities said an “unexpected detection” of viral fragments has been found in recent days in a catchment in Melbourne’s south east and west.
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, is urged to get tested, especially if you live in or have visited these areas during these dates:
23 to 26 March – Altona, Altona, Altona Meadows, Hoppers Crossing, Laverton, Point Cook, Seabrook, Seaholme, Williams Landing
22 to 29 March – Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Truganina and Werribee
21 to 25 March – Beaconsfield, Berwick, Clyde North, Cranbourne East, Cranbourne North, Guys Hill, Hallam, Hampton Park, Harkaway, Narre Warren, Narre Warren North, Narre Warren South, Officer and Upper Beaconsfield.
Fragments of the virus detected in wastewater may be due to a person with COVID-19 being in the early active infectious phase or it could be because someone is continuing to shed the virus after the early infectious period.
READ MORE:NSW plan to return students
Tim Dodd6.45pm:Plan to return 10,000 international students
NSW is pushing ahead of other states with a bid to return up to 10,000 international students this year, and has invited tenders from accommodation providers for 600 quarantine places for arriving students.
A NSW government tender document, posted on Wednesday, says that the state earned nearly $15bn a year in export income from international students prior to the pandemic and “we estimate in 2021 we have already lost one third of our international student base.”
“The return of international students as soon as possible is vital for retaining jobs in our education sector, and for the economy more broadly,” the document says.
Jess Malcolm 5.45pm:Fresh list of venue alerts in Queensland
Queensland Health has issued a fresh list of contact tracing venues.
If you have been to the following places you must get tested immediately and quarantine until you have received a negative result.
Nextra Toowong Village, Toowong, Tuesday March 16 from 9:30am - 10:00am
Meat at Billy’s, Ashgrove, Tuesday March 16 from 2:30pm - 2:45pm
Milton Fruit Bowl, Milton, Thursday March 18 from 9:00am - 9:20am
Woolworths, Paddington, Friday March 19 from 10:00am - 10:15am
Bakers Delight, Paddington, Friday March 19 from 10:15am - 10:30am
âš ï¸ Public Health Alert âš ï¸
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) April 1, 2021
Queensland Health is issuing a contact tracing alert for parts of Brisbane, in relation to new locally acquired #COVID19 cases.
For a full list of locations and times, visit https://t.co/szwjYvf2RVpic.twitter.com/hnTwuNR0Mj
TB’s Wine and Beer, Rosalie, Friday March 19 from 2:30pm - 2:45pm
Presents of Mind, Paddington, Sunday March 21 from 10:15am - 10:30am
Ashgrove Fresh Fruit Shop, Ashgrove, Monday March 22 from 9:20am - 9:30am
Woolworths, Paddington, Tuesday March 23 from 9:10am - 9:25am
Rosalie Gourmet Market Deli, Rosalie, Tuesday March 23 from 2:30pm - 2:45pm
Meats at Billy’s, Ashgrove, Thursday March 25 from 9:10am - 9:20am
IGA, Milto, Wednesday, March 24 from 9:05am - 9:15am
Milton Fruit Bowl, Milton, Wednesday March 24 from 9:20am - 9:30am
Jess Malcolm5.10pm:No entry: Tas, SA keep the brakes on Greater Brisbane
Queenslanders wanting to travel to Tasmania or South Australia for Easter will not be permitted to, as health authorities decide to keep restrictions in place.
For Tasmania, restrictions remain in place for Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Redlands. Anyone from these areas will not be permitted into Tasmania unless exempted as an essential traveller.
For South Australia, health authorities met this afternoon and have determined that no changes will be made to the current public health orders in place.
South Australia Police said the situation in Queensland will be continually monitored over the Easter weekend and reviewed at a meeting on Tuesday morning.
1/2 The COVID19 Transition Committee met this afternoon. Based on the Health advice, the State Coordinator has determined there will be no changes to the current Emergency Management Directions in South Australia at this time.
— South Australia Police (@SAPoliceNews) April 1, 2021
Jess Malcolm5.00pm:NT eases Brisbane, Byron hot spot restrictions
Northern Territory has revoked its travel restrictions on a number of COVID-19 hotspots in NSW and Queensland.
People arriving into the Northern Territory from Brisbane, Moreton Bay, City of Ipswich, Logan City, Redland City, Toowoomba Region will no longer have to undertake mandatory quarantine.
However, there are still some restrictions in place for travellers from northern NSW.
Anyone who has arrived into the Northern Territory from Byron Bay since March 26 or Ballina, the Tweed Shire or Lismore after March 28 must isolate and get tested within 72 hours.
Travellers into the Northern Territory from the listed places in northern NSW will not have to undertake quarantine following the clearance of a negative test.
Jess Malcolm4.42pm:Brisbane downgraded to ‘orange zone’ in Victoria
Victoria has reclassified Brisbane into an orange zone in its traffic light permit system.
From 6pm tonight, people who are observing red zone permit conditions in quarantine for 14 days will now be able to end their isolation if they have cleared a coronavirus test since arriving in Victoria.
This excludes primary close contacts to exposure sites in Queensland and NSW who are already in isolation and must complete the 14 days.
Current orange zones for the Byron Shire and Gladstone region in Queensland will remain in place.
From 6pm Victorian time tonight, the Greater Brisbane area currently designated as a red zone under Victoria’s travel permit system will become an orange zone, while current orange zones in Byron Shire NSW and Gladstone Region in Queensland will remain orange zones.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) April 1, 2021
[1/3]
Jess Malcolm4.30pm:No complacency: Vic blitz on Covid-safe check-ins
The Victorian government will conduct spot checks on businesses next week as part of a blitz on covid safe check-in practices.
More than 4000 businesses will be checked across the state over the next three weeks, in order to ensure people do not get complacent around Easter time.
Acting Police Minister Danny Pearson said the recent outbreak in Queensland has reminded Victorians how quickly the virus spreads and how important it was to be vigilant.
“We know how much people have sacrificed over the course of the past 12 months, but these gains have been hard fought and hard won, we don’t want them to be lost,” Mr Pearson said.
“We want to make sure that everyone realises that they’ve got a shared responsibility, this is our government, business and the community working together to keep us safe.”
Individuals breaching the rules will be subject to fines of $1652 and $9913 for businesses. A 28-day compliance amnesty is in place until April 23.
Jamie Walker4.20pm:Lockdown lifted, Brisbane hits road in Easter exodus
Motorways north and south of Brisbane are gridlocked as the city empties for Easter on the back of a three-day COVID lockdown being lifted.
Holiday-makers hit the road to the Sunshine Coast to the north of the city and southward to the Gold Coast after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk rescinded the stay at home order from noon local time.
The Courier-Mail reported traffic was snarled for more than 6km from the outer northside suburb of North Lakes heading to the Sunshine Coast after a multi-vehicle pileup.
Southbound on the M1 to the Gold Coast, another accident at Coomera was causing long delays, police said.
The lockdown had been due to continue until 5pm before Ms Palaszczuk ended it early to avoid problems with Easter holiday traffic.
Police have appealed to drivers to take care with Queensland’s road toll standing at 26 deaths higher than what it was at this time last year. Rain showers had also made conditions more challenging in the rush to the beaches either side of the state capital.
Tim Dodd4.05pm:NSW plan to return 10,000 international students
NSW is pushing ahead of other states with a bid to return up to 10,000 international students this year, and has invited tenders from accommodation providers for 600 quarantine places for arriving students.
A NSW government tender document, posted on Wednesday, says that the state earned nearly $15bn a year in export income from international students prior to the pandemic and “we estimate in 2021 we have already lost one third of our international student base.”
“The return of international students as soon as possible is vital for retaining jobs in our education sector, and for the economy more broadly,” the document says.
With a 600 student capacity, the planned new quarantine facilities — to be located in or near the Sydney CBD — would be able to handle a maximum intake of about 300 students a week for a two week quarantine period.
READ the full story here.
Jess Malcolm3.55pm:Parliament House switchboard back in business
Parliament House’s switchboard disruption has been resolved, according to the Department of Parliamentary Services.
Politicians and staffers were notified by email this afternoon that the issue had been fixed and normal services could resume.
“The carrier has identified the issue, it has now been resolved and normal service should be restored,” the email read.
The switchboard was down for most of the morning, disrupting inbound phone calls, as well as internal communications within Parliament House.
It is still unclear what caused the disruption.
Rosie Lewis3.35pm:Littleproud fires back after ‘April fool’ vaccine sledge
Federal cabinet minister David Littleproud has inflamed tensions with the Queensland government over vaccine rollout delays, accusing the state of being “derelict in their duty of protecting their frontline health workers”.
While Scott Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt have sought to calm a public brawl between the commonwealth and the states, Mr Littleproud, the Agriculture Minister, fired up after Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles labelled him “2021’s April fool”.
Like most Queenslanders I hadn’t heard of @D_LittleproudMP before this week. #auspolhttps://t.co/YqyqyP1h7Lpic.twitter.com/GEF4TJK2da
— Steven Miles (@StevenJMiles) April 1, 2021
Mr Littleproud on Wednesday demanded the states “pull their finger out” and use the vaccines delivered to them by the federal government but NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said they were being given one to two days’ notice on the amount of vaccines they were due to receive. She said distributing vaccines in such a short time frame was a difficult task.
Mr Miles said Mr Littleproud’s comments were misinformed and undermined confidence in the vaccine, prompting the federal minister to respond: “I won’t be lectured to by a man who was sacked as health minister and a government that was derelict in their duty of protecting their frontline health workers by not having them fully vaccinated before they treated COVID patients.
“His statements today also show why he and his government are incompetent,” Mr Littleproud said. “My statements pertained to assisting the Queensland government roll out the vaccines they’ve left in the rack rather than in health workers’ arms.”
READ MORE:Littleproud is 2021’s ‘April fool’: Miles
Jess Malcolm3.30pm:Boy under one year old among two WA cases
West Australia has recorded two new cases of COVID-19 — one an 11-month-old-boy.
The second case was a male in his 50s and both new cases were already in hotel quarantine.
There were 573 tests conducted yesterday, and the state said it was currently monitoring 17 active cases.
WA health confirmed it has now administered 53,482 vaccinations, including 7,1177 who have received both doses.
Jess Malcolm3.15pm:100,000 snatch up half-price airfares
Qantas executive Andrew Parker has revealed the airline has sold 100,000 half price fares as part of the federal government’s regional tourism stimulus boost.
In the first hour of the sale which started at midnight last night, Qantas sold 20,000 fares.
Mr Parker said the most popular destinations so far in the sale were Cairns, Adelaide, Darwin, Hobart, Maroochydore and the Gold Coast.
“And take up is phenomenal!” Mr Parker said.
“Happy flighting.”
And take up is phenomenal! 20,000 fares sold between 12.01am-1.00am this morning and as of lunchtime, 100,000 of these special fares now booked with Cairns, Adelaide, Darwin, Hobart, Maroochydore and Gold Coast most popular. Happy flighting âœˆï¸ #Qantas#auspol#tourism#regionshttps://t.co/EAJlko4D5c
— Andrew Parker (@ajamesparker) April 1, 2021
The flights are part of a $1.2 billion stimulus package in a bid to encourage Australians to travel domestically. Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin are the three major carriers.
READMORE: Crazy number of half-price flights sold
Nicholas Jensen1.25pm:Parliament House switchboard disrupted
Parliament House’s switchboard has been down for most of the morning, with internal communications also being subject to extended disruptions.
The Australian has contacted the Department of Parliamentary Services who have said they cannot provide comment on the disruption at the moment.
It is still unclear what has caused the disruption and for how long it has affected switchboard communications.
READ MORE:Parliament hack could be ‘grey zone’ attack
Nicholas Jensen1.00pm:No new local cases in South Australia
South Australia has recorded no new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, with one new case detected in hotel quarantine.
Health officials confirmed there were 3984 tests recorded to 8pm yesterday.
The state is currently monitoring 12 active cases, all of which were detected in hotel quarantine.
Health officials also administered 1488 vaccinations across the state yesterday, bringing the total to or vaccinations 27,023.
Jamie Walker12.55pm:Qld warns it will run out of Pfizer vaccine over Easter
Queensland has stepped up its criticism of Canberra over the COVID vaccination rollout, with Deputy Premier Steven Miles warning supply of the Pfizer immuniser will run out over Easter.
The imported vaccine was the first distributed in Australia to cover people in aged and disability care, priority health staff as well as quarantine and border security personnel.
But Dr Miles said Queensland had only three days’ worth of the Pfizer shot and 9-12 days’ of the AstraZeneca vaccine which is to be produced by CSL in Melbourne.
GPs were up in arms about the insecurity of vaccine supply from the federal government. This had forced them to cancel appointments with patients booked in to have the jab, he said.
“I think it just underlines those calls for better transparency about the number of vaccines out in the community and the number of people being vaccinated,” said Dr Miles, a former state health minister.
Dr Miles said the situation was acute in aged-care homes, where less than a third of residents and “almost no” workers had been vaccinated.
READ MORE:Littleproud is 2021’s ‘April fool’: Miles
The Times12.45pm:Answering the concerns over AstraZeneca vaccine
Whether caused by the vaccine or not, clotting events are vanishingly rare. Which is why it’s so hard to know what to do. Read more here
Nicholas Jensen12.05pm:NSW ‘has six million citizens’ that need the vaccine
The new Covid-related restrictions for NSW will require limiting the number of people that come to a house to 30.
All venues in the four local government areas are required to resort to the four square metre rule and all patrons are required to stay seated.
Ms Berejiklian said: “we’re not saying to businesses ‘shut your doors’”.
NSW Health is also instructing residents in the four local government areas to wear masks, as well as not to travel outside their areas, though Ms Berejiklian said this would not be enforced.
Regarding the vaccine feud between the states and federal government, Ms Berejiklian said she had “written what I have said publicly about the rollout” to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
“Can I be very clear about this: the commonwealth has responsibility for the entire vaccine rollout, except for the 300,000 the NSW government has been asked to do.”
“We have 6 million citizens that need to get the rollout. We haven’t yet had the green light to do anything beyond the 300,000 that we have been asked to do,” Ms Berejiklian said.
When questioned about the looming Upper Hunter by-election, prompted by the resignation of Nationals MP Michael Johnsen, Ms Berejiklian said: “I have no doubt we won’t retain the seat.
“If you look at the history of by-elections in NSW, there has been at least a double-digit swing against governments and certainly it would take more than a miracle for us to keep the seat.”
READ MORE:Heat on Labor as disgraced MP quits
Nicholas Jensen11.55am:Berejiklian warns people to ‘respect’ NSW restrictions
Premier Gladys Berejiklian says that NSW has recorded no new cases of community transmission, following yesterday’s local case linked to a Byron Bay bachelorette party.
Ms Berejiklian said she “welcomes the news from the Queensland government about the lockdown being lifted in Brisbane”.
While saying she was confident NSW could handle “scares” like yesterday, she warned the four shires under restrictions “to respect the rules we have put in place until the end of Easter”.
In response to yesterday’s new Byron Bay case, Premier Gladys Berejilkin announced new restrictions for the Byron, Ballina, Tweed and Lismore shires.
Ms Berejiklian said “we are confident that won’t really prevent businesses from staying open.”
READ MORE:Why aren’t we giving homegrown vaccines a shot?
Lachlan Moffet Gray11.45am:Trade surplus slips by more than $2bn
Australia saw a trade surplus in February of $7.53bn, down more than $2bn when compared to January as exports fell 1 per cent to $38.9bn and imports lifted 5 per cent to $31.3bn.
Export value was hit by a decline in metals ores and minerals, which fell from record high exports in January, down 7 per cent to $14.8bn.
Rural good exports lifted 7 per cent to $4.2bn, with a strong 18 per cent lift in cereal and grain exports to $1.16bn.
Imports rose mostly across the board, with non-industrial transport vehicle import value lifting 10 per cent to $2.34bn.
READ MORE:Commonwealth Bank overcharged for more than 10 years
Lachlan Moffet Gray11.35am:Job vacancies soar as economy picks up
Australian job vacancies rose in the three months to February by 13.7 per cent, according to the ABS, reflecting the pace of recovery in the employment market and labour shortages in some industries.
Bjorn Jarvis, head of Labour Statistics at the ABS, said job vacancies were 27 per cent higher than 12 months earlier in February 2020, just before the start of the pandemic.
“There were 289,000 job vacancies in February 2021, 61,000 more than a year earlier,” Mr Jarvis said.
Mr Jarvis said businesses were having trouble filling lower-paid jobs.
“This was most commonly reported to us by businesses in the Accommodation and food services industry,” he said.
“31 per cent of businesses in that industry reported vacancies in February 2021, more than double last February.”
Private sector job vacancies increased by 14 per cent over the February quarter, and were 29 per cent above the pre-pandemic levels of February 2020.
Public sector job vacancies rose by 11 per cent in February, an increase of 13 per cent on February 2020.
The largest percentage increases in job vacancies over the year were in the Accommodation and food services, up 88 per cent, and construction, up 60 per cent.
All states saw a rise in vacancies.
READ MORE:This is no ordinary boom
Nicholas Jensen11.15am:NSW reports zero new Covid cases
NSW has recorded one new case of community transmission to 8pm last night, from Byron Bay, which was reported yesterday.
There were four new cases recorded in hotel quarantine overnight. 20,459 test results received across the state in the past 24 hours.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian is due to hold a press conference at 11.30am.
NSW recorded one new locally acquired case of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. This is the case acquired in Byron Bay and announced yesterday morning. pic.twitter.com/GFEedq1cNF
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) April 1, 2021
Mackenzie Scott10.55am:Authorities seeing more high-risk patients
The level of the virus within infected patients is far higher than at the start of the pandemic, which is posing a far higher risk for the community, Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young said.
“We are getting more and more of these incredibly high-risk patients in our hospitals,” Dr Young said. “It does worry me.”
“This is why it is so critical we have been given the go-ahead over the next two weeks to halve the number of travellers coming into Queensland.”
More than 2,000 people have been contact-traced to the two latest clusters of 20 people. A total of 118 exposure sites are currently listed on Queensland Health’s website.
READ MORE:Virgin stands down hundreds
Mackenzie Scott10.40am:Qld has only three-day’s vaccine supply
Queensland has only three day’s supply of the Pfizer and 12 days of the AstraZeneca vaccines, and deputy premier Steven Miles said that could be used up sooner.
No visitors will be allowed to enter aged care or correctional facilities in Queensland as the state looks to limit the spread of COVID-19 to vulnerable Australians. The completion of 1A vaccines targeting frontline workers interacting with active cases is scheduled to be completed today
“(The low number of vaccines) underlines calls for better transparency about the number of vaccines out there in the community,” Mr Miles said.
“We need a national quarantine centre so we can reduce the risk of returning travellers.”
READ MORE:The most dangerous people on the planet
Nicholas Jensen10.25am:Cheap fares won’t help travel sector: tourism chief
Executive director of the Australian Tourism Industry Council Simon Westaway says the federal government’s $1.2 billion aviation package will not be enough to support the travel sector, as lockdowns and new restrictions create further uncertainty.
“The reality is these fares will go relatively quickly but our organisation is calling to have this program expanded,” Mr Westaway told the ABC this morning.
“The Australian tourism industry lost the best part of $90 billion in 2020. We’re the biggest freefalling employment sector and we’ve got a long way to go.”
Mr Westaway conceded that it will always be difficult to revive the industry with “hot spots”.
Asked how support for the tourism sector should be expanded, Mr Westaway said “the key point is that our largest gateways of Sydney and Melbourne are restricted … we have to get the domestic tourism industry moving again”.
“Our industry is right in the eye of the storm here. We do need to look at multi-layered approaches to support. We think some direct targeted support to businesses, maybe through a cash flow boost arrangement or one-off support payments is the way forward”.
“It doesn’t necessarily need to be JobKeeper, but certainly a wage subsidy,” Mr Westaway said.
READ MORE: PM’s brother ‘jumps jab queue’
Mackenzie Scott10.15am:Restrictions remain for fortnight
Despite Queensland’s lockdown lifting, restrictions will remain in place for the coming two weeks.
Masks will remain compulsory in indoor venues like shopping centres across Queensland, while a maximum of 30 people can gather at a home. Churches can hold Easter services if adhering to the two per four square metre rule.
Queensland’s chief health officer Jeanette Young said the high testing rates recorded over the past two days need to continue.
“We are not completely cleared yet. We think we can manage it with these restrictions,” Dr Young said.
“Use your common sense.”
A total of 82 positive cases are currently active and being treated in hospitals, a majority of which are returned travellers.
READ MORE: Vaccine row explodes
Mackenzie Scott10.05am:‘Easter is good to go’: Qld lockdown lifted
Queensland’s three-day lockdown will end at midday today after only one new case of community transmission was recorded overnight
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the fantastic result was due to high testing rates and no unlinked transmission.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “Easter is good to go.”
The three-day lockdown was set to expire at 5pm but the government brought it forward in a bid to avoid traffic chaos as people leave Brisbane for the long-weekend
More than 34,700 tests were conducted overnight.
A further 9 cases were identified in hotel quarantine.
Nicholas Jensen9.50am:Burke lashes ‘bumbling incompetence’ over vaccine
Federal Labor MP Tony Burke has criticised Prime Minister Scott Morrison for shirking responsibility of the vaccine rollout, saying “we need Mr Morrison to stop focusing on the advertising and the marketing of it and just do his job”.
Mr Burke told Sky News this morning, “I accept this government is brilliant at the announcement, they’re sharp, they’re slick, they are really good at the advertising. But when it comes to the delivery, what we are seeing is a bumbling, bundling incompetence … and lives are at stake.
Concerned that the vaccine targets have been missed and that the federal government will not be honest with the public, Mr Burke said “I’ve got a nursing home in my electorate that was calling me yesterday saying they have no idea where they are going to be in the queue”.
“We’ve had state health ministers say their public hospitals have no idea how many vaccinations are going to arrive on any one day.”
Mr Burke suggested that current lockdowns and restrictions would not be necessary “if the government had delivered what they announced”.
READ MORE: ‘No issue on our end’
Nicholas Jensen9.30am:‘Hardly Caspar the friendly ghost’: Turnbull caned
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has attacked former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s goal of a net zero emissions target, describing it as mythical and contrary to Australia’s national interests.
In an interview on 2GB this morning, Mr Canavan said: “He (Turnbull) was whingeing yesterday about the fact there’s a surge in new coal mine proposals, and Malcolm just thinks we should put a stop to all this and just ban it. But hang on, if coal is dead, how come we are seeing businesses willing to put capital and investment into coal mining in Australia?
“All we hear from the likes of Malcolm and the climate crew is that no one’s demanding coal anymore and everyone’s signing up to this mythical net zero emissions target … The reality is that all your coal in New South Wales is the best coal in the world.
“Even Malcolm’s most fervent supporters shake their heads at what he’s doing and privately admit that it was a massive mistake to make him the Prime Minister of the country.
“He hasn’t exactly shown gratitude. Remember when he said that he wasn’t going to be a miserable ghost like Kevin Rudd, well let’s just say he’s hardly Caspar … he’s hardly the friendly ghost running around these days.”
Asked about the possibility of coal mine closures in NSW, Mr Canavan said: “We can’t afford this. Look at what’s happening to the north of us, look at what China is doing with its aggression to Taiwan. And here we have a former Prime Minister of our country, saying we should shut our major industries and potentially put at risk our ability to make steel.”
READ MORE: Miners want PNG quarantine centres
Dow Jones9.20am:Factory mix up delays Johnson & Johnson vaccine
A mix-up at a US factory will delay distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, the New York Times reported.
The NYT said that workers at the Baltimore plant had accidentally conflated the vaccine’s ingredients weeks ago and ruined about 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.
The plant is run by Emergent BioSolutions, a manufacturing partner to Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca PLC, the NYT said.
Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses currently being delivered and used nationwide were produced in the Netherlands and are not affected, the NYT reported, adding that all further shipments of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were supposed to have come from the Baltimore plant and are now in question while the quality control issues are sorted out.
READ MORE: Carry on jabbing: GPs do lion’s share
Nicholas Jensen9.05am: Berejiklian reassures NSW residents over Qld travel
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian insists she is “not overly concerned” about the possibility of new cases due to the effectiveness of the state’s testing.
“As far as NSW is concerned, we always have open borders,” Ms Berejiklian told Today this morning.
“Our citizens should never feel they can’t come back home. The only thing we ask is if you come back from an area which has lots of cases … then you personally have to stay in your home for three days and respect that lockdown.
Ms Berejiklian also reassured travellers from NSW they can travel into Queensland over the Easter break and not be concerned about “being forced into hotel quarantine” when they return.
Urging other states to keep their borders open Ms Berejiklian said: “People don’t have to do that 14 day quarantine, we think that’s silly.”
“We would urge other states to keep their borders open. In terms of travelling, you’re allowed to go anywhere as far as NSW citizens are concerned but obviously if Brisbane remains in lockdown, we don’t recommend that,” she said.
READ MORE:Ridiculous mistakes leave public vulnerable
Charlie Peel 8.45am:Thousand in isolation as cluster grows
More than 1000 people in Queensland are in quarantine or isolation and contact tracing is under way for more than 100 venues after a third medical worker from Brisbane’s main southside hospital fell sick with COVID-19.
The second of Brisbane’s two COVID-19 clusters expanded by two cases on Wednesday and spilled over the border into northern NSW, prompting restrictions in four local government areas and cancellation of the Bluesfest music festival.
A nurse working on the COVID-19 ward at the Princess Alexandra Hospital tested positive to the virus on Wednesday, along with her housemate, becoming the 10th and 11th members of the growing second cluster.
The nurse had already been given the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine but, according to genomic sequencing, somehow picked up the virus from a patient in the hospital who had flown to Brisbane from India and had tested positive in hotel quarantine.
Authorities are trying to uncover how the nurse became infected. The affected ward has been shut down as a precaution.
“We just need to work out how she got it on that ward,” Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said.
She said the full effectiveness of the vaccine had not been realised because not enough time had elapsed after the jab was given.
A similar investigation is ongoing into how another nurse, whose infection sparked Brisbane’s second cluster, picked up the virus, despite not treating the patient from India.
That nurse, who was not vaccinated, is believed to have become infected during her shift on March 23.
READ the full story
Nicholas Jensen8.05am:Hunt hoses down rift over vaccine rollout
Health Minister Greg Hunt has rebuffed claims this morning of a rift between the federal government and the states regarding supply of vaccine doses, saying governments continue to work cooperatively and that the rollout is continuing to accelerate.
“All states have received a 12 week plan that was provided on March 16,” Mr Hunt told Sky News this morning. “I had a discussion with the health ministers just over a week ago and they were all very thankful and welcoming of it.
“We’ve actually been delivering exactly the volumes that were set out initially for the providers and all those distributions have been occurring in the volume sought unless the states, in some circumstances, have sought to revise down the amount that they wanted to receive.”
Asked whether Premier Gladys Berejiklian was right in saying that NSW had received only two days notice of deliveries, Mr Hunt said: “I can’t speak to that particular circumstance, but I think there’s confirmation in advance and frankly the state’s doing a very good job.
“It’s not an issue from our end,” he said.
Responding to questions that the government has missed its vaccination targets, with four million Australians scheduled to be vaccinated as of yesterday, Mr Hunt said he was confident they were meeting their targets and that the rollout would continue to accelerate.
“We’re in a very fortunate position because of this … not many countries have this.”
READ MORE:Vaccine lag hits care homes as leaders brawl
Natasha Robinson7.50am:Frontline medicos deserve better than casual neglect
Talk about priorities. Brisbane is in lockdown, unvaccinated medics working in a COVID-19 ward have contracted the virus triggering a citywide lockdown, and thousands more healthcare workers in the highest category of risk are still to receive the jab.
Yet the chief concern of the states is that they not be embarrassed.
“I am as angry as I have ever been in this 15 months of war against this virus,” NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard thundered.
And what exactly caused this fury? The federal Agriculture Minister’s ridiculous claim that the states had done “three-fifths of bugger all” in rolling out vaccines did not help, but the NSW government’s chief gripe was publication of figures that revealed how many doses of vaccine the states had been supplied by the commonwealth versus the proportion they had administered.
Perhaps it’s not the fairest of statistics. The states’ chief complaint seems to be that large quantities of vaccine were dumped on their doorstep and then included shortly afterwards in the figures of unadministered doses.
“Well, you get 45,000 items dumped on your front door at night and told ‘Now you should have it out by the next morning’. No one would be able to do that,” Hazzard said.
READ the full story
Nicholas Jensen7.40am:Half price airfare sale starts today
The federal government is set to launch its discounted airfare offering today at midday as part of a $1.2 billion aviation package aimed at boosting the country’s ailing tourism sector.
On March 11, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the government would subsidise 800,000 tickets. 46,000 half-price tickets are planned to be released each week.
The government has said that flight-routes have been chosen based on their historical reliance on aviation tourism between the months of April and July.
Discounted airfares will go on sale from April 1 at midday until July 31.
Return flights to eligible locations will receive a 50 per cent discount if booked between April 1 and July 31.
However, despite the package’s rollout today, MPs have warned that the package could be undermined by Queensland’s lockdown and other COVID-19 related restrictions.
Responding to these concerns yesterday, Tourism Minister Dan Tehan told the ABC: “Obviously, we’ve got the lockdown in Brisbane at the moment, but there are other wonderful destinations that you can travel to.
“[When] you get your discount airfare, the money you save, make sure you spend it on the wonderful attraction, on going out to a restaurant, a club or a pub, because that is how you will support our tourism industry.”
Mr Tehan said he thought the Queensland lockdown would be temporary and not affect the aviation package in the long-term.
READ MORE:Vaccine lag hits care homes
Patrick Commins 6.55am:Tradie shortage amid HomeBuilder boom
Record house building approvals driven by the government’s HomeBuilder program have sparked shortages of key tradespeople and helped push the price of materials up by as much as 50 per cent.
As the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported the number of approvals to construct new houses jumped 20 per cent to a record 13,939 in February, the Master Builders Association said building sites faced delays of up to three weeks to get tradies.
Denita Wawn, the association’s chief executive, said there was “considerable pressure” on the supply of key trades and building products thanks to a “perfect storm” of demand.
The ABS figures eclipsed the previous record for approvals set in December, and helped push monthly stand-alone house building approvals up 58 per cent on a year earlier, the seasonally adjusted figures showed.
Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors president Mark Chappe said there were shortages of skilled labour and materials in the housing construction market, with some contractors “turning away customers as they don’t have the capacity, or people are having to wait for a few months”.
Mr Chappe said structural timber was in particularly short supply, thanks to climbing demand around the world as other governments undertake similar measures to stimulate construction activity to assist in post-pandemic recovery.
READ the full story
Nicholas Jensen6.35am:New alerts in Qld, northern NSW
The list of COVID-19 exposure sites has continued to grow overnight after Queensland recorded only two new cases of community transmission yesterday, both linked to an existing cluster that stemmed from a healthcare worker at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said yesterday’s result was an “encouraging sign”, amid speculation this morning that the state’s lockdown could be extended to April 6.
NSW also recorded promising results, with only one case of local transmission detected.
Concerns over a super-spreading bachelorette party in Byron Bay, which saw six guests and a “tradie entertainer” contract the highly infectious UK variant, have resulted in the state’s one case of community transmission detected in a man in his 20s, who attended the Byron Beach Hotel with three other of his friends, where they sat in proximity to the positive travellers from Queensland.
NSW Health has tested the three friends, who returned negative results.
The NSW border remains open but rules apply to people entering NSW from Greater Brisbane. For more information please visit: https://t.co/EqOfcm36Ju
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) March 31, 2021
In response to the new Byron Bay case, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced new restrictions for the Byron, Ballina, Tweed and Lismore shires.
“We know through this one case of community transmission that there could be others. Until the end of Easter, those four local government areas will be subject to some restrictions,” she said in yesterday’s press conference.
“We will be limiting the number of people that come to your home to 30”.
All venues in the four local government areas will resort to the four square metre rule and all patrons are required to stay seated.
Ms Berejiklian said: “We’re not saying to businesses shut your doors, quite the opposite, we are saying you can keep your doors open but we want you to be extra cautious”.
NSW Health is instructing residents in the four local government areas to wear masks, as well as not to travel outside their areas, though Ms Berejiklian said this would not be enforced as a rule only a request.
âš ï¸ Public Health Alert âš ï¸
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) March 31, 2021
Queensland Health is issuing a contact tracing alert for parts of the Gold Coast, in relation to new locally acquired #COVID19 cases.
For a full list of locations and times, visit https://t.co/Wx3p1SWaS1pic.twitter.com/OqPZ4dTV5C
On Wednesday NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard cancelled the Bluesfest event, which was scheduled to begin today.
As contact tracers race to identify new venues and potentially affected people, new sites have been added to the exposure list in Queensland and NSW.
QLD Health has added venues across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and further north in the last 24 hours:
Saturday, March 20
Shinobi Ramen Noodle shop, Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre, Carindale, 12pm-2.16pm
Black Hops Brewery, East Brisbane, 12pm-2pm
Green Beacon brewing Co., Teneriffe, 2pm-3.12pm
Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill, 3.44pm-5.30pm
Sunday, March 21
Mamma’s Italian Restaurant, 69 Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe, 12.30pm-3.10pm
Monday, March 22
PCYC Pine Rivers, Bray Park, 7.16am-8.10am
Tuesday, March 23
Hamilton Hotel Sports Bar, 442 Kingsford Smith Dr, Hamilton 2.20pm-4.45pm
Hamilton Hotel Pokies Room, 442 Kingsford Smith Dr, Hamilton, 4.45pm-5.25pm
Friday, March 26
FitStop Gym, 6/338 Lytton Road, Morningside, 6.50am-8am
Spinnaker Park Café, 222 Alf O’Rourke Drive, Callemondah, 10.22am-11.23am
Jamaica Blue Café New Middle Ridge, 10.30am-12pm
Auckland House, 60 Flinders Parade, Gladstone Central, 7.23pm-9.30pm
Saturday, March 27
Auckland House, 60 Flinders Parade, Gladstone Central, 7.33am-8.20am
Savour Café, Merthyr Village Shopping Centre, New Farm, 10.30am-12.10pm
Monday, March 29
Premium Pilates & Fitness, Coorparoo, 9.25am-10.30am
Meanwhile, NSW Health has also expanded its list in the last 24 hours:
Sunday, March 28
The Farm Byron Bay, 11 Ewingsdale Road, 8.45am-10.30am
Three Blue Ducks Restaurant, 11 Ewingsdale Road, 8.45am-9.30am
Suffolk Park, Park Hotel and Motel, 223 Broken Heads Road, 1pm-2pm
Henry Rous Tavern, 117 River Street, Ballina, 1.20pm-2.25pm
Pro Shop, Ballina Golf and Sports Club, Jameson Avenue, East Ballina, 2.25pm-2.35pm
Suffolk Beachfront Holiday Park, 143 Alcorn St, 4pm-8.30pm
Surfeit 24/7 Epiq Gym, 5 Snapper Drive, Lennox Head, 6am-11am
Saturday, March 27
Mokha Cafe, 2/2 Lawson St, 11am – 12pm (Patrons seated in laneway of Feros Arcade)
Mokha Cafe, 2/2 Lawson St, 11am – 12pm (Patrons seated inside or outside the venue – not in the laneway of Feros Arcade).
Betty’s Burgers & Concrete Co, 2 Lawson St, 11am – 12pm (Patrons seated in laneway of Feros Arcade)
Black Sheep, 46 Jonson St, 12.30pm-12.40pm
Ghanda Clothing, 3/8 Lawson St, 12pm-12.15pm
Quiksilver Byron Bay, 2 Jonson St, 12.40pm-12.45pm
Tiger Lily Byron Bay, 3/17-21 Jonson St, 12.25pm-12.30pm
Park Hotel Bottle Shop, 223 Broken Head Rd, 7.30pm-7.45pm
Suffolk Bakery, Shop 1/2 Clifford St, 2.45pm-3.15pm
Suffolk Beachfront Holiday Park, 143 Alcorn St, 4pm-8.30pm
Friday, March 26
Byron Beach Hotel, 1 Bay Street, 7.15pm-9pm
Suffolk Beachfront Holiday Park, 143 Alcorn St, 4pm-8.30pm
READ MORE:Tourism loses more than $1.7bn
Nicholas Jensen6.30am:Qld Health website suggests extended lockdown
Queensland Health’s website was hastily updated on Wednesday night following suggestions that the state’s Greater Brisbane lockdown would not end until next Tuesday.
âš ï¸ Public Health Alert âš ï¸
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) March 31, 2021
Queensland Health is issuing a contact tracing alert for parts of the Gold Coast, in relation to new locally acquired #COVID19 cases.
For a full list of locations and times, visit https://t.co/Wx3p1SWaS1pic.twitter.com/OqPZ4dTV5C
A number of references on the website indicated that lockdown would be continued to April 6, despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young indicating the state’s snap lockdown could possibly be lifted on Thursday.
Official advice on the state’s website included: “Testing and respiratory clinics will not require a GP referral for the duration of the greater Brisbane lockdown: 5pm AEST Monday 29 March to 11:59pm AEST Tuesday 6 April.”
Earlier on Wednesday the same reference indicated the lockdown would end today on April 1.
After references to an extended lockdown period were picked up by social media, QLD Health’s website was updated to remove all dated references to the end of lockdown. However, the notice quoted above was not amended.
The website changes come after Ms Palaszczuk refused to say whether Greater Brisbane would be open in time for Easter.
READ MORE:Backing MPs comes at cost for PM
Dow Jones6.10am:Pfizer effective in children as young as 12
The COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech SE safely protects children 12 years and older, the companies said, results likely to lead to inoculating children before this summer.
The vaccine was 100 per cent effective in protecting against symptomatic disease in a study of more than 2,200 children, the companies said Wednesday.
Researchers also didn’t find any safety concerns, Pfizer and BioNTech said. Given the results, Pfizer said it would ask US health regulators in the coming weeks to expand use of the shots to 12- to 15-year-olds.
The US Food and Drug Administration could grant Pfizer and BioNTech the additional authorisation two to four weeks after receiving the application, making it possible for vaccinations to begin in May and in time for the summer, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The companies said they would seek clearance in other countries, too, but didn’t give a timetable.
The vaccine, which Pfizer developed with BioNTech, was authorised for use in people 16 years and older in the US last December, after a pivotal trial in 44,000 subjects.
Pfizer last week started testing the vaccine in children ages six months to 11 years.
“We share the urgency to expand the authorisation of our vaccine to use in younger populations and are encouraged by the clinical trial data from adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15,” said Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla.
COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the U.S. and overseas have focused on protecting older adults who are at higher risk of severe disease caused by the coronavirus.
Children are at lower risk of contracting the coronavirus than adults. When they are infected, they tend to experience milder symptoms. Some can get seriously ill, however, and some can also spread the virus.
Health authorities say it will be important to vaccinate children, not only to protect them from the virus but also to help reach the communitywide immunity needed to move past the pandemic.
Children make up about 13 per cent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to the American Academy of paediatrics.
READ MORE:Thousand in isolation as cluster grows
Anne Barrowclough5.35am:France locked down for a month, toll nears 100,000
French President Emmanuel Macron has locked down the country for a month, closing down non-essential shops, keeping children home from school for three weeks and putting in place a curfew from 7pm to 6am after a surge in cases, and as the death toll neared 100,0000.
Adresse aux Français.https://t.co/HbDs6FaFlj
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 31, 2021
Mr Macron said in an address to the nation that the current efforts to limit the virus “were too limited at a time when the epidemic is accelerating.” From Saturday night for the next four weeks, restrictions imposed on Paris and other areas two weeks ago would extend nationwide, he added.
Mr Macron blamed the UK variant for the extended lockdown and said 44 per cent of people in intensive care with the virus were under the age of 65.
“Things were fine, we were right not to confine, then the new variant came,” he said.
“We were right not to close. The mini-confinement we imposed two weeks ago was helpful but not enough,” he added.
However he acknowledged criticism from his opponents, saying: “We made mistakes”.
“At every stage of this epidemic, we could say to ourselves that we could have done better, that we made mistakes – that’s all true,” he said.
France’s daily cases have doubled to approximately 40,000, with hospitals in infection hot spots like Paris overflowing.
Mr Macron said there would be restrictions on domestic travel, but some could be allowed over the Easter weekend.
People who cannot work from home and have to look after their children would be given financial support.
READ MORE: Why they call it the blues
Will Glasgow5.10am:NZ refuses to stand with Australia on virus report
New Zealand has refused to stand with Australia and its other Five Eyes partners to speak out against a much-criticised World Health Organisation investigation into the origins of COVID in China, as it tries to escape Beijing’s wrath.
The shortcomings of the investigation, which has been highly sensitive in China, were immediately pointed out in joint statements released by the four other Five Eyes nations — the US, Britain, Canada and Australia — as well as Japan, South Korea and eight other countries, and in a separate statement by the EU.
Even WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus himself, who has been criticised for being too conciliatory to Beijing during the pandemic, acknowledged data had been withheld from the investigation team.
But in Wellington, the Ardern government said it needed more time before it would comment on the report, even though it has been circulating among WHO members for days.
“Our technical experts are currently analysing the report,” a spokeswoman for New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta told The Australian.
“As this is a scientific report, we want to make sure we understand the science before making any comment,” she said.
Read the full story, by Will Glasgow and Ben Packham, here.
Charlie Peel5am:Thousands in isolation in Queensland as cluster grows
More than 1000 people in Queensland are in quarantine or isolation and contact tracing is under way for more than 100 venues after a third medical worker from Brisbane’s main southside hospital fell sick with COVID-19.
The second of Brisbane’s two COVID-19 clusters expanded by two cases on Wednesday and spilled over the border into northern NSW, prompting restrictions in four local government areas and cancellation of the Bluesfest music festival.
âš ï¸ Public Health Alert âš ï¸
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) March 31, 2021
Queensland Health is issuing a contact tracing alert for parts of the Gold Coast, in relation to new locally acquired #COVID19 cases.
For a full list of locations and times, visit https://t.co/Wx3p1SWaS1pic.twitter.com/OqPZ4dTV5C
A nurse working on the COVID-19 ward at the Princess Alexandra Hospital tested positive to the virus on Wednesday, along with her housemate, becoming the 10th and 11th members of the growing second cluster.
The nurse had already been given the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine but, according to genomic sequencing, somehow picked up the virus from a patient in the hospital who had flown to Brisbane from India and had tested positive in hotel quarantine.
Authorities are trying to uncover how the nurse became infected. The affected ward has been shut down as a precaution.
Queensland COVID-19 update 31/03/21
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) March 31, 2021
Today we recorded 3 new cases of COVID-19.
2 cases are locally acquired and are close contacts of a previous case. 1 case was overseas acquired.
Full details can be found here: https://t.co/kapyXpSIAPpic.twitter.com/PhE0jvMRfj
Read the full story here.
Natasha Robinson4.45am:Only one-third of aged-care residents vaccinated
Only one-third of residential aged and disability care facilities nationwide have received COVID-19 vaccinations more than a month after the immunisation program began, as a new row erupted between the states and the commonwealth over supply delays.
Just 848 of 2500 residential aged care and disability care facilities have received initial doses of the vaccine and only 279 have been supplied with both Pfizer doses. Federal and state authorities continue to refuse to provide details about when the program would be complete.
The delays in the vaccination program turned into a public brawl between the commonwealth and the states, with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her NSW counterpart Gladys Berejiklian accusing the Morrison government of releasing misleading information.
The Prime Minister and Health Minister Greg Hunt sought to hose down the rift, with Mr Morrison saying he wasn’t interested in a “tit-for-tat on vaccines”.
Despite the public divide, Australia’s vaccination program finally appears to be ramping up. Health Department forecasts obtained by The Australian show the number of inoculations will hit 750,000 on Friday, triple the number at the start of last week.
Read the full story, by Natasha Robinson, Geoff Chambers and Simon Benson, here.
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