Coronavirus Australia live news: Scott Morrison accused of dodging Craig Kelly row; No evidence AstraZeneca is less effective: Hunt
Scott Morrison has been accused of avoiding concerns over Craig Kelly after saying his treatment of the controversial Liberal MP ‘got enough oxygen last week’.
- No evidence AstraZeneca less effective: Hunt
- Venue alerts for NSW
- AstraZeneca vaccine weaker against S African variant
- Melbourne quarantine hotel worker tests positive
- Fake tests results spread around world
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Health Minister Greg Hunt says there’s no evidence that points to reduced effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing serious illness and death, as South Africa halts its rollout of the jab.
NSW Health issues alerts for Wollongong, southeastern Sydney as returned traveller tests positive two days after leaving quarantine. Another Victorian hotel quarantine worker has tested positive for coronavirus, this time at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport.
Ellie Dudley 10.45pm: Tanzania spurns restrictions
Tanzanian authorities have refused to implement restrictions to help curb the spread of COVID-19, while insisting the country has eradicated the virus through prayer.
For the past six months, Tanzanian President John Magufuli has played down the seriousness of the virus, even as other countries shut their borders to the country and implemented curfews and lockdowns.
The Tanzanian people, however, have begun pushing back on their leaders’ denial, as deaths attributed to “pneumonia” surge.
“COVID-19 is killing people and we see a lot of cases but we cannot talk about the disease,” said a doctor in a public hospital in Tanzania’s biggest city, Dar es Salaam, the news agency Agence France-Presse reported.
He, like many others, asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.
Tanzania last gave case figures in April last year, at the same time as Mr Magufuli revealed he had secretly had a variety of items tested for the virus — of which a papaya, a quail and a goat apparently tested positive.
He said tests in the national laboratory were “sabotaged”, although the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the tests were reliable.
By June, Mr Magufuli claimed prayer had rescued the country from the coronavirus.
“That’s why we are all not wearing face masks here. You think we don’t fear dying? It’s because there is no COVID-19,” he said.
Laws have been set for the country to stop the publication of materials “on deadly or contagious diseases” without permission from authorities.
Adeshola Ore 10.10pm: Minister stands by vaccine strategy
Australia will not adjust its vaccine strategy despite evidence the AstraZeneca jab is not effective in preventing mild and moderate disease from the South African coronavirus variant, with the federal government confident it will still protect against severe disease.
But some scientists say there is currently not enough data to assess whether that will be the case, with concerns efficacy may also be reduced in the SA variant against severe disease and death.
Responding to the early results of a small South African study that showed its jab was ineffective against the SA variant, AstraZeneca said it was confident patients would be protected against severe disease.
“We do believe our vaccine will still protect against severe disease, as neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to other COVID-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to eight to 12 weeks,” AstraZeneca said in a statement.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said he had received advice from Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly as well as the Science and Technical Advisory Group, chaired by Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy, that there was “no evidence” the vaccine would be ineffective against severe disease and death from COVID-19 regardless of the variants.
“The advice is very, very clear and that is there’s currently no evidence to indicate a reduction in the effectiveness of either the AstraZeneca or the Pfizer vaccines in preventing severe disease and death,” Mr Hunt said.
“There will be challenges but our fundamental direction is absolutely clear. The vaccine program in Australia continues to be on track.”
Ellie Dudley 9.25pm: Updates on exposure sites
NSW Health has updated its advice for people who attended two previously announced possible COVID-19 exposure sites in the Wollongong area.
As reported on Sunday, a confirmed case of COVID-19 visited the following venues after they tested positive on day 16 of their arrival in Australia.
Anyone who was in the beer garden of the Headlands Hotel or who dined in at the Bulli Beach Café at the times listed below is now considered a close contact and should immediately get tested and self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result:
Austinmer: Headlands Hotel (Beer garden), Headland Avenue and Yuruga Street. Tuesday, February 2, 1pm to 3pm.
Bulli: Bulli Beach Café (Those who dined in), 68 Trinity Row. Saturday, February 6, 1.30pm to 4pm.
For those who attended the Headlands Hotel — in all areas other than the beer garden — or who got takeaway from the Bulli Beach Cafe at the times listed above is now considered a casual contact who should monitor for symptoms.
If any symptoms develop, get tested immediately and self-isolate until you receive a negative result.
READ MORE: Minister stands by vaccine strategy
Adeshola Ore 9.15pm: Crossbench lobbied to block lending bill
Legal advocacy groups are lobbying Senate crossbenchers to vote against a government bill winding back responsible lending obligations, saying it will be a retrograde step for consumer protection and put vulnerable Australians at risk of crippling debt.
The proposed legislation, announced by the Morrison government in September, is designed to stimulate the flow of credit and bolster Australia’s recovery from the COVID-induced recession.
A joint submission to a Senate inquiry, led by the Consumer Action Law Centre, said looser lending would reduce the incentive for banks to comply with lending standards because of the removal of penalties. “Repealing responsible lending obligations in the national credit legislation will remove individual legal rights to challenge lenders about their lending decisions and remove the penalty that can be awarded by the regulator ASIC,” centre executive Gerard Brody said.
He said the impact of the laws would reach all Australians, but those who were financially vulnerable were at particular risk.
“All consumers rely on their lender to make assessments and let them know what amounts they can borrow and what is affordable. We now risk lenders going back to being about selling credit rather than ensuring loans are affordable,” he said.
Rachel Baxendale 9pm: Sutton test negative
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has received a negative result after getting tested for coronavirus.
Professor Sutton tweeted early on Monday that he was isolating at home after developing a runny nose, sore throat and headache and getting tested.
“Aaaaand, a negative result. Thanks for all your kind wishes, Professor Sutton tweeted on Monday evening.
“I think colds are making a comeback as school returns. But #EveryTestHelps, right? Thinking of the quarantine workers who did exactly the right thing.”
Rachel Baxendale 8.40pm: Third case threatens increase in arrivals
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville says the state will only proceed with plans to increase its cap on international arrivals next Monday if it is safe to do so, after Victoria late on Sunday revealed the third discovery in five days of coronavirus transmission in hotel quarantine.
The latest case in a woman in her early 50s who was working as an authorised officer at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport follows the revelation late last Wednesday that a 26-year-old man had contracted the virus while acting as a residential support officer for the Australian Open tennis entourage at the Grand Hyatt, and the news earlier last Wednesday that a female resident of the Park Royal hotel had contracted the virus from a family staying across the corridor.
At Friday’s national cabinet meeting, Victoria agreed to increase the weekly number of international arrivals it will quarantine from 1120 to 1310. This compares with NSW and Queensland agreeing to double their caps to 3010 and 1000 arrivals respectively, South Australia increasing it from 490 to 530, and WA maintaining its at 512.
But in light of Victoria’s new cases, Ms Neville indicated Monday’s planned increase was under review. “At this stage we are working on the basis that we will increase the cap from next Monday, but I can assure people we will not do that unless it is absolutely safe to do it and we’ve got the staff and the conditions to do it,” she said.
“We haven’t made a decision to not scale up yet, and we haven’t got a decision to scale down.
“At this stage, we’ve all signed up to bringing Australians back where we can. We’re doing it in a balanced way. We’re not as high as NSW and we won’t get to NSW because of our model.
Joseph Lam 8.10pm: Social distancing slays the giant dragon
Each February, a mythical dragon emerges from its sleeping place at the bottom of the sea and soars into the sky as communities ring in Chinese New Year.
For almost 70 consecutive years, a Dai Loong has wound its way through Melbourne’s Chinatown, thrilling the crowds on Little Bourke Street during the annual big dragon parade.
But as revellers welcome the Year of the Ox, Dai Loong will be stuck at home, sitting on the basement floor of the nearby Museum of Chinese Australian History.
In 2021, Chinese New Year begins on Friday February 12 and runs for 16 days. However, with social distancing in play, it’s impossible to carry the 45m-long dragon and keep a safe distance, says Dragon Society honorary secretary Mark Wang, noting it takes at least eight people to carry the dragon, 34 to operate it and about 50 for a full parade.
Coronavirus, it seems, has slayed the dragon.
“When you’re out on the street you can’t control who’s going to turn up, so we can’t control a street festival,” Mr Wang said.
In China, big dragon parades date back to the Han Dynasty from 206BC to 220AD. In Australia, they go back over a century, says Chinatown Precinct Association vice-president Eng Lim.
“Our first photographic record goes back to 1901 to celebrate the first sitting of Australian parliament in Melbourne,” she said.
Patrick Commins 7.30pm: Hardship scheme a $36bn hit to super
Three and a half million Australians withdrew $36.4bn from their super over the eight-month life of the government’s COVID early release scheme, APRA data shows, nearly $10bn more than the Morrison government had initially expected.
The COVID-19 early release of super program, which ended on December 31, was the most controversial of the Morrison government’s major support measures. It allowed eligible workers to pull, with no requirement for evidence, up to $20,000 from their savings in two withdrawals, and was taken up with enthusiasm by households, despite concern from industry that it would leave many with significantly less in retirement.
Andrew Charlton, director of economic advisers AlphaBeta, said it was “incredibly effective stimulus, paid for by individuals”. He argued it had an even bigger impact on household incomes than the JobKeeper program, the majority of which he said had been swallowed up by recipient companies to boost their bottom lines, rather than providing direct support to employees.
Dr Charlton said the early release cash was “spent very, very quickly”, and more than two thirds of it on discretionary items.
“It’s a massive amount of money and has been very, very effective in stimulating the economy,” he said. “The question is whether this was the right way to assist people in hardship.
Ellie Dudley 6.50pm: PM accused of dodging Kelly row
Scott Morrison has been accused of avoiding concerns over Craig Kelly, after saying his treatment of the controversial Liberal MP “got enough oxygen last week”.
Last week the Prime Minister was forced to reprimand Mr Kelly, who has been accused of undermining confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine, questioning public health measures and heralding treatments for the virus which have not been approved.
Asked by 2SM radio host John Laws for his opinion of Mr Kelly, Mr Morrison said while he had yet to speak about him on the show, he had “in many other places, so I think we should stick with that”.
When Laws accused Mr Morrison of trying to change the subject, the Prime Minister objected.
“No, I’m just saying, John, I think, you know, it’s very important that we focus on the facts,” he said.
“That’s what the government is doing. I took some action on that last week and we focused on getting this vaccine rollout and it is exactly as you say, I continue to encourage Australians through the information we’re getting out there — the medical advice that we’re receiving.”
Mr Morrison said that was “promising news, but we’re not getting ahead of ourselves”.
“We’ve been preparing and planning for this inoculation of the country now for some time, getting everything from the vaccination certificates worked out and how that will be delivered, working with the GPs and the pharmacists and the hospitals and the states,” he said.
“So we’re getting ready to go and it won’t be long now.”
Laws said Mr Morrison had “got me right off Craig Kelly”.
READ MORE: Craig Kelly pile-on is lazy journalism
Joseph Lam 6.15pm: No masks in Cathay business class
Cathay Pacific Airlines will allow business-class passengers to fly mask-free, citing the use of a hospital-class air filtration system that kills 99.99 per cent of airborne contaminants.
The Hong Kong airline, which operates flights to Sydney direct from Hong Kong, has allowed its business-class passengers to forgo fask masks while “laying flat for sleep” while aboard its aircraft.
“Passengers are required to wear masks at all times except during the short period when they are eating and drinking, and when proper social distancing cannot be maintained,” a statement from the airline read.
“Seats in First and Business Class are more spacious with partitions, and passengers are exempted when lying flat for sleep.”
“Our aircraft are equipped with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arresters) filtration systems that are capable of filtering 99.999% of dust particles and airborne contaminates such as viruses and bacteria, ensuring the highest possible cabin air quality.
“HEPA filters offer a similar level of performance to those used to keep the air clean in hospital operating rooms and industrial clean rooms.”
READ MORE: Vaccine certificates are ‘not de facto passports’
Ellie Dudley 5.30pm: WA hotel guards banned from second jobs
Hotel quarantine security staff in Western Australia will be banned from taking a second job, a week after Perth launched a city-wide lockdown when a guard tested positive for COVID-19.
Premier Mark McGowan said the WA government had issued letters to the four security companies that provide staff to the state’s nine quarantine hotels.
One company has already returned the signed contract and another is expected to do the same on Monday, he said.
“Under the contracts, all employees are required to end secondary employment,” Mr McGowan said.“We expect we’ll resolve those matters fully over the coming days.”
Health Minister Roger Cook said the government did not want the companies to “feel under financial pressure”.
“Obviously we want them to stay as part of our security team in hotel quarantine,” he said.
Pay increases of up to 40 per cent have been hinted by the Premier, but are yet to be introduced.
A snap five-day lockdown was introduced in Perth, Peel and the Southwest regions in WA last week after the hotel security guard tested positive.
Western Australia reported no new cases of locally acquired COVID-19 on Monday, marking an eight-day streak for the state.
READ MORE: South Africa halts its AstraZeneca vaccine rollout
Ellie Dudley 5.10pm: Burney queries digital vaccination passport
Linda Burney has questioned the ability of the Morrison government to effectively roll out a digital vaccination passport.
Referring to 2019 reports of Medicare details sold on the dark web, the Opposition spokeswman for families and social services said that while she supported a digital passport, she was unsure whether the government could ensure the protection of information.
“There are issues around the capacity of the government to be able to do this properly,” she told the ABC on Monday.
“When there is a proposal or legislation in front of the parliament, (Labor will) be looking at it very carefully.”
Ms Burney said the “first priority” should be the protection of the details within the passports.
“It’s personal information,” she said. “Personal medical information that this refers to.”
“I have been diligent in understanding when I can get the vaccine and what the vaccine will be, but I have to say that the digital passport has to be secure.”
READ MORE: Labor’s wilderness years before Whitlam could come again
Rachel Baxendale 4.10pm: Four hour delay before latest Vic cases made public
The Victorian minister in charge of hotel quarantine says she first learnt of the latest case in a worker at about 7.30pm on Sunday, more than four hours before the Health Department made the information public in a statement emailed to journalists at 11:52pm.
“I got an initial text which was very brief at 7.30 last night, telling me that there was a positive, that there was going to be an outbreak management team meeting at 9.00,” Ms Neville said.
“I then received more information about 10:30, which had gone through who it was, what had happened, or as much as we knew at that time.
“A decision was taken that we should put out a statement rather than stand up at, it probably at that point would have been 11.30pm, and to do in more detail this morning.”
Asked whether she was happy with the time it took to alert the public Ms Neville said authorities did not have sufficient information to go public at 7.30pm.
“At 7.30 all we knew was that a positive case had come back … and then they had to actually go, they started interviewing the positive when they first found her to get the exposure sites, so I think in effect it was much shorter than that by the time we actually had something to tell the public,” she said.
READ MORE: Quarantine crackdown after new case
Rachel Baxendale 4.10pm: Simultaneous food drop may have opened door to transmission
Two groups of hotel quarantine residents simultaneously opening their doors to collect food deliveries provided the catalyst for one of Victoria’s three recent transmissions of coronavirus in hotel quarantine, Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville has confirmed.
Ms Neville revealed last Wednesday that genomic testing had shown a woman in hotel quarantine had contracted the virus from a family quarantined across the corridor.
“In that particular case it is clear that it was people opening their door together. That’s what it now appears to be. That’s what Allen Cheng, the Deputy Chief Health Officer, has indicated,” Ms Neville said.
“They opened their door at the same time for seconds.”
Ms Neville said that in contrast, genomic testing had shown no identical link to any of four known UK strain positive cases in the Grand Hyatt hotel, who are thought to have been the source of infection for a worker who last week tested positive.
“It’s not an identical link to someone, unlike Park Royal, so it appears that there’s an intermediary in between which could be a surface,” Ms Neville said.
“The Deputy Chief Health Officer said the other day that we may never quite know, but it’s not a clear link to an individual.”
READ MORE: ‘Ghost town’: Crowds sparse at Aus Open
Rachel Baxendale 4pm: Victoria may test all returned travellers on ‘day Zero’
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville conceded it was possible the state’s latest hotel quarantine worker case had been transmitted by a returned traveller who is yet to test positive for the virus, saying authorities were examining whether to test asymptomatic people on arrival in the state.
Currently return travellers who display no symptoms are not tested until the third day of their 14 days in hotel quarantine, with a second test conducted on Day 11.
“It is possible,” Ms Neville said.
“We’re now looking at do we need to be testing (asymptomatic) people on Day Zero as they arrive, and I think that’s a worthwhile investigation, and we’re seeking public health advice about that, because I think Day Zero might help us … get them out more quickly into a health hotel.”
Ellie Dudley 3.40pm: NSW Health probes hotel transmission chance in new case
NSW Health is undertaking an extensive investigation into the source of a the new COVID-19 case picked up after an overseas traveller was released from quarantine.
The probe includes the possibility of transmission within a hotel quarantine facility.
The case is a returned overseas traveller who tested positive to COVID-19 on a day 16 test — after being released from hotel quarantine at the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney.
Several returned overseas travellers in the same quarantine hotel returned positive COVID-19 results while the case was undertaking quarantine.
NSW Health is investigating any potential links between these cases and the new case.
Contact tracers are contacting all returned travellers who stayed on the same floor in the Sofitel Wentworth during that time.
They are being requested to be tested if they have not yet been tested on day 16 after their arrival, as part of a new follow-up program introduced last week.
All staff working in NSW quarantine hotels undertake a daily rapid saliva test as part of COVID-19 surveillance testing.
NSW Health contact tracers contacted the new case late on Thursday February 4 for their day 16 check-in.
The person had no symptoms but agreed to take the test on Friday, February 5.
The test cam back positive the next night, the person was isolated, and a re-test on Sunday confirmed the positive.
Ten close contacts of the case were also identified and directed to self-isolate. Seven of those have already returned negative tests.
NSW Health last week introduced additional “day 16” testing of people discharged from hotel quarantine after 14 days.
People are asked to get tested that day or the next day. If they have no symptoms they are not required to isolate while they await results.
The infected person visited a number of venues in Wollongong and surrounding areas, as well as a café in Brighton Le Sands in south-eastern Sydney, before they were notified of the positive result from their day-16 test.
A complete list of venues of concern, and the related health advice, is available on NSW Government – Latest news and updates.
READ MORE: Brett Sutton tested for COVID-19
Rachel Baxendale 3.35pm: ‘Disappointing’: Victoria left short on ADF help request
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville says the Morrison government has agreed to provide “around 200” ADF personnel in a response to a request from the Andrews government for 460 additional ADF members to assist with hotel quarantine.
Ms Neville said the request for ADF personnel to fulfil floor monitoring roles to free up Victoria Police members had been rejected.
“We thank them for their contribution, whatever that number is. It probably is going to be around 200, but those figures will be negotiated in detail between Emergency Management Victoria and the ADF,” she said.
The commonwealth had indicated that ADF personnel could not fulfil floor monitoring roles due to their lack of enforcement powers, but Ms Neville rejected that argument, pointing to the close proximity of police with enforcement powers and the use of private security guards who also do not have enforcement powers in similar roles interstate.
“It was disappointing that they weren’t willing to do the floor monitoring, and I’d just remind people that we have RSOs (Residential Support Officers) doing floor monitoring without enforcement powers, and that works very well in the non-health and complex care hotels, because Victoria Police are on site to come very quickly,” Ms Neville said.
“If there’s any incident at all, the RSO rings down to police, police are there in moments, so they don’t need enforcement powers, but look that’s the decision that (the Commonwealth) made. It’s disappointing, but we do welcome the additional staff that are coming to do the ingress and egress.”
Rachel Baxendale 3.05pm: Hotel quarantine workers not required to wear N95 masks
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville says hotel quarantine workers who are not working in roles where they are expecting to have direct contact with positive coronavirus cases are not required to wear N95 masks, on the advice of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria’s infection prevention control team.
In light of last week’s infection in a hotel quarantine worker, workers in the system are now required to wear face shields in addition to standard surgical masks, but the Andrews government has resisted calls from some epidemiologists for all staff to wear N95 masks, which offer even greater protection.
“If dealing with positives they wear N95 and a face shield, if they’re not dealing with positives, they’re wearing now a face shield and a surgical mask,” Ms Neville said.
“The advice from the infection prevention control team, we have a steering group for CQV, was clearly that to move everyone to N95s was not going to be the best solution, just because of the way they operate and how people use them, that it in fact may be more risky.
“So the face shield with the surgical for the vast majority, and using N95s and the full PPE for those who are positive was what the advice to us was, and that’s what we put in place from Thursday evening.”
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VICTORIA LAURIE 2.56pm: WA weighs Day 16 test post-quarantine; no new cases
Western Australia has reported no new cases of COVID-19 overnight, with the state’s total number of confirmed cases remaining at 907.
Contact tracing around the case of a Perth security guard who contracted COVID-19 has identified 527 close and casual contacts, all of whom have now returned at least one negative test result.
Premier Mark McGowan says it is likely the restrictions on visitors from Victoria will be extended for another few days. He says he is seeking medical advice about whether NSW restrictions — which require 14 day quarantine on entering WA — will be lifted in response to that state’s 23 day record for no community transmission.
He said new measures requiring mask-wearing in WA could be extended beyond February 14, and West Australians had been very co-operative in wearing them.
Schools have resumed on Monday after a five-day lockdown in the state’s Perth, Peel and South West regions that ended last Friday. Around 475,000 students have returned to school, with all high school students required to wear masks until further notice.
Health minister Roger Cook says that Day 16 tests for all quarantine guests should be looked at seriously in light of recent infections and virulent COVID variants. He says all jurisdictions should be nationally uniform in such areas, including use of PPE by quarantine staff.
He says of nine quarantine hotels in Perth, only two are allowed to have non-COVID related activities. They must have divided areas, and no mixing of staff and food preparers, and guests must enter from different entrances to the quarantine areas.
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Rachel Baxendale 2.49pm: Victoria wary of raising internationals arrivals cap
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville says the state will only proceed with plans to increase its cap on international arrivals next Monday if it is safe to do so.
At Friday’s national cabinet meeting, Victoria agreed to increase the weekly number of international arrivals it will quarantine from 1120 to 1310.
Ms Neville said staff and hotel numbers were key to being able to quarantine arrivals, with almost 950 staff currently isolating due to potential exposure to coronavirus cases in their colleagues.
“Some of them are coming up to their 14 days because it was from the time of their exposure,” Ms Neville said.
“We’ve got the hotels, because as a result of the tennis, we’ve got two additional hotels that we can use.”
However, Ms Neville warned that an ongoing review of potential weaknesses in the hotel quarantine program in light of three infections revealed since last Wednesday could have consequences for the planned increase.
“If the ventilation review came back and said we needed to make any changes to air conditioning, that would obviously, that would come first before increasing the cap,” she said.
“At this stage we are working on the basis that we will increase the cap from next Monday, but I can assure people will not do that unless it is absolutely safe to do it and we’ve got the staff and the conditions to do it.”
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Rachel Baxendale 2.09pm: Victorian case had contact with infected family
The only coronavirus cases known to have been in the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel during the period Victoria’s latest coronavirus-positive worker contracted the virus are a family of three who were moved to a “health hotel” after testing positive for the virus, Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville has said.
“At this stage it’s not clear that (the coronavirus-positive Authorised Officer) had a dealing with these three, but again … we want to keep doing interviews,” Ms Neville said.
She said it was most likely the worker, a woman in her early 50s, had contracted the virus around February 3 or 4, given she had developed symptoms and tested positive on the 7th.
In her role as an Authorised Officer, the woman was required to sign off on residents entering and leaving detention at the hotel.
Ms Neville said authorities continued to review CCTV and interview the coronavirus-positive worker and other staff to establish how she may have contracted the virus.
Victorian Testing Commander Jeroen Weimar said genomic analysis which should be completed late on Tuesday or early Wednesday may provide greater insight into the source of the woman’s infection.
It is not yet known whether she has one of the highly contagious strains of the virus.
“Our lead assumption at the moment is that there’s been some connection back to hotel quarantine because that’s the largest risk that this individual faced,” Mr Weimar said.
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Richard Ferguson 1.33pm: China formally charges Aussie journalist
Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been officially arrested after six months under detention in China, Foreign Minister Marise Payne has revealed.
Ms Cheng – a former anchor for Chinese state news network CGTN – has been detained by Beijing authorities since last August over claims she passed on state secrets.
Senator Payne on Monday said Ms Cheng had been formally charged on supplying state secrets.
“The Australian Government has raised its serious concerns about Ms Cheng’s detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions of detention,” Senator Payne said in a statement.
“Australian Embassy officials have visited Ms Cheng six times since her detention, most recently on 27 January 2021, in accordance with our bilateral consular agreement with China.
“We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms.”
READ the full story here
Adeshola Ore 1.23pm: No evidence AstraZeneca is less effective: Hunt
Health Minister Greg Hunt says there’s no evidence that points to reduced effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing serious illness and death, as South Africa halts its rollout of the jab.
On Sunday, AstraZeneca revealed that data from an early trial showed its vaccine could prevent serious illness brought on by the South African COVID-19 variant but offered “minimal protection” against mild illness.
Mr Hunt said Australia’s health authorities would review the latest data from studies on the vaccination’s impact on transmission of mild to moderate symptoms.
“The vaccination programs around the world are making a difference,” he said.
“The vaccination program in Australia continues to be on track and I think that is heartening, important news but we will follow the evidence.”
READ MORE: South Africa halts AstraZeneca rollout
Rhiannon Down 1.20pm: Victorian health chief isolating after Covid test
Victorian CHO Brett Sutton is currently self isolating as he waits on the results of a COVID-19 test.
Not feeling well today - runny nose, sore throat and headache. Tested for #COVIDー19 and at home until I get my result. Just like 4.5 million Victorians have done. Great job by @VicGovDH test site in Wantirna South. Thanks team ðŸ™
— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) February 8, 2021
“Not feeling well today – runny nose, sore throat and headache,” he said on social media.
“Tested for COVID-19 and at home until I get my result. Just like 4.5 million Victorians have done. Great job by DHHS test site in Wantirna South.”
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Adeshola Ore 1.01pm: PM extending quarantine period not the medical advice
Scott Morrison says Australia’s top medical experts have made no recommendations to extend the length of quarantine after a NSW resident tested positive to COVID two days after leaving hotel quarantine.
A Wollongong resident tested positive to the virus on day 16 after spending two weeks in mandatory quarantine. Australia’s hotel quarantine systems have come under fresh scrutiny following two cases in employees at hotels in Melbourne.
The Prime Minister said the federal government would be guided by the Commonwealth’s medical advice panel in determining an extension of quarantine. He said the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee was constantly reviewing the length of quarantine.
“If they were to make recommendations along that line, then I’m sure that you would see the states and the commonwealth move in that direction But at this stage, that is not the advice of the medical experts,” he said.
Health Minister Greg Hunt praised NSW’s health system for detecting the new case in a returned traveller on day sixteen.
NSW health authorities now call travellers two days after leaving hotel quarantine and encourage them to get tested.
“I think it is a very important sign that the new procedures, which have been put in place did detect this case,” Mr Hunt said.
Australia has recorded two cases of community transmitted COVID in the past twenty-four hours.
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Cliona O’Dowd 12.40pm: Dividends are ‘on the way back up’
A lack of guidance from listed corporates will make for an interesting earnings season in the coming weeks, with retailers among those that could surprise on the upside by boosting dividend payouts, according to Argo Investments managing director Jason Beddow.
As reporting season heats up, with results expected in the coming days from Commonwealth Bank, Suncorp, IAG, Transurban, Boral and Telstra, among others, Mr Beddow expects most companies to remain cautious with their payouts, but said the low point had already passed.
“I think we‘ve seen the low in dividends in the half just gone, that July to December period. So dividends will improve but I’m not sure that in this reporting season (companies) are going to open their coffers back to pre-COVID payouts,” Mr Beddow said.
“Having said that, some of the retailers, they‘re almost net cash, they pay local tax and have plenty of franking credits, so some of those could pay pretty significant dividends.”
READ the full story here
Courtney Walsh 11.44am: Eyes on court as Australian Open gets under way
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has spent months collaborating with governments, tennis tours and the world’s highest-profile players to ensure the event proceeds in 2021.
The criticism from some quarters has been immense and scares including the positive test last week by a worker at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, which had been a quarantine hotel for players, alarming. Revelations on Sunday night that another Melbourne hotel quarantine worker had tested positive didn’t help.
For now, all eyes are now on the as third seed Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova are first out onto Rod Laver Arena
FOLLOW live updates from Day One of the Australian Open here
Rhiannon Down 11.22am: Wollongong case investigated; 0 in community for NSW
NSW has recorded zero new cases of coronavirus overnight, though a case in a Wollongong resident who was recently released from hotel quarantine is under investigation.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) February 8, 2021
Two new cases were acquired overseas, and investigations are ongoing into the source of a third new case. pic.twitter.com/JQsSNiSx6F
“Two new cases were acquired overseas, and investigations are ongoing into the source of a third new case,” NSW Health said in a statement.
“This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 4934.”
Adeshola Ore 11.16am: Politicians shouldn’t second guess medical advice: Albanese
Anthony Albanese has warned against politicians second-guessing medical advice, after data from a AstraZeneca revealed the vaccine only offered weak protection against the South African variant of COVID.
Earlier today, Health Minister Greg Hunt played down concerns about the AstraZeneca jab after South Africa halted the rollout of the vaccine. On Sunday, AstraZeneca revealed that data from an early trial showed its vaccine could prevent serious illness brought on by the South African COVID-19 variant but offered “minimal protection” against mild illness.
The Opposition Leader said Labor would be guided by the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“We’re being consistent on this. You don’t want politicians second-guessing science and medical expertise,” he said.
READ MORE: Labor’s pre-Whitlam wilderness years could come again
PATRICK COMMINS 10.56am: 3.5m Aussies rip $36.4bn from their super accounts
Three and half million Australians withdrew $36.4bn from their super over the six month life of the government’s COVID early release scheme, final APRA data show.
The COVID-19 early release of super program, which ended on December 31, was probably the most controversial of the Morrison government’s support measures – and definitely the cheapest (at least for the federal budget).
It allowed workers to pull up to $20,000 from their savings in two withdrawals, and was taken up with enthusiasm by households, despite strident warnings from industry that it would leave many with significantly less in retirement.
There have also been concerns that the scheme would open the door for further raids on the super system, with some Coalition backbenchers agitating for letting first home buyers dip into their retirement accounts to help buy a property.
The average payment was $7638, and there were few checks on applications, although the ATO has reported few frauds.
FOLLOW live ASX updates at Trading Day
Will Swanton 10.14am: Cardboard cut outs pack Super Bowl LV
After an NFL season played out against the backdrop of COVID-19, Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium for Super Bowl LV.
The biggest event on the American sporting calendar is being held with a reduced capacity crowd of 25,000 and a US television audience of around 100 million expected to tune in.
Today’s Super Bowl brings the curtain down on an NFL season that has been completed successfully despite a nationwide coronavirus pandemic that has surged out of control at different times.
While COVID-19 forced multiple games to be postponed, and in one case required a team to start a game without a recognised quarterback, the league’s safety protocols have largely held firm.
FOLLOW Super Bowl LV updates here
Rhiannon Down 10.08am: Victorian hotel worker contacts now in isolation
Some 15 social and household primary contacts have been linked to the Holiday Inn hotel worker who tested positive for coronavirus.
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said those close contacts are now in isolation, as were a hundred more contacts linked to exposure venues.
“I can advise that as a result of the Holiday Inn authorised officer working with the public health team that at this point we have rapidly identified an initial 15 social and household primary close contacts,” he said.
“That number may well fluctuate as the investigation continues over the course of the day and those people are all isolating and have been tested.”
The number of workplace contacts linked to the Grand Hyatt worker has ballooned to 661 people, and 584 people linked to the exposure sites in Melbourne’s south-east.
Victorian health authorities will begin testing hotel quarantine workers on their days off, in an effort to prevent further infection leaks.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said staggering meal deliveries and using face shields were also among the measures being implemented to curb the spread.
“We’ll also start today the testing of staff on their days off, that will commence from today,” she said.
Initial exposure sites and times include:
Friday 5th February:
– Marciano’s Cakes: Maidstone – 9:45am – 10:25am
– Dan Murphy’s: Sunshine – 5:50pm – 6:30pm
Saturday 6th February:
– Off Ya Tree Watergardens: Taylors Lakes – 1:17pm – 1:52pm
– Dan Murphy’s: Sunshine – 6:50pm – 7:30pm
READ MORE: Vaccine certificates are ‘not de facto passports’
Adeshola Ore 9.53am: PM seeking progress on south sea bubble
Scott Morrison says he hopes the federal government can work towards a South Pacific travel bubble, but stressed some countries in the region still pose health risks to Australia.
Last month, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there was no reason a travel bubble could not be established with Pacific countries and New Zealand within the year.
Mr Morrison said the government did not have the “full confidence” to implement a green lane system, currently in place in New Zealand, for Pacific countries.
“We’re working with them to ensure we can just lift that confidence,” he told 2SM radio.
“We’ll be seeking to support them with their testing over there and I hope we can make some real progress on that soon. I’d love to see a Pacific bubble.”
Last week, the government lifted the suspension on the one-way New Zealand travel bubble, allowing quarantine-free travel to resume after it was halted after cases of COVID emerged linked to a quarantine hotel in Auckland.
READ MORE: Nation infected by scourge of overreach
Rhiannon Down 9.47am: No breach in infection control by Victorian hotel worker
A Victorian hotel quarantine worker who tested positive for COVID-19 did not breach infection prevention control, according to authorities.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said the worker was an authorised officer at the Holiday Inn whose role involved issuing detention notices, and wasn’t actively working on the infection floors.
“Again, it’s a matter that will need to be continued to be investigated, however we continue to make changes to the program as these cases have come to light,” she said.
“For example, I spoke about the review we’re doing into airconditioning. Of course, we’re still pretty confident about the engineering reports that show that there’s no sharing of air between rooms or into common areas, but again we got an occupational physician who’s coming in with the engineering team to have a look to see if there’s anything else with air conditioning or any risk there.”
Rhiannon Down 9.36am: Caution on extending hotel quarantine period
Health experts are cautioning against a push to increase time in hotel quarantine, saying the virus can remain in the body for weeks or months.
ANU epidemiologist Peter Collignon said a positive case in a returned traveller in Sydney hotel quarantine that emerged after the person was released could be the result of the virus sitting dormant in the body.
“So in this particular one it is very likely this person may have had an infection at some time when they were overseas for whatever reason not positive when in actual quarantine and it’s since come up positive,” Professor Collignon told Sky News.
“I’ve seen cases where we have people who have a second infection like the common cold and that seems to stir up enough things for a positive test for the COVID virus.”
He hit back at calls to look at extending hotel quarantine as 99 per cent of cases test positive within 14 days.
He said attention should be directed towards limiting the risk of returned travellers opening hotel room doors to collect deliveries, spreading the virus into the corridor.
READ MORE: Investors burnt on lobsters
Robert Gottliebsen 9.15am: Landlord crisis to force up rents
Around Australia a significant proportion of the over two million landlords are on the edge of their seats. For most of the last year their tenants have been able to defer their rent obligations.
But, by the end of March, most of the COVID-19 moratoriums end and the landlords will discover whether their tenants can pay the back rent.
In the case of dwellings the multitude of Australians who have been engaged in negative gearing already suspect that their tenants will walk away, leaving them out of pocket.
Add that to the ongoing harsher landlord rules and many will decide to sell their property or leave it vacant rather than risk playing in the landlord-tenant jungle. Either way the shortage of rental accommodation, which was explained in The Weekend Australian by Katrina Grace Kelly.
READ Robert Gottliebsen’s full story here
Rhiannon Down 9.03am: ‘Everyone in world needs to receive an effective vaccine’
Epidemiologists say new variants of COVID-19 must be brought under control or else risk having Australia’s vaccination efforts undone.
University of Melbourne epidemiologist Nancy Baxter said reports the AstraZeneca vaccine wasn’t effective against the South African variant was a “global issue”.
“What it emphasises is that if we don’t control COVID-19 everywhere, we don’t control it anywhere,” Professor Baxter said.
“Because if the disease is running rampant in a country, then these variants are going to develop.”
She said limiting the spread of the virus through border controls would only go so far in defeating COVID-19 if it continued to rage out of control overseas.
“If we don’t make sure that everyone in the world gets a vaccine that’s effective, eventually, we are going to get a new variant that outsmarts our vaccines and we’re going to be in trouble again,” she said.
“I think one of the things is that all of the companies are working on adjusting their vaccines to be more effective against the new strains, and I think that is very likely to happen.”
READ MORE: Advertising market ‘bouncing back’
Adeshola Ore 8.58am: Hunt confident in vaccine amid S Africa variant fears
Health Minister Greg Hunt says he’s confident about the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine despite data from a study revealing the jab offers weak protection against the South African variant of COVID.
South Africa will halt a planned rollout of the vaccine after the clinical trial found that it doesn’t appear to protect recipients against mild and moderate illness from a fast-spreading new strain of the coronavirus first detected in the country.
“In terms of particular variants in particular countries, the world is learning about those with all vaccines,” he told 2GB radio.
“All up what we’re seeing is very significant results in the vaccines that have been approved with up to 100 per cent protection on the early data that we’ve seen in the clinical trial results for serious illness and hospitalisation … ultimately this is about saving lives and protecting lives.”
READ MORE: Vaccine row brings EU struggles into the open
Robyn Ironside 8.50am: Qantas to waive flight change fee
Qantas is flexing its competitive muscle with a massive airfare sale and an upgrade in on-board offerings, in an effort to stimulate travel demand and increase revenue.
The flying kangaroo will also extend its “no change fee” policy until 2022 to try to rebuild consumer confidence in air travel amid ongoing state border restrictions.
The airline’s sale of more than one million seats from $99 one-way and from $399 for business, came after a series of fare sales by rival Virgin Australia.
Chief customer officer Stephanie Tully said Qantas was also making improvements to in-flight food and beverage for customers, including free wine and beer across the day and new hot meal options in economy class.
READ the full story here
Rhiannon Down 8.44am: NSW updates list of venue alerts from new case
Health authorities have issued alerts for a number of venues in Sydney and Wollongong after a returned traveller tested positive to COVID-19 after being released from hotel quarantine.
NSW Health has urged anyone who visited the following venues get tested and self isolate:
Mootch&Me, 313 Bay St, Brighton-Le-Sands: February 2 from 10.50am to 12pm
Headland’s Hotel, Headland Ave & Yuruga St, Austinmer: February 2 from 1pm to 3pm
Woolworths, 5-9 Molloy St, Bulli: February 3 from 9.50am to 10.50am
Corrimal Memorial Park, Wilga St, Corrimal: February 3 from 12pm to 1pm
Thirroul Beach: February 3 from 3pm to 4.30pm
Sublime Point Walking Track, 661 Princes Hwy, Maddens Plains: February 4 from 8.30am to 10am
Figtree Grove Shopping Centre, 19 Princes Hwy, Figtree: February 4 from 2pm to 3.30pm
Optus, 17 Flinders St, Wollongong: February 4 from 1pm to 1.15pm
Officeworks, 145 Princes Hwy, Fairy Meadow: February 4 from 3.45pm to 4.05pm
Officeworks, 145 Princes Hwy, Fairy Meadow: February 5 from 2.10pm to 3pm.
Fedora Pasta Factory, 10 Daisy Street, Fairy Meadow: February 5 from 3pm to 3.35pm
Bulli Beach Cafe, 68 Trinity Row, Bulli: February 6 from 1.30pm to 4pm
READ MORE: Business must take over from government stimulus
Rachel Baxendale 8.39am: Victorian figures confirm new case
Victoria has recorded one new locally acquired coronavirus case in the 24 hours to Monday, in the form of a case in a worker at the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel at Melbourne Airport.
No other cases have been recorded statewide, with the total number of active cases now at 20, including two cases in hotel quarantine workers and 18 in international return travellers in hotel quarantine.
The latest figures come after 11,359 tests were processed in the 24 hours to Monday.
Yesterday there was 1 new locally acquired case reported and 0 in hotel quarantine. 11,359 test results were received. Got symptoms? Get tested, #EveryTestHelps.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 7, 2021
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/nYpd3NYZW4
Health Minister Martin Foley and Emergency Services Minister Lisa Nevill are due to address the media regarding the latest case at 9:30am.
Adeshola Ore 8.10am: No mandate for welfare payments to be linked to vaccination
Government Services Minister Stuart Robert has ruled out mandating welfare recipients to be vaccinated.
On Sunday, Mr Robert confirmed that Australians would be able to use their phones via the Express Plus Medicare app to prove they have been vaccinated.
Asked if Centrelink payments would be linked to vaccines, Mr Robert told the ABC “there’s nothing before the government that would indicate anything of that respect of all.”
Vaccinations will be recorded using the Australian immunisation register, but the states will determine how to use the certificates and whether they would need to be produced at certain venues, such as hospitals.
Mr Robert said the federal government would consider using watermarks and other distinguishing features on vaccination certificates to protect against fraud.
“Things we’ll look at are watermarking, holographic marking … there’s a whole bunch of things,” he said.
Mr Robert said the certificate would be modified to align with international standards of vaccination certificates.
“We’re using the immunisation register as the basis for it. Over the coming weeks and over the coming few months we’ll continue to iterate what Australian vaccination certificates will look like.”
Mr Robert said no decision had been made by the Department of Health about whether the certificate could be carried on Australian passports for residents vaccinated overseas.
READ MORE: Paul Bloxham — Who gets a shot in the arm?
Rhiannon Down 7.50am: 14 days may not be enough quarantine for new strains
Experts say the standard 14-day quarantine period may not be enough, after a returned traveller tested positive to the virus after 16 days.
NSW Health issued a late-night warning on Sunday after the traveller, a Wollongong resident, tested positive to COVID-19 two days after being released from hotel quarantine.
ANU infectious diseases specialist Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake said the incident could indicate a new infection pattern as the result of a new strain.
“We note that the median amount of time from when someone gets infected to get sick is about five to six days, but there is a range around that, one day to 14 days, but occasionally you will even see a range spill outside that,” he told Sunrise.
“It could just be one of those things, it would be one of the new strains that have appeared, maybe they appear differently.”
He said the extended incubation period could be the result of a new virus strain.
“It has been talked about and maybe this is the behaviour of a new strain, something that is worth looking into, at least monitoring people for a few more days, whether that is in hotel quarantine or just after they have left,” he said.
READ MORE: Chris Mitchell — Craig Kelly pile-on just lazy journalism
Nicholas Jensen 7.45am: Kelly defies PM on Covid treatments
Less than a week after his corridor clash with Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek, Liberal MP Craig Kelly has again taken to social media to endorse ivermectin as an effective treatment against COVID-19, despite its rejection by Australia’s Chief Medical Officer.
Mr Kelly’s most recent Facebook posts concerning the drug come days after Scott Morrison reportedly reprimanded him for spruiking bogus theories about the treatment of COVID-19.
READ the full story here
Rhiannon Down 7.35am: AstraZeneca jab ‘can be tweaked’ against new strains
Health experts have dismissed reports the AstraZeneca jab may not be as effective against the South African variant of COVID-19, saying the vaccine can be tweaked.
Mater director of infectious diseases Paul Griffin said he had faith in the vaccines despite the new results and Australia’s outlook remained promising.
“We have seen perhaps slightly reduced protection against mild disease, but this is really a small subset that’s been released prelim and not been published and it is reported this vaccine has great protection against recent strains and more severe disease,” he said told Today this morning.
“In this country we have Novavax and Pfizer and the clever people at Oxford are redesigning this vaccine and they will have another option later on if it is proved that it is not quite effective enough against some of these new variants.”
He said a “proper peer reviewed publication of this data” was required before a judgment could be made.
READ MORE: BikeExchange listing journey a long climb
Rhiannon Down 7.00am: New Melbourne alerts as quarantine worker tests positive
A number of Melbourne venues have been added to the Victoria health authority’s list of hot spot exposure sites, after a second hotel worker tested positive to COVID-19.
Anyone who was in the following venues is urged by Victorian health authorities to get tested and self isolate:
• North Point Cafe, 2B North Rd Brighton: January 31 from 8am to 9.30am
• Brandon ParkKmart, Brandon Park Shopping Centre, Cnr Springvale Rd and Ferntree Gully Rd, Brandon Park: January 31 from 4.35pm to 5.10pm
• Clayton SouthNakama Workshop, 85 Main Rd Clayton South: February 1 from 11.15am-12pm.
• Melbourne Golf Academy, 385 Centre Dandenong Rd, Heatherton: February 1 from 5.19pm to 6.35pm
• Aces Sporting Club (Driving Range), Cnr Springvale Rd and Hutton Rd, Keysborough: January 30 from 10.00pm to 11.15pm
• Keysborough Kmart, Parkmore Keysborough Shopping Centre, C/317 Cheltenham Rd, Keysborough: January 31 from 4pm to 5pm
• Marciano’s Cakes, 126 Mitchell St, Maidstone: February 5 from 9.45am-10.25am
• Exford Hotel, 199 Russell St, Melbourne: January 29 from 11pm to 11.35pm
• Lululemon, DFO Moorabbin, Shop G-039/250 Centre Dandenong Rd, Moorabbin: February 1 from 5pm to 5.45pm
• Club Noble, 46/56 Moodemere St, Noble Park: January 30 from 2.36pm to 3.30pm
• Bunnings Springvale, 849 Princes Hwy, Springvale: February 1 from 11.30am to 12.15pm
• Coles Springvale, 825 Dandenong Rd, Springvale: January 31 from 5pm to 6pm
• Sharetea Springvale, 27C Buckingham Ave, Springvale: February 1 from 6.50pm to 7.30pm
• Woolworths Springvale, 302 Springvale Rd, Springvale: February 1 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm
• Dan Murphy’s, 47 McIntyre Rd, Sunshine: February 5 from 5:50pm to 6.30pm
• Dan Murphy’s, 47 McIntyre Rd, Sunshine: February 6 from 6.50pm to 7.30pm
• Taylors LakesOff Ya Tree Watergardens, 399 Melton Highway, Taylors Lakes: February 6 from 1.17pm to 1.52pm
• Kebab Kingz, 438 Spencer St, West Melbourne: January 29 from 11.24pm to 12.15am
READ MORE: Labor can’t afford another lost generation
Gabriele Steinhauser 6.55am: AstraZeneca vaccine weaker against South African variant
South Africa will halt a planned rollout of AstraZeneca PLC’s COVID-19 vaccine after a small clinical trial found that it doesn’t appear to protect recipients against mild and moderate illness from a fast-spreading new strain of the coronavirus first detected in the country.
The trial, which enrolled around 2,000 volunteers with a median age of 31, was too small and its participants too young to draw broad conclusions on the vaccine’s overall efficacy in protecting against the disease caused by the coronavirus, especially when it comes to hospitalisations or death. However, its findings contribute to concerns that a mutating virus is rendering existing COVID-19 vaccines less effective and that shots will need to be updated to protect against new virus strains.
Of the 39 volunteers in the AstraZeneca trial that were found to be infected with the new South African variant, 19 had received the vaccine, while 20 had received a placebo, said Shabir Madhi, the trial’s principal investigator and dean of the medical school at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Those numbers would imply an efficacy rate of around 10% at protecting against mild and moderate COVID-19 from the new variant, said Dr. Madhi, although he added that the data were too limited to be statistically significant.
READ the full story
Agencies 6.40am: Hungary approves Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine
Hungarian health authorities have approved Russia’s coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, with 40,000 doses of the jab already to be given.
Official testing has been completed “and the vaccine may be administered”, Miklos Kasler, the human resources minister who is in charge of health, said on social media.
The government had announced Tuesday that it had taken delivery of 40,000 doses of Sputnik V, a first within the European Union.
It is the first batch of a total order of two million doses to be supplied over three months.
Initially viewed with scepticism in the West, the Russian vaccine has since convinced experts of its efficacy.
The medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday published an analysis of final stage testing results showing Sputnik V to be 91.6 per cent effective against symptomatic forms of COVID-19.
Hungary is also the first EU member state to have reached an accord with the Chinese laboratory Sinopharm, announcing an order of five million doses of its jab.
AFP
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Rachel Baxendale 6.00am: Melbourne hotel quarantine worker tests positive
Another Victorian hotel quarantine worker has tested positive for coronavirus, this time at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport.
Victoria’s Department of Health revealed the information in a press release emailed at 11:52pm on Sunday night.
“The individual works at the facility as an Authorised Officer and was tested at end of her shift on 4 February, returning a negative result,” the department said.
“She returned to work this morning, 7 February, and later developed symptoms. She was tested and has subsequently returned a positive result.
“The individual is being interviewed and a full public health response is underway.
“We are contacting Holiday Inn Airport workers and others who are considered primary close contacts. They are required to immediately isolate, get tested and remain isolated for 14 days.
“Public health teams are identifying exposure sites.
“These will be provided as soon as possible, and will be published on the Case locations and outbreaks page.
“Testing capacity near exposure sites will be scaled up from tomorrow, with increased opening hours, additional staff and pop-up sites to be confirmed.”
READ MORE: Quad leaders looks to ‘muscle up to Beijing’
Jon Emont 5.45am: Fake test results spread around world
In many parts of the world, travellers must show a negative COVID-19 test before catching a flight, but a number of recent arrests suggest the results won’t all be authentic.
Authorities in Indonesia, France and Britain say they have arrested the purveyors of falsified coronavirus tests.
“As long as travel restrictions remain in place due to the COVID-19 situation, it is highly likely that production and sales of fake test certificates will prevail,” Europol, the European Union’s law-enforcement agency, said this month.
Allegations of COVID-19 testing fraud have been cropping up around the world. A man was arrested outside of London Luton Airport in late January in connection with the sale of bogus COVID-19 test certificates.
In November, French authorities arrested seven people for selling false certificates to travellers at Charles de Gaulle Airport, near Paris. Police first got wind of the fraud after discovering a passenger with a fake certificate on a flight to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. After the arrests, police found on the suspects’ phones more than 200 fake certificates, which allowed people to fly internationally, according to French prosecutors.
READ the full story
Nicholas Jensen 5.30am: New NSW alerts over returned traveller’s day 16 positive test
NSW Health has issued a range of alerts for places in Wollongong and southeasternSydney after a returned overseas traveller tested positive for COVID-19 on day 16, after leaving their 14-day quarantine period in Wollongong.
The individual returned two negative tests during their quarantine period.
They did not show any symptoms, NSW Health said in a statement, but underwent testing as part of the recently enhanced day-16 follow-up procedure.
As an additional precautionary measure, NSW Health has recently introduced a system of symptom checks, which include a day-16 COVID-19 tests for overseas travellers who have been released from hotel quarantine.
Results indicate the individual has a low level of infection and their household contacts have all since returned negatives tests.
Health official’s investigations currently suggest that case was acquired overseas.
As well as urging anyone with the mildest of symptoms to come forward for testing, NSW Health has republished their 350 testing locations, saying many are open seven days a week.
On Sunday NSW recorded zero locally acquired COVID-19 cases, with one new infection detected in hotel quarantine, marking three weeks since an infection was found in the community.
However, the detection of the new Wollongong case threatens to interrupt this promising stretch of zero community transmission.
*VENUE UPDATE* Fairy Meadow - Officeworks, 145 Princes Highway - Thursday 4 February, 3.45pm – 4.05pm & Friday 5 February, *2:10pm – 3pm*
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) February 7, 2021
Originally the time listed for Friday was 3pm – 3.25pm. This is incorrect and has now been amended to 2:10pm – 3pm.
Following the detection, NSW Health have provided a list of exposure sites, saying that anyone who has attended these venues should immediately present for testing and then self-isolate until further advice is provided by health officials.
Tuesday, February 2
Mootch&Me, 313 Bay St, Brighton-Le-Sands NSW 2216, from 10.50am – 12pm
Headland’s Hotel, Headland Ave & Yuruga St, Austinmer NSW 2515, from 1pm – 3pm
Wednesday, February 3
Woolworths, 5-9 Molloy St, Bulli NSW 2516, from 9.15am – 10am
Corrimal Memorial Park, Wilga St, Corrimal NSW 2518, from 12pm – 1pm
Thirroul Beach, from 3pm – 4.30pm
Thursday, February 4
Sublime Point Walking Track, 661 Princes Hwy, Maddens Plains NSW 2508, from 8.30am – 10am
Figtree Grove Shopping Centre, 19 Princes Hwy, Figtree NSW 2525, from 2pm – 3.30pm
Optus, 17 Flinders St, Wollongong NSW 2500, from 1pm – 1.15pm
Officeworks, 145 Princes Hwy, Fairy Meadow NSW 2519, from 3.45pm – 4.05pm
Friday, February 5
Officeworks, 145 Princes Hwy, Fairy Meadow NSW 2519, from 3pm – 3.25pm
Saturday, February 6
Bulli Beach Cafe, 68 Trinity Row, Bulli NSW 2516, from 1.30pm – 4pm
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