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Australia Covid live update: NSW records 239 new cases as Queensland reports nine on first full day of lockdown Australia Covid live update: NSW records 239 new cases as Queensland reports nine on first full day of lockdown
(32 minutes later)
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Berejiklian was asked if she would consider introducing a payment to test and isolate, like Victoria introduced last year. In Victoria, if you get a test and do not have sick leave, you’re entitled to a $450 payment to allow you to stay home and isolate until you get your test result. Victoria’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, says that only 10 of the 204 people who tested positive to Covid-19 in Victoria between 12 and 28 July were fully vaccinated, and a further 15 had received at least one dose.
It’s a small sample size not a full analysis, Sutton says, but it provides a moment in time snapshot “and does tell us something”.
To Victoria now, where the acting Covid-19 commander, Naomi Bromley, has been speaking.
Victoria recorded four locally-acquired cases yesterday. All of them are linked to known outbreaks and have been quarantining.
Two of the new cases are household contacts of patrons of Ms Frankies restaurant, one is a social contact of a case linked back to the Young and Jackson’s cluster, and one is a hosuehold contact of someone who attended the Wallabies game at AAMI park.
There are eight people in hospital in Victoria, including three in ICU and one on a ventilator.
Bromley says public health teams are still investigating the “upstream and downstream risks” associated with the case of the person who worked at Covid testing centre at Moonee Valley Racecourse, to determine where they may have acquired the virus. All of their contacts from potential acquisition sites have been tested, all negative to date.
For the outbreak as a whole, about 1,200 people were cleared as primary close contacts and left isolation yesterday, about 5,000 remain in isolation.
If Queensland’s 72-hour snap lockdown works to control the Delta outbreak there, just as the two-week lockdown in Victoria appears to have controlled the Delta outbreak in Melbourne, will Berejiklian concede that she should have called a lockdown earlier?
Berejiklian:
A reporter asks if Berejiklian underestimated the Delta variant.
Berejiklian says Service NSW is working with the commonwealth to ensure vaccine data is correct.
There have been reports of vaccine reports not uploading to Medicare, or accidentally marking someone as vaccinated who is not.
Berejiklian:
Berejiklian is asked about reports that some year 12 students are nervous about returning to the classroom, given the outbreak.
She says that she doesn’t want anyone to “get complacent or drop their guard,” but that:
She also urged all teachers to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Berejiklian was asked if she would consider introducing a payment to test and isolate, like Victoria introduced last year.
In Victoria, if you get a test and do not have sick leave, you’re entitled to a $450 payment to allow you to stay home and isolate until you get your test result.
Berejiklian says the issue of people not testing is “broader” than people not testing because they are worried about losing work.Berejiklian says the issue of people not testing is “broader” than people not testing because they are worried about losing work.
What about reports that people in their 20s and 30s who have tried to get the AstraZeneca but been told by their GP to wait for Pfizer?What about reports that people in their 20s and 30s who have tried to get the AstraZeneca but been told by their GP to wait for Pfizer?
Berejiklian says that the federal health advice states that if you’re over 18, it is safe to get either vaccine.Berejiklian says that the federal health advice states that if you’re over 18, it is safe to get either vaccine.
Berejiklian is asked to comment on reports that nurses working in emergency departments have been asked to come to work when they should be isolating.Berejiklian is asked to comment on reports that nurses working in emergency departments have been asked to come to work when they should be isolating.
She says:She says:
Asked if she supported the 70 to 80% threshold for vaccination rates set by National Cabinet, Berejiklian says she has been talking about an 80% vaccination threshold for NSW “for some time”. Asked if she supported the 70 to 80% threshold for vaccination rates set by national cabinet, Gladys Berejiklian says she has been talking about an 80% vaccination threshold for NSW “for some time”.
That suggests the decision about whether or not to extend Sydney’s lockdown will be influenced by the vaccine rates, even through most people will be getting AstraZeneca and the second shot is ideally 12 weeks, or as low as eight weeks, apart. That suggests the decision about whether or not to extend Sydney’s lockdown will be influenced by the vaccine rates.
Berejiklian says:Berejiklian says:
Health minister Brad Hazzard said it would take about four months for NSW to reach a point of having 70% of the population fully vaccinated. The NSW health minister Brad Hazzard said it would take about four months for NSW to reach a point of having 70% of the population fully vaccinated.
Berejiklian says that depends on how many people get vaccinated this month. Which, of course. Berejiklian says that depends on how many people get vaccinated this month. Well, of course.
If half a million people are vaccinated per week, which is the current rate, you could reach the 80% threshold, which is 10 million people, in, er, 20 weeks.
McAnulty said four people in NSW with Covid have died at their homes.McAnulty said four people in NSW with Covid have died at their homes.
McAnulty confirmed that there are nine residents of an aged care facility in Summer Hill who have tested positive to Covid-19.McAnulty confirmed that there are nine residents of an aged care facility in Summer Hill who have tested positive to Covid-19.
Asked why he didn’t lead the update with that information, McAnulty says a number of aged care facilities, hospitals, and disability cases have seen infections.Asked why he didn’t lead the update with that information, McAnulty says a number of aged care facilities, hospitals, and disability cases have seen infections.
On the police crackdown, NSW police says that 1,300 officers were deployed around Sydney on Saturday and checked more than 70,000 vehicles.On the police crackdown, NSW police says that 1,300 officers were deployed around Sydney on Saturday and checked more than 70,000 vehicles.
Police gave 250 people infringement notices for being in the city without a “reasonable excuse” and eight were arrested as officers sought to prevent an anti-lockdown protest.Police gave 250 people infringement notices for being in the city without a “reasonable excuse” and eight were arrested as officers sought to prevent an anti-lockdown protest.
The force says the compliance operation will continue across greater Sydney on Sunday and in the coming days police will be enforcing compliance around QR codes and face masks at shopping centres and large retail stores.The force says the compliance operation will continue across greater Sydney on Sunday and in the coming days police will be enforcing compliance around QR codes and face masks at shopping centres and large retail stores.
Some 516 infringement notices have been issued as part of that retail crackdown, and 38 people were arrested.Some 516 infringement notices have been issued as part of that retail crackdown, and 38 people were arrested.
Police were called to 1,800 Covid-related jobs, 1,100 of which were from reports to Crime Stoppers.Police were called to 1,800 Covid-related jobs, 1,100 of which were from reports to Crime Stoppers.
There are currently 222 people with Covid in hospital, 54 of whom are in intensive care and 25 who are on ventilators.There are currently 222 people with Covid in hospital, 54 of whom are in intensive care and 25 who are on ventilators.
Of those in ICU, seven are in their 20s, five are in their 30s, two are in their 40s, six are in their 50s, 14 are in their 60s and 10 are in their 70s.Of those in ICU, seven are in their 20s, five are in their 30s, two are in their 40s, six are in their 50s, 14 are in their 60s and 10 are in their 70s.
McAnulty says:McAnulty says:
Of the 54 in ICU, 49 were not vaccinated. One person had the first dose of Pfizer and four people had the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine.Of the 54 in ICU, 49 were not vaccinated. One person had the first dose of Pfizer and four people had the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine.
By local health district, 110 of the 239 cases were in Southwestern Sydney, 51 in western Sydney, 69 in Sydney, three in southeast Sydney, four in northern Sydney and two in the Blue Mountains.By local health district, 110 of the 239 cases were in Southwestern Sydney, 51 in western Sydney, 69 in Sydney, three in southeast Sydney, four in northern Sydney and two in the Blue Mountains.
There was also Covid-19 detected in the sewage in Molong and in the Hunter/New England/Armadale area.There was also Covid-19 detected in the sewage in Molong and in the Hunter/New England/Armadale area.
Dr Jeremy McAnulty is going through the NSW case numbers.
He says there were 241 cases of Covid-19 recorded in NSW in the 24-hours to 8pm last night — that’s two in hotel quarantine and 239 in the community.
Of the 239, 139 have been linked to known clusters and 124 are under investigation.
Eighty of the cases were in isolation throughout their entire infectious period, 35 were in isolation for part of their infectious period, and 26 were infectious in the community.
You may notice that that doesn’t add up to 239, and it also doesn’t quite match what Berejiklian said earlier. We’ll get to the bottom of it.
The NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is speaking in Sydney now. She has urged everyone who can to come forward and get vaccinated, including younger people getting AstraZeneca.
NSW has recorded 239 new cases of Covid-19, with 35 infectious in the community
There were 87,000 tests in the 24-hours to 8pm.
Victoria is holding its daily coronavirus press conference at 11.10am.
I may be slightly losing it but this time made me laugh out loud. No clash at all with NSW!
Giving the update will be chief health officer Brett Sutton and acting Covid-19 commander, Naomi Bromley.
We are expecting the NSW covid update at 11am.
In the mean time, the Australian eventing team is tackling the cross country course in Tokyo this morning. Shane Rose and Virgil have jumped clear with no time penalties — one of only three riders to jump clear inside the time so far.
Jonelle Price riding Grovine de Reve and Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam also jumped clear but outside the course time of 7 minutes and 45 seconds, at 7:50 and 7:51 respectively. Very low penalties. It puts Australia in a good position.
One possible link from the overseas cases to the 17-year-old Indooroopilly State High School is a medical student who tutored them.
Young says she is not sure that the medical student is the index case for this outbreak, but it is being investigated. The medical student had an appointment to be vaccinated but had not received the shot yet. Medical students being part of the 1B cohort, meaning they have been eligible since April.
The Ekka, the Royal Brisbane Show, is due to run from 7 to 15 August. It’s not yet clear whether that will go ahead.
The organisers have delayed setting up in response to the lockdown. Young says the show organisers are working very closely with her public health team.
Young says that people must wear a mask when outdoors, even when exercising, unless they are doing “strenuous exercise”.
Young says she thinks the virus has spread in schools during this outbreak because masks are not worn in schools.
Young said the threshold for lifting the lockdown will be when she is “confident that all the cases that potentially have been exposed are safely in quarantine and are unlikely to end up having been infectious out in the community”.
Young says Queensland should aim for 40,000 tests per day. That would be a record number of tests for that state.