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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2021/dec/12/australia-news-updates-live-covid-booster-vaccines-atagi-coronavirus-omicron-nsw-victoria-qld-scott-morrison-weather
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| Protests across country over vaccine mandates; Moderna confirmed as booster jab and wait time cut – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| This blog is now closed | |
| We are going to close this blog now. Thanks all for your company, comments and correspondence. Be well, all of you. | We are going to close this blog now. Thanks all for your company, comments and correspondence. Be well, all of you. |
| To leave you, here’s a summary of today’s developments: | To leave you, here’s a summary of today’s developments: |
| The waiting time for Covid-19 vaccine booster shots in Australia has been cut from six months to five. | The waiting time for Covid-19 vaccine booster shots in Australia has been cut from six months to five. |
| Queensland will open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers, who won’t have to quarantine, from 1am Monday. Up to 50,000 travellers are expected to enter the state over the next few days. | Queensland will open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers, who won’t have to quarantine, from 1am Monday. Up to 50,000 travellers are expected to enter the state over the next few days. |
| The Omicron variant has hospitalised its first patient in Australia, a person in NSW. | The Omicron variant has hospitalised its first patient in Australia, a person in NSW. |
| Victoria will drop hotel quarantine for travellers arriving from the nine southern African countries listed as of concern for Omicron. | Victoria will drop hotel quarantine for travellers arriving from the nine southern African countries listed as of concern for Omicron. |
| Moderna has been confirmed by Atagi as a booster shot for anyone aged over 18. | Moderna has been confirmed by Atagi as a booster shot for anyone aged over 18. |
| Large anti-vaccine mandate protests were seen in Melbourne and Sydney. | Large anti-vaccine mandate protests were seen in Melbourne and Sydney. |
| My colleague Daniel Hurst is asking a valid question here... | My colleague Daniel Hurst is asking a valid question here... |
| I’m finishing up for today and handing the blog back to Ben Doherty. | I’m finishing up for today and handing the blog back to Ben Doherty. |
| Stay well, everyone! | Stay well, everyone! |
| The biggest story of today is definitely the announcement that the waiting time for Covid-19 vaccine booster shots in Australia has been cut from six months to five. | The biggest story of today is definitely the announcement that the waiting time for Covid-19 vaccine booster shots in Australia has been cut from six months to five. |
| This has been done in a bid to keep people protected against the virus and slow its spread as the Omicron variant emerges. | This has been done in a bid to keep people protected against the virus and slow its spread as the Omicron variant emerges. |
| Got questions? We probably answered them in this handy explainer. Check it out here: | Got questions? We probably answered them in this handy explainer. Check it out here: |
| As I reported early this morning, Western Australia has closed its borders to Queensland following a rise in local cases there. | As I reported early this morning, Western Australia has closed its borders to Queensland following a rise in local cases there. |
| Those coming from Tasmania are the only people (in the world) who can travel to WA without quarantining. | Those coming from Tasmania are the only people (in the world) who can travel to WA without quarantining. |
| But premier Mark McGowan did promise to reopen the border once 90% of eligible West Australians are fully vaccinated. | But premier Mark McGowan did promise to reopen the border once 90% of eligible West Australians are fully vaccinated. |
| He will set a date for this once WA hits 80%, which will be soon because 79.62% are currently fully vaccinated. | He will set a date for this once WA hits 80%, which will be soon because 79.62% are currently fully vaccinated. |
| Liberal federal member for Brighton James Newbury will once again run at the next election, despite a preselection challenge. | Liberal federal member for Brighton James Newbury will once again run at the next election, despite a preselection challenge. |
| Newbury received 115 votes of 195. | Newbury received 115 votes of 195. |
| AAP reports: | AAP reports: |
| SA Health on Sunday confirmed the new cases are two children, a teenager, four men aged between 20 and 50 and three women after between 20 and 70. | SA Health on Sunday confirmed the new cases are two children, a teenager, four men aged between 20 and 50 and three women after between 20 and 70. |
| Six are close contacts of a positive case and one acquired their infection interstate, while the remaining three cases are under investigation. | Six are close contacts of a positive case and one acquired their infection interstate, while the remaining three cases are under investigation. |
| It brings the total number of active cases in the state to 64, including three people in hospital. | It brings the total number of active cases in the state to 64, including three people in hospital. |
| SA Health said a team would be sent to Indulkana in the APY Lands in the state’s far north-west to support increased testing and vaccination after Covid-19 was detected in the wastewater in the past week. | SA Health said a team would be sent to Indulkana in the APY Lands in the state’s far north-west to support increased testing and vaccination after Covid-19 was detected in the wastewater in the past week. |
| Hundreds of protesters have also marched on the Gold Coast today, ahead of the Queensland border reopening for vaccinated travellers at 1am on Monday. | Hundreds of protesters have also marched on the Gold Coast today, ahead of the Queensland border reopening for vaccinated travellers at 1am on Monday. |
| Social media posts also show protesters at Tweed Heads in NSW. | Social media posts also show protesters at Tweed Heads in NSW. |
| Protesters have taken to the streets in large numbers in Sydney and Melbourne to rally against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and passports. | Protesters have taken to the streets in large numbers in Sydney and Melbourne to rally against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and passports. |
| The protests this afternoon have been dubbed the “reclaim the line” rallies. Protesters met at Hyde Park in Sydney. | The protests this afternoon have been dubbed the “reclaim the line” rallies. Protesters met at Hyde Park in Sydney. |
| Meanwhile, protesters in Melbourne gathered at state parliament with signs that said things like “we can stop vaccine passports” and “we can reignite democracy”. They began marching down Bourke Street about 12.20pm, reportedly chanting “free Victoria”. | Meanwhile, protesters in Melbourne gathered at state parliament with signs that said things like “we can stop vaccine passports” and “we can reignite democracy”. They began marching down Bourke Street about 12.20pm, reportedly chanting “free Victoria”. |
| The Australian federal police have burned $5.2bn worth of drugs, AAP reports. | The Australian federal police have burned $5.2bn worth of drugs, AAP reports. |
| The AFP burned 25.8 tonnes – the weighing of four adult male African elephants – worth of licit drugs in 2021 found on Australian shores. | The AFP burned 25.8 tonnes – the weighing of four adult male African elephants – worth of licit drugs in 2021 found on Australian shores. |
| The destruction program estimates the value of methamphetamine, MDMA, amphetamines, cannabis and fast-acting stimulants found at more than $5 billion. | The destruction program estimates the value of methamphetamine, MDMA, amphetamines, cannabis and fast-acting stimulants found at more than $5 billion. |
| Using furnaces that reach up to 1400C, AFP officers were on site as the drugs went up in a filtered smoke then safely released. | Using furnaces that reach up to 1400C, AFP officers were on site as the drugs went up in a filtered smoke then safely released. |
| The eastern command in NSW dominated Australia’s illegal drug trafficking market, with police burning 19.4 tonnes this year. | The eastern command in NSW dominated Australia’s illegal drug trafficking market, with police burning 19.4 tonnes this year. |
| The AFP said their burning program was the culmination of efforts to stamping out organised crime in Australia. | The AFP said their burning program was the culmination of efforts to stamping out organised crime in Australia. |
| The Australian government is staring down calls to intervene to secure Julian Assange’s freedom, after a British court cleared the way for the WikiLeaks co-founder to be extradited to the US to face espionage charges. | The Australian government is staring down calls to intervene to secure Julian Assange’s freedom, after a British court cleared the way for the WikiLeaks co-founder to be extradited to the US to face espionage charges. |
| The government said it was monitoring the Australian citizen’s case closely, but would “continue to respect the UK legal process – including any further appeals under UK law” – and emphasised Australia was “not a party to the case”. | The government said it was monitoring the Australian citizen’s case closely, but would “continue to respect the UK legal process – including any further appeals under UK law” – and emphasised Australia was “not a party to the case”. |
| Read the full story from Daniel Hurst here: | Read the full story from Daniel Hurst here: |