This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2021/dec/22/australia-live-news-update-national-cabinet-omicron-mask-rules-covid-vaccine-boosters-scott-morrison-nsw-vic-qld-coronavirus

The article has changed 24 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 13 Version 14
Australia Covid live news update: Scott Morrison to speak after emergency Omicron meeting; NSW records 3,763 new cases, Victoria 1,503 cases Australia Covid live news update: PM says masks ‘highly recommended’ but national cabinet stops short of mandate; NSW records 3,763 new cases, Victoria 1,503
(31 minutes later)
Follow all the day’s newsFollow all the day’s news
The PM says his main message today is to “stay calm and get boosted”.
The PM talked about testing rates and how people tarveling is putting pressure on the system.
“So there was a very good discussion about the impact of public health orders in other states.
“And there was a positive discussion and panel will give further advice on whether testing is required at all for travel.”
The governments might look at RAT for travelling, he said.
“Or we can move to the more simple method of RAT testing with those cues and make the system a lot more workable.”
He adds:
He says QR codes will play a ”different role in the future”.
He says if an individual is not a close contact they will be able to “self manage their response”.
Morrison says there will be a national definition of “casual contact”.
He says a medical expert panel will decide within a fortnight what the national definition will be.
Nat-Cab will meet again to review and agree on it.
Morrison says there are heaps of vaccines in the country.
He adds:
Morrison is now talking about the timeframe between shots.
Morrison said the feds are going to increase payments to GPs and pharmacies for vaccine appointments by $10.
Morrison said state vaccination hubs that have been rolled back will be put back in place.
Morrison says Nat-Cab agreed on “three areas where we agreed to move forward”. First up is masks:
Mask wearing is “strongly recommended,” he says.
Morrison said hospitals are coping with the increase of cases.
Morrison said they “had a positive meeting” and that they are taking Omicron very seriously.
The PM is speaking now from Canberra.
From AAP:
Six players at A-League Men champions Melbourne City have tested positive for Covid-19, prompting the postponement of one league match and two FFA Cup games.
Rapid antigen tests picked up the six cases on Tuesday morning and subsequent PCR tests confirmed the results.
City’s FFA Cup quarter-final against Wellington on Wednesday night was postponed along with their A-League Men away game against Brisbane Roar on 27 December.
In addition, Melbourne Victory’s FFA Cup round of 16 trip to face Gold Coast Knights was postponed – after Victory players were potentially exposed to coronavirus in Saturday’s Melbourne derby against City.
“The A-Leagues can confirm that six players from Melbourne City FC’s A-League Men’s football department have tested positive for Covid-19 and are currently in isolation and all report to be currently feeling well,” the A-Leagues said in a statement.
“The case involves double-vaccinated individuals who tested positive to a PCR test on 21 December enacted after their daily rapid tests earlier in the day.
“As a result of the number of cases, the A-Leagues have determined that Melbourne City’s scheduled round six away match against Brisbane Roar has been postponed.”
It is another daily record for the state. Five people are being treated for the virus in hospital but none are in ICU.It is another daily record for the state. Five people are being treated for the virus in hospital but none are in ICU.
Of the new cases, 33 are local contacts, all traced to the current outbreak, 15 are from interstate and 149 are still being investigated.Of the new cases, 33 are local contacts, all traced to the current outbreak, 15 are from interstate and 149 are still being investigated.
It brings the total number of active cases in the state to 742.It brings the total number of active cases in the state to 742.
Domestic flight prices are down by 23% compared to December 2019, data from travel search engine Kayak reveals.
Prices for flights to two of Australia’s most popular cities, Sydney and Melbourne, have dropped significantly.
The cost of a plane ticket to Sydney from within Australia has dropped by 44%, while one to Melbourne has gone down by 41%.
Flights to Proserpine, the gateway to the Whitsundays, from within Australia have seen the biggest decrease in price, down by 47% from December 2019, and by 36% this summer compared to last summer.
Searches for flights to Ballina, the gateway to Byron Bay and the northern NSW region, increased by a whopping 11 times for December 2021 travel compared to December 2019.This is the biggest increase in flight searches among the top 20 destinations, the company said, with Byron Bay continuing to be one of Australia’s hottest holiday destinations.
National cabinet is meeting now, so we will bring you the updates as soon as it is finished.
Get masks, boosters and personal responsibility on your bingo cards.
Much of the pandemic modelling to make news headlines since Covid-19 hit has depicted concerning scenarios involving high case numbers and hospitalisations.
On Thursday, modelling from the University of NSW and cited by NSW health minister Brad Hazzard found Covid-19 cases in the state could reach 25,000 a day by the end of January.
The latest modelling to raise alarm bells came from the Doherty Institute and was leaked to the media on Tuesday after being sent to politicians ahead of a meeting of national cabinet today. It said Australia could see 200,000 new Covid cases a day by late January or early February.
The A-League Men’s game in Newcastle on Boxing Day will be behind closed doors.
From Sydney, Perth and Adelaide festivals to major shows, tickets make great last-minute gifts. But they could also be a roll of the dice.
A ticket to a big show, a blockbuster exhibition or a summer arts festival makes a great last-minute Christmas present.
But the current wave of Covid – driven by the Omicron variant – isn’t going anywhere, and the cancellations are already beginning.
Yesterday Steph reported on the Covid outbreak among the Come From Away cast – they’re closing for longer now.
NSW Health has told Guardian Australia 1,364 healthcare workers are in isolation as a result of being exposed to Covid-19. The figures are current as of 20 December. There are about 140,000 staff total employed by NSW Health.Of those furloughed, almost one-third were exposed at work, and the rest were the result of exposure in the community.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for NSW Health said:
She added:
NSW Health recently updated its isolation guidelines for healthcare staff to make them less stringent, so that fewer staff would need to be furloughed.
RATs are now the haute couture of the pandemic. Influential but totally overpriced.
I know this probably feels like too much to handle for many Victorians but like – no one wants to be sick over Christmas. Wash ya hands.
A timely reminder – for those who can even get their hands on one.