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Australia Covid news live update: airport chaos as Christmas flights cancelled; WA to change border rules for SA and Queensland Australia Covid news live update: airport chaos as Christmas flights cancelled; WA to change border rules for SA and Queensland
(31 minutes later)
Follow all the day’s newsFollow all the day’s news
Hello everyone, this is Cait Kelly - I am back from my break and ready to roll through the last few hours with you. My colleague Lisa Favazzo got some of you to share your favourite Christmas traditions, and they are a wonderful mix of weird and cute.
This is a cool calculator that tells you when and where you can get your booster: https://covid19nearme.com.au/booster I like Little Drummer Boy as much as the rest of us but at 6 am on full volume it is a solid no from me.
Hello everyone, this is Cait Kelly – I am back from my break and ready to roll through the last few hours with you.
This is a cool calculator that tells you when and where you can get your booster.
Whenever it’s quiet on the news front, you can usually rely on the Top End to come through. Today is no exception.Whenever it’s quiet on the news front, you can usually rely on the Top End to come through. Today is no exception.
AAP reports that thousands of dollars worth of Christmas hams are missing, after a learner driver allegedly stole a refrigerated truck in the Northern Territory.AAP reports that thousands of dollars worth of Christmas hams are missing, after a learner driver allegedly stole a refrigerated truck in the Northern Territory.
Police say about $10,000 worth of hams and the vehicle were stolen from a Darwin shopping centre car park on Thursday.Police say about $10,000 worth of hams and the vehicle were stolen from a Darwin shopping centre car park on Thursday.
The vehicle was later found abandoned, but there were no hams in the refrigerator and they remain missing, a spokeswoman said.The vehicle was later found abandoned, but there were no hams in the refrigerator and they remain missing, a spokeswoman said.
Detective senior sergeant Mark Bland said:Detective senior sergeant Mark Bland said:
Police identified a 17-year-old boy and a man, 21, using CCTV footage, and they have been arrested and charged.Police identified a 17-year-old boy and a man, 21, using CCTV footage, and they have been arrested and charged.
The teenager was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing, damage to property, driving as a learner driver unaccompanied and failing to display L-plates.The teenager was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing, damage to property, driving as a learner driver unaccompanied and failing to display L-plates.
The man was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing and damage to property.The man was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing and damage to property.
Good afternoon.Good afternoon.
We’ve just launched our updated story on the thousands of Australians who have had their domestic flights cancelled in the hours leading up to Christmas, as frontline staff were ordered to test and isolate amid a rise in Covid cases.We’ve just launched our updated story on the thousands of Australians who have had their domestic flights cancelled in the hours leading up to Christmas, as frontline staff were ordered to test and isolate amid a rise in Covid cases.
There were 117 domestic services cancelled on Friday between Sydney and Melbourne.There were 117 domestic services cancelled on Friday between Sydney and Melbourne.
I’m just going to hand you over to Michael McGowan quickly, who’ll keep you company while I eat some lunch.I’m just going to hand you over to Michael McGowan quickly, who’ll keep you company while I eat some lunch.
From AAP:From AAP:
The Top End is bracing for a wet and windy Christmas with residents warned a tropical cyclone could form near Darwin on Boxing Day.The Top End is bracing for a wet and windy Christmas with residents warned a tropical cyclone could form near Darwin on Boxing Day.
A monsoon trough and a tropical low are brewing north of the Tiwi Islands in the Arafura Sea, the Bureau of Meteorology says.A monsoon trough and a tropical low are brewing north of the Tiwi Islands in the Arafura Sea, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
It is expected to head south towards the Northern Territory by Saturday and extend across the Top End during Sunday as the monsoon sets in.It is expected to head south towards the Northern Territory by Saturday and extend across the Top End during Sunday as the monsoon sets in.
“The best guidance is that the system will cross the coast south-west of Darwin as a category one system on Monday,” senior meteorologist Shaenagh Gamble said on Friday.“The best guidance is that the system will cross the coast south-west of Darwin as a category one system on Monday,” senior meteorologist Shaenagh Gamble said on Friday.
“We’re fairly certain of where it’s going.”“We’re fairly certain of where it’s going.”
Darwin could be lashed by up to 100mm of rain per day with flash flooding and wind gusts of 150km/h possible.Darwin could be lashed by up to 100mm of rain per day with flash flooding and wind gusts of 150km/h possible.
Communities from Point Stuart east of Darwin to Kalumburu in Western Australia have been told to remain alert and make preparations.Communities from Point Stuart east of Darwin to Kalumburu in Western Australia have been told to remain alert and make preparations.
If Braithwaite can’t reactivate the CBD no one can!If Braithwaite can’t reactivate the CBD no one can!
The full list of WA exposure sites can be found here.The full list of WA exposure sites can be found here.
The Northern Territory has recorded one new local case of Covid-19, taking the outbreak to 132.The Northern Territory has recorded one new local case of Covid-19, taking the outbreak to 132.
The case is a close contact of a previous case from Tennant Creek and Barrow Creek who was already in quarantine.The case is a close contact of a previous case from Tennant Creek and Barrow Creek who was already in quarantine.
A mask mandate that is currently in place in Alice Springs and Amoonguna will lift as planned at 5pm local time.A mask mandate that is currently in place in Alice Springs and Amoonguna will lift as planned at 5pm local time.
And that is the end of the presser in WA. The state has recorded five new Covid cases.
All cases attended the event Perth mess hall on 19 December in Northbridge.
Anyone who attended that event, which is about 400 people, must get tested and go into quarantine until 14 days have passed since exposure to the virus. In this case, the quarantine period is counted from 19 December.
About 100 people staying at the Fremantle Old Fire Station hostel are in lockdown, but will be moved to better accommodation for quarantining.
SA and QLD are now classified by WA as high risk.
Dawson is back up and is asked about if unvaccinated police officers will get full pay.
Sanderson says check-ins have gone up by 38%.
Sanderson says she doesn’t know how many people are in the hostel which is in lockdown.
Sanderson says surge plans are in place for hospitals.
Sanderson is back up and she says the positive cases are all in their 20s.
McGowan says they will look at whether there can be compensation for the festivals that have had to cancel.
McGowan:
McGowan says the people that will die when the virus enters WA will be those who are unvaccinated.
McGowan is asked if this is WA’s most challenging period yet, and says the outbreak is “most likely to have” caused community spread of the virus in WA.