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Australia Covid news live update: millions more eligible for booster shot with interval reduced to four months; NSW records 5,612 cases, Victoria 2,095 Australia Covid news live update: airport chaos as Christmas flights cancelled; millions more eligible with booster shot interval reduced
(about 1 hour later)
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Update from Tasmania - 19 of those 27 new Covid cases are still being assessed by public health. Back to the boosters, you can read the full statement from Atagi here.
Meanwhile, testing delays are still causing heartache for travellers crossing borders for Christmas. An excerpt:
There’s a huge queue for PCR tests at Melbourne airport this morning. The facility has been closed to domestic travellers due to demand. I like this but I would also add “Omicron” “Domicron” “Diamond Dom” and “Dictator Dan” (the three D’s).
What are you meant to do if you diligently get tested within 72 hours and don’t receive your result? The ACT’s numbers are in, and there have been 102 new local cases.
And off he goes. There are just two people in hospital, and no lives lost. Active cases are now up to 334.
To recap, Atagi has updated its medical advice, reducing the interval between vaccination doses from five months to four on 4 January, and down to three months on 31 January. “Get Covid ready”
Jurisdictions can bring forward these dates if they believe they have the capacity to do so. It is not yet clear exactly how this will work, or if this means we will now be getting vaccinated every three months in the future. The chief health officer, Dr John Gerrard, is up, and thankfully there is nobody in Queensland severely infected with the virus.
Some 7.5 million Australians will become eligible to receive their booster shot on 4 January. There are 268 patients being cared for in their homes, and 110 in hospital, with just three being treated for Covid symptoms – none severe.
And Greg Hunt wants you to have a “strong” Christmas. But Gerrard says there will be strains on the hospital system in January. Not because the vaccination doesn’t work, but because thousands of cases will inevitably lead to a number of hospitalisations:
Greg Hunt is asked why it has taken days for Atagi to update its health advice after increased calls for the booster interval to be reduced to four months: D’Ath is now discussing the next phase in the strategy to manage Covid in Queensland – basically planning for getting Covid and how to manage it when/if you acquire the virus.
Tasmania has recorded 27 new Covid cases today, bringing active cases to 79. It hasn’t been confirmed yet whether any cases are of community transmission. She calls it the “Covid pathway”, and it’s available on the Queensland government’s website:
My Tveeder live transcription just skipped over from the press conference to Gardening Australia and gave me quite a fright: Only two-thirds of Queenslanders are following mask mandates, D’Ath says.
The expansion of the booster program will not impact the vaccination rollout for children aged between five and 11, Greg Hunt says, which is also due to kick off in the new year. It comes as 32 of the 77 local government areas in Queensland have detected Covid cases since the border reopened. “Get ready for Covid”:
He says bringing forward the booster program before 4 January would “displace the older or more immunocompromised” who have been less presently vaccinated: D’Ath welcomes bringing forward the booster shots, labelling it “great news”.
Paul Kelly is asked whether the 4 January and 31 January dates are based upon health advice or just the “sheer logistical challenge” of a rapidly expanded rollout. There have been 589 new local cases reported in Queensland.
He says its based on the “science and the medical advice” and Australia has been “leading the world” (after a significant game of catch-up): The new cases come from over 30,000 tests.
Reporter: D’Ath is up, wishing everyone a merry and safe Christmas. Arguably more normal than “strong”. She thanks frontline health workers as we move to a new phase of managing the virus, and police for manning the borders, and Queenslanders, for getting vaccinated.
Paul Kelly: Queensland health minister Yvette D’Ath is about to provide a Covid update from Brisbane. We’ll bring it to you here.
Paul Kelly says it won’t be possible for everyone to rush out and get boosters. Vaccination clinics will need time to prepare: Greg Hunt keeping the states and territories on their toes:
You can have a little peruse of the full statement on booster intervals here:
SA Pathology have posted the latest testing times across the state.
As of 10am, there are wait times of more than six hours at Aldinga and Victoria Park but relatively short queues at Mount Gambier, Pinaroo and Bordertown.
There are waits of between two and three hours at the airport.
Back to disarrayed travel plans, The Australian is reporting Jetstar and Qantas have been forced to cancel flights for hundreds of passengers due to Covid-19 isolation requirements a day out from Christmas.
Virgin scratched up to 12 flights between Melbourne and Sydney on 24 December, while Jetstar canned 10 flights between the two cities.
More than 20 flights between the major cities and the Gold Coast, Adelaide and Brisbane have also been cancelled across both airlines.
A Jetstar spokesperson said:
One day later, Greg Hunt: “It is no surprise we will be bringing forward the booster eligibility.”
Christmas Eve carnage at Melbourne airport: