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Australia news live update: Invasion Day rallies begin; nation records at least 74 Covid deaths; Dylan Alcott is Australian of the Year Australia news live update: Invasion Day rallies begin; nation records at least 74 Covid deaths; lockdown call for NT remote communities
(32 minutes later)
Follow all the day’s newsFollow all the day’s news
Here are the latest Covid-19 numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 74 deaths from the virus:
Victoria
Deaths: 35
Cases: 13,507
Hospitalisations: 1,089 (with 113 in ICU)
NSW
Deaths: 29
Cases: 21,030
Hospitalisations: 2,794 (with 175 in ICU)
Queensland
Deaths: 9
Cases: 13,551
Hospitalisations: 889 (with 47 in ICU)
Tasmania
Deaths: 1
Cases: 712
Hospitalisations: 28 (with 2 in ICU)
A Northern Territory council has called for an urgent lockdown of remote Indigenous communities to save lives amid the “out-of-control” spread of Covid-19.
The Central Land Council says the Northern Territory and federal governments must collaborate on enforcing a lockdown until the situation is under control reports AAP.
“We need a circuit breaker to slow down the out-of-control spread of the virus in our communities,” chief executive Les Turner said in a statement.
Turner said the lockdown should include police and Australian Defence Force personnel staffing roadblocks to restrict movement between communities and into regional centres.
A surge workforce was also needed to help test, trace, quarantine and vaccinate residents.
The calls came after the NT reported 517 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday as the virus continues to spread through Indigenous communities.
NT Health said there were 31 infections in Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island in Arnhem Land with the outbreak there growing to 118 cases.
Eleven new infections were detected at Yuendumu, northwest of Alice Springs and seven were recorded at Amoonguna, also in central Australia. Fifteen cases were found in locked-down Milikapiti, bringing the total number of cases in the isolated Tiwi Island community to 21.
Another 26 cases were found in Mission Australia’s Darwin homeless shelter, adding to the dozens detected earlier in the week. A cluster in the Alice Springs town camps grew by 17 and an outbreak in the local prison surged with 23 new infections diagnosed.
Cases were also reported in Gunyangara, Nhulunbuy, Yirrkala, Wurrumiyanga, Ntaria, Santa Teresa and more than a dozen other Aboriginal communities across the NT.
Turner said a number of super spreader events had contributed to the explosion of positive cases, but Aboriginal people were taking action.
Vaccination rates among Perth’s growing homeless community may be as low as 45%, according to comprehensive data collected by one service provider, raising fears the vulnerable cohort will be caught in a “perfect storm” when Western Australia does open its borders.
The premier, Mark McGowan, announced last week the state would delay plans to lift the hard border on 5 February, a decision that sparked anger among some residents but was also greeted with relief by others, including some homelessness advocates.
While WA avoided a crisis of Covid deaths, homelessness became a hot-button issue amid a spate of rough sleepers dying on the streets of Perth. Real-time data collected by Shelter WA says there are now about 500 people sleeping rough in Perth, and about 1,000 people experiencing homelessness overall.
You can read the full report below:
From the Tent Embassy in the captial:
Here are the latest Covid-19 numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 74 deaths from the virus:
Victoria
Deaths: 35
Cases: 13,507
Hospitalisations: 1,089 (with 113 in ICU)
NSW
Deaths: 29
Cases: 21,030
Hospitalisations: 2,794 (with 175 in ICU)
Queensland
Deaths: 9
Cases: 13,551
Hospitalisations: 889 (with 47 in ICU)
Tasmania
Deaths: 1
Cases: 712
Hospitalisations: 28 (with 2 in ICU)
Many Aboriginal activists say that 26 January is not a day to celebrate, but instead a day to start “paying the rent” – by supporting and donating to the needs of First Nations people.Laura Murphy-Oates speaks to Greens senator Lidia Thorpe and First Nations author Veronica Gorrie about the history of this movement, and how to “pay the rent” this Invasion Day
You can listen below:
Capacity limits for the Australian Open will be increased from 50% to 65% in Melbourne, the Victorian sports minister has confirmed.
We will be getting an update on the Victorian Covid-19 situation at midday AEDT.We will be getting an update on the Victorian Covid-19 situation at midday AEDT.
The crowd has really started to grow at the Sydney Town Hall for the city’s Invasion Day protest.The crowd has really started to grow at the Sydney Town Hall for the city’s Invasion Day protest.
The new owner of Scott Morrison’s WeChat account has expressed disbelief that it had been entrusted to an individual in China – and is now considering shutting it down amid a growing political storm.The new owner of Scott Morrison’s WeChat account has expressed disbelief that it had been entrusted to an individual in China – and is now considering shutting it down amid a growing political storm.
Earlier this month, subscribers to the Australian prime minister’s official WeChat profile were notified the account had been sold to the Fuzhou 985 Information Technology Co Ltd and had been renamed “Australian Chinese New Life”.Earlier this month, subscribers to the Australian prime minister’s official WeChat profile were notified the account had been sold to the Fuzhou 985 Information Technology Co Ltd and had been renamed “Australian Chinese New Life”.
The account’s new owners have not yet posted any content, despite claims by a News Corp tabloid that it had been “rebranded as a pro-Beijing propaganda outfit”.The account’s new owners have not yet posted any content, despite claims by a News Corp tabloid that it had been “rebranded as a pro-Beijing propaganda outfit”.
You can read the full report from Donna Lu and Daniel Hurst below:You can read the full report from Donna Lu and Daniel Hurst below:
Here is the governor general David Hurley speaking at the Australia Day citizenship ceremony in Canberra:Here is the governor general David Hurley speaking at the Australia Day citizenship ceremony in Canberra:
A woman aged in her 80s has died after being diagnosed with Covid-19 in Tasmania as the state records another 712 cases.A woman aged in her 80s has died after being diagnosed with Covid-19 in Tasmania as the state records another 712 cases.
Hospitalisation numbers in the state now sit at 28, with two in the ICU.Hospitalisation numbers in the state now sit at 28, with two in the ICU.
I said I was just confirming Queensland’s total case numbers for today. It is 13,551, an increase of around 4,000 from yesterday.I said I was just confirming Queensland’s total case numbers for today. It is 13,551, an increase of around 4,000 from yesterday.
Scott Morrison has read out a poem about Australia written by his daughter Lily.Scott Morrison has read out a poem about Australia written by his daughter Lily.
“I could not express my love for this country better than the young girl who wrote this verse. And I’d like to conclude by sharing her thoughts with you. It’s called my land Australia,” he says, before reading the poem:“I could not express my love for this country better than the young girl who wrote this verse. And I’d like to conclude by sharing her thoughts with you. It’s called my land Australia,” he says, before reading the poem:
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, is standing up now. Let’s have a listen in.
Back in Canberra, the chair of the Australia Day council, Danielle Roche, is speaking now.
Queensland chief health officer Dr John Gerrard has confirmed that another nine people with Covid-19 have died in the state.
I’m just trying to confirm the total case number for the day.
Hospitalisation numbers have dropped to 889 from 928, with just 47 now in the ICU in the state.
Gerrard has credited much of this drop to the Gold Coast now passing the peak of the pandemic.
The prime minister and governor general are now arriving at the official Australia Day ceremony in Canberra. I’ll bring you updates when the speeches start.
Obviously, today has already been a significantly deadly day in terms of the Covid death toll, but let’s have a closer look at the hospitalisation numbers as well.
Victoria’s total hospitalisation number has risen by 35 to 1,071, with ICU number going down by six, now sitting at 113.
In NSW their hospital total has gone down by 149 to 2,794, with their ICU numbers now sitting at 175 (down 8 from yesterday).
Victoria has recorded 13,507 new Covid cases and sadly 35 more deaths.
New South Wales has recorded 21,030 new Covid cases and 29 more deaths.
Newly minted Australia of the Year Dylan Alcott has been speaking with ABC News Breakfast this morning about what the title means to him.