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Australia news live update: at least 93 Covid deaths on nation’s deadliest day; Pfizer boosters approved for teenagers; PM responds to Grace Tame photo Australia news live update: at least 93 Covid deaths on nation’s deadliest day; Pfizer boosters approved for teenagers; PM responds to Grace Tame photo
(32 minutes later)
Follow all the day’s newsFollow all the day’s news
There have been 93 deaths of people with Covid-19 reported so far today.There have been 93 deaths of people with Covid-19 reported so far today.
NSW has reported 35 deaths in people with Covid-19 overnight, 2,737 people in hospital and 13,333 new cases.NSW has reported 35 deaths in people with Covid-19 overnight, 2,737 people in hospital and 13,333 new cases.
Victoria has reported 39 deaths in people with Covid-19 overnight, 988 people in hospital and 12,755 new cases.Victoria has reported 39 deaths in people with Covid-19 overnight, 988 people in hospital and 12,755 new cases.
Queensland has reported 18 deaths, 12 of those in aged care. There were 9,974 new cases reported and 818 people in hospital, with 54 in ICU.Queensland has reported 18 deaths, 12 of those in aged care. There were 9,974 new cases reported and 818 people in hospital, with 54 in ICU.
ACT has reported one death in people with Covid-19 overnight, 66 people in hospital with five in ICU and 734 new cases.ACT has reported one death in people with Covid-19 overnight, 66 people in hospital with five in ICU and 734 new cases.
Tasmania has reported 584 new cases of Covid-19 overnight, with 19 people in hospital.Tasmania has reported 584 new cases of Covid-19 overnight, with 19 people in hospital.
We will update this post as the numbers come in from other states and territories.We will update this post as the numbers come in from other states and territories.
Russia’s ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, is holding a press conference in Canberra amid growing concerns about Russia’s troop buildup near the border with Ukraine.
He begins by saying many media have requested comment on the situation in eastern Europe:
The ambassador tees off at “propaganda”. He cites Peter Dutton’s comment yesterday that Vladimir Putin is an ageing dictator who is becoming more irrational:
The Australian government has voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and has left the door open to sanctions, coordinated with allies, if Russia invades.
The first question goes to a Russian reporter. We’ll have more updates later.
Pavlovsky’s rare press conference has begun.
Heading to Darwin now, and Northern Territory chief minister, Michael Gunner, is providing a Covid update. There have been 940 new cases detected overnight.
Yesterday’s case numbers have also been revised from 626 to 747, Gunner says. I am unsure why this has jumped so dramatically overnight.
There are 4,200 active cases in the NT, with “well over half” of the cases in Darwin and Palmerston.
A 48-hour lockdown will be imposed in parts of central Australia with very low vaccination rates to allow for greater testing and containment of the virus, Gunner says.
Big bag of Cairns (coffee cups) with the lads!
Here we go again.
The Bureau of Meteorology says a severe thunderstorm is approaching western parts of greater Melbourne including Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula:
The Australian Energy Market Operator has released its latest quarterly report which shows a renewables “surge” in rooftop solar and large-scale wind and solar farms.The Australian Energy Market Operator has released its latest quarterly report which shows a renewables “surge” in rooftop solar and large-scale wind and solar farms.
The founder & chief scientist of Rewiring Australia, Dr Saul Griffith, said households could better share in the economic benefits of energy technology trends if homes were rewired with electric heating, electric water heating, electric cooking, and electric cars:The founder & chief scientist of Rewiring Australia, Dr Saul Griffith, said households could better share in the economic benefits of energy technology trends if homes were rewired with electric heating, electric water heating, electric cooking, and electric cars:
Today’s report from AEMO found almost 35% of Australian energy was generated from renewable sources for the three months to 31 December.Today’s report from AEMO found almost 35% of Australian energy was generated from renewable sources for the three months to 31 December.
Griffith:Griffith:
After wild weather and flooding in the past 24 hours, 6,700 homes are without power in Victoria.After wild weather and flooding in the past 24 hours, 6,700 homes are without power in Victoria.
The Australian Capital Territory has recorded 734 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours and sadly, one further death.The Australian Capital Territory has recorded 734 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours and sadly, one further death.
A man in his 80s has died overnight, bringing the number of fatalities with Covid-19 in the ACT to 26.A man in his 80s has died overnight, bringing the number of fatalities with Covid-19 in the ACT to 26.
There are 66 people being treated in hospital with Covid including five people in intensive care and one person requiring ventilation.There are 66 people being treated in hospital with Covid including five people in intensive care and one person requiring ventilation.
It’s down from 73 hospitalisations yesterday, and it’s the ninth day running case numbers have remained below 1000.It’s down from 73 hospitalisations yesterday, and it’s the ninth day running case numbers have remained below 1000.
Butler is asked whether Labor will up its funding commitment to the reef in the wake of the Morrison government’s announcement.Butler is asked whether Labor will up its funding commitment to the reef in the wake of the Morrison government’s announcement.
Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, committed $163m to the Great Barrier Reef during a trip to Cairns earlier this monthLabor leader, Anthony Albanese, committed $163m to the Great Barrier Reef during a trip to Cairns earlier this month
Butler says Labor’s commitment is for “immediate support” to protect the reef:Butler says Labor’s commitment is for “immediate support” to protect the reef:
In Brisbane, shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and Labor MP Terri Butler, are reacting to the federal government’s $1bn pledge for the Great Barrier Reef announced today.In Brisbane, shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and Labor MP Terri Butler, are reacting to the federal government’s $1bn pledge for the Great Barrier Reef announced today.
Butler says the $1bn investment – to be provided over a nine year period – comes after the threat of the reef being added to the world heritage listing:Butler says the $1bn investment – to be provided over a nine year period – comes after the threat of the reef being added to the world heritage listing:
Chalmers says today’s announcement is an “admission of failure and also a con job”:Chalmers says today’s announcement is an “admission of failure and also a con job”:
Many thanks to Calla Wahlquist and, by extension, her enviable ponies for guiding us through this morning’s news. I’ll be with you for the rest of the day.Many thanks to Calla Wahlquist and, by extension, her enviable ponies for guiding us through this morning’s news. I’ll be with you for the rest of the day.
Thank you for your company this morning. I’ll leave you in the capable hands of Caitlin Cassidy, who will take you through the afternoon.Thank you for your company this morning. I’ll leave you in the capable hands of Caitlin Cassidy, who will take you through the afternoon.
In unsurprising news, parents who home-schooled children experienced significantly higher levels of distress than people without children during lockdown.
More from AAP:
Producer prices were rising at the fastest annual pace in almost 13 years at the end of 2021, the ABS tells us this morning.
The 3.7% rise in the December quarter tracked closely the 3.5% “headline” increase in the consumer price index reported earlier this week.
Similar factors were at play in nudging the pace of rising costs to its fastest since the March quarter in 2009, namely fuel prices and construction materials.
Cheaper power and water costs helped – thanks La Niña – although the ABS also sought to highlight a 4.4% drop in sugar and confectionery manufacturing due to falling chocolate prices “resulting from promotional Christmas discounting”. Think of it as a sweetener, I guess, amid all the bad news.
Anyway, with the Omicron disruptions rattling supply chains at the end of 2021 and 2022, we might expect to see further increases in producer and consumer prices well into this year.
The RBA has its first meeting next Tuesday and the bank governor, Philip Lowe, will give a National Press Club speech the following day in Sydney.
Investors have already dismissed RBA pronouncements about being patient and leaving the official cash rate unchanged at its record low 0.1% and today’s producer prices will probably bolster their case.
They’re betting the bank will lift the rate to 0.25% by May, and by a full percentage point by the year’s end. Commercial bank economists don’t expect a rate move so soon but more are coming around to a rate move by August or so.
Labor frontbencher Mark Butler said much the same:
The Greens have criticised the $1bn Great Barrier Reef funding announcement made by prime minister Scott Morrison today, saying that the biggest threat to the reef was climate change and the government has no meaningful policy in that area.
Queensland senator Larissa Waters said the “belated cash splash” was a “joke from a government that has turbo charged the climate crisis imperilling the Reef by giving billions to fossil fuels and backing new coal and gas”.
Sarah Hanson-Young, the Greens spokesperson on environment and water, said Morrison “can’t save the Reef while making climate change worse”.
The Australian Olympic Committee has partnered with Gina Rinehart’s mining company, Hancock Prospecting.
In a media release today the AOC said the “innovative and important partnership” would run until 2026, through the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Paris 2024 summer games, and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, as well as the youth olympic games at Gangwon in 2024 and Dakar in 2026, and the Pacific games in 2023.
Rinehart made a pitch for reduced government regulation on new developments ahead of the Brisbane games in 2032.
AOC president, John Coates, says he “greatly welcomes” the partnership.
Rinehart said:
And the kicker, of course:
Australia has recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic with 92 deaths so far.
There have been 18 deaths reported in Queensland, 35 in New South Wales, and 39 in Victoria.
The previous highest toll was 88 deaths, reported last Friday.
Queensland chief health officer, Dr John Gerrard, said he did not expect the hospitalisation numbers would be so low. There are currently 818 people in hospital, 54 in intensive care.
Gerrard says that the peak of cases has passed on the Gold Coast and while there is no clear fall anywhere else in the state, “the situation in most of Queensland outside of the Gold Coast is very stable and we are expecting to see falls sometime in the next seven days.”
Palaszczuk says it appears Queensland is coming to the peak of Covid-19 cases. She says the peak has passed on the Gold Coast, and it appears to be cresting in Brisbane and the southeast.
She is releasing modelling that was presented cabinet on Monday, which showed how bad authorities in Queensland were expecting things to get.
Palaszczuk said the number of health staff furloughed was also down.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says that Queensland has reported 18 deaths in people with Covid-19, 12 of which were in aged care. One of the deaths was also a person in their 30s who was not vaccinated.
It’s one of the worst days of the pandemic so far for the sunshine state.
Palaszczuk also noted it is two years to the day since the first Covid-19 case was reported in Queensland.
Victorian health minister Martin Foley is speaking now.
He says 38% of children aged five to 11 in Victoria have now received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, before school goes back next week. A further 12,991 kids in that age group are booked in to receive their first dose at state run clinics next week, and there are more than 82,000 appointments for kids in that age group available over the next 30 days.
The Victorian government is also holding pop-up vaccine blitzes targeting school communities with reduced access to general practitioners and pharmacies.
There are also walk-up appointments available for children at the Sandown Racecourse, Dandenong Plaza vaccination Centre, Caroline Springs Leisure Centre, the Campbellfield Ford Factory Complex, the St Albans hospital and the Melton vaccination hub.