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| Australia news live update: Victoria records 39 Covid deaths, NSW 35; Pfizer boosters approved for teenagers; PM responds to Grace Tame photos | Australia news live update: Victoria records 39 Covid deaths, NSW 35; Pfizer boosters approved for teenagers; PM responds to Grace Tame photos |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the day’s news | Follow all the day’s news |
| There have been 84 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. | |
| Victoria has reported 39 deaths in people with Covid-19 overnight, 988 people in hospital and 12,755 new cases. | |
| 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’re standing by for a press conference from NSW premier Dominic Perrottet, transport minister David Elliot, metropolitan roads minister Natalie Ward, and Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant . | |
| They will give a covid update and make an announcement about transport arrangements for the return to school next week. | |
| There have been 84 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. | |
| Victoria has reported 39 deaths in people with Covid-19 overnight, 988 people in hospital and 12,755 new cases. | |
| 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. | |
| Tasmania has reported 584 new cases of Covid-19 overnight, a significant drop from the 700 reported yesterday. There are currently 19 people in hospital, down from 24 yesterday. | |
| According to the ABC, nine of the 19 people in hospital are being treated “specifically for coronavirus symptoms” and one person is in ICU. | |
| Hunt said no decision had been made at this stage about changing the definition of fully vaccinated in Australia from two doses to three. It is currently before the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. | |
| Hunt was also asked to comment on the open letter from Northern Territory Aboriginal organisations, who say there has been a “catastrophic failure” in management of the Covid outbreak in central Australia. | |
| Hunt said the federal government was working with NT land councils on the Covid response, including applying biosecurity orders to restrict movements in and out of communities. | |
| He said increasing vaccination rates in Indigenous communities was an important part of the response. The national vaccine rate for Indigenous Australians is now 81.5%. | |
| Hunt was asked if Novavax, which is not yet available in Australia, will be approved for use as a booster. | |
| He said that as of this week, Novavax has not put in an application for booster status, “but I spoke with the company last week and they are intending on doing that”. | |
| Australia’s chief nursing and midwifery officer, adjunct professor Alison McMillan, said that people who have had Covid do still need to get a booster. | |
| Federal health minister Greg Hunt is speaking to reporters this morning about the booster shot rollout. | Federal health minister Greg Hunt is speaking to reporters this morning about the booster shot rollout. |
| From Monday the interval between second dose and booster shot has been reduced to three months for everywhere in Australia, not just Victoria and New South Wales. | From Monday the interval between second dose and booster shot has been reduced to three months for everywhere in Australia, not just Victoria and New South Wales. |
| And as reported earlier, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved the use of Pfizer booster shots in people aged 16 to 17. It’s now just up to Atagi to determine the recommended use, but Hunt says: “We’re looking forward to their advice within the course of the coming week, if not earlier, then we will make these doses available immediately.” | |
| The booster dose for teenagers aged 16 to 17 is the same as for adults, so it’s already widely available. | The booster dose for teenagers aged 16 to 17 is the same as for adults, so it’s already widely available. |
| Hunt said there is also now clear advice on people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have yet to get a booster shot. | Hunt said there is also now clear advice on people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have yet to get a booster shot. |
| Breen then asked: “Scott Morrison, did yourself and your wife Jenny feel disrespected by Grace Tame this week with the way she looked at you and didn’t greet you at the Lodge?” | Breen then asked: “Scott Morrison, did yourself and your wife Jenny feel disrespected by Grace Tame this week with the way she looked at you and didn’t greet you at the Lodge?” |
| I am not really sure why we’re bringing Jenny into this, she was not in the photos that were widely spread, and Tame does smile at her in the video. | |
| Morrison replied: | Morrison replied: |
| Breen suggested Tame “made it about herself though and she made a political statement”. | Breen suggested Tame “made it about herself though and she made a political statement”. |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| I’m going to pass the microphone to Amy Remeikis, who has written powerfully on this subject. And also provided this reminder: the Lodge isn’t Morrison’s house, it belongs to the people. | I’m going to pass the microphone to Amy Remeikis, who has written powerfully on this subject. And also provided this reminder: the Lodge isn’t Morrison’s house, it belongs to the people. |
| Morrison was then asked about aged care minister Richard Colbeck attending the cricket in Tasmania on a day where he did not attend a federal aged care inquiry. | Morrison was then asked about aged care minister Richard Colbeck attending the cricket in Tasmania on a day where he did not attend a federal aged care inquiry. |
| Morrison said Colbeck “has appeared ... at that hearing on many, many occasions”. | Morrison said Colbeck “has appeared ... at that hearing on many, many occasions”. |
| Breen: Because it doesn’t pass the pub test. Doesn’t look good. | Breen: Because it doesn’t pass the pub test. Doesn’t look good. |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| Breen then asked about aged care. Morrison said 86% of all residential aged care facilities have now received their booster visits and pointed out that death rates in Australia are lower than they are in Canada. | Breen then asked about aged care. Morrison said 86% of all residential aged care facilities have now received their booster visits and pointed out that death rates in Australia are lower than they are in Canada. |
| Morrison then said: | Morrison then said: |
| Breen said he does remember it. You will too – it was only 18 months ago, within Morrison’s current term of government. | Breen said he does remember it. You will too – it was only 18 months ago, within Morrison’s current term of government. |
| Morrison continued: | Morrison continued: |
| Prime minister Scott Morrison was on Brisbane radio 4BC this morning, talking to Neil Breen about the $1bn Great Barrier Reef announcement. | Prime minister Scott Morrison was on Brisbane radio 4BC this morning, talking to Neil Breen about the $1bn Great Barrier Reef announcement. |
| Breen asked if the additional investment will “protect the reef from those [Unesco ‘in danger’] lists”. | Breen asked if the additional investment will “protect the reef from those [Unesco ‘in danger’] lists”. |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| Breen then asked if money was “the only thing that can fix it”, saying “if we keep throwing money at everything in Australia, we’ll go broke”. | Breen then asked if money was “the only thing that can fix it”, saying “if we keep throwing money at everything in Australia, we’ll go broke”. |
| Morrison again: | Morrison again: |
| This is not quite the deadliest day in Victoria since the pandemic began, but it’s getting close. | This is not quite the deadliest day in Victoria since the pandemic began, but it’s getting close. |
| The record for Covid deaths in Victoria is 41 deaths per day in September 2020. Today’s toll, of 39, is particularly worrying because while we appear to have passed the peak in infections, the peak in hospitalisations and deaths is, if it follows the usual pattern, yet to come. | The record for Covid deaths in Victoria is 41 deaths per day in September 2020. Today’s toll, of 39, is particularly worrying because while we appear to have passed the peak in infections, the peak in hospitalisations and deaths is, if it follows the usual pattern, yet to come. |
| New South Wales has recorded 35 deaths overnight. There are currently 2,737 people in hospital with Covid-19, of whom 189 are in ICU. | New South Wales has recorded 35 deaths overnight. There are currently 2,737 people in hospital with Covid-19, of whom 189 are in ICU. |
| The state recorded 13,333 new cases. | The state recorded 13,333 new cases. |
| Victoria recorded 39 deaths overnight and 12,755 new cases. | Victoria recorded 39 deaths overnight and 12,755 new cases. |
| There are 988 people in hospital, 114 in ICU and 40 on ventilators. | There are 988 people in hospital, 114 in ICU and 40 on ventilators. |
| Only one of Australia’s 23 approved at-home rapid antigen tests explicitly states it will detect Omicron, as the Therapeutic Goods Administration carries out a review of all tests to check how they work with different variants of Covid-19. | Only one of Australia’s 23 approved at-home rapid antigen tests explicitly states it will detect Omicron, as the Therapeutic Goods Administration carries out a review of all tests to check how they work with different variants of Covid-19. |
| Most of the product disclosures for tests list their ability to detect Delta and other variants, but not Omicron. However, manufacturers are providing evidence to the TGA of their tests’ effectiveness as it comes to hand. | Most of the product disclosures for tests list their ability to detect Delta and other variants, but not Omicron. However, manufacturers are providing evidence to the TGA of their tests’ effectiveness as it comes to hand. |
| The United States Food and Drug Administration has warned that “early data suggests that antigen tests do detect the Omicron variant but may have reduced sensitivity”. | The United States Food and Drug Administration has warned that “early data suggests that antigen tests do detect the Omicron variant but may have reduced sensitivity”. |
| The TGA has announced that variants caused by virus mutations could mean “test kits may no longer be able to detect the virus, leading to false negative results”. | The TGA has announced that variants caused by virus mutations could mean “test kits may no longer be able to detect the virus, leading to false negative results”. |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| Severe thunderstorms have caused flash flooding in parts of Victoria and New South Wales. | Severe thunderstorms have caused flash flooding in parts of Victoria and New South Wales. |
| Bureau of meteorology senior forecaster Jackson Browne told the ABC this morning that parts of western Victoria experienced winds as strong as a category two cyclone, with wind speeds of 139km/h recorded at Horsham and 133km/h recorded at Swan Hill. | Bureau of meteorology senior forecaster Jackson Browne told the ABC this morning that parts of western Victoria experienced winds as strong as a category two cyclone, with wind speeds of 139km/h recorded at Horsham and 133km/h recorded at Swan Hill. |
| A flash flooding alert was issued for the Victorian city of Geelong about 9.30pm Thursday night, with homes, buildings and roads flooded. | A flash flooding alert was issued for the Victorian city of Geelong about 9.30pm Thursday night, with homes, buildings and roads flooded. |
| The storms began on Wednesday. The State Emergency Service had responded to more than 350 calls for help by Thursday afternoon, including for one incident where a lightning strike set a house at Bundoora alight. | The storms began on Wednesday. The State Emergency Service had responded to more than 350 calls for help by Thursday afternoon, including for one incident where a lightning strike set a house at Bundoora alight. |
| Mildura in northern Victoria recorded its highest ever daily rain total for January, with 80.2mm falling in the 24 hours to 9am. Kyneton, north of Melbourne, recorded 75mm in the same period. | Mildura in northern Victoria recorded its highest ever daily rain total for January, with 80.2mm falling in the 24 hours to 9am. Kyneton, north of Melbourne, recorded 75mm in the same period. |
| Thunderstorm warnings have been lifted for the morning but are expected to be back in place this afternoon, with storms agains sweeping across Victoria and southern NSW from South Australia today. Browne said: | Thunderstorm warnings have been lifted for the morning but are expected to be back in place this afternoon, with storms agains sweeping across Victoria and southern NSW from South Australia today. Browne said: |
| Sticking in NSW for a moment: the premier, Dominic Perrottet, is expected to announce a back-to-school transport plan at a bus interchange at 10.30am today. | Sticking in NSW for a moment: the premier, Dominic Perrottet, is expected to announce a back-to-school transport plan at a bus interchange at 10.30am today. |
| He’ll give the Covid update at the same time. | He’ll give the Covid update at the same time. |
| Public schools in NSW are back on 1 February, and most teachers are back from today. | Public schools in NSW are back on 1 February, and most teachers are back from today. |