Mr Merlino's NSW counterpartDominic Perrottet has refused to bring back a sweeping indoor mask mandate - despite many health experts recommending residents continue wearing the face coverings indoors. So we need to all play our part in taking this incredibly seriously. Melbourne spent more time in lockdown than any other city on Earth. Sydneysidersare restricted to 5km of home. The risk is too high: Ashleigh Cooper, who is disabled and immunocompromised, went into self-isolation two weeks ago. Victoria enters lockdown for the fourth time. Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said this advice is particularly aimed at those in Greater Sydney. Milly*, a young woman from Melbourne, says that two years of going in and out of lockdown has caused a downshift in her lifestyle that feels akin to being retired. "But generally, for that ordinary day-to-day travel, be that to a workplace or to a friend's house or family, that travel is no longer happening. Sign notifying customers that rapid antigen test (RAT) kits are sold out. Here's how likely you are to get it more than once, Charting the COVID-19 spread: Australia passes 10,000 coronavirus deaths, Self-help author Marianne Williamson launches primary challenge against Joe Biden for 2024 Democratic nomination, Chinese migrants walked a gruelling 500km to Victoria's goldfields in the 19th century. "I think they are a 2020/2021 iteration," he said. Victoria's latest Covid rules have been labelled "a shadow lockdown" by the opposition which claims isolation rules, density limits and restrictions have smashed Melbourne businesses. NSW has recorded 97 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. Every single one of us was double-vaccinated as soon as we were eligible but we are not eligible yet for a booster. Cafs and restaurants to seat up to ten people at any one time; and. The first person in Australia to die of Covid-19 dies in a Western Australia hospital. Sydney Aquarium staff bring their dogsto the closed aquarium to see the fish. Tattoo and massage parlours can reopen with up to ten clients. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Of the 2200 businesses on the strip, around 30 per cent have had to temporarily close, shorten their trading hours or their number of trading days. It's usual to see a lull in public transport use over the summer holidays, and network and road upgrades have caused disruption to some services. Victorian Liberal deputy leader David Southwick said the restrictions had placed increased pressure on businesses. , to be implemented by state governments: a ban on non-essential indoor gatherings of 100 or more people (including staff); a ban on outdoor gatherings of 500 or more people to continue in place; people only consider travel when it is essential; strict visitation rules for aged care facilities including a limit of two visitors a day and preferably no children under 16 years of age; social distancing measures of 1.5 metres; and. The bigger question of course will be whether we ever need to rely on hotel quarantine again or whether we have learned the more important lesson about how unsuitable hotels are for containing infectious diseases. Melburnians pictured outside Melbourne Town Hall on December 22. Two had travelled to Wuhan, China, and the third was a close contact of the two travellers. When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. There are growing calls for Greater Sydney to be placed into a hard lockdown similar to the one imposed in Melbourne last year, but chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant insists NSW is already under "hard" restrictions. Some email providers try to silence us. Masks are now required. Most people who spoke to Guardian Australia are still recovering from the impact of long lockdowns and do not want a return to restrictions. And our society will be all the worse for it. In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, some individuals in Australia have still managed to avoid contracting Covid-19. Whether the period spent in lockdown and the desire to do anything it took to avoid more of the same was a motivating factor, or whether there were other reasons for this, does not really matter. We just need the governments to come together and we need assistance at this time, otherwise all the money thats been given to them in the past 22 months would have been wasted, Chapel St Precinct general manager Chrissie Maud said. MELBOURNE, Australia When Australian officials announced last week that the country was unlikely to fully reopen its borders until mid-2022 because of the coronavirus, the backlash. But on Wednesday night, a further case emerged from a school in Bacchus Marsh as well as reports of two additional cases that would bring today's number to 10. Not so shipshape! This brings the total number of infections in NSW to 864. When it comes to responding to a pandemic, however, this presents its challenges. In doing this, the objective is not to blame. Kylie*, a midwife working in Melbourne hospitals, says despite difficulties with testing and high case numbers there is cause to be optimistic. I know that I was safer.. "If you're fully vaccinated then your life will be back to normal, you'll be able to enjoy all of the things that you have yearned for and miss and desperately worked so hard for," Mr Andrews said as the state arrived at its 90 per cent vaccination target. Premier Peter Gutwein said with a highly vaccinated population Tasmania would not be heading into lockdown or closing its borders because of the climbing case numbers. The government has barely introduced major restrictions since then, apart from the closure of dancefloors and light indoor density limits. There were three initial cases earlier this week, that leaked in from NSW. Business owners at the precinct this week called on the government to bring back support payments for struggling restaurants, bars and retail shops. This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation," Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said. They have a terrific impact on transmission - that is as true for Omicron as for any variant.'. Its another slap in the face to business owners that have suffered through two years of harsh restrictions.. Melbourne 12:10pm Jun 8, 2022 Shanghai neighbourhoods return to lockdown Multiple neighbourhoods in Shanghai were placed back under lockdown only a day after city-wide restrictions were lifted, as China's stringent zero COVID-19 strategy continues to haunt the financial hub. Will the UK go into another lockdown in 2022? We currently have mask restrictions and in the Northern Territory there is an even more draconian lockdown than we had in Victoria. How can I best get on with living my best life?, NSW expects Covid hospitalisations to peak next week. The areas of concern are Fairfield local government area, Roselands, Rosebury, Canterbury, Belmore, Sutherland shire, the St George area, Windsor, St Ives, Penrith and Bayside local government area," she said. You are not even fielding inquiries its school holidays in January, thats not right.. Mr Southwick called for the government to extend the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme for a further three months, to help thousands of small businesses avoid rent increases. Published: 01:28 GMT, 23 December 2021 | Updated: 03:32 GMT, 23 December 2021. I know and understand that this is challenging and there is no family that has not been touched by that over the last few years and certainly many touched by that over the last few weeks and months, he said. Are we set to have a third lockdown for 2021. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the 6th January 2022, the most recent data available, Australia has the following statistics: So according to these figures, more than 10% of all cases in the past two years were found in one day! "But if you are in certain areas where you know you are in even greater risk, as low as four weeks is acceptable. 'Because Victorians went out and got vaccinated in record numbers, it means that we are not considering going into lockdown and this is the commitment that we gave to the people of Victoria,' he said. Thats no-ones fault, it is the nature of this virus and people are making their own choices, to not go out as much as they might have., To join the conversation, please Many issues quickly became clear, such as the understaffing of aged-care centres and infection control practices, along with the lack of the proper accountability by government for these facilities. Callers will speak with Aboriginal staff who can . National Cabinet agrees that the states will close: Melbourne distiller Gypsy Hub is the first (that we know of) to pivot to making hand sanitiser. I'm a vet, and here are five dog breeds most prone to cancer - including Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers, Prince Andrew chuckles as he encounters female jogger on way to his weekly Windsor horse-riding trip. COVID 19 11:26am Jun 4, 2022 The federal government announces these measures, to be implemented by state governments: Australia closes its borders to everyone who is not a resident or citizen. . PCR tests, which are carried out through testing sites, will be discouraged for those with symptoms and for contacts. Today the state reported nearly 22,000 new infections, but the true number is likely much higher. "We need to see the numbers decrease. Lotus lifestyle EV division to go public . Four of the new cases were recorded on level three of Ariele apartments in Maribyrnong where the removalists stopped. A controversial media star and politician says there is no point in maintaining his political ambitions. Two years of mostly home schooling has given his youngest child, who started kindergarten in 2020, social anxiety, and his older child had a panic attack at the prospect of returning to face-to-face learning. Of today's cases, 24 were in the community during their infectious period. National cabinet encourages wearing masks to combat COVID-19. Professor Cowie said in light of that, it was time to recognise that positive rapid antigen tests had "the same authority as a PCR test". Its relentless. Covid-19 case numbers are on the increase across the state with 2,005 new infections and ten deaths reported on Thursday. Victoria on Thursday confirmed another 2,005 new infections and ten deaths - up from the 1,503 cases recorded on Wednesday. log in. The Victorian Premier has spoken out after Queensland moved to make major changes to its drug laws. His deputy leader said the state government is not considering adding to the world-record 262 days Melbourne has spent in lockdown since the Covid pandemic began, 'The promise was if you go and get vaccinated, you can enjoy Christmasand New Year with your families and loved ones and that's exactly what will happen.'. Around her, in the suburbs of Melbourne, Covid cases are soaring. I have adjusted to living a more sheltered life and enjoy being in my house, running the same route, cycling the same loop, doing the Wordle, going to bed on time, she says. The reintroduction of density limits, mask mandates and other restrictions has also meant consumers are most hesitant to shop, keeping vital dollars way from local businesses. It's hard to believe that while Australia was so focused on the bushfires that raged in the early part of 2020, another threat was already on our shores one that would change the way we live and work for years. This resulted in the state being able to emerge from the final lockdown five days ahead of schedule and the return of freedoms so desperately desired. Melbourne exits its sixth lockdown, after 263 cumulative days. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Living in Victoria the last couple of years has been really tough. Residents attending major events with more than 30,000 spectators will also have to wear a face mask. While he said part of it would be due to Omicron hitting essential workers and those on lower incomes harder, it also spoke to that community's hard-learnt appreciation of the "perils of this virus". Deputy Premier James Merlino urged hospitality venues to switch to a seated-only service to reduce transmission. Face masks are mandatory in all indoor settings in Victoria, except private homes,for anyone aged eight or over. Prince Harry shares struggles to be his 'authentic true self' growing up, saying he felt pressures to 'come As Prince Harry says he felt like the film 'the boy in the bubble' before having therapy, who was Hollywood's love affair with the new non-binary Brit Pack: After MeToo sex scandals, Tinseltown is desperate Five unexpected signs in your 20s and 30s you're at risk of developing heart disease later in life. There are a number of issues we won't know until we have further data," she said. Fronting up to press conferences day after day and answering all of the tough questions was important for many reasons. No wonder local councils and businesses are stepping in. Mr Foley said there was no plan to introduce another lockdown. Victoria's Chief Health Officer has declared that from tonight the lockdown restrictions will be strengthened and extended in metropolitan Melbourne, until 11.59pm on Thursday, 2 September. So for me, right now, I am seeing the light.. one of the longest aggregate periods of strict lockdown, outbreaks that devastated the aged-care sector, Multilingual Australia is missing out on vital COVID-19 information. Housing policies favour the rich and leave first home buyers high and dry. A near-deserted Bourke Street in the Melbourne CBD on October 20. There are many venues who have given feedback that they are not at 100 per-cent capacity and havent been for quite some time, he said. But the Victoria government waited far longer than we did to go into the lockdown situation," Ms Berejiklian said. postcodes 3038, 3064, 3047, 3060, 3012, 3032, 3055, 3042, 3021 and 3046 will go back into lockdown from July 2. "Now with further information and further data available to us and after consultation with a wide range of groups I've made this decision thinking it to be an appropriate, necessary and proportionate balancing of competing demands.". Its important to appreciate the experiences across the states and territories in the pandemic have been as different as Swan Lager is to Victoria Bitter. Lydia Napoli also works in hospitality in NSW. "I need to find any cases that are out there to get them under control, and obviously we need to continue to work very closely with our red zone arrivals to make sure that these flying embers don't catch light again," Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters earlier on Wednesday. It comes after NSW extended the Greater Sydney lockdown by at least another two weeks until the end of July, with another 97 cases on Wednesday bringing the total outbreak to 864. Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged back into lockdown after a worrying spike in Covid-19 cases today. A further two cases were family members of Ariele apartments residents and one case was believed to have been infected at Coles in Craigieburn where a family returning from a red zone were not isolating. There are more women with the virus who are having babies, but unlike 2021 they are not gasping for breath, she says. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Here's everything we've learned from Melbourne's polarising e-scooter trials. How did it come to this? And on Friday, they emerged from it with cheers, and a . Melbourne extends sixth virus lockdown Almost seven million people in Melbourne and surrounding Victoria state were scheduled to exit a four-week lockdown on Thursday, but state premier Dan Andrews said it would no longer be possible with case numbers rising by 92 overnight. And please, do not leave your home unless it is absolutely essential.". This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick, and the City of Sydney, including the CBD. The announcement of the restrictions comes a fortnight after density limits and the closure of indoor dancefloors were recommended by the Chief Health Officer as the state headed towards Christmas and New Year celebrations. South Australia has enforced a hard border with residents of Greater Melbourne, as authorities reveal the man at the centre of Melbourne's Covid-19 outbreak likely caught it through aerosol Covid-19: South Australia border closes to Greater Melbourne, report into hotel leak released Density limits of one person per 2 square metres will be introduced indoors at hospitality venues and entertainment venues. Which somehow seems fitting as things being out of order seems to be the way things are with Covid.