COVID-19 PANDEMIC

NSW Covid hospital numbers surge 42 per cent in a week, but worst to come in October

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Original article by Lucy Carroll, Lucy Cormack, Mary Ward
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 2-Sep-21

New South Wales has recorded 1,116 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while the state’s toll from the current outbreak has risen to 100 after another four deaths; none of them were vaccinated and they all had underlying health conditions. Some 917 people are in hospital with COVID-19 across NSW, including 150 in intensive care. The hospitalisation rate has surged in the last week, but Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned that this is likely to peak in October. However, she has reiterated that lockdown restrictions will be eased when 70 per cent of the state’s eligible population is fully vaccinated; this target is expected to be reached in mid-October.

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NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Virgin to reward the fully vaxxed

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Original article by Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 15 : 2-Sep-21

Virgin Australia will offer incentives for both staff and customers to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Virgin wants all of its frontline staff to be fully vaccinated by 15 November, and they will be given the opportunity to win prizes such as business-class flights and a holiday on Hamilton Island, as well as extra annual leave. Virgin customers will in turn be offered rewards such as business-class flights and Velocity frequent-flyer points. Winners must have proof of vaccination to claim a prize.

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VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED

Andrews abandons zero hopes as cases soar

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Original article by Mitch Clarke, Kieran Rooney
Herald Sun – Page: 9 : 2-Sep-21

Victoria has recorded 120 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours; only 20 were self-isolating for the entire period in which they were infectious, while there are 56 new mystery cases. The state government has formally abandoned its ‘Covid-zero’ strategy, and Premier Daniel Andrews says the focus has shifted to reducing the spread of COVID-19 until vaccination targets are reached. This means lockdown restrictions in Melbourne will not be eased until about 23 September, when 70 per cent of eligible Victorians are expected to have had at least one vaccine dose. Andrews adds that some form of lockdown will remain in place until at least the end of October, when the proportion of Victorians who are fully vaccinated is slated to reach 70 per cent. However, he has flagged an easing of lockdown restrictions in most regional areas in the next week.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Home quarantine should be widespread once vaccination target is hit, PM says

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Original article by David Crowe, Rachel Clun
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is continuing to urge the states and territories to support the national plan for reopening the economy when the COVID-19 vaccination target has been reached. He contends that Australians who are returning from overseas should be allowed to quarantine at home rather than in a hotel once 70-80 per cent of eligible adults have been vaccinated. However, he has conceded that internal border closures are a matter for the states; Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan is maintaining a tough stance on border closures.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Movement in the Brisbane CBD recovers quickly after recent lockdown, but Sydney & Melbourne lockdowns extended again

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows movement in the Brisbane CBD continuing to recover after the recent lockdown in early August. The average 7-day movement level in the Brisbane CBD was at 54% of pre-pandemic levels in late August, up from a low of 23% in early August and its highest since late May. In contrast, movement levels in the two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne remain at only a fraction of pre-pandemic levels in late August as both cities endure extended Winter lockdowns which are set to continue well into September and even October. In late August average movement levels in the Sydney CBD were at only 12% of pre-pandemic averages and at only 13% of pre-pandemic levels in the Melbourne CBD. Movement levels in both cities is slightly above the record low of 8% reached in both cities in late July. The two cities closest to pre-pandemic ‘normal’ are the Adelaide CBD with average movement levels at 68% of pre-pandemic averages and the Perth CBD with average movement levels at 63% of pre-pandemic averages. In third place is the Hobart CBD at 55% of pre-pandemic averages. Roy Morgan has partnered with leading technology innovator UberMedia to aggregate data from tens of thousands of mobile devices to assess the movements of Australians as we deal with the restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UBERMEDIA

Victoria records two COVID-19 deaths ahead of modest easing of restrictions

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Original article by Sumeyya Ilanbey, Melissa Cunningham
The Age – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

Victoria has recorded 76 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, including 31 mystery cases. The state has also recorded its first COVID-19 deaths since 30 November, a woman in her 60s and a 49-year-old woman; it is not yet known whether they had been vaccinated or had underlying health conditions. Meanwhile, the state government is expected to relax some lockdown restrictions after conceding that its ‘COVID-zero’ strategy is no longer feasible. However, Premier Daniel Andrews says the aim will to get daily case numbers to as close to zero as possible to avoid overwhelming the hospital system. The state has 841 active cases, including 52 in hospital.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

PM: Christmas trips likely

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 25-Aug-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison contends that Australians should be able to travel interstate to spend Christmas with family and friends once 70-80 per cent of the adult population has been fully vaccinated. Morrison has again urged the states and territories to back his government’s four-stage plan for reopening the economy, reiterating that lockdowns will do more harm than good when the vaccination target rate has been achieved. Meanwhile, employers’ groups have urged the federal government to relax the restrictions on travelling overseas for business purposes, arguing that people who have been vaccinated should be allowed to do so and quarantine at home upon their return.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

COVID vaccine booster shots will happen in Australia

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Original article by Nick Sas, Sophie Scott
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 25-Aug-21

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will provide the federal government with initial advice on COVID-19 vaccine booster doses in coming weeks. However, ATAGI’s co-chair Allen Cheng says the nation will not be in a position to start giving booster shots until all eligible Australians have received at least one vaccine dose. He adds that people who are immunosuppressed or in ultra-high risk categories are likely to be given priority for booster shots.

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AUSTRALIAN TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP ON IMMUNISATION

Federal government errors contributed to Ruby Princess disaster, report finds

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Original article by Daniella White
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 25-Aug-21

The Inspector-General of Biosecurity, Rob Delane, has completed a review of the COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney that was caused by the arrival of the Ruby Princess cruise ship in March 2020. His report concluded that the federal Department of Agriculture’s failure to properly enforce biosecurity rules had contributed to the outbreak; amongst other things, biosecurity staff had not screened Ruby Princess passengers who were sick, and they were allowed to leave the ship after it arrived in Sydney. More than 663 passengers and crew subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, while 28 passengers died.

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AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF BIOSECURITY

Sydney stevedores to block workers not yet vaccinated

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 24-Aug-21

Stevedoring firms Hutchison Ports and DP World Australia have told employees that they will not be able to work at their terminals at Port Botany in Sydney from 30 August if they have not had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The directives have been introduced in response to New South Wales government rules that require authorised workers residing in 12 Sydney local government areas to be vaccinated if they work outside their LGA, unless their employer uses rapid antigen testing. The Port Botany terminals are located within one of the 12 hotspots.

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HUTCHISON PORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DP WORLD AUSTRALIA PTY LTD