COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Hazzard warning: Premier axes powers push

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Original article by Yoni Bashan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Nov-21

The New South Wales government has abandoned plans to extend its COVID-19 emergency powers. Health Minister Brad Hazzard had proposed legislation to extend these powers until March 2023, but Premier Dominic Perrottet moved to drop the bill amid opposition within the Coalition partyroom. Amongst other things, some government MPs are believed to have feared a similar backlash to the Victorian Labor government’s controversial pandemic bill. NSW recorded 212 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, and two additional deaths from the current outbreak.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. MINISTRY OF HEALTH,NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

COVID testing firm kept $12m in JobKeeper cash amid soaring profits

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Original article by Clay Lucas
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 11-Nov-21

Pathological group Australian Clinical Labs has been a beneficiary of both the federal government’s COVID-19 testing program and the JobKeeper wage subsidy. The company’s revenue increased by 29 per cent in 2020-21, while its after-tax profit rose from $11.7m to $88.7m. Australian Clinical Labs received JobKeeper payments totalling $34.3m over the last two financial years, but it repaid just $21.9m. Australian Clinical Labs’ annual report for 2020 notes that revenue fell sharply in the months immediately following the onset of the pandemic in March of that year, making the firm eligible for JobKeeper. The company also receives a government subsidy for every COVID-19 test it performs.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CLINICAL LABS LIMITED – ASX ACL

Andrews’ pandemic powers risk state rule by decree

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale, Angelica Snowden
The Australian – Page: 5 : 11-Nov-21

The Victorian Bar has urged the state government to reconsider its controversial new pandemic laws. Amongst other things, it has expressed concern that the Department of Health could exercise its new powers under the legislation without sufficient oversight by parliament. Sixty barristers have in turn signed an open letter in which they warn that the legislation would enable the government to effectively rule the state by decree for the foreseeable future. The bill was passed by the lower house in October and will require the support of at least three crossbenchers in the upper house.

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VICTORIAN BAR INCORPORATED

BHP miners sent home without pay

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 11-Nov-21

BHP imposed a deadline of 10 November for all workers at its Mt Arthur open-cut coal mine to receive their first COVID-19 shot under its mandatory vaccination policy. BHP has advised that almost 80 unvaccinated workers at the mine have been stood down without pay, although it will not take any further action until the Fair Work Commission issues a ruling on a legal challenge to the vaccination policy. The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union had sought to delay implementation of the policy. Workers at all other BHP sites must be vaccinated by the end of January.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Movement in the Adelaide CBD is at 81% of pre-pandemic levels, well ahead of Sydney CBD (33%) and Melbourne CBD (27%)

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 10-Nov-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows that the Adelaide CBD is leading the way with movement at 81% of pre-pandemic levels, well ahead of all other cities, as South Australia prepares to re-open its borders in two weeks’ time. The 7-day movement level in the Adelaide CBD has averaged 66% of pre-pandemic levels since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in mid-March 2020 – higher than any other Australian Capital City. In comparison, the average 7-day movement levels in the larger cities of Sydney and Melbourne remain well below pre-pandemic levels after both cities recently emerged from long lockdowns during October. The average 7-day movement level in the Sydney CBD was at 33% of pre-pandemic levels and movement was even lower, at only 27% of pre-pandemic levels, in the Melbourne CBD. The average 7-day movement levels in the Hobart CBD have bounced back following the short and sharp three-day lockdown in southern Tasmania during mid-October and are now at 61% of pre-pandemic levels. Also performing well are the Capital Cities of two States that are yet to fully re-open to domestic travellers. The movement levels in the Perth CBD are now at 72% of pre-pandemic levels, while movement levels in the Brisbane CBD are at 65% of pre-pandemic levels. 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

Global COVID-19 cases pass grim milestone of 250 million

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Original article by
9 News – Page: Online : 10-Nov-21

Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that more than 250 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in March 2020. It took about eight months for the milestone of 50 million cases to be reached, but the number of new cases has since increased by the same amount approximately every three months. Average daily case numbers have steadily fallen since peaking at 826,000 in late April, although case numbers have been rising in recent weeks. The global death toll from COVID-19 exceeds five million, while about 3.1 billion people are now fully vaccinated.

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JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

National booster program launched with Pfizer in pharmacies

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Original article by Rachel Clun, Lucy Carroll
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 8-Nov-21

The federal government will ramp up the national COVID-19 vaccination rollout, with pharmacies to begin offering booster shots from 8 November. The Pfizer booster dose will be available to all Australians who have been fully vaccinated for at least six months; about 173,000 booster doses have already been administered to people such as healthcare workers and aged-care residents. Meanwhile, pharmacies will now be able to offer all three Pfizer doses, while the Moderna vaccine will be available from GPs. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Sonya Bennett says that booster shots are likely to be needed periodically, but they will probably not be required every year. Some 80.5 per cent of Australians aged 16+ are now fully vaccinated, and 89.3 per cent have had one vaccine dose.

CORPORATES
PFIZER INCORPORATED, MODERNA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Movement in the Melbourne CBD was at only 23% of pre-pandemic levels in late October as the city begun re-opening

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Nov-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows that movement in the Melbourne CBD was at only 23% of pre-pandemic levels in late October as the city began to re-open after over two months of lockdown. The average 7-day movement level in the Melbourne CBD hit a low of 8% of pre-pandemic levels in late July and had increased to 23% on the first weekend after the end of the lockdown on Friday October 22. Although Melbourne’s lockdown officially ended over a week ago many stores remained closed during the first week post-lockdown. Melbourne’s non-essential retail stores were only allowed to fully re-open over the last weekend and many hospitality venues remained closed to in-store dining due to ongoing restrictions. Meanwhile, life has continued to return to the Sydney CBD and in late October the average 7-day movement levels were at 31% of pre-pandemic levels, up 4% points from a week earlier. Almost 90% of adults in New South Wales are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Following the end of the short and sharp three-day lockdown in southern Tasmania the average 7-day movement levels in the Hobart CBD had recovered to 49% of pre-pandemic levels by late October. The movement levels in other Capital City CBDs continued to improve over the last few weeks. The Adelaide CBD is again the standout with average movement levels closest to pre-pandemic ‘normal’ at 83% – the highest level of movement since mid-April. 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

Aged-care boosters on agenda as TGA backs third-jab plan

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Original article by Natasha Robinson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 28-Oct-21

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has formally approved the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as a booster shot. It will be administered six months after a person has received their first dose of any coronavirus vaccine. Studies have suggested that the efficacy of vaccines declines significantly 3-6 months after they have been administered. However, TGA head John Skerritt has stressed that two doses of an approved vaccine provides strong protection against serious illness, hospitalisation and death. Aged-care residents will be given priority for booster shots, which are expected to become available to the general population from 8 November.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. THERAPEUTIC GOODS ADMINISTRATION

Movement in the Sydney CBD increased to 27% of pre-pandemic levels in the first week after lockdown ended

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 27-Oct-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows that movement in the Sydney CBD increased to 27% of pre-pandemic levels in the first week after Greater Sydney’s 107-day lockdown ended. The average 7-day movement level in the Sydney CBD hit a low of 8% of pre-pandemic levels in late July and had increased to 17% before the lockdown ended on Monday October 11. In the first week of re-opening average movement levels increased by 10% points to 27% – the highest level for over four months. Meanwhile, the short and sharp three-day lockdown in southern Tasmania led to a plunge in movement levels in the Hobart CBD, with the average 7-day movement levels at only 44% of pre-pandemic levels in mid-October. The Greater Melbourne area has finally emerged from its sixth lockdown and we are told this will be the final lockdown as over 70% of Victorians are now fully vaccinated. Average movement levels in the Melbourne CBD were at only 18% of pre-pandemic levels in mid-October before the lockdown ended. The movement levels in other Capital City CBDs have increased over the last few weeks as we move into the warmer months. The Adelaide CBD is again the standout with average movement levels closest to pre-pandemic ‘normal’ at 76% – the highest level of movement since early May. 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.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UBERMEDIA