COVID-19 testing clinics and laboratories in NSW are being overwhelmed by demand, driving up the time taken to process tests and delaying diagnoses. Healthcare workers exposed to COVID-19 in New South Wales will be able to leave isolation and return to work after seven days instead of 14 under new guidelines. NSW Health has moved to reduce the time healthcare …

NSW records 6,288 and no deaths There were 6,288 new COVID-19 infections recorded in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday. The state recorded no deaths, with 388 patients in hospital with the virus. There are 52 people currently in intensive care, one less than the previous day. NSW has also reported 95 per cent of residents aged 16 and …

NSW records 6,288 and no deaths There were 6,288 new COVID-19 infections recorded in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday. The state recorded no deaths, with 388 patients in hospital with the virus. There are 52 people currently in intensive care, one less than the previous day. NSW has also reported 95 per cent of residents aged 16 and …

Masking wearing indoors will become mandatory in NSW from midnight tonight as the state government reintroduces restrictions to curb the Omicron wave. Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced density limits of one person per 2 square metres for hospitality venues would also be reinstated from December 27, while QR code measures will be “back in a limited way”. The mask and …

Federal Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has ridiculed Health Minister Greg Hunt for announcing Covid booster jabs will be brought forward for Australians, a day after criticising the Labor leader for suggesting it. On Friday morning Mr Hunt announced that the Covid-19 booster shot interval will be brought forward from five to four months from January 4, and shorten again to a three-month …

Chinese police officers and equipment will soon be sent to Solomon Islands to help defuse months of civil unrest, a move that is already causing anxiety for Australian officials. On Thursday Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s besieged government announced it would accept Beijing’s offer of assistance to strengthen its anti-riot policing capabilities. In a statement the government said it was “mindful of …

People all over Sydney are facing huge waits at COVID testing centres and some are even being turned away as case numbers continue to climb. NSW recorded 2,213 new infections — the state’s highest ever daily total. The soaring case numbers and testing requirements for interstate travel are causing huge queues at many testing clinics, and some people are being forced to wait …

New South Wales and Victoria will ease their international arrival rules next week, removing the 72-hour isolation requirement for fully vaccinated travellers. From Tuesday, December 21, overseas arrivals to Melbourne and Sydney will be required to get a COVID-19 PCR test within 24 hours of landing, and isolate at home until they return a negative result. Rules for unvaccinated travellers remain the same, with …

One child injured during Thursday’s deadly jumping castle tragedy in north-west Tasmania has been discharged from hospital, while another three remain in a critical condition, police say. Five children aged between 11 to 12 lost their lives after a jumping castle became airborne at the end-of-school event at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport. Tasmania Police have released the names of …

Scott Morrison and his government enter the new year with a fresh iteration of their “women problem” — the multiple high-profile female independents contesting a number of Liberal seats. It’s not that the next parliament is likely to see a big influx of new lower house crossbenchers. ABC election analyst Antony Green points out that, to win, independents in these seats …