The Byron, Kempsey and Tweed LGAs will go back into lockdown from 5:00pm today after a COVID-19 case from Sydney was infectious in several communities on the NSW north coast. The lockdown will last for seven days. Push beyond 80 per cent vax rates needed: Report Vaccinating 80 per cent of adults against coronavirus won’t be enough to end lockdowns, …

Hundreds of Moderna COVID vaccine doses will be distributed to pharmacies across the Territory in coming days, NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles has announced. The Moderna vaccine, which is already in use across much of the world, uses the same mRNA technology as the Pfizer vaccine. Ms Fyles said the vaccine batch arrived in Australia late last week and was being tested by the Therapeutic …

NSW has confirmed another 1259 local COVID cases – and a record 12 deaths – as it reaches a crucial vaccination milestone. Wednesday’s cases bounced up again after just over 1100 on Tuesday, reversing a recent trend of falling numbers. It was also the highest daily tally of COVID deaths yet for the state. They take its toll from the …

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has denied ignoring health advice by unveiling plans to reopen her state for the fully vaccinated at 70 per cent double-dose coverage, but acknowledged her need to “weigh up health advice with public policy”. The unvaccinated in NSW have a little over a month to get double-jabbed if they want to visit friends, dine out, travel …

Three children with COVID-19 are in intensive care, a Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (SCHN) spokeswoman has confirmed. The children have underlying health conditions but the spokeswoman said they were being cared for due to COVID. “SCHN is currently supporting more than 2,000 children with COVID-19, including the three children who are currently receiving intensive care, through the delivery of a range …

Australia has secured another 4 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in a deal with the UK. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said shipments would arrive in Australia in the coming days and weeks. “The plane is on the tarmac now. It will be leaving tomorrow,” Mr Morrison said. “Those doses will be coming over the course of the next few weeks, which will see …

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says COVID-19 infections are expected to peak in the next two weeks after the state recorded 1,431 new cases and 12 deaths. Friday’s numbers were the highest daily infection figures ever recorded by an Australian jurisdiction. The 12 deaths represented the highest number recorded in NSW in a day. “The next fortnight is likely to be our worst in terms of …

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will reveal tomorrow what restrictions would be eased in Victoria when case numbers reach particular thresholds over the coming weeks. Victoria recorded 76 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases overnight. Contact tracers have linked 45 of the new cases to existing outbreaks, and 36 of the new cases were in isolation for the whole of their infectious period. Mr Andrews …

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the whole nation needs to move forward together so families can reunite for Christmas as the state records 1,164 locally new COVID-19 cases. In the latest reporting period three more people died of COVID, bringing the number of fatalities connected with the current outbreak to 96. A woman in her 50s and a man in …

At least 60 people have now died in the current New South Wales COVID outbreak. We’ve been keeping track of how old these people were, and have observed 85 per cent of the COVID deaths up to August 18 (51 out of 60) were among people aged over 60. We’ve also been taking note of reports on their vaccination status. …