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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Cait Kelly and Mostafa Rachwani (earlier)

PM announces change to isolation time as nation records more than 32,000 cases – as it happened

Well, that is it for the blog for today – and for the year!

It’s been a big one, and I know I speak for the whole Guardian Australia staff when I say thank you so much for being here with us throughout 2021.

From the insurrection in the US, to mice plagues, Cop26 and now Omicron. Through lockdowns and Australia’s political #MeToo movement, we are so thankful you have walked with us.

To every one of our readers, I want to say you are what makes us, why we do what we do and why we go into the new year with hope.

Before we go, let me recap the big stories today:

  • NSW recorded 21,151 new Covid cases and six deaths, Victoria 5,919 cases and seven deaths, Tasmania 137 cases and Queensland 3,118, South Australia 2,093 cases and four deaths, Western Australia one new case and the ACT 462.
  • Queensland police asked revellers: Don’t party too hard tonight.
  • Testing sites in South Australia and Victoria closed due to extreme heat.
  • The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee said changes to testing, tracing, isolating and quarantining were “pragmatic”.
  • The NSW chief health officer, Kerry Chant, said actual case numbers were likely to be higher than reported.
  • Cricket Australia confirmed Travis Head had tested positive to Covid, ruling him out of the Sydney Ashes Test.
  • The Victorian health minister, Martin Foley, said a third of cases in Victoria were Omicron and there was a national shortage of rapid antigen tests.
  • South Australia said it would drop entry testing requirements for domestic travellers.
  • The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, maintained the state was in a “strong position” despite rising case numbers.
  • The prime minister, Scott Morrison, announced a change to isolation time – there will be no day six rapid antigen test for confirmed cases in isolation.
  • The Northern Territory introduced indoor masks after recording 60 Covid cases.
  • The Greens senator Lidia Thorpe was rebuked for appearing to back protesters who set fire to the facade of Old Parliament House in Canberra.
  • Two Tasmanian jumping castle victims were farewelled at funerals.

And with that, there is a drink with my name on it, so I am putting this blog to bed.

Stay safe, don’t make your resolutions too hard – we’ll see you tomorrow!

Updated

Leaders of a group of protesters who set fire to the facade of Old Parliament House in Canberra are closely linked to a complex network of anti-vaccination and conspiracy groups which have been accused of spreading misinformation in Indigenous communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The fire, which broke out during a protest at the entrance to the building on Thursday, caused extensive damage to the doors and portico.

There have been a series of demonstrations by Indigenous groups as well as elements of the anti-vaccination movement and sovereign citizen groups at Old Parliament House over the past days.

Read the full story here:

Updated

The Victorian and New South Wales governments are scrambling to organise the distribution of rapid antigen tests to vulnerable people amid short supply, confusion over who should use them and skyrocketing Covid case numbers.

Amid a national shortage of the tests, both governments said they were working out how best to distribute tens of millions of kits they have ordered, most of which will not arrive until the end of January.

NSW and Victoria have watered down previous commitments to provide free tests after a national cabinet meeting with the federal government on Thursday.

Read more here:

Updated

Police have confirmed one man is dead after part of the cliff at Victoria’s Bells beach collapsed earlier today.

The victim is aged in his 20s and was part of a group of six that got stuck after the 30-metre cliff face gave way at about 2.15pm.

A man and a woman also sustained non-life-threatening arm injuries and were taken to hospital in Geelong.

Emergency crews originally said four people were injured but the number was revised.

The beach is an internationally renowned surf spot, which up until the Covid pandemic held the annual Rip Curl Pro competition.

With Australian Associated Press.

Updated

Further breakthrough Covid cases have been detected in the Frozen The Musical company at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne.

As a result, all performances are cancelled up to and including 2 January. The show is expected to return on 5 January.

All ticket holders will receive an automatic refund.

From AAP:

Coronavirus cases have been recorded on remote King and Flinders Islands off Tasmania as the state registers another record daily infection tally.

The state registered 137 new cases on Friday, bringing its number of active infections to 520.

“Confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been identified on King and Flinders Islands,” acting public health director Julie Graham said.

“Both cases are interstate travellers who received positive test results after arriving. They are both in isolation.”

The two islands, which are situated in Bass Strait, have a combined population of about 2,500 people.

Public Health is conducting tracing and will notify anyone who has been a close contact.

Dr Graham said it was an important reminder that people should check-in at locations and wear a mask indoors as part of public health orders.

Updated

In facts that just hit you in the face, one of our data journalists Josh Nicholas just sent me this tweet.

He added a note: “NSW is less than double the NZ pop.”

Cool cool cool.

Updated

The New Year’s Eve matinee of Moulin Rouge! The Musical came to an abrupt mid-show halt today when one member of the company received a positive test result for Covid during the show.

The curtain was rung down in Act II. An announcement was made to the audience that the show could not proceed and that everyone should leave the theatre immediately.

Contacted for clarification, a spokesperson for Global Creatures, the show’s producer said: “Due to an abundance of caution, we made the decision to discontinue this afternoon’s performance of Moulin Rouge! The Musical after a positive Covid-19 test result within the wider company was made known to us.”

Moulin Rouge cast and crew are tested regularly. There will be an update regarding future performances as soon as possible, the statement said.

Cast member Ryan Gonzalez, who plays Santiago, has also posted on Instagram that he is at home isolating.

Updated

NSW health authorities are working to contain the outbreak of Covid in aged care facilities. Of about 70 such centres in western Sydney alone, almost 50 have reported positive cases or have staff who have tested positive, a senior health official tells the Guardian Australia.

Some are easier to contain where there is no transmission. A committee convenes to decide which centres will be locked down to limit the spread.

The state’s residual contact tracing operations are targeted at high-risk places such as aged and disability care and Indigenous communities, as we reported earlier this week.

Prior to 5pm, authorities had already counted more than 11,400 cases since midnight in NSW, and will likely exceed 20,000 today, the official said. The total may double that to 40,000 before peaking.

(The midnight to midnight rate was more than 22,000 compared with the 21,151 number reported by NSW Health today that counts 8pm to 8pm.)

Eastern suburbs of Sydney were among the biggest clusters of new cases. In recent days, though, the highest rate of positives to tests has been in the Hunter Valley of the state, reaching as much as 40% of those being tested.

How much of an impact on the health system will follow this surge remains unclear, of course, with authorities hoping the lower severity of Omicron compared with the Delta variant will limit the numbers requiring intensive care or ventilators.

Updated

The AFP has announced it will lead a joint investigation with ACT to identify who was responsible for the protest at Old Parliament House yesterday.

Those who break the law will be arrested and charged.

The taskforce will use the AFP’s world-leading forensics and technological capability to identify and locate those responsible for damaging commonwealth property, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

The statement says they have interviewed a number of people and will have an increased presence there in the coming weeks.

Updated

Sending my thoughts to the good people of Avalon – you do a lot of good in this country and you do not need this NYE nightmare.

Updated

Work colleagues of confirmed cases, not just people who live together, may be classed as close contacts if a significant transmission event occurs, according to expert health advice cited by Scott Morrison to overhaul Covid-19 rules in Australia.

Newly published advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee also went beyond health factors to justify the “pragmatic” changes to testing and isolation rules. It said it was a response to fast-increasing case numbers and “the living with Covid policy approach”.

The expert advisory panel – which brings together all state and territory chief health officers and is chaired by Australia’s chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly – said the changes would support “public health sustainability, social cohesion and economic recovery”.

Yesterday someone was telling me how Australians are obsessed with the weather.

But when you have a cyclone (about to hit) at one end and a total fire ban at the other, I think that obsession is more than warranted.

Updated

Australian Christian minister Bill Crews tweeted this earlier.

Updated

It’s a toasty end to 2021 for many parts of southern and inland regions of Australia.

So far, the hottest place in Australia on 31 January is in Jervois, about 350km north-east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The mercury there topped 42.2 degrees.

The populations bearing the brunt of the heat are mostly in Victoria, with Melbourne reaching 37.4C and the state’s top temperature so far touching 40 degrees at Avalon, to the city’s west.

South Australia also nudged 42 degrees, with the state capital Adelaide exceeding 38C.
Sydney was a mild 28.1 degrees at its top while Brisbane’s top so far of 25.8 degrees came soon after 8.20am, local time.

WA, which has a bit more of the day to go, recently reached 41.1C at the attractively named Mount Magnet.

While 2021’s year-end warmth is impressive, much of the country was relatively damp over the year and that typically meant temperatures on the cool side.

Here are some of the year’s highlights:

People at St Kilda beach in Melbourne last week
St Kilda beach in Melbourne last week. The city reached 37.4C today. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP

Updated

Anthony Albanese wishes all a 'much easier' 2022

The federal opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, has issued the following New Year message:

2021 has been a really tough year where people have been isolated, often for long periods of time, from their loved ones and their friends.

So let’s hope 2022 brings health and happiness for all and a much easier time.

Have a happy new year and I wish you all the best for 2022.

Updated

'There’s a lot to do in 2022': PM's New Year message

Scott Morrison has issued the following message for the New Year:

Happy New Year, Australia!

Despite the tough times we’ve been through these past few years, we can always be thankful in Australia that we live in what we know is the best country in the world.

And it’s not just the physical beauty of Australia, it’s who we are as a people.

It’s the care we show for each other that has been so richly on display during the many trials we have been through this past year.

It’s our freedom and our preparedness to stand up for that freedom when it counts.

It’s our unique sense of the fair go and the responsibility and obligations we know we have to each other and our country, that’s part of the fair go. We’re a quietly confident people with an optimistic spirit.

That is why, despite the pandemic, despite the floods, the fires, continuing drought in some areas, the cyclones, the lockdowns, even mice plagues, Australia is stronger today than we were a year ago. And we’re safer.

Scott Morrison
Australia ‘will be even stronger’ in the times ahead: Scott Morrison. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

We have one of the lowest death rates and the highest vaccination rates from Covid anywhere in the world. And we have one of the strongest advanced economies in the world to come through Covid – there’s more people in work, more apprentices in training, a secure credit rating and businesses investing in their future with confidence.

That gives us confidence to face what lies ahead. Our work in 2022 is to continue to keep our economy strong, to keep Australians safe, to care for our country and work even harder to keep Australians together. Our plans are to ensure Australians grow together, not apart. To ensure that especially rural and regional parts of our country share in the same benefits and opportunities as in our cities.

This summer you can play your part in keeping Australians safe by going out there and getting your booster shot and ensuring that children aged five to 11 go and get their vaccinations as well.

In 2022 we are looking forward. It’s like the kangaroo and the emu on our Coat of Arms – they never take a backwards step.

Now as we keep supporting each other, Australia, we will be even stronger, even safer and always together. There’s a lot to do in 2022. Happy New Year, Australia!

Updated

There are reports audience members at this afternoon’s performance of the musical Moulin Rouge in Melbourne were asked to leave midway. We’ll find out what is going on and update you.

Updated

Testing sites in Victoria are closing due to severe heat.

Updated

ACT records 462 new Covid cases

Two Tasmanian jumping castle victims farewelled at funerals

From AAP:

Two 11-year-old Tasmanian jumping castle victims have been farewelled on New Year’s Eve at separate funeral services in the state’s north-west.

The lives of Addison Stewart and Chace Harrison were celebrated in Devonport on Friday. They were among six children who died while enjoying end-of-year celebrations at Hillcrest primary school on 16 December.

Addison has been remembered as a “mother hen” and best friend to her brother and sister, who loved singing and dancing, dogs and food. Her favourite treat, Nutella, was placed prominently on a table at the service.

Her father, Nathan, also made sure she shared his sporting passions – AFL club Essendon and Supercars team Dick Johnson Racing.

“I was on a mission to turn her into my little tomboy,” said her father, who placed a tiny Bombers AFL guernsey on the lectern.

Her small coffin was in aqua, with mourners also wearing her favourite colour.

“Farewell our beautiful baby Bomber,” her father said.

Addison I want to let you know that my children’s book that you had some input in, I will try my hardest to get that finished and published to honour your memory.

Addison Stewart
‘Our beautiful baby Bomber’: Addison Stewart. Photograph: Tasmania police

Earlier at the same Devonport venue, Chace was farewelled with family and friends encouraged to wear Western Bulldogs or Golden State Warriors colours to celebrate his life.

He passed away in hospital three days after the 16 December tragedy, the last of the children to die after a freak gust of wind picked up the castle and several inflatable zorb balls.

Chace has been remembered in funeral notices as a much-loved big brother and son with a “cheeky grin” who was often involved in “fun-loving antics”.

His parents, Teresa and Craig, wrote:

Our hearts are broken. Our world has changed forever. Our love for you will always remain the same.

Updated

WA records one new Covid case

The new infection in Western Australia is a close contact of a recent case and is in hotel quarantine.

Updated

NSW daily Covid cases have 'likely exceeded 25,000' a month before forecast

New South Wales daily cases have likely exceeded 25,000 a day, a month earlier than the government was predicting a fortnight ago, an acceleration likely to bring forward the strains on the health system, experts say.

The NSW government reported 21,151 new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday, almost a 90% jump on the previous day’s tally. Kerry Chant, the state’s chief health officer, said in a video briefing it’s “likely” the increase is higher than reported.

Michael Lydeamore, an infectious disease modeller at Monash University, said tests were probably catching about 80% of actual cases, meaning NSW will already be at the 25,000 cases a day rate flagged by health minister Brad Hazzard on 15 December.

Updated

Senator Lidia Thorpe rebuked for appearing to back Old Parliament House protest

From AAP:

Greens senator Lidia Thorpe has been met with a sea of criticism after appearing to endorse a protest at Old Parliament House in which the doors of the historic building were set on fire.

The blaze burnt the front doors of Canberra’s heritage-listed building, causing “tragic” and potentially irreparable damage, according to Museum of Australian Democracy director Daryl Karp.

The fire broke out amid a protest at the entrance and also caused extensive damage to the portico.

Police confirmed officials had agreed a small smoking ceremony could take place as part of a peaceful protest but said it got “a little bit out of hand”.

Senator Thorpe retweeted footage of the fire and wrote: “Seems like the colonial system is burning down. Happy New Year everyone.” The tweet has since been deleted.

Deputy Nationals leader David Littleproud said her reaction was “disgraceful”.

For politicians to sit there and encourage this, it is not responsible, it is disgraceful, and they should consider their position in the Australian parliament.

Aboriginal Tent Embassy activists distanced themselves from the protest, saying a smoking ceremony that took place did not have knowledge or consent from the embassy council.

Police guarding the fire-damaged Old Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday
Police guarding the fire-damaged Old Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Aged and Community Services Australia is calling on the federal government to model how the new testing requirements will impact the aged care workforce.

In a statement, ACSA chief executive Paul Sadler said the aged care workforce was already experiencing a shortfall and was now approaching crisis, given the pressures of two years of the Covid pandemic.

The new year is bringing unprecedented challenges for the aged care system, and the lesson of the past two years is the government must minimise the risk by planning now.

National cabinet yesterday moved to ease the strain on the overburdened state and territory testing systems but it must now ensure the stretched aged care system isn’t unintentionally pushed to the brink.

The reality of the current greater circulation of Covid in the community is that it’s already resulting in an increase in staff who become Covid-positive or must isolate at home in states and territories with high community transmission.

Providers must have adequate government support to maintain a workforce that can continue providing high-quality care and services and help protect residents, their families and staff, while furloughing Covid-affected staff.

Updated

Chris Minns, the NSW Labor leader, did a doorstop earlier.

Here a few things he had to say:

The truth of the matter is, we do need to live with Covid, but that doesn’t mean that we live without government. There’s an important role for the New South Wales government to run at the moment, in terms of policy development and action.

Now, I think that it’s clear that the government’s decision to scrap QR codes and mask mandates midway through December was the wrong decision. It’s led to a situation where Christmas has been cancelled. It’s had a big impact on the New South Wales economy.

You’ve got a situation where pregnant women are waiting five and six hours to get PCR tests, and it’s clear the government was not prepared for the large increase in numbers over the last six or seven days.

We’re at a delicate point – we’re calling on the NSW premier to be clear with the people of the state; clearly articulate what the plan is. Recognise there’s a role for government in advising the people of the state what decisions need to be made, what their obligations are and what the government’s next moves are.

Chris Minns
Chris Minns: ‘The government was not prepared.’ Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated

Seven players from the Melbourne Stars Big Bash League team have tested positive.

Gunner says there is no end date yet for the mask mandate. It will apply for high schools but not primary schools.

Gunner says 24 people currently in hospital are these none are in ICU.

There are 2787 tests done in the NT yesterday. That is down a third on yesterday. But the cases are up by more than 60%, so 33% reduction in tests but a 60% increase in cases.

There are currently 536 close contacts; 471 have been contacted and [are] isolating; 273 of these have returned a negative test.

Updated

Gunner tells people to “mask up” tonight.

We want you to go out. We want to have as much fun as you can. But we need you to do this as safely as possible. That’s why you need to check in. That’s why we need you to wear a mask at all times while you’re indoors, except when eating, drinking, [and] one-and-a-half metres away from all others.

Updated

NT introduces indoor masks after 60 Covid cases

The Northern Territory will introduce an indoor mask mandate after recording 60 new Covid cases.

The NT chief minister, Michael Gunner, is speaking now:

There are 11 cases that we believe are community transmission.

There are 15 cases which are still under investigation for cases [in] the area we believe one of these people was infectious, but all in the community.

Updated

Hello everyone, this is Cait Kelly. A big thanks to Mostafa for taking us through the morning.

I will be sending off 2021 with you – what a wild, weird year it has been!

First up, the official statement from NSW on ditching the day six PCR test for confirmed cases:

Updated

And with that I will hand over the blog to the ever-capable Cait Kelly. Thanks for reading, and have a happy new year.

Prof Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist from the University of South Australia, has been on ABC News discussing the surge in case numbers, saying that “things are getting out of hand.”

Prof Esteman said the easing of restrictions in NSW likely sparked the surge, and hoped case numbers would peak before coming down in January.

In NSW we are not seeing it going anywhere near the peak yet. So numbers will keep going up at an exponential rate unless something else happens.

Modelling, as least for South Australia, has put the likely hospitalisation rate at 5%. Now, when you are starting to get 20,000 cases a day, that’s an awful lot of people going into hospital every single day. And taking up beds that other patients need.

So I think states and territories are going to struggle ...Yes, Omicron is much, much milder which is a wonderful thing, but with sufficient numbers of cases then you will start getting hospitalisations going up.

And the other thing that no one mentions is the elephant in the room – long Covid.

And we have our politicians saying oh, look it doesn’t matter if cases go up because hospitalisations aren’t. I’m sorry, but it does matter if cases go up because there will be a reasonable proportion of those cases ending up with long-term health problems.

Updated

It appears the ABC’s 7.30 will be gearing back up in 2022 earlier than expected, most likely due to the surge in Covid case numbers:

Updated

The Antipoverty Centre has urged the government to reverse its decision to adopt changes to testing and isolation with regards to close contacts.

It says the changes throw society’s most vulnerable communities under the bus and weren’t made in the name of public health, but for economic reasons.

Jay Coonan of the Antipoverty Centre called the National Cabinet’s decision “heartless” and said it meant the poor will die at “even higher rates than we did last year”:

During soaring cases and rolling lockdowns in 2021 those without paid work were excluded from any financial support.

People in the lowest-paid jobs were confronted with the choice to starve or go to work and risk their own and their loved ones’ health. The results spoke for themselves: people in the poorest parts of the country were nearly four times [more] likely to die of Covid than those in wealthy areas.

With the complete rejection of public health measures to help keep the virus at bay, our governments have unanimously decided that business and industry lobby groups’ concerns are more important than our lives.

Updated

Back to NSW, with Perrottet again urging people not to line up for PCR tests unless a RAT test returns a positive result or people are directed to get tested by NSW Health.

Capacity and wait times have been a key issue this week, and Perrottet has doubled down in asking people to avoid queuing up unless absolutely necessary.

So my message today for people across our state is: if you are not required to be tested with a PCR test, don’t line up, because you will be taking the place of somebody who is required by NSW Health to receive that PCR test.

I understand that’s a change and that will take some time to adjust ... The direction we provided as a government in the circumstances of an unvaccinated population [was] to go out there and get tested.

But today, as we move through this next phase in line with the position of the national cabinet, if you do not need a test, if you are not required to by NSW Health, please do not line up.

Updated

PM announces change to isolation time

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has just issued the following statement – a “national cabinet update”:

Further to National Cabinet on 30 December 2021, and following further consultation with the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Health Officers, leaders have also agreed to remove the requirement for a Day 6 RAT for confirmed cases in isolation.

If confirmed cases remain symptomatic, they should remain in isolation. Anyone with symptoms will continue to seek a PCR test.

Updated

Perrottet maintains NSW in 'strong position'

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet has stepped up for his presser, and has repeated that he thinks the state is in a “strong position” considering its high vaccination rate.

Perrottet says NSW will get through this outbreak on the back of the “effort and spirit of the people of our state”. (Not government policy, apparently.)

I know and understand that many people across our state today are anxious. But just like the challenges of the last two years, we will get through this challenge as well and come out stronger the other side.

And we’ll do that because of the effort and the spirit of the people of our state. We have made enormous sacrifices over the last two years, enormous sacrifices over this year as well, with many people not being able to say goodbye to their loved ones.

It has been an incredibly challenging year, but we stand here today in an incredibly strong position as we head into 2022 because of the efforts and the sacrifices and the great spirit of the people of New South Wales.

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet health minister Brad Hazzard arrive for a press conference on Sydney harbour today.
NSW premier Dominic Perrottet health minister Brad Hazzard arrive for a press conference on Sydney harbour today. Photograph: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Updated

Marshall has addressed why his state is adopting a different definition of close contacts to the rest of the country (except for WA). He says South Australia is a “different phase of the overall disease”.

So, in South Australia now, you’re a close contact if you’re a household or intimate partner, or those two exceptional circumstances in South Australia: if it is related to a vulnerable cohort – for example, an aged care facility [or] Aboriginal community, where there’s no logic in narrowing that down, because those two communities are more likely [to develop] higher-level illness.

And the other one, of course, is where we do have an identified transmission site.

Updated

SA to drop entry testing requirements for domestic travellers

South Australian premier, Steven Marshall, has announced the state has dropped any testing requirements for people looking to enter the state.

He also announced that travellers will no longer need to use the EntryCheck SA app, as well as no longer needing a rapid antigen test before entry.

It was not a good use of our resources at the moment, and so the EntryCheck requirement has been removed. The rapid antigen test requirement has been removed.

But we are asking all of those people coming from interstate into South Australia to observe exactly the same situation that we require of all South Australians, and that is to monitor their symptoms and to take action should they develop any symptoms.

Updated

SA records 2,093 new cases, four deaths

South Australia has reported another record daily increase in case numbers, reporting 2,093 new cases overnight.

Sadly, four deaths were reported.

There are now 44 people in hospital with the virus, with four in ICU.

South Australian premier, Steven Marshall, said the jump in case numbers was “in line with the very steep increases we’re seeing across the country”.

It is a further increase on yesterday, and obviously this would seem to be linked to activities that occurred on or around Christmas Day.

This is one of the reasons why we had to move very, very quickly on Boxing Day to try to slow the growth, the exponential growth, of positive cases here in our state because we know that many of those people ultimately end up in hospital and in ICU.

Updated

Foley has continued, saying that RATs should be widely available and free, and seemingly taking a swipe at the federal government for refusing to do anything about the shortage:

We prioritise those that are most at risk in the community, and we’ll work though those that are most at risk in the economy, the healthcare system.

... $10, $15, $20, sometimes $25 a pop is prohibitive for many families. And we think there’s a really important role for government to lead and to partner with the wider community in the provision of the tests.

We think they should be free. We think they should be widely available.

Updated

Foley says there is a national shortage of RATs

Foley has addressed the discussions around rapid antigen tests today, acknowledging there is a “national shortage” of the tests, and that they are hard to get, regardless of government procurement.

The Victorian health minister is being peppered with questions about the tests, saying he feels for those trying to get their hands on the tests. He says free and accessible tests are important in a pandemic response.

I know the private sector is equally procuring record amounts, and we’ll work closely with all parts of the community to get those rapid antigen tests out as a pillar of our testing system heading into the future.

Victorians have come to I think rightly see testing as a key part of ongoing public health response. Free testing is a critical part of that.

But at the moment we are really facing some challenges right across the country. And we’ll work through those challenges as quickly as we can whilst acknowledging the frustrations that that is creating for families and Victorians for a while.

Updated

Queensland records 3,118 new cases

Queensland has seen a huge jump in case numbers, reporting 3,118 new cases overnight.

A man in his 50s is in the ICU with the Delta variant.

There are now 11,697 active cases in the state.

Updated

Weimar says some Melbourne testing sites to close due to heat

Victoria’s Covid-19 commander, Jeroen Weimar, has warned that the severe heat Melbourne is facing today and tomorrow will affect health staff taking PCR tests, and has asked people to avoid getting tested if possible.

He said authorities are doing a “site by site assessment” in light of the forecast heatwave, with temperatures in Melbourne looking to peak at 38C today.

We’re expecting to peak temperatures of 38 degrees in Melbourne and in other parts of the state.

As a result of course, we are doing a site by site assessment of our testing system where we particularly have outdoor testing facilities. We are closing some of those sites as the temperature in those parts starts to rise.

You’ll appreciate of course that our staff have been out there for weeks and months on end ... in full PPE, and the temperature in our outdoor testing tents is increasingly 10 degrees above the ambient temperature outside. Equally we do not want to see people waiting for long hours in cars in exceptionally hot weather.

So please, you only need to get a PCR if you have symptoms or if you have tested positive on a rapid antigen test.

A drive-through Covid-19 testing site in Melbourne’s Albert Park.
A drive-through Covid-19 testing site in Melbourne’s Albert Park. Photograph: Con Chronis/EPA

Updated

Cricket Australia has released a statement which outlines that batter Travis Head will remain in Melbourne, and that he will not be available for the fourth test:

Australian batsman Travis Head has tested positive to Covid-19 following a routine PCR test.

Head is asymptomatic and will remain in Melbourne and isolate with his partner for seven days in line with Victorian Government Health requirements.

He will be unavailable for selection for the fourth Vodafone men’s Ashes Test, starting at the SCG on January 5.

The remainder of the Australian squad, their families and the support staff have undergone PCR and RAT tests this morning.

Both the Australian and England squads are expected to separately travel to Sydney as planned today.

As a precautionary measure Mitchell Marsh, Nic Maddinson and Josh Inglis have joined the Australian squad as additional cover.

Updated

Foley says a third of cases in Victoria are Omicron

Victorian health minister Martin Foley has stepped up for the daily Covid update, and has said that roughly a third of new cases in the state have contracted the Omicron variant.

He says he expects the new variant will become the vast majority of cases in the “near future”.

The minister also confirmed that the state had adopted the new close contact definition set out after national cabinet yesterday.

Updated

CA confirms Travis Head has tested positive

Building on the below reports, Cricket Australia have confirmed that batter Travis Head has tested positive.

Mitch Marsh, Nic Maddinson and Josh Inglis have been added to the squad in the interim.

In a statement, CA have said Head is asymptomatic and that they hope he will be available for the fifth test:

As part of our testing procedures, we are PCR testing players, their families and our support staff daily.

Unfortunately, Travis returned a positive Covid-19 result earlier today.

Thankfully, he is asymptomatic at this stage. We anticipate that he will be available to play in the fifth Vodafone men’s Ashes Test in Hobart.

We are grateful to our exceptional medical staff for all the work they have done throughout this series and we will continue to work with and support the players, their families and staff from both teams.

Updated

Reports are emerging of an Australian batter testing positive, meaning the virus has now infected both Ashes camps in the lead up to game four.

The Australian is reporting the Australian side have delayed their flight to Sydney amid reports of the diagnosis.

The flight was due at 12.35pm, but has been delayed as authorities scramble to work out if other players have been infected.

The English side has already seen seven positive cases among their camp.

It comes after reports of 14 cases among the Melbourne Stars team.

Chant says actual case numbers likely to be higher than reported

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has given a video update, and said that while case numbers are currently very high, it is “likely” actual case numbers are higher:

Whilst we’re reporting 21,151 cases in the community, it is likely that the case numbers are higher than that.

There is a lot of transmission of Covid occurring in our community and so the risk of transmission and acquiring Covid is high.

Updated

NSW Health updates hospitalisation figures

NSW Health has deleted and re-uploaded their Covid figures this morning, changing the number of people in hospital.

The initial figure had it at 763 in hospital, which represented a small jump over yesterday’s numbers.

But the updated number is 832, a significant jump in hospitalisations.

The number of hospitalisations yesterday was 747, which means there were 85 new hospitalisations overnight, not the initially reported 16.

NSW Health has tweeted the latest figure without providing any comment on the issue, so it is unclear where the mixup comes from.

Updated

Lastly, this is what the AHPPC recommended about isolation and quarantine requirements “in a high case-load environment”:

In a high case-load environment, there is a need for a modified, risk-based approach to quarantine and isolation settings. AHPPC advises that the isolation period for Covid-19 cases should be standardised regardless of vaccination status to a length of 7 days.

Household contacts or those identified as being at risk of significant transmission should quarantine for 7 days after last exposure to a case regardless of vaccination status and then, subject to a negative test on day 6, monitor for symptoms for a further 7 days and repeat testing if these occur. Other contacts who have been potentially exposed to a case but who are at lower risk of infection should monitor for symptoms and have RAT or PCR test if these occur.

All contacts should wear a mask when outside home, monitor symptoms and avoid visiting high risk settings for 14 days following exposure to reduce their risk of transmission to others. If RAT tests are positive, these should be followed by a positive PCR test to confirm the diagnosis.

You can read the full statement here.

Updated

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) says the existing settings for testing were “placing considerable pressure on available laboratory resources”. Its statement says:

In a higher caseload environment where resources are strained, public health resources and clinical vigilance need to be directed to identification of cases most at risk of infection and/or severe disease, and settings where there are people at risk of severe disease.

And here’s what the AHPPC says about the management of contacts of Covid-19 cases (note it goes beyond household contacts to allow for possibility of workplace contacts if there’s a high transmission event):

Detailed follow up of individual cases and identification of all individuals with whom they have been in contact is not possible with high caseloads. Given significant levels of population exposure and consequent disruption to social and business functioning, it is also not desirable if large numbers of contacts are quarantined. Therefore, household or household-like contacts are the key group who should be required to quarantine as these individuals are the most likely to develop disease.

These will be defined, except in exceptional circumstances, as those who usually live with or who have stayed in the same household as a case during their infectious period ...

In addition, where a significant transmission event has been documented those who were at this site or venue may be determined to be close contacts. This may include worksites.

The advice further adds:

There is still risk of transmission based on the nature of exposure for other contacts (such as in social, educational or workplace settings) who have had less extensive exposure to a case ... This group will not be required to quarantine, except in exceptional circumstances, and may be required to undertake other behaviours to decrease their risk of transmission to others.

The AHPPC also says that for the effective control of outbreaks, “different management approaches will be needed for contacts in closed, high-transmission settings”, particularly where vulnerable individuals are concerned, such as residential aged care facilities and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Updated

AHPPC says changes to testing, tracing, isolating and quarantining are 'pragmatic'

The health advice that went to national cabinet yesterday argues the changes to testing and close contact definitions are “pragmatic” in “a high case environment and the living with Covid policy approach”.

A statement by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) - which brings together all state and territory chief health officers and is chaired by Australia’s chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly - was published overnight. It includes a lot more nuance than Morrison’s comments at the post-national cabinet press conference.

It is also interesting how the expert health panel justifies the changes, pointing to issues with community adherence and economic recovery. The AHPPC notes “current and expected future high caseloads necessitate a change in public health actions including policies and processes for test, trace, isolate and quarantine (TTIQ) to support public health sustainability, social cohesion and economic recovery”.

The advice says the effectiveness of TTIQ declines as case numbers in Australia increase:

The AHPPC acknowledges that public health efforts may not identify considerable numbers of cases and may not manage a significant proportion of the transmission risk. Public health efforts will be required to focus on highest risk and rely on individuals and workplaces to manage their own risk.

Consequently, the AHPPC stresses that the proposed changes will likely limit the ability of TTIQ to suppress transmission of COVID-19 at a population level but taking a focused outbreak approach can reduce the impact on the most vulnerable in our community.

Updated

Welfare recipients should get free access to rapid antigen tests, according to the Australian Council of Social Service, which has branded the federal government’s failure so far to adopt such a measure as “irresponsible and callous”.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, said yesterday the government would not be making the rapid tests free, though he said “concessional” arrangements for those on low incomes and pensioners were being worked on. He did not give further details.

The Acoss president Peter McNamara said on Friday:

We are very concerned that people relying on income support payments just can’t afford $70 for a rapid antigen test kit, leaving them unable to assess their risk from Covid-19 for themselves, their families and the community.

It is irresponsible and callous of the federal government to fail to make provision for up to three million people already struggling to survive below the poverty line. Especially when we have evidence that people living in the lowest socioeconomic group have experienced almost four times as many Covid-19 deaths as people in the highest income group.

We know that the hardest hit by Covid-19 and all variants are people who are homeless, people with disabilities, First Nations people, especially those who live remotely, the elderly [and] single parent households.

McNamara also called for “greater clarity of information from the NSW and Victorian governments” on how people in these states can access free rapid antigen tests.

Those states initially said they would provide rapid tests for free, but were contradicted by Morrison’s announcement yesterday that no such policy would be adopted.

Updated

The Omicron variant has “created a significant speed bump for the economy” due to problems with testing and staff shortages, BIS Oxford Economics’ chief economist for Australia, Sarah Hunter, says.

But she says the rollout of vaccines and boosters means health outcomes are a lot better than last year and the chances of a return to hard lockdowns has been reduced.

“The reintroduction of some rules and restrictions will weigh on consumer spending,” Hunter said.

The challenges around test results and travel is a very tangible example of this, and some people may not feel comfortable going to settings that are likely to be crowded.

We’re also starting to see the impact on some businesses, where staff shortages are being created because individuals are having to go into isolation due to contracting Covid or being a close contact.

She said similar effects have been felt in the UK and Europe, where countries have been forced to relax isolation rules to keep essential services including healthcare and the food supply operating.

Despite soaring case numbers globally, very few countries have had to revert to a hard lockdown to protect their healthcare system, and so the drag on the economy will be much less pronounced than earlier in the pandemic.

... The vaccine is also a key reason why consumers and businesses feel more confident about the outlook. The protection it provides gives people confidence to at least start to return to normal, through increased travel, spending on services etc, and this response will also be a critical driver of positive momentum through the first few months of 2022.

Updated

Testing sites in SA close due to extreme heat

Sixteen testing sites across South Australia have had to shut down for part of the day today due to severe heat.

A number of metropolitan sites will be closed for a majority of the day, opening between 6.30am and 10.30am, and then again between 5.30pm and 8.30pm. These hours are expected to remain the same on Saturday as the heat persists.

The temperature is forecast to hit 39C on Friday and 37C on Saturday. With the state maintaining its reliance on PCR tests, these reduced hours will no doubt affect wait times at testing sites.

Updated

Tasmania records 137 new cases

Tasmania has set a new record for daily cases, reporting 137 new infections overnight.

There are currently 520 active cases in the state, with zero patients currently in ICU with the virus.

Health program director at Grattan Institute, Stephen Duckett, was on Sky News this morning, and labelled the federal government’s move to redefine a close contact as a “political decision”, not a public health decision.

Duckett said the changes had “nothing” to do with transmissibility, and everything to do with “managing PCR testing facilities”:

The reason they chose to change the definition of a close contact was nothing to do with transmissibility.

In fact it’s the reverse of what should have been done if you’re worried about transmission.

Omicron is more transmissible, not less transmissible, it’s more transmissible than Delta.

What it was about was managing the PCR testing facilities; in my case I waited in line longer than I had been exposed.

So it was entirely about managing the testing. Nothing about the risk to the whole population.

Updated

China’s foreign ministry has responded to reports that the Australian Department of Defence has not recommended scrapping a Chinese company’s long-term lease over the Port of Darwin.

Earlier this week, the Australian newspaper reported that a Defence review had found there were no national security grounds sufficient to recommend a government intervention to overturn the 99-year lease to Chinese company Landbridge. The newspaper reported the cabinet’s national security committee had not yet taken any action, because there was no formal recommendation from Defence for a national security intervention, but the Morrison government was still reviewing the matter.

The Australian government has yet to formally confirm the outcome. But when asked about the report, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, told a regular press conference in Beijing overnight:

“The economic and trade cooperation between China and Australia is mutually beneficial and win-win in nature. The Chinese government encourages Chinese enterprises to conduct investment cooperation overseas in line with market principles, international rules and local laws.

“Australia should stop overstretching the concept of national security and provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises operating in the country.”

In response to another question about closer cooperation between Australia and Japan, including over China’s growing military pressure against Taiwan, Zhao told the press conference: “What we need in the Pacific is the joint efforts of countries in the region to uphold peace, not attempts to drum up the so-called ‘threat’ theories or stir up trouble. All moves against the tide are doomed to fail.”

Updated

Queensland police: Don't party too hard tonight

Talk about party poopers.

Queensland police acting chief superintendent Chris Stream was on the Today show on Channel 9 this morning, urging NYE revellers to go easy tonight.

“Don’t party too much – it’s been a hard year for many people,” he said, paradoxically.

Plan ahead. Watch your alcohol consumption in relation to the Covid-safe deployments.

We ask you to maintain masks and physical distancing.

If you’re going to areas and it’s crowded and you can’t physically distance, look for another area.

Yesterday, NSW police took a similar stance, saying they will be launching their usual crowd control operation, and will be monitoring “responsible activity on the road”.

NSW police minister Paul Toole yesterday said police would be “out in force”:

Police will be out in force on our roads and at events, not just in Sydney, but right across the state to make sure everyone rings in the new year safely.

Updated

In some perhaps mildly positive news, the South African government has announced overnight that the country has “passed its Omicron peak”.

The New York Times is reporting the South African Medical Research Council saying the peak of cases took four weeks, and began declining in two weeks.

Fareed Abdullah, from the council, said its speed was “staggering”.

The speed with which the Omicron-driven fourth wave rose, peaked and then declined has been staggering.

Peak in four weeks and precipitous decline in another two. This Omicron wave is over in the city of Tshwane. It was a flash flood more than a wave.

He said the rise in deaths over that period was small, and in the last week was “marginal”.

Now obviously, there are many, many caveats to add to this, including differences in vaccine uptake, infectious spread, government policy and so on, but there is at least some light somewhere in the world.

It is also worth pointing out that the Omicron variant’s spread in South Africa preceded Australia’s, peaking at more than 23,000 cases a day in mid-December.

But cases have been falling for two weeks, currently averaging 11,500 cases a day.

Updated

I would like to break up the pretty bad news with someone pulling a wheelie at a press conference yesterday:

I have to agree, more wheelies at press conferences please.

Updated

Adding to those numbers, I wanted to list here the hospitalisations.

NSW reported another 16 hospitalisations overnight, with 69 people currently in the ICU.

Victoria reported 32 hospitalisations overnight, with 54 people still in ICU.

Updated

Victoria records 5,919 new cases and seven deaths

Victoria has also reported an increase in case numbers, this time reporting 5,919 new cases – up from 5,137 yesterday.

Sadly, seven people died overnight.

Updated

NSW reports record 21,151 new Covid cases and six deaths

Another daily record for NSW, and another significant jump in Covid cases, with 21,151 locally acquired infections overnight.

There was also a jump in deaths, with six people sadly losing their lives.

Updated

South Australia refuses to adopt new close contact definition

So, it appears South Australia will resist the changes to the definition of close contact the national cabinet agreed to yesterday.

In a Facebook post earlier this morning, the premier, Steven Marshall, lays out his government’s definition of close contacts. Marshall says a close contact will be a:

  • Household and household-like contacts and intimate partners.
  • Those who have been in a setting where there has been significant transmission of Covid-19 (and there has been greater than 15 minutes face-to-face contact).
  • Those in high-risk communities/settings/workplaces where someone has tested positive to Covid-19 (and there has been greater than 15 minutes of face-to-face contact).

That is different to the definition introduced by Morrison, under which a close contact is someone who lives with or has been in a “household-like” situation with a confirmed Covid-19 case for at least four hours.

Marshall also refused to drop the reliance on PCR tests, saying close contacts will still need to get an “initial” PCR test and another one on day 6, or “immediately if symptoms develop”.

Yesterday, Morrison had said a RAT was enough for close contacts to be able to tell if they were still positive or not.

South Australia joins Western Australia as seemingly the only two states refusing to adopt the new changes.

Updated

So, I wanted to just zero in on the conversations surrounding rapid antigen tests this morning.

Chief executive of Pathology Technology Australia, Dean Whiting, told the Guardian all providers want is clarity.

It doesn’t matter to us whether they’re free, subsidised or other some other thing.

What we as an industry have been more concerned about is having a clear role for rapid testing in managing infections, in keeping the economy going and in keeping people safe.

In a sense I don’t think we really care if they are free or not in terms of supply of the tests, as long as there is a clear position from governments on the role of the tests. The industry doesn’t have a position because we sell to the government for market price and we don’t care if they are free or not.

I am on the record saying that if they were free it would improve access and equity in testing and access to tests. But that isn’t a point about market supply.

President of the Pharmacy Guild, Trent Twomey, also told the Guardian they had not been lobbying:

So our representation to them [the federal government] has always been that there needs to be a hybrid system, because it may only be $10 or $15 a test and yes, that may be a lot cheaper than a PCR test.

But $10 or $15 per person per household twice in a seven-day period is still not affordable for some low-income earners.

This, of course, all comes after Scott Morrison told reporters yesterday the reason RATs aren’t free is due to suppliers’ “concerns.”

You can read more on this with reporting from Michael McGowan, Ben Butler and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the link below:

Updated

Good morning

Good morning and happy New Year’s Eve to all. Mostafa Rachwani here with you to take you through the morning’s news.

We begin with the prime minister Scott Morrison, who yesterday announced changes to the definition of close contacts after a national cabinet meeting. The changes include shortening isolation periods for positive cases and restricting close contacts to someone who has been with a confirmed case in a home-like setting for more than four hours.

The changes became active from midnight last night, with thousands now free to leave isolation. The new definition comes with a new standard for testing so that close contacts need to only get a rapid antigen test, with the hopes this will ease congestion on PCR testing sites.

It comes after Morrison refused to provide rapid antigen tests for free to the general public, citing concerns by suppliers.

But industry groups have denied pressuring federal and state authorities to abandon a commitment to provide free kits.

More than 21,300 new Covid cases were reported yesterday across Australia, a new daily record for the country, with multiple states reporting record numbers.

Meanwhile, New Year’s Eve plans appear to be going ahead in major cities, with some authorities in Melbourne and Sydney encouraging revellers to come out for the occasion, in spite of surging case numbers.

Updated

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