Get up to speed on all the coronavirus news from across Australia.
Look back on all of Saturday's updates as they happened in our live blog.
Key events
- Western Australia records 257 local cases, no hospitalisations
- NT COVID-19 patients in hospital remain at 127, with two now in intensive care
- ACT records 40 hospitalisations, two in ICU - no deaths
- One death and 12 hospitalisations reported in Tasmania
- VIC records 20 deaths, 365 hospitalisations, 6,280 cases
- NSW records 12 deaths, 1,297 hospitalisations, 7,615 positive tests
Live updates
By Caitlyn Davey
Cases, hospitalisations and deaths
For a detailed breakdown of cases across the country, check out Charting the Spread.
This post will be updated throughout the day as numbers are announced, so if your state or territory is not mentioned, check back later
VIC: 20 deaths, 365 hospitalisations, 55 of which are in ICU and 6,280 new cases
NSW: 12 deaths, 1,297 hospitalisations, 81 of which are in ICU and 7,615 new cases
TAS: One death, 12 hospitalisations, two of which are in ICU and 585 new cases
ACT: No deaths, 40 hospitalisations, two of which are in ICU and 355 new cases
QLD: 10 deaths, 414 hospitalisations, 36 of which are in ICU and 4,919 new cases
NT: No deaths, 127 hospitalisations, two of which are in ICU and 835 new cases
WA: No deaths, no hospitalisations and 257 new cases
SA: Two deaths, 182 hospitalisations, 12 of which are in ICU and 1,336 new cases
By Caitlyn Davey
Auf Wiedersehen
And that's a wrap people. So we say so long, farewell and good bye.
You can stay up to date with COVID news here.
And tune in again tomorrow for more COVID blog - I'll see you then!
By Caitlyn Davey
Inside Victoria's quarantine facility
These actually look pretty snazzy! Plenty of room to whip out your yoga mat too.
By Caitlyn Davey
Two deaths, 182 hospitalisations in South Australia
A woman in her 70s and a man in his 60s have both died with COVID-19 in South Australia.
The state has reported 1,336 new cases, a drop from yesterday of 143 cases.
182 people are in hospital, up five from yesterday, and 12 people are in ICU.
By Caitlyn Davey
Striking a balance
Some really interesting insight coming in - it's great to hear different perspectives on the restrictions.
Dear 'How long though': I appreciate your point of view and willingly acknowledge the mental health effects for young people - but it has had mental health effects on the elderly too. We have been prevented from spending time with loved ones. While we open up and you party, just remember, we were not born old, and one day you will be old and will thank the young ones for their understanding and compassion. So, many thanks to all the younger people who have made many sacrifices to keep us all safe. May you have better times in the near future.
-another view
I guess more of a question for concerned, Diana et al. - Do you suggest that large scale events (i.e. sports, concerts) be cancelled forever and that masks indoors be required indefinitely?
-Randy Savage
We need to start asking the question now of when can we start going back to a normal life? COVID is not going anywhere, and that really sucks, but when is the day that we decide we need to start living with it? It has been 2 years now, and you know what, I hate not being able to see the faces of my co-workers and friends, its mentally and emotionally exhausting.
What is the solution?
Reading through all the comments today and feels like everyone thinks it's only one way or another to get through this pandemic but why can't it be a compromise? Even if the rules and restrictions are relaxed it does mean you should stop social distancing and hand hygiene. It doesn't mean you can wear a mask anymore. I know I still carry mine around. I was enjoying a outdoor concert yesterday and still wore my mask when walking into and out of the venue because of the crowd. But live music is one of the few things that has kept me alive through my 30 year depression. Being a Melbournian these lockdown's were hard (I compley supported them though) and sent me suicide for being home 24/7. For people to call music, sports, etc. a frivolous fun and not important is really dismissive of how much these social interactions mean to people's mental health. We need to find a balance in having life go back to normal but also still taking as much precaution to protect the vulnerable.
-Fine balance
By Caitlyn Davey
Western Australia is reopening to the world. These are the rules you'll need to follow
Western Australia's border is finally coming down.
Two years into the pandemic, travel freedoms taken away long ago will return — with interstate and international borders to open early next month.
But the reopening will be accompanied by new restrictions designed to keep a lid on a growing Omicron outbreak in the state.
So, how will it all work?
When do the borders open?
On 12:01am on Thursday March 3, WA's hard border will be removed.
Interstate and international arrivals will be allowed to enter the state without having to quarantine.
But things will not return to how they were pre-pandemic. Some limitations will still be in place.
By Caitlyn Davey
A positive outcome from lockdowns
Here's a bit of an unusual positive about the whole pandemic, I struggle with agoraphobia and because of lockdowns it's actually helped increase the knowledge and compassion from people around me.
-The call is coming from inside the house
Now that people have experienced being stuck in a house and having to find out how to live that way, I've found that idk, people are more accepting of my condition.
The whole lockdown/fear of corona/restrictions definitely slowed the pace of my therapy down but I've gained in other ways.
Glad to hear it's helped someone somehow...
By Caitlyn Davey
Western Australia's active cases stand at 877
Today's figure of 257 local cases includes 11 self-reported RATs. There are also five travel-related positive cases.
By Caitlyn Davey
Western Australia records 257 local cases, no hospitalisations
By Caitlyn Davey
Canadian police arrest protesters, haul away trucks in a bid to end Freedom Convoy
Fearing escalation or violence, Ottawa police had sought to disperse them with fines and threats of possible arrest, but on Friday hundreds of officers moved in despite the frigid temperature and freshly fallen snow, slowly clearing one part of the city.
Dozens of trucks still occupy the downtown area, but there are fewer now due to several leaving when the arrests began.
Police have also arrested the three most prominent organisers, two on Thursday and one on Friday.
Protesters being starved out
"We will run this operation 24 hours a day until the residents and community have their entire city back," Steve Bell, Ottawa's interim police chief, told reporters.
Officers set up 100 roadblocks near the protest site to deny people access and starve them of food and fuel.
Police said they towed away 21 vehicles on Friday.
Commenting on the arrest of its leaders, Freedom Convoy 2022, an umbrella group representing the protesters, said: "We will continue to hold the line. We refuse to bow to abuses of power. The world is watching, Canada."
After a night of heavy snow, protesters with shovels erected a chest-high snow bank on Wellington Street outside parliament and positioned themselves behind it as they waved Canadian flags and Freedom Convoy posters.
Police have been driving the protesters toward parliament, clearing territory along the way.
By Caitlyn Davey
Back to your comments
There's no easy answer to striking a balance on restrictions versus protecting our vulnerable community, so here are some more comments from both sides.
Hearing a lot of discussion about mask wearing in offices.
-Close contact
I’m a healthcare worker and over the past week I was identified as a close contact after working in a shared office space with a confirmed positive staff member for more than 4 hours.
Thankfully have tested negative and now cleared from isolation but I’m certain that us all wearing masks all day (as uncomfortable as this can be) certainly helped stopped the spread in this situation).
I get the arguments that are echoed in this blog today, and also the last few days. But as someone who's life has been impacted for two years in order to protect the elderly and vulnerable when am I allowed to begin to enjoy everything again? I’ve sacrificed two of my years in my mid 20’s. I for the most part of that haven’t been able to meet people my age at clubs, go to cultural or sporting events easily or even have a stable start to my professional career - while working next to my roommate at the kitchen table because obviously we don’t have our own WFH facilities.
Why do I have to continue to burden the load on my shoulders all the time?
-How long though
I have to agree with some of the recent comments - despite indoor mask wearing and being boosted I have still reduced my social events. I totally get it that people are sick and tired of wearing a mask and so forth - but really in the scheme of things it's not that much of an imposition.
-Mary
I am tired of explaining to others why I wont go out and about as much (epsecially those who have not had aged parents in RACF and encountered their lockdowns etc). I just find some people are very dismissive unless you meet their mandate rather than being supportive of the wider community.
The elderly and vulnerable population were long forgotten about well before covid.
-Try and do the right thing
How long are we supposed to stay locked down for? This is not a life for anyone. I’m in melb, weve done the million lockdowns, the vaccinated economy.
I’m boosted, my kids have had their first dose. We wash our hands, wear masks and be as sensible as we can. Covid isn’t going anywhere
Re concerned's comment
-Diana
Concerned says "what if we didn’t drop restrictions? When would we? Would be be living with restrictions forever? Covid certainly doesn’t seem like it will go away. These are the tough questions."
Nobody is suggesting keeping all restrictions (eg lockdowns), but is being able to dance in a crowded club, or see live rather than televised football, of more value than the ability of a vulnerable person to go to shops without putting their health at risk, or of more value than the life of an vulnerable person? Is wearing a mask in shops harder than living with long Covid, or harder than burying a relative that died before 'their time'?
Concerned is right - covid is here to stay. So how about accepting that life can't be the same as it was pre-Covid, and that 'fun' activities that attract large crowds/packed have to be sacrificed, rather than saying that lives have to sacrificed.
Mark McGowan’s government in WA is the one that has shown the most compassion for the vulnerable and elderly (including our indigenous people) by far. And yet he has been vilified, persecuted, and relentlessly trolled by the media and on social media. This is probably the reward for putting health and welfare ahead of the rights of those who want to travel, party and do what they like regardless of the social cost.
-Sandgroper
Probably why other states haven’t done it.
By Caitlyn Davey
China's case count rises
Mainland China reported 137 new confirmed coronavirus cases on February 18, the country's national health authority said on Saturday, up from 87 a day earlier.
Of the new cases, 80 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, compared with 40 a day earlier. These included 46 cases in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia.
The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, was 37, compared with 45 a day earlier.
There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 4,636.
By Caitlyn Davey
A worldwide supply chain shortage is doing weird things to the used car market
It used to be the case that a vehicle lost value as soon as a buyer took it out of the car yard, but a prolonged supply chain shortage in the car industry means selling an old car could be surprisingly lucrative.
Gary Fitch, director of sales at John Hughes, one of Perth's largest car dealerships, says it's the weirdest time he's ever experienced in decades of buying and selling cars.
"Because it's been going now for nine to 12 months I've got used to it, but certainly, we've never seen anything like this before," he said.
Used cars are now in hot demand as the supply chain shortages in the new car market have sent buyers hunting in the second-hand market for their preferred vehicle.
"There's a massive shortage of new cars," Mr Fitch said, adding that his firm has 3,000 orders for new cars waiting to be delivered.
"Most people are waiting six to 12 months for a new car to arrive, so there has been a shortage of trade-ins and therefore, it's a supply and demand situation."
James Voortman, chief executive of the Australian Automotive Dealers Association, said there had been significant increases in prices in the used car market.
"The numbers we've seen suggests that the increase has been between 10 and 30 per cent," Mr Voortman told Tom Baddeley on ABC Radio Perth.
The shortage of new cars, and subsequent demand for used cars, stem from a shortage of small but essential components and a decision by car makers, taken early in the pandemic, to reduce manufacturing.
"About six months into the pandemic, a lot of manufacturers cut their production, because they expected no-one would be buying new cars because of the dire economic consequences that were being predicted," Mr Voortman said.
"But when it turned out that the economies around the world didn't deteriorate as everyone thought, manufacturers tried to ramp up that supply, and they found that they couldn't get access to these very important microchips.
"There are about 100 to 200 microchips in every car; they govern everything from an engine-management system, to airbags to seats.
"They've been playing catch-up ever since."
By Caitlyn Davey
NT COVID-19 patients in hospital remain at 127, with two now in intensive care
The number of coronavirus patients in Northern Territory hospitals remains the same as yesterday at 127, NT Health said in a statement.
There are 18 patients requiring oxygen, and two patients in the intensive care unit.
In total, 835 new COVID-19 cases have been announced in the NT, 736 of which came from positive from rapid antigen tests (RATs).
Of the new cases, 450 were recorded in the Top End region, 141 in Central Australia, 71 in East Arnhem, 29 in the Big Rivers region, 34 in the Barkly region and 110 are under investigation.
The number of active cases in the NT is about 6,467.
The NT's COVID-19 death toll remains at 14.
By Caitlyn Davey
Ottawa protest arrests rise to 100
Truck drivers protesting against COVID vaccine mandates have been joined in a weeks-long protest by others opposed to government measures against the virus.
Authorities have also towed away about 20 vehicles including large trucks blocking streets outside Canada's parliament.
Police including officers on horseback moved in to break up the protest, and accused some of the demonstrators of using their children as shields.
By Caitlyn Davey
Some more dialogue about vulnerable people
With the other comments regarding older and vulnerable people. I understand the points of view completely, however what if we didn’t drop restrictions? When would we? Would be be living with restrictions forever? Covid certainly doesn’t seem like it will go away. These are the tough questions.
-Concerned
Hi,
Couldn’t agree more with the comments posted by “daughter with elderly parents”.
With further lifting of restrictions I have to ask “who is looking out for those who are more vulnerable to serious outcomes from the virus ?”.
Those of all ages with underlying health conditions seemingly are not a priority when it comes to decision makers.
The vulnerable can only do so much to protect themselves however if they want or need to venture out from their homes they are also reliant on other people protecting them to by way of wearing masks, social distancing, hand hygiene and getting vaccinated including boosters.
Lifting restrictions then places further restrictions on our most vulnerable people, as to mitigate their risk they are in effect forced into “self lockdown”.
Is that fair ??
-Cheryl Ashman,
By Caitlyn Davey
South Australia's election campaign officially begins, the first in the country since Omicron
The South Australian election campaign is officially underway.
South Australian voters will go to the polls in 28 days and will be the first in the country to pass judgement on a government since the Omicron wave.
Will they reward Steven Marshall's Liberal government for steering them through the pandemic? Or will reopening regrets come back to bite?
The pandemic has brought enormous change for most Australians but it's helped guarantee stability for incumbent governments.
Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, the ACT and Tasmania have all returned sitting premiers and first ministers to office at polls conducted since the first virus outbreak.
But that was before Omicron.
Throughout 2020 and much of 2021, the South Australian government had won significant plaudits for its management of the pandemic.
It took a cautious approach with restrictions, and allowed public servants in the form of Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens to take a prominent role in both making decisions and helping explain them to the public.
By Caitlyn Davey
Border celebrations for separated West Australian families, but concerns for others
Western Australia's border reopening is being celebrated by divided families and those itching to travel, along with the tourism providers hoping to host them.
By Caitlyn Davey
'No-COVID' policy drags on Hong Kong economy as cases surge
With COVID-19 restrictions cutting too deeply into its bottom line, the restaurant will shut its doors for good on Sunday, another economic victim of the pandemic.
Many fear the worst is yet to come with Hong Kong experiencing its most severe outbreak, and fret the authorities' determination to stick to mainland China’s “zero-tolerance" strategy may prevent it from recovering as a financial and travel hub.
“Even though maybe zero-COVID can be reached, there is still uncertainty on how long it can be maintained and what the cost is of maintaining it,” said Natixis senior economist Gary Ng.
“The biggest risk of Hong Kong in 2022 is that it may be entering the path of basically, if not recession, at least a downward drag in economic growth again while the world begins to normalize,” Ng said.
Hong Kong has seen banks close branches and movie theaters have shut down. The streets of popular shopping and dining districts are lined with shops displaying “for rent” signs. Its international airport is nearly devoid of travellers.
A ban on onsite dining after 6pm, imposed last month, is depriving restaurants of critical dinner and banquet revenues.
Daily new coronavirus cases exceeded 2,000 for the first time on Monday; on Thursday, 6,116 new cases were reported.
Hospitals are becoming overwhelmed so the city is looking into converting hotels and even unoccupied public housing into quarantine areas. But it shows no sign of backing away from matching mainland China’s stringent policies even as the rest of the world learns to live with the coronavirus.
As part of its zero-tolerance strategy, China has locked down entire cities, literally keeping people sequestered in their homes and providing them with food and supplies as they are isolated during extensive testing and contact tracing to quell outbreaks.
But China has many cities. Hong Kong, a former British colony and semi-autonomous region of China, lacks the resources for such a complete lockdown, which would halt virtually all economic activity in the city of about 7.5 million.
And people living in Hong Kong, which was handed over to Communist-ruled China in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” approach, are used to greater freedoms than residents of the mainland. Lockdowns of single buildings or city blocks have raised vehement criticism.
