Hello, there's 10 days 'til Christmas and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of the news you need to know about.
One thing you should know
States and territories are forging ahead with plans to ease restrictions on travel and gatherings ahead of Christmas, despite COVID-19 cases surging in multiple jurisdictions.
Lots of changes were announced all over the shop today, so here's the quickest version I can wrangle for you:
- South Australia has halved its quarantine period for international arrivals from 14 days to seven days, effective immediately
- As of today in NSW, there's no limit to the number of people allowed in your home, at outdoor public gatherings and at hospitality venues
- Also in NSW, the majority of close contacts of positive cases will no longer have to isolate for a week — just until they get a negative PCR test result — unless you live in the same household as a case, that isolation period remains seven days minimum
- There's a bit of confusion over masks though — the NSW government says you don't have to wear them in most settings, but Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant says she wants people to keep them on
- Western Australia doesn't want a bar of any of it — its state government is reclassifying NSW as an "extreme risk" jurisdiction from Saturday, making it even harder for NSW travellers to enter WA
- The NT has backflipped on a recently-announced border rule, meaning that, from Monday, tourists and returning residents arriving in the territory won't be confined to "high-vaccination" areas
- Fully vaccinated close contacts of Omicron COVID cases will only be required to quarantine for seven days in the ACT, instead of 14
- The ACT also announced there would no longer be restrictions on interstate travel to the ACT, except for close contacts of interstate cases
- Victorians will no longer need to show their vaccination status at non-essential retail outlets, except salons. Masks must still be worn for indoor retail
- Queensland health authorities overturned a decision to quarantine two entire plane-loads of passengers over Christmas, after it was discovered that both planes were carrying COVID-positive passengers, however, those people sitting close to the cases must stay in quarantine
- Oh, yeah, and Tasmania's border opened today too.
So, a lot happened in the COVID-19 space today. It can be overwhelming, but if you want to catch up on the day's developments as they happened, have a scroll back through the COVID live blog.
What else is going on
- David Warner has been cleared to play in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide, despite a rib injury that kept him from the field for much of the first Test, and captain Pat Cummins has also locked in fast bowler Jhye Richardson as a replacement for the injured Josh Hazlewood
- The renewed search for missing toddler William Tyrrell has ended on the NSW Mid North Coast. The toddler was last seen playing in a Spider-Man suit outside his foster grandmother's home seven years ago.
News alerts you might have missed
- Steph Curry has broken the NBA's record for 3-pointers, scoring his 2,974th against the Knicks. Ray Allen previously held the record for a decade
- The US has now passed 800,000 deaths from COVID-19, the highest reported death toll in any country. There have been 5.3 million deaths worldwide
Not signed up for ABC News alerts and want updates like these in real-time? Head to the ABC News app homepage ➡️ Settings ➡️ Notifications and tailor your alerts to what you want to know.
What Australia has been searching for online
- Michael Slater. The former Test cricketer was arrested today after allegedly breaching an apprehended violence order overnight. He was earlier charged with stalking and harassment offences over an alleged domestic violence incident in October
- Haiti explosion. At least 75 people have died in a petrol tanker explosion in the city of Cap-Haitien, which left many more injured. It's understood the truck was trying to avoid a motorcyclist when it rolled, and locals were running towards the truck when it exploded in flames.
One more thing
You might recognise Charles Brice from ABC News Breakfast — but did you notice he's been away the past couple of weeks?
Charles tested positive for COVID-19 after a trip to Melbourne, and has given us a look into what his experience with the virus was really like. Here's a snippet:
"Although I am a fit, 31-year-old, having added complexities of a high-level spinal cord injury meant that I was to spend the next two weeks at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
"... My symptoms were mild, which the medical team credited to being double-vaccinated.
"But with already reduced lung capacity and lack of diaphragm, the first 48-hours was a nerve-racking time and the unknown and isolation just magnified it."
You're up to date
Thanks for reading.
ABC/wires
