Tag: Australia COVID-19

Australia’s Delta Strain Outbreak Traced Back to Hotel Quarantine

The outbreak of the highly infectious Indian Delta strain of the CCP virus in the Australian state of Victoria has been traced back to a person who was in hotel quarantine in the state. Acting Premier James Merlino said authorities genomically linked the west Melbourne Delta cluster to a man who arrived in Australia from Sri…


Former Australian PM Calls For Vaccine Passports

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called for vaccine passports to be mandated to increase vaccination rates around Australia. Speaking on ABC radio on Monday, Turnbull said that the Australian government needs to become tougher on vaccines and declared that while you cannot force people to have vaccines, Australia needs to “make it very clear…


Victorian Family that Placed New South Wales on High Alert Has Different Coronavirus Strain

A COVID-positive Victorian family which travelled to parts of southern New South Wales (NSW) has a different coronavirus variant to other people associated with the current Greater Melbourne outbreak, Victorian authorities say. NSW on Thursday extended by a week the stay-at-home order for people who have arrived from Victoria after the southern state lengthened its…


Calls to Expand the Disaster Payments Scheme

Scott Morrison is facing demands from a government MP to expand coronavirus disaster payments to regional areas copping lingering lockdown fallout. The prime minister has announced a new scheme to offer affected workers up to $500 when shutdowns in virus hotspots last longer than one week. With restrictions easing in regional Victoria on Friday, only…


New South Wales Records Zero Cases of COVID-19 but Remains on High Alert

New South Wales has recorded zero cases of the CCP virus 24 hours after the state went on high alert after a potentially infectious Victorian man travelled extensively through the southern regions of the state. The man and his family, who were on a trip to Jervis Bay and Hyam’s Beach, from May 19 to…


Victoria Identifies Further COVID-19 Exposure Sites

Victorian health authorities now have identified 10 exposure sites as they race to contain a Melbourne COVID-19 outbreak. They hope genomic sequencing will establish the source of four new COVID-19 cases among a family in the city’s north. Nando’s Epping and Woolworths Epping North joined Jump! Swim Schools Bundoora and Highpoint Shopping Centre as tier…


Victoria Records 4 More Local Covid-19 Cases

Four new COVID-19 cases have been uncovered among a family in Melbourne’s north, sparking a search for the source of the outbreak. Health Minister Martin Foley confirmed two more people had returned positive coronavirus test results, on top of the two cases revealed earlier on Monday. Health authorities were alerted to the unfolding cluster when…


Victoria Records New Case of COVID-19

Victorian health authorities are confident a Melbourne man picked up COVID-19 during his two weeks in South Australian hotel quarantine. The man in his 30s returned to his home in Wollert, in Melbourne’s north, on Tuesday last week and developed symptoms on Saturday. He has since returned a positive result after testing on Monday, with…


Jail Time for Arrivals From India Part of BioSecurity Act: Chief Medical Officer

Australia’s top medical officer has revealed he did not advise the government to threaten Australians trying to dodge the Indian travel ban with jail. The Morrison government has copped strident criticism from doctors, human rights groups and the Indian-Australian community over the punitive measures. Massive fines or up to five years behind bars are in…


Labor Wants Quarantine Hubs in All States

Labor is demanding the federal government establish purpose-built quarantine centres in each state and territory as hotels continue to house the bulk of people entering Australia despite state governments making proposals for facilities outside capital cities. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese called on the Morrison government to build and run fit-for-purpose quarantine hubs in every jurisdiction….