Pandemic public measures such as lockdown may have made it harder for Australians wanting to quit smoking and even led people to resort to smoking as a way to reduce stress during the early stages of COVID-19. That is the speculation of a group of researchers from the University of Queensland’s Queensland Alliance for Environmental…
Australians Smoke and Vape More During Early Stage of Covid-19, Researchers Say
Queensland to Host Summit to Deal With Lockdown-Driven Migration, Homelessness
The government of Queensland has announced a Housing Summit to deal with several issues plaguing the state’s housing market following an interstate migration boom driven by lockdowns in Australia’s big southern cities. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said an initial roundtable on Sept. 16 will be held followed by the larger Summit in October. “Nothing is more…
Lockdowns Leave Australians Feeling Lonely
More Australians are feeling lonelier now than before the COVID-19 pandemic, new research has found. Telstra’s Talking Loneliness report released on Friday found 27 percent of people experienced loneliness for the first time during the pandemic, while almost half of Australians still feel lonely because of COVID-19 lockdowns. “The pandemic has really disrupted our social…
Good Neighbors Found to Be Important for Good Mental Health
Researchers from Australia have discovered through a nationally-representative survey that living in community-minded neighbourhoods can have a major impact on a person’s mental health. A survey undertaken by Australian National University (ANU) which monitored over 3000 people during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, showed that the social relationships provided within good neighbourhoods protect residents against anxiety,…
Lockdowns Found to Double Risk of Mental Health Symptoms
A group of researchers have conducted an overview of 33 mental health studies of 132,000 people during the first year of the pandemic and found that lockdowns doubled people’s odds of experiencing mental health symptoms. Many studies on mental health have been undertaken but the speed with which they were conducted meant that the research…
Lockdown ‘May Be Popular, but It’s Not Right’: NSW Premier
New South Wales (NSW) Premier Dominic Perrottet is standing by his decision to keep the state open during the Omicron outbreak, despite facing ongoing criticism of his government’s approach to handling the pandemic, which some feared could undermine the premier’s bid to retain seats at the recent by-election. The Liberal-National Coalition government looks set to…
Lockdown ‘May Be Popular, but It Is Not Right’: NSW Premier
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet has persisted in his decision to keep the state open during the Omicron outbreak, despite criticism that his government’s stance would render Liberals unable to secure seats in the election. It comes as the Liberals look set to lose the Sydney seat of Strathfield and the South Coast seat…
More Small Businesses Felt ‘Significantly Impacted’ by COVID-19 Restrictions This Year
Many small businesses in Australia and New Zealand felt that this year had been more disruptive than the last, according to a new report. Financial advisor Findex surveyed over 500 businesses and found that one-third had been “significantly impacted” by COVID-19 restrictions this year, up from one-quarter in 2020. Business confidence for the year ahead…
A First Step Towards Totalitarianism in Australia?
Commentary The scenes at the re-opened Queensland border, after being closed for several months, were almost ecstatic. There were tears, cheers, and smiles when residents crossed the threshold to return to their state of residence. Smiling politicians congratulated themselves, pointing out that the border re-opened on Dec. 13, four days ahead of the previously announced…
Another Step Towards Totalitarianism in Australia?
Commentary The scenes at the re-opened Queensland border, after being closed for several months, were almost ecstatic. There were tears, cheers, and smiles when residents crossed the threshold to return to their state of residence. Smiling politicians congratulated themselves, pointing out that the border re-opened on Dec. 13, four days ahead of the previously announced…
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