Category: MELBOURNE

Working From Home and Mask Restrictions Ease in Victoria

The Victorian state government of Australia has announced an ease to mask restrictions and work from home recommendations from Feb. 25, citing declining COVID-19 hospitalisation rates and increasing third-dose vaccination rates. Masks will still be required at indoor setting for students in Year 3 and above and for early learning workers, staff in transport, medical environments,…


Vic Premier Leans Into Conflict With Federal Government Over International Travellers Vaccination Status

The Australian Federal Government and the Victorian Labor Government are in conflict after the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews flagged that international tourists may need to be triple vaccinated, contradicting the double-dosed decision made by the Coalition. On Feb. 7, the Federal Government announced that borders will open for fully vaccinated international travellers from Feb. 21,…


Aussie Police Hunt Grave Robbers After Human Remains Stolen from Melbourne Cemetery

Australian police are calling for witnesses to come forward after human remains were stolen from Footscray General Cemetery, in Melbourne, in two separate incidents that occurred within a week of each other. Police were first called to the cemetery on Jan. 28 to find the plaque and plasterboards of a mausoleum removed, and partial human remains…


Melbourne Braces for Dangerous Thunderstorms; Authorities Exercise Caution

Victorian authorities have issued a warning for very dangerous thunderstorms which could unleash flash flooding in parts of the state after the weather turned wild on Wednesday night. The Bureau of Meteorology sent out a red alert warning for northern and western Melbourne, as well as the southern Macedon Ranges, for severe thunderstorms just before…


Hampered Raducanu Suffers Defeat by Kovinic in Australian Open

MELBOURNE—British teenage tennis star Emma Raducanu was unable to find the solution to her latest Grand Slam puzzle on Thursday, as a combination of a blistered racket hand and an inspired Danka Kovinic derailed her Australian Open plans in the second round. The 17th seed, who rocketed to fame by winning last year’s U.S. Open…


Ash Barty Marks First Nations Day With Easy Win in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia—Ash Barty was front and center when the Australian Open celebrated its inaugural First Nations Day. Albeit not for very long. The top-ranked Barty has Indigenous heritage and her second-round match at Melbourne Park’s main stadium on Wednesday was among the features of a program dedicated to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people…


Osaka Pulls out of Melbourne Semi-Final

MELBOURNE—Top-seeded Naomi Osaka pulled out of her Melbourne Summer Set 1 WTA event semi-final against Veronika Kudermetova on Saturday, citing the intensity of recent games as cause for her withdrawal. “Sad to withdraw due to injury from my match today, my body got a shock from playing back to back intense matches after the break…


Victoria Orders 34 Million Rapid Antigen Tests

Victorians will get 34 million free rapid antigen tests by the end of January. On the same day the state posted its highest COVID-19 daily infection tally, with 3,767 new cases, the state government announced it will ramp up access to at-home tests. “Rapid antigen testing is the way that Victorians can have confidence as…


Aussie Healthcare Workers Could Wear ID Tags in Future Contract Tracing System: Research Trial

The future of COVID-19 contact tracing could see healthcare workers wear electronic ID tags while they work, according to trials underway at Monash University and healthcare provider Alfred Health. Researchers are currently trialling the use of Bluetooth-powered tags at the infectious disease ward at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Mehmet Yuce, associate professor of the…


Aussie Healthcare Workers Could Wear Bluetooth ID Tags in Future Contract Tracing System: Research Trial

The future of COVID-19 contact tracing could see healthcare workers wear electronic ID tags while they work, according to trials underway at Monash University and healthcare provider Alfred Health. Researchers are currently trialling the use of Bluetooth-powered tags at the infectious disease ward at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Mehmet Yuce, associate professor of the…