A near-deserted Bourke Street in the Melbourne CBD on October 20. 5 https://t.co/RbnwQRfFF0, In Melbs we are on high alert again. Despite promising not to re-impose stay-at-home orders, Mr Andrews' second-in-command on Thursday ordered Victorians to wear face masks in all indoor public spaces as part of major changes to the state's social distancing measures. The Sydney suburb of Avalon records an outbreak of Covid-19, after NSW had gone 12 days with zero community transmission. As the Covid years continue we are losing our magical thinking it will go away and not be a changing burden to our life, she says. For most, the threat posed by Covid has eased 92.4% of Australians over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated, and 18% have also had a booster shot. Victorian Covid-19 testing head Jeroen Weimar said four of the new cases on Wednesday were linked to the Ariele apartment complex. People in Melbourne start putting teddy bears in their windows for children to find on daily exercise walks. The 'winter shot': Everything you need to know about getting your next COVID-19 booster, If you catch COVID again, will your symptoms be worse? Published: 01:28 GMT, 23 December 2021 | Updated: 03:32 GMT, 23 December 2021. Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged back into lockdown after a worrying spike in Covid-19 cases today. Sydneysidersare restricted to 5km of home. The state recently reintroduced low-level restrictions in the wake of Omicron, including mask wearing indoors, density limits on hospitality and the banning of indoor dance floors. It's usual to see a lull in public transport use over the summer holidays, and network and road upgrades have caused disruption to some services. [The] big difference is I have no energy for or interest in working, just want to read books and chill. As of this date, the city was expected to be locked down until "late October". The rest of Victoria goes back into lockdown, as Sydney restrictions ease further. Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged into yet another lockdown, as the state government weighs fresh restrictions amid a worrying rise in Covid-19 cases brought in from NSW. Mr Morrison told day that with the arrival of Omicron, and Australia's high vaccination numbers, the government's approach had "shifted gears". If the devastating impact of COVID on aged-care centres is not enough to catalyse meaningful reform in this sector in Australia, then nothing will. Restrictions were the same as Melbourne, but . The NSW government announces that from May 15, the following will be allowed: The Victorian government announces an easing of restrictions, allowing: Time Out announces the winners of the Time In Awards, supporting businesses and organisations that pivoted tonew initiatives during lockdowns. Melbourne has endured the world's longest cumulative time in lockdown, . We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. They have a terrific impact on transmission - that is as true for Omicron as for any variant.'. It's what young people do and we don't begrudge them that," he said. A legal stoush between Federal MP Monique Ryan and her former staffer has devolved into warfare with each side throwing allegations at the other, a court has heard. A new test, the rapid Antigen test which can be done at home has become available. Victoria will not be sent back into lockdown despite a surge in cases linked to the hyper-contagious OmicronCovid strain, the state's deputy premier has vowed. You can find Tuesday's blog here. Life is about to get very difficult for the unvaccinated, Active Cases: serious or critical: 269 (0.1%). Covid-19 case numbers are on the increase across the state with 2,005 new infections and ten deaths reported on Thursday. You don't need to be forced to do it,' he said. Victoria goes into lockdown for the third time. The ship is later linked to up to 900 infections of Covid-19. But for the 40 people Guardian. There will be another pandemic and potentially this will occur sooner than we all would like. COVID 19 11:26am Jun 4, 2022 Took a while for the anxiety to die down to get to this point but now I dont want to do anything else., Richard Chigwin is experiencing his third summer without customers. Masks are now required. Victoria recorded eight new cases on Wednesday, seven of them linked to a returned family and a crew of removalists, who both came into the state from NSW. The Victorian government cancels the F1 Grand Prix, hours before the event. Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said the decision to restrict density limits further was due to the majority of cases about 40 per cent being recorded in people in their 20s, whomake up the majority of hospitality workers. More than 10,000 Australians have now died of Covid-19. Mr Merlino said from 11.59pm on Thursday face coverings would once again be mandatory for patrons at cafes, restaurants and pubs in a bid to stem the spread of the Omicronvariant. Almost everyone who spoke to Guardian Australia said they would feel more comfortable moving around if they had access to free, readily available rapid antigen tests. Hassan Vally does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. The pandemic has highlighted the vital role public health plays in keeping the community safe and healthy, so it needs adequate resources in future. People who have had their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine are being urged to get their second dose as soon as four weeks after, rather than waiting the usual 12 weeks. This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation. But as a wave of Omicron infections wreaks havoc across workplaces and the healthcare system, data suggests Victorians are voting with their feet and staying close to home. #CovidVic. COVID in Victoria: 262 days in lockdown, 3 stunning successes and 4 avoidable failures Published: December 16, 2021 2.11pm EST Hassan Vally Associate Professor, Deakin University Catherine. But for the 40 people Guardian Australia spoke to, it doesnt feel like its over. Many lessons have been learned about engaging the diverse communities of Victoria. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. ABC host Patricia Karvelas said Melbourne residents were "on high alert again". Under new testing changes, those who test positive on a RAT will be considered "probable" cases and must isolate immediately for seven days and notify their contacts. Were very keen to make sure we get a very firm grip of this as soon as we possibly can, Mr Weimar said. Victoria enters its fifth lockdown . 'Wear a mask in an indoor setting. Up to five visitors to a household at any one time. And the Omicron variant, which has ripped through the country since December, appears to result in a less severe illness, in most cases, than previous variants of Covid-19. "And that really untangles that narrative that we had, you know, all the way through 2020 and 2021,where there was this fear, there was the suspicion,that there were other people somewhere else that weren't doing the right thing," he said. Two years of mostly home schooling has given his youngest child, who started kindergarten in 2020, social anxiety, and his older child had a panic attack at the prospect of returning to face-to-face learning. The affected LGAs areWoollahra, Waverley, Randwick, and the City of Sydney, including the CBD. "But generally, for that ordinary day-to-day travel, be that to a workplace or to a friend's house or family, that travel is no longer happening. There are other signs, too, that highlight a shift in focus from enjoying the freedoms of a reopened economyto navigating the pressure causedby the rapid rise in Omicron cases. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. Melbourne COVID testing centres have been busy.Scott McNaughton Mr Morrison said on Tuesday that Australia would not go back into lockdowns, but a recommendation from the country's chief health officers for using masks in indoor settings was "very sensible". National Cabinet agrees that the states will close: Melbourne distiller Gypsy Hub is the first (that we know of) to pivot to making hand sanitiser. Dr Chant said one dose is helpful in protecting against hospitalisation but two doses i even more effective. He owns a series of ecotourism huts in the New South Wales Blue Mountains and lost the 2020 summer holidays to bushfires and 2021 to coronavirus. South Australia has enforced a hard border with residents of Greater Melbourne, as authorities reveal the man at the centre of Melbourne's Covid-19 outbreak likely caught it through aerosol Covid-19: South Australia border closes to Greater Melbourne, report into hotel leak released Two had travelled to Wuhan, China, and the third was a close contact of the two travellers. Most of the population is vaccinated and harsh restrictions have ended. All of which makes me wonder if we are heading towards a summer lockdown. But will it be safer for women? Victoria's health minister hasn't ruled out mask mandates or work-from-home rules after the state's pandemic powers were extended for another three months. As a sole trader, Chigwin wasnt eligible for government support in earlier rounds. But most importantly it kept the community focused on what was needed to bring the virus under control. This is more than simply a language issue. Victoria recorded seven new cases early on Wednesday. Lydia Napoli also works in hospitality in NSW. How did it come to this? pic.twitter.com/YfNptxyua5. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. This is kicking off very quickly. Welcome to the Coronation! NSW records extraordinary 5,715 new cases two days before Queensland Covid cases double AGAIN to 369 as Annastacia Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' For me the risk is too high, she says. The announcement of the restrictions comes a fortnight after density limits and the closure of indoor dancefloors were recommended by the Chief Health Officer as the state headed towards Christmas and New Year celebrations. Whether the period spent in lockdown and the desire to do anything it took to avoid more of the same was a motivating factor, or whether there were other reasons for this, does not really matter. Northcote woman Phoebe* is also feeling a sense of arrested development. , to be implemented by state governments: a ban on non-essential indoor gatherings of 100 or more people (including staff); a ban on outdoor gatherings of 500 or more people to continue in place; people only consider travel when it is essential; strict visitation rules for aged care facilities including a limit of two visitors a day and preferably no children under 16 years of age; social distancing measures of 1.5 metres; and. The fact this didnt happen should make Victorians extremely proud. The bigger question of course will be whether we ever need to rely on hotel quarantine again or whether we have learned the more important lesson about how unsuitable hotels are for containing infectious diseases. Crises expose weaknesses, and theres no doubt the pandemic revealed a number of issues in Victoria. Mr Weimar revealed on Wednesday that the removalists were in Melbourne on a workers' permit but that they did not wear masks inside the apartment building. The health department had been depleted over many years by both sides of politics and it clearly entered the pandemic under-resourced. Melbourne extends sixth virus lockdown Almost seven million people in Melbourne and surrounding Victoria state were scheduled to exit a four-week lockdown on Thursday, but state premier Dan Andrews said it would no longer be possible with case numbers rising by 92 overnight. These include the reasons listed in Victoria, in addition to things like attending weddings or funerals. "Were very keen to make sure we get a very firm grip of this as soon as we possibly can.". The way hotel quarantine was managed in Victoria in the early part of the pandemic can only be described as a mess. We are waving, we have our hand up and it is code red in the small and medium business sector. The government has barely introduced major restrictions since then, apart from the closure of dancefloors and light indoor density limits. Victoria's latest Covid rules have been labelled "a shadow lockdown" by the opposition which claims isolation rules, density limits and restrictions have smashed Melbourne businesses. Victoria goes into lockdown for the sixth time. But Deputy Premier James Merlino said the state government was not considering adding to the world-record 262 days Melbourne has spent in lockdown since the pandemic began. Melburnians pictured outside Melbourne Town Hall on December 22. The government and health authorities failed to control infections among returned travellers spreading to hotel quarantine workers and beyond. Check your spam folder for our confirmation email! All times AEDT (GMT +11). There are 398 Victorians receiving care in hospital with 72 in intensive care, a small increase from 394 in hospital and 70 in ICU on Wednesday.

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