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headline

WA eases COVID-19 isolation rules as cases climb

Western Australia will move to its "high caseload settings" from tomorrow, changing the definition of COVID-19 isolation rules.

The state recorded 26 local cases of COVID-19 today, with 24 being linked to known outbreaks.

Premier Mark McGowan announced COVID-19 cases and close contacts will only need to isolate for a period of seven days.

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COVID-positive people and close contacts can be released from isolation after day seven, providing they do not have any symptoms.

Close contacts will now be defined as a household member or an intimate partner who had contact with a case; someone who had face-to-face contact with the positive case for 15 minutes where no masks were worn; or someone who spent more than two hours in a small room where a mask had been removed, as well as anyone else deemed to be due to specific circumstances determined by WA Health.

Isolation requirements for casual contacts have been scrapped.

Mr McGowan said the state had kept the virus at bay for several weeks, but the changes were necessary due to climbing infections.

"The road ahead is about to get very funky," he warned.

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"The reality is now with COVID spreading, Omicron spreading in Western Australia .. is that the road ahead is about to get very difficult.

"In many ways, the worst is still to come. We are going to get more cases."

The state will also double its international flight caps to 530 passengers, with overseas arrivals being able to leave quarantine after seven days.

It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced today Australia would reopen its borders to all international travellers as of February 21.

Mr McGowan insisted he could not abolish quarantine for international arrivals.

"If we just opened the border, it would just result in thousands of cases seeding into Western Australia," he said.

Unvaccinated arrivals will need to go into 14 days of hotel quarantine.

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WA bushfires burn through 60,000 hectares as help arrives from NSW

Fires burning across Western Australia have impacted tens of thousands of hectares of land as reinforcements arrive from New South Wales.

A large air tanker and 36 firefighters landed in WA today to help bring the bushfires under control.

"The weather conditions will be milder today but I want to emphasise that there is still a real threat to lives and to communities and to homes," WA emergency services minister Stephen Dawson said.

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There are a number of fires in the state, but the two largest are in Denmark, in the state's south and in Bridgetown, closer to Perth.

"The incidents combined have impacted more than 60,000 hectares and currently, we have more than 1,000 personnel in attendance combatting or managing the fires," Mr Dawson said.

"I've been in a couple, but this is by far the scariest… it's gotten so close to the houses," farmer Sam Pearce, who lives in Denmark, said.

"It's relentless because the wind would change… it's almost like it was determined to burn everything there," Geoff Dowling, also a farmer, said.

A home and a shed were destroyed in Bridgetown, as well as a number of sheds at the waste facility and transfer station.

In nearby Hester, a timber treating plant has been mostly destroyed and authorities are concerned about the ash and dust blowing around, and potentially contaminating water sources.

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People have been evacuated while authorities assess the extent of the damage and determine how dangerous the ash is.

Four houses have been lost in Denmark since the blaze began.

Temperatures have dropped today but the weather is forecast to heat up again towards the end of the week.

Firefighters are hoping to get the blazes under control before then, given the Denmark fire doubled in size on Friday night in hot conditions.

Conditions are constantly changing – the best place for up-to-date information is the Emergency WA website or the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Twitter.

headline

Navy SEAL candidate dies, another hospitalised following 'Hell Week'

A Navy SEAL candidate died on Friday and another was hospitalised in San Diego after completing a training phase known as 'Hell Week.'

The Navy said in a statement on Sunday that Kyle Mullen, 24, of Manalapan, New Jersey, died at a California hospital following the training.

The cause of Mr Mullen's death is currently unknown and is under investigation, according to the statement.

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The injured candidate is in a stable condition at Naval Medical Centre San Diego.

Neither Mr Mullen nor the injured sailor, who has not been named, were "actively" training when they began suffering symptoms, according to the Navy.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to Seaman Mullen's family for their loss," said Rear Admiral H W Howard III, the commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, in a statement.

"We are extending every form of support we can to the Mullen family and Kyle's … classmates."

NBC first reported on the incident.

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They began suffering symptoms "several hours" after the sailors' Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) class had completed Hell Week and were taken for emergency medical care, according to a statement.

Hell Week is "part of the first phase of the Navy SEAL assessment and selection pathway," according to Naval Special Warfare Command.

It is considered the pinnacle of training for Navy SEALS and consists of five days in which trainees are constantly cold, hungry, sleep-deprived and wet.

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Big new feature in updated Elder Scrolls instalment

One of the largest online video games in the world is getting a huge new update later this year that will see players explore a 'never seen before' land, all while adding a game-changing new feature.

The Elder Scrolls world is expanding, with players invited to meet the Bretons and journey through a new region of Tamriel, all themed around the often controversial and politically motivated race.

9News caught up with Rich Lambert, Elder Scrolls Online's creative director, who said this new venture is far from anything they've done before.

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Mr Lambert said High Isle is the centrepiece of a year-long storyline. It features an extensive look into the Breton culture and explores all-new locations never seen before in the Elder Scrolls universe.

"High Isle is the epitome of Breton society and culture. It's a lavish location where nobility and people of wealth go to vacation. Biome wise, the island is a mix of Mediterranean beaches and grasses, mixed in with a healthy dose of lush green jungles," he said.

On the outside, The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is seen as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). But it can hold its own as a single-player adventure, regardless of the player's skills.

Video games in The Elder Scrolls series have earned their place. Skyrim from 2011 sold more than 30 million copies (and counting), cementing itself as one of the biggest games of all time.

This number is also reflected with Elder Scrolls Online community; more than 20 million players have joined ESO since its launch in 2014.

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Elder Scrolls Online being around for as long as it has may scare off any new players. But Mr Lambert said the best thing about ESO is you don't need to worry about catching up on past content to jump in.

"There are no restrictions – part of the magic of ESO is that you can go anywhere, do anything and play with anyone regardless of level or alliance," he told 9News.

"You don't have to grind through years of 'older' content to get to the new stuff. You just pick the story that appeals to you and go there."

This High Isle will see around 30 hours of new quest content, a new trial, public dungeons and delves.

But that's not all, Mr Lambert said.

"In addition to all the new story and lore, there's a huge new feature coming – a collectible trading card game that you play entirely within ESO."

This time around, the world is expanding without the threat of cosmic destruction, Mr Lambert said.

"We have done a lot of 'huge cosmic threats' and 'nostalgia trips' the last few years, so we wanted a change. That led us to focusing on doing a deep dive on the Bretons and their culture.

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"The stories we're telling this year are more on the political or grounded side of things, rather than the 'cosmic' threats we've seen in the previous storylines," he said.

Of the new content, Mr Lambert said there are a heap of new quests he is excited for players to explore but one of his favourites involved a player teaming up with a new companion named Ember.

"Ember's questline is one of my particular favourites," he said.

"If I can only pick one new experience though, I'd have to call out the Tales of Tribute card game. It's a huge new addition to the game and is remarkably fun and deep."

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There's still a bit of a wait until players will get to experience the new content. The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle is coming to PC on June 6, while console gamers will need to wait until June 21.

If you're chasing news on Elder Scrolls 6, there's not much more to say. Following Microsoft's $10.5 billion acquisition of developer Bethesda last year, we haven't heard a peep about the next game in the series.

I think it's safe to assume Elder Scrolls 6 won't land until at least 2023.

In the meantime, if you're looking for something to fill the Skyrim void, after experiencing the game myself I'm happy to say that Elder Scrolls Online is just as enchanting as the single-player game.