Category Archives: headline

NT chief minister apologises over 'unacceptable' COVID-19 reporting failure

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has confirmed a week-long reporting failure in notifying close and casual contacts of COVID-19.

Mr Gunner said those who had checked into venues using the Northern Territory's check-in app over the last week had not been notified if they had visited exposure sites.

"We were advised that over the past week, these messages were not sent. There is no excuse for this," Mr Gunner said. 

LIVE UPDATES: Death toll rises in NSW and Victoria as cases surge

A Northern Territory government staffer has been dismissed over the incident.

"The person responsible for tasking this has been stood down from the emergency operations centre and will return to regular duties," Mr Gunner said.

"We asked for an update on how it was all going and that's how we discovered it hadn't been actioned.

"Unfortunately there has been that gap."

READ MORE: Queen strips Prince Andrew of military titles and royal roles

From 3pm today, those who have entered COVID-19 exposure sites over the last week will be notified.

"I am sorry this did not happen, nothing excuses it," Mr Gunner said.

"It will happen now."

Mr Gunner confirmed 546 new cases of COVID-19 had been recorded in the Territory, bringing total case numbers to 3300. 

Twenty-seven people have been hospitalised and one person is in intensive care.

READ MORE: Snake catcher's warning for pet owners after grim find

Man found dead after woman rescued from house fire in Melbourne's south-east

A man has been found dead after a woman was evacuated from a house fire in Melbourne's south-east.

Emergency services were called to a house on fire in Wilshire Court in Endeavour Hills around 6.30pm yesterday.

Firefighters were on the scene within six minutes and found the whole house was already overtaken by fire, according to Fire Rescue Victoria.

READ MORE: Young girl and woman dead, man critical after stabbing attack in Melbourne's north

They searched the home and evacuated a woman in her 70s who was found inside.

She was taken to Dandenong Hospital for observation.

A man was found dead inside the house.

Firefighters brought the fire under control in 29 minutes.

Police are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

SA records 5679 COVID-19 cases as modelling shows peak yet to come

South Australia has recorded 5679 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, with modelling revealing the Omicron peak is still yet to come but likely less severe than first thought.

Premier Steven Marshall said 1747 of the new cases were from positive rapid antigen test results.

Six people have died after testing positive to the virus.

LIVE UPDATES: Death toll rises in NSW and Victoria as cases surge

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall

There are now 246 people in hospital and 20 people in ICU with eight people on ventilators in South Australia.

"So, a reduction in ICU, an increase of one on a ventilator, but also an increase in hospitalisation," Mr Marshall said.

Mr Marshall said there needs to be "caution" when interpreting the case numbers today.

"We were told by SA Pathology that because the previous day we were getting samples in much later, up until midnight because we were closed for hot weather between 10.30am and 5.30pm, it meant that many of the samples that are reported today are samples from two days ago, not from yesterday," he said.

"It is likely to be lumpy for the next day or so."

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Omicron peak to be reached as soon as tomorrow

Modelling has revealed the peak of the Omicron variant in the state is yet to come.

"We're now told from the model that we saw today at the COVID-Ready Committee that the peak in South Australia is going to be between the 15th and the 25th of this month," Mr Marshall said.

"The range in terms of that peak is going to be between 6000 and 10,000 cases per day."

https://twitter.com/HarveyBiggs/status/1481818784520601600

The peak will also see a requirement for 370 hospital beds and 50 ICU beds.

It was originally anticipated the state would reach between 30,000 and 40,000 cases per day by the third and fourth week of January.

READ MORE: Snake catcher's warning for pet owners after grim find

Staggered return to school

Mr Marshall has announced there will be a staggered return to school for term one this year.

Schools will open from January 31 and classes will start from February 2.

"They will begin online for some students and face-to-face for others," he said.

Preschool, Reception, Year One, Year Seven, Year Eight, and Year 12 will return to face-to-face learning from February 2 and the remainder of the year groups will begin classes online.

From February 14, the remainder of the year groups will return to face-to-face learning.

"I don't like doing this. I would much prefer to have every single student back on the 31st of January," Mr Marshall said.

'Complete mess': Melbourne yacht destroyed by lightning bolt

A lightning bolt has destroyed a yacht in Melbourne's bayside, causing a fire inside the boat and melting away much of its side.

The racing yacht, called Schuss, was out of the water at Sandringham Yacht Club around 7pm yesterday when thunderstorms swept across Melbourne.

A lightning strike hit the boat, frying the wiring and melting a hole in the hull.

READ MORE: Victoria records 34,836 new COVID-19 cases and 18 deaths

Schuss crew manager David Rutter told 3AW this morning: "It went through the mast, the electricity went through all the wiring, started a fire and has made a complete mess of the boat."

"It's caused quite a large section of the side of the boat to basically melt away inside," he told Tony Jones.

"Unfortunately, she's probably going to be an insurance write-off.

"That's the end of our sailing for a while."

Mr Rutter said that while the boat did bot look "too bad" from the outside, the inside was destroyed.

"The start of our season was next week at the Geelong Festival of Sails, unfortunately that's out of the question now."

How the UV torch from your rapid test kit can help kittens

If you can get your hands on them, some rapid antigen tests come with a little blue UV torch to illuminate your results.

As we move towards using more RATs and fewer PCRs, you may find yourself with a stockpile of these tiny lights.

So, what can you do with these single-use torches? The answer involves kittens.

READ MORE: Snake catcher's warning for pet owners after grim find

kitten ringworm UV blue light torch rapid antigen testkitten ringworm UV blue light torch rapid antigen test

"Small UV torches like the ones used in RAT kits are helpful in finding skin issues, blood and other uses around an animal shelter," Sarah Jane Tomsett, head of medical and logistics at Animal Rescue Cooperative (ARC) Craft Guild in Sydney told 9news.com.au.

The ARC collects them and includes them in trauma kits sent out to rescuers and volunteers around the country.

"They aren't perfect but are handy to have around when you can't afford a scientific vet instrument and means we can give many away to rescuers that may need them in-field kits," she added.

In particular, the torches can help detect ringworm, which is a common skin infection often found in kittens.

"The UV or blacklights show ringworm, it glows green, like a fluorescent green," Joanne Lawrence, founder of Camden Community Supporting Our Companion Animals, said.

kitten ringworm UV blue light torch rapid antigen test

When she posted to the community Facebook page about the torches this week, she was completely inundated.

Her group has a small local following, and works with councils in south-west Sydney, educating them on how to implement a no-kill policy for abandoned animals.

Ms Lawrence wrote on her page that if people had spare torches "we'd love them" and suggested people contact their local rescue centre or vet, who would likely be grateful for the donation.

"Everything that we get is from either our pockets or I collect things off the side of the road, refurbish them – saving things from landfill and resell them," she said.

"Taking on ringworm kittens can be really expensive."

The Animal Rescue Craft Guild has been collecting and sending UV torches out to rescuers all over Australia as part of its trauma kits.When animals are hit by cars, come in from firezones, or the pound with medical needs, trauma kits and rescue packs are sent to rescuers for free.

Ms Lawrence said before the pandemic the group would buy UV torches from a local fishing shop for $40 each.

She said if people donate the torches 'it means we don't have to buy them, and it means we can keep them after the COVID situation and we will have a supply'.

It's worth noting these UV torches are not foolproof, are not the only option to detect ringworm, and are not recommended for people to use at home in lieu of seeing a vet.

The Australian Veterinary Association warned 'there are a lot of limitations with the test even when using the correct type of light frequency' and ringworm can be present but not picked up by the lights.

"Our advice is that if you think ringworm is a possibility then it is best to have a veterinary assessment," a spokesperson said.

"The use of UV lights where the light frequency emission is not known is not recommended to screen for ringworm."

The best thing to do is contact your local vet, rescue centre, or shelter and see if they need them.

Alternatively, you can post them to the Animal Rescue Cooperative offices in Sydney, Canberra, or Perth.

It will then will distribute the torches to the 23 national hubs and over 1000 rescuers.