Wastewater testing by ESR has found no signs of community spread of Covid-19 but the crown research institute is still urging people to stay vigilant.Testing around the area of the latest cases had not picked up signs of the virus,…
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Rotorua grandmother left reeling after thief who stole thousands in sentimental goods has sentence changed after three weeks
A Rotorua grandmother whose nephew stole thousands of dollars worth of sentimental items says she has been left feeling broken after he was released from prison three weeks after he was sentenced.The nephew said he was sincerely…
Levin amputee attacked while trying to save puppies reunited with one pup
One of the two stolen puppies in Levin has been reunited with its rightful owner.However, the hunt for the second puppy continues. On Wednesday night a man in Levin was left bruised and battered after being attacked while trying…
Covid 19 coronavirus: Government decision to ban cruise ship Le Laperouse slammed
A man whose company has invested more than $1 million booking two cruises on Le Laperouse for clients hosting 200 people has slammed the Government’s decision not to let the ship in.The luxury expedition cruise ship has been “hovering”…
Queensland announces six Pfizer vaccine hubs
Major hospitals from Cairns down to the Gold Coast will act as Queensland's hubs for delivering the Pfizer vaccine.
The six locations will include Cairns Hospital, Townsville Hospital, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Sunshine Coast University Hospital and Gold Coast University Hospital.
LIVE UPDATES: Positive results for COVID-19 vaccine in fight against mutant strains
"Using these facilities as a base for this rollout means we can manage the logistics of the Pfizer vaccine, which is actually quite complex," Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said.
"It has strict limitations on its storage, transport and distribution which makes it unsuitable for how we would normally rollout a widespread vaccination campaign.
"We have chosen our state's largest hospitals, from the top and tail of our state.
"Queensland will begin this process as soon as we receive the first Pfizer vaccines from the Federal Government".
Priority groups will include quarantine and border workers, frontline COVID-19 health workers, aged care and disability care staff as well as aged care and disability care residents.
Earlier, the sites where New South Wales residents will receive the COVID-19 vaccination were also revealed.
This comes as the state winds back restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.
The state's 11 major hospitals will become vaccination hubs, administering Phase 1a priority groups the Pfizer jab from mid-February.
The hospitals include Royal Prince Alfred, Westmead, Liverpool, Hornsby, St George, Nepean, Newcastle, Wollongong, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga.
People in the first priority group include paramedics, emergency department workers, critical care ward staff, health care staff at COVID-testing sites and those administering the jab.
Transport workers are also likely to be among the first to be vaccinated.
"Once more vaccine doses become available from Phase 1b, it is expected that one or more COVID-19 vaccines will be available for the wider population through usual immunisation providers, including GP practices, GP respiratory clinics and Aboriginal health services," NSW Health said.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine – which is expected to be available from the end of March – is yet to be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Yesterday NSW recorded its 11th consecutive day of no community transmission.
The run of no local cases has prompted the easing of restrictions, from today.
The wearing of face masks will no longer be required inside shopping centres and supermarkets.
But masks will remain mandatory on public transport, in places of worship and beauty salons and by front of house hospitality staff.
Up to 30 people are now allowed in homes, including children, and 50 people can attend outdoor events such as picnics.
As many as 300 people can now attend weddings, subject to the one person per four-square-metre rule.
The easing of restrictions came into effect the day after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the state's border with NSW will reopen on February 1.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also flagged the "vast majority" of orange zones in NSW will change to green zones as soon as today, paving the way for travel to resume with almost all of Greater Sydney.
And people from Greater Sydney will be allowed to travel to South Australia without quarantining from Sunday morning.
Special needs dog stood up at potential adoption
A special needs shelter dog from Ohio is tugging on the heartstrings of animal lovers across the world after being stood up by a potential adopter.
Cute little Jack is a nine-month-old, 13.5 kilogram American Bully pup who has spina bifida.
He can get around, but his club feet make that difficult and he must wear a diaper.
READ MORE: Pet adoptions soar amid coronavirus restrictions
Unfortunately, his condition is permanent.
However, the animal rescue that's taken him in describes him as the "sweetest" boy.
Peaches Bully Rescue in West Chester, Ohio, is caring for Jack and trying to find him a forever home – Especially after a recent adoption opportunity fell through.
The rescue posted the story last Friday, and since then, it has reached more than three million people.
On their Facebook page, the rescue says Jack got all spruced up for the meet and greet appointment, but the person who inquired about him never showed up.
His foster team even had to make a 40-minute drive each way for the meeting.
"Obviously, that wasn't his family," says Peaches Bully Rescue.
Thankfully, his bath and fancy harness and diaper didn't go completely to waste. The rescue says a nice clerk from a nearby Cabela's store bought him a new toy "to help him forget his experience."
READ MORE: Cute animals picked up for just $29
The post telling the sad story has taken off. Peaches Bully Rescue says they have received warm wishes, presents and donations for Jack's care from all around the world, including Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Singapore, Puerto Rico and from all over the US.
The rescue says they have also gotten more than 600 inquiries and 200 applications about adopting Jack.
Peaches Bully Rescue says many adopters are worried because Jack has to wear a diaper. However, they say Jack has already mastered a system, and with the right diet and care, it's not as scary a situation as it might seem.
READ MORE: US officer comforts pit bull allegedly abandoned by dogfighting owners
Unfortunately, Jack cannot go for long walks due to his feet but he is the best couch potato and loves to play with his toys and his humans.
The rescue says Jack has been known to get along with other dogs and cats, but the best kind of home for him is one in which he would be the single pet or one of two.
China warns Taiwan that 'independence means war'
China has warned Taiwan an attempt to pursue independence from Beijing "means war" as it defended heightened military drills around the island.
A Chinese military spokesman said its military exercises were needed "to safeguard national sovereignty".
Beijing is concerned about perceived growing close links between Taiwan and the US.
READ MORE: China stages naval drills in disputed sea
It also believes Taiwan's democratically-elected government wants to issue a formal declaration of independence, even though the island's president Tsai Ing-wen has insisted that it is already an independent country called the Republic of China – its formal name.
But China regards the island as a renegade province of the mainland and strongly opposes diplomatic attempts by other countries to engage with Taiwan.
Beijing dispatched military aircraft – including nuclear-capable bombers – on two patrols over Taiwan airspace last weekend.
The patrols coincided with the US aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and other warships entering the disputed South China Sea for naval drills as the new Biden administration takes power.
READ MORE: Australia urges cooling of China-Taiwan tensions
Chinese defence ministry spokesman Colonel Wu Qian told a briefing yesterday that the patrols were needed to secure "national sovereignty".
"The military activities carried out by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait are necessary actions to address the current security situation in the Taiwan Strait and to safeguard national sovereignty and security," he said.
Colonel Wu said a "handful" of people in Taiwan were seeking independence, Reuters reports.
"We warn those 'Taiwan independence' elements: those who play with fire will burn themselves, and 'Taiwan independence' means war," he said.
Taiwan's Defence Ministry said China on Saturday sent eight bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons and four fighter jets into its air defence identification zone just southwest of the island.
The ministry said China on Sunday sent another 16 military aircraft of various types into the same area.
The new Biden Administration has flagged it will follow former president Donald Trump's tough line against China.
"Let me just say that I also believe that President Trump was right in taking a tougher approach to China," Antony Blinken, Mr Biden's choice for Secretary of State, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing last week.
"I disagreed very much with the way that he went about it in a number of areas, but the basic principle was the right one, and I think that's actually helpful to our foreign policy."
Palaszczuk hits back at Frydenberg after JobKeeper snub
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has urged Treasurer Josh Frydenberg to go and visit Far North Queensland's struggling tourism operators after he rejected further federal assistance for the sector.
There are around 10,000 businesses in Tropical North Queensland relying on JobKeeper, which is scheduled to end in March.
The sector supports one in five jobs in the region and relies heavily on international tourists.
Ms Palaszczuk has just returned from a tour of Cairns and surrounds, where she announced a further $60 million in state assistance for local operators.
"I've been up there listening to the operators personally," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"Perhaps rather than Josh Frydenberg name-calling, he could go up there and listen as well.
"They are concerned they are going to fall off a cliff."
Earlier today Mr Frydenberg told Today states should "put their hands in their pockets" in response to Queensland's call to extend JobKeeper for the hardest-hit sectors.
"Our federal economic support has delivered more than three times what the Palaszczuk government has committed to," Mr Frydenberg said.
"We'd welcome the states putting their hands in their pockets and spending a little bit more in their own states as part of the economic recovery."
Ms Palaszczuk rejected the suggestion she hasn't offered enough economic support at a state level, saying her government had injected $11 billion into economic stimulus over the course of the pandemic, and was currently working on further ways to assist the Far North.
Queensland recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today, and just one case in hotel quarantine – a woman in her 40s who has returned from Pakistan via Doha, Qatar.
https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1354937384211632136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The encouraging figures come as the state marks one year to the day since it became the first state in the country to decare a health emergency to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I can remember very clearly that I called a meeting of the Queensland disaster management committee to look at this issue and ministers had to come back from our caucus retreat to make sure that we were dealing with this issue," Ms Palaszczuk told this morning's press conference.
In that time, Queensland has conducted more than 1.7 million COVID-19 tests and recorded 1309 cases.
"Tragically, six people have passed away and we extend our condolences to those people and five were from cruise ships," Ms Palaszczuk said.
Other key statistics from the past year include:
- 28,000 people joined Queensland's Care Army to look after the state's vulnerable
- 1.2 million vehicles were processed at the state's borders
- 878,392 passengers were processed at Queensland airports
Ms Palaszczuk thanked frontline emergency staff who have helped in the state's response to the pandemic.
Authorities warn about growing sense of COVID-19 complacency
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Authorities in St. Kitts and Nevis are sounding the alarm about the false sense of security that has seemingly set in with some members of the public letting down their guard with respect to the deadly novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Superintendent of Police Cromwell Henry said that the Police have observed a growing sense of complacency in some persons who attend public events without wearing a face covering. This has been witnessed in some businesses, and on public transportation in contravention of the COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Act.
“We want to remind you that provisions of the COVID-19 Act of 2020, which require persons to wear face masks when in public is still in effect,” said Superintendent Henry. “Penalties are still in effect, and we beseech persons to comply with this particular provision.”
Similar concerns were voiced by Abdias Samuel, Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force. He recalled going into a business place and being horrified that most persons were not wearing face masks.
“Those careless acts must not be the order of the day for any of us,” said Samuel. “Wearing face masks is one of the key things that will assist us in containing the spread of the virus and protecting you and others around you.”
He referred to current scenes playing out in some neighbouring islands, where some have returned to extended curfews and long shopping lines because of a spike in cases of the COVID-19.
“We remember in our early days in March 2020 when we had to go through that same process,” said Samuel. “We, have vowed that St. Kitts and Nevis will not go back into those. However, we need the citizens to enhance their surveillance and vigilance of our borders, and communities.”
He called for compliance with the laws of the land, saying there are several penalties for breaching the COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Act of 2020 available to law enforcement and the COVID-19 Compliance Task Force. He warned that officials are prepared to act in the interest of public safety.
“Our population is very small, and we have to protect it at all costs,” said Samuel.
Health authorities strongly encourage all citizens and residents to wear face coverings in public spaces; maintain a distance of 3.5- to 6-feet from others; avoid large gatherings; frequently sanitize hands and boost their immune system.
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Four tablets donated to COVID-19 Task Force for Public Health Team
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — To assist in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in St. Kitts and Nevis, a generous family in London donated four Samsung tablets to the National COVID-19 Task Force to be used by the Public Health Team.
The Wallace family presented the tablets to the Office of the High Commissioner in London to High Commissioner His Excellency Dr. Kevin Isaac, who shipped them to the Federal Ministry of Health in St. Kitts & Nevis.
The tablets were presented to Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws, by Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, during the National Emergency Operations Centre COVID-19 Weekly Briefing.
“These tablets were donated by the Wallace family, parents Robert and Mildred Wallace, and son Lionel Wallace,” said Dr. Wilkinson. “This donation is for the expressed purpose of distribution to the COVID-19 Task Force of St. Kitts and Nevis. They are to be used by the public health officers in the performance of their duties in COVID-19 testing and tabulation of information in the field with the ability to connect with the online laboratory information system.
“We also want to thank Dr. Jeffers and NextGen Laboratories, who were helpful in coordinating this venture and bore the cost of the shipment of these tablets from the United Kingdom,” he said.
“The all of society approach that we have emphasized continues to work and we are grateful to the citizens in the Diaspora and those locally who have stepped forward to the call for service,” said Dr. Wilkinson.
In receiving the tablets, Dr. Hazel Laws said, “It is with pleasure that I accept these four tablets from the donor in the United Kingdom. On behalf of St. Kitts and Nevis COVID-19 National Task Force and the Health Emergency Operations Committee, I want to say a hearty thank you for these four Samsung tablets.”
Two tablets will be donated to the Ministry of Health in Nevis.
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