Tag Archives: oceania

One person dies, two others hospitalised with meningococcal in WA

One person has died and two others are in hospital with meningococcal disease in Western Australia, health authorities have confirmed.

Three people were diagnosed with the uncommon and life-threatening disease — two with serogroup B and one with serogroup W.

"Sadly one adult has died, and the other two adults are recovering in hospital. The cases were not linked," WA Health said. 

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meningococcal disease signs and symptoms

The death and diagnoses has sparked warnings for people to ensure they are vaccinated against the potentially fatal disease.

The three cases are the first in the state this year.

Last year, there were nine cases and no deaths. 

Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacterial infection of the blood or membranes and can spread rapidly, killing about five to 10 per cent of people diagnosed.

Another 15 per cent may experience long-term complications like hearing loss, amputations and brain damage. 

The disease is, however, treatable with antibiotics if medical attention is sought immediately and most people usually recover. 

READ MORE: Inside Westfield Bondi Junction for the first time since attack

"Meningococcal bacteria are carried harmlessly in the back of the nose and throat by about 10 to 20 per cent of the population at any one time," WA Health said.

"Very rarely, the bacteria invade the bloodstream or tissues and cause serious infections."

Symptoms include high fever, chills, headache, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, and severe muscle and joint pains.

In young children who may not complain of symptoms, parents can look out for a fever, pale or blotchy complexion, vomiting, lethargy, poor feeding and rashes.

Anyone who experiences these symptoms are urged to seek medical attention urgently.

Woolies dubbed a ‘model accused’ after underpaying more than $1m

Woolworths has lauded itself as an "exemplary employer" and "a model accused" in court as the supermarket giant admitted underpaying more than $1 million to about 1200 workers.

Two days after Woolworths' boss was threatened with jail for holding the Senate in contempt, the company faced Melbourne Magistrates Court where it pleaded guilty to more than 1000 charges.

Woolworths is facing a maximum penalty of more than $10 billion over the offending, prosecutors said on Thursday.

READ MORE: Inside Westfield Bondi Junction for the first time since attack

Woolworths is facing a maximum penalty of more than $10 billion over the offending, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Barrister Kathleen Crennan, acting for the Wage Inspectorate Victoria, said the regulator was contacted in February 2022 by lawyers for Woolworths after it undertook a review of its payroll systems.

The supermarket chain discovered it was not paying some employees their long service leave entitlements after they left Woolworths, due to discrepancies in how those payments were being calculated.

Crennan said the inspectorate investigated and found the underpayments occurred for former Woolworths and Woolstar workers on 3617 occasions between January 2020 and July 2022.

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The regulator took the case to court and charged Woolworths for those who were underpaid sums of more than $250, which resulted in about $1 million in unpaid leave for 1227 former Victorian staff.

Woolworths' barrister Saul Holt KC admitted it was an "interesting week" to be discussing the supermarket in open court.

"But Woolworths is much more than some headlines and a senate inquiry," he said.

He said Woolworths was described as "a model accused" by the prosecution, as it had self-reported and self-investigated the underpayments to the regulator.

"Woolworths is an exemplary employer," he said, adding it was a major employer of young people aged under 25.

Holt said the proposed $10 billion maximum penalty was "extraordinary" and asked the magistrate not to dole out such a high penalty as it could discourage other employers from self-reporting.

"There's an incredibly important policy imperative in encouraging employers… to say when 'we find anomalies, we're not just going to fix them in the future, we're going to go back and check'," he said.

Woolworths has since paid back most of the underpaid after alerting them via text message, email and post, and paid those they could not get in contact with into their last known bank account, he said.

Crennan said Woolworths, as a major corporation with ample resources, should have put in place mechanisms to prevent the underpayments from occurring in the first place.

"With a corporation of these resources, across jurisdictions, there's really no excuse for this to have happened," she said.

Magistrate Nahrain Warda asked why it took so long for Woolworths to discover the payroll issues, given it had changed systems in 2016.

"Why is it not until 2020 that the testing is, in essence, to ensure there are no anomalies? One would think that would be ongoing," she said.

"Woolworths can't escape from the fact that over that period those anomalies were not picked up, that should not have occurred and would not have occurred now because we know more," Mr Holt replied.

Woolworths will be sentenced on April 24.

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Inside Westfield Bondi Junction for the first time since attack

Quiet sobs, slight rustling and creaks from a tired escalator reverberate at a quiet Westfield Bondi Junction, where mournful crowds gather to pay tribute to the lives lost in Saturday afternoon's mass stabbing.

It has been five days since Joel Cauchi killed six people, injured a dozen more and left countless more lives changed forever at the once-busy shopping centre.

Today, the centre reopened its doors for a day of reflection for the lives lost: Ashlee Good, Jade Young, Dawn Singleton, Faraz Tahir, Pikria Darchia and Yixuan Cheng.

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Bondi Junction stabbing victims Yixuan Cheng, Pikria Darchia, Faraz Tahir, Ashlee Good, Dawn Singleton, Jade Young

Sydneysiders walk slowly, with intention, through the centre, stopping to gaze inside closed stores and share an embrace as they make their way to level four.

There, a site has been designated to leave flowers and sign a condolences book.

A heavy and quiet air hangs over bowed heads with hardly more heard than quiet sobs, the rustling of bouquet wrappings and that creak of a nearby escalator.

The centre is visibly clean. It smells clean too. 

It's hard to picture this was the chaotic and bloody scene where shoppers and staff either ran for their lives or bravely confronted the attacker, who had been wielding a knife.

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Sydney Bondi Junction Westfield mourning mass stabbing

Students, workers, police officers, parents and children are gathered around the site on level four to place flowers, share a meaningful silence, hug and shed tears.

Leaders across all faiths are there to provide a comforting ear while Westfield staff stand equipped with tissue boxes.

Dozens of security guards are also back on duty after one of their own, Faraz Tahir, died protecting others and another was injured.

The line to sign the condolences book is long and slow-moving and you understand why when you reach the front.

Lengthy and heartfelt messages in different handwriting and languages are scribbled across the pages, which are quickly filling up.

Walking past Cotton On Kids, in particular, is confronting.

It was here where parents grabbed their children and took shelter inside the store, fleeing from Cauchi.

Inside Chanel, there are flowers laid by staff with a note reading "For Dawnie".

READ MORE: One patient left in intensive care after Sydney stabbing spree

Sydney Bondi Junction Westfield mourning mass stabbing

Heading back outside the centre, a pile of bouquets is growing.

It is here Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns laid their own flowers on Sunday. 

One young girl, with handpicked garden flowers wrapped in ribbon, adds her bouquet next to the others.

Walking into a nearby florist, the staff have their head bowed and talk in hushed voices.

One worker tells another to keep the flowers coming from their stockroom.

Mental health staff in hi-vis are gathered to the sides offering support while police officers are in groups and on horses patrolling the streets.

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Sydney Bondi Junction Westfield mourning mass stabbing

Five days ago, this was a place streaming with emergency services and crowds of grief-stricken shoppers but today this is a quiet place of reflection.

Police are still investigating the stabbing spree while the NSW government has green-lit an $18 million coronial inquest.

Bondi Junction Westfield will officially reopen for trade tomorrow.

If you're struggling, know that help is available 24/7.

Lifeline: Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online.

Kids Helpline: Call 1800 55 1800 or chat online.

Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.

1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online.

13 Yarn: Call 13 92 76.

MensLine Australia: Call 1300 78 99 78.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).