Tag Archives: oceania

headline

Residents urged only to get tested if sick as NSW clinics overwhelmed

New South Wales residents have been urged to only get tested if they have symptoms or have been advised by authorities as long COVID-19 testing lines continue.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet urged people who don't have symptoms, have not been directed by NSW Health or are not travelling interstate to not get tested.

"I know there are long queues right across our state, so if we can help with that, if you do not feel unwell, if you are not advised by NSW Health, there is no need to receive a PCR test," he said.

READ MORE: Sydney COVID-19 testing in 'meltdown' as clinics close on public holiday

NSW records 6288 new COVID cases on Christmas day. Large lines a Bondi's COVID testing COVID testing clinic. December 25, 2021. Photo: Rhett Wyman/SMH

"You are taking a spot in the queue from somebody who needs a test."

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said to get a rapid antigen test if you're visiting family instead of lining up for a PCR test.

"I have heard also people saying, "I'm getting it because I'm visiting Aunty Mabel in three or four days", well, if you have a test today, and then you're visiting Aunty Mabel in three or four days, it may well be by then you're positive," Mr Hazzard said.

Mr Hazzard has urged people who are not symptomatic to avoid a PCR test, instead getting a rapid antigen test.

Long testing queues in Bondi in the city's eastern suburbs have already banked up today as NSW reported another record-breaking day of COVID-19 case numbers.

The state recorded 6394 new infections in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

No new deaths were reported in the state.

More than 109,000 people were tested yesterday.

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1474862544552546306

There has been a sharp rise in hospitalisations overnight, with 458 in hospital currently.

There were 388 people in hospital yesterday.

No more people have entered intensive care since yesterday, stabilising at 52 people.

Mr Hazzard said the majority of people in intensive care are not vaccinated.

"So the unvaccinated are taking more places than perhaps should be in our ICUs simply because they have chosen not to be vaccinated," he said.

He implored everyone to get vaccinated due to the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant causing the sharp rise of cases in NSW.

QR check-in codes will be reinstalled in retail settings from tomorrow.

Mr Perrottet said there will be one code at the entry to shopping centres, and people won't need to check-in at every store.

"We will have one check-in code, just need to check-in when you go into a retail centre, you won't need to do it at every single store and that's on the advice of NSW Health because as I said that all links back to testing," Mr Perrottet said.

READ MORE: Search for swimmer missing in NSW dam on Christmas Day

Mr Perrottet said QR codes will be introduced in retail settings from tomorrow.

Victoria records 1608 new cases, two additional deaths

Victoria has recorded 1608 new cases of COVID-19 from more than 72,500 tests conducted on Christmas Day.

An additional two people died as a result of COVID-19.

Currently, there are 374 Victorians in hospital, 77 of whom are in ICU and 43 of whom are currently on ventilators.

READ MORE: Space telescope launched on daring quest to behold first stars

https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1474862638542647296

The state's full vaccination rate for Victorians aged over 12 remains at 92 per cent.

More than five million vaccine doses have been administered to date at state-run Victorian clinics.

Queensland records 714 new cases

Queensland has recorded 714 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, a slight drop from yesterday's 765 infections.

The total number of active cases is now 2857.

More than 29,000 tests were carried out yesterday.

READ MORE: 'We're all going to get Omicron': NSW Health Minister expects everybody in NSW will contract virus

Queensland has recorded 714 new COVID-19 cases.

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said the drop in cases is due to people not coming out to get tested on Christmas Day.

"It won't surprise us at all if in the coming days the numbers get substantially higher," he said.

There are seven people in hospital who are symptomatic with the virus and no cases in the intensive care units.

Dr Gerrard said about 75 per cent of infections are the Omicron variant.

Western Australia

Western Australia has reported one new local COVID-19 case.

"This case, which will be officially counted in tomorrow's numbers, attended the Perth Mess Hall event, and was also staying at a hostel linked to a previous local case," a WA spokesperson said.

"This person tested positive while in quarantine and is not considered to have been contagious while in the community.

"This brings the total number of locally acquired cases to eight. All cases related to this outbreak are assumed to be Delta, following confirmation that this is the strain the index case has.

"In addition, one other case was reported overnight. This case is related to overseas travel and is in hotel quarantine."

There are now 18 active confirmed cases in WA, 15 in quarantine hotels and three in self-quarantine.

headline

Sydney lab tells more than 400 COVID-positive people they are negative

A Sydney laboratory has apologised after hundreds of people were told they had tested negative for COVID-19 when they were positive.

"SydPath last night incorrectly messaged more than 400 people, advising them they had tested negative to COVID," SydPath said in a statement.

"These people had tested positive to COVID.

READ MORE: NSW residents urged only to get tested if sick as clinics overwhelmed

https://twitter.com/JoshBavas/status/1474949996243947520

"As soon we became aware of the issue this morning, SydPath immediately commenced a process to contact impacted people.

"An emergency response team is now investigating the cause of this mistake, which is believed to be human error.

"We sincerely apologise to all those impacted."

SydPath medical director Professor Anthony Dodds read out a statement to the media this afternoon.

SydPath medical director Professor Anthony Dodds read out a statement to the media this afternoon.

"Owing to the very large volume of tests that we've been contending with at SydPath, last night we incorrectly messaged 400 patients who had been swabbed at our centres from December 22 and December 23 advising them they had tested negative to COVID-19," Professor Dodds said.

"These people had in fact tested positive to COVID-19.

"As soon as we became aware of this issue this morning, SydPath immediately commenced the process to contact these impacted individuals."

Professor Dodds said none of the sailors involved in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race are believed to be caught up in the cohort of infected people.

headline

South African anti-apartheid veteran Archbishop Desmond Tutu dies at 90

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa's Nobel Peace Prize-winning racial justice activist, has died at the age of 90.

President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement expressing his "profound sadness" at the anti-apartheid veteran and LGBTQI+ advocate's death on Sunday.

"The passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is another chapter of bereavement in our nation's farewell to a generation of outstanding South Africans who have bequeathed us a liberated South Africa," Mr Ramaphosa said, in a statement issued by Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele.

"Desmond Tutu was a patriot without equal; a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead.

"A man of extraordinary intellect, integrity and invincibility against the forces of apartheid, he was also tender and vulnerable in his compassion for those who had suffered oppression, injustice and violence under apartheid, and oppressed and downtrodden people around the world."

An uncompromising foe of apartheid, South Africa's brutal regime of oppression again the Black majority, Archbishop Tutu worked tirelessly, though non-violently, for its downfall.

The buoyant, blunt-spoken clergyman used his pulpit as the first Black bishop of Johannesburg and later Archbishop of Cape Town as well as frequent public demonstrations to galvanise public opinion against racial inequity both at home and globally.

"As chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission he articulated the universal outrage at the ravages of apartheid and touchingly and profoundly demonstrated the depth of meaning of ubuntu, reconciliation and forgiveness," Mr Ramaphosa said, of the retired Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town.

"He placed his extensive academic achievements at the service of our struggle and at the service of the cause for social and economic justice the world over.

"From the pavements of resistance in South Africa to the pulpits of the world's great cathedrals and places of worship, and the prestigious setting of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, the Arch distinguished himself as a non-sectarian, inclusive champion of universal human rights."

headline

GPs and pharmacists to receive more booster doses

The nation's GPs and pharmacists will receive an additional 180,000 booster doses in the first week of January, to keep up with soaring demand.

A spokesperson from the Department of Health told Nine News providers will receive around 120 extra doses, in addition to their existing orders.

"This week was a record week of deliveries, with 1.7 million doses delivered," the spokesperson said.

READ MORE: Sydney lab tells more than 400 COVID-positive people they are negative

The nation's GPs and pharmacists will receive an additional 180,000 booster doses in the first week of January, to keep up with soaring demand.

"To meet increasing demand, primary care orders are being increased for delivery in the first week of January.

​"Further measures are also in place to help providers who may require urgent deliveries over the Christmas and New Year period."

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) announced it would reduce the timeframe between second and third doses from four months to three months from January 4.

The interval will be slashed again from four months to three months on January 31, opening the rollout to 16 million people.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters on Friday there is enough vaccine supply in the country to meet increasing demand.

"We have 20 million vaccines that are in the country now," Minister Hunt said.

READ MORE: NSW residents urged only to get tested if sick as clinics overwhelmed

Cars line up at a drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

"More than five million that are in field, on the basis of orders.

"We've provided to the states and territories, pharmacies and GP's, all of their orders.

"They're working on a high-volume access, and if more is requested, we are happy to provide it."

More than 1.1 million vaccines are already on hand across vaccination sites in New South Wales.

Sydney General Practitioner Kean-Seng Lim told Nine News he is concerned about the strain on the workforce.

READ MORE: Sydney COVID-19 testing in 'meltdown' as clinics close on public holiday

"Come the first week of the New Year, our problem is going to be finding people to actually deliver it, since half our staff are off as close contacts and COVID-19 cases," he said.

States will also begin ramping up mass vaccination clinics in 2022.

State-run vaccine hubs dropped from 957 in November to 699, with some closing as vaccine targets were met.

The country's leaders agreed the hubs need to scale up again to meet booster demand.