Tag Archives: oceania

NSW Health apologises to Delta Goodrem for COVID-19 Instagram story

NSW Health has apologised to Delta Goodrem for an Instagram story the singer labelled "disturbing".

The post by NSW Health featured a sticker of Ms Goodrem with needles pointed towards her head — presumably a bit of wordplay based on the singer sharing a name with one of the main COVID-19 variants.

Ms Goodrem responded to the story on her own Instagram calling the ad "disturbing".

READ MORE: NSW and Victoria scrap 72 hour isolation period for international arrivals

Delta Goodrem has called out an Instagram story by NSW Health calling it "disturbing".

"I have a HUGE problem with this @newsouthwaleshealth are you serious????????" she wrote on her Instagram story.

"Needles pointing at a picture of my head in an attempt to get your point across is disturbing!!!!!!"

The post has since been deleted, and NSW Health has apologised to the singer.

"NSW Health was attempting to convey an important public health message but recognises it made an error of judgement and sincerely regrets the offence caused to Delta Goodrem," a NSW Health spokesperson said in a statement.

"The message has now been removed by NSW Health."

READ MORE: Floral tributes grow at scene after five children killed in Tasmania jumping castle tragedy identified

It was posted as part of the organisation's "fact check Friday" series.

Some of the singer's fans took to Twitter to call out NSW Health's Instagram story, calling it "shocking" and "offensive".

Thunderstorm asthma warning issued for parts of Victoria

A thunderstorm asthma warning has been issued for parts of Victoria.

Victoria Health said there is a high risk of epidemic thunderstorm asthma for North East and East Gippsland districts as storms approach the state.

There is also a high risk tomorrow.

READ MORE: Floral tributes grow at scene after five children killed in Tasmania jumping castle tragedy identified

https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1471965843806248965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"There is an elevated risk to people with asthma and hay fever," Victoria Health said.

"If you have asthma or hay fever, make sure you are prepared."

The department advises that people who may be at risk:

  • Carry your asthma medications at all times
  • Avoid the storm- go inside during the storm, and avoid the winds that come before it.
  • If you are experiencing mild asthma symptoms, contact NURSE-ON-CALL on 1300 60 60 24 for expert medical advice.
  • If your condition is urgent, not improving or getting worse, call Triple Zero (000).
  • Call Triple Zero (000) if someone is not breathing.
  • Monitor the VicEmergency app for information and warnings

For up-to-date information visit the VicEmergency website or download the VicEmergency App.

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma risk forecasts are available on the VicEmergency app and website here.

Pollen observations and forecasts are available here.

Sydney woman's horror during morning shower

A Sydney woman had an unwelcome wake up call this morning after walking into her shower and running smack bang into some spider webs.

Nine.com.au news producer Raffaella Ciccarelli said she looked at the bathroom wall of her Inner West home and saw a couple of baby spiders.

It was when she looked up she encountered the truth of the situation.

READ MORE: NSW COVID-19 cases reach record high

Upon looking up Raffaella Ciccarelli saw hundreds of hatchlings on the bathroom wall.

"There were hundreds of them on the roof," Ciccarelli said.

"That woke me up fast.

"A couple started drifting down on webs, so I jumped out of the shower."

While she's unsure of the species she suspects they may be baby huntsman spiders.

READ MORE: Months of rain mean we need to watch for this dangerous parasite

"We saw one by the loo a few weeks ago, which we caught and popped outside.

"Not sure how we will remove these — we may just move," Ciccarelli joked.

Recent wet weather is providing perfect conditions for mosquitoes, spiders, ticks termites, rodents, with populations surging in recent weeks.

The wet weather is being caused by a La Niña event, which the Bureau of Meteorology predicts will last into the southern hemisphere's late summer or early autumn of 2022.

Calls for more restrictions as Omicron variant cases skyrocket

Experts have called for more COVID-19 restrictions to be introduced as Omicron variant cases surge.

President of the NSW Australian Medical Association (AMA) Dr Danielle McMullen said more needs to be done to stop the spread of Omicron due to the high transmissibility.

Dr McMullen called for mask-wearing indoors to be reintroduced, particularly in NSW, to help curb the spread of the virus.

READ MORE: At least 100 Schoolies believed to be isolating in Byron Bay

People wait for COVID-19 testing at the Macquarie St Pharmacy. Street Pharmacy in Sydney.

"Despite our excellent vaccination rates here, we are seeing really high amounts of spread, and we do think that more probably needs to be done to just slow the spread of COVID as we learn to live with it," she said.

"We do think that a number of simple public health measures, like keeping masks on indoors really would have been a sensible response."

Dr McMullen said Australia is seeing a lag in hospitalisations from the Omicron variant however the virus is expected to be a milder variant of COVID-19.

"We expect to see a week or two's lag in hospitalisations," she said.

"Omicron is expected to cause a milder illness in the vast majority of people but if we are seeing tens of thousands of cases a day, even if a few of them have severe illness, that will put significant stress on our health system."

She also added that it is "inevitable" that NSW will hit 25,000 cases a day by Christmas day.

READ MORE: NSW and Victoria scrap 72 hour isolation period for international arrivals

Expert calls for more restrictions as Omicron cases surge.

It comes as NSW recorded a significant surge in COVID-19 cases yesterday, reporting 2213 new infections.

A total of 185 cases of the Omicron variant of concern have been confirmed in the state.

Australia's Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said yesterday Omicron cases have been reported in almost every state.

He also said the variant appears to be more transmissible than Delta.