There are 76 new cases of Covid-19 in the community today – including three that were on the same flight as NZ’s first Omicron case.The new cases are in Auckland (47), Waikato (15), Bay of Plenty (10), Lakes (1) and Taranaki (3)….

Vaccine mandates are in effect in Queensland from today, locking out the COVID-19 unvaccinated from pubs, cafes and restaurants.

The new freedoms and rule changes began after the state reached 80 per cent double-dose vaccination levels earlier this month.

They are coming into force after Queensland yesterday reported 22 new COVID-19 cases – the highest number since early August.

READ MORE: Fifth child dies after jumping castle tragedy

The new rules for unvaccinated Queenslanders affect the hospitality and healthcare sectors as well as other businesses and services.

What is changing?

From today, pubs, clubs, nightclubs and music venues will be free of all COVID-19 restrictions, provided all staff and patrons are fully vaccinated.

From today, vaccination mandates also apply for staff and patrons at sporting events and other occasions at government-run stadiums including Suncorp Stadium, the Gabba, Queensland Country Bank and Metricon.

The same measures apply for entertainment venues, karaoke bars, government-run museums and galleries, and music festivals, whether indoor or outdoor.

There will be no restrictions on weddings as long as everybody attending is fully vaccinated.

READ MORE: The Australian COVID-19 test 'game-changer'

What about aged care and hospitals?

Vaccination restrictions are also in place for health and aged care venues.

Visitors to aged care, hospitals, prisons and disability services sites must be fully vaccinated, except in end-of-life, emergency, or childbirth situations.

Who exactly needs to be vaccinated?

The new restrictions apply to everybody aged 16 and over.

Children aged 12 to 15 do not have to be vaccinated to enter such venues, but the Queensland Government said they were strongly encouraged to get the jab.

As soon as somebody has had their second vaccine, they will be considered fully vaccinated, though health advice has been that the vaccines take two weeks since injection to provide full protection.

How is this going to be enforced?

People arriving at venues will have to show their check-in app.

But Queenslanders looking to dodge the system have been warned that police will be cracking down and enforcing requirements.

Venues will be encouraged to contact police if they see a breach.

A fifth child has now died after a freak jumping castle tragedy during an end-of-year celebration at a primary school in Tasmania.

The children fell an estimated 10 metres after the jumping castle they were in, along with several inflatable 'zorb' balls, were picked up by a powerful gust of wind about 10am.

Police confirmed this evening that another child had died in hospital after the incident, brining the death toll to five.

This afternoon police said four other children were in a critical condition and one is in a serious condition. 

Two boys and two girls were among those killed.

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The grade five and six students were celebrating their last day of term at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport, in the state's north-west, when the incident occurred.

Police and emergency services, including two helicopters, rushed to the scene within minutes and began administering first aid.

Tasmania Police Commissioner Darren Hine said an investigation was underway into the incident and the Coroner had visited the scene of the tragedy.

"On a day when these children were meant to be celebrating their last day of primary school, instead, we are all mourning their loss," Mr Hine said.

"Our hearts are breaking for the families and the loved ones, schoolmates, teachers, of these young people who were taken too soon. 

"Our thoughts are also with those emergency services personnel who attended to try and save these people's lives."

A report will be prepared for the Coroner in conjunction with WorkSafe Tasmania. 

Premier Peter Gutwein described the tragedy as "devastating and heartbreaking for all involved". 

"It's difficult for me to find the right words in such tragic circumstances," he said.

"I'm certain that I speak for all Tasmanians next tending my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and loved ones of everyone affected by today's tragedy. 

"For the five children who remain in hospital, our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families and their friends during this very difficult time.

"On a day when school children were celebrating at the end of term so close to Christmas, it's simply inconceivable that this shocking incident has occurred."

A vigil has been set up at the Devonport Uniting Church, about 2.5 kilometres from the scene, with several locals turning up to light candles in tribute to the children.

Flowers have also been laid outside the school gates in tribute to the schoolchildren.

Devonport City Council mayor Annette Rockliff told 9News the tragedy had rocked the community.

"To have such a tragedy in our school community, it is still really hard to get your head around," she said.

"I can't even imagine what those families are suffering at the moment.

"It's obviously every parent's worst nightmare."

It was the first day on the job for two paramedics who assisted at the scene.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the accident was "unthinkably heartbreaking".

"Young children on a fun day out and it turns to such a horrific tragedy, at this time of year," he said.

"It just breaks your heart."

Police and emergency services remain at the scene.

Two fishermen got to experience a rare sighting of a whale shark off the New South Wales coast.

Whale sharks are a great tourist attraction in Western Australia but are rarely seen on the east coast.

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In a boat off Broughton Island near Hawks Nest, two fishermen watched and even touched an eight-metre whale shark bobbing beneath their boat.

To see the encounter, watch the full video above.

Children in NSW are struggling to pay back COVID-19 fines, after being hit with over $2.1 million worth since July last year.

New data reveals New South Wales police have doled out almost 3000 on-the-spot penalties to kids failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, some worth as much as $5000.

Samantha Lee, police accountability solicitor at Redfern Legal Centre, explained minors simply cannot be expected to pay.

READ MORE: Millions of dollars in COVID-19 fines go unpaid in NSW

"A child has as much capacity to pay a $1000 or $5000 fine using their pocket money as an ant has to push a boulder uphill," she said.

"The issuing of a penalty notice should be a measure of last resort, especially where children are concerned."

Representatives from the Aboriginal Legal Service say these fines are being issued to a disproportionate number of children from Indigenous communities.

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"Some of the children we are assisting received multiple $1000 fines in a single day," Aboriginal Legal Service acting CEO Nadine Miles said.

Ms Miles criticised police for handing out such heavy fines to the state's most vulnerable, the penalties only exacerbating the significant disadvantage Aboriginal children already face.

"The extraordinary number of fines reveals a failure by police to exercise their discretion to deal with young people appropriately," she said.

READ MORE: Secret details of three Sydney underworld hits revealed

The questionable exercise of police powers was a concern shared by Lauren Stefanou, coordinating solicitor of the Aboriginal Legal Service's COVID-19 legal assistance clinic. Ms Stefanou noted police chose to hand out fines despite alternatives to issue a warning or caution.

"It really does beg the question, 'why were those options not being utilised more readily?'" she said.

Ms Stefanou has represented children as young as 12 as they struggle to appeal. She explained much of the burden to repay would fall onto families already on the breadline.

"This debt is going to haunt children for months, if not years, to come."

A teenager has been charged after he allegedly stole a puppy during a suspected crime spree across Sydney's south.

A 16-year-old boy allegedly stole an eight-week-old puppy named Teddy as well as multiple cars during a spate of thefts across Sutherland Shire.

Teddy's owner, Nicole Thomas, said she woke up to find her belongings and puppy stolen.

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"I called his name and I looked up and realised the side door here was open slightly," she said.

"I raced upstairs and said to David, he's gotten out he's gone."

Teddy's suspected theft was part of an alleged crime spree that began in Taren Point at about 3.30am on Monday morning.

Three men allegedly broke into a home on Holt Road, Taren Point, stealing a set of car keys, hitting the 35-year-old homeowner with a metal pole, and stealing his Toyota Corolla.

The car was found submerged in Botany Bay.

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The three men then allegedly stole a Ford Escape at Kuramatta Place, Cronulla, at about 6am on Monday.

Police were then called to a home on Gambier Place, Sandy Point, on Tuesday evening after a young man allegedly broke into the home while the owners were sleeping.

The man allegedly took car keys, a Mercedes Benz, laptops various cases of alcohol, and the family's puppy 'Teddy'.

Officers found the Mercedes Benz in Wattle Grove at about 7.50am yesterday.

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A search warrant was carried out at a unit at Claremont Circuit, Wattle Grove, where they found the car keys, bottles of alcohol and little Teddy, who was unharmed.

The puppy was safely returned to his family.

"I was so scared they may have hurt him and done something terrible to him, it was just such a relief to get him back," Ms Thomas said.

"Oh god, I cried. I kissed the detective."

The 16-year-old was arrested and taken to Liverpool Police Station, where he was charged.

He was refused bail and appeared at a children's court today.

By RNZ Counties Manukau DHB chief executive Margie Apa, who is also the Northern Region Health Co-ordination Centre lead, details how the health system plans to cope with the holidays and Covid-19 cases.”We all think about what…

A growing Omicron variant cluster has been linked to a dance party in Sydney.

At least 97 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been linked to the "On Repeat: Taylor Swift Red Party" at Metro Theatre on December 10.

NSW Health said it is "likely" some of these cases have the Omicron variant of concern.

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Anyone who attended the event from 9pm onwards on Friday, December 10, is now considered a close contact and must get tested and isolate for seven days.

More than 600 people attended the event.

NSW Health has also asked all household contacts of anyone who attended the event to get tested and isolated until a negative result is received

It comes as NSW posted the unwelcome record of 1742 new COVID-19 cases, with almost half of the infections recorded in the state's Hunter region.

There were no deaths and numbers in intensive care remain relatively low at 26 patients.

Of the 1742 new cases today, 633 of those were reported from the Hunter New England Local Health District.

https://twitter.com/livgracecurran/status/1471270212032864260

This includes 267 from Newcastle and 213 from Lake Macquarie.

As a result of the surging cluster in Newcastle, testing sites are seeing huge queues.

Some people are being turned away and asked to come back later today after some testing sites in the city reach capacity.

A new alert was issued for the Cambridge Hotel on Hunter Street.

If you attended the venue at the following times you are deemed a close contact.

Anybody who was at the venue between 6.20pm and 2.30am last Friday night and Saturday morning must get tested and isolate for seven days.

More than 200 COVID-19 cases have already been linked to a Newcastle nightclub, which Health Minister Brad Hazzard said stemmed from an alleged isolation breacher travelling from Sydney to the Hunter Valley city.

However, just 10 people are in hospital in the Hunter region, with three in intensive care.

Newcastle music festival cancelled

A sold-out music festival in Newcastle has been cancelled under a public health order.

The Lunar Electric music festival was due to take place this Saturday, but will not go ahead due to the spread of COVID-19 in the area.

NSW Health said it continues to be concerned about the ongoing spread of the virus, which is believed to be primarily the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Netflix production shut down in Sydney

Meanwhile, a Netflix production in central Sydney has been forced to shut down after a COVID-19 case was detected.

READ MORE: German cops raid houses over anti-vaxxer 'death threats' to Governor

The production was taking place at the Carriageworks in Eveleigh.

Queues were long at a testing site in Bondi, with hundreds of cars in line.

Restrictions change in NSW despite rising case numbers

The NSW government is pressing ahead with its re-opening strategy despite the rapidly rising case numbers.

Remaining restrictions, save for limited mask rules and QR code check-ins, were lifted yesterday for the vaccinated and unvaccinated, while Premier Dominic Perrottet announced more changes.

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Essentially, only household members of a confirmed COVID-19 case will be considered close contacts, and they will have to do the full seven days of isolation.

Other contacts will need to isolate until a negative COVID-19 test result is returned.

It means fewer people will need to be in isolation over Christmas.

Omicron set to surge

Mr Hazzard yesterday warned the state could see up to 25,000 COVID-19 cases a day if the Omicron variant keeps spreading at its current rate.

The modelling was based on outbreaks and analysis of Omicron cases in South Africa and the UK.

Mr Hazzard said NSW needed to be "on alert", as Omicron cases were "doubling every two to three days".

READ MORE: Passengers from Newcastle frustrated by isolation 'confusion'

Vaccines were not stopping the transmission of Omicron, Mr Hazzard added.

"But it would appear the severity of illness is not as bad as it was with previous variants of the coronavirus," he said.

Western Australia has meanwhile tightened its border with NSW, with the eastern state set to return to "extreme risk" status from Saturday.

Under the "extreme risk" category, travel from New South Wales to WA will not be permitted unless approved under the strictest of conditions, the WA Government said in a statement. NSW was previously classified as "high risk".

Approved travellers must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test in the 72 hours prior to departure, undergo hotel quarantine for 14 days, and be re-tested on days 1,5, and 14.

A man who raped a woman after he and his friends found her alone on the street in an "extremely vulnerable state" has been sentenced to a decade behind bars.

Harley Palise, 30, was sentenced to 10 years' jail before the County Court on Thursday, having been found guilty of two charges of rape by a jury.

Palise and his friend Jarrod Thomas had been on a night out with a group of men in June 2018 when they were driving home through Carlton about 4.30am and spotted a woman slumped on the footpath on Lygon Street.

READ MORE: Four children killed in jumping castle tragedy at Tasmanian primary school

The court heard witnesses had recalled the woman was so intoxicated that she was either unconscious or semi-conscious and appeared dead.

Palise and Thomas offered her a lift home to the northern suburbs and helped her into Palise's car.

However, Thomas drove the car on a detour and parked in a street where the pair took turns raping her.

They then drove her home.

The court heard she had no memory of the attacks or getting home.

Palise and Thomas were later identified after a public appeal.

At trial, Palise tried to claim that the woman made a move on him, however the jury agreed with prosecutors that the woman was in no state to be able to give consent.

The court heard the victim was still scared of leaving the house more than three years later.

Judge Scott Johns said Palise had shown a complete disregard for the woman's "fundamental human rights."

"Your sexual attack on her in the state she was in was degrading and humiliating," he told Palise.

"She was alone and in a extremely vulnerable state in your vehicle."

"She just wanted to be taken home, she needed to be taken home…she was powerless, there were two of you."

The court heard Palise, a father-of-two, committed the rape just months after he was released from jail for kidnapping.

He was sentenced to a non-parole period of six years and three months, having already served 874 days.

Thomas pleaded guilty, and is serving six-and-a-half years behind bars.

The secret details of three Sydney underworld hits, including the shooting of Mafia boss Pasquale Barbaro, can finally be revealed after a sweeping court order was lifted.

Abuzar Sultani pleaded guilty to all three murders two years ago but was protected by a non-publication order until today.

9News fought against that ruling at 10 separate hearings and two appeals, before the lid was finally lifted.

Barbaro, who was a notorious crime figure, was shot by two people after he got into his Mercedes outside an associate's home in Earlwood in 2016.

Sultani then followed Barbaro until he collapsed and fired five shots in the back of his head and neck as he lay on the ground.

The Crown alleged just nine hours earlier a detective had given evidence at the trial of Brothers For Life members which suggested Barbaro had been involved in organising or financing the murder of Joe Antoun.

Mr Antoun was a close friend and mentor to Sultani before he was shot through the screen door of his Strathfield home while his wife and children were inside.

Of the alleged revenge killing, one unnamed witness said Sultani told him "we killed him because he stitched up my mentor and got him knocked."

Mehmet Yilmaz was ambushed and shot at least seven times in front of his fiancée at St Marys two months earlier, possibly over a drug debt of $20,000.

But Michael Davey was the first hit in March 2016, shot in Kingswood as he tried to extricate himself from the Rebels outlaw motorcycle group.

Siar Munshizada was also found guilty of all three murders in separate secret trials held over the last 18 months.

Joshua Baines and Mirwais Danishyar were both acquitted of murdering Yilmaz but were convicted of killing Barbaro.

They'll each be sentenced tomorrow, all facing maximum sentences of life behind bars.