Tag Archives: oceania

Penrith's GF celebrations turn wild

The streets of Penrith erupted in chaos overnight as locked-down fans celebrated the Panthers' hard-fought NRL Grand Final win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Police moved in as a crowd of hundreds converged on the Penrith Leagues Club.

Drivers were seen doing burn-outs, while passengers in other cars sat in the boot and waved Panthers flags.

READ MORE: Panthers win Grand Final thriller

Another popular spot for revellers was the family home of Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai.

The riot squad, the dog unit and PolAir were all deployed to the area.

Some officers were reportedly pelted with objects.

READ MORE: Panthers star proposes seconds after Grand Final win

At least one person has been charged.

A 22-year-old P-plate driver from Mount Druitt will face court in November.

He's been charged with several driving offences, after allegedly doing burn-outs, and also reportedly accelerating at police officers in some of the crowds.

The Panthers won their third NRL Premiership last night, defeating the Rabbitohs 14-12.

It was the Penrith club's second grand final in a row, after losing to the Melbourne Storm last year.

Melbourne edges closer to shocking lockdown record

Victoria has recorded 1220 new local cases of COVID-19 and three deaths in the past 24 hours, as Melbourne inches closer to being the world's most locked down city.

The results come from more a record testing day yesterday, with more than 71,000 tests processed, on top of 36,000 vaccines.

A man in his 50s, a woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s have died in the past 24 hours.

READ MORE: COVID-19 deaths eclipse 700,000 in US as Delta variant rages

https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1444415693265514497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

There are now a total of 11,785 active cases in the state of Victoria, with 425 in regional Victoria.

There are 476 people in hospital with the virus, including 98 in intensive care and 57 on a ventilator.

From tomorrow, Melbourne will surpass Buenos Aires, having spent a collective total of 246 days indoors, to become the world's most locked city.

On the global milestone, Premier Daniel Andrews has said, "I simply say how proud I am of every Victorian for giving so much, for working so hard, to save lives to get through this.

"It has been bloody tough, we know that, but the Victorian community have been so, so impressive along the way."

Almost 52 per cent of the eligible population over 16 have been fully vaccinated against the virus, while 83.2 per cent have had one dose of a vaccine.

Scenes from Melbourne in lockdown

A total of 80.5 per cent of the eligible population aged over 12 have had one dose of a vaccine.

Premier Daniel Andrews has urged Victorians to get vaccinated for health care workers.

"They are dealing with incredible stress and strain."

"We have to respect them and we have to respect their work, and the best way we can do that is to get vaccinated and follow the rules."

Mr Andrews said while the reaching the 80 per cent double-dosed mark would be "freedom for the rest of us", with Melbourne set to open up, it would be "the hardest and most challenging time for our health system".

Nurses urge Victorians to get vaccinated

Royal Melbourne Hospital nursing unit manager Michelle Spence said the hospital had treated 90 COVID-19 patients in intensive care since the end of July.

"I want to let you no he that not one of those 90 were fully vaccinated, not one," she said.

"We are working hard to have beds available, but we cannot do this alone. COVID does not discriminate."

A teary Ms Spence said last week she watched a 30-year-old with no medical history being put on a ventilator.

"He didn't get vaccinated and now is on life support at Royal Melbourne.:

"It is not old people, not people with co-morbidities, not anything like that. It absolutely does not discriminate and I've seen it with my own eyes. One of the saddest things I've seen over the last few weeks is people wanting the vaccination just before we put them on a life support machine. That is the absolute truth."

Ms Spence said she had seen a "fit, 70kg tradie in his 30s" incredibly unwell with the virus.

"The only thing I can tell you is that he wasn't vaccinated. He could have got the vaccine."

Northern Hospital nurse unit manager Jacqui Harper said COVID-19 patients she was seeing were "seriously, seriously ill".

"The clinical deterioration is so sudden. One minute sitting in a chair, an hour later they could be saying their goodbyes. They find it difficult to breathe, some needing high levels of oxygen, ventilators and ICU support."

"It is difficult for our patients unable to see their loved ones. We have to hold the iPads for them."

"Many nurses don't know that this is what they want to do anymore."

"Everyone just get vaccinated."

Today's COVID-19 cases breakdown:

Of today's 1220 cases:

  • 497 cases are in Melbourne's northern suburbs
  • 361 are in western suburbs
  • 236 are in the south-eastern suburbs
  • 73 are in eastern suburbs
  • 52 cases are in regional Victoria – including nine in Mitchell Shire, eight in Shepparton, seven in City of Latrobe, four in Ararat, four in Ballarat, five in Geelong

READ MORE: NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes puts his hand up to take over as Premier

Yesterday, the state recorded 1488 new local COVID-19 cases and a further two deaths.

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas announced a new $196.6 million package for the state's construction businesses "most affected by the building sector lockdown".

Mr Pallas said cash grants will be available for "thousands of operators who have been playing a key role in the fight against the Delta Variant".

"It will provide one-off payment to eligible businesses, including sole traders, to covers periods of restrictions from September 21 through to October 4," he added.

Hazzard's emotional farewell to premier during COVID update

New South Wales has recorded 667 new local COVID-19 cases in the last day and a further 10 deaths.

Across the state, 88.1 per cent of people aged 16 and over have now received one COVID-19 vaccine while 66.5 per cent are fully vaccinated.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard fronted the media today alongside Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant.

READ MORE: Abuse toward retail staff skyrockets in Sydney during pandemic, new data reveals

Mr Hazzard said the results had "taken a huge amount of work" over recent months and urged NSW residents not to "ruin that" by breaching health guidelines now.

There are a total of 981 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospital in NSW, of those, 195 are in intensive care units.

Of the 195, 140 are not vaccinated. While 41 had received a first dose, just 14 had received two doses.

READ MORE: Melbourne a day away from becoming world's most locked-down city as more than 1200 cases recorded

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1444452161987878912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Mr Hazzard said of the patients in ICU, one is a child under the age of nine and three were "in the age brackets of 10 to 19".

He asked NRL fans to practice caution this evening ahead of the grand final, and warned against gathering in groups.

"Can I also say to their supporters, please be careful," he said.

"There are limits on the numbers of people who can currently gather together, you shouldn't be having people at home.

"That remains, your home remains one of the most dangerous places to be in terms of transmission of the virus. And we need to make sure that we all enjoy the game but we don't have a super spreader event."

More than 88,000 tests were conducted across NSW in the last day.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant that although the today's numbers are pleasing, it does not mean the outbreak has been controlled.

She said a number of areas still remain of great concern to health authorities. They are as follows: Greenacre, Bankstown, Bidwell, Ilford, Yagoona, Bolles Baye, Hurstville, Ingleburn, Wollongong, Newcastle, Maitland, Wellington, Oberon, Queanbeyan and Deniliquin.

READ MORE: Queensland records zero new local COVID-19 cases as authorities push ahead with NRL grand final

Wollongong has seen a surge in coronavirus cases.

While cases continue on a downward trend across the state, deaths remain relatively high.

Yesterday 10 deaths were recorded while Friday, 15, marking the equal-deadliest day of the pandemic in NSW.

Mr Hazzard has praised outgoing Premier Gladys Berejiklian, saying she worked tirelessly throughout the course of the pandemic.

"I have to say that she has been absolutely critical to the team," he said.

"On Sundays she has been in this building… eight to 10 hours working with health teams on all of the detail.

"For that, I think we are as a community forever grateful to Gladys Berejiklian.

He said that the news of her departure was "awfully sad".

"She has been an amazing premier, a person of high integrity and somebody that I would place my trust in completely.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has urged people not to 'be silly' when it comes to coronavirus.

"It is awfully sad that it is come to this situation."

Dr Chant reiterated Mr Hazzard's sentiments and described Ms Berejiklian and committed and dedicated.

"The Premier has worked tirelessly since the pandemic commenced through this most difficult time and I think her clear commitment to the community is so evident," she said.

Asked on whether or not the roadmap out of lockdown will remain the same under a the leader, Mr Hazzard said that any changes would likely only be for "health reasons", but refused to rule out changes altogether.

"The crisis cabinet actually has a consensus way of reaching decisions and I can't imagine that there would be any change except for health reasons," he said.

"I feel so sad that the premier is not going to be the premier after Tuesday.

"She has done a job which has been unbelievable. But at the end of the day, she would be the first person to say that our government must continue to govern for the community."

READ MORE: NSW continues downward trend in cases

As the NSW Liberal Party scrambles to decide on a replacement for Ms Berejiklian, former prime ministers have weighed in on the matter, casting their vote toward the NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet.

However, concerns have been raised from within the party over Mr Perrottet's political and religious views leaning too far to the right.

The Liberals are due to make a formal decision on Tuesday.

Australian diplomat sparks WA COVID-19 fears after positive test

WA Health is monitoring staff at a Perth apartment complex and a driver after a visiting senior government official tested positive to COVID-19.

WA Premier Mark McGown said an Australian diplomatic official arrived in the state on 29 September with his wife and young child from Serbia via Dubai.

"Both the diplomat in his 30s and his partner are fully vaccinated," he told a media conference today.

"And the family was approved to enter Australia and Western Australia for approved travel for a senior government official."

READ MORE: Australians vaccinated against COVID-19 being given the chance to win $1 million

WA Premier Mark McGowan.

He said the family was directed to self quarantine at an apartment in North Bridge, in Perth.

The official returned a positive COVID-19 test yesterday. He and his family have been transferred to a WA Health quarantine hotel by ambulance.

WA Health contact tracing teams have identified four potential close contacts, employees at the apartment complex and the driver who picked up the family.

All four are in self quarantine where they will remain in 14 days. One negative test has been returned.

Mr McGowan used the media conference to provide a COVID-19 update on crew members on an oil tanker docked in Freemantle.

He said said 12 crew members from the Stolt Sakura returned positive results to COVID-19.

READ MORE: COVID-19 deaths eclipse 700,000 in US as Delta variant rages

https://twitter.com/9NewsPerth/status/1444245601324085249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Two crew members, a man in his 30s and a man in his 60s, were wheeled off the ship yesterday and transferred to Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth.

A third crew member was transferred off the ship and to hospital overnight.

Mr McGowan said two of the crew members are in ICU. The third is in a stable condition.

He said it is expected all other crew members, believed to a total of 22, will remain in isolation on the ship.

Mr McGowan said the COVID-19 situation was "extremely low public health risk" and that "all precautions are being taken".

He said the cases show "just how easily the COVID-19 virus can come into our community.

He said vaccination is the only long term solution to the pandemic.