Tag Archives: oceania

Australia fast-tracks 500,000 Pfizer doses

Australia will participate in a COVID-19 vaccine "dose swap" with Singapore which will see an additional 500,000 doses arrive in the country next month.

Announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the deal will see half a million Pfizer doses that were originally allotted to Singapore now diverted to Australia.

In response, Australia will provide Singapore with 500,000 doses in December.

LIVE UPDATES: The shock new coronavirus variant found in seven countries

A vial of the Pfizer vaccine is prepared for use.

"It's a dose swap deal which simply means we're taking the 500,000 they have now, so we can put that into our distribution this month coming in September and we will provide them with 500,000 in December," Mr Morrison said.

"That means there are 500,000 doses extra that will happen in September that otherwise would have had to wait for several months from now accelerating our vaccination program at this critical time as we walk towards those 70 per cent and 80 per cent targets."

The vaccines would be provided to all states and territories for distribution by primary care and state and territory vaccination sites on an equal population basis, following batch testing by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

"This deal gives us the further supplies we need as we bring new groups into the programme for Pfizer, including 12 to 15 year olds from September 13, and the 16 to 39 year old age group that has already commenced," the Prime Minister said.

"I said we would leave no stone unturned in bolstering our vaccination programme. This deal comes on top of the Polish agreement that has already boosted our national vaccination rates to exceed those achieved in the United States and United Kingdom at the peak of their programmes.

READ MORE: COVID-19 presents greater blood clot risk than vaccines, study finds

Mr Morrison said the additional doses will help improve vaccination rates across the 16 to 29 and 12 to 15-year-old age groups, who have been approved to receive the vaccine by safety advisory group ATAGI.

The 500,000 Pfizer doses will add to the 4.5 million doses already planned for September, Mr Morrison said.

The prime minister confirmed one million Moderna doses and "many other millions" of AstraZeneca doses would see Australia push on towards targets of 70 per cent and 80 per cent double jabbed.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said officials had spent "countless hours" negotiating the deal with Singapore.

"Australians have been magnificent, and I want to thank them and encourage them to continue to do so wherever they are in Australia," Mr Hunt said.

"Every dose matters, and every dose protects an individual as well as helping to protect everyone else."

Man charged with murder over disappearance of WA father

Homicide detectives have charged a man with murder in relation to the disappearance of Western Australian father Tony Ditri.

The alleged offender, 64, is in police custody and will face Bunbury court later today.

Mr Ditri, from Pemberton in WA's south-west, was last seen at the local rubbish tip at about 3pm on Friday afternoon.

READ MORE: Concern for missing non-verbal Melbourne woman

His family became concerned when the 40-year-old father-of-three failed to appear at a dinner that night.

Following news of his disappearance, Mr Ditri's truck was found abandoned just off Pemberton-Northcliffe Road that evening.

https://twitter.com/StampyMichael/status/1432493782264516610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

A huge search effort was launched with SES, police and community members all involved.

Police are treating Mr Ditri's disappearance as suspicious.

Lockdown forces Kikki.K into administration again

Stationery company kikki.K has gone into voluntary administration for the second time in 17 months.

Kikki.K co-founders Kristina Karlsson and Paul Lacy have written to staff to tell them the difficult news, The Australian Financial Review reports.

"Today is a sad day. Writing this note together is a sad task and we still can't quite believe it's happening – again," Ms Karlsson and Mr Lacy wrote to employees.

LIVE NEWS: Five men with COVID-19 fined for breaching health orders

A kikki.K store in Westfield Chermside.

"It's yet another tough moment in our amazing journey together and we understand and deeply regret that there will profound impacts for many of our amazing team members and our partners, suppliers and shareholders," they said.

The Swedish-inspired company, which was founded 20 years ago, first went into voluntary administration in March 2020.

It was then saved from collapse after a US-based lifestyle products company, Erin Condren Designs, took control last August.

Kristina Karlsson, from the kikki.K office supplies retail chain.

Ms Karlsson and Mr Lacy said the company's collapse was a direct result of the current lockdowns in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.

Administrators will now have the difficult task of finding a new buyer.

Kikki.K has 36 stores in Australia and New Zealand, about half are closed under stay-at-home orders and many of its 300 staff members have been stood down, the Australian Financial Review reports. kikki.K will continue to trade while administrators assess options for the business.