Tag Archives: oceania

Morrison's urgent meetings to solve vaccine crisis set to start

National Cabinet's new twice-weekly emergency meetings to solve Australia's delayed coronavirus vaccine program begin today as Victoria prepares to open mass vaccination centres to drastically increase its capacity to deliver jabs.

International borders will also be on the agenda with Prime Minister Scott Morrison set to raise with state and territory leaders the possibility of home quarantine for some returned travellers in the second half of 2021.

But before then, the priority will be hitting reset on the struggling vaccine program, which has been hindered by supply shortages and hiccups in the delivery of shots.

More than 3 million COVID deaths

Shadow Health Minister Mark Butler said Mr Morrison's move to pull National Cabinet together twice a week in a bid to address the rollout delays was "an admission" that the federal government's strategy wasn't working.

The federal government will need states and territories to significantly increase their current rates of vaccination in order to rescue the national program.

Victoria yesterday announced it would open three new mass vaccination hubs at the Royal Exhibition Building, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, and the former Ford factory in Geelong.

There are plans to open even more mass vaccination centres and the government says it will soon have the capacity to administer up to 100,000 doses a week — provided there's sufficient supply.

National Cabinet to hold emergency vaccine meetings

"Our key aim is to get as many vaccines into as many arms as quickly and as safely as we can," Health Minister Martin Foley said.

The high-volume vaccination centres will be open to anyone over the age of 70 for bookings, as well as walk-ins without an appointment.

From Wednesday, Victoria will also recommence administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to eligible people aged under 50 who choose to receive it, following a one-week pause as rare blood clots were investigated.

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Eligible people aged under 50 can also continue to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

More than 60,000 Victorians have already been received a COVID-19 vaccine.

Almost 1.5 million Australians have been vaccinated.

Victoria recorded no new coronavirus cases yesterday with more than 8000 tests received in the last 24 hours.

https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1383557800333242370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Across the country, New South Wales has administered 173,000 vaccinations, Victoria over 162,000, Queensland, 122,000, Western Australia, 76,000, Tasmania, over 28,000, South Australia 46,000, the ACT over 20,000, and the Northern Territory over 12,000 vaccinations.

Mysterious first flight arrives minutes after Trans-Tasman bubble opens

Australia and New Zealand have flung open their borders to each other, opening up the Trans-Tasman bubble for travellers to fly between the two countries without needing to quarantine on either side.

It's a monumental step in the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and thousands are set to board flights throughout today to cross the Tasman Sea, some making family visits that have been many agonising months in the making.

Last night, the first quarantine-free flight between Australia and New Zealand touched down in Auckland just minutes after the trans-Tasman bubble officially opened. But exactly who was on the plane was somewhat of a mystery.

READ MORE: Airports want kickstart of international travel 'within months'

Qantas Air New Zealand

Stuff reported that the Qantas flight from Sydney was repositioning to New Zealand and the only passengers on board were crew.

The flight was not listed on Auckland Airport's arrivals board, but a Qantas A330 was listed on Flight Radar 24 as arriving at 12.05am, six minutes after the bubble officially opened.

Qantas declined to answer questions about the flight, including who was onboard.

Aircraft that encounter a strong tailwind across the Tasman can potentially arrive more than 30 minutes early, but if that were to happen last night, the pilots could have intentionally slowed the plane to ensure it arrive after the border opening.

However, the fear would be if there was a medical emergency on the plane or a mechanical issue, which would force it to land as soon as possible. That could be one of the reasons no passenger flights were scheduled to land on Sunday, just after the border opened.

Instead, the first quarantine-free passenger flight arriving from Australia is a Jetstar service from Sydney. JQ201 is due to land at 11.20am (9.20am AEST), where an official welcome is planned at Auckland Airport.

READ MORE: What's gone wrong with Australia's vaccination rollout?

SKYLINE restaurant and view over Queenstown

The first Air New Zealand service from Australia lands in Wellington at 1pm (11am AEDT), and a welcome is also planned. It includes live music and a huge banner at the end of the airport to welcome passengers.

WellingtonNZ general manager Anna Calver said, "we are buzzing over the fact that we can welcome our Australian whānau (family) back and delighted there is a light at the end of a dark COVID tunnel for those local businesses hurting through a lack of international visitors. Bring it on."

Air New Zealand said Monday would be a "mammoth day" with more than 5000 people expected to travel. Most Australian states have been open to New Zealand travellers for months, but April 19 marked the first time New Zealand has opened its borders to those in Australia.

Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran said Monday would go down in history as one of the most monumental days for Air New Zealand and a turning point for the airline.

"It's Day 1 of our revival."

Thirty flights will be operating on Monday between Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth, Sydney, flying into Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

"This will build to more than 300 flights a week as we reach the peak New Zealand and Australia school holidays in July," Foran said.

This article originally appeared on Stuff. It is re-published with permission.

Teenager dies at motocross race in Western Australia

A teenager has died during a motocross event on Western Australia's south coast.

The 14-year-old fell off his bike during a jump at the Esperance Motorcycle Club event in Myrup, near Esperance, about 9.30am today.

READ MORE: Two dead after car full of teens loses control, smashes into tree

https://twitter.com/9NewsPerth/status/1383664008369082374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Police said the boy was injured when he landed awkwardly after a jump.

Despite immediate first aid he died at the scene.

Police and ambulance workers attended and attempted to resuscitate the boy.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Two teens dead after packed car smashes into tree

Two boys are dead and five other teenagers are in hospital after a packed car veered off the road and struck a tree in regional Western Australia.

There were seven people in the grey Ford Falcon sedan — including two riding in the boot — when it crashed in Kalgup, two and a half hours south of Perth just before 8.50pm.

Friends visited the scene today, remembering Luke Hopkins, 15, and Buckley Spicer, 16, as funny, keen footballers who both had a positive outlook on life.

"I feel a bit broken, really, really hurt. I feel like they're just way too young to leave," friend Jack Horridge told 9News.

"They'd always make you laugh, good blokes, good kids."

Investigators believe the 17-year-old female driver lost control of the car on a bend in Doyle Road, sending the vehicle flying off the road.

The front end of the vehicle was barely recognisable, split in two in the crash.

"The car was completely broken in half, and probably at least 10 metres apart, the front and the back," Rob Francis, who was one of the first at the scene, told 9News.

READ MORE: Ride-share driver knocked unconscious by passenger in Sydney

"The back section was upside down, so we couldn't open the boot to get the boys out."

The trapped boys had to be cut from the boot and survived.

First responders want the families of the victims to know they were doing what they could to help.

"It'll affect me for a long time," Mr Francis said.

Two rescue helicopters were rushed to the scene along with police, Fire and Emergency Services and St John Ambulance.

The driver was flown to the Royal Perth Hospital with serious injuries.

The remaining passengers — one girl and three boys, all aged 15 and 16 — were taken to hospitals in Busselton and Bunbury.

Police are urging anyone with dash camera or mobile phone footage of the crash scene or the grey Ford Falcon prior to the crash to upload the vision here.