Tag Archives: oceania

headline

Long delays at Adelaide testing clinics as locals rush home from Brisbane

Coronavirus testing clinics across South Australia have been inundated as those who have visited Brisbane in the past week rush to get swabbed.

Wait times at the Victoria Park testing clinic maxed out four hours, with lines stretching out to Wakefield Road.

The mad dash comes after SA Chief Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier called for anyone who had visited Greater Brisbane since January 2, to get tested.

READ MORE: SA to enforce new restrictions for Brisbane travellers

https://twitter.com/SAHealth/status/1347494268198215682

There were similar scenes at multiple Adelaide testing clinics, with people enduring long waits as tough new restrictions on anyone arriving from Queensland came into effect at midnight.

Three new cases of COVID-19 were reported in South Australia today, all returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

The new cases come as the state locks its borders to travellers from Greater Brisbane due to concerns over the spread of the UK coronavirus variant.

Anyone arriving from Greater Brisbane is now required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine before being allowed into the community.

People who arrived into the state from Brisbane on or after midnight on January 9 are being required to self isolate at home.

Anyone currently residing in South Australia who has been in Greater Brisbane since the start of January has been urged to get tested.

READ MORE: Fresh COVID-19 alert for Sydney Westfield amid new lockdown

The state has seen a significant rise in the number of people being tested for the virus with lines forming at clinics for the first time since the Parafield cluster in November.

The new cases announced today brings the state's total cases to date to 587.

headline

Albanese's frank prediction about car crash

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has said the teenager who crashed into him in a car accident yesterday has been issued an infringement notice.

Leaving Royal Prince Alfred Hospital today, Mr Albanese said the 17-year-old was apologetic after the accident in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville yesterday.

"The young man apologised at the time. I hope that this experience and the consequences of it could have been far more serious than they are.

"It showed some character the fact that he apologised while I was still stuck in the car.

"I hope that's a sign that he will take this experience and become the safest driver that Australia has ever seen."

Mr Albanese spent the night in hospital after the accident about 5pm yesterday, leaving after 3pm today.

He offered his gratitude to the paramedics, police, doctors, nurses, cleaners and other hospital staff who helped him after the advice.

"Before they arrived, one of the witnesses to the accident happened to be an off-duty nurse, Ali," Mr Albanese said.

"I want to give her a shout-out and I want to give a shout-out to all nurses. These are people who are never off-duty."

He said the technology of his late model Toyota Camry helped keep him alive after the collision with the teen's Range Rover.

"If this accident was ten years ago, I wouldn't be speaking to you," Mr Albanese said.

"The technology that makes a difference to the front end of my car, and the new seatbelt technology has made an enormous difference."

Mr Albanese said he had several internal and external injuries but did not go into detail.

"I am on painkillers now, so I don't want this press conference to keep going," he said.

"Who knows what I will say?"

A photo taken from the scene yesterday showed Mr Albanese standing and speaking with paramedics before being taken to hospital.

"He is shaken but okay and has been taken to hospital by ambulance for a check up," a spokesperson said yesterday.

"Shortly before 5pm this afternoon emergency services were called with reports that a black Range Rover and dark grey Toyota Camry had collided," NSW Police said.

https://twitter.com/albomp/status/1347757336576737284

A photo taken from the scene yesterday showed Mr Albanese standing and speaking with paramedics before being taken to hospital.

"He is shaken but okay and has been taken to hospital by ambulance for a check up," a spokesperson said yesterday.

"Shortly before 5pm this afternoon emergency services were called with reports that a black Range Rover and dark grey Toyota Camry had collided," NSW Police said.

"Police have been told that the male driver of the Range Rover, aged 17, was travelling West along Hill St when it struck the Toyota.

"The driver of the Toyota, a man aged 57, was treated at the scene before being taken to RPA in a stable condition.

"Officers attached to Inner West Police Area Command attended and have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Enquiries are continuing."

Marrickville is in Mr Albanese's electorate of Grayndler.

headline

Victorians confused and frustrated about last minute Brisbane border closure

Confused and frustrated Victorians have vented their anger over the government's eleventh hour decision to close the border to Greater Brisbane.

Details were published on Twitter 15 minutes before the closure came into force at midnight.

The Thompson family from Phillip Island went to bed early last night and woke up before dawn. They had a flight to Brisbane booked – to see Sue's sister in Ipswich for her birthday.

READ MORE: Case of UK strain flew into Queensland from Melbourne

https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1347517633650954244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"It's been a year and a half I haven't seen her," Ms Thompson told 9News.

"I'm gutted, I swore black and blue to her that I'll make it."

But minutes before boarding – they heard the news – the border had closed and they wouldn't be able to get back home.

"We saw it on the TV in the boarding room," Sue's husband Chris said.

"I think it would've been better to give us three or four days notice or something like that."

Instead, details of the closure were posted to Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Twitter at the 11th hour.

The Thompson's luggage was unloaded – the birthday plans – dashed.

READ MORE: Health Minister defends release of coronavirus-infected woman from hotel quarantine

READ MORE: Brisbane now in lockdown

Anyone who has been in Greater Brisbane – including Ipswich and Logan – since last Saturday is barred from Victoria. But despite that, the flights from Queensland's capital continued today.

Only those with exemptions are allowed to enter the state – but no one 9News spoke to today had applied for one.

By travelling south – many of the 96 arrivals were technically in breach of the Chief Health Officer's directions, they just didn't know it.

Twenty flights were scheduled from Brisbane today – when passengers arrived they didn't receive any paperwork – instead they were told by department staff to get tested and isolate.

Anyone who has already arrived in Victoria and has been in Greater Brisbane in the last week needs to get a swab.

Around 50 per cent of those getting tested today had recently been in the Sunshine State.

headline

Northern Territory records first case of highly infectious UK COVID-19 strain

The UK variant of the COVID-19 virus has been confirmed in an overseas traveller who returned to the Northern Territory.

The 26-year-old woman arrived on a repatriation flight from London on December 30 and her positive test record was announced on January 2.

All genomic testing is done interstate and yesterday, the woman's results came back positive for the more virulent UK strain, which is already on Australian shores.

READ MORE: Why new UK strain of COVID-19 has health authorities so worried

This is the first case reported in the NT.

There were no other positive cases detected on the flight the woman returned on and she is currently in isolation at the NT Centre for National Resilience in Howard Springs.

Australian Medical Assistance Team Paramedic, Abigail Trewin said the woman was asymptomatic and regardless of the strain of the virus, it was important to treat all cases with the same vigilance.

"We are doing everything we possibly can to guarantee the safety of everyone in isolation," she said.

READ MORE: New strain of COVID-19 found in UK more infectious, but not more severe

"We do know everyone else onboard that flight has tested negative and the woman was travelling with a companion and so far, all testing on the partner has come back negative too."

Ms Trewin said all passengers are tested before boarding the flight, twice on arrival and again after 12 days.

All other passengers and flight crew on the positive case's flight are also in isolation at the same venue and have already been tested twice since arriving on December 30, returning negative results.

Since confirmation of the case in the woman with the UK strain, everyone from the flight has been tested again today as a precaution.