As it happened: Victoria records three local COVID-19 cases as Scott Morrison reveals he will receive Pfizer vaccine ‘very soon
Summary
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will be rolling up his sleeve to get a coronavirus vaccine “very, very soon”, telling reporters in Sydney that he and Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly would receive the Pfizer vaccine. State premiers and federal Health Minister Greg Hunt will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine from next month.
Victoria has recorded three new cases of locally acquired COVID-19, all linked to the Holiday Inn outbreak; NSW has continued its run of 33 days without community transmission of coronavirus, reporting just two new cases in hotel quarantine; and Queensland has also recorded no new cases in the community or hotel quarantine.
Less than 24 hours after the City of Melbourne cancelled the iconic Moomba festival for the first time in its 66-year-old history, they have announced it is back on.
PM Scott Morrison said he was “very proud” of his home state, giving a glowing review of NSW’s pandemic management. There was a “reasonable expectation” that a vaccine will lead to more freedoms, he said.
That’s a wrap: the day in review
By Rachael Dexter
That brings us to the end of an eventful week. I hope you all enjoy your weekend.
A quick reminder of the big stories today:
Victoria has recorded three new cases of locally acquired COVID-19, all linked to the Holiday Inn outbreak; all three cases are from the same family: a child and both parents who were already in isolation.
NSW has continued its run of 33 days without community transmission of coronavirus, reporting just two new cases in hotel quarantine; and Queensland has also recorded no new cases in the community or hotel quarantine.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will be rolling up his sleeve to get a coronavirus vaccine “very, very soon”, flagging he will be vaccinated early in the rollout to boost public confidence.
Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd says people should go to trusted medical providers or the health.gov.au website rather than Facebook for vaccine information, after Facebook blocked all news websites yesterday.
Syringes designed to extract the maximum number of doses from Australia’s shipments of coronavirus vaccines will not be available when the national rollout begins on Monday. Instead, federal Department of Health Secretary Brendan Murphy said low dead space syringes – which are designed to minimise waste in the injection process – were still on order amid a worldwide shortage.
Victorian residents of Wantirna South/Boronia, Carrum Downs/Langwarrin and St Kilda East/Caulfield areas are all on alert after weak traces of COVID-19 were found in wastewater tests conducted earlier this week. Anyone with symptoms needs to come forward for testing as soon as possible.
Less than 24 hours after the City of Melbourne cancelled the iconic Moomba festival for the first time in its 66-year-old history, they have announced it is back on.Take care, stay safe this weekend and good night.
Breaking: Holiday Inn cluster case admitted to intensive care
By Rachael Dexter
Some late breaking news: one of the 22 cases linked to Melbourne’s Holiday Inn coronavirus cluster has been admitted to intensive care.The Department of Health said the patient was in a stable condition in hospital late on Friday afternoon, but did not reveal their age, gender or how the person was linked to the Holiday Inn outbreak.Another person who was in ICU earlier this week, known publicly for his use of a nebuliser which authorities claim is at the centre of the outbreak, was discharged from hospital on Wednesday.
5.36pmThat’s a wrap: the day in review
By Rachael Dexter
That brings us to the end of an eventful week. I hope you all enjoy your weekend.A quick reminder of the big stories today:Victoria has recorded three new cases of locally acquired COVID-19, all linked to the Holiday Inn outbreak; all three cases are from the same family: a child and both parents who were already in isolation.
NSW has continued its run of 33 days without community transmission of coronavirus, reporting just two new cases in hotel quarantine; and Queensland has also recorded no new cases in the community or hotel quarantine.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will be rolling up his sleeve to get a coronavirus vaccine “very, very soon”, flagging he will be vaccinated early in the rollout to boost public confidence.
Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd says people should go to trusted medical providers or the health.gov.au website rather than Facebook for vaccine information, after Facebook blocked all news websites yesterday.
Syringes designed to extract the maximum number of doses from Australia’s shipments of coronavirus vaccines will not be available when the national rollout begins on Monday. Instead, federal Department of Health Secretary Brendan Murphy said low dead space syringes – which are designed to minimise waste in the injection process – were still on order amid a worldwide shortage.
Victorian residents of Wantirna South/Boronia, Carrum Downs/Langwarrin and St Kilda East/Caulfield areas are all on alert after weak traces of COVID-19 were found in wastewater tests conducted earlier this week. Anyone with symptoms needs to come forward for testing as soon as possible.
Less than 24 hours after the City of Melbourne cancelled the iconic Moomba festival for the first time in its 66-year-old history, they have announced it is back on.Take care, stay safe this weekend and good night.
Video: Inside Sydney’s COVID-19 vaccination hub at Royal Prince Alfred hospital
By Kate Aubusson
On the third floor of a cream-coloured building in Camperdown, a face-masked pharmacist extracts a benign concoction of red dye and water from a glass vial no bigger than a thumbnail as if thousands of lives depended on the task.But today is just the final dress rehearsal. Come Monday morning, the vials will be filled with Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and Sydney’s quarantine and border workers will be among the very first Australians to roll up their sleeves to receive the vaccine at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s new COVID Vaccination Hub.Watch a walkthrough of the clinic here:Play Video
Play video0:54Quick look inside COVID-19 vaccination hub
Sydney’s COVID-19 vaccination hub is set to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Australians.
5.13pmAndrews says he will get his vaccine at local GP when it’s his turn
By Rachael Dexter and Paul Sakkal
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is in no hurry to get one of the first COVID-19 vaccines available but will get his jab from his local doctor when it’s his turn.“I don’t think there’s necessarily been a lot of time spent at national cabinet talking about when we’ll [state premiers] will get the jab, I’m very keen to see frontline workers get it, and those that are at the highest risk,” Mr Andrews told reporters outside Parliament today.
It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced this morning that he and the country’s Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy would receive one of the Pfizer vaccines “very, very soon” during the first stages of the rollout starting next week.
4.26pm‘Doesn’t define my business’: The battle to rebuild after being tied to a COVID-19 cluster
By Henrietta Cook
Business owners who unwittingly found themselves at the centre of a coronavirus cluster copped abuse, financial pain and brand damage and are now working extra hard to reassure customers they are COVID-safe.The past year has been devastating for many small businesses, but the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant, the Chadstone Butchers Club and others have had to deal with a mountain of extra and unexpected challenges.
4.09pmSix Melbourne testing sites close due to heat
By Rachael Dexter
Half a dozen COVID-19 testing sites have closed early today across Melbourne with the health Department citing the heat as the reason.The city has just hit its forecast top of 33 degrees, and sites from Dandenong to West Footscray have closed for the rest of the day.Closed sites due to heat today:Monash Health - Carroll Lane, Dandenong - Drive Through, Dandenong
Banyule Community Health - Greensborough, Greensborough
Monash Health - IYU Recreation Reserve, Pakenham, Pakenham
Darebin Arts Centre, Preston
Wyndham City Council Civic Centre, Werribee
Shorten Reserve Car Park, West Footscray
It’s not clear at what temperature sites are directed to close. The Department has been approached for response.