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- This morning’s headlines at a glance
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Freedom from lockdowns in November hinges on the nation’s young men
Restrictions on pandemic-fatigued Australians may start to be eased as early as mid-November under a national cabinet road map but it hinges on young men getting their jabs and laggard states struggling to get their residents vaccinated.
A surge in the number of people getting their first dose – 111,000 people received a vaccination on July 31 – plus high rates of people returning for their second dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca is lifting confidence about reaching the first key target of the national cabinet plan.
Medical staff prepare to administer vaccinations at the Bankstown Sports Club in western Sydney.Credit:Steven Siewert
States, territories and the federal government have set a four-phase plan towards fully reopening the country. The second stage, which would see eased restrictions on vaccinated people, requires 70 per cent of people over the age of 16 to be fully vaccinated.
To reach 70 per cent, the number of double-dosed Australians over the age of 16 will have to reach more than 14.4 million. As at July 30, there were more than 3.9 million people fully vaccinated.
Read the full story here.
‘Crack on and get it’: Victoria’s CHO encourages more jabs
Victoria will probably reach the threshold of 70 per cent fully vaccinated, outlined by Canberra on Friday as a key milestone in avoiding lockdowns, ahead of most other states, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says.
“We are leading the big states,” Professor Sutton said on Sunday. “I think we will be ahead of the average.”
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton in July getting his second AstraZeneca vaccine at The Hills Medical Practice at Olinda.Credit:Andrew Henshaw
By Saturday, Victoria had 19.2 per cent of eligible adults fully vaccinated, marginally ahead of NSW at 19.07 per cent and Queensland at 18.32 per cent.
Data released by the Department of Health on Sunday also revealed that of 204 local COVID-19 positives in Victoria since July 12, there were 25 cases in people who had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Only 10 were fully vaccinated.
Of those 10 though, none were hospitalised because of the virus and all were asymptomatic or suffered only mild symptoms.
Read the full story here.
Thousands of HSC students set to travel more than 20km to class
Tens of thousands of teenagers will be travelling up to 20 kilometres across Sydney when year 12 returns to classrooms in two weeks, with some schools in hotspot areas drawing students from almost 100 postcodes and suburbs where COVID-19 is rife.
The amount of travel – especially in and out of areas of the tightest lockdown – has alarmed teachers and some medical experts, who argue students are no different to essential workers and their movement should be minimised. But others say the risk can be mitigated.
The NSW Teachers Federation’s state executive will meet on Tuesday, saying teachers are “outraged” by the plan. It would not rule out industrial action. The meeting would “consider all options available aimed at protecting the health and safety of all members”.
More on this story here.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning and thanks for your company. It’s Monday, August 2. I’m Broede Carmody.
If you’re waking up in lockdown today, I hope you’re doing OK.
Here’s everything you need to know before we jump into our rolling coverage.
- Army troops will hit Sydney’s streets today to help enforce the city’s stay-at-home orders. NSW recorded 239 cases of COVID-19 yesterday. Of those, at least 26 were infectious in the community – the number NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says needs to be close to zero before the city can consider coming out of lockdown. It comes as teachers and some medical experts express concerns about the Premier’s plan for year 12 students to return to the classroom.
- Brisbane residents are waking up to the second full day of their city’s snap lockdown. Yesterday, Queensland recorded nine new cases of coronavirus. Contact tracers have labelled at least five schools as “at-risk”. All eyes will be on today’s case numbers and whether there is community transmission in the regions.
- In Victoria, health authorities are hopeful that the state will soon start recording zero daily cases. However, residents of a small Richmond apartment block are being monitored after a COVID scare. Victoria recorded four locally acquired cases yesterday. All of the new cases are linked to existing outbreaks and were in insolation throughout their infectious period. It comes as Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says his state will likely reach the 70 per cent fully-vaccinated threshold ahead of most other states.
- And in sports news, Australia’s Olympics team is celebrating after Emma McKeon stormed home in the pool to win her seventh gold medal at the Tokyo Games. The swimmer is the most-decorated Australian to ever compete at a single Olympics.
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