The WORST care homes in England: Interactive map reveals the lowest-rated 2,530 residences - so is there one Do YOU know your Adam and Eve from your Ruby Murray? Its been revealed when Australia will experience the next Covid surge, but one state is expected to reach its peak much sooner than the rest. Were very keen to make sure we get a very firm grip of this as soon as we possibly can, Mr Weimar said. Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged into yet another lockdown, as the state government weighs fresh restrictions amid a worrying rise in Covid-19 cases brought in from NSW. Victorian premier Dan Andrews announces that only two people may gather outside unless they are members of a household, as well as the only four reasons people are permitted to leave home: NSW health minister Brad Hazzard announces that there are 16 reasons to leave home in NSW. How can I best get on with living my best life?, NSW expects Covid hospitalisations to peak next week. Gyms and fitness studios can reopen with up to ten people per class and 100 people in an indoor venue; Childrens sport and community sports competition can resume; and. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Daily case numbers remain at tens of thousands in NSW and Victoria. How a 21yo man with the code name 'Svyat' smuggled residents past Putin's private army, Anna called police to report an assault, but they took out a family violence order against her. Milly*, a young woman from Melbourne, says that two years of going in and out of lockdown has caused a downshift in her lifestyle that feels akin to being retired. Originally published at Upon Hope. We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. Whether the period spent in lockdown and the desire to do anything it took to avoid more of the same was a motivating factor, or whether there were other reasons for this, does not really matter. Regardless of your political stripes, or whether you felt all of the calls Victorian health authorities made were always the right ones, no one can doubt the commitment of the government and health authorities to get Victoria through the pandemic, and to communicate with Victorians. NSW cases rise to 20,794 and Victoria jumps to 8,577 but PM vows Australia will NEVER go back into lockdown because infection numbers 'DON'T matter and Omicron can be managed like the flu' Mr Morrison told day that with the arrival of Omicron, and Australia's high vaccination numbers, the government's approach had "shifted gears". "We are will have to vaccinate again against Covid and will have further advice about boosters but in the context of an outbreak, what we want to do is give people the advice so that they are protected.". The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's acting chief executive Scott Veenker said customer numbers were dwindling across hospitality and events sectors, and the surge in infections was also putting pressure on staffing. When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? Cafs and restaurants to seat up to ten people at any one time; and. Around her, in the suburbs of Melbourne, Covid cases are soaring. It's what young people do and we don't begrudge them that," he said. The Department of Transport's figures show public transport usage steadily rose through December to hit 83 per cent of February 2020 levels before crashing to 32 per cent. Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged into yet another lockdown, as the state government weighs fresh restrictions amid a worrying rise in Covid-19 cases brought in from NSW. This from tonight's CHO report in Victoria: Wastewater detections in Geelong BEFORE the Sydney removalists crossed the border. What have we learnt since then? He said the size of the fallcould not be fully accounted for by the hundreds of thousands of Victorians isolating as cases or close contacts. If the measure of success in responding to the pandemic is the amount of disease prevented and lives saved, Australia will undoubtedly be held up globally as an exemplar of best practice. Authorities confirmed seven cases were linked to a returned family and a crew of removalists, who both came into the state from NSW. Business groups have been sounding growing alarm about the trend for weeks, warning the unofficial "shadow lockdown"is dealing significant damage to the bottom line, but this time without significant government support. Dr Chant said it was imperative that everyone takes the current restrictions seriously. But for the 40 people Guardian Australia spoke to, it doesnt feel like its over. The affected LGAs areWoollahra, Waverley, Randwick, and the City of Sydney, including the CBD. Two years of having get a test drummed into you and then suddenly people are told not to get a test unless they fit certain criteria I found that really hard, he says. It felt like, have we given up?. The NSW government cancels all major events of more than 500 people. He added that the government was encouraging dance floors to be closed. Some people are going to get chronic illness from that, and we are in our 20s, she says. The move marks the first significant change in Covid restrictions in any state since an emergency national cabinet meeting linked to the hyper-contagious strain. Hannah*, a vision-impaired support worker in Melbourne, says the 2021 lockdowns left her feeling emptied out. Theres still high chances of new variants. Professor Cowie said in light of that, it was time to recognise that positive rapid antigen tests had "the same authority as a PCR test". Are you willing to justify risking the health of vulnerable people for that privilege?. National cabinet encourages wearing masks to combat COVID-19. Victoria has revealed eight new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, with a major Melbourne shopping centre and an AFL game potential points of exposure. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. A further two cases were family members of Ariele apartments residents and one case was believed to have been infected at Coles in Craigieburn where a family returning from a red zone were not isolating. "This is systematic, mass, stay-at-home behaviour, the likes of which we usually see during deep, organised stage four-style lockdowns," he said. Martin Radzaj says he has found the start of 2022 to be the most difficult time in the pandemic because of the utter confusion about what we should be doing. On the same day. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. While resources were poured into the department to cope with the unprecedented demands during the pandemic and some structural changes were made most notably the creation of local public health units more work undoubtedly needs to be done. To access medical care or provide caregiving. Ms Berejiklian said authorities will know by the end of this two week extension whether the lockdown will need to be even longer. We reflect on what we've learnt after 100 days of lockdown in Melbourne. Two years [living in a pandemic] is very different to five years when you only get three good months every year.. More than 2000 people who attended an MCG match between Carlton and Geelong on July 10 are also on alert after the game was attended by an infected person. With the lockdowns extending into the 2022 financial year, we will no doubt be assisting with working from home tax deductions in the 2022 financial as well. Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged back into lockdown after a worrying spike in Covid-19 cases today. With that in mind, lets look at what went right, and wrong, in Victoria amid the pandemic so far. Interactive map reveals when you may see SNOW. Kylie*, a midwife working in Melbourne hospitals, says despite difficulties with testing and high case numbers there is cause to be optimistic. Victoria announces tough new lockdown measures, including the 5km rule and an overnight curfew. Like everyone else, we just have to muddle through on our own.. "Feeling tense. The announcement of the restrictions comes a fortnight after density limits and the closure of indoor dancefloors were recommended by the Chief Health Officer as the state headed towards Christmas and New Year celebrations. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. 24 people were infectious in the community. And the Omicron variant, which has ripped through the country since December, appears to result in a less severe illness, in most cases, than previous variants of Covid-19. Don't have an account? Melburnians pictured outside Melbourne Town Hall on December 22. Around one third of businesses in Melbournes Chapel Street precinct have had to shut or reduce hours in recent weeks due to Covid-induced staff shortages. Cooper says she felt significantly safer when Melbourne was in lockdown and finds the argument that people should get over their concern about a global pandemic incredibly invalidating. Asked if the removalists had been deliberately evasive, Mr Weimar said: "They're not being deliberately forthcoming, let me put it that way.". "But if you are in certain areas where you know you are in even greater risk, as low as four weeks is acceptable. . Asked if the removalists had been deliberately evasive, Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said: "They're not being deliberately forthcoming, let me put it that way.". Follow our Covid live blog for the latest updates, a disease is less devastating if most of its victims are people who have pre-existing conditions, since ordered $62m worth of rapid antigen tests. Inside Prince Harry's finances from when he met Meghan Markle to landing 100M with Netflix and book Spare Do not sell or share my personal information. We hit the streets of Sydney and find the normally bustling metropolis completely empty. The fragments were detected as early as July 4 in the Geelong suburbs of Breakwater, Clifton Springs, Curlewis, Leopold, Drysdale, East Geelong, Moolap, Newcomb, South Geelong, Thomson and Whittington. Worried. Here's everything we've learned from Melbourne's polarising e-scooter trials. The pandemic has highlighted the vital role public health plays in keeping the community safe and healthy, so it needs adequate resources in future. The NSW government announces that from May 15, the following will be allowed: The Victorian government announces an easing of restrictions, allowing: Time Out announces the winners of the Time In Awards, supporting businesses and organisations that pivoted tonew initiatives during lockdowns. The bigger question of course will be whether we ever need to rely on hotel quarantine again or whether we have learned the more important lesson about how unsuitable hotels are for containing infectious diseases.