S.M.H.
Plan to ease lockdown criticised
Sydneysiders will be allowed to holiday in regional NSW and welcome up to five vaccinated adults into their homes once 70 per cent of the state’s eligible population is fully vaccinated, but the government won’t rule out restricting people’s movements where outbreaks emerge. We are currently at 43.6 per cent fully vaccinated and the 70 per cent target is on track to be met about October 17. The easing would kick in the Monday after that milestone is passed. See all the rules that will ease here.
Year 12 students have finally been given some clarity with news that all written HSC exams will go ahead from November 9 and results will be released shortly before Australia Day. Parts of the Mid North Coast, North Coast, north-west, Albury, Riverina and Murrumbidgee will emerge from lockdown on Saturday. However, Queensland border restrictions will remain in place and Premier Gladys Berejiklian cautioned the state is “definitely not out of the woods”, with 39 regional areas remaining in lockdown for now, along with Greater Sydney.
While the plan was no doubt greeted with a collective sigh of relief by millions of locked down Sydneysiders, some public health experts are less keen, saying stretched hospitals have taken a back seat to the demands of businesses. AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said it would lead to higher case numbers and a greater burden on the health system. Grattan Institute health economist Stephen Duckett agreed: “It is an extremely risky strategy … one person’s freedom is another person’s going to hospital”.
On the other hand, other epidemiologists say fully vaccinated people should be granted additional freedoms immediately, including travel and quarantine exemptions. Melbourne University’s Dr Driss Ait Ouakrim said forcing vaccinated people to quarantine doesn’t make sense: “It would make sense if we were still chasing COVID-zero. We’re not anymore.” However, this would come with risks as vaccinated people can still pass the virus on, albeit at much lower rates, and there are many logistical hurdles.
Cases: NSW recorded 1405 local cases after 156,481 tests. There were five deaths, taking the outbreak’s toll to 153. There are 1175 patients in hospital, including 202 in ICU and 80 on ventilation. Victoria recorded 324 cases and there are 111 patients in hospital there. The ACT recorded 15 cases, while Queensland had one and New Zealand had 13. 577 Indigenous Australians have tested positive in the past two weeks.
Vaccines: 311,368 doses were administered on September 8, the latest reporting period. 13,480,795 people have had their first dose (52.64% of the total population or 65.38% of 16+) and 8,330,598 are fully vaccinated (32.43% of all Australians, 40.40% of 16+).
Breakthrough infections explainer: Why do some fully vaccinated people catch COVID-19 and how severe is it?
What columnist Waleed Aly says: Emergency powers must not be used for anything beyond the pandemic.
What chief political correspondent David Crowe says: The PM’s flight to Sydney confirmed his culture of secrecy.
The economy: Almost one in five jobs across parts of western Sydney disappeared during lockdown.
Bus strike: Drivers walked off the job at a western Sydney depot and say they won’t return without rapid antigen testing.
Basketballer tests positive: The Sydney Kings suspended training after a player returned a positive COVID-19 test.
Around the world: A robot is enforcing COVID rules in Singapore and the US announced sweeping vaccine mandates.