Australia news LIVE NSW records 136 new local COVID-19 cases as Victoria records 14 cases TGA approves Pfizer vaccine for children

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is providing a coronavirus update.

It comes after Victoria recorded 14 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 all linked to current outbreaks.

Watch live below.

Good afternoon and thank you for reading our live coverage of the day’s events.

If you’re just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:

NSW has recorded 136 new local cases of COVID-19, a new record in this current outbreak. At least 70 cases were in the community for either part or the whole of their infectious period. Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant says this is a national emergency and has called for vaccines to be directed urgently to south-west Sydney and western Sydney, with a particular focus on workers aged 20-49 in those areas “to stem the transmission risk” because these workers “keep the society going”.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says it’s clear the state will not be reducing the number of COVID-19 cases infectious in the community to zero by next week. Greater Sydney is in the fourth week of a five-week lockdown, but it’s not likely to end soon.

People in the Cumberland and Blacktown local government areas in NSW will be subject to the same rules as Fairfield residents in a bid to stem the tide of new COVID-19 cases, meaning workers are not allowed to leave their local area unless they are on the list of authorised workers.

Victoria recorded 14 new, locally acquired cases of COVID-19 yesterday. All are linked to current outbreaks. Ten of the 14 cases were in quarantine throughout their infectious period.

Queensland health authorities have confirmed a flight attendant has tested positive for the Delta variant of COVID-19 overnight after flying between Brisbane and a number of regional centres. The woman crewed six flights between Brisbane and Longreach, Gladstone and Hervey Bay.

New Zealand has suspended its travel bubble with all of Australia for two months. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement earlier today, and has encouraged Kiwis living in Australia to return home as soon as possible unless they wish to remain in Australia longterm.

And South Australia has recorded just one new case of COVID-19. The case is linked to the current outbreak, which currently stands at 15, and was in isolation during their infectious period.

Broede Carmody is logging off the live blog now. I’ll keep you informed of the latest developments throughout the afternoon and evening.

Pregnant women are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination after the federal health department confirmed they are now included as a priority group.

The news follows advice on June 9 from Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation that pregnant women are routinely offered Pfizer mRNA vaccine at any stage of pregnancy.

People who are pregnant are now eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.

“This is because the risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 is significantly higher for pregnant women and their unborn baby,” the statement said.

RANZCOG President Dr Vijay Roach said: “We recognise that these decisions are complex, which is why we have worked closely with the Government, and we are pleased that they have responded to the medical advice. Pregnant women should be considered a vulnerable group. We don’t want to see any pregnant woman severely ill, or in the ICU, as a result of this disease.

“While vaccination doesn’t eliminate the risk, it reduces it considerably and we are confident in our advice that the Pfizer vaccination is safe for pregnant women and their babies.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he had not received a request for vaccines to be re-distributed to NSW, given all states need more jabs.

He said he doubted very much that large amounts of vaccine allocated to Victoria would be relocated to NSW, but said there would be a discussion at national cabinet about the country’s vaccine strategy today.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews at Monday’s COVID-19 press conference.Credit:Jason South

“We have barely enough vaccine allocated to any of us so the notion we would be sending it away from here â€" we all have got need, all of us,” he said.

“They have been allocated fairly and there is additional supply, I am not opposed to New South Wales receiving more, and in fact they have received more in the most recent bring-forward because of the difficult circumstances they face.”

Mr Andrews also expanded on his comments about putting a ring of steel around Sydney, considering the city’s situation in the western suburbs has been declared a “national emergency” by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

The Victorian Premier said NSW could use police, authorised officers and support from the ADF to enforce the Sydney metropolitan border.

“We’ve already got cases coming from Sydney, lockdown in Melbourne, lockdown in Adelaide. How many more states do we want locked down? We did it [last year].”

NSW Chief health Officer Kerry Chant says the interval between Pfizer doses may need to be increased to six weeks as the state continues to be affected by vaccine shortages.

The move would allow more people to get a first dose of the vaccine. In Australia, Pfizer doses are given at least three weeks apart.

NSW has flagged potential changes to the gap between Pfizer shots. Credit:AP

“It may be that we have to make hard choices,” Dr Chant said.

“This is a very hard situation and we may have to make decisions to delay the Pfizer interval out to six weeks, you can have it out to six weeks, to actually bring forward doses.

“At this point, there is an urgency to get as many jabs in arms, and I think we to work creatively and pragmatically with all the states and territories in the Commonwealth on what that looks like â€" jabs in arms.

“And I just express that some of those changes will impact on individuals. It may be that we need to cancel your vaccine bookings out there.”

The Victorian Premier says while he can’t predict whether the state will leave lockdown on Tuesday night, health authorities have a “complete picture” of what’s going on.

Daniel Andrews told reporters this morning that if Victorians continued to observe lockdown protocols the state would get the “right outcome” next week.

“It’s very difficult for us today on Friday to be able to predict what will happen next Tuesday at midnight, but I would say that the trend is with us,” he said.

“These results are very encouraging. Whether the next few days continue that way, we’ll only know with the passage of time.

“What I am certain of though is if everyone keeps playing their part, if everybody takes this lockdown seriously … if we do the right thing, we’ll get the right outcome and will be open.”

There are now seven coronavirus patients in Victorian hospitals, six of which are locally acquired cases. One is a person who has been in hotel quarantine. Two people are in ICU but neither of them are on respirators, Mr Andrews said.

Of the 14 new cases announced on Friday, 10 were in isolation for their full infectious period. Mr Andrews said three people had been out while potentially infectious for about 24 hours. One case is still being investigated. All 14 cases are linked to current outbreaks.

“We now have 75 plus per cent of our new cases isolated, no risk to public health matters or to anybody else,” he said.

“That’s a triumph of the work that our entire public health team is doing, but it’s also a testament to the about 20,000 people who are at home, isolating, to keep everybody else safe.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has called for a “ring of steel” around Sydney, saying COVID-19 cases needed to be contained in NSW for the good of the nation.

After NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called the outbreak in her state a national emergency on Friday morning, Mr Andrews said the northern state needed to act like it was a national problem.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews at a press conference earlier this week. Credit:Eddie Jim

He would be asking for the city to be put in a ring of steel at national cabinet today.

“I want to just make this point that if there is a national emergency â€" and I’m not doubting that for a moment in Sydney â€" then it is a national responsibility that Sydneysiders are locked in to Sydney,” he said.

“We need a ring of steel around Sydney, so that this virus is not spreading into other parts of our nation.

“We did it last year to protect country Victoria, and our country. The same must occur in relation to Sydney, and that’s what I’ll be asking for at national cabinet.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the trans-Tasman bubble with Australia will be suspended for two months.

The bubble will pause from 11.59pm on Friday night local time (9.59pm AEST) but there will be managed return flights over the next seven days to allow Kiwi citizens and residents to come home.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has suspended the trans-Tasman bubble.Credit:Getty

Those outside of Victoria and New South Wales will be able to get on these flights and not go through quarantine â€" but everyone will need a negative pre-departure test.

Those returning from NSW will have to enter hotel quarantine and those coming from Victoria will have to quarantine at home for 14 days. Everyone coming from Australia must present a negative COVID test.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned New Zealanders not to delay: “My strong message to every New Zealander in Australia right now who does not want to stay there long term is â€" come home,” Ardern said.

via Stuff.co.nz

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian was asked by a reporter if she thinks other states should send some of their Pfizer doses to her state.

She said the suggestion needed to be discussed at national cabinet.

“We need to have a strategy at national cabinet that does think about the options for getting more jabs in arms in Sydney,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“[Chief Health Officer] Dr Chant advised us that it is a national emergency. The advice also included having a rethink of the national vaccination strategy.

“We have been doing the heavy lifting for 18 months and if I may, we have tried to make sure that we keep the economy going, and we want to continue to do that. But in order for us to have our citizens live freely and openly, as well as other states to ensure that their citizens live openly and freely, we need to have a national refocus.”

The co-chair of the COVID-19 subgroup of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), Allen Cheng, tells the Senate committee the group is meeting every week to review its advice relating to AstraZeneca.

Some experts outside the expert group have said its decision to say Pfizer should be the preferred vaccine for under 50s and then under 60s has undermined public confidence in the AstraZeneca jab.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he’s making a “constant appeal” to ATAGI to rethink its advice given the changing balance of risks with the outbreak in Sydney.

But Professor Cheng says at the most recent meeting, on Wednesday, ATAGI made no change to its advice. He said that benefit of vaccination in Sydney was “in a state of flux” at the moment.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant says she wants more vaccines “today”, urging people to consider AstraZeneca.

“My sense of urgency is absolute urgency. So I think we need to be seeing vaccines in arms on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and we need to be ramping up to roll out vaccines in those areas,” she said.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has encouraged younger people in coronavirus hotspots to get the AstraZeneca vaccine because there is ample supply. Credit:James Brickwood

“In terms of AstraZeneca, I have had AstraZeneca. My husband, who I do care for dearly but has not seen much of me ... he has had his first dose of AstraZeneca.

“So I just want to say that the Chief Health Officer would not recommend AstraZeneca to someone that they care about if they had concerns.”

Dr Chant added that the risks associated with AstraZeneca are incredibly small compared to the benefits to Greater Sydney right now.

“Can I just be very clear that we need to correct the mythology about AstraZeneca.

“And in the context of the Delta threat, I just cannot understand why people would not be taking the opportunity to go out and get AstraZeneca in droves.”

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