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. I know and understand that this is challenging and there is no family that has not been touched by that over the last few years and certainly many touched by that over the last few weeks and months, he said. Melbourne 12:10pm Jun 8, 2022 Shanghai neighbourhoods return to lockdown Multiple neighbourhoods in Shanghai were placed back under lockdown only a day after city-wide restrictions were lifted, as China's stringent zero COVID-19 strategy continues to haunt the financial hub. But maybe Im wrong. By 9News Staff 9:31am Jan 3, 2022 Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said the days of lockdown are gone, even as daily COVID-19 case numbers continue to escalate across the country. But of course we are not living in normal times, everything, including the flu, is now politicised. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. His deputy leader said the state government is not considering adding to the world-record 262 days Melbourne has spent in lockdown since the Covid pandemic began, 'The promise was if you go and get vaccinated, you can enjoy Christmasand New Year with your families and loved ones and that's exactly what will happen.'. "This is systematic, mass, stay-at-home behaviour, the likes of which we usually see during deep, organised stage four-style lockdowns," he said. Pictured: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews with his wife Catherine. 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. So it's going to be in some ways [it will be]more stressful for a lot of people.". "We really are all in this together and the data proves it.". A man who had flown from Guandong, China, to Melbourne on January 19, 2020, tests positive for Covid-19, becoming Australias first confirmed case. This from tonight's CHO report in Victoria: Wastewater detections in Geelong BEFORE the Sydney removalists crossed the border. Dr Chant said it was imperative that everyone takes the current restrictions seriously. Australian government frontbencher Simon Birmingham told the ABC on Friday that demand for testing, from both PCR and rapid tests, had been far in excess of what has been modelled in Australia and all around the world. But to the credit of the authorities, efforts were boosted in the second part of 2020 and beyond, building resources that were language and culturally appropriate and partnering with community leaders to design local public health interventions and disseminate messages. Deakin University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. 'Masks have a very small individual cost for us,' he said. We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. "Clearly, what were saying is particularly in greater Sydney, I have said openly that if you have had your AstraZeneca shots, over four weeks ago, contact your GP and talk about bringing the second dose forward from the 12 week mark to around 6- eight weeks," she said. Sydneysiders who live alone are permitted to establish a 'single's bubble' with a friend. Victoria indisputably went through the toughest ordeal of any state in the country. In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, some individuals in Australia have still managed to avoid contracting Covid-19. The risk is too high: Ashleigh Cooper, who is disabled and immunocompromised, went into self-isolation two weeks ago. He said while there were rules and density limits in place for businesses, it was likely the public had changed its behaviour during the current outbreak. Authorities confirmed seven cases were linked to a returned family and a crew of removalists, who both came into the state from NSW. It's relentless," she tweeted. PCR tests, which are carried out through testing sites, will be discouraged for those with symptoms and for contacts. Check your spam folder for our confirmation email! Daniel Andrews must end this shadow lockdown and stop imposing 2020 style restrictions on family run cafes, retailers, restaurants and businesses and must immediately provide the support needed for their survival.. "Please note that we have always taken the position in New South Wales they will keep the community safe but also make sure that we keep livelihoods going.". Australia's PCR testing sites have been overwhelmed by travellers trying to get tested before going on holiday. A new 'veloway' is welcome news for Melbourne's cyclists. are permitted to leave the ship in Sydney without being tested for Covid-19. An announcement is reportedly expected as early as tomorrow. There are other signs, too, that highlight a shift in focus from enjoying the freedoms of a reopened economyto navigating the pressure causedby the rapid rise in Omicron cases. 30 Aug, 2021, 08.26 AM IST 250 held in Australia anti-lockdown protests The Australian government has since ordered $62m worth of rapid antigen tests. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Victoria goes into lockdown for the sixth time, are permitted to establish a 'single's bubble, More than 10,000 Australians have now died of Covid-19. Mr Foley said there was "nothing wrong" with seeing family and friends at cafes and restaurants but said it was safer to meet outdoors. 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. Mr Merlino's NSW counterpartDominic Perrottet has refused to bring back a sweeping indoor mask mandate - despite many health experts recommending residents continue wearing the face coverings indoors. Register, Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout. Time Out rebrands as Time In worldwide to bring our readers ways to connect with their cities and support urban culture without leaving home. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. The three new cases are all believed to be linked to the apartment building where the removalists worked without face coverings. The streets of Melbourneare eerily quiet as people stay at home. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. National Cabinet agrees that the states will close: Melbourne distiller Gypsy Hub is the first (that we know of) to pivot to making hand sanitiser. 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. While he said part of it would be due to Omicron hitting essential workers and those on lower incomes harder, it also spoke to that community's hard-learnt appreciation of the "perils of this virus". Welcome to the Coronation! Almost everyone who spoke to Guardian Australia said they would feel more comfortable moving around if they had access to free, readily available rapid antigen tests. Mr Andrews did not appear at Thursday's Covid press conference but did briefly interrupt his holiday to attend Wednesday's national cabinet meeting. Victorians should work from home if they can. #CovidVic. On the same day. South Australia has enforced a hard border with residents of Greater Melbourne, as authorities reveal the man at the centre of Melbourne's Covid-19 outbreak likely caught it through aerosol Covid-19: South Australia border closes to Greater Melbourne, report into hotel leak released Couples who don't live together are permitted to visit in Victoria. The Victorian Premier has fired back after being accused of putting the state in shadow lockdown through new Covid restrictions. Mr Merlino said Victorians should also now work from home if they can and urged hospitality venues to switch to a seated-only service to reduce transmission. Some email providers try to silence us. Massive gas tanker crashes in Maryland and EXPLODES into fireball killing the driver and setting local What will the next pandemic be? The ship is later linked to up to 900 infections, Cinemas, entertainment venues, casinos, and nightclubs, Restaurants and cafs except for takeaway and/or home delivery, Melbourne distiller Gypsy Hub is the first (that we know of). of the novel coronavirus. But if we were to say it is all too hard lets stop isolating, lets stop getting tested, lets stop acting based on symptoms, then we would not have one thousand people in hospital, we would have many, many thousands. Victoria enters its fifth lockdown . There are a number of issues we won't know until we have further data," she said. Victoria's Chief Health Officer has declared that from tonight the lockdown restrictions will be strengthened and extended in metropolitan Melbourne, until 11.59pm on Thursday, 2 September. The uptake of COVID vaccines by Victorians was nothing short of remarkable. Were very keen to make sure we get a very firm grip of this as soon as we possibly can, Mr Weimar said. Daily case numbers remain at tens of thousands in NSW and Victoria. Victoria's latest Covid rules have been labelled "a shadow lockdown" by the opposition which claims isolation rules, density limits and restrictions have smashed Melbourne businesses. I know that I was safer.. "If you're fully vaccinated then your life will be back to normal, you'll be able to enjoy all of the things that you have yearned for and miss and desperately worked so hard for," Mr Andrews said as the state arrived at its 90 per cent vaccination target. Public transport usage in the city centre has fallen to 73 per cent below the baseline. Hannah*, a vision-impaired support worker in Melbourne, says the 2021 lockdowns left her feeling emptied out. The 'winter shot': Everything you need to know about getting your next COVID-19 booster, If you catch COVID again, will your symptoms be worse? According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the 6th January 2022, the most recent data available, Australia has the following statistics: So according to these figures, more than 10% of all cases in the past two years were found in one day! While we should celebrate what went right, its much more important we look fearlessly at what could have been done differently. Dj vu! postcodes 3038, 3064, 3047, 3060, 3012, 3032, 3055, 3042, 3021 and 3046 will go back into lockdown from July 2. But the Victoria government waited far longer than we did to go into the lockdown situation," Ms Berejiklian said. Most people who spoke to Guardian Australia are still recovering from the impact of long lockdowns and do not want a return to restrictions. 'Think of Christmas Day when you're going to see elderly relatives, and wear a mask it's pretty simple.'. Join the conversation, you are commenting as. 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. He said the lockdown, which had "sort of emerged organically", would also bring with it different levels of anxiety, uncertainty and confusion for some people. Premier Peter Gutwein said with a highly vaccinated population Tasmania would not be heading into lockdown or closing its borders because of the climbing case numbers. Cafs and restaurants to seat up to ten people at any one time; and. NSW recorded 97 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. Of the new cases, 60 were isolation throughout their infectious period, seven cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period and 24 were infectious in the community. I cannot stress this enough that everyone needs to take it seriously as hard lockdown," she said. Every single one of us was double-vaccinated as soon as we were eligible but we are not eligible yet for a booster. Here's how likely you are to get it more than once, Charting the COVID-19 spread: Australia passes 10,000 coronavirus deaths, Self-help author Marianne Williamson launches primary challenge against Joe Biden for 2024 Democratic nomination, Chinese migrants walked a gruelling 500km to Victoria's goldfields in the 19th century. Australia has been the most locked-down country since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, but residents are growing frustrated with cases still rising. The above numbers came from the same article here. Infections peaked about a month later, before beginning to fall. 'Wear a mask in an indoor setting. NSW on Thursdayrecorded 5,715 new Covid-19 cases - a daily record - and one death just two days before Christmas. "I need to find any cases that are out there to get them under control, and obviously we need to continue to work very closely with our red zone arrivals to make sure that these flying embers don't catch light again," Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters earlier on Wednesday. It would have been so easy to lose hope and stop complying with the tough restrictions en masse, especially as Victorians navigated their way through lockdown six, arguably the toughest to endure. People in Melbourne start putting teddy bears in their windows for children to find on daily exercise walks. 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' 'Please confirm what Muslim refers to': Why Ali's birthday payment for his nephew was flagged by his bank, These engineers break their silenceafterdecade of criticism overBrisbane2011 flood handling, Kade was a fit 31-year-old when he died from a heart attack, Sherpa are world famous for their work, which is synonymous with their name. Victorian Covid-19 testing head Jeroen Weimar said four of the new cases on Wednesday were linked to the Ariele apartment complex. NSW has recorded 97 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. "This is a hard lockdown. "It is important for us to assess all the advice we have which will be based on data and that will take us the next two weeks to make that assessment," she said. "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.". Took a while for the anxiety to die down to get to this point but now I dont want to do anything else., Richard Chigwin is experiencing his third summer without customers. To be able to work out your working from home tax deduction you will need to keep a record of the days from which you work from home. Theres still high chances of new variants. Covid-19 case numbers are on the increase across the state with 2,005 new infections and ten deaths reported on Thursday. Almost 2,700 passengers aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship are permitted to leave the ship in Sydney without being tested for Covid-19. It may be a new year but the lies and the fight against them goes on! The rules have been introduced to curtail the tens of thousands of cases reported each day, as the virus spreads like wildfire in the community. Revealed: The top 10 fastest-growing destinations for UK pensioners retiring overseas. 'Because Victorians went out and got vaccinated in record numbers, it means that we are not considering going into lockdown and this is the commitment that we gave to the people of Victoria,' he said. "I dont think it is fair to compare because every state has different circumstances at a different way of dealing with the virus. We currently have mask restrictions and in the Northern Territory there is an even more draconian lockdown than we had in Victoria. 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. And please, do not leave your home unless it is absolutely essential.". There will be another pandemic and potentially this will occur sooner than we all would like. Victoria recorded eight new cases on Wednesday, including seven linked to the removalists and a family from a red zone who should have been isolating for 14 days. Partly empty shelves in Sydneys inner west caused by Covid-induced supply chain issues. Pictured are Melbourne Demons fans during the AFL Grand Final in Perth on September 25. Mr Foley said "such high levels of transmission" meant Victorians had to "coexist" with the virus. Victorian Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie said it would be likely that come January 10, Victoria's testing system would have diagnosed "more people than it did for all of 2021". 5 https://t.co/RbnwQRfFF0, In Melbs we are on high alert again. The thought of lockdown again is what is giving me a lot of anxiety and a lot of dread it scares me, says Melbourne man James Burke. But on Wednesday night, a teacher at Bacchus Marsh Grammar tested positive and there are reports of an additional two cases which would bring the daily total to 10. People queue at a walk-in Covid testing site in Melbourne. Phoebe says her social circle has split in two: those who have had Covid and are now feeling invulnerable for 30 days despite warnings that earlier reinfection is possible and those who are curbing social activities to try to avoid it. More than two years old, we've passed another grim milestone: 10,000 people have now died of Covid-19 in Australia. The public servant, 25, contracted Covid along with 16 others at a house party late last month. The messy family drama behind one of the world's biggest K-pop empires, as the wave of infections sends staff into isolation at the same time COVID-19 patients are growing, Victorian hospitalisations surge to 631 as state records nearly 22,000 new infections, Timely reminder: How to respond if you test positive to COVID-19. The health department had been depleted over many years by both sides of politics and it clearly entered the pandemic under-resourced. "We're still doing things like we're going to the park, we're going to the beach on hot days, you can see that very clearly," he said. National cabinet encourages wearing masks to combat COVID-19. (ABC News: Peter Drought) This is how the news unfolded on Wednesday. Tattoo and massage parlours can reopen with up to ten clients. But will it be safer for women? 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. "In the past, you could say it's OK, it's the government, it's the policy, but that's not what we have right now. The Sydney suburb of Avalon records an outbreak of Covid-19, after NSW had gone 12 days with zero community transmission. Are we set to have a third lockdown for 2021. Feeling tense. 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. Australia has one of the most powerful passports in the world. I'm a vet, and here are five dog breeds most prone to cancer - including Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers, Prince Andrew chuckles as he encounters female jogger on way to his weekly Windsor horse-riding trip. Lotus lifestyle EV division to go public . We must invest in these community partnerships to ensure all communities are more resilient and protected. The only thing different now and previous lockdowns is Daniel Andrews has left small businesses to fend for themselves by not provided the support needed at this crucial time, he said. This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation. @newscomauHQ pic.twitter.com/Bq8oMG9FID. Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday defended the restrictions and current isolation rules, saying it was saving many thousands of people from ending up in hospital. Some people are going to get chronic illness from that, and we are in our 20s, she says. It now feels as though it is going to define parts of my life trajectory where I was hoping it wouldnt, she says. Up to five visitors to a household at any one time. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. The messy family drama behind one of the world's biggest K-pop empires, as the state arrived at its 90 per cent vaccination target, Timely reminder: How to respond if you test positive to COVID-19. Worried. Whats the price that we are willing to pay in order for people to be able to go and have brunch? Here we are in early January 2022 and its a wet day today (Sunday) in Melbourne, even though its summer. "Going to be so mad if we get sent into our fifth lockdown because of a Sydney removalist who wasn't wearing a mask," Choice journalist Jarni Blakkarly tweeted. Are you willing to justify risking the health of vulnerable people for that privilege?. On 28 September, the Latrobe Valley went into lockdown for 7 days. for coronavirus. Mr Foley said there was no plan to introduce another lockdown. Mr Morrison told day that with the arrival of Omicron, and Australia's high vaccination numbers, the government's approach had "shifted gears". Premier Gladys Berejiklain said its "very difficult" to compare the current situation in Sydney to the situation experienced by Melbourne last year. 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 26 September at 11:59pm, the 7 day Geelong and Surf Coast lockdowns ended as scheduled, but Mitchell Shire's lockdown was extended with no end date set. 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. A legal stoush between Federal MP Monique Ryan and her former staffer has devolved into warfare with each side throwing allegations at the other, a court has heard. Premier Dominic Perrottet had last week scrapped the QR check-ins for 'low risk' venues such as retail and kept them in place for 'high risk' settings like gyms and pubs. As the virus. 24 people were infectious in the community. Omicron variant of coronavirus led to huge spike in cases over New Year but has since subsided, prompting Boris Johnson to drop social restrictions . A Victorian-based consultant told Guardian Australia they were still receiving commercial rent relief until this week. Around her, in the suburbs of Melbourne, Covid cases are soaring. When it comes to responding to a pandemic, however, this presents its challenges. Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged back into lockdown after a worrying spike in Covid-19 cases today. But the state as a whole has been sealed off from neighbouring New South Wales and South Australia. But for the 40 people Guardian. Originally published at Upon Hope. Two years of mostly home schooling has given his youngest child, who started kindergarten in 2020, social anxiety, and his older child had a panic attack at the prospect of returning to face-to-face learning. Worried. Australia recorded more cases in the first two weeks of 2022 than in the previous two years combined. Many issues quickly became clear, such as the understaffing of aged-care centres and infection control practices, along with the lack of the proper accountability by government for these facilities. Cooper is disabled and immunocompromised. Test yourself with this Cockney Rhyming Slang quiz. "I am highlighting that the risk is ever present and remember, what I'm reading you today is what has happened overnight so tomorrow, there might be different sites," Dr Chant said. For me the risk is too high, she says. Sydney Aquarium staff bring their dogsto the closed aquarium to see the fish. 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. COVID 19 11:26am Jun 4, 2022 Personally, I feel better with accepting that Covid is an ongoing issue. The 78-year-old man had been a passenger aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship and was the first WA resident to test positive for the disease. The local government areas of Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown are still areas of concern for NSW health officials. There are 398 Victorians receiving care in hospital with 72 in intensive care, a small increase from 394 in hospital and 70 in ICU on Wednesday. Premier Daniel Andrews has announced Victoria will enter a five-day state-wide lockdown from midnight on Thursday night until 11:59pm on the following Tuesday night. Are we set to have a third lockdown for 2021. Asked if the removalists had been deliberately evasive, Mr Weimar said: "They're not being deliberately forthcoming, let me put it that way.". The rest of Victoria goes back into lockdown, as Sydney restrictions ease further. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/victoria-melbourne-covid-shadow-lockdown-cbd-mobility/100753496, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article. Friday will finally see the entire state of Victoria exit lockdown after. Today the state reported nearly 22,000 new infections, but the true number is likely much higher. These were exposed in all their awfulness during the pandemic. Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said this advice is particularly aimed at those in Greater Sydney. So we need to all play our part in taking this incredibly seriously. We need to get that down to is close to zero as possible," she said. A new 'veloway' is welcome news for Melbourne's cyclists. "And that really untangles that narrative that we had, you know, all the way through 2020 and 2021,where there was this fear, there was the suspicion,that there were other people somewhere else that weren't doing the right thing," he said. Don't have an account? Crises expose weaknesses, and theres no doubt the pandemic revealed a number of issues in Victoria. Australia's two largest states have kicked off 2022 with record COVID cases - while others have opted to change restrictions. one of the longest aggregate periods of strict lockdown, outbreaks that devastated the aged-care sector, Multilingual Australia is missing out on vital COVID-19 information. 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. . The anxiety of past outbreaks has been replaced with anger at state and federal governments, and a growing sense of despair that the pandemic will not end, at least not any time soon. Now that has ended too. Victorians are less interested in finding restaurants or cafes to enjoy than they are in finding a rapid antigen test (RAT), for example. Victoria on Thursday confirmed another 2,005 new infections and ten deaths - up from the 1,503 cases recorded on Wednesday. Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick, and the City of Sydney, including the CBD. It felt like, have we given up?.