Australia Covid live news update: ACT’s ‘freedom day’; NSW regional travel delayed; Victoria’s essential workers face vaccine deadline

We will no doubt be hearing more about the next stage of NSW’s reopening when the premier steps up to speak to media at 10am.

It seems from this video that the Queen isn’t delighted by world leaders like Scott Morrison who are yet to commit to attending the Cop29 UN climate summit in Glasgow.

The delays to NSW regional travel were confirmed when NSW deputy premier Paul Toole spoke the Sydney radio station 2GB earlier this morning.

Sydneysiders won’t be allowed to travel to the regions until November because of the risk posed to communities where Covid-19 vaccination rates lag behind the cities.

I will confirm with you this morning … that regional travel will be allowed from the first of November.

This comes after cabinet met on Thursday night. The government opted to delay regional travel as only 36% of regional local government areas have populations where 80% are double vaccinated against Covid-19.

Toole said:

I know it’s frustrating. It’s not an easy decision.

But we have a responsibility to make sure that we keep our regional communities safe.

It’s important that we don’t actually open up businesses and then … case numbers escalate putting those communities and those businesses in jeopardy.

The Coalition government had promised unlimited travel in the state from the Monday after NSW reached its 80% double vaccination milestone.

Here is a bit more from that slightly fiery discussion between Anthony Albanese and ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland.

Rowland:

You expelled Adem Somyurek for branch-stacking, and Anthony Byrne admitted to doing the same thing, why won’t you expel him?

Albanese:

Let’s be very clear. The allegations against Adem Somyurek were of a very different nature and went to behaviour and an attempt in his own words to essentially control the Victorian branch.

Rowland:

But Anthony Byrne’s breached rules by branch-stacking. So on that basis, why …

Albanese:

Rowland:

No, this is a matter for the Labor party, separate to what Ibac does, he’s breached party rules, you are the leader, what action will you take against him?

Albanese:

Well, we’ll wait for the Ibac processes …

Rowland:

I’m talking about Anthony Byrne.

Albanese:

I know what you are talking about. From time to time there are breaches of party rules and the processes kick in to deal with that. But while Ibac is undertaking these investigations, it’s important that they be allowed to take their course.

OK, it’s time to talk about Labor branch-stacking … again.

The Victorian Ibac hearings are still going on, and earlier this week federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne admitted to breaking party rules and misusing taxpayer resources in the first day of hearings into branch-stacking in the Victorian Labor party.

Now the federal party leader, Anthony Albanese, is out and about, speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning, to defend why he hasn’t booted Bryne out of the party yet.

Host Michael Rowland:

Do you support Anthony Byrne staying in parliament as a Labor MP?

Albanese:

Well, yes, what he has said is that he’ll wait for the Ibac processes to be concluded before he determines his political future and it’s important that these independent processes are allowed to take their course, make recommendations.

I note that the head of Ibac, the commissioner made comments about Anthony Byrne’s evidence when it was concluded, saying that he thanked him for the honesty of his evidence in coming forward.

The senior NSW government members charged with leading the state’s Covid-19 response have reportedly decided to postpone regional travel, which is currently part of the roadmap for 80%, AAP reports.

There’s concern that opening up to travellers from Sydney would put communities with lower vaccination rates at risk.

Premier Dominic Perrottet met with his Covid-19 and economic recovery committee to discuss the matter on Thursday.

He is expected to provide an update on Friday morning.

Late on Thursday NSW Health said that from Friday restrictions for people entering NSW from the ACT would be eased and people would no longer need to complete a declaration form on entry into NSW or follow stay-at-home rules on arrival.

It also said Queensland residents would also no longer have to complete a declaration form on arrival due to low rates of community transmission in that state.

Some 91.4% of eligible NSW residents have had at least one Covid-19 jab.

Of 12- to 15-year-olds, 72.11% had received at least one vaccination by Wednesday, with 26.01% fully immunised.

It’s the highest full vaccination rate for that age group in the nation.

The state reported 406 new Covid-19 on Thursday, down from 444 the previous day.

Six more people died, taking the total for the outbreak to 454.

Perrottet on Thursday announced further stimulus measures to boost the economy after the state recorded tens of thousands more job losses.

NSW adults will be able to use two extra $25 Dine and Discover vouchers at restaurants, cafes and entertainment venues by next June.

Al fresco dining and drinking will be encouraged with a loosening of restrictions and a grant program for venues and councils to expand outdoors.

Victorian radio presenter Raf Epstein (who is usually pretty on the money when it comes to Covid-19 numbers) is reporting that case numbers for the state will be similar to yesterday’s 2,297 infections.

This has not been independently confirmed by Guardian Australia, but we should find out one way on another when the state’s health department tweets out the numbers in the next hour or so.

Multiple media publications have reported this morning that travel between regional NSW and Sydney will be postponed by at least a week as vaccination rates lag outside of the city.

The ABC and Daily Telegraph have both reported that the decision was made during a NSW cabinet meeting yesterday.

Regional travel was meant to restart the Monday after the state hit 80% full vaccination for the 16 and overpopulation. But here’s the problem, it looks like the NSW could well hit 80% on Sunday, therefore starting its next stage of reopening on next Monday, just one week after the 70% “freedom day”.

And while Sydney may be forging ahead with vaccinations at a record pace, many regional towns are lagging, raising fears among mayors that the virus could soon be imported into regional hubs and run rampant.

For example, the LGA of Byron Bay only has a double-dose rate of 47.1%.

Looks like we might get confirmation of this change to the reopening plan when the premier steps up to speak today.

The Australian Medical Association has issued a dire warning over the country public hospital capacity as wards brace for an influx of Covid-19 patients.

“Our hospitals are full – there simply aren’t enough hospital beds or enough doctors and nurses – and tragic stories of deaths, deterioration and delayed care are becoming increasingly commonplace,” says the report, entitled Public Hospitals: Cycle of Crisis.

The report reads:

Our hospitals are full – there simply aren’t enough hospital beds or enough doctors and nurses – and tragic stories of deaths, deterioration and delayed care are becoming increasingly commonplace.

The report was released on Friday and says a shortage of hospital beds, overcrowded emergency departments and longer waits for elective surgery are “risking the lives of all Australians”, reports AAP.

It warns of dire consequences if all governments fail to act and says the hospital crisis was in full swing long before Covid-19 arrived.

Hospital beds will increasingly be taken up by emergency admissions, doubling as a percentage of hospital beds by 2030-31, resulting in even longer waits for elective surgery such as cancer diagnostic procedures.

It says the funding arrangements underpinning the hospital system are not fit for purpose and fail to meet the demands of a growing and ageing population.

The way to break free from the cycles of crisis is to change the way hospitals are funded – moving beyond just the focus on activity and volume to a partnership based on community demand and timeliness of treatment.

AMA president Omar Khorshid said the report had been sent to the prime minister and every state and territory leader as its findings required immediate action.

Australians expect to receive treatment when they need it. They expect an ambulance to turn up when they call one, and they expect to be able to get into the hospital when they arrive.

At the moment, these expectations can’t be met and that is a symptom of a public hospital system in crisis.

Hello everyone, it’s Matilda Boseley here and we made it to Friday. Just a little bit to go, we can do it!

So first up, a big congratulations to everyone reading this from the Australian Captial Territory. They have woken up this morning to their first day of freedom after the territory’s two-month lockdown ended at midnight last night.

While there has been some criticism the easing of lockdown restrictions are too cautious – with retail not able to reopen to customers in-store until 29 October – ACT chief minister Andrew Barr defended the measures, saying it put public health first.

It ensures the safest activities are recommencing and the riskiest ones will wait until more of the population are fully vaccinated.

The latest figures show 98.8% of Canberrans aged over 12 have received one dose of the vaccine, while almost 75% are fully vaccinated.

It’s also an important date in Victoria with the vaccine mandate deadline kicking in for more than 1.25 million essential workers.

The Victorian government gave authorised workers a fortnight to get at least their first vaccination – or show proof of a booking within the next week – otherwise, they would be stood down.

The public health order covers retail workers, personal trainers, journalists, faith leaders, judges, police, lawyers, actors, professional sportspeople and many other professions.

It’s estimated that hundreds of thousands of workers were still yet to get the jab and Tim Piper, the Victorian head of the peak employer association Ai Group, said “V-Day” was creating huge issues and some businesses were contacting it to report workers were refusing to get vaccinated.

The workers have often been in their jobs many years, they may be key people in the business…

Skilled and experienced employees are at a premium and some businesses are at their wits’ end trying to decide what to do.

Premier Daniel Andrews said he made no apology for his government’s vaccine policies, however.

These mandates, these requirements, push people to do what needs to be done.

OK with all that fresh in our minds why don’t we get cracking with this Friday’s news.