23:33
Good morning! It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here, bringing you the news for Sunday 29 August.
Reports today that Victorian authorities will extend the Melbourne lockdown, set to end this Thursday. The state recorded 64 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, only 36 of which had been in quarantine through their infectious period.
All eyes are on a growing ‘cluster of concern’ in Port Melbourne, linked to a Woolworths and car wash, with four cases confirmed so far.
But first, let’s take a quick look at the key events from yesterday.
- NSW had a record 1035 new local infections and two more deaths reported on Saturday, taking the state’s death toll from the current outbreak to 83.
- Despite growing cases, the Berejiklian government announced a small easing of restrictions from Friday 3 September to allow couples to marry with five guests in attendance.
- ACT recorded 26 new cases, 15 of which had been in quarantine. There is no word on whether their lockdown will end on Thursday as planned.
- Home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, said Australia’s operations in Afghanistan had concluded, with 4,100 people evacuated by Australian forces, and that the government is now focusing on the resettlement.