The push for a nationally consistent definition of coronavirus hotspots rather than blanket bans has been intensified as a result of the Queensland government’s refusal to allow a young woman from Canberra to attend her fathers funeral.
The Financial Review has reported the event also exacerbated tensions between Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who on Thursday accused the PM of bullying her after he called her to urge compassion in the young
woman’s situation. The PR Counsel’s Kristy McSweeney commented, “People know that Scott Morrison is not seeking to bully Annastacia Palaszczuk when he has asked for a request to be kept quiet. “And it’s her that’s publicised it … disgraceful.” Image: News Corp Australia
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AstraZeneca suspends trials of COVID-19 vaccine | Sky News AustraliaPharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has suspended its COVID-19 vaccine trial after a participant suffered an adverse reaction, casting doubts on whether the vaccine would be ready by early next year.\n\nSky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell said it was 'pretty optimistic' to suggest a COVID-19 vaccine would be ready by 'early next year'.\n\n“I was surprised that Scott Morrison and Greg Hunt were so definitive the other day,” he said.\n\nMr Clennell pointed out the statement from Astra Zeneca “doesn’t even definitively say the illness from the person in the trial was related to the trial” but said he had always thought the development of a vaccine would take 2-3 years.\n\n“I guess I saw this coming,” he said.\n\nHe said while it was important for the Morrison government to give people hope, the public would not be overly kind if the Prime Minister “overpromises and under-delivers”.\n\nThe federal government sealed a deal to ensure priority access to an Oxford University developed trial vaccine which would be manufactured in Melbourne and distributed by AstraZeneca as part of its $1.7 billion commitment.\n\n
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Andrews 'not interested' in politics of COVID-19 | Sky News AustraliaDaniel Andrews says he will speak to the prime minister about the future of JobKeeper and JobSeeker for Victorians and says politics “is of no use” in the fight against COVID-19.\n\n“I will be having some conversations with the Prime Minister later on this week and it is best that I have those conversations with him rather than broadcasting my message,” Mr Andrews said.\n\n“I don’t think that necessarily achieves anything. I am not interested in, at all, at all in the politics of this. I am just not. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t work. Politics is of no use in the fight against this virus.\n\n“That has always been my view and that won’t be changing.”\n
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Andrews denies Victoria COVID-19 strategy has shifted to 'eradication strategy' | Sky News AustraliaPremier Daniel Andrews has labelled criticisms he has shifted Victoria's COVID-19 approach from a suppression strategy to an eradication strategy 'nonsense'.\n\nThe Victorian Premier defended his approach claiming it was agreed upon by the National Cabinet that 'very low, to no mystery cases' would be a crucial component of dealing with the virus.\n\n'In order to have confidence you can keep numbers low for the long term, you need to get numbers low, as low as you possibly can to have confidence,' Mr Andrews said.
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SA to roll out ban of single-use plastics in Australian firstSouth Australia becomes the first state in Australia to ban single-use plastics, but the new rules will not come into force until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Death is part of the job for this Melbourne palliative care nurse. But coronavirus has been toughIn the first of a three-part series on managing mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, SBS News explores how to deal with grief and its many forms.
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Pausing of COVID vaccine trial may have been caused by a ‘completely unrelated event’ | Sky News AustraliaLiberal MP Dr Katie Allen has told Sky News, the event which triggered the temporary suspension of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trial may be “completely unrelated” to the vaccine itself.\n\nPharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has suspended its COVID-19 vaccine trial after a participant suffered an adverse reaction, casting doubts on whether the vaccine would be ready by early next year.\n\nDr Allen said it is very encouraging Oxford and AstraZeneca are being cautious as “safety comes first”.\n\nHowever, she said it is still unclear as to whether the participant received the placebo or the vaccine.\n\n“It still could go ahead, it just means they’ve paused it because they need to have a look to see whether this single case is really a problem or not,” she said.\n\n“An event may or may not be related to the vaccine.\n\n“If it’s an unrelated event, and it’s regarded as not related to the vaccine, then the vaccine trial will be able to continue safely.”\n\nImage: AP
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