No reprieve for locked-down New Zealand as 82 new COVID cases confirmed — as it happened

By Jessica Riga

Cases and press conferences

NSW – Press conference: 11:00am. Locally acquired cases: 1,035 

VIC – Press conference: 11:15am. Locally acquired cases: 64

ACT – Press conference: 12:00pm. Locally acquired cases: 26

QLD – No dedicated COVID press conference. Locally acquired cases: 0

WA – No dedicated COVID press conference. Locally acquired cases: 0

NZ – Locally acquired cases: 82

Deputy CMO Professor Michael Kidd will provide an update at 1:30pm

Can’t see your location listed? It’ll get added when we know today’s cases or press conference time.

We’re closing the blog here

Thank you for joining us today! You can stay up to date with any breaking news here on the ABC News website. 

We’ll be back tomorrow. Until then, take care.

Here are the good things that happened to some of you during the pandemic

I can’t post them all but thank you to everyone who sent something in!

Good things to happen during the pandemic:

– got so into running that training for 5km has now ended up with training for half marathon

– doing lots more baking and cooking in general

– (teenage) kids now doing housework because they see how much I do

– kids seeing their dad so much more than they were before because we’re all at home.

There’s some bad stuff but thanks to the post for making me think of the good stuff too.

-Ann – Melbourne

Since the pandemic started, I’ve returned to University to finish my Mathematics degree. I’m on course to graduate either next year or in 2023.

I was also able to pay off a lot of existing debt.

-Sagar

I have a very short win list, but I’m very proud of it.

I had twin girls in April last year.

I survived! 😁

-Mum of two

Celebrated my Nan’s 100th birthday today! A zoom session with extended family, and Nan loved that she could have the cake all to herself!

-Positive Vibes

A good thing that happened to me during the pandemic is that I’ve almost completed my degree! Just a few semesters to go. And because I’ve been home so much I’ve managed to avoid distractions and got myself high enough grades to get into the postgrad program I want.

-Happy

I bought a house. I can’t wait to move to be stuck in my new house and not in my appartment!

-The good things!

Man fined $5,000 for travelling to NT after being in COVID hotspot

A man has been fined more than $5,000 for travelling to Yulara in the Northern Territory after he was in a coronavirus hotspot.

Police say the 69-year-old had been granted an exemption to travel from Victoria to South Australia for work.

It’s alleged he then flew to Yulara for a holiday, believing his border entry paperwork had been lodged and accepted.

He was identified at the Yulara airport before being taken to quarantine in Alice Springs and is expected to return to South Australia today.

Tell me the good things that have happened to you during the pandemic

I’ve been really struggling with lockdown 6.0 and feeling like this past 18 months has been a waste of time, so I made a list of all the good things that still happened:

– I got engaged!

– I’ll still graduate uni on time at the end of this year

– just landed a job at my dream company

– won an award at uni

– learnt how to play video games

– made really good progress on my mental health working with my psychologist

– met lovely new friends and grew closer with old friends

– many video calls with my delightful great grandma (she’s 101!) who is amazed that we can just pick up the phone and talk to each other on video

-in Naarm/Melb

This is such a lovely message (also, congratulations on all your things! And your great grandma sounds like a legend).

Even though the pandemic makes it feel like time is standing still, or passing us by, it’s good to acknowledge the nice things that have happened.

So, inspired by this message, feel free to send in your wins and I’ll post a bunch on the blog. 

Another anecdote, my pregnant wife got her first jab 3 weeks ago and is getting her second tomorrow.

Baby and wife are both happy and healthy!

-Ben

We love to hear it! Thanks for sharing. 

How quickly is COVID spreading in your neighbourhood?

I’m looking for your handy cases by postcode map in NSW, and I can’t find it anywhere. Please share the link?

-Lost

Sure thing! You can find that link here.

No new COVID cases recorded in WA

Great news! WA has recorded no further cases of COVID-19, after two truck drivers from interstate tested positive yesterday.

There are now 7 exposure sites, including two in Perth. 

Twenty close and casual contacts are also quarantining. 

“Our health advisors have indicated that the risk from thee two truck drivers is very low,” WA Premier Mark McGowan said.

“What we don’t want is to have outbreaks here and we’ll do everything we can to prevent that from occurring.

“They have done nothing wrong and indeed when they learnt that they were COVID positive they notified the relevant people immediately – so the system itself has worked and I’d like to thank those truck drivers for what they’ve done.”

More than a third of people aged 16 and over in Australia are now vaccinated

“33.71 per cent of people aged 16 years and above have received both doses and 56.86 per cent have received at least one dose,” Professor Michael Kidd said. 

Recapping the Victorian update

That’s a wrap! Huge thank you to Judd Boaz in our Melbourne newsroom for helping cover those press conferences. Here’s a quick summary of the Victorian update:

• Victoria has recorded 64 new locally acquired COVID-19 infections

• 36 of the new cases were in quarantine for the duration of their infectious periods

• 49 of the cases have been linked to existing outbreaks

• State-run clinics administered 35,753 doses of vaccine

• There were 55,333 test results received in 24 hours

• Wastewater detections continue to be discovered across the state, with another detection in an industrial estate in Sunshine West

• Melbourne’s western suburbs remain a key area of concern for authorities

• New directions introduced by Victoria’s Chief Health Officer late on Thursday evening have clamped down on grandparents babysitting their grandchildren

You can read more here.

No-fault compensation scheme confirmed for COVID-19 vaccines

A no-fault compensation scheme covering anyone who suffers serious adverse effects from a COVID-19 vaccine will be up and running early next month.

The federal government scheme will cover the costs of injuries and loss of work over $5,000, where there is a proven adverse effect from a vaccine.

It will apply to any TGA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, administered anywhere in Australia, and aims to allow anyone who suffers an adverse effect a path to compensation outside the courts.

The scheme was first announced on July 2 but details have only today been confirmed, and it will be up and running from September 6.

Doctor’s groups had been calling for the creation of such a scheme for some time, and the Australian Medical Association says it will both create more confidence in the vaccines, and keep healthcare workers free from possible legal action.

But the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has previously argued the scheme should be extended to cover not just COVID-19 vaccines, but all vaccines on the national immunisation schedule.

Reporting by Tom Lowrey

Is lifting lockdown out of the question?

The COVID Commander refused to speculate on whether lockdown restrictions would lift as scheduled on September 2.

“That is not something for me to opine on,” Mr Weimar said.

“What I will say we have accomplished in three weeks is that the place hasn’t exploded. We have seen strong, robust control over these outbreaks and we have seen around the world how quickly these things can gather steam.”

Mr Weimar said it was less about case numbers but rather about the story behind the numbers, with mystery cases of critical importance.

Mr Weimar however denied that Victoria would remain locked down until the majority of the populace was vaccinated.

“If we can get this outbreak down, if we can get the mystery cases eradicated, if we can get everything into quarantine, that gives us options to ease restrictions to do other things.”

He maintained it was a judgement call for Victorian CHO Brett Sutton to make.

Reporting by Judd Boaz