Live: Gladys Berejiklian is providing the latest NSW cases

By Liam Butterworth

Cases and press conference times

If you can’t see details of your state’s case numbers or press conference time below, don’t worry, it means the information hasn’t arrived yet. We’ll bring it to you as soon as we can.

If you can’t see a link to the press conference you want to watch, hang in there, we’ll bring it to you as soon as we have it made available to us.

• Queensland – 0 new cases, press conference: Watch it here
• Victoria – 221 new cases, press conference: 11:40am AEST
• New South Wales – 1,480 cases, nine deaths; press conference: 11:00am AEST. Watch it here
• Western Australia – 0 new cases
• ACT – press conference at 11:45am AEST. Case numbers – not yet available

We will continue to update this post throughout the day.

Victorian press conference at 11:40am AEST

Premier Daniel Andrews, Health Minister Martin Foley and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton are due to speak.

We’ll bring you the livestream link when we have it.

Sewage detection in Bonnie Hills, NSW mid-north coast

Further from the press conference, NSW Health revealed there had been a sewage detection in the Bonnie hills area of the mid-north Coast. 

“We’re currently unaware of any cases in the Bonnie Hills area, so if you do live locally, please be aware for symptoms and please come forward for testing,” 

The areas of Glebe, Waterloo, Redfern, and Marrickville have also been flagged due to COVID-19 case numbers.

Residents in those suburbs have been urged to come forward for vaccination.

The Sydney Local Health District has set up some special Pfizer clinics where bookings can be made or walk-in appointments can be made for residents of those areas and they are clinics at the Peter Forsyth auditorium in Glebe, the PCYC in Marrickville, and the Wests Leagues Club in Ashfield.

Details of the nine deaths overnight in NSW

• A man in his 60s from Dubbo, who died in Prince Alfred Hospital. He was not vaccinated and had some significant underlying health conditions
• A man in his 90s from south-eastern Sydney who died in St George Hospital. He was a resident of the St George aged care facility in Bexley, where he acquired his infection. And his death is the third death linked to this aged care facility. 
• A man in his 20s from western Sydney who died in Nepean Hospital. He was not vaccinated and also had serious underlying health conditions.
• A man in his 80s from south-eastern Sydney who died at Prince of Wales Hospital
• A woman in her 60s from western Sydney, Agnes Banks, who died at Nepean Hospital
• A man from Western Sydney who died at St Vincent’s Hospital
• A man in his 80s from western Sydney who died at Westmead Hospital
• A man in his 70s from south-western Sydney, who died at Liverpool
• A man in his 40s from south-western Sydney who also died at Liverpool Hospital

Seven of the nine cases, of people who died that we’re reporting today were not vaccinated. One person had had one dose and one person had had two doses. All those individuals had underlying health conditions.

NSW COVID-19 cases by the numbers

• Testing numbers – We had 130,341 tests reported till 8:00pm last night

• Active cases – Currently, there are about 11,000 people with COVID-19 who are being cared for by New South Wales Health and the vast majority of those, over 90 per cent, are being cared for in the community or in New South Wales Health’s special health station.
• Admitted to hospital – There are currently 1,136 people with COVID-19 admitted to hospital. 194 people are in intensive care and 78 of those are currently requiring ventilation. Of the 194 people in ICU, 158 are not vaccinated. 

NSW Premier says state now at 75 per cent single-dose vaccinations

Gladys Berejiklian says:

“Pleasingly, New South Wales has satisfied another important hurdle — 75 per cent of our state have at least the first dose of vaccine … 42 per cent of our citizens are fully vaccinated, a number which is very pleasingly inching towards that 70 per cent double vaccination rate we’re all looking forward to, which we still will be around mid-October.”

NSW records 1,480 cases, nine new deaths

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is speaking in Sydney. 

She says NSW recorded 1,480 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8:00pm yesterday.

Nine people died with the virus in the reporting period.

Is there any hope of getting the family together this Christmas?

An Australian expert in infection control says anyone dreaming of booking a Christmas holiday interstate is “wasting their time” because vaccination rates are likely to still be too low.

Professor Mary-Louise McLaws said she was “really sorry to say that” but warned that “unless authorities start listening to the science” Australians would not be free to enjoy Christmas with large family celebrations.

She is urging states to adopt US and Canadian models and use rapid antigen COVID tests, which produce results in 10 to 15 minutes.

“You could get the whole family tested at pop-up test sites, go into the restaurant, and enjoy Christmas,” she said.

Read more

No new cases again in WA

Western Australia has recorded another day with no new COVID-19 cases.

Premier Mark McGowan says people on board the Ken Hou ship, where 20 crew tested positive to the virus last month, have recovered.

Authorities are looking to get the ship out of WA waters as soon as possible.

How to watch the NSW press conference from 11:00am AEST

Anyone can get severe illness from COVID. But these are the underlying conditions that increase your risk

For those fixed to the daily news cycle, “underlying medical conditions” is no doubt a familiar phrase.

“They are reasons to rush to get your vaccine rather than rushing to get a place in ICU,” Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton stressed on Tuesday.

It’s a sentiment that’s been echoed throughout the pandemic by public health authorities who have long warned of the risks, and human toll, of coronavirus.

But what does an underlying medical condition actually entail? 

Read more

Soldiers returning from Afghanistan mission expected to enter Gold Coast quarantine ‘bubble’ within days

The Queensland government is in negotiations with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) over a quarantine “bubble” for hundreds of soldiers returning from Afghanistan.

The ADF wants the personnel to quarantine in a bubble-like arrangement, where they can move around the hotel and enjoy more freedoms.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said discussions were held last Friday, with Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young giving her in-principle support, pending a final COVID Safe plan being submitted.

“At that time they were asking if they could be accommodated in alternate quarantine arrangements and not the normal ADF hotel quarantine,” Ms D’Ath said.

“So what they’re wanting is a bubble arrangement so that the Defence personnel can be able to move around a bit more freely for their own wellbeing and looking after their return.

“We are supportive of that, the Chief Health Officer has said she’s agreed to a bubble arrangement and whenever these things occur we ask them to source a hotel.”

Ms D’Ath said the ADF secured a hotel on the Gold Coast yesterday.

“They’re due to submit their quarantine management plan for that hotel today,” she said.

“Whenever there is a hotel outside of our normal quarantine hotels, there’s a bit of work to be done.

“We will provide the health overlay and all indications are, that if the Chief Health Officer’s all happy with that, we expect around 360 ADF personnel to arrive back either Friday or Saturday.

Read more

[QLD] Restrictions on visitors to hospitals, aged care and disability facilities in Logan LGA lifted immediately

The Queensland Health Minister says given all close contacts surrounding a recent case with a Beenleigh truck driver have been identified and put into isolation, the government is lifting restrictions on visits around visits to hospitals, aged care and disability facilities in the Logan LGA.

Ms D’Ath said mask restrictions will remain in place.

“You’ll be able to visit your loved ones again,” Ms D’Ath said.

Record vaccination numbers in Queensland

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath says the state had a record number of jabs yesterday, with 23,012 vaccinations.

53.76 per cent of Queenslanders have had their first dose, and 35.22pc are fully vaccinated.

No new cases in Queensland

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath says there are still 17 active cases in the state.

More than 13,000 tests were carried out yesterday.

How to watch the Queensland press conference from 10:00am

Australian Indian community releases Bollywood-inspired ad to promote vaccine uptake

Western Sydney’s Blacktown LGA has one of the country’s largest populations of Australian Indians.

The Indian Link newspaper has taken on a Bollywood song to inspire the community to take part in the vaccination rollout.

Pawan Luthra, the group’s chief executive, says it’s about sending a serious message in a fun way.

“There’s nothing like Bollywood to level the playing field with a lovely music theme. I got my team at Indian Link radio, and they came up with this kind of a parody of a well known Bollywood song. And this has gone absolutely viral, just because of the tune,” he said.

Mr Luthra said the devastation caused by the Delta variant in India meant many people were very keen to do what they could.

“I have not come across anyone who has not had a family member or a friend who has been affected by the COVID-19 Delta variant in India. It was just about three or four months ago when we had all the optics of funeral pyres, people gasping for oxygen,” he said.

“They were helpless because they could not travel back to India, but they understood how vicious this virus was. So the moment they got the opportunity to get vaccinated, they went straight for the vaccination.”

You’ve got to admit, it’s pretty darn catchy.

New mass vaccination hub open in Brisbane’s northern suburbs

A new mass vaccination hub has opened this morning in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.

The Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondal is more used to seeing large international music acts, but has now been transformed to inoculate thousands of people every day.

It’s fully booked at the moment, but will be seeing 1,500 people through the doors each day this week. It’s hoped that number can increase to 3,000 per day if supply allows.

Truck drivers’ union shares concern about industry’s vulnerability to COVID-19

The union representing the nation’s truck drivers has written to National Cabinet expressing concern that its members are increasingly vulnerable to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia have all dealt with truck drivers carrying the virus in recent weeks and there are fears the spread of the Delta variant could have disastrous impacts on the supply chain.

Michael Kaine from the Transport Workers Union says drivers want more support mechanisms, including rapid antigen testing and paid vaccination leave.

“We have to create covid safe transport pathways because otherwise our community won’t recover and we will keep transmitting this virus. Transport workers, companies, the industry, are craving uniformity, cooperation and a proactive approach,” he said.

Mr Kaine says while vaccination rates among members is high, immunisation alone is not the answer.

“We’re going to need complimentary measures, we need to have uninhibited transport supply chains and that means we need testing hubs that are attuned to the transport task, that means at road stations, at borders, and we need to make sure that we have uniform border rules, otherwise this is just going to continue.”

Reality check: There’s still no compelling evidence for ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19

From federal MP Craig Kelly to tennis champion Pat Cash, ivermectin has attracted attention around the world as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

But the medicine, used in Australia to treat parasitic infections and skin conditions, is not the coronavirus wonder drug its proponents say it is: there is no compelling evidence to demonstrate that it is safe to use in the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.

Both Australian and overseas regulators have not approved its use for the coronavirus and warn it may endanger the health of those who take it.

How then, did ivermectin become the drug of the moment? In this reality check, RMIT ABC Fact Check dives into the scientific evidence for ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment, and explores how its use came to be a political talking point.

Read more here