Live: All the coronavirus news you need in the one place

Queensland’s vaccine rollout (percentage of those aged 16+):

• First dose: 92.22 per cent

• Second dose: 90.02 per cent

“With our 5-11 year olds we’re now at 39.87 per cent and 59.28 per cent on our boosters,” Ms D’Ath added.

Decrease in hospitalisation figures in public hospitals

Ms D’Ath says it’s great to see a decrease in hospitalisation figures, with the figure falling from 663 to 628.

However there is still 42 people in ICU.

’24 deaths in 24 hours’

“This is a really hard day for the families and loved ones of these individuals,” Health Minister Yvette D’Ath says. 

She also provided some more information about the 24 deaths in Queensland:

• The ages ranged between 50 and 100

• Two of the 24 people were unvaccinated

• Only six had received a booster dose

• 16 of the 24 people were aged care residents

Here’s where you can watch the Queensland COVID update

We heard briefly from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk just before, but that wasn’t a dedicated COVID press conference. 

Queensland ‘finally’ hits 90 per cent double-dose vaccination target

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state had “finally, finally, finally” hit the 90 per cent double-dose vaccination target for people aged 16 years and over.

“It’s taken a while – January and February – to get to that point but I’m very excited that it’s definitely now at the 90 per cent double dose,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“In fact, it’s 92.22 per cent across Queensland with that first dose and I’m so proud.”

• You can read more on Queensland’s COVID situation here

Queensland records 24 COVID deaths, 6,902 new cases

Queensland has recorded its highest number of daily COVID-19 deaths, with 24 people passing away in the latest reporting period.

There were 6,902 new COVID-19 cases.

Of the deaths, 16 were in aged care facilities.

Speaking from Bundaberg where she’s announcing a new tourism campaign, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk thanked Federal Defence Minister Peter Dutton for sending the Australian Defence Force into aged care homes to ease severe staff shortages in the sector.

“This is an issue across Australia in relation to aged care and it’s great to see that support coming,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“The Chief Health Officer will give more details but these are people’s loved ones. These are families that are going through a tough time at the moment and it is very difficult to announce these deaths each day, and I know all of Queensland would pass on their sympathies to the families.”

As the Premier said, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath will be holding a press conference from Cairns at around 10am so we’ll get some more information then as well. 

Katie Parker free to make her Olympic debut following negative COVID test

Great news! Australian alpine skier Katie Parker has tested negative for COVID-19 and is free to make her Olympic debut in today’s women’s slalom at the Beijing Winter Games.

She was originally due to compete in the giant slalom earlier this week but was delayed from departing the US due to positive tests relating to a COVID case in January.

The 23-year-old tested negative before departing but again returned a positive on arrival in China, before follow up tests overnight cleared her to compete.

Tasmania records 2 new COVID related deaths, 574 new cases

Two people have died in Tasmania from COVID-19 since yesterday, bringing the total number of COVID-related deaths since the state’s border reopened to nine.

The state has recorded 574 new cases, down from 601 yesterday.

There is one person in ICU and 15 people in hospital with the virus. Ten patients are being treated specifically for their COVID symptoms.

‘We are seriously considering not opening’: East Kimberley tourism operators fear devastation amid border uncertainty

A business survey has painted a dire picture for the East Kimberley’s economy as border uncertainty and a staffing crisis threaten to cripple the tourism sector.

The region is heavily geared towards the dry season rush, from April to September, when visitors flock to picturesque outback stations, Lake Argyle and Purnululu National Park.

But tourism operators’ plans for a record season were thrown off course when the Western Australian government announced late last month it would delay the state’s reopening indefinitely.

The East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry surveyed members following the decision and a summary provided to the ABC reveals some businesses fear for their survival.

“We are seriously considering not opening our tourism operation for the 2022 tourism season,” one respondent said.

“We are already experiencing significant cancellations, over $450,000 in the past week. The financial impact on our business of having no tourism season will be devastating.”

You can read more here.

Boris Johnson reshuffles team in move to rescue his administration following COVID ‘partygate’ scandal

Let’s take a (metaphorical) trip and see what’s making news overseas. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, fighting for his political survival, has reshuffled some ministers in his administration following a series of scandals.

Mr Johnson had pledged to reset his premiership to turn the tide on his gravest crisis yet, which is fuelled by the fall-out from a number of boozy events in his Downing Street office and residence during strict COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

The changes did not include any of the senior Cabinet positions.

After appointing new hires to his team in Number 10, Johnson then reshuffled his “whips” operation — the team who enforce discipline in the governing Conservative Party to make sure lawmakers back government policy.

Mark Spencer, who was the chief whip, was replaced by lawmaker Chris Heaton-Harris, a close ally of Johnson who has been working to shore up support among MPs during months of reports about lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.

Spencer becomes the leader of parliament’s lower chamber, the House of Commons, taking over from Jacob Rees-Mogg, who was appointed minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency.

“This was about making changes both in the workings of Number 10 and changes to strengthen that relationship between Cabinet, parliament and Number 10 and I think that’s what we’re seeking to deliver,” a spokesperson said.

Additional reporting via Reuters

Victoria records 21 deaths, 9,908 new COVID cases

Victoria has recorded another 21 COVID-19 deaths.

The number of people in hospital after contracting the virus sits at 542, down from 575 a day earlier.

Of those patients, 71 are in intensive care units, with 27 people on ventilators.

The state reported 9,908 new infections — 3,627 from PCR results and 6,281 from rapid antigen tests.

It takes the number of officially reported active infections to 57,022, down from 58,449 yesterday.

About 46 per cent of the state’s adult population has now had a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

NSW records 20 deaths, 10,312 new COVID cases

NSW has recorded 10,312 new COVID-19 cases overnight and a further 20 deaths.  

There are currently 1,906 people in hospital across the state, 132 of them in ICU.

Shout out to all the kids, carers and teachers

Hello and good morning Jessica! Well we have officially made it to mid week! Hoping the day finds all the blog team and audience well. Sending love and best wishes to all the kids navigating these early days back to school and a big *high 5* to the mums, dads, carers, teachers. Big days. Gotta love 2022 so far, it’s a doozy.

-Optimistic in Vic!

Mask muck-up, Facebook fails hamper back-to-school plan

Masks provided to schoolchildren in the Tasmanian government’s back-to-school COVID packs are mocked online, with Facebook being blamed for communication “issues” ahead of public school students returning to class. 

Australian alpine skier tests positive for COVID-19 on arrival in Beijing

Australian alpine skier Katie Parker has tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Beijing.

The 23-year-old — who is set to make her Olympic debut – missed the giant slalom on Monday after returning “ongoing” positive COVID-19 tests since catching coronavirus in late January.

She returned four negative test results in America and hoped to arrive in time to compete in Wednesday’s slalom.

However, due to the increased sensitivity of the testing being used by local authorities and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Parker tested positive and was forced into isolation.

After someone tests positive at the Games, a second confirmatory test is undertaken and a third, additional test to confirm the Ct (cycle threshold) values.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said the results of those tests will be known in the morning.

How long after COVID-19 infection can I get a booster? Here’s what ATAGI recommends

Hi Blog Team! Thanks for all you do. Finding it hard to get an answer to this… How soon after recovering from Covid can I get me booster?

-Booster Ready?

Hi there! I hope you’re recovering well. We dived into this topic a few days ago in this piece, and here’s what we found.

If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19 you shouldn’t be attending a pharmacy, GP or vaccination centre to get jabbed while infectious.

But authorities say there’s nothing to stop you receiving a vaccine dose — be it a booster or part of an initial course — once your symptoms have ceased completely and your isolation period has ended.

Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan urged anyone who had recovered and was due for a booster to take it as soon as possible.

“So if you have had COVID recently or you think you had COVID … once the runny nose, the headache, the sore throat, the ache and pains, all of those things have gone, then you can go and get your booster,” she said.

According to the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), “there is no requirement to delay vaccination” after a COVID-positive person has recovered from acute illness in most cases.

However, it does say people who received specific treatments for COVID-19 should wait.

“Vaccination should be deferred for 90 days in people who have received anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody or convalescent plasma therapy,” ATAGI says.

ATAGI says that if a patient tests positive for COVID-19 between their first and second doses, or between their second and booster dose, the patient should delay their appointment until they have recovered from the illness.

You can find more information here.