Goodbye for now

Friends, we might wrap it up there. Thanks for joining me today, and don't forget to tune in tomorrow - in the meantime, you can find all the latest COVID news at abc.net.au/news.

Protests in Melbourne CBD

Meanwhile, in Melbourne, more than 1,000 protestors gathered on the steps of Victoria's Parliament House to rally against the state's COVID measures. 

The demonstrators marched up Bourke Street in the heart of the CBD, before stopping at the intersection of Spring Street.

There's been no sign of the violence that has marred earlier protests. 

Flight Centre considering legal challenge to WA border decision

While we're on the topic, travel company Flight Centre says it's considering launching a legal challenge against the WA government's decision to delay reopening its borders. 

The state government revealed its roadmap yesterday but hasn't set a firm date to bring down borders - saying that'll happen when 90 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. 

Flight Centre CEO Graham Turner says he wants to take the matter to the Federal Court to challenge the policy, on grounds it isn't reasonable, given other states are already opening their borders to travel. 

"This takes into account section 92 of the Constitution which allows for free trade and free movement between states, so we're looking at challenging and having a judicial review on this, as we believe they're almost certainly unreasonable."

More views from WA

Most certainly seem in favour of the plan.

From WA here! Imagine living with no COVID. People are resistant but know it has to change. Harm minimisation!

-Safe

Thanks Mr McGowan, 200 lives is a lot of people. You cannot put a price on a statistic like that. Not all of those people who die will be unvaccinated. My husband and mother both have respiratory conditions and are double vaccinated. I am relieved I will be able to spend Christmas with them. Death is very final. It is worth waiting a few months to save 200 lives and the suffering of the bereaved and those who develop long covid.

-Susan

Hi blog team, love your work! My view on the WA Government’s plan is that it’s a good step. 90% makes sense from a health perspective but I think it really has been missed in the press conference yesterday where Mark noted “Once we set a date is locked in, that’s it”. He went on to answer a question from a reporter noting that “if we’ve not hit 90% by the date, we’ll introduce additional PHSM’s”.

I think this gives a great deal of certainty especially if you have a bit of flexibility in your planning for Christmas interstate/overseas with families. Worst case, you spend a week or two in Sydney on the way back whilst the transition date rolls around which realistically, would be in late January.

Remember as well, now NSW is only a High risk, it’s not nearly as difficult for Western Australian residents to return home. As long as you’re vaccinated and don’t mind a 14 day home quarantine, it’s doable. Not everyone’s situation will permit this but it’s not impossible now unlike before the High risk and roadmap announcements.

-Maybe a contentious WA residents opinion

As a Victorian currently in Perth (made it over just as things escalated in Melbourne), I am completely against the 90% road map for one reason solely. WA actually may not reach that milestone ever. The complacency a*****t people here is no lie - I have had to convince some of my WA friends to get the jab, not because they are anti-vax, but simply because “they were waiting until they have to”. Not setting a proper date just reinforces this blasé at***ude. People here don’t understand their decisions impact on a national level because they’ve lived in a covid-free bubble for two years!

-Melbournian Against McClownan

Costa Rica makes vaccine mandatory for kids

Here's some news from Costa Rica - they've become the first country in the world to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for children aged under 12, the BBC reports.

The COVID vaccine will join the list of basic childhood vaccinations already required by law, health officials said.

The country signed a deal with Pfizer to acquire doses to start vaccinating all under-12s from March 2022.

Earlier this week, the US health regulatory bodies approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children aged five to 11.

Views from the west

As a WA resident I’m just relieved we have a plan at all and can start planning to see family again. It’s very conservative, but I was worried it might be even more conservative and delay reopening until mid 2022.

The key point in the plan that gives me hope is that the opening date will be set and locked in once we reach 80%, and we’ll reopen on that date whether we hit 90% or not. We’re almost 80% single dosed already (might hit that mark today) so at least we know a date will be set in December to reopen probably in January.

Frustrated it’s not happening at 80% but also relieved it’s happening soon (ish)

-Re: Eric’s question to WA

It’s a thumbs up from me for the WA roadmap. I trust the people who have kept us safe so far. If opening up slower saves 200 lives then I’m happy to wait a while longer for our borders to open.

-Cautious approach

To Eric. From a sandgroper. Great plan from our Premier as we are not keen on anyone dying, over burdeneding health workers or any further lockdowns.

-Boundaryrider

Good morning from Perth, WA! We've waited so long already for borders etc to come down that I am more than happy to wait those extra couple of months. I have immunocompromised family members and almost lost my job in 2020, so if we can achieve that soft landing that McGowan is talking ***ut by taking things slowly, I'm all for it.

-Sara

What do you think, WA?

Could we open the floor to West Australians? I'm curious to hear what they think of their reopening plans of waiting until 90 per cent double dosed. Are the majority for or against?

-Eric

New Zealand records 206 new COVID-19 cases

 In a statement, the Health Ministry said there were 200 cases in Auckland, four in Waikato and two in Northland.

The ministry said 159 are yet to be linked to earlier cases, with 623 unlinked cases in the past 14 days.

There are now 73 people in hospital with the coronavirus, including seven in intensive care. 

'We don't think we've got widespread transmission'

Mr Gunner is speaking now. He says what most concerns authorities is how the three people got COVDI-19.

"It may be as we do further work at one of these has a story we haven't quite uncovered yet, maybe they are the missing link. They could come up in further investigative work, but at this stage, it would be fair to say that we probably think the missing link is still unknown and that worries us."

He said it was unlikely that the missing link was in Cairns because the woman became symptomatic today.

The Deputy Chief Health Officer says it's likely there's another case that the two initial cases caught it from.

"As the Chief Minister said, genomics may tell us ... where it has come from in Australia, and that will help as well narrow down our search. But at the moment we have to continue as we have done, casting the net wide, making sure we're getting many people tested, particularly from those exposure sites. So there is still the possibility there are other cases out there. We don't think so. We don't think we have got widespread transmission. We have got wastewater testing which has been reassuring. But that's not conclusive."

NT records one new case of COVID-19

The Northern Territory has recorded one new case of COVID-19 overnight, bringing the total to three.

The case is a 21-year-old woman who arrived from Cairns in Darwin on Friday October 29, and was earlier referenced in the Queensland update.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner says she is a close contact of the original case and is unvaccinated, having only received her first dose.

He says the source of the NT’s outbreak is still unknown.

Q+A+C

Now that we have hit 80% what are the new changes for Australians and our borders?

-Sam

Hi Sam! We've seen some of these changes announced already, in anticipation of hitting this target - it includes the international border reopening for states that have reached the benchmark, and commercial flights out of Australia resuming for vaccinated Aussies.

According to the four-phase national plan released earlier in the year, hitting 80 per cent takes us to phase C - here's what that plan said back then:

This third phase will see Australia take a greater step back to normal life by functioning under "baseline restrictions", which include:

• Highly targeted lockdowns only
• No caps on returning vaccinated Australians
• Lift all restrictions on outbound travel for vaccinated Australians
• Extend travel bubble for unrestricted travel to new candidate countries
• Gradual reopening of inward and outward international travel with safe countries and proportionate quarantine and reduced requirements for fully vaccinated inbound travellers

From Brisbane. When can we stop wearing masks? At 80% double dose?

-Qld Masks

I don't think we have a definitive checkpoint for when masks are no longer required, unfortunately. Authorities said a while ago that mask rules were being reviewed fortnightly, but that's all I've got.

Do we know where was the woman who tested positive after flying cairns to Darwin originally from? Otherwise that indicates unlinked community spread in cairns?!

-Nat

Hey Nat, it's still too early to tell, unfortunately. Authorities expect to have more answers this afternoon, including whether she was infectious in Cairns or on the plane.

Not much news today! At least no news is good news!

-NSW

Hunter outbreak continues to grow

A COVID outbreak in the NSW Hunter region is continuing to grow. 

41 new cases have been recorded in the Moree Plains Shire and Inverell local government areas. 

The state government says its sending extra resources to the area to help with testing and vaccinations. 

Federal government data shows 79 per cent of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the New England and North West area is fully vaccinated.  

Get vaccinated, Qld Health Minister says

Ms D'Ath says Queensland is "days away" from hitting the 70 per cent vaccination mark, and says "thousands of people" will be flying in from NSW and Victoria to do their 14-day home quarantine (if they have a suitable residence available).

"We just need people to get vaccinated," she said.

"It's really important that as we get closer to 70 per cent double vaccinated that those people who have been holding out really do come out and get the jab. 

"It doesn't hurt, it doesn't take long, it's really easy to get... the more people who get vaccinated, the closer we can get to enjoying life as it was, back to normal."

And that's pretty much it. Short and sweet from Qld.

Woman tests positive after flying from Cairns to Darwin

Deputy CHO Dr Peter Aitken says the new case, the woman in her 20s, is being transferred to Gold Coast hospital.

He also said another woman in her 20s has tested positive after flying from Cairns to Darwin - authorities are currently finding out her movements and when she was infectious.

It's too early to say whether she was infectious in Cairns, he said.

Queensland records one new locally acquired case

A woman in her 20s in Goondiwindi has tested positive while in home quarantine. She may have spent one day in the community while infectious, Health Minister Yvette D'Ath says.

If you've been in Goondiwindi since October 30, get tested, she says.

You can watch the press conference here.

ACT records 18 new COVID-19 cases

There are two people in hospital with the virus – one is in ICU requiring ventilation.

The ACT’s vaccination rate as of yesterday was 94.4 per cent.

There are currently 136 active cases of COVID-19 in the territory.

Qld update at 10am AEST

When will QLD’s press conference be? There doesn’t seem to be a list today and want to make sure I tune in given recent outbreaks. Thanks in advance for the info! ☺️

-M

Hey M! Thanks for taking a breather from running MI6 and tuning in. We're expecting the presser at 10am Queensland time. We'll bring it to you live.

Australia reaches 80pc double-dose vaccination target

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just posted a video on Facebook saying 80 per cent of Australians aged over 16 have now been fully vaccinated.

Another 9 per cent of the population has had a first dose, but the inoculation levels vary markedly around the country.

"A huge thank you to everyone. This has been a massive Australian national effort, and the work doesn’t stop here. We are on track to have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world," he said.

"The more people protected with the jab, the safer we all are so please go and get vaccinated if you haven’t already done so. It’s going to help us to continue to safely reopen and stay safely open."

Some Q+A+Comments

Morning Dan, will Michael Gunner be holding an NT COVID update today?

-JulesH

Hey Jules! I'd expect so, but I don't have a time yet. When I get one, I'll pop it here.

How many people have died in NSW in Delta outbreak this year ? Can't find the number to compare to vic

-karen

Hey there Karen! Based on our data, 536 people have died in the Delta outbreak in NSW. That's including the three deaths announced today.

Regarding Elective Surgery:
I spoke with a surgical team yesterday and they indicated that Category 2 will most likely resume halfway through next year with any Category 1's and urgent being placed as priority which means that anything Category 2 and 3 will be delayed further.
I have been on the waitlist for surgery and was expected to be seen in 12 months time will now be pushed out to another 24 months+
It was also suggested to use private health insurance instead and if I didnt have it, get it and I would still be seen before public surgery would catch up even with waiting periods

-Stephy

Thanks for that info, Stephy!

Morning all! As for some more good news, I’ve got one more exam to go next Thursday then I’ll be finished! It’s been a wild two years. No other cohort can say they’ve their whole VCE during a pandemic, in and out of remote learning. That’s unique to us and look how far we’ve come.

-Happy Year 12

So close! Well done, it would've been a tough slog.