Received

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 93

The president of the Australian Medical Association has called on state and federal leaders to heed advice from medical experts and mandate masks indoors amid skyrocketing COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations.

Dr Omar Khorshid said the winter surge impacting hospitals has left many sick Australians without access to healthcare as more than 5000 beds nationwide are occupied with virus patients.

He said chief health officers have access to data and modelling unavailable to the AMA, and they as experts are recommending indoor masks.

"When they (chief medical officers) as the experts recommend indoor masks, that is the point where our premiers need to step up," Dr Khorshid told reporters in Cairns on Wednesday.

"They need to show leadership, they need to take our community on a journey to help them to understand that this is not a ridiculous response or overreaction to a mild virus.

"This is what we have to do to protect our hospital system so that there are beds available for sick Australians to get health care."

He said it looked as though Australia was heading down a pathway where this type of response was necessary as part of a critical response to surging cases.

There were 53,850 cases recorded across the country in the 24 hours to 6am on Wednesday.

In the past week more than 300,000 cases were recorded in Australia,.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said based on modelling from health authorities, the winter wave was expected to peak in August and would likely be over by September.

Mr Albanese said he hoped the country would not be plunged into another lockdown, with chief ministers and state leaders arguing for economic constraints not to be re-implemented.

He said the impact of the current wave would be similar to that of summer earlier this year.

"It's pretty close to being the same at the moment, of where we were in January ... but the difference is this is a very infectious strain," Mr Albanese said.

LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:

NSW: 13,829 cases, 25 deaths, 2210 in hospital with 55 in ICU

Victoria: 14,312 cases, 37 deaths, 875 in hospital with 46 in ICU

© AAP 2022

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 92

Viral fragments of foot and mouth disease and African swine fever have been detected in pork products at a Melbourne retailer.

Australia remains free of the diseases as the live virus was not detected, but Agriculture Minister Murray Watt reiterated the importance of biosecurity measures.

The products, believed to be imported from China, were detected in the Melbourne CBD as part of routine surveillance and have been seized.

It's the first time viral fragments have been detected in a retail setting, Senator Watt said.

"This is not the first time in Australian history that we have picked up foot and mouth disease viral fragments in meat products - it's happened a number of other times in airport settings," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"I want to assure people that our systems have worked, we have monitored this, we have undertaken surveillance operations and these products have been found, tested and now seized."

Further investigations about how the products entered Australia was being taken and it was likely prosecutions would occur, Senator Watt said.

"If you do the wrong thing, you will be caught. If you try to bring products into the country without declaring them you will be caught," he said.

"If you try to bring or post products into the country, you will be caught and we will take action."

Sanitation mats will be rolled out at international airports in an effort to stop foot and mouth disease entering Australia on traveller's shoes.

It's the latest measure by the federal government to prevent an outbreak of the livestock disease on Australian shores.

Indonesia has been grappling with the spread of the disease which was recently detected in Bali, a popular holiday destination for Australian travellers.

If allowed to spread in Australia, the disease is predicted to cause an $80 billion hit to the economy over ten years.

Senator Watt said the mats would add another layer of defence against an outbreak.

But Australians returning from the region should still clean their shoes and clothing, or leave their footwear overseas if possible, he said.

"There's no silver bullet when it comes to biosecurity, none of these measures will work on their own," Senator Watt said.

"It is a shared responsibility and again, we do need people to take their share of responsibility."

The mats will be rolled out this week, starting at Darwin and Cairns airports.

They are intended to be a physical reminder to travellers about the risk of the disease, Senator Watt said.

Travellers arriving in Australia from Indonesia will be asked to walk across the mats to sanitise their shoes.

The mats contain a citric acid solution, designed to dislodge any dirt from the sole of the shoe and cover it in the acid.

Other biosecurity measures include passenger declarations, profiling of all travellers entering from Indonesia, real time risk assessments, questioning and shoe cleaning.

A $14 million biosecurity package was announced by the government last week for more frontline defences in airports and mail centres as well as support for Indonesia and neighbouring countries to combat the spread.

Senator Watt is set to meet with his state and territory counterparts for the first joint meeting in eight months to discuss further measures.

© AAP 2022

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 93

Sanitation mats will be rolled out at international airports in an effort to stop foot and mouth disease entering Australia.

It's the latest measure by the federal government to prevent an outbreak of the livestock disease on Australian shores.

Indonesia has been grappling with the spread of the disease which was recently detected in Bali, a popular holiday destination for Australian travellers.

If allowed to spread in Australia, the disease is predicted to cause an $80 billion hit to the economy over ten years.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the mats would add another layer of defence against an outbreak.

But Australians returning from the region should still clean their shoes and clothing, or leave their footwear overseas if possible, he said.

"There is no biosecurity silver bullet," Senator Watt said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Our biosecurity controls rely on a multi-layered approach to mitigate the risk of FMD (foot and mouth disease)."

The mats will be rolled out this week, starting at Darwin and Cairns airports.

They are intended to be a physical reminder to travellers about the risk of the disease, Senator Watt said.

Travellers arriving in Australia from Indonesia will be asked to walk across the mats to sanitise their shoes.

The mats contain a citric acid solution, designed to dislodge any dirt from the sole of the shoe and cover it in the acid.

Other biosecurity measures include passenger declarations, profiling of all travellers entering from Indonesia, real time risk assessments, questioning and shoe cleaning.

A $14 million biosecurity package was announced by the government last week for more frontline defences in airports and mail centres as well as support for Indonesia and neighbouring countries to combat the spread.

Senator Watt is set to meet with his state and territory counterparts for the first joint meeting in eight months to discuss further measures.

© AAP 2022

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 91

A mother is assisting police after her three children died in a house fire in Port Hedland in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

The bodies of the children, aged 10, seven and five months, were found inside the house by firefighters who responded to the blaze on Anderson St around 4.45pm on Tuesday.

Acting deputy police commissioner Allan Adams said their mother was with police and homicide detectives were on their way to Port Hedland.

The fathers of the children have been notified of their deaths.

"The mother is seeking medical attention at the moment as a result of the fire," Mr Adams told reporters on Wednesday.

"The investigators, when they arrive, will make those determinations as to the next phase of the investigation in respect to the mum."

Mr Adams said the fire had taken about 30 minutes to bring under control. Formal identification of the children has not yet taken place.

Forensics detectives and arson squad officers are also flying to Port Hedland to assist with the investigation.

The property has been searched but Mr Adams said it was still being established who had been present when the fire started.

"This tragedy will have a profound effect in the Port Hedland area," he said.

"The family and extended family but across the state, whenever we see these types of incidents occur, they resonate through every West Australian.

"Local police will be working with support agencies to make sure that all those impacted by this event are cared for during this time."

Mr Adams urged the local community to let police do their job.

"Undoubtedly grief brings with it significant emotion. I would ask that those family members wrap their arms around each other," he said.

"This will take time. It won't be quick but I'm very comfortable that police have got a thorough response in place that will remedy this situation in the shortest possible time frame."

Premier Mark McGowan said it was a terrible tragedy.

"Three children losing their lives is incredibly sad," he told reporters.

"Our thoughts go to them but also all those people affected, their family and the first responders who had to deal with the terribly distressing situation in Hedland overnight."

© AAP 2022