Received

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 140

Alpine skier Katie Parker is rolling the COVID-19 dice, with Australian Olympic officials unsure if she will pass a test when she arrives in Beijing.

The Olympic debutante is already missing the giant slalom after she had to delay her planned flight and must pass the arrival test be able to compete.

She was unable to produce two negative tests within a 48 hour period, which is required by Games officials for entry into China and their Olympic bubble.

Having managed now to oo this, Parker will attempt to fly into Beijing from the United States on Tuesday, pass a COVID-19 at the airport, and then compete 24 hours later in the slalom event.

Australian team chef de mission Geoff Lipshut admitted he didn't know if she would pass the Beijing airport test.

The Olympic test regime has a lower threshold for a positive test than in Australia or the US.

Australian curler Tahli Gill, who had COVID-19 in December, continued to produce positive and negative results while in Beijing.

On Sunday she was initially banned from competing until AOC medical staff, including an infectious disease expert, and their own PCR testing in the village produced evidence that she wasn't contagious.

They convinced Games officials to allow her and mixed doubles partner Dean Hewitt to play in their final two matches.

If Parker fails the Beijing airport test, with the outcome known within hours, she would have to remain in isolation until a second test 24 hours later - meaning she would miss her event as well.

"That's a good question and I actually don't know if she will pass the test or not," Lipshut said on Monday.

"Given she's recently had COVID, given the experience we've had with Tahli, there is a doubt.

"We're just hoping that she does pass the test and she gets to have her Olympic opportunity."

Based in Utah, Parker contracted the virus last month and hasn't been able to train on the snow for the past two weeks.

Lipshut said the 23-year-old was concerned about her disrupted preparation, but was desperate to earn her Olympic stripes.

"That's the only reason Katie is coming here - for that Olympic opportunity - because otherwise given the recent COVID infection and given the requirements here of testing she probably wouldn't come," he said.

"But given it is the Olympic Games and she has been selected to be on the team, we're giving her every opportunity to come."

The four-person alpine team is already without Madison Hoffman, who suffered a knee injury while competing last month.

New Olympic champion Jakara Anthony praised the tight testing requirements, saying she felt safer in Beijing than during her international competition travels.

"We're really fortunate to be here where there are such great COVID protocols - it's the safest I've felt since I left Australia in November," Anthony said on Monday following her gold medal win in the moguls.

Lipshut also backed the tough IOC stance, despite it leaving a number of international athletes either ruled out or in isolation in Beijing.

"If we want to have a successful Olympic Games our athletes need to be kept safe," he said.

"Once you're actually here and in the closed loop system the chances of being safe are actually increased compared to where the athletes are normally."

© AAP 2022

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 115

A shift away from Queensland's COVID-19 check in app has been announced as the state records another 19 deaths and 4701 new cases.

The change follows infections appearing to have peaked in the state on February 4.

Check-ins were removed at venues where proof of vaccination is not required, such as supermarkets, retail outlets, hairdressers and gyms, as of Monday.

But the app still provides an easy way to check the vaccination status of patrons at pubs, clubs and cafes, Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said.

"We are still requiring mandatory vaccination for customers and consumers in those high risk settings," she said.

"Businesses are still having to ask people whether they're vaccinated or not, so that check-in is actually helping them do that."

The removal of the measure was welcomed by Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, who said "it didn't make much sense" since the state wasn't using it for contact tracing.

"It's fantastic to see common sense has prevailed," he said.

The move comes as COVID-19 patient numbers sit at 724 across all public and private hospitals, 43 of whom are in ICU.

"The trend ... is rapidly down across Queensland, and we're expecting to see that trajectory to continue throughout February," Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said.

Of the 19 deaths reported on Monday, all were aged over 60 and 10 were aged care residents.

Only one person had received a booster, and nine were unvaccinated.

There have been 151 deaths in aged care in Queensland since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Queensland children returned to class on Monday with authorities saying an outbreak in schools is inevitable, but it is unlikely any will be shut down.

Face masks are mandatory in high schools and strongly recommended for students in years three to six, while schools must ensure adequate classroom ventilation.

Just under 40 per cent of five-to-11-year-olds have had one vaccine dose.

Case numbers are expected to increase as students head back to the class room and workers are encouraged to go into the office.

"Thankfully this is not happening at the same time as we are peaking across Queensland," Ms D'Ath said.

The state is "just .03 per cent from hitting the 90 per cent double dose mark", Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tweeted on Monday.

"Thank you Queensland," she posted.

© AAP 2022

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 114

A former TV news journalist has admitted killing his friend after a heavy daytime drinking session ended with the pair crashing into a power pole at high speed in Melbourne's east.

Trent Evans, 44, on Monday faced Melbourne Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death after he lost control of his friend's Mercedes at 112km/h at Burnley in February last year.

Evans recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.1, twice the legal limit, and said they had been drinking champagne for about four hours.

His friend, sitting in the passenger seat, died at the scene.

Evans later told police he had been asked to drive as he was the "more sober" one of the pair.

The 44-year-old ex-Channel 7 journalist is expected to face a plea hearing before the Victorian County Court on July 7.

© AAP 2022

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 107

International tourists will be allowed to come back to Australia from February 21.

After the almost two year ban on foreign travellers, fully vaccinated tourists will be able to arrive in a matter of days.

The decision comes following a meeting of cabinet's national security committee on Monday.

While the international borders have been opened since late 2021, entry has only been allowed for citizens, permanent residents and their families, with it later expanded to international students, backpackers and migrant workers.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the move would be a welcome boost to the tourism sector.

"I know the tourism industry will be looking forward to that," he told reporters in Canberra.

"The condition is you must be double vaccinated to come to Australia. That's the rule. Everyone is expected to abide by it."

State-based caps on quarantine will continue, with the number still being determined by state and territory governments.

While health officials are debating whether to change the domestic definition of fully vaccinated to include having had a booster shot, Mr Morrison said two doses would be enough for international travellers to arrive.

The prime minister said the definition would not be changed for tourists to enter the country.

"We've been very careful looking at the impact, particularly when Omicron hit, and how that would flow through," he said.

"But the fact is here in Australia, the variant is here, and for those who are coming in who are double vaccinated they don't present any greater risk than those who are already here in Australia."

While the country's aged sector has been grappling with large numbers of Omicron cases and deaths, the prime minister also announced up to 1700 defence force members would be deployed to residential facilities to assist staff.

Health experts have previously indicated Australia's virus situation was improving, with Omicron cases across the country plateauing.

Mr Morrison said the decision to reopen borders to tourists was sensible, with intensive care cases in hospitals declining across the country.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said hospitalisations from the virus were down 27 per cent since the peak of the Omicron wave.

ICU admissions were also down by 35 per cent, while the number of patients on ventilators is down by 40 per cent.

Tourism operators had been experiencing a downturn due to the virus and the loss of foreign visitors, and had been calling on the government to lift the ban on tourists arriving.

Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally said while the border reopening would be great to see, a clear plan was needed.

She wants to see guarantees of border officials being able to properly check vaccination statuses, as well as measures for airports to cope with the demand once tourism resumes.

"What I'm pointing to are the practical steps that have not been done by this government and the problems that will arise if they don't do the hard work."

Meanwhile, the first shipment of Novavax is set to arrive in Australia from Singapore later on Monday.

Three million doses of the vaccine will arrive in the country ahead of the start of its rollout on February 21.

On Monday, 14 COVID-19 deaths were reported in NSW, and seven fatalities in Victoria, while there were 19 in Queensland, and one in both the ACT and Tasmania.

The latest case numbers showed there were 7347 new infections in NSW and 8275 in Victoria, while Queensland registered 4701 cases, Tasmania had 443 and the ACT had 299.

© AAP 2022