As it happened: NSW records 825 local COVID-19 cases, three deaths; hundreds of arrests after lockdown protests in Melbourne and Sydney; Victoria to enter statewide lockdown after 61 new cases

Good evening and thanks for reading our live coverage of the day’s events. If you’re just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:

• NSW has recorded the highest daily number of COVID-19 cases anywhere in Australia since the start of the pandemic, with 825 new locally-acquired infections. Unfortunately, three more people have also died after contracting the virus: a man in his 90s, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 90s.

• Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced regional Victoria would join Greater Melbourne in a statewide lockdown from 1pm on Saturday. The rules are the same as those that already applied in Greater Melbourne, with the exception of the city’s nightly curfew. The lockdown was imposed as Victoria recorded 61 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19.
• Health authorities in Victoria are now recommending that primary school aged children under 12 wear a mask whenever they leave the home, both indoors and outdoors, but it is not mandatory as it is for those aged over 12. As we have seen, the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 is more transmissible among children than earlier strains of the virus that hit adults hardest.
• From Monday, masks will be mandatory for NSW residents whenever they are outdoors, unless they are exercising.
• Six Victorian police officers were taken to hospital and more than 200 people were arrested as a result of today’s anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne. More than 4000 people attended the rally today, according to police estimates, and police arrested 218 people and issued 236 fines. In dramatic scenes, police shot pepper ball rounds into the crowd and sprayed capsicum spray.

• NSW Police dispersed a smaller anti-lockdown protest of about 250 people in central Sydney. Notwithstanding the size of the event, police arrested 47 people and issued more than 260 infringement notices. Police Minister David Elliott said anyone contemplating attending a protest on Sunday should think again as police were poised to thwart their efforts.
• In good news, the ACT recorded 8 new local cases of coronavirus but all of the new cases were linked and none were in the community while infectious.

As regional Victoria joins Greater Melbourne in lockdown tonight and Greater Sydney prepares to enter its ninth week of stay-at-home orders, it’s time to close the live blog this evening.

Thank you for joining us today. We will of course have rolling updates for you again on Sunday.

This is Michaela Whitbourn signing off for tonight.

Millions of vaccinated Australians will be able to use their mobile phones to gain exemptions to lockdown rules at cafes, restaurants and public events under a national cabinet plan to use digital records to verify vaccine status.

A federal vaccine record will be combined with state check-in systems to expand the use of QR codes at public venues to be sure those who gain entry have been immunised against COVID-19.

With almost six million Australians fully vaccinated, the plans clear the way for the exemptions to begin when states and territories have vaccinated at least 70 per cent of people aged 16 and over.

Called a “vaccine passport” by some, the proposal relies mostly on the QR codes already mandated across the states and territories for people to record the places they visit so contact tracers can check on outbreaks.

But the federal government will not store any information about a person’s movements and will not force anyone to download the Australian Immunisation Record, leaving it to people to decide if they want to use the “AIR” to qualify for the exemptions.

Read the full story here.

Keeping up with the latest COVID-19 restrictions can be tricky but Kate Rose has prepared a handy guide for Victorians as regional Victoria joined Greater Melbourne in lockdown from 1pm today.

Regional Victoria has almost the same lockdown settings as Melbourne; the only difference being that no curfew will apply outside Greater Melbourne.

The regional restrictions will, like Melbourne’s, apply until 11.59pm on Thursday September 2.

There are five reasons to leave home, a five-kilometre travel ban, and a mask mandate for those aged over 12 whenever they leave home, and regardless of whether they are indoors or outdoors.

You can read all the ins and outs of the statewide lockdown here.

Good evening and thanks for reading our live coverage of the day’s events. If you’re just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:

• NSW has recorded the highest daily number of COVID-19 cases anywhere in Australia since the start of the pandemic, with 825 new locally-acquired infections. Unfortunately, three more people have also died after contracting the virus: a man in his 90s, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 90s.

• Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced regional Victoria would join Greater Melbourne in a statewide lockdown from 1pm on Saturday. The rules are the same as those that already applied in Greater Melbourne, with the exception of the city’s nightly curfew. The lockdown was imposed as Victoria recorded 61 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19.
• Health authorities in Victoria are now recommending that primary school aged children under 12 wear a mask whenever they leave the home, both indoors and outdoors, but it is not mandatory as it is for those aged over 12. As we have seen, the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 is more transmissible among children than earlier strains of the virus that hit adults hardest.
• From Monday, masks will be mandatory for NSW residents whenever they are outdoors, unless they are exercising.
• Six Victorian police officers were taken to hospital and more than 200 people were arrested as a result of today’s anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne. More than 4000 people attended the rally today, according to police estimates, and police arrested 218 people and issued 236 fines. In dramatic scenes, police shot pepper ball rounds into the crowd and sprayed capsicum spray.

• NSW Police dispersed a smaller anti-lockdown protest of about 250 people in central Sydney. Notwithstanding the size of the event, police arrested 47 people and issued more than 260 infringement notices. Police Minister David Elliott said anyone contemplating attending a protest on Sunday should think again as police were poised to thwart their efforts.
• In good news, the ACT recorded 8 new local cases of coronavirus but all of the new cases were linked and none were in the community while infectious.