As it happened: PM hopeful Melbourne lockdown will be lifted soon; first day of Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial

Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said the cold front - the “leading edge” of this complex weather system - has already reached South Australia and Victoria and will move north into NSW.

The maximum temperature in Sydney is forecast to drop from about 20 degrees on Tuesday to 14 on Thursday.

“It’ll be feeling a fair bit colder than that due to wind chill, cloud and rain,” Mr Domensino said.

The city will be somewhat spared as the winds will be northerly on Tuesday, turning westerly overnight, unlike a “southerly buster”. But rain is possible in Sydney from Tuesday night into Thursday with totals dependent on where a low pressure system develops over the Tasman Sea.

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jonathan How said it was the “first big cold snap of winter”.

While numbers of the rodents have eased lately, he has had no choice but to lay fresh bait around his shed where he keeps grain for his cattle, and make regular baitings at $5000 each time across his 1000-hectare property.

“They’re still doing lots of damage,” he said. “You might kill all the mice on your farm but if your next-door neighbour isn’t doing the same, they will just come through your fence.”

Read the full story here

At the moment, the vaccine is approved for use in people aged over 16. All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people over 16 can now get the vaccine.

The UK approved the vaccine for use in 12 to 15-year-olds late last week, while the US approved it for that age group in early May.

Following on from the Victorian government’s denial it was stockpiling vaccines, Vaccine Operations Centre boss Commodore Eric Young said there was no evidence to suggest that the states are stockpiling anything.

“There’s approximately 4400 sites across the country, there’s a raft of different reasons why doses may or may not be administered in each of those sites,” the Commodore said.

“We had seen over the last couple of weeks, utilisation, particularly in Victoria, rise dramatically. Based on that there’s no evidence to suggest that they’re holding vaccine in reserve.”

Professor Kelly said the federal government has always kept second dose supplies.

“The states do not need to keep contingency,” he said.

Roving clinics were continuing to visit facilities in Victoria that had already had a first dose visit to offer vaccines to people who may have missed out or turned it down initially.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said many more people are also now eligible for vaccinations across the country, after National Cabinet decided on Friday to drop the age of eligibility to 40.

“Many more people are now eligible in Australia to get vaccinated. I really encourage anyone who is in any of those groups that are now eligible to be vaccinated, to get out there, roll up your sleeve and get the jab,” he said.

The Premier said the WA government was mulling what it could do to enhance vaccine take-up, with the goal to “see as many people get the vaccines in their arms as possible, as quickly as possible”.

He said the government was also in discussions with its medical advisors about making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for aged care workers.

Mr McGowan noted it was mandatory for aged care workers to receive the flu vaccine and suggested making the Pfizer vaccine available to the entire aged care workforce.

He said the government aimed to have the aged care workforce compulsorily vaccinated by sometime in August.

On the topic of the AFL grand final being held in WA, following a sold-out Dreamtime in the West game on Saturday, Mr McGowan was confident Melbourne would have its COVID-19 outbreak under control and be able to host a grand final.

“But if they can’t, obviously holding it in WA would be a good thing,” he said.

“We have obviously the second-highest capacity stadium in the country and we have a football-loving public. So if we can get the grand final here in a COVID safe way we will.”