As it happened: Victoria records 860 new local COVID-19 cases, five deaths; no vaccine for under-12s until 2022; Pilbara rocked by aftershocks after earthquake on Saturday

• Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley has defended his government’s proposed pandemic laws, arguing they will bring the state into line with “just about everywhere else and [make] the elected members of parliament accountable” for controversial decisions. The legislation, which has passed the Victorian lower house and is due to face a vote in the upper house soon, has been criticised for making the Victorian premier and health minister of the day responsible for declaring a pandemic and making public health orders (not the state’s chief health officer, which is currently the case). Some are concerned the changes will give politicians, not public health experts, more power. Victoria reported 860 new cases of COVID-19 today, down from yesterday’s tally of 905.

• Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended a controversial Senate committee inquiry into complaints handling processes at the ABC and SBS. The PM says “nobody” is above the scrutiny of the Senate. Yesterday, ABC chair Ita Buttrose described the inquiry as an act of “political interference designed to intimidate the [public broadcaster]“. Today, she doubled down on those comments and told ABC Radio National the broadcaster’s relationship with the Morrison government was “strained”.

• Queensland is now welcoming fully vaccinated people from interstate hot spots (i.e. Sydney and Melbourne). The changes came into effect at 6pm AEDT (5pm Brisbane time) off the back of the state hitting its 70 per cent double-dose vaccination milestone for people aged 16 and up. However, travellers must show a negative COVID test prior to travelling and the test must not be more than 72 hours old. They also have to quarantine at a private residence for 14 days and arrive by air, not road, and have a border pass.

• WA Premier Mark McGowan says it’s unlikely, but possible, that his government will put in place further COVID-19 lockdowns until the state reaches its 90 per cent double-dose vaccination target for people aged 16 and up. WA and Tasmania are the only two Australian states which will remain largely shut off from other jurisdictions until a 90 per cent threshold is reached (others have opted for an 80 per cent target). Speaking of Tasmania, Hobart has recorded its coldest November morning in 68 years.

• Greater Katherine and the Robinson River Aboriginal community entered a 72-hour lockdown from 6pm after two Aboriginal Territorians tested positive for COVID-19. Authorities fear the virus may have spread to remote communities in the territory and have sent a response team to Robinson River and nearby Borroloola to vaccinate and test residents. People in the affected areas will be confined to their homes unless they need to access medical treatment, buy essential goods, carry out essential work, exercise for an hour or care for a family member.

• And the ACT recorded 10 new cases of COVID-19 today. There is one coronavirus patient in hospital in Canberra. However, they are not in ICU.

Despite a $1 million reward, more than 600 persons of interest, and hundreds of police searching the town of Kendall, he has never been found and nobody has been charged over his disappearance and suspected murder.

The latest search, sparked by credible new claims about a person of interest, will focus on a dense patch of bushland about a kilometre from where he was last seen.

“We are looking for the remains of William Tyrrell,” Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett said today, adding the strike force would focus on three areas in Kendall.

In June, on what would have been William’s 10th birthday, detectives pledged to ensure “no stone is left unturned” in solving the mystery.

More about the new leads on William Tyrrell’s disappearance here.

Protesters set up a speaker and talked about a vaccine mandate challenge in NSW, and voiced their ire about employment mandates attached to people’s vaccination status.

They also spoke about their antipathy towards the state government’s proposed legislation, which has been criticised for being too heavy-handed in giving the premier and health minister of the day the authority to declare a pandemic and make public health orders.

A handful of police closely monitored the demonstration, but there were no indications the protest would turn violent after a full day of no clashes with authorities.

Today’s demonstrations follow a weekend that saw thousands flood Melbourne’s CBD on Saturday in peaceful protest, voicing opposition to the controversial laws.

Though police did not provide an estimate of the size of the crowd, they appear to have been increasing in size in recent weeks.

The Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (pandemic management) Bill 2021 passed the lower house last month, and the government is now hoping it will pass the upper house next week with the support of three crossbenchers.

More on the protest at Victoria’s Parliament House here.

It is unclear how both people got infected, since the latest case in the community linked to the Darwin-Katherine cluster was on November 5, five days before the 43-year-old man became infectious.

Authorities have put a call-out for people in affected areas to get tested, following a low turnout at the weekend.

“This is undoubtedly the most serious update I’ve had to give since the beginning pandemic,” Chief Minister Michael Gunner said.